Hemlocke Springs

Last updated

Hemlocke Springs
Born
Isimeme Udu

(1998-11-16) November 16, 1998 (age 26)
Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Education
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active2022–present
Musical career
Origin Concord, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Website hemlockesprings.net

Isimeme "Naomi" Udu (born November 16, 1998), known professionally as Hemlocke Springs (stylized in all lowercase), is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first gained prominence for her self-produced song "Girlfriend" achieving viral popularity on video-sharing platform TikTok. The majority of her discography is characterized by 1980s synth-pop and 2000s pop songs.

Contents

During her postgraduate medical studies at Dartmouth College in 2021, Udu began to upload unnamed songs on SoundCloud, only to quickly remove them. "Gimme All Ur Luv" was subsequently self-released and categorized as a bedroom pop song in 2022. Udu later released her debut extended play (EP), titled Going...Going...Gone! (2023).

Early life and education

Isimeme Udu was born to two Nigerian immigrant parents on November 16, 1998, in Raleigh, North Carolina. [1] Nicknamed as "Naomi" from her parents, she grew up in Concord alongside her brother, a musician and SoundCloud producer. [2] In her sophomore year of high school, Udu took a choir course and met a classmate who taught her to create music using GarageBand. [3]

Udu graduated from Spelman College with a bachelor's degree in biology in 2021. Two years later, she graduated with a master's degree in medical informatics from Dartmouth College. [4]

Career

2021–present: Career beginnings

While studying at Dartmouth College in 2021, Udu she began to release various unnamed songs on SoundCloud, only to quickly remove them. The next year, she decided to shed out from embarrassment and uploaded a demo titled "Jacob" under the name Hemlocke Springs. [5] Afterwards, she independently released her self-produced song "Gimme All Ur Luv" on May 24, 2022. It gained over a million streams through Swedish streaming service Spotify and was considered to be one of "the best bedroom pop [songs]" by entertainment company Complex Networks. [6] Interviewing with magazine Rolling Stone , the song was written during a period of depression at school and felt about deleting it, but changed her mind when she saw Canadian musician Grimes had commented. [5]

As she worked as librarian at her university, Hemlocke Springs shared snippets of her second song on video-sharing platform TikTok, which achieved viral popularity. [7] "Girlfriend" was shortly released on November 2, various music critics and fans gave positive acclaim as they deemed it as an "awkward Black girl anthem," surpassing a million streams on Spotify. Hemlocke Springs spoke with People , on how she felt honored on the success for the song, but yet confusing. [8]

New Musical Express later named her as one of the "essential emerging artists" for recognizing her "bright and breezy bangers" on January 6, 2023. [9] The same month, Hemlocke Springs released her third song, "Stranger Danger!", being a critique of capitalism. [10] Throughout the months of May to August, she began working with English record producer Burns and released three more songs. [11] Her first festival performance occurred on July 21 at the Adult Swim Festival for the annual entertainment event San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). [12] "Enknee1" was released a month later with the artist announcing her debut extended play (EP) named Going...Going...Gone! , released on September 29, 2023. [13] Later that month, Pitchfork praised and described Hemlocke Springs' music aesthetics as "kitschy and yearning", where every song of the EP "can be imagined in a different scene" from a 1980s romantic comedy film. [14]

Touring around in North America and Europe, [15] the artist was invited to be an opening act for band Muna's Life's So Fun Tour (2023) at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. In the wintertime, Hemlocke Springs was announced as an opening act for rapper Ashnikko's Weedkiller Tour in Europe. [7] She was later featured in magazine double issue with other notable artists, published through DIY . [16]

Hemlocke Springs sooner announced she would be an opening act for the European leg of rapper Doja Cat's second concert tour, The Scarlet Tour, on January 30, 2024. [17] Before performing on tour, she covered hip-hop song "Agora Hills" (2023) and released an extended version of "Girlfriend". [18] After a short hiatus, Dreamshop Management announced the signing of the artist on October 23, [19] with publishing firm OTM Music signing them on December 4. [20]

Artistry

Udu's style distinctly draws from lo-fi music and indie pop. With the release of "Girlfriend", Heven Haile from Pitchfork described the song as "an ideal rom-com song" that "channels the bratty bravado of Family Jewels -era Marina and the springy falsetto of Kate Bush". [21]

Inspiration

In her middle school years, Springs was influenced by many EDM artists, primarily Swedish artist Avicii and his 2011 song "Levels". [22] Udu also draws inspiration from many K-pop artists and groups. [23] In an interview with Alternative Press , she claimed she came up with her stage name from a random name generator and added the letter "e" to the end of "Hemlock" in honor of New Zealand singer Lorde. [24]

Discography

Hemlocke Springs discography
EPs1
Singles8
Music videos5

Studio albums

List of extended plays, with selected details
TitleDetails
The Apple Tree Under the Sea

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
TitleDetails
Going...Going...Gone!
  • Released: September 29, 2023
  • Label: Good Luck Have Fun
  • Format: Cassette, digital download, streaming, vinyl

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions, showing year released, and album name
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
[25]
"Gimme All Ur Luv"2022—Going...Going...Gone!
"Girlfriend"— [A]
"Stranger Danger!"2023—Non-album single
"Sever the Blight"—The Apple Tree Under the Sea
"Heavun"—Going...Going...Gone!
"Enknee1"—
"POS"—
"Christmas Time Is Here"—Non-album single
"The Beginning of the End"2025—The Apple Tree Under the Sea
"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Ankles"TBA
"—" denotes a recording that failed to chart, was ineligible for the chart or was not released.

Music videos

List of music videos, showing year released, and director(s)
TitleYearAlbumDirector(s)Ref.
"Gimme All Ur Luv"2022Going...Going...Gone!Ana Peralta Chong [27]
"Girlfriend" [28]
"Stranger Danger!"2023Non-album singles [29]
"Sever the Blight" [30]
"POS"Going...Going...Gone! [31]
"The Beginning of the End"2025The Apple Tree Under the SeaQuinn Whitney Wilson [32]

Tours

Supporting

Filmography

Podcasts

List of podcast credits, with selected details
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
Superbloom Radio2022Guest [33]
The Zane Lowe Show2023Episode 518 [34]
Episode 603 [35]
The Travis Mills ShowEpisode 491 [36]

Accolades

Listicles

Name of the publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement result
PublisherYear [a] ListicleRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRef.
New Musical Express 2023Essential New ArtistsHerselfIncluded [9]
Rolling Stone 100 Best Songs of 2023"Enknee1"98th [37]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Girlfriend" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 22 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart. [26]
  1. ↑ Indicates the year listed. Each year is linked to the article about the listicle held that year, wherever possible.

References

  1. ↑ Rigotti, Alex (March 9, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs is making the underdog the main character". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ Moore, Jacob (January 20, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs' change of plans". Complex . Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ Gunn, Charlotte (January 20, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs: "It's all so exciting!"". The Forty-Five. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  4. ↑ Garrett, Jonathan (December 14, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs: TikTok star creating a new, wildly eclectic pop vision". New Musical Express . Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Spanos, Brittany (November 23, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs is happy to make your 'awkward Black girl anthems'" . Rolling Stone . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ Moore, Jacob; Gardner, Alex; Fife, Carter; Hill, Shamus (September 29, 2022). "Best New Artists". Complex. Complex Networks. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Slocum, Matt (December 12, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs: Life of a Gen Z viral sensation". Rolling Stone Australia . The Brag Media. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  8. ↑ Richards, Bailey (November 30, 2022). "Meet Hemlocke Springs, the singer taking over TikTok: 'I'm so honored'". People . Dotdash Meredith . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Flood, Alex (January 6, 2023). "The NME 100: essential emerging artists for 2023". New Musical Express . Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  10. ↑ Disalvo, Tom (January 13, 2023). "Listen to Hemlocke Springs' new single "Stranger Danger!"". New Musical Express . Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  11. ↑ Renshaw, David (May 3, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs throws a medieval feast in her "Sever the Blight" video". The Fader . Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Adkins, Hannah (June 29, 2023). "Details announced for Adult Swim Festival '23; Eric Andre and Flying Lotus to headline". Nerds and Beyond. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  13. ↑ Kelly, Tyler Damara (May 3, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs announces new extended play, Going...Going...Gone!". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ Swann, Emma (October 6, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs: Going...Going...Gone! extended play album review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ Hatfield, Amanda (August 8, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs announces fall shows". BrooklynVegan . Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  16. ↑ "DIY's Class of 2024 issue - feat. HotWax, Picture Parlour, Fat Dog, Hemlocke Springs & more - is out now!". DIY . December 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  17. ↑ Doja Cat [@dojacat]; (January 30, 2024). "🖤" . Retrieved January 31, 2024– via Instagram.
  18. ↑ Chelosky, Danielle (June 10, 2024). "Hemlocke Springs – "Agora Hills" (Doja Cat cover)". Stereogum . Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  19. ↑ Areliz, Oscar (October 23, 2024). "Dreamshop Management signs pop singer Hemlocke Springs". Pollstar . Oak View Group . Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  20. ↑ Garcia, Thania (December 4, 2024). "Music industry moves: OTM Music inks publishing deals with Hemlocke Springs, Erick the Architect and Leon Michels". Variety . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  21. ↑ Haile, Heven (November 2, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs: "Girlfriend"". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  22. ↑ Young, Martyn (April 13, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs: "You only get a first impression once"". Dork . Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  23. ↑ Carter, Daisy (December 13, 2023). "Class of 2024: Hemlocke Springs". DIY . Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  24. ↑ Rosenberg, Sam (January 9, 2023). "TikTok sensation Hemlocke Springs is your next DIY pop obsession". Alternative Press . Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  25. ↑ NZ Hot Singles Chart peaks:
  26. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 1, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  27. ↑ Springs, Hemlocke (November 30, 2022). "Gimme All Ur Luv". Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023– via YouTube.
  28. ↑ Springs, Hemlocke (November 30, 2022). "Girlfriend". Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023– via YouTube.
  29. ↑ Springs, Hemlocke (November 30, 2022). "Stranger Danger!". Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023– via YouTube.
  30. ↑ Springs, Hemlocke (May 3, 2023). "Sever the Blight". Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023– via YouTube.
  31. ↑ Springs, Hemlocke (May 3, 2023). "POS". Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023– via YouTube.
  32. ↑ Springs, Hemlocke (September 4, 2025). "POS" . Retrieved October 22, 2025– via YouTube.
  33. ↑ "Hemlocke Springs". Superbloom Radio. December 9, 2022. Apple Music (United States). Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Hemlocke Springs and Shawn Mendes". The Zane Lowe Show. June 12, 2023. Apple Music (United States). Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Hemlocke Springs". The Zane Lowe Show. November 28, 2023. Apple Music (United States). Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Hemlocke Springs". The Travis Mills Show. October 11, 2023. Apple Music (United States). Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  37. ↑ Jones, CT (December 1, 2023). "The 100 Best Songs of 2023" . Rolling Stone . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved February 26, 2024.

Further reading

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