Today, Berkeley folk artist Maya Elise premieres her newest song, “Side of the Road.” The track tells the story of a summer road trip, which makes it especially fitting that it’s perfect for singing along with. In the first verse, as Maya describes all the people she is picking up along the way, her rich vocals fill every crack between guitar and drums with a friendly warmth. Though she gives us only a few details on each person she meets, you can almost see each of their faces: the woman in Portland making jasmine tea, the Washington man she learned to trust, the brave woman from Alabama, and the South Dakota man looking for a home all look somewhat familiar. The song gradually builds to a transcendent scene in which the car full of new friends go skinny-dipping in the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps the ultimate symbol of the trust they have built along the way. On “Side of the Road,” Maya reminds us that making friends doesn’t have to be as complicated or awkward as we often make it out to be. Sometimes all it takes is two people going in the same direction and choosing to not be alone. The rest, perhaps, will figure itself out.

While known for her futuristic production and stories of extravagant parties, British pop aficionado Charli XCX reaches new heights on "Official," a love letter to the person you're with when the party's over. She seems embarrassed to broach the idea of going official, toeing the line of hope and fear. "Look at us, isn't it obvious?" she asks: though she shouldn't have to, for someone as bold and brash as Charli, showing her emotional side is a terrifying concept. "Is it so dangerous? Is it so complicated?" Simple keys and a luminescent synth build in the chorus put her fragile vocals at the forefront, with the touch of autotune acting as a final barrier to protect her from feeling fully exposed. The song's earnest bridge is its highlight, as she insists, "Maybe the sky might not always be blue / All of my wishes will never come true / It doesn't matter 'cause I’m here with you." Long-time collaborator A.G. Cook pushed to have the track on her new record, where Charli felt it was too out-of-character. While it seemed Charli XCX could only shake up pop conventions by getting weirder, stripping things back turned out to be the most gratifying surprise of all.

Florida native Sierra Kay, known for her previous work in bands like Neaux and VersaEmerge, has spent the last few years on a quest for self-exploration. During her travels from NYC to Tennessee, Sierra has been creating a collection of hyper-personal songs about the inevitable heartaches of being a restless and rowdy woman who won’t settle down. These songs have morphed into Sierra’s new project, Bad Daughter. The band’s first single, the free-spirited and bittersweet “I’m Too Much” offers a glimpse at what this new endeavor will bring. The song toes the line between dreamy Americana and earthy folk with Sierra’s crystalline vocals and earnest, self-deprecating lyrics front and center. With one foot planted in the realm of indie rock and the other in the world of alt-country, Bad Daughter should be on everyone’s radar this coming year.

“House Show’ by Frames is meant for windows-down, hair-blowing driving. A bubble gum beat perfectly complements her soft, poppy voice. Underneath the lovely vocals, understated but powerful guitar strums lead the song along. Though maintaining the same love-stricken lyrics, Frames’s most recent release has a more upbeat, bubbly vibe than her past songs. Her most recent of just three songs, “House Show” is crazy catchy. Having recently joined Philly independent label Know Hope Records, we can expect—and desperately hope—for more releases.

"It Nan" is the latest single from the London group Babeheaven. The dreamy guitar intro is immediately transcendent. "It Nan" tells a story before we even hear the lyrics. "Every time I look a little deeper / five feet down I follow you," the tone to Nancy Andersen's vocal is slightly haunting, reminiscent of an old soul like Billie Holiday. The most unexpected yet somewhat nostalgic aspect of the track is the percussive beat that drops a quarter way through the song. It is the union of all of these elements that makes the sound of Babeheaven uniquely their own.

Sasami Ashworth is a self-proclaimed "all-around musical badass" and we agree. A well-worn veteran (playing with the likes of Cherry Glazerr, Japanese Breakfast and Blondie) with mad music knowledge and education to boot, SASAMI is a tour de force with a resume so stacked you'll want to shut up and listen. Her aesthetic bolsters a brand consistent to her musical style: hip and colorful with a splash of grunge. SASAMI’s most recent single, "Take Care" seems to reverberate this attitude: the song's voice is honest and extremely alt-rock. The synth echo in the intro and the guitar chords feel reminiscent of Soccer Mommy and an earlier Tame Impala. However, the airy yet poignant background vocals are what truly make the track stand out—generating the emotionalism of the song against an otherwise choreographed and steady melody. SASAMI recently teamed up with other indie-rock doyennes including Snail Mail and Slut Island, so if you need me I'll be stalking all of them on social media for the next few days and binge-listening to SASAMI's debut full-length LP.