Establishing the mood with warm guitar strums and an intricate layered melody, Sycamore Hill open Circles with an ethereal classic rock adjacency, a bit of 90s grunge and cinematic allure. The opus expands with introspective prose – atmospheric and poetic.

We immediately imagine Circles being featured in a poignant montage scene in a TV show like Buffy The Vampire Slayer whilst the band performs it live on stage at The Bronze. We deeply connect with the high emotional quotient and the raw authenticity that transpires.

The guitar performances are sublime, and the build of the track is elegant, growing with the heightened drama of the vocals before a transcendental solo, accompanied by a cerebral scream, and emotive breakdown for the finale, which leaves us yearning for more. We could also see the track scoring a sync placement in the recent film Forbidden Fruits, or a cult movie like The Craft.

The Birmingham-based band shares, “Circles is about an individual being entrapped within a failing relationship with a lover. The song speaks of conflict and confusion within one’s mind and this is reinforced by the lyrics ‘I don’t know what I’ll do’.”

Sycamore Hill continue, “The song’s title inherently links to confusion and the feeling that this imagined individual is going round in circles and cannot find their way out of the conflict they are feeling. The vocal scream within the guitar solo ultimately becomes a scream out in emotional pain and a sign of not being able to control this conflict anymore.”

Fans of Fleetwood Mac, T.H.C., and The Eagles would be able to connect with what Sycamore Hill are delivering. We learn that they are a female-fronted band with two lead vocalists Rhea Busst and Sophie Powell, along with guitarist Astrid Wilson, Joseph Boyle on bass, Kaid Dhalia-Parsons on guitar, and Jake Mayhew sharing his skill on drums, as he also looks after the band’s aesthetic – which we are obsessed with.

Naturally, we have added Circles to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we anticipate future releases from Sycamore Hill.

The post Sycamore Hill channel grunge and classic Rock on cinematic and introspective single, Circles appeared first on KIMU.

Setting the tone with dimensional, astral guitar soundscape and atmospheric vocals, Solum opens Circles with an ethereal yet high octane flows, detailing his lived experience and personal relationship turmoils. The hook is undeniably great, followed by a brooding solo that leads us to the second verse.

The cohesive tapestry of sound that Solum creates is refined and feels authentic. There are sonic nuances that add to the cinematic allure. There is no doubt that Circles would be perfect for a range of synch deals – perhaps the upcoming season of HBO’s Euphoria or another coming of age drama.

Solum‘s lyricism is relatable and simple, yet simultaneously complex enough to showcase his poetic prowess and the intentional soul that manifests with his writing. As for the song’s themes, Solum confesses, “Circles delves into the complexities of toxic relationships, capturing the raw emotions of love gone wrong.”

He adds more philosophically, “Circles is something that always happens between people within a toxic relationship. It’s that real feeling of being tired of this toxic relationship of going back and forth, they break your heart but still try to come crawling back. Again and again, they always make you jump through hoops and for what?”

We learn that the track was recorded in the setting of Solum‘s own room, which we can feel come through in the intimacy, but let’s be real, this is how some of the most authentic songs are created – raw, unfiltered and a timeless attention to detail that can sometimes only be conjured when the artist is fully in in control of their art – and this is what Circles feels like!

The rising star cites Artemas, Brakence, and beabadoobee as sonic influences, which is nice to mention, but Solum‘s tangible honesty and self-produced sonic reality really shines through here – so here’s to artists creating their own destiny.

We have added Solum‘s Circles to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream his wider discography, including BPD, Melancholic Dream, and Hold On!

The post Solum share his self-produced universe and a poignant commentary on toxic love with new single, Circles appeared first on KIMU.