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Here at Vents Magazine, we keep our ear to the ground on the most exciting artists of the moment and the upcoming ones to watch for the future. In this weekly feature, we’ll be sharing some of these artists with you as we delve into the hottest new singles and must-hear new projects from around the world. So, grab your headphones, and take a listen to this week’s top releases below…
Mark Duggan – “Don’t Know Why”
Waterford singer-songwriter Mark Duggan enters a defining new chapter with the announcement of his debut full-length album, Hold That Ghost Down, led by the contemplative acoustic folk-rock single “Don’t Know Why”. Following a run of singles including “A Harder Shade of Blue”, “House on the Hill” and “Different in the Dark”, the forthcoming record establishes Duggan as an artist with a distinctive ability to combine intimate songwriting with expansive, carefully considered arrangements. Sonically, “Don’t Know Why” moves through the warmth and wistfulness of 1990s soft rock, with echoes of R.E.M. and Tom Petty running through its acoustically led framework.
Max Swan – “LMK”
Max Swan’s new single, “LMK”, is an intimate, stripped-back song about showing up for others and finding a way home. Built around piano, voice, EWI, sax, cello and bass, it reflects Swan’s journey through upheaval, including the five-year process of rebuilding his home after a devastating 2021 flood. A songwriter, composer, producer, vocalist and trained saxophonist, Swan balances his music career with work as a plumber, drawing inspiration from jazz, alternative R&B, soul and classic musicianship. The accompanying music video documents the home’s transformation from flood damage to completion. Originally conceived before the flood, “LMK” was revived through an old voice memo and developed in his brother’s childhood bedroom. The result is a warm, hopeful reflection on resilience, connection and rebuilding.
BRYANT KEITH – “IMPATIENT”
Independent R&B artist, songwriter and producer BRYANT KEITH has released “IMPATIENT”, the latest single from his forthcoming EP, THE LOVE PACT, due later this year. Moody, dark and lush, the track explores the psychological intensity of yearning as desire, uncertainty and emotional exhaustion collide. Blending contemporary R&B with early-2000s influences, “IMPATIENT” captures the emotional unravelling that occurs when patience reaches its limits while love remains. Written and produced by BRYANT in his home studio, the track transforms personal turmoil into atmospheric, immersive R&B. Born in Indianapolis and now based in Houston, BRYANT is developing a distinct sound he calls “psychological R&B”, drawing on existential, spiritual and emotional themes to explore the complexities of human connection, longing and attachment.
Fanny Alexandra – “Black Pearl Summer”
Swiss artist Fanny Alexandra returns with “Black Pearl Summer”, a melodic new single exploring pressure, grief, survival and the beauty that can emerge from difficult experiences. Drawing on beaches, tides, shipwrecks and the image of a black pearl formed under pressure, the song reflects on Alexandra’s experience of mistaking survival for living and how painful experiences can shape strength and beauty. Musically, it reveals a brighter, more spacious side of her dark alternative sound while retaining her emotionally direct, lyric-led approach. Atmospheric production and coastal imagery create a contrast between beauty on the surface and storms beneath it. Ultimately, “Black Pearl Summer” considers healing as a process of acknowledging the past without being consumed by it, finding a way to move forward while carrying what lies beneath the surface.
JP Oldfield – Saltwater Gospel
Wiltshire-based independent singer-songwriter JP Oldfield’s Saltwater Gospel is a six-part maritime concept EP exploring grief, vengeance, mortality and acceptance through dark folk, blues, Americana and cinematic storytelling. The project follows a Ferryman trapped between life and death after refusing to surrender his dead wife, drawing him into guilt, religious hypocrisy, catastrophe and ultimately acceptance. Inspired by maritime folklore and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Oldfield builds a mythology around the sea, the land and Life in Death. His raw, stripped-back sound combines resonator guitar, baritone vocals, Delta blues influences and unconventional tunings. Following a cancer diagnosis and recovery, Oldfield began performing and songwriting, giving the EP’s themes of mortality and acceptance added personal resonance. Entirely self-produced, the project also features his own linocut artwork.
Hazel Gaze – “Do As You Please”
New York rock outfit Hazel Gaze bring a distinctly live-driven energy to their latest project, Strung Out: Live & Unplugged at the Brooklyn Conservatory, a recorded and visual performance that revisits the spirit of the classic unplugged sessions of the 1990s and 2000s. Recorded live at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music by Grammy-nominated engineer Daniel Alba, whose credits include Jack White, Tom Morello and Norah Jones, the project sees Hazel Gaze reframe their rock sound through a stripped-back live setting and the addition of a world-class string section. The result is a performance that retains the grit and immediacy of rock ’n’ roll while introducing a richer orchestral dimension, revealing another side to the band’s songwriting and musical identity. Lead single “Do As You Please” offers a strong introduction to that approach
Kiey – METROMIRAGE
Vietnamese independent artist, songwriter and producer Kiey prepares to enter a new chapter with METROMIRAGE, an ambitious third studio album that brings together introspective songwriting, globally informed production and a distinctly modern approach to English-language pop. Led by latest single “fun fiction” featuring Cece Trương, the project positions Kiey as one of Vietnam’s increasingly compelling independent voices with ambitions extending far beyond his home market. Bringing together refreshing blue-toned aesthetics, positive energy and a more expansive sonic palette, METROMIRAGE continues Kiey’s exploration of the emotional spaces between pop, R&B, electronic music and alternative songwriting. Rather than chasing conventional commercial formulas, the album places emphasis on atmosphere, lyrical intimacy and considered production, creating a body of work designed to reveal more with every listen.
