Emerging from the serene lilac pond, an intriguing figure has made its mark on electronic and indie pop music scenes. Under the colorful alias ‘lilac frog,’ a 19-year-old Southwest England native named Harri Hocking, skillfully weaves enchanting stories into his tracks from his bedroom studio. This flourishing artist started his musical journey with a childhood discovery of Garageband on his family iPad and sprung ahead on this path, finally settling on his vibrant lilac frog persona in 2022.
On December 8th, Hocking released his debut album ‘lilac pond‘. A little over forty minutes, this twelve-track album showcases the artist’s maturity, skill and unique voice. Its exceptional production and songwriting set the stage for an emotive fusillade of electro-pop and indie-pop tracks, introducing you to the authentic and eccentric universe of lilac frog.
Each track in ‘lilac pond’ emerges as a distinct narrative, radiating its own unique charm. ‘When Gravity Isn’t Looking’ sets a mesmerizing tone for the album. The collaboration ‘Reason to Stay,’ featuring ‘undy’, surprises with a delightful blend of seasoned artistry, crisp production, and two artists that blend beautifully together. lilac frog’s authentic and idiosyncratic style is evident throughout the album. Songs like ‘Friends and Strangers’ enchant with gentle piano and heartwarming vocals, while ‘Butterfly’ offers comfort with its soothing production and lyrics. ‘Paint the Sky (What I Can’t Have)’ brings a retro feel, mixing synthwave and pop, and is made captivating with harmonious female vocals that complement lilac frog’s unique sound. In ‘How the Curtain Closes,’ Hocking skillfully balances somber guitar strumming with minimalist production, creating a zen-like atmosphere. The album features tracks like ‘Until Next Time (Diving Under)’, which is a mellow, introspective piece, evoking the serene depth of the lilac pond and leaving listeners in a state of tranquil longing.
Beyond exploring his love for music, Hocking visualizes his tracks, inviting his audience to paint their mental canvasses with stories inspired by relationships, friendships, self-reflection, and more. He hopes listeners plunge deep into the lilac pond – an allusion to the inner world of the lilac frog character that pervades his music. Through his songs, Hocking hopes to inspire imagination, provoke thought and provide a refuge that makes listeners long for another dive into his mystical pond.
While Hocking’s creative juices are currently on a hiatus, his plans for future releases aim for fruition in 2024. He has a slew of ideas that he hopes will develop into works that continue to amplify the vivacious character he has nurtured in lilac frog.
Now with ‘lilac pond’ available on all major streaming platforms, the world has an open invitation to delve into Hocking’s world and hear life stories rendered in vibrant colors and notes.
As the lilac frog leaps ahead, we are persuaded that Harri has found his place in electro-pop and indie-pop, exuding a signature sound that sets him apart from the mainstream. Hold on to your lily pads, the lilac frog is making ripples across the music industry and this journey promises to be anything but tame. If ‘lilac pond’ is the signpost, then sign us up; we can’t wait to see what else Hocking has waiting beneath the lilac pond’s placid surface.
Don’t miss out on any lilac frog updates! Follow him on Instagram and click through his Linktree for all the latest.
This article contains branded content provided by a third party. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the content creator or sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or editorial stance of Popular Hustle.
When I first discovered Eyal Erlich on Spotify, I was immediately drawn to the immediacy and sincerity of his music. Hailing from Tel Aviv, Erlich is one of those rare singer-songwriters who keeps his songs simple, authentic, and emotionally resonant. His tracks breathe, flow, and carry a depth that makes you stop and truly listen. What defines him isn’t just catchy indie rock hooks or soulful melodies — it’s honesty. Every lyric feels lived-in, and every guitar line seems to emerge naturally from his voice.
Scrolling through his catalog, certain songs stand out. Tracks like Mourning Love and All in All reveal his melodic instincts, pairing raw emotion with thoughtful arrangements. Meanwhile, the reflective Already In makes listeners feel as if they’re sharing the moment with him live. The intimacy of his music is undeniable, and it’s available across platforms — YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram — where fans can follow his journey and see videos, updates, and glimpses of his process.
Erlich’s style exists at the intersection of indie rock and singer-songwriter storytelling. His guitar-driven arrangements feel free and organic, while his lyrics explore universal themes of longing, connection, and self-discovery. They are integral to the music, never ornamental, and they resonate deeply with listeners. It’s no surprise that his audience continues to grow — people crave music that feels authentic, and Erlich delivers without ever sounding forced.
To truly experience Erlich’s artistry, his live performances are essential. Tracks like All in All capture a raw energy that only surfaces in concert settings, where he carefully builds dynamics from simmering verses to fully realized choruses. Jenny, a personal favorite, blends nostalgia with present-tense emotion, creating a shared experience that lingers long after the song ends. Already In showcases his versatility, shifting between meditative reflection and intense crescendos that feel earned, not staged. Finally, I Wish I Knew closes the set beautifully, highlighting the emotional depth of his lyrics and the power of stripped-back, immersive performances.
The coming years are shaping up to be pivotal for him. International tours and his long-awaited debut full-length album are on the horizon, and his steadily growing community of listeners is ready to follow him across stages and platforms. What sets him apart is his approach: he treats growth as opportunity, not pressure, steadily releasing singles and videos while building a community that feels like participants in his musical journey.
Unlike many indie acts that burn bright and fade fast, Erlich combines vulnerability with confidence, crafting songs that resonate both in intimate venues and at large festivals. His work promises longevity, emotional depth, and a connection that keeps fans coming back.
For anyone seeking an artist who writes from the heart, performs with intensity, and is poised for a breakthrough, Eyal Erlich is one to follow. Keep up with him on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook — this is just the beginning of an exciting journey.
There’s something quietly rebellious about dropping new music without warning on a random Friday, especially when you’re fresh off supporting Billie Eilish at the O2 Arena and have just wrapped two sold-out cemetery shows over the weekend. But that’s exactly what Magdalena Bay did, releasing “Second Sleep / Star Eyes“—their first tracks since last year’s Imaginal Disk sent critics scrambling for superlatives.
The timing feels deliberate rather than impulsive. Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin have spent months on the road, watching audiences connect with their progressive-pop experiments night after night. This past weekend at Hollywood Forever Cemetery—where LA’s music obsessives gather among tombstones for some of the city’s most surreal concert experiences—they gave fans something new to chew on.
“Second Sleep” arrives as the functional A-side, complete with a music video directed by Amalia Irons. The track unfolds like a controlled explosion across five minutes, starting with deceptive calm before drum fills and synthesizer squeals take over. There’s an unexpected left turn into funky R&B during a finger-snap breakdown that somehow makes perfect sense within the chaos. It’s restless music for restless minds.
The companion piece, “Star Eyes,” operates on different frequencies entirely. Where “Second Sleep” builds tension through disorder, this one floats through theatrical jazz-influenced dreamscapes. When the beat finally drops and symphonic strings sweep through, the emotional payoff feels earned rather than manufactured.
“Second Sleep / Star Eyes” by Magdalena Bay
According to the duo, these tracks emerged naturally from the same creative headspace that produced Imaginal Disk. “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” are two songs we made around the end of Imaginal Disk—both a sort of spiritual successor to the album’s mood and emotional arc,” they explained. “We like how they complement each other, so here they are as a pair.”
That connection runs deeper than chronology. The band has been teasing an album movie to mark Imaginal Disk‘s one-year anniversary, with director Amanda Kramer collaborating while Tenenbaum and Lewin handle writing and editing. Anyone who caught the narrative threads in their videos for “Death & Romance,” “Image,” and “That’s My Floor”—or their Jimmy Kimmel Live! performance—knows these aren’t artists who treat visuals as afterthoughts.
Their trajectory keeps climbing. Following this weekend’s cemetery performances, they’ll return to the UK and Europe in early 2026, including their largest London show yet at O2 Academy Brixton. It’s quite the leap from their Miami beginnings and early LA club shows, though they’ve maintained the same DIY sensibility that made their early-2000s internet-inspired visuals feel both nostalgic and alien.
The duo initially caught attention through TikTok videos demystifying music industry mechanics, but these new tracks prove they’re more interested in creating mysteries than solving them. Their blend of progressive rock, shoegaze, and disco continues evolving into something increasingly difficult to pin down—which might be the point.
What’s compelling about “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” isn’t just that they extend Imaginal Disk‘s sonic universe. It’s that they arrived unannounced, like messages from artists who understand that sometimes the best way to maintain momentum is to disrupt it entirely. This past weekend, when they took the stage among the headstones, these songs weren’t surprises anymore. They’d already become part of the mythology.
Giuseppe Bonaccorso isn’t interested in making music you can half-listen to while scrolling your phone. His latest single, “L’Ombra della Terra” (The Shadow of the Earth), asks for your full attention across its four minutes and eleven seconds—this isn’t background music by any stretch.
Released September 1st, this track comes on the heels of “Playground in Gaza,” which already had critics taking notice of the Italian composer’s refusal to play by anyone else’s rules. But where that previous single sparked conversations, “L’Ombra della Terra” feels like Giuseppe Bonaccorso throwing down a gauntlet. The track now has an official music video on YouTube that adds another visual layer to the already complex sonic experience.
The song opens with this slow-building atmosphere that’s almost cinematic—layers of synthesizers and ambient sounds that pull you in before a driving rhythm kicks everything into gear. What’s striking is Bonaccorso’s vocal approach. He’s not really singing in any traditional sense; it’s more like he’s delivering poetry over this shifting musical backdrop. Distorted guitars weave through the mix, keeping things grounded even when the experimental elements threaten to float away entirely.
‘L’Ombra della Terra’ by Giuseppe Bonaccorso
The Italian lyrics paint a vivid picture that’s both mystical and rebellious. Bonaccorso writes about shamans with glass skin, eyes being dragged far away, and a world that’s fallen asleep and turned upside down. There’s imagery of prayers dissolving like smoke rings, references to automatons with maps and compasses trying to figure out the world’s geometry. The narrative voice addresses a father figure, talking about sin and debt, invoking Charon (the mythological ferryman) and thirty pieces of silver. The whole thing culminates with the narrator seeing their reflection in Earth’s shadow—which gives the track its title.
What makes these lyrics fascinating is how they blend classical mythology with modern disillusionment. You’ve got ancient references sitting next to images of mechanical beings, creating this temporal collision that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. The recurring theme seems to be about breaking free from imposed guilt and spiritual debt, rejecting the idea that we owe something to powers that claim authority over us.
This release makes more sense when you know Bonaccorso’s background. The guy’s not just a musician—he’s a published poet with actual awards, started out doing ceramic sculpture as a kid in Caltagirone (a Sicilian town known for its artists), and has studied both computer science and philosophy. That multidisciplinary approach shows up in how layered his compositions are.
What’s refreshing about Giuseppe Bonaccorso is his complete disinterest in chasing streaming numbers or viral moments. He’s been releasing music since July 2024, starting with “Roaming in a wood,” then “On a solitary beach” in August. His interpretation of “Ave Maria” did pull in over 50,000 Spotify streams, which shows people are paying attention, but you get the sense he’d be making this music regardless.
“L’Ombra della Terra” isn’t background music for your workout playlist. It’s the kind of track that asks you to sit down, put on decent headphones, and actually listen. In an era where most music feels designed to be consumed and forgotten, there’s something almost defiant about creating something this deliberately challenging.
The single and its official music video are available worldwide on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
For more from Giuseppe Bonaccorso, visit his website, follow him on X, or check out his Instagram.