It’s time for Best New Indie!

This week we’ve gotten fresh cuts from Andy Shauf, Jorja Smith, Damon Albarn, and more.

Check out this week’s Best New Indie below.

This Indie88 feature is presented in partnership with Go Rogue.

Andy Shauf – “Spanish On The Beach”

Andy Shauf has made his return with a video for his new single, “Spanish On The Beach,” out now via Arts & Crafts. The new single feels like it could easily fit into his most recent album, The Neon Skyline. Andy Shauf tells the tale of a couple’s trip to an all-inclusive resort. Throughout the tune, he uses the idea of a language barrier as a metaphor for the couple’s breakdown in communication. Atop jazzy guitars, Shauf slowly paints an imagined scenario where he proposes to The Neon Skyline character Judy. The accompanying video follows a rubber ducky donning sunglasses, floating dreamily around a pool.
 

Jorja Smith, Sasha Keable – “Killing Me”

British singer-songwriter Sasha Keable has recruited Jorja Smith for a heart-rending break-up track, “Killing Me”. The single sees the two sing soulfully about finding strength after a heartbreak. They croon, “I need to be loved by myself, It’s okay to ask for help”. The self-love ballad is paired with a clip directed by Olivia Rose, that sees bright red imagery and big hats.
 

Damon Albarn – “Particles”

Blur and Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn has shared his wistful new single, “Particles.” “Particles” is an absolutely stunning track, built atop sounds of water and gentle nature-like buzzing. The subtle, yet impactful instrumentals highlight the single’s lyrics perfectly, as Albarn sings, “The particles are joyous/ As they alight on your skin.”
 

Kamasi Washington – “My Friend Of Misery (Kamasi Washington cover)”

Los Angeles jazz legend Kamasi Washington has covered Metallica‘s “My Friend Of Misery.” When Kamasi Washington played The Hollywood Bowl last month, he brought out Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo to cover the track. Now he’s shared the single as an official contribution to The Metallica Blacklist, which is out on September 10th. On Washington’s version of “My Friend Of Misery,” he turns the metal anthem into a stunning, celestial jazz number.
 

Hannah Georgas – “Change (Acoustic)”

Indie pop artist Hannah Georgas has announced All That Emotion (Acoustic), which is out on September 17th, 2021. As part of the announcement, she’s shared a visualizer for the acoustic version of “Changes.” “Since releasing All That Emotion last year I’ve worked on music with friends in ways I never expected to,” Georgas says. “Local restrictions pushed me to reach out to my peers and collaborate from the comfort of my home studio, an experience I found surprisingly enjoyable. That distance and isolation inspired me to work on these recordings. It feels nice to capture how I’ve been performing the songs over the past year when I wasn’t able to get together with my band. These versions document a very specific feeling and time, and it’s special to be able to share them.”
 

Bad Waitress – “Manners”

Toronto punk rockers Bad Waitress have shared a video for their new single “Manners.” The track comes from their forthcoming album, No Taste, which is out tomorrow (September 3rd) via Royal Mountain Records. On “Manners,” Bad Waitress subvert the expectations of femininity. In the eerie video, the band transforms into ominous wind up dolls as they perform the track.
 

Bachelor – “I See It Now”

Jay Som‘s Melina Duterte and Palehound‘s Ellen Kempner have returned with a new Bachelor song, “I See It Now.” The pair wrote the single at Kempner’s house in Poughkeepsie, New York last January. “I See It Now” serves as the follow-up to the debut Bachelor album, Doomin’ Sun. While it may sound like more of a mellow slow burn, Duterte and Kempner channel anger and shame. Lyrically, the song is about insecurities, as they sing of their replacement in a relationship.
 

POND – “Human Touch”

Australian psych-rock band POND are readying the release of their ninth studio album 9 set for October 1 via Spinning Top/Secretly Distribution. They have shared their fourth single “Human Touch”. “One time a woman was smashing up a car outside my house, begging me to help her steal it. It was a lovely day. She was wired but sweet in a way. Her dog, Josie, was sitting in the passenger seat being very cute and fluffy. We talked for a good few hours in the sunny cul-de-sac and neither of us ended up committing grand theft auto. The music started with a grimey Casio loop Jay made, that we built the song around.”
 

Listen to our Best New Indie playlist below!