New to Hot Press: Oscar Blue

Prompted by his father, Oscar Blue started songwriting early on. "When I was a child, my dad always said to me that the best artists write their own songs," he recalls. "So at 7 or 8, I began to write my own lyrics. That's where the passion for music started."

This passion was further strengthened by listening to U2, The Script and Bon Iver. Besides listening to music, the young singer-songwriter recently commenced another activity that provides plenty of inspiration: medidation. "I find that the more mindfully I live my life," he notes, "the more aware I am of things around me, whether that's relationships or experiences."

But what makes Oscar Blue stand out from the crowd of emerging singer-songwriters? "Nowadays, there are artists who create incredibly emotional, atmospheric music," he says. "But their lyrics mightn't necessarily be as accessible. What I try to do is to create that same kind of atmosphere musically - but with lyrics that tell a story."

'99 Ice Cream' is out now.