Local Spotlight | 3 local tunes you should listen to right now

From hip-hop to pop, R&B and indie rock, it’s been another eclectic week of new music drops in Northeast Florida. Here’s four tracks that turned our ears.

Ashton Chase – “Nachos”

Emerging Duval hip-hop artist Ashton Chase brings his colorfully eccentric and undeniably hype stylings to bear on a new tune “Nachos.” In an email Chase described “Nachos” as “a positive bop about feeling hot like sriracha.” It’s an apt descriptor, which makes us think that if Chase ever decides to put the breaks on his current path, he may have a career in music journalism ahead of him. The video for “Nachos”––a vibrant and surrealist treatment––is equally engaging.

Huan – “Temple” (feat. Minor Lift)

With a handful of sugar-coated indie-pop releases under his belt, singer-songwriter Juan Mallorca, AKA Huan, returns with an R&B-inflected summer-romance jam. On “Temple” Mallorca remains in chill-AF territory (a sweet spot for the emerging artist), his ultra-smooth vocals floating over an 808s-style beat and clean guitar licks as he plays up a carnal infatuation; summer feels, for reelz.

Niki Dawson – “If You”

Niki Dawson returns with a shimmering piece of infectious pop. On “If You” Dawson’s as confident as ever, showing off her vocal range, while feeding off the vibe of this playful, latin-percussion-driven, beach-ready anthem. “If you ain’t acting right, I’m gonna tell ya honey,” Dawson instructs on the song’s hook, before taking off on a virtuosic vocal run, leaving her muse with a face full of sand.

Have you checked out our Fresh Squeeze playlist on Spotify? Curated by the JME team, and featuring the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, it’s one of several ways to listen to JME.