Now Hear This: New music from Little Simz, Eliza Shaddad, VC Pines and Mysie plus spotlight artist DijahSB

In her weekly column, our music correspondent Roisin O’Connor goes through the best new releases

Now Hear This spotlight artist DijahSB (Press image)

An absurd amount of great new music this week, so much so that it was a scramble to curate it all on The Independent’s playlist.

Little Simz has returned with “Introvert”, a thunderous statement of intent that opens with dramatic choirs, military-style drums and a brass section that sounds like a call to arms. It might be the most ambitious track she’s released to date. She’s always been bold with her arrangements but this is next level, a flawless melting pot of influences. Her lyrics are unflinching, moving from keen social observations (“I study humans that makes me an anthropologist/ I’m not in to politics, but I know it’s dark times/ Parts of the world still living in apartheid”) to self-reflection. She tussles with her introvert tendencies and the knowledge of her artistic power. It really is a phenomenal track.

One of my favourite artists, Eliza Shaddad, has released “Heaven”, the latest from her forthcoming album The Woman You Want. She’s really come into her own with this music, which stays true to her rock sensibilities but adds some beautiful, sun-drenched folk influences that reminds me a lot of Sheryl Crow’s earliest work. VC Pines dropped the woozy “See You Soon”, which I love, and the velvet-voiced Collard has come up with “Deliver Me”, which shows him wrestling with conflicts of faith. Newcomer Mysie, recently signed to Frazer T Smith’s label, is on to a winner with the contemplative “In My Mind”, laced with Radiohead influences.

Some completely new finds this week, including Leeds-based singer-songwriter Jake Whiskin, who just released the gorgeously moody “Heavy”. He’s got a great voice: husky but not overstated. It reminds me of Villagers and classic Feeder. Lyrically, there are nods to artists like Phoebe Bridgers, and like the “Kyoto” singer Whiskin employs a few Americana flourishes in his guitar playing.

Album-wise, do read our critic Helen Brown’s wonderful take on Tom Jones’s new album (and keep an eye out for our interview with him tomorrow). I was very taken with the self-titled project of Norwegian artist Rural Tapes, which you can read about here.

My spotlight artist this week is the brilliant DijahSB. They just released their incredibly, confident EP Head Above the Waters – make sure you check that out, plus my Q&A with them below. PS, subscribe to the Now Hear This playlist!

Hey DijahSB, tell me about yourself

I'm a 27-year-old non-binary hip-hop artist, I've been rapping professionally for around 10 years. I tweet too much. I'm finally moved out of my mom’s house. I adopted two kittens. Music has saved my life in ways I could never imagine and now I'm finally beginning to live the reality I've always dreamed of.

– What were the inspirations and influences behind this new project?

We are going through a lot, with Covid. I made my first album in 2020 because I wanted to give people something to remember that wasn't only about the tragic s*** that went down. Fast forward a year later we're in the same place. It's crazy you know? And I just wanted to give myself and my listeners a reminder. Keep your head above the waters. Right now and many times during all this, you may feel like you're drowning, you have anchors holding you down, everything out of your control happens, the tides crash against you, you feel like giving in. Those are a lot of the things I was feeling while dealing with lockdown and covid stuff. And I know a lot of people can relate. So it's like yeah, just keep your head above it all, that's all you can really do. Everything else may be pulling you a certain direction, but as long as you keep your head above the waves, you'll be able to swim past it all.

– Did you notice any recurring themes cropping up in the music?

Definitely with water, and incorporating some of my favourite lines from my favourite artists about keeping your head above waters. Like I have a jay electronica line I totally rip for the beginning of the title track. Just homage s***. I love that line and it has always resonated with me.

– What do you have lined up for the rest of the year?

After this, because I'm a smaller artist, I gotta keep putting s***out man. I don't have the luxury of disappearing for four years after dropping an album haha. Maybe later in my career, but for now I gotta grind. So after this I'm looking to put out two EPs. Maybe land some major features. Who knows.