10 New Artists You Need to Know: February 2014

Photo: Courtesy of Semper Augustus Records

Lena Fayre

Sounds Like: An angst-filled afternoon spent lip-syncing into a hairbrush.

For Fans Of: Smart, savvy teen-pop imbued with the heightened emotions and killer hooks of over-the-top Scandinavian artists like Robyn.

Why You Should Pay Attention: This 17-year-old Angeleno’s debut EP is filled with pop gems like the inspirational “Silver,” which recalls Demi Lovato’s most pumped-up tracks, and the brooding “Jukebox Love,” which splits the difference between early Fiona Apple and “Teenage Dream”-era Katy Perry. “Love Burning Alive,” Fayre’s latest single, has been garnering buzz with good reason: It’s a scorching slice of synthpop angst, with Fayre delivering a blazing vocals over a bombastic track recalling t.A.T.u.’s similarly wrenching “All The Things She Said.” In a few weeks, Fayre will decamp to Virginia to write a “more gritty and atmospheric and experimental” follow-up, set for release this summer. by MAURA JOHNSTON

She Says: ”I grew up listening to a lot of rock ”“ Bowie, Elvis, The Cure, all the greats. The first song I remember being enamored with is ”˜I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness”¦ My style and taste are constantly changing, but I always revert back to some version of deconstructed pop. My biggest influences right now are probably Grimes, St. Vincent, Junior Boys, and FutureIslands. They exhibit that kind of multifaceted ”˜pop but not pop’ vibe that really strikes me.”

Hear for Yourself: Check out the video for “Love Burning Alive,” which Fayre wrote as “an expression of messy, golden teenage angst and relationship drama”: