Lucky Number Music

Today, Jay Som – the project of Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Melina Duterte – shares another track from Belong, her first new album in over six years, entitled “What You Need”, which highlights the collaborative nature of the record.

Inspired by a Peter Bjorn and John song that reminded Joao Gonzalez (Soft Glas) of Duterte’s music, “What You Need” was built together by the duo, crafting a track that is as springy yet sad as the lyrics, a tight-rope walk between adoration and annoyance. Addictive on first listen, it’s a subtle wonder of production, too, its layers of drums and curdled synths serving as a platform for the bright guitars that bend through it.

“Joao created and sent me the basic skeleton for ‘What You Need’ a couple hours before the fires in LA started,” Duterte says of the new single. “I remember feeling immediately drawn to it, but the uncertainty and danger we were about to face crept up, pulling our focus elsewhere. We eventually revisited the demo a month later, after witnessing how the people of LA came together in its darkest moments — it felt necessary and only right to create this song with friends.”

Today, New York-based rock band Sunflower Bean share “Crashing Highs”, the first of five additional tracks being added to their recent album Mortal Primetime, their most transformative record to date. The forthcoming Deluxe edition of Mortal Primetime will be released on October 17th, and is available to pre-order now.

The band describe “Crashing Highs” as being “about chasing the past and losing grip on something that once felt huge, the peaks and valleys of infatuation until it slips away completely. We were very influenced by Sonic Youth on this one, wanting something with the energy of room, raw guitars, and splashing cymbals.”

Jay Som – the project of the Los Angeles-based Melina Duterte – today shares “Cards On The Table” the second single from her forthcoming album Belong.

“Cards On The Table” is a tender and revealing slice of electronic pop full of mesmerizing electronic flourishes, gentle hooks and warped vocals (with additional performance from Lexi Vega of Mini Trees) cascading over tessellated drum machines and synths. It follows the release of the album’s lead single “Float (feat. Jim Adkins)”, and complimentary release “A Million Reasons Why”.

Duterte says of the song: “‘Cards On The Table’ is my favorite song on Belong! It’s about the shifting nature of friendships and how devastating conflict can be in platonic relationships when you feel misunderstood by each other. I think it’s a universal experience to navigate that type of dynamic. It feels like a never-ending cycle of people walking in and out of your life, but it ultimately leads to self-discovery and growth.”

Jay Som has also announced her first North American headline tour in over 5 years, following her run supporting Lucy Dacus this Summer. She returns to the UK and Europe in the Autumn, including stops at Pitchfork London and Pitchfork Paris. Check the Jay Som website for all dates and ticket links HERE.

Jay Som – the project of Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Melina Duterte – returns today, announcing her first new album in over six years. Since Jay Som’s critically acclaimed sophomore album Anak Ko came out in 2019, Duterte has spent the last few years cultivating her passion for production and audio engineering. This led to producing credits on the GRAMMY-winning boygenius album the record, Lucy Dacus’ latest Forever Is A Feeling, and countless beloved indie records. She also joined boygenius as a touring band member, collaborated alongside the likes of Troye Sivan, beabadoobee and No Rome, contributed to the I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack, and more. Yes, Jay Som itself has been on a bit of a break; Duterte, however, has perhaps been busier than ever.

Finally, Jay Som is back to announce Belong, out 10th October. While Jay Som has always been a solo project for Duterte, this album finds her expanding her world by collaborating with outside musicians, writers and producers. Duterte wrote, composed, performed, produced, engineered and mixed the record with contributions from Joao Gonzalez (of Soft Glas), Mal Hauser (a collaborator to Mk.gee and Illuminati Hotties) and Steph Marziano (producer for Bartees Strange, and Cassandra Jenkins). She also welcomed guest vocalists for the first time on one of her albums, featuring Hayley Williams, Jim Adkins (of Jimmy Eat World) and Lexi Vega (of Mini Trees) on different tracks. The album finds Duterte searching for her place, or somewhere she belongs, within an indie rock ecosystem that Jay Som stepped away from for the past six years. The result is an album unlike any Jay Som record before it: a gripping 11-song set about self-definition that floats between supercharged power-pop hits and hazy ballads, between electronic curiosities and lighters-up anthems.

Alongside today’s announcement, Jay Som shares two tracks from the record. First is “Float (feat. Jim Adkins)”, plus “A Million Reasons Why”. Duterte grew up with rock radio outside of San Francisco, memorizing the hits of early ’00s pop-punk and emo as a teen. Though she was 400 miles north along the California coast, The O.C. soundtracks—Imogen Heap, Bloc Party, Death Cab for Cutie, and so on—became major touchstones, too. You immediately hear the collision of it all in “Float”, the first song Duterte wrote for Belong.

Duterte says, “This song is about desperately trying to hold on to past versions of yourself for self-preservation. The fear of the unknown is so overwhelming that sometimes the best solution is to sit with it instead of fighting or running from it.”

Adkins adds, “Melina is an absolute professional in all aspects of music creation. I am honoured she had space in her vision for me to contribute. And it was a lot of fun to work on. Great song!”

Listen to “Float” and watch the Nina Ljeti-directed music video, which unintentionally but very serendipitously references the music video for Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle”, below now.

Today, alt-pop provocateur Jessica Winter releases her sensational new single “Big Star”, the fifth single taken from her upcoming debut album, My First Album, which is set for release this Friday 11th July. The music video for “Big Star” was directed by Roger Spy and is available to watch below.

On “Big Star”, Jessica creates a soon-to-be iconic cult pop anthem.

Jessica explains “This song sums up the album for me, perhaps it’s a reminder to anyone on their quest for fame and fortune to remember that you are who you are, and you don’t have to be on a huge stage with loads of people applauding or liking you on socials to have real value in this life. Perhaps it’s an exposé on living a life in this industry which is all about making it and all about your success moments, but we have success moments every day depending on how you look at it. The way I constructed My First Album wasn’t with the intention of major cosigns and celebrity, I wanted to create something authentically me that allowed for exposure and vulnerability, and I believe I have achieved that.”

Jessica will play multiple in-store live dates to celebrate the release of My First Album, starting with Rough Trade East in London this Friday followed by shows in cities including Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool and her hometown, Portsmouth. All dates and details can be found on her website.