Combining heart-on-sleeve lyrical immediacy with laid-back R&B pop stylings, East Sussex-born singer/songwriter Sam Tompkins spent his formative years busking before Island Records signed him in 2019. Often switching between a soulful falsetto and an earthier delivery of lines about day-to-day city life by switching accents, Tompkins’ vocal style clearly displayed his southern English roots. After releasing his debut EP, Coloured Emotions, in 2017, he made his major-label debut with the EP From My Sleeve to the World in 2019. His 2021 cover of Bruno Mars‘ “Talking to the Moon” was sampled later the same year by Jnr Choi on the international hit “To the Moon,” just a few months before Tompkins presented his fourth EP, 2022’s Who Do You Pray To.

It takes a unique talent to create a sound that is timely yet comfortably familiar. Toronto’s Jesse Gold manages to seamlessly blend pop music with R&B sensibilities, resulting in a sound that pays homage to an eclectic mix of long-time inspirations (Craig David, Lauryn Hill, John Mayer) and progressive contemporaries (Lucky Daye, Tom Misch, H.E.R.). There’s something for everyone in Jesse’s catalogue: wry songwriting, addictive melodies, silky vocals, and smart production.

Look no further than Gold’s standout track “One In A Million” for an infectious hybrid of them all. Earning a coveted spot on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Best of Pop 2020 list and high marks from Ones To Watch, Euphoria Magazine, American Songwriter and more, the track perfectly captures what Gold hopes to achieve with his repertoire. “I want to make music to be shared. The kind of songs you send to your friends before the track ends.”

Featuring “One In A Million” and lead single “We Good,” Gold’s sophomore EP arrives this spring. “I worked harder and smarter than I ever have on this record. Making it with such incredibly talented people and learning so much from them all. I pushed myself harder than I ever have lyrically – I made sure that these songs are exactly who I want to be as an artist.”