Before The Chorus

Munya is a solo artist, originally from Saguenay, Quebec. Like many people during the pandemic, she found herself needing an escape - so she began writing. The result was an album filled with space-themed songs, made to take the listener on an intergalactic journey.

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Nation of Language are a trio from Brooklyn, New York. Despite close comparisons to OMD, New Order & Kraftwerk, the band have managed to carve out an original sound. Their use of synthesizers is emotive & visceral, easily morphing from song to song. Their new record A Way Forward, spans the cold sounds of a concrete jungle to the euphoria of new love.

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Back in 2019, Rebecca Lucy Taylor released Compliments Please, her debut solo album under the moniker Self Esteem. She has now returned with Prioritize Pleasure, another album celebrating emotional growth, sexual freedom, healing, & queer expression. She joined me way back on Episode 3 to discuss the first record, so it is a joy to have her back now.

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Mr. Jukes & Barney Artist is the collaborative project between two of London’s brightest musicians. Mr. Jukes, aka Jack Steadman, is a solo jazz artist, as well as the frontman of Bombay Bicycle Club. Barney is a rapper from East London whose style is a blend of 90s era rap - think A Tribe Called Quest & Wu-Tang Clan - and jazz. Both artists frequently collaborate with their friends in the London jazz scene, so collaborating on an album came naturally to them. On ‘The Locket’, they hope to spread a little joy, and remind us all to hold onto the things that matter most.

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Her’s was a duo from Liverpool, comprised of Stephen Fitzpatrick and Audun Laading. Their fans loved them for their silly antics, beautiful friendship, and most importantly, their stylish yet deeply tender songs. As the third anniversary of their debut album “Invitation to Her’s” approaches, I wanted to look back on the beautiful music they made, and the wonderful people that they were. Because I did not know them well, I am joined by someone who did: Saam Jafarzadeh, their dear friend and producer of their debut album.

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Eliza Shaddad is a Sudanese-Scottish artist. Her sound is equal parts gritty grunge and soft folk, and she pens her lyrics with unabashed transparency. On ‘The Woman You Want’, Eliza writes about the lows of lockdown, new marriage, and pushing against the expectations that others put on her.

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Drug Stores Romeos are a trio from Fleet in the UK. For their debut album ‘the world within our bedrooms’, they’ve offered up a slice of escapism, thanks to their cushiony sonic worlds. We get to wander through subconscious thoughts & unpack the world around us from a safe emotional distance, tucked away in the safe space of one’s own bedroom.

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Sandunes is a composer, producer and pianist from Mumbai, India. She has been making mostly instrumental music for years, but lately she has been drawn to the emotional power of the human voice. This has been especially important for her latest EP ‘ Nowhere to Stand’, which explores the fears & questions surrounding change. On the EP, she explores both her own relationship with change, and that of the four guest vocalists who feature on it.

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Michelle Zauner, better known as Japanese Breakfast, is a Brooklyn-based solo artist. After writing two albums made to help process grief - ‘Psychopomp’ & ‘Soft Sounds from Another Planet’ - she felt that she deserved to finally write about joy. On ‘Jubilee’, she explores joy from all angles, from chasing it to the experience of it.

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Billie Marten is a solo artist currently based in London. Throughout her teen years, she became a rising star of UK indie folk. But until recently, she never explicitly wrote about herself, obscuring meaning behind poeticized lyrics. On “Flora Fauna” however, she has chosen to face herself directly, both celebrating the growth she has experienced, & readying herself for the growth that comes next.

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