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To celebrate new single ‘Sleeping Without Me’, Yb. shares the songs he can’t sleep without

We pick the hottest new acts so you can tell your friends you heard them first. Meet Brisbane-based artist Yb. on his latest single 'Sleeping Without Me'.

Across just a handful of tracks, Brisbane-based artist Yb. has proved his knack for creating lush, intimate soundscapes across a range of moods and genres.

From the fuzzy alt-pop of ‘Change Your Mind’, the infectious left-field groove of ‘Dance With Me Today’ or the funk-inspired haze of ‘Coffee Shop’, it’s clear that Yb.’s creative output isn’t bound by the rules or expectations of genre, instead sitting somewhere else entirely.

On his latest single, the hazy, spell-binding acoustic-led ‘Sleeping Without Me’, minimal, stripped back instrumentation lets Yb.’s warm vocal stand front and centre before growing into an unexpected psych-folk beat that adds another layer of nostalgia to the intimately beautiful track.

Diving into the struggles of emotional distance in a relationship, it’s another moment of cool, self-assured production and storytelling from the up-and-comer.

From a young age, Yb. was surrounded by music and music-making, his older brother filling the house with the beats he created at home, the weekends spent being fed a diet of gospel and African music by his parents. Pursuing music was the next logical step for Yb. but instead of creating it, he joined a crew as a dancer.

It wasn’t until uni that Yb. made the switch to performing, singing and writing music, posting his original tracks to his Instagram, until eventually he met his manager and was flown out to Sydney to work with artists like Touch Sensitive, Stevan and Winston Surfshirt.

Since then he has supported the likes of Nick Ward and San Cisco, performed at the inaugural This That Sandstone Point, been nominated for two Queensland Music Awards, and had tracks featured in in an ad for Coach, a film at SunDance, and an episode of American TV show Everything’s Trash.

He’s also received support from Spotify, triple j, Unearthed, Amazon Music, The Music Network, and more and will take the stage at upcoming shows with Biig Piig and Golden Vessel.

He’s still in the early stages of building his catalogue of tracks, but already Yb. has found his groove, crafting short, intimate stories that feel as if you are listening into a private moment or being whispered a deeply personal secret.

It’s clear that Yb. likes to keep listeners guessing about what’s coming next, so while we can’t lock down quite what we’ll hear when his debut EP lands, we can be certain it will be brimming with more of the lush, beautiful soundscapes he has mastered creating.

‘Sleeping Without Me’ aims to capture the feeling of comfort with your lover, while also shedding light on the feeling of loneliness when they aren’t around. With indie influences like Kate Bollinger and Hether, I was able to construct a song which felt to me like a safe cabin in the middle of nowhere. A sense of vastness and acceptance.

When making this song with Brisbane artist Melrose., everything sorta fell into place and we had the song done really quickly because we were both looking to make something a little different . I truly believe that some of the best songs are written in the heat of the moment or in a day.

YB. ON THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HIS LATEST SINGLE ‘SLEEPING WITHOUT ME’

My favourite part of making music is performing my songs live! It is the most surreal experience to see people actively responding and or singing the lyrics you wrote in your room by yourself 🙂 Never gets old.

YB. ON WHAT HE LOVES MOST ABOUT MAKING MUSIC

To celebrate the release of his new single ‘Sleeping Without Me’, Yb. shares the songs he can’t sleep without.

Check out ‘Sleeping Without Me’ by Yb.:

Yb. – Sleeping Without Me

Yb. shares the songs he can’t sleep without:

Moses SumneyDon’t Bother Calling

Moses Sumney – Don't Bother Calling [Official Audio]

“Moses has such a silky smooth voice and his lyrics pair perfectly with his distinct melodies. This song encapsulates ‘flawlessness’ to a tee.”

Mac DemarcoAnother One

Mac DeMarco // Another One (Official Video)

“This song sounds quite melancholic to me. The synth pushes through and creates a really interesting wall of sound that, with the addition of the drums, bass, and vocals is perfect for any kind of vibe or event.”

Kate BollingerLady In Her Darkest Hour

Kate Bollinger – Lady in the Darkest Hour (Visuals)

“Kate is so good at taking a very sad subject matter and making it into something that everyone can digest. Her voice has a softness that feels so safe, like a mother. If I’m not mistaken, this song is about an experience after a loved one’s death, yet the end of the rainbow is always clear with Kate.”

Steve LacyBad Habit

Steve Lacy – Bad Habit (Official Video)

“Steve Lacy has been one of my biggest – if not the biggest – influences on my music to date. He’s so versatile and I think this song perfectly encapsulates this.”

DjoRoddy

Djo – Roddy (Official Audio)

“Joe Keery lets us know time and time again that we’re not doing enough haha. My mate Upeka put me onto this song a few weeks ago, and it’s now one of my favourite indie songs of all time. You have to check this one out.”

MiloeFloating

Miloe – floating (Official Music Video)

“Everything Miloe touches turns into gold! This song is the perfect mix between afrobeat and indie music. The drops on this song are definitely ones that will get stuck in your head!! I love it so much! Shoutout to Miloe man.”

Golden VesselPockets Full of Rocks

Golden Vessel feat. Mallrat & Emerson Leif – pockets full of rocks

“Maxwell (Golden Vessel) will always understand the assignment! He’s so damn versatile and his sound is so unique, and you can hear that beautiful production throughout the song. P.S. Grace (Mallrat) and Emerson KILL IT.”

LovingVisions

LOVING – VISIONS

“Loving has got to be my favourite band of all time. They sound like a reincarnated Beatles and who wouldn’t love that. They use old and authentic ways of recording and you can hear every inch of that milky ’60s and ’70s indie sound that I love so much.”

M.A.G.SDrugs

M.A.G.S. – "Drugs"

“This song would be my first pick for a coming of age movie. M.A.G.S has such a refreshing indie style and it’s great to see another person of colour killing it in the indie rock music scene.”

Alex GRunner

Alex G – Runner (Official Video)

“Alex G is a certified legend who has genuinely tried so many different genres and has done so successfully. This one is a feel good indie song that is bound to have you humming throughout your day :D”

Check out the full playlist:

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