April + Vista Return With New Single “Grotto”
April + VISTA, the genre-defying duo of Virginia-raised singer/composer April George and Maryland-raised composer/producer Matthew Thompson, have shared their new single “Grotto”, out now via Third & Hayden. Following last year’s singles “Bless My Heart” and “Love Unspent”, their first song of 2026 continues the established commitment to experimentation and emotional precision that they’ve honed on the Washington DC underground music circuit and on tours with Little Dragon (with whom they crafted the 2023 collaborative EP Slipping Into Color), Mura Masa, and Little Simz. The trio of recent singles fold soul, rock, electronic, and R&B into a fluid sonic language that defies genres, prioritizing texture and feeling to make something deeply human.
| About “Grotto”, April + VISTA share, “After completing Pit of My Dreams (EP, 2021), we found ourselves at a crossroads. The pandemic forced us to be still after years of pushing and we found ourselves looking for comfort and reassurance that we’re on the right track. Rejecting projections of doubt from others and standing firm in the belief that you’re enough on your own brings you closer to that kind of reassurance. This song bloomed from that realization.” |
| Formed in DC in 2014, George and Thompson connected through a shared creative language shaped by curiosity, experimentation, and emotional candor. Their first major break came with 2018’s You Are Here, earning the duo a COLORS session for “FOMO”, along with praise from BBC Radio 1Xtra, The FADER, and more. Over the years, April + VISTA have taken to recording and performing their records themselves, allowing the duo to explore new dimensions of their sound. April learned the viola in order to compose string arrangements, while VISTA (Matthew Thompson) has honed in on the physicality of their sound, emphasizing guitar textures and live drums while incorporating collaborators such as producer Tony Kill and drummer Bradley “Foots” McDonald. Ultimately, their music remains as fluid as its creators, shifting freely between rock, soul, electronic, and R&B. Having the range is April + VISTA’s primary mode; their songs are calls to the beyond, operating as an archive of past selves and survival guides for pressing times and uncertain futures. Photo by Foster K. White |