New Music Experience: May 2, 2021

Listen to the entire show.

This week on the New Music Experience we have lots of twos. Two teenage indie pop sensations – one from the UK Alfie Templeman, one from – well, we’re still not sure where KALI is from (after reading numerous interviews, her bio, her socials…) but the 16-year-old shows amazing songwriting chops for any age on her debut EP Circles.

We also have two new songs from two of our favorite Nashville artists – Josh Gilligan who released the second song from his upcoming EP Go Around. And Joy Oladokun, our January Nashville Artist of the Month who continues to consistently amaze with the follow up singles to her 2020 album In Defense of My Own Happiness. According to American Songwriter this new one is from an as-yet untitled major label record with no official release date.

We also feature a collaboration between two artists with two very distinct voices – the deep baritone of Lawrence Rothman matching the soaring harmony of Son Little. That, along with his previous NME appearance with Amanda Shires, will be featured on his new album Good Morning America, coming in July.

We started with our (still untitled) spotlight on relatively unknown artists – in this case the Norwegian bedroom pop producer known as Whose Rules. His bio states simply “23-year-old making music in Norway. Hope you like it!” We do! His mellifluous falsetto sits on an alternately spare and crowded piece of pop construction that speaks to a highly creative musical mind. One far too busy for bios.

  1. Whose Rules: “Lights”
  2. KALI: “Back to the Start”
  3. Josh Gilligan: “Something, Nothing, Everything”
  4. cole: “Interlude”
  5. Lawrence Rothman feat. Son Little: “Sunny Place for Shady People”
  6. Tai Verdes: “A-Ok”
  7. Kings of Convenience: “Rocky Trail”
  8. Rodrigo Amarante: “Mare”
  9. Interview with Record of the Week artist Haiva Ru by Celia
  10. Alfie Templeman: “Wait, I Lied”
  11. Faye Webster: “Cheers”
  12. Joy Oladokun: “Sorry Isn’t Good Enough”
  13. Karen O and Danger Mouse: “Perfect Day”

KALI, Back To The Start:

Joy Oladokun, Sorry Isn’t Good Enough