California native Ashe delivers supple, introspective songs, flush with lush imagery. The LA-based songstress has been on a winning streak since she dropped her debut in 2017 via Mom+Pop Music, building momentum with tours alongside The Chainsmokers, Shaun Frank, LAUV, Louis The Child, Hobo Johnson, Quinn XCII and executing notable electronica collaborations with Big Gigantic. Major advertising syncs and glowing press from The New York Times and Teen Vogue have only bolstered her indie cred. Her newest offering, the delicate acoustic affair "Cold in California," is a Dylan-esque ode to the love/hate relationship she's developed with her home state. The somber chord changes elicit the existential angst that accompanies those unwelcoming, overcast LA days. “I love California and I also despise it," Ashe told Ones to Watch earlier this month. "I’m from California and in many ways, this song is more about me than the place itself. Nothing is ever one-sided or perfect or right all the time." Check out the single here and be sure to peep the newest dates on Ashe's first headlining tour.

“FODDER,” the debut single from New York-based electro artist DJ ST THOMAS, is a dynamic, experimental pop song with an infectiously funky beat. The track effortlessly pieces together a mishmash of sounds to create a psychedelic jam with an earworm hook. Lush with bright, groovy synths and tight, island-like percussion, it bops to a pulse that flows easily with DJ ST THOMAS’s laid-back vocal as he sings about love and complacency in the age of social media. The production is crystal clear and razor-sharp, resulting in a sound that’s full and immersive without feeling too loud or overbearing. Abstract and rhythmic, “FODDER” should top all your summer party playlists. Look out for his EP, MATRIMONY, later this year.

Nineteen-year-old Julien Chang’s debut single, “Of the Past,” is an artful blend of genres and sounds. Reflecting Chang’s music theory background, the sprawling arrangement seamlessly merges pop melodies with psych-rock riffs, disco/funk, and transfixing jazz instrumentals for an immersive and surprising listening experience. Deep, wavy synths wash the song in a hazy glow as a classic rock guitar and funky bass line introduce Chang’s vocal. Breezy and smooth, the timeless doubling effect is reminiscent of a younger Tame Impala. The vocals are brief, occupying only the first third of the song; the rest of the time, the music does the talking. Perhaps most striking is the sweeping classical piano solo in the bridge—the messy wide-scale run has an unrelenting persistence that reflects the tonal freedom of the rest of the song. “Of the Past” is complex and original, and it signifies a deep understanding of the science of music.

When someone you love causes you pain, it hurts until it doesn’t. Montreal-based artist, Michael Charles Hansford, who creates under the moniker, Molly Drag, realizes the weight of dealing with his own dark nostalgia on his latest single, “Out Like A Light.” As the first track from his upcoming record, Touchstone, we find a piece that moves like a steadily rocking boat—it’s swirling guitars offset by a relaxed, tittering rhythm. Hansford mentions, “While I was recording this album I started thinking about my hometown a lot, the small places within, the parks where I would smoke with my friends after school, the water that surrounded us always.” With the addition of sprite overdubs and subtle synth tones, Hansford creates a pool of gloom that is reminiscent of prior love and given life by the breath of the lyricism. “Out Like A Light” is the heart of Touchstone, which is set for release on October 4 via EggHunt Records—the track's natural beating is sure to unveil a record with a striking awareness, a gift to his past life.

In what can only be described as a watershed moment of peace-seeking in the on-going BK/LA indie scene feud, we here at The Wild Honey Pie are happy to premiere LA-based pop outfit Oyster Kids newest single, “Work It Out.” Know that while prideful of our BK-roots, we remain, first and foremost, humble servants of tasty indie jams. Thus, we are more than happy to extend the olive branch by linking up with Oyster Kids to bring you this tastefully saturated bopper. My intuition is that this song would pair nicely with a ride to the beach in a mid-80s Mercedes Convertible. It’s been about three years since the upbeat popsters released “Gum (Everybodys My Friend)." But now we’ve got “Work It Out,” their third single of 2019, to go along with “Breathe” and “Losing My Mind,” both of which trickled onto streaming services earlier this year. The kids are back.

If you haven’t yet, it’s time to get familiar with NYC indie-pop band Modern Diet—after a 2-year hiatus, they are back and flooding 2019 with new tracks to play back-to-back-to-back. After their EP release in March and putting single “Dizzy” out on June 28, the band quickly followed up with their latest single, “July 4,” released, naturally, on July 4th. The song is a rambunctious follow-up to the dreamier “Dizzy” and keeps you on your toes the whole way through. The song starts out on a fairly standard drumbeat and some head-bobbing guitar strums. But we quickly realize how crucial the drums are to the movement of the track as they shift seamlessly into stick-tapping ditty before billowing into a muted marching band anthem, played appropriately under the chorus lyrics, “and Uncle Sam is getting old, getting ready to explode.” The song at once creates anxiety and propels you through it with dynamic but nearly imperceptible shifts of tempo and rhythm. The instruments build quickly and intensely then dip out as the vocals slow down, humming out “ooh’s” and “mmm’s” briefly, then pick right back up. A sense of impatience hangs over the whole track, evident in the repeated, “Told you so is ringing like a dial tone,” and as it wraps up, song screeches to its peak frustration and comes to an abrupt close as it finally hangs up the phone.