Music

Eyeconic And Shakk Share Addictive New Single “it’s a vibe”

Rising UK artists Eyeconic and Shakk have teamed up for brand-new collaboration “it’s a vibe”. Following the many challenges that have been prevalent globally over the last two years, “it’s a vibe” brings pure elation in the form of two and a half minutes of UK garage nostalgia. The track arrives with accompanying visuals directed by Kraken Cinematic. With the two Middlesbrough-based artists having already experienced much individual success in their solo careers so far, they look set to reach even greater heights with this latest release.

Highlighting what a formidable team Eyeconic and Shakk are, the track perfectly spotlights their rap abilities and songwriting talent – their knack for insanely addictive melodies and catchy toplines can be heard throughout, no more so than on the anthemic chorus which will surely be fixed into everyone’s head after just one listen. Setting the tone for the song with its title, “it’s a vibe” is a huge feel-good vibe that commands attention from the opening seconds and transports listeners to the popular late ‘90s/early ‘00s sound of UKG that has been making a comeback in recent years.

Speaking further on the release, Shakk says, “During a period of feeling low and uninspired during lockdown, I spoke to Eyeconic on the phone, and we discussed how we missed the thrill of performing live, which sparked the idea for this song. Inspired by the UK garage comeback, we felt it would be the perfect foundation to make something that encapsulated everything that makes the British music scene fun, energetic and diverse”.

The two fast-rising artists have already garnered plenty of support up until this point. Eyeconic has performed alongside the likes of The Game, Jaykae, Kamakaze and The Mouse Outfit and has had support from BBC Music Introducing. Meanwhile Shakk has performed at the likes of the O2 Academy and BBC Music’s Biggest Weekend UK Fringe, been shortlisted for Performing Artist of the Year at the 2021 North East Culture Awards and has had support from BBC Music Introducing and BBC Asian Network. Having had such strong support already, it’s clear the talented pair are artists to watch out for over the next year, with “it’s a vibe” set to see them end 2021 with their biggest release yet and keep their momentum running into 2022. “it’s a vibe” is available to buy/stream now on all platforms: https://tlr.ffm.to/itsavibe.

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Artist Spotlight

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” finds a new direction through Ghost of Panama

Rearranging a song that carries six decades of cultural weight is a creative challenge, but Ghost of Panama approaches “Subterranean Homesick Blues” with clear purpose. The rock band radically reworks Bob Dylan’s counter-culture hit, reshaping its identity while keeping its rebellious spirit. It’s a tribute to musical heritage and a statement of artistic independence all in one.

This new interpretation is very much shaped by the production, made at Ghost of Panama’s home studio in West London. The setting allows an intimate approach to reinterpreting a familiar song and lets the group engage directly with the material, taking it in a new artistic direction.

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” centers on the tension between conservation and transformation. Ghost of Panama is true to the song’s rebellious spirit without adding to its legacy, and this approach gives the release an adventurous feel, grounded in countercultural energy but driven by a desire to see what the composition can become in a different musical context.

Their version of this 60-year-old classic shows that respecting a song’s history can also mean breaking the rules and finding new ways to express its spirit. Fundamentally, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” presents Ghost of Panama as artists who want to engage with the past without being tied to it. The release’s strongest identity is a familiar heritage reimagined through a singularly forward-looking creative vision.

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Artist Spotlight

“NO MORE” by Amanda Holley connects healing, awakening, and survival

“NO MORE“ carries that kind of emotional weight, and some songs feel like they come from lived experience but reach for something bigger. Amanda Holley blends R&B and soul, turning a lifetime of survival into a vision of healing, awakening, and the determination to move beyond what caused the pain.

“NO MORE“ is a healing anthem for people who have gone through bad experiences and reached a place of higher awareness, but it’s also an emotionally charged protest. The duality is introspective and outward-looking at the same time, turning personal survival into a broader declaration that some experiences, conditions, or cycles should end.

Holley had a premonition of the song six months before the world went into global shutdown. In the vocal booth, working out melodies with her collaborators, she pictured people in the streets. Those images were hard to imagine at the time, but subsequent events would make them painfully familiar.

“NO MORE“ is given a particularly contemplative underpinning by the context. The identity of R&B and soul leaves room for emotion. The song’s themes link survival, awakening, resistance, and the need for change. Amanda Holley is an artist using music to process personal endurance and a broader sense of social awakening. It’s got a complicated significance, and its release feels like a glimpse of a moment when personal intuition and public reality collided in an unexpected way.

Photo Credit: Yulia Shusharina

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