The Human Circuit - Wendy Bevan - Trevor Sensor - Jordan Mackampa

The Human Circuit - Greeves.

Background - “Greeves”, the first single from The Human Circuit’s upcoming album, ‘Electric City’, is the perfect introduction to the band. Combining classic Indie Rock elements like male / female unison vocals and a driving beat with the more eclectic instrumentation of Jazz. “Greeves” touches on Arcade Fire, `a poppier take on Talking Heads and piano rock for something truly unique.

Mat, The Human Circuit, on “Greeves”: “We too often look at love as a singularly defined “thing”. By desiring love, we immediately crave the array of expectations composing our concept of it. How much more at peace would we be if we could narrow our focus to the meanings we use to define love, rather than “love”, in and of itself?”

The Human Circuit is a touring Alternative Indie-Rock band from Austin Texas. Their catchy psychedelic grooves range from the mystic vibes of David Bowie to the intricate arrangements of Arcade Fire. Their most recent album, Frequent Seas (2015) independently charted top ten on public and college radio stations nationwide. 

The Human Circuit has performed with bands such as The Zombies, The Octopus Project, Boogarins, The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Calliope Musicals, Ringo Deathstarr, and has been booked by Transmission Events, C3 Presents, among others. The Human Circuit has performed events and festivals including SXSW, 35 Denton, Pecan Street Festival, and more. Website here, Facebook here.

There is an upbeat feel to 'Greeves' right from the opening notes. Vocals are lustrous and lively whilst the musical arrangement shows off the quality and capability of the band. As a taste for the new album, then the band clearly are capable of some extremely good music, definitely on my must hear list.

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Wendy Bevan - Love From The Moon.

Background - British cold wave artist Wendy Bevan has shared new track "Love From The Moon". t's the title track from her forthcoming new EP, out May 12th on Kwaidan / !K7 Records.

Wendy Bevan’s own take on cold wave inspired electronica has seen her compared to the likes of Depeche Mode, The Knife and Siouxsie Sioux. Her debut album ‘Rose and Thorn’ produced by Marc Collin (Nouvelle Vague) was released on Kwaidan Records & !K7 in September 2016. Wendy’s vocals accompanied by glimmers of dark, pulsing electronic synths, minimalist post punk basslines and featuring live strings from the Balanescu Quartet. Her vivid, often surreal theatrical storytelling to creates something thrilling unique in her vocal delivery, both in performance and on the album. The new 4 track EP, ‘Love From the Moon' is out May 12th. It features a remix by Bruno Coviello (Light Asylum/ Bliscord) and a remix of her song Lover by D-Code & Psylence. In addition there is a new bonus track; ‘Running From Waking’ produced by Robert Harder (Nenah Cherry and the Thing, Brian Eno).

Wendy Bevan is a British Musician and Multimedia Artist who combines a surreal and theatrical approach to her work across genres in performance, photography, live visuals and experimental art-works, on stage, musical performance, galleries and photographic imagery. She has developed a unique cinematic world and style of her own making. Wendy’s free spirit and personality as an artist in the most authentic sense enables her to freewheel between genres making panoptic, multifaceted art works. She believes in creating a universal language and balance in the crossover of disciplines. Her vivid and dramatic imagination reveals her immense creative, surreal energy as a story teller, conjuring an alternative, ethereal universe.

The various roles Wendy has cast herself over the last decade, be it as vocalist, visual artist, lyricist, photographer, filmmaker, and performer she melts and morphs wherever a concept leads her, conceiving and manipulating her work as a means of creating a character, enabling her to deliver immersive experiences to her audiences. Wendy is a visionary and her love of theatricality is ever present in whatever she pursues. The world she creates as an artist will continue to mesmerise, inspire and bewilder audiences. Website here, Facebook here.

'Love From The Moon' is a smooth and clean cold wave piece, where Wendy Bevan's vocals melodically surf above the flowing deep and rich synthy sounds.

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Trevor Sensor - High Beams.

Background - On June 16, Trevor Sensor will release his debut album Andy Warhol's Dream via Jagjaguwar. The album was recorded at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, IL and was produced by Richard Swift (The Shins, Damien Jurado), Foxygen's Jonathan Rado and Brandon Darner (Imagine Dragons, The Envy Corps). Backing Sensor up is a rhythm section of Julien Ehrlich (drums) and Max Kakacek (bass) of Whitney. Today, Sensor shared "High Beams," the first single from the forthcoming album. 

"The song derives from the desire to be one of those people on the television - a desire instilled in us since childhood in America and the western world at large. A desire that consumes us, especially those few born in middle America who look for supposedly greater things beyond the horizon of cornfields and prairies, or the northern factory towns of England - those places where nobody of any pop cultural significance is suppose to come from - for there is only so much room in the camera lens, the television screen, and we must save it for the pretty, plastic people," 

Sensor explains. "It revolves around things lost, things hoped for and the dreams we tell ourselves to keep us from the possibly horrifying conclusions that forever creep up on us in the back of our minds. To these conclusions and this desire, I curl back my feelers and hiss - for I am twenty-three and tired."

Trevor Sensor has just announced a spring and summer tour with The Family Crest and Mt. Joy, respectively. Find a full list of tour dates below, with additional dates to be announced in the coming months. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page.

There is something beautifully bizarre about the video for 'High Beams' which struck a chord with me, before I fully appreciated the actual song. The vocals are arguably quite unique, and once the music and chorus hooks dug in, the track really did resonate with me. An ingenious song, can't wait to hear more.


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Jordan Mackampa - Battlecry.

Background - Coventry-based singer Jordan Mackampa is sharing 'Battlecry' - the second single from his new EP ‘Tales From The Broken’, set for self-release on 15th May. A track about refusing to be silenced - and standing up for what you believe in, it's a sumptuous, passionate return.

New single ‘Battlecry’ showcases his unique gospel-tinged vocal, paired with irresistible folk-pop instrumentation - delivering a track as delicate as it is powerful and inspiring.

Speaking on the release of the new single, Jordan explained: “Battlecry is a reflection of the times, it’s about standing up for what you believe in, refusing to be silenced and coming together. It was written to make people feel powerful in the face of adversity, comforted in times of isolation and brave in the face of change.”

Often described as a troubadour, Jordan Mackampa is an artist with timeless soul, and lyrics drenched in heart-felt empathy. As a man who was born in Kinshasa, grew up in London and became an artist in Coventry, Jordan’s music is swimming in the sounds and stories of the cities he’s inhabited over the years. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page.

Our second feature for Jordan Mackampa this time with 'Battlecry'. I think it reasonable to say that this individual has a certain WOW factor. Musically the piece has a rhythmic background that allows the vocals and harmonies to carry both the melody and the heart of this beautiful song.

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The Last Dinosaur - First Blush - The Human Circuit - Deer Tick - Fassine

The Last Dinosaur - Grow.

Background - Poignant, dreamlike, beautiful: The Last Dinosaur’s The Nothing is a record to swim in. The brainchild of Londoner Jamie Cameron, it’s an album that addresses a tragic event from his teenage years, and transmutes that experience into a cathartic work of art.

At 16, Jamie had met kindred spirit James Macdonald at music college and recorded the 2004 album Good Morning Sunshine… and Goodnight with him under the name When I Was a Little Girl, a well-received debut through the independent label Where It’s At Is Where You Are. But a year later, Jamie was in a car crash that tragically claimed the life of his best friend. Out for the day with one of Jamie’s sisters and another friend, the car aquaplaned and hit another car at a junction. James’ injuries were the worst among the passengers, and when he passed away, Jamie was in a state of shock.

“I’d had a pretty idyllic life until then, nothing particularly bad had happened,” Jamie says. “That was a difficult experience to comprehend. Despite how harrowing it was, I thought came out of it relatively mentally unscathed, although in hindsight that’s a trick you tell yourself.”

Instead, he began recording with another music college friend, Luke Hayden, as The Last Dinosaur. Jamie’s parents split up, he broke up with his girlfriend, and The Last Dinosaur’s debut album Hooray! For Happiness, covered glowingly by the likes of Uncut, The Line Of Best Fit and more, attempted to come to terms with these experiences, while avoiding the real elephant in the room. “I was doing everything to avoid confronting this really big thing that happened at an age when you don’t generally experience death and loss,” Jamie says.

Afterwards, depression took hold of him, but over the course of years, he began writing, recording and amassing songs that addressed his grief and own fear of dying. The powerful The Nothing began to take shape. “It wasn’t an intention of mine to write an album about dying or anything like that, but I realised after I’d written a few songs that they all were about it in some way. It got to a point where I couldn’t really avoid it. I’d done the divorce album and it was all I was left with, trying to make sense of this thing that happened. Halfway through I realised it was profoundly cathartic, it made me felt less scared of dying.”

The Nothing is uplifting, life-affirming. Its lyrics may tackle the subject of mortality, but the gorgeous, overlapping, interlacing melodies are like drifting in a blissful reverie. ‘We’ll Greet Death’, with its strings, piano, saxophone and acoustic guitar is defiant, possessed of an emotional complexity. On ‘Grow’, Jamie’s lovely acoustic plucking forms the basis for a song about the fragility of life, while ‘The Sea’ is a meditative post-rock movement that begins in a hushed place and concludes over five minutes later in a gorgeous string-laden denouement. Although Jamie professes to a childhood love for R.E.M, Tortoise and most of all, Talk Talk, the music here is very much his own, self-penned and performed with close friend Rachel Lanskey providing viola on most of the songs. “I’ve had a very strong sense of never wanting to copy anyone else’s music, I just want to sound like me,” Jamie says.

Created between 2009 and 2016, The Nothing is a stunning, affecting album that is also a touching tribute to Jamie’s late friend. “Someone called it elegiac,” Jamie says. “I quite liked that notion.” Facebook here.

An album that's taken around seven years to create sets expectations high and the song 'Grow' suggests those expectations are going to be rewarded. It's a beautiful track, tender and touching without being self indulgent, and the arrangement and production is superb.

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First Blush - Gold.

Background - First Blush  is the brainchild of Charles Sekel, a former Julliard pre-college program kid-turned-indie musician. Sekel's music is a reflection of his battle to defeat a continuous cycle of self-destructive behavior stemming back nearly a decade. 

From his college days as a classical/jazz musician at the Peabody Institute, Sekel struggled with alcohol abuse and panic attacks, and turned to original music to help with his mental health. Now completely sober thanks to the help of music, a good therapist and assistance from his girlfriend (now wife,) he was able to pull himself out of addiction and confidently release his solo venture.

As dark and heavy as it turned out, the music video for Gold started in a pretty silly place: GIFs. I love a good GIF meme, especially if it's well-placed to maximize its comedic effect. But I began wondering if the concept of GIFs could be used in a more serious, dramatic context to invoke feelings of monotony and dread. 

The director, Adio Ash, created a variety of different scenes to explore different aspects of that underlying concept and wove them together in a TV-channel-based narrative arc, to powerful and dizzying effect." Facebook here.

Charles Sekel's vocals are both passionate and powerful when required. 'Gold' is an exquisite song, with a layered lo-fi soundtrack making the perfect backdrop for some wonderful singing. The video is equally artistic and makes for a fine accompaniment.


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The Human Circuit - Juxtaposition.

Background - Juxtaposition, the second single from The Human Circuit upcoming album, Electric City, straddles the line musically and lyrically. Lyrically about being stuck between two paths or choices, the music itself reflects this dichotomy by its forward propulsion meeting a certain lighter bounce and its jazz-inflected Indie Rock mixed with a darker melody.

Mat, The Human Circuit, on Juxtaposition: Juxtaposition illustrates a very natural state of humanity; uncertainty. The discomfort of feeling caught in the middle, forever being torn between clear choices with elusive outcomes. It so often seems we are teetering on the brinks of our lifes greatest ambitions and utter insanity.

The Human Circuit is a touring Alternative Indie-Rock band from Austin Texas. Their catchy psychedelic grooves range from the mystic vibes of David Bowie to the intricate arrangements of Arcade Fire. Their most recent album, Frequent Seas (2015) independently charted top ten on public and college radio stations nationwide.

The Human Circuit has performed with bands such as The Zombies, The Octopus Project, Boogarins, The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Calliope Musicals, Ringo Deathstarr, and has been booked by Transmission Events, C3 Presents, among others. The Human Circuit has performed events and festivals including SXSW, 35 Denton, Pecan Street Festival, and more. Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for The Human Circuit and this time we have 'Juxtaposition' the bands second single from the forthcoming 'Electric City' album. It's a vibrant indie rocker, with captivating dual vocals and a sprightly musical arrangement.

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Deer Tick - Sea of Clouds / It's A Whale.

Background - For the first time in four years the acclaimed and beloved band Deer Tick announce the September 15 release of a long-awaited new album...actually, two. Never a group to stand by conventional protocol, the celebrated Providence, RI quartet will release two separate albums of original material, Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2 (Partisan Records), recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN. The two albums complement each other yet reflect completely contrasting styles, both of which accurately represent the two distinctive musical personalities of Deer Tick — quiet and thoughtful / loud and raucous.

Deer Tick Vol. 1 showcases the folk-driven, roots/rock style with right amount of grit, that Deer Tick is known for. Lead singer/songwriter John McCauley is a masterful introspective and observational songwriter, who documents inner struggles and external conflicts with a perfect balance of heartfelt sincerity and wry wit. The opening track "Sea of Clouds" encompasses all of what brought so many fans to Deer Tick in the first place, and also what kept them there. Guitarist Ian O’Neil’s “Hope is Big” and drummer Dennis Ryan’s “Me & My Man” expand on the group’s already dynamic range.

On Deer Tick Vol. 2, the band turns it up and lets it fly with an injection of punk-inspired garage rock at it’s finest. Clever lyrics, infectious hooks and captivating melodies pack Vol. 2 with bassist Christopher Ryan skillfully laying it down with authority and attitude. The propulsion of opener “Don’t Hurt”, edgy pop of “Jumpstarting” and rowdy punk of “It’s a Whale” reveal that there was an obvious Jekyll & Hyde approach to recording Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. Vol. 2 closes with boisterous “Mr. Nothing Gets Worse”, with all three singers taking a verse on a song that would have made The Replacements proud.

Deer Tick defines the term outlier. Their ever-evolving style has never been claimed by any one scene or genre. They encompass key elements of indie-rock, country, punk, pop, Americana, folk and so much more, which is what makes it difficult to nail them down. With Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, the question really is, why would anyone want to? Website here, Facebook here.

Two tracks are shared 'Sea of Clouds' and 'It's A Whale', one from each album. Both have an element of raw and natural enthusiasm, notable vocals and fine musicianship, after that they part ways and genres, and do so with class!



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Fassine - Gold.

Background - Fassine are pleased to share the animated video for 'Gold', taken from their forthcoming second album, 'Gourami' - released 28th July. "The video for the track is just as dramatic. Animated by James Gilleard, it shows the group, or at least a version of them, retreat to a mountain-top mansion where they’re joined by friends for some time off the grid, or so it seems.

Things soon take a sinister turn, and the real reason for the group’s getaway becomes apparent. The video is just as cinematic as the track itself, so we won't give away any spoilers."

The London trio made a name for themselves last year with their icy, cinematic take on electronic music for ‘Dialectik’, a debut album that saw them gain praise & support from the likes of Spin, Q Magazine, The 405, The Guardian, Giles Peterson, BBC 6 Music and more.

The band have a keen ear for the cinematic with their songs featuring on the backdrop of high-profile American TV drama’s including Sky Atlantic’s The Following, Fox’s Lucifer, Sony’s The Art Of More and more...

The band recently featured on artist Robot Koch’s haunting track, Spine and also re-worked his latest single ‘Heart Is A River’ released on Monkeytown Records. Website here, Facebook here.

'Gold' is atmospheric pretty much from the first few chords. The video add's a level of intrigue, whilst the song mixes beautiful vocals alongside an expansive music arrangement.


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Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic - Lake Jons - Philip Brooks

Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic have shared 'Echo' a gorgeous alt pop song with beautifully harmonised dual vocals and a sweeping musical arrangement. === Lake Jons return for a fourth time on Beehive Candy with 'Human'. Last month we shared the track 'Simone' also taken from their brand new album 'The Coast', as the Finish folktronica duo continue to really impress. === We have the debut E.P from Philip Brooks entitled 'Half alive in a dream' which comprises of singles released this year where dream pop reigns supreme.
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Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic - Echo.

Singer-songwriters Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic combine on the rousing alternative-pop anthem “Echo”. Drawing on influences from Zoe’s indie background and Antonio’s stadium-filling pop tones, it’s an epic piece of pop-fusion that details a longing for adventure at the expense of personal relationships.

A coming together of two worlds, Zoe is a singer-songwriter and producer from South London whose musical background is rooted in grass-roots venues and indie culture. Her impressive catalogue as both a solo artist or as part of her band CATBEAR, has picked up support from BBC 6Music, Clash Magazine and Spotify, who supported Zoe on their influential Out Now playlist. A DIY musician to the core, Zoe takes complete control of her artistic output, producing all her own tracks and recording her vocals in her wardrobe for better acoustics. She also runs a regular grass-roots music night Stop Look Listen at The Finsbury, a platform for London’s emerging artists including Eliza and the Bear, Kimberly Anne, Holly Walker and Karima Francis.

Antonio Lulic has spent the last few years touring around the world. From humble beginnings in Yorkshire, he found himself touring the live circuit where he became good friends with none other than Ed Sheeran. Years later, this chance friendship and a lot of hard work led to Antonio supporting Ed Sheeran across the UK & USA, as well as his stadium shows in Latin America. The track was recorded between tours with Ed Sheeran, Zoe working on the production while Antonio travelled across the globe. It’s an anthemic piece of songwriter-pop that showcases both musicians’ expansive musical skill set. On the new single Zoe states:

We wrote Echo just after Antonio came off tour with Ed Sheeran. We recorded it before he went on tour for the second time with Ed whilst I finished the production. The lyrics tell of longing for adventure and escaping the everyday life, sometimes at the expense of personal relationships when the pull to get away is too strong to stay together.

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Lake Jons - Human.

Lake Jons, hailing from Helsinki and born from the woods by the darkest waters as their namesake reflects, is comprised of Jooel Jons and Mikko Pennanen, who walk a fine line between producer-tandem and full-on band. Since their formation in 2014, the Finnish duo has come through with delicate folktronica-tinged dream-pop. Following from their self-titled debut, which the band performed on their live circuit during the last year, and championed at festivals across the Nordics as well as by Ja Ja Ja, who showcased the band across London, Berlin and Hamburg.

With the upcoming release of their sophomore full-length ‘The Coast’, Lake Jons reconnect with their roots, leaving the city and delving into the viridescence of their moniker’s birthplace, the Towars forest. Thematically, the album is Jons’ endeavour to dismantle life, space and time. They present parts of rough instrumental parts, layering them with harmony-laden toplines, while each of the singles’ overall structure seems to assemble again seamlessly.

Jooel Jons comments on ‘Human’, focus track for the album: “I’m fond of lyrics that are more like thoughts rather than stories. This one feels like a stroll in the forest for me. Almost a story but not quite. “I wanna turn around” resembles the idea of turning back from the road we once started as humans. Honouring nature more and more. For me it also means dancing in the forest among the trees and animals like a hippie cliché. This song has evolved from two different songs that I felt were at a dead end. Combining them left some good parts unused but made one whole.”

“There are all kinds of emotional releases when roaming in the nature far from civilisation,” he adds in his short essay on the new album, “In a way ‘The Coast’ is an emotional perspective. There are times when you are simply stuck in that gateway. Looking forward to the oceans or backward to the mountains, you choose. Time is irrelevant as long as you’re moving and evolving. I believe that’s the essence.”

For their self-titled debut album, Lake Jons retreated to an isolated cabin deep in the Finnish forest during the few summer months of the year that the Nordic country thaws out. The cabin had no running water and no inside bathroom. It’s there, in a state of severe isolation and deep connection with the wilderness that they wrote and recorded the majority of the self-titled album. The aim was to try and examine, capture and represent whatever tenuous connection still exists between the natural world and all its organic elements of randomness and authenticity and the human world.

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Philip Brooks - 'Half alive in a dream'.

Philip Brooks releases his debut EP, 'half alive in a dream', a collection of previous singles from this year, and his now signature shimmering and dreamy indie pop sound.

Featuring previous singles like the pounding four-to-the-floor 'so long see you someday', and the stunning 'can't fix the things i left behind', the EP rounds off an incredible year for Philip which has seen him quickly establish himself as one of the most exciting new artists to arrive, being described by early critics as “nostalgic and emotionally charged” and a “dreamy mélange of spacey guitar lines and airy melodies”.

'half alive in a dream' sees Philip tackle the painfully relatable lyrical themes ingrained in his generation: millennial on-off relationships, the pains of modern dating, anxiety attacks and the fear of being alone, all rapped into a blend of dreamy indie-pop inspired by the likes of Bleachers and The Japanese House

Philip has also been cutting his teeth in the live arena, touring with acts such as EUT and Tiny Ruins as well as a sold out headline show at Paper Dress Vintage in late November where he confirmed himself to be not only promising as a recording artist, but as a live performer as well.


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Annabel Allum - Bryde - Drinks - Dead Man's Knee - Birdpeople

Annabel Allum - Rascal.

Background - Guildford-based Annabel Allum shares boisterous new single Rascal, her second offering of the year following acclaimed January release Beat The Birds and critically successful 2017 EP All That For What. Loaded with pulsating hooks and the enigmatic singer-songwriter’s tenacious vocals, Allum oozes charisma and once more showcases her ability to marry folk-style storytelling with snarling fuzzy indie.

“Rascal pinpoints a phase in time when it felt like no matter what I was doing, it wouldn’t be right”. Allum says, “Trying to look after myself, the people close to me, the people around me, and never finding a balance in any of it. I would either give too much or nothing at all. I still do that. It’s quite a sad song. Self-scrutiny, really. I guess I’m just still learning that it’s okay to not be able to please everything all the time”.

Alongside the striking sonic aesthetic of her music, her original look and self-styling has led to endorsements from Bastian Classics, Cheap Monday and various other indie clothing brands. Liam Corneloues on bass and Emma Hiley on drums complete Annabel’s trusty band, prepped to deliver raucous sets throughout the festival circuit in the UK and Europe this summer.

Rascal was produced by Adrian Hall (Goldfrapp, Du Blonde, Anna Calvi) and was released by London indie label Killing Moon Records on yesterday. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We shared 'Beat the Birds' by Annabel Allum back in January and now we have 'Rascal'. Once again we have an expansive rock backdrop pulsating with power, whilst her vocals are more than equal to the soundtracks potent challenge as they melodically soar above.

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Bryde - Peace.

Background - With debut LP Like An Island a month away from release, Bryde ups the ante on new single ‘Peace’. With her masterly understanding of dynamics and counterpoint, alongside her unbridled lyricism, ‘Peace' sees Bryde at her most amplified. Throughout her career Bryde has tackled challenging subject matter, exploring the curious relationship between vulnerability and empowerment with a psychological nuance and honesty that pegs her as a truly distinct new voice on the international indie circuit. 

Mixed by Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice, PJ Harvey and St Vincent), and mastered by Mandy Parnell, it's a record of catharsis which gives a voice to bad times and exorcises old demons. Her cagey verses morph into expansive choruses as Bryde expertly plays around with the contrasts between loud/quiet and soft/heavy.   

Bryde says of the track; “Peace is about the warm glow of two drinks and real connection with another person. It's about the end of anger and the settling calm after a storm. Being able to be entirely yourself and still be liked. I had to make it the loudest track on the album because if something's not a little subversive.”

Like An Island is scheduled for release on the 13th of April via Bryde’s own label Seahorse Music. Bryde founded it to publish records by like-minded women and help make them more visible in a male-dominated industry. This record is the culmination of all of Bryde’s experience with her craft so far, and support for it is also rapidly ramping up, with NPR recognising Bryde's voice as “equally stunning and chilling.”     

Bryde will set off on her biggest UK, IRE and EU tour so far. It’s a sprawling 29 date stretch in April and May that will see her peddling her inimitable brand of incisive lyricism and raucous rock and roll to her widest audience yet. There is little doubt, whether on wax or on stage, that this year is a pivotal one in her career so far. ‘Peace’ is out now with Like An Island to follow 13th of April on Seahorse Music. WEBSITE, TWITTER.

And it's our second feature this year for Bryde and the new single 'Peace'. It's another fine taste of what's to come with the debut album just weeks away, this time we have a feisty rocker, which makes a good companion for Bryde's melodic and lively vocals.

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Drinks - Real Outside.

Background - Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley (White Fence) have teamed up for a second album as Drinks. The new album, Hippo Lite, will be released on Drag City worldwide on April 20, 2018. Drinks began in 2015 with the release of their debut LP, Hermits on Holiday on Presley’s own Birth Records.
“A month spent in an old mill in the under belly of France.
River swimming thrice a day.
Hot nights soundtracked by the rattle of randy frogs. Scorpion fear. In the sheets, on the face.
Hours of bird watching – no phone service. No wifi. 3 DVDs; Jurassic Park 1, 2 & 3.
Violin practice. Bread scoffing.
Early morning coffee drinking before the sun was too hot to do anything but snooze in the thick walled house. Music in the afternoon after a dip in the river and a cold beer on the square.
An album made for each other by one another with no hands, eyes or ears piercing the bubble other than that of dear friend Stephen Black who kept note of it all.”
– Cate Le Bon

“In a town, so very still and quiet.
A month in St. Hippolyte Du Fort, South France.
Where completely all of their brave young men vanished forever from the death machine of the first world war.
At one time left with only women and young girls.
Only relics of time standing still.
All the deceased names of men chiseled under a stone angel, that watches over the town square.
We set up a recording unit in an old stone mill turned house and began to write and record with the attention of tree trimmers or gardeners.
It got so hot we had to swim in a local river near by just to be able to think, then back to our home to make sounds and songs. Any sounds we could think of or wanted.
We used night sounds, night insects and used frogs as instruments. Did you know frogs have saxophones in their throats?
This is a broken music. a crumble. It’s the music of the building we called home for a month. We’ve never made & recorded music in such a simple living environment.
With all the ease, and air we needed. We were in a town 8 miles over from Robert Crumb’s hidden residence.
We lived in a mysterious place.
We had a flock of bats over for dinner many nights. No internet, or a phone to look to.
We had a beautiful big stone house, a river, and from time to time a lovely elderly yet young-hearted couple who would visit.
It was the opposite of what a typical recording experience usually is for any of us.
We tried to capture all of this and put it on record.”
– Tim Presley.

Recorded by Stephen Black (Sweet Baboo), Drums by “JT” John Thomas (Cate Le Bon/Islet) & mixed in Los Angeles by Samur Khouja at Seahorse Sound. All songs and lyrics by Cate Le Bon & Tim Presley. BANDCAMP.

Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley under the guise of Drinks have come up with an exceptional album as is only partially witnessed through the featured song 'Real Outside'. It as "out there" as anything I have heard in a long time, quirky, avant-garde, refreshing and highly original, it's also very moreish, in fact it's an album I find myself returning to out of continued intrigue as much as delight.

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Dead Man's Knee - Pleasure.

Background - A paradigm shift in popular culture put the heady rock and roll excesses of the late twentieth century (sex and drugs) into the hands of contemporary commercial hip hop. ‘Pleasure’ is Dead Man’s Knee’s no-holds barred hard rock debut single that lyrically sets out to explore the shame prevalent in rock and roll over its hedonistic past.

There’s a freewheeling sense of experimental progression akin to Funkadelic, and a contemporary hard rock edge like QOTSA at their most Led Zeppelin, but frontman Del’s vocal approach recalls the rootsy body singing of Chuck Berry and Little Richard. It all combines to make a fearsome three minute head banger that’ll have you shaking out on to the streets, bopping to your nearest dive bar to break every new years resolution you thought you were serious about.

Dead Man’s Knee are a group from London who come from a background of blues, rock and roll, gospel and soul. Comprised of Del on guitar and vocals, Angelos on guitar, George on bass and Leonn on drums, the group have already earned their stripes playing as session musicians on the pop and soul circuit while also coming together (sans Angelos) as a rhythmic core for Jodie Abacus. Del and Leonn grew up in London from the same church community while Angelos and George both came from Greece.

The group formed in 2015 with Leonn replacing their old drummer in late 2016. As their fearsome debut single ‘Pleasure’ demonstrates, the four-piece have an electrifying chemistry, reanimating the bones of vital and exciting hard rock while lyrically questioning the dogma of the long-faded rock and roll lifestyle. This is modern rock stripped of the pretence. It’s not packaging and selling you a hedonistic dream, it’s offering a nuanced critique on the role of pleasure in our lives. Sometimes it’s healthy to step out the zone and wild out. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

'Pleasure' explodes into action as a full on straight down the line rocker. The vocals are pure rock & roll, potent, determined and commanding as the band turn out some super charged riffs, Dead Mans Knee are on fire and burning bright!

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Birdpeople - The Monument.

Background - Birdpeople are not your regular pop outfit. Points of departure include Walter Benjamin, the Hyperobject, Reza Negarestani, Hayao Miyazaki, Andrej Tarkovskij, God, Fritz Lang, Robert Wiene, Alejandro Jodorowsky; a volatile love-hate relationship with contemporary art music; the zombie-like doggedness of plant life: viriditas vs. the smooth face of the everyday; Capitalism, the gender system, downfall and ruins; family and the impossibility of breaking free; affinity, camaraderie, loss, grief, decay; having the rug pulled out from under you; living like a shadow of yourself; the way back or out of here; nerves; dead capital and living labour; architecture and anti-techture. It’s a post-apocalyptic salvage-op in anticipation of the Collapse.

The members’ former project fell apart due to a sense of diminishing urgency. Guitar music seemed patriarchal beyond redemption, and in a fit of desperation they bought a semi-modular MS-20. None of them knew the first thing about analogue synthesis, but that was precisely the point. They projected old sci-fi flicks onto the wall of their rehearsal space, recording improvised music directly to a portable cassette recorder. Work on an EP soon began under the supervision of producer Magnus “Existensminimum” Monn, who shared the band’s musical claustrophobia. The songs resisted violently: writer’s block, homemade instruments, derelict vintage synths, sonorous metal scraps fashioned into a tree.

“We wanted to build a utopia out of all this riff raff, and somehow this became our way of making music feel like it mattered again. Using hardware synths makes played parts irrevocable, it limits and hinders – a paradoxical deliverance. There were times when we couldn’t communicate except through the sounds we made; sometimes we were like a harmonious hive mind.”

The nom de guerre Birdpeople was solemnly adapted after work on the EP was concluded. It’s meant to convey the impression of a family, or, rather,  a cult. That was what the trio felt they had become during the process. Birds, ever present in the band’s lyrics, became their spirit animals. “We wanted to address the ambivalence of this wondrous-yet-harrowing imprisonment of being human. Nevertheless, music seemed to offer some way out of the compulsory nature of human-being. Bird-being thus became a metaphor for a kind of cyborgs-to-be, for the potentiality of being more than human – possessing wings, talons and beak, being able to observe the world from above.” Birdpeople are Amanda Blomqvist, Cecilia Wickström and Jakob Lavonius. Magnus “Existensminimum” Monn is their producer and next of kin. FACEBOOK.

A swift flowing beat introduces 'The Monument' that soon upgrades into something notable as the vocals and layers of sound develop. Rhythmic, creative and something of a musical journey at just short of seven minutes, Birdpeople keep you guessing and reward you with some beguiling twists along the way.

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Globetrotting: The Wedding Present - Hickory Signals - Snowapple - Songbird

The Wedding Present - Two Bridges.

Background - ‘Going, Going…’ is the title of the widely anticipated ninth studio album from UK indie darlings, The Wedding Present, but, in typical Wedding Present fashion... it’s not a conventional release! Going, Going... is out November 18th in North America on HHBTM Records, the album tells the story of a road trip across the USA, revealed across a collection of twenty ‘linked’ songs, each with an accompanying short film.

Always challenging and experimental, the idea to release the new project in a multi-media format is something that has been marinating with bandleader David Gedge for some time. As he points out, work began soon after the unveiling of The Wedding Present’s 2012 critically acclaimed album ‘Valentina’. “I’d already decided by then that I didn’t want to make the next release just ‘another album’ and so I came up with the idea of twenty ‘interconnected’ pieces of music. Then, in the summer of 2014 I travelled across the USA with photographer Jessica McMillan and we made some atmospheric short films to accompany the tracks. Since then it’s been a case of progressing through the music, trying all sorts of ideas, seeing how they work set against the visuals.”

Recorded at Studios La Fabrique in the south of France and Parr Street Studios in Liverpool with multiple Grammy award winning producer Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath, Adele) the resulting twenty tracks represent arguably The Wedding Present’s finest work to date, with Gedge, as always, showing himself to be the unrivalled master at observing human relationships from an everyman perspective but with the touch and artistry of a poet.

Formed in 1985, The Wedding Present are one of the UK’s most longstanding and much-loved indie bands with eighteen UK Top 40 hit singles to their name. That’s not bad for a band that has, from its inception, stubbornly refused to play the record industry’s game. The breathtakingly honest love songs immersed in whirlwind guitars quickly caught the attention of the late John Peel, who said: “The boy Gedge has written some of the best love songs of the rock ’n’ roll era. You may dispute this, but I’m right and you’re wrong!” USA vinyl pre-order here.

From gorgeous instrumentals through to more typical Wedding Present fayre such as the featured 'Two Bridges' the new album is, put simply, fabulous! Where to begin with twenty songs (and another eight bonus tracks), I will just say, Wedding Present fans will I reckon be besides themselves, for everyone else, this might just drive you to go through the bands entire back catalogue, enjoy.

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Hickory Signals - Noise Of The Waters.

Background - Brighton, England folk-duo, Hickory Signals are pleased to announce their second EP and new single of the same name 'Noise Of The Waters'.

Inspired by the sea-inspired James Joyce poem of the same name, ‘Noise Of The Waters’ is the second EP from Brighton folk duo, Hickory Signals. Made up of multi-instrumentalists Laura Ward and Adam Ronchetti, the pair combine strong vocal melodies with vibrant guitar, shruti, flute, glockenspiel and pulsing percussion; layering sounds carefully and minimally to create magical and atmospheric folk.

Making melodies reminiscent of music past, their inspiration comes not only from bygone songs and lyrics but also the illustrative world of literature and poetry. When singing ominously about 17th century soldiers burning down fields and stealing grain in ‘Irish Ways’ – the duo conjure up darkened images of Ireland’s past made all the more arresting by the conviction and purity in Ward’s voice. Elsewhere, traditional song, ‘The Unquiet Grave’ echoes Laura Marling’s sing-song, confessional style - with string accents adding a mysterious air to the tale of decaying hearts and lost love.

Title track, ‘Noise Of The Waters’ merges haunting flute lines with cleansing water imagery, offering a redemptive feeling that evokes a by-gone era of ominous storytelling, while ‘Take The Window’ descends into a raging revenge ditty, made all the more piercing by Ward’s clear and meandering vocal style.

Another, ‘Bows and Arrows’, sees the duo explore the mechanics of man-made arrows, traps and fishing lines for catching unattainable birds, deer and fish. The song states that building anything (bridges, schools, tools) requires education “but still there are things we cannot know…”. A cautionary tale that subtly explores the dangers of our human penchant for fixing and often, destroying.

Ward and Ronchetti are joined on this EP by Stick In The Wheel’s Ian Carter, who provides the production, and skilled violinist, Tom Pryor, whose sensitivity and musicality help make the collection an utter joy to listen to. Hickory Signals work stands out here as haunting, cinematic and un-rushed, cementing their careful, timeless sound as one to watch indeed. 'Noise Of The Waters' EP is out December 2, 2016. Website here.

'Noise Of The Waters' is a tender folk song, with a fine and pure traditional feel. The arrangement is crisp and clear as each instrument delicately supports the atmospheric vocals. The duo clearly know their craft and the folk music world is all the better for that.


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Snowapple - Any Way.

Background - Figures stream through the early-morning haze on the platform, or rest in the cozy comfort of a late-night compartment. Some are fleeing the horrible, some steaming toward a lover, a home, a new unknown city. The train cars rock and clack, lull and ache.

Amsterdam’s Snowapple chronicle the romance and alienation, the weird stories and intriguing characters of the trains as they ride the rails for their third album, Tracks (Zip Records; release: October 28, 2016). Along the way, they connect their globally informed, jazz- and improv-inflected home scene with resonant harmonies, clever arrangement, and dreamlike lyrics that span the heartfelt and the playful. Coupling a keen sense of the theatrical with exquisite vocals, the trio has an ongoing collaboration with several Amsterdam fashion designers, most notably Mo Benchellal.

Snowapple is a remarkable band. The three front women come from different backgrounds namely Jazz, Gospel and Opera. In the songs that they describe themselves as fairy-tail folk/pop/opera/impro, the three exceptional individual voices move into majestic harmonies. The girls accompany themselves on multiple instruments such as guitar, mandoline, keys, flute and percussion.

Snowapple released 2 studio albums that both gained international success resulting in releases in Europe (V2 Benelux, Rough Trade), UK (Debt Records) and USA (ZIP Records). Snowapple did multiple international tours in Europe, the UK, the USA and Mexico. Website here.

One of ten songs on the new album, 'Any Way' gives a good flavour of the quality and melodic nature, we find within their third album release. Vocals delight the musical arrangements are consistently good, this is another fine collection of songs.

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Songbird - Street Walker.

Background - Steph Jolly, Songbird, is an emerging Singer-Songwriter based in Adelaide, South Australia. Juggling work, study and having a heightened passion for songwriting has been a challenge, but also extremely rewarding personally, professionally and most pleasingly musically.

‘Street Walker,’ the debut release from Songbird, is an energetic, upbeat track, with plenty of sass and funk to get you grooving. Steph's honest and raw lyrics come straight from the heart and draw on past experiences and innermost thoughts and feelings. They express personal observations of a world sometimes cruel, sometimes beautiful. Live recordings have been utilised to create an upbeat, acoustic feel that excites the ears and reassures the soul.

‘Street Walker’ has received rave reviews locally and has been capturing attention all across the country. This success has also led to regular performances on the contemporary winery circuit, thanks to her gentle yet powerful vocals and warm, inviting presence.

Plying her trade in city bars, Steph has honed her craft by building her confidence and helping her create and develop the stage persona that is Songbird. Combining with the intricate yet melodious style of guitarist and longtime friend Michael Collins, Songbird is one of the freshest acts to come out of Adelaide in a long time. “Street Walker” will be released 11th of November 2016. Facebook here.

A simple stripped back acoustic song, 'Street Walker' is the perfect setting to showcase Steph Jolly's dynamic and melodic vocals. The energy and feeling comes across oh so well, no wonder the local interest, and hopefully wider audience soon.

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Marin Patenaude - Tommaso Varisco

Marin Patenaude returns just four weeks after we shared 'Gone Blind' with another single 'The Build', which is a refined folk piece that's also taken from her beautiful new album 'Sight Unseen'. === Tommaso Varisco shares 'Big Sleep' a folk rock song with the emphasis on rock, the vocals are a little deep in the mix however they remain a gritty focal point.
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Marin Patenaude - The Build.

Marin Patenaude’s confessional folk is deeply honest, inspired by the wildness of nature, the messiness of human connection, and the overwhelming desire to run away from it all. Emotional lyrics paired with softly powerful instrumentals craft stories that explore loving and losing, the fragility of the human condition, and stories of a rural upbringing.

The daughter of musical parents and the younger sister of Juno-award winning Pharis Romero, she was raised on folk and country harmonies. While it was a huge part of her upbringing, Marin didn’t initially look to music as a viable career. From landscaping for the rich to running through the woods with her dog, a backpack, and a surveyors map, scrubbing toilets to training horses, she collected many random and interesting skills and experiences to use as songwriting fodder. When travels through other disciplines and passions didn’t last, she made a record; a heavy collection of songs about heartbreak and displacement. A surprising first release, it’s full of gut punching beauty.

Following the release of her self-titled debut in 2016, Marin extensively toured BC’s festival circuit as a solo act, across Canada with Kenton Loewen as part of Dan Mangan’s house concert series Side Door, through Germany and Switzerland as a duo with Cole Schmidt, and worked as a session harmony singer in Vancouver for artists including Khari Wendell McClelland, Sam Tudor, Real Ponchos, CR Avery, Ora Cogan, The Crackling and many more. She opened for Sarah McLachlan at the 2016 Vancouver International Jazz festival at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, a personal career highlight.

In support of her second album, Marin joined Dallas Green’s Toronto based label Still Records. Sight Unseen was produced at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, mixed by Karl Bareham, and mastered by Jaoa Carvalho. Marin took the reins on production, and enlisted the help of dedicated players she feels very connected to, musically and emotionally. They kept their hearts and the doors open for magical studio surprises, and the finished album reflects that open minded approach to sound.

Sight Unseen shows a louder, grittier side of Marin’s indie folk sensibility. Citing the influence of artists like Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, Sarah McLachlan, and Neil Young, there’s an underlying darkness beneath the clear, free spirited melodies. For Marin, her songs are an extension of self–an opportunity to be as honest and real as she feels, something she has difficulty doing in the so-called real world. It’s big and it’s not always light. Though she’s a bright personality by nature, she often uses her music as a way to process grief. Her vocals are strong and technically trained, and she’s outspoken about the complexities of relationships and the uncertainty of our current political times.

Marin Patenaude · The Build

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Tommaso Varisco - Big Sleep.

"Big Sleep" is the second single taken from "All the Seasons of the Day" the album that Tommaso Varisco released late 2019 on Seahorse Recordings.

Gradisca Productions helped the musician in turning into images a vision he had through these pandemic times. With all his touring plans halted, and his professional and family life disrupted, Tommaso saw the human race through a macro lens, as ants going through a Big Sleep, while awaiting for the end of the Storm.

The song, a guitar folk rock ballad tinged with americana strumming, is about the desire of giving up with everything to live as an outsider. Tommaso Varisco is a songwriter based in Veneto, Italy, near Chioggia. He released his first album "This Is How I Feel" back in 2006, receiving appreciation from music press.

In 2011 he teamed up with Mike 3rd, guitar player for Ex KGB and Tunatones. The collaboration gave birth to the album “Always”, which mastering was in charge of Ronan Chris Murphy, well known for his works with King Crimson, Steve Morse and Tony Levin, amongst many others.

"All the Seasons of the Day" is a kind of new start for Varisco, showing a disillusioned approach to life and relationships, but also his aim to discover new and unknown places, travelling in body and spirit, always in search of his musical roots.

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Katie Burden - Maybird - Michael Colton - Frederick The Younger - Lake Jons

Katie Burden shares 'Edge of Sleep' an imaginative art rock piece, she disappeared off our radar after we featured 'I Can See It Clear' back in 2016, so it looks like I have some catching up to do. === From Maybird we have a new video for 'In Technicolor' a smooth and refined psychedelic rock song with the video making a splendid accompaniment. === Singer songwriter Michael Colton has a brand new single entitled 'Brother' where the blues rock artist is more immersed in a folk vibe, his rich voice resonating beautifully. === Returning for a seventh time on Beehive Candy Frederick The Younger have released the song and video for 'Something Real'. Their ability to develop melodic and engaging alt pop (with or without a retro vibe) is consistently incredible. === Lake Jons have really impressed us this year and now we have a video and third song from their current album as they share 'Circle' where the duo are possibly spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing an album track to build a video around.
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Katie Burden - Edge of Sleep.

Katie Burden's atmospheric art rock has an ineffable, visceral quality to it. Her taste for the theatrical and shamanistic delivery often conjure up the ghost of Jim Morrison but in a modern context, her sound falls somewhere between Perfume Genius and CocoRosie.

After being raised in a small hippy town in Colorado, Burden spent her formative years bouncing around NYC and San Francisco. In 2012 she moved to LA, and after attending a meditation retreat, synchronistically fell in with a group of blue chip musicians including Jennylee and drummer/producer Norm Block (L7, Jennylee, Ghost Recon Breakpoint) who became the catalyst behind her future output. Together they recorded Burden's 2014 debut EP My Blind Eye and the 2016’s full length KP Strange Moon, which garnered overwhelmingly positive press from tastemakers such as Magnet, Noisey, Nylon and Flaunt.

In 2017 Burden moved to Long Beach, composing new material in a house behind a periwinkle fence while studying to become an art therapist. The songs that would eventually come to make up the Edge of Sleep EP were initially inspired by dreams, liberally taking unexpected twists and turns without needing to conform to songwriting norms. “There’s that ancient Toltec wisdom that describes our conscious life as a waking dream that we sort of project into the world,” Burden reflects. “Edge of Sleep’ refers to an occurrence that shakes one from their waking dream and brings about a new perspective or way of seeing.”

Back in the studio with Norm, the two artists began the process of committing this collection of versatile and inventive songs to tape, looping field recordings, playing handmade bells, and sifting through a sea of tones to find the correct colors to flesh out the songs. The final recordings are like insulated worlds, pregnant with moody little moments and cathartic performances, dark and unusual, brave and innovative. “People tell me that when they listen, it stirs something inside them that they can’t quite put their finger on,” says Burden. “I love the idea that this music is soliciting a hard to define pang of emotion for people.” Edge of Sleep is due out this January is under Cautionary Tail Records.

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Maybird - In Technicolor.

The new video for Maybird's "In Technicolor (For The First Time), from their album Things I Remember From Earth has just been released. It's a psychedelic journey that is strikingly contemporary, invoking early Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, while tastefully referencing genre trailblazers The Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra.

Shortly after uploading a few songs to SoundCloud in 2016, bandleader and frontman Josh Netsky received a cold call from Danger Mouse, the Grammy-winning producer and songwriter behind such hit records as "The Grey Album" (a mashup of Jay-Z's "The Black Album" and The Beatles' "White Album"), Gorillaz's "Demon Days," Beck's "Modern Guilt" and Adele's "25."

The band quickly released their Turning Into Water EP for 30th Century that same year, followed by the four-song Unraveling EP produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. 2019 has seen the band deliver their first album, Things I Remember From Earth. It's an immaculate debut, showcasing a band with real songwriting chops and effortless hooks. On the album and final single, Netsky writes -

"Our new album is called Things I Remember From Earth, and that title was inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s novel The Sirens of Titan. So were many of the themes in the songs. Human purpose, holding on to memories, and losing control of your mind/memory are all themes in the book that found a place on the album. “To You” took its inspiration from the philosophy of human purpose. It’s about following your instinct and identifying what matters most to you personally. Don’t let anything get in the way of that… it’s something that I think everyone needs a reminder of from time to time.”

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Michael Colton - Brother.

Singer/songwriter Michael Colton is set to release a new single titled “Brother” that both pays homage to a trusted family member and that also serves as a ballad inspired by a future son. It’s a poignant track that shows a softer side to the blues rock troubadour.  Having garnered significant accolades for his more country inflected work in the past, Colton has streamlined his sound which seamlessly blends rock and blues traditions and is anchored by his striking vocals and serious guitar chops. Produced by noted film and television composer/producer Brett Boyett, “Brother” features Colton on vocals and guitar.  Producer Brett Boyett brought a groups of studio musicians to round out the production. Song will be available digitally December 13 and an EP will be released in the coming year.

Says Colton: “’Brother’ came to me when my wife and I were talking about having a second kid.  At first, I was on the fence and it was my relationship with my brother that made up my mind.  My brother and I live pretty far away from each other and we don’t talk as much as either of us would like but I kept thinking that whenever we get together it’s like no time has passed.  The part that really drove the nail home for me was the idea that when both of our parents pass away (they’re still with us) he’s literally the only person I shared that part of my life with.  I realized that I wanted that for our son.

Colton burst onto the scene in 2010 with a striking blues-rock track titled “Sugar.” Following that up with a deep dive into the songs of Robert Johnson in 2012, Colton continued to hone his blues guitar cred.  With a flurry of single and EP releases beginning in 2016, he immediately caught the attention of outlets such as The Boot, Popdose, Huffington Post with an evolved sound that seamlessly combined elements of rock, country, R&B and blues that are anchored by his otherworldly guitar chops. Earlier this year, Colton released two EPs collecting some of the best moments from 2017 and 2018-- Qualified and California Blue.

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Frederick The Younger - Something Real.

When I sing “Something Real” it feels like a weight has been lifted. It feels like a cathartic release every time.  I’ve spent my whole life feeling unfulfilled, like I should be doing something more. Desiring the next big thing. This song is about the inward search for freedom. The music itself feels like an emotional release. It’s earnest but also groovy and sexy. Kind of David Lynch meets Neil Young.

We’re all just spinning in circles of time and space. Retro-pop band Frederick the Younger lasso various transitory states and tensions of the heart on their upcoming new EP "Fever." Across six songs, the Louisville-based songwriters -- Jenni Cochran and Aaron Craker -- seek for something real and dissects such issues as regret, love and letting go.

In 2018 they found creative kinship in drummer Meg Samples and bassist Shelley Anderson and started working on the followup to 2017's Human Child. Producer Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Ray LaMontagne) couples the vivid, visceral lyrics and equally-emotive arrangements with a slick, yet dreamy, quality. And it’s never at the expense of the innately imposing stories. Lead single “Back to the Wall” untangles the push and pull of a relationship that’s undergoing an inner struggle. “You could say you love me / But you leave me with my back to the wall,” Cochran casts off her frustrations as a snake shedding its skin.

Their willingness to be so vulnerable serves as the EP’s foundation. “Erased,” featuring Craker’s magnetic, raw vocal, and “Deepest Blue” are other sterling highlights, the latter witnessing Cochran hitting an emotional rock bottom and writing a song about it. “I hate regretting things I’ve done, and I know when I’m in that space that I shouldn’t be doing it. I waste time, and I get carried away. This song is me trying to sing myself out of that funk,” she says of the song.

Cochran and Craker are not only the creative core of the band, but they complete each other on a deeply personal level. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Cochran grew up writing songs, yet never played them out. She initially had ambitions to go to school for anthropology but after working overseas, teaching in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, she returned to the states with a newfound drive to pursue music. She relocated to Louisville, and a two-month stay turned into a permanent move when she met Craker through an improv group.

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Lake Jons - Circle.

Lake Jons, hailing from Helsinki and born from the woods by the darkest waters as their namesake reflects, is comprised of Jooel Jons and Mikko Pennanen, who walk a fine line between producer-tandem and full-on band. Since their formation in 2014, the Finnish duo has come through with delicate folktronica-tinged dream-pop. Following from their self-titled debut, which the band performed on their live circuit during the last year, and championed at festivals across the Nordics as well as by Ja Ja Ja, who showcased the band across London, Berlin and Hamburg.

On their recently released sophomore full-length ‘The Coast’, Lake Jons reconnect with their roots, leaving the city and delving into the viridescence of their moniker’s birthplace, the Towars forest. Thematically, the album is Jons’ endeavour to dismantle life, space and time. They present parts of rough instrumentals, layering them with harmony-laden toplines, while each of the singles’ overall structure seems to assemble again seamlessly.

Commenting on the final single lifted from the new album, which was released ahead of the record, Jooel Jons ruminates over the simultaneous perfection and delicacy of existence; “Circle is such a complete shape. The essence of existence in is so full of intricacies, both delicate and powerful, and the circle of life is among them. It’s something that is maintained, even through humanity’s efforts to break everything. The song tells a small story about a boy who lived by the waters of Lake Jons and one day decided to leave the woods. It’s a letter to a dear friend; life’s a mysterious circle.”

He speaks more about the accompanying visual; “Directed by Raimo Saba, the video does a great job of portraying the theme of the song. I have my uncle Pekka, who is an actor, featured which makes this video a little more personal to me. Seeing the finished version for the first time, it almost allowed me to gain a new perspective and experience of the song. Raimo has managed to capture and convey the emotions interwoven in the song.”

And the Director, Raimo Saba adds; "Thinking about freedom in itself brings with it subconscious limitations. I think the concept of freedom is more valuable than one can even understand. It is not just an external concept. It is bound to be a state of yourself and where outside factors have no effect on your state of being. Lake Jons released the accompanying visual for ‘Circle’ 13th December.

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