International Music: my favorite December 2022 releases
Enjoy my favorite picks released in December 2022, in chronological order!
"HANDPICKED" - Robin Winther - Stockolm, Sweden (EP released on December 2nd)
Robin Winther is a Stockholm-based producer that is now writing and performing his own country music. A trip to Nashville in 2019 inspired him to take this step into the country music community. Classic country artists are his main inspirations, combined with his love for the northern woods and the countryside of Sweden. Previously, he has produced music for television, other artists and some of Sweden’s most viewed Youtube videos. He also has a background as a guitarist and lead singer in multiple bands. About his second EP, Robin shares: "Handpicked features five country covers of some of my all time favorites and it mirrors what I like to listen to and sound like at the moment. It’s been great fun to do my own take on these masterpieces and I really hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do!".
Instagram: @robinwintherofficial
"SIGNS AND SIGNALS" - Arielle Eden - NYC, Usa (EP released on December 2nd)
Arielle's long awaited EP with the songs that she slowly released through all 2022, with the add of the new single "Detours", one of her favorite tunes of the EP. She says: "Couldn’t see till the end how the detours made perfect sense. These words that give me hope in tough times, reminding me that I don’t know how the story will end. Often it ends up even better than we could have imagined. Kinda like this “Signs and Signals” journey. The road can be confusing, tricky, misleading, bumpy. You may not see the obstacles clearly, and you will definitely get lost sometimes l. But when you finally arrive, somehow it will all make sense and it will be worth it!This is both the end and the beginning. Thank you for being here with me on this ride. I hope you’ll stick around for all the twists, turns, and detours that we will encounter. In the end, it’ll all make sense".
Instagram: @thearielleeden
"TEN YEARS" - Maxie Mandel - Philadelphia, Usa (released on December 2nd)
Maxie shares: "I am an 18 yr old singer songwriter and producer from Philadelphia, PA, and I just recently moved to LA. Making music heals me, and I strive to create music that can be healing for other people, too. All of my songs reflect what I’m truly going through in the moment, in hopes that other people who relate to those emotions can take some comfort in the fact that they are not alone. "Ten Years" is about dreaming for some excitement- seeing all these other people live their lives around you and wishing that yours was as fun and exciting. It also reflects on messing up with someone who you used to have fun with, and mourning that life that is now nothing but a whisper in a pool of dreams".
Instagram: @maxiemmusic
"LET'S CALL IT A NIGHT" - Zack King - Los Angeles, Usa (released on December 7th)
Making the bold move from the harsh winters of Minnesota to the endless summers of America’s West Coast has certainly paid dividends for Zack King. The enormously talented guitarist and singer songwriter has been consistently releasing music since 2020, with his latest EP Bend But Don’t Break highlighting how far he has come. Migrating between pop rock with occasional punk influences, Zack creates hooks and melodies that are instantly recognizable and enduring. His lyrics are a poignant and powerful reminder that the path to a successful life is full of obstacles that need to be met head on. With over 250K plays on Spotify alone, his reputation as an intricate, intelligent and inspired musician is growing day by day. More and more people are discovering his back catalogue which features an astounding album and countless singles. That legacy is only going to grow with 2022 delivering more memorable moments. Whether it be in the warm embrace of his laidback songs or those that feature a more upbeat pop-rock tempo, Zack King is the artist that will reach inside your heart and let you know that you are alive. He says: "I found peace and happiness through creating music and hopefully my audiences will find the same".
Instagram: @zackkingmusic
"WINTER ROSE" - Meghan Pulles & Mary Knoblock - Nashville, Usa (released on December 9th)
This collaboration of "Winter Rose" was done remotely with renowned producer Mary Knoblock and musical artist Meghan Pulles. It is made up of 8 covers of Christmas carols (traditionally English/British) that were done in various colors, emotions, and feelings. The season of Yuletide is typically a happy one but by producing and recording these sadder more morose versions of these carols, my collaborator Mary and I wanted to show the world that Christmas can also be a time of reflection, grief, sadness and anxiety for some. Not everyone has those "Happy Holidays". We hope that by sharing our versions of these carols, people can feel less alone during the holidays with those darker emotions. Meghan shares: "We are both Classically-trained musicians as well as artists, and wanted to bring that out in this collaboration as well. I am happy to say that I have produced and arranged some of these tracks all by myself as well, which after some ear struggles I have managed to overcome and find my voice in production. With Mary's guidance, we have managed to create a masterful collection of carols that we hope will move our listeners, and make them realize it's okay and normal to feel a lot of emotions during the holidays other than joy and happiness".
Instagram: @meghanpullsmusic @maryknoblockofficial
"MINIATURE MAN" - Joe Wilkinson - Costa Blanca, Spain (released on December 16th)
Joe Wilkinson is currently living, playing and producing music on the beautiful Costa Blanca, Spain. With an ever growing social media presence, a deepening bond with his fans, high quality daily content, a consistent stream of releases and a relentless dedication to live performance, big things are coming the way of this down to earth, hard working and likeable modern independent musician. To date, Joe has played over 500 shows in England, Spain and Germany, has worked with Netflix, supported Grammy award winning artist Lauren Daigle on the Berlin leg of her European Tour, was the winner of ‘Songslams’ in Berlin, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe and has featured on numerous music blogs and curated playlists. He says: "I wrote Miniature Man quite a number of years back now whilst I was living in Berlin and it's seen many different versions and arrangements. I wrote it after a really difficult breakup that I didn't see coming at all... In the wise words of 'The Script' 'when a heart breaks it don't break even'".
Instagram: @joewilkinsonmusic
"TRAVELING SHOES (Deluxe)" - Lydia & Sebastien - Montreal, Canada (released on December 16th)
Consumed by wanderlust, Lydia&Sebastien are a Canadian duo whose Indie acoustic folk roots is informed by pop, alternative, and soul. Their full length debut appeared in 2013 whose songs, "Quand t’es pas là", "Pleure Pas" and "Attends-Moi", all reached #1 an established them on commercial radio. The Montreal duo subsequently lived in many countries and performed all over the world, while getting inspired by many cultures, writing songs and recording, they launched their first album in Fall 2015. The duo had a great success at home, and slowly began to win a fan base all over UK, Europe and North America. Lydia&Sebastien first single, was singed and launched by Ultra Records (Sony New York) and got remixed by many famous DJ’s and feature on lots of popular playlists compilation. In 2017, the duo went the independent route and release "Pleure Pas". The song quickly reached top charts and was pre nominated for the song of the year at L’ADISQ. They are also slowly infiltrating their songs on famous TV shows such as "Shadow Hunters". Lydia&Sebastien have just released their second album called "Traveling Shoes" through their own label in November 2022, and the Deluxe edition on December 2022. They produced and engineered the entire album and continue their great collaboration with Jacquire King for the mixing (Norah Jones, James Bay, Tom Waits…) and the drummer Aaron Sterling (famous for his work with Harry Styles, Lana Del Rey, John Mayer, Lady antebellum, Shakira...) The album spans intimate folk, dreamy Indie pop and a hint of Latin influences.
Instagram: @lydiaandsebastien
"GREAT TIMES" - BreakTime - Bayonne, Usa (released on December 16th)
The Peninsula City’s cover-turned-original indie-pop outfit BreakTime released their debut EP foray entitled Great Times on all streaming platforms Friday, December 16th. A year-long effort, the Great Times recordings—mixed and mastered by Xanthi Music Productions’s Rod Shepard—emanate from BreakTime’s exclusive BT Studio One and showcase the upstarts’ stylistic breadth. With modern exploits into hard rock, sixties’ pop, surf rock, folk, and traditional rock’n’roll, Great Times promises and delivers something for everybody. "Mastermind" commands the opening track distinction on Great Times. As the band’s latest single release from January 2022, listeners catapulted the sizzling hard rock selection to over 5,900 Spotify streams—the most of any BreakTime release to date. On "Maybe No, Maybe Yes", the EP’s single, BreakTime prominently employs the twelve-string electric guitar, submerging the stereo field in a triumphant sixties jangle tour-de-force. Fans praise the band as "a refreshing dose of pop/rock selections and impressive delivery of the same", and assert "their good vibe is contagious!". BreakTime formed in 2018 to inject long-loved classic rock songs’ youthful energy back into their present performance. In 2021, the objective shifted to injecting vintage flair into pop songwriting. A common occurrence emerged at BreakTime’s live shows: listeners who primarily stream anything from hard rock and punk to shoegaze and country told the band they enjoyed their modern vintage sonic profile! When BreakTime is not releasing new material, the “spuds” (term of endearment) perform the odd cover show and share dockets with original acts around NY-NJ.
Instagram: @breaktimelivenj
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