New artist of the week: Billie Eilish
What: A one to watch for 2018
Where: LA
Why: Billie Eilish has already been tipped for the top by the guys and gals who vote for the BBC Sound of 2018 poll and this week, the LA artist featured on the longlist.
That poll now indicates less untested artist more sure-fire bet, based on major label signings, Spotify stream numbers and You Tube views. With plays already in the millions and a deal with Interscope Records, the fantastically-named Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell was always likely to feature on the list but notably, she is only 15 years-old.
More impressive? Her debut single Oceans was first made in late 2015 with her brother songwriting partner/producer brother Finneas O’Connell, when she was only 13. Originally sent to her dance teacher for choreography reasons, the song’s dreamy electronic pop promptly caught fire on Soundcloud.
Eilish’s debut lower-cased EP don’t smile at me, as the title suggests, embraces the moody teenager aesthetic in both sound and lyrics with songs about fakery, idiot boys who either lie or become possessive of her.
“You just want what you can’t have / No way / I’ll call the cops / If you don’t stop, I’ll call your dad,” she threatens on Party Favor. She throws serious shade on fake friends on Copycat. The music turns bright and delicate while she sings “Sorry,
sorry, I’m sorry, sorry,” before Eilish whispering “psych” as a menacing synth reappears to underscore her sullen demeanour.
So Billie Eilish is a teenager through and through, but one who has major pop prospects on her report card.
You have to hear this . . . Sjowgren – Stubborn Forces
Californian trio Sjowgren (“show grin”) debuted with Seventeen, a melodic slice of West Coast indie pop back in 2015. The success of the song encouraged the band members (who prefer to remain anonymous) to quit their day jobs and 2017 has seen them release once-off singles culminating in their best since that debut. Stubborn Forces is a track with a taut guitar riff, pop smarts and punchy vigour.
You have to hear this . . . All Tvvins – Crash
After debuting with an album of stadium-faced rock music, the Dublin-based duo of Lar Kaye and Conor Adams have been exploring new textures on once-off releases this year. Their latest takes things in a desolate lyrical direction with Adams' processed voice accompanied by a piano singing of emotional trauma caused by cancer, car crashes and heart attacks. It's a fatalistic turn that finds solace in its sonically-lifted refrain of "It's just another day, just another day, just another.."
