Rusty Shackle - Mike Little - South Summit - The Indie Pea

Rusty Shackle - Riders Of The Purple Sage.

Rusty Shackle are back with a moody new single 'Riders Of The Purple Sage' released last week and it's the second single taken from their brand new 'Mayfield' album, that the band will release and showcase at Caldicot Castle on Saturday 29th August with special guests Taff Rapids, Tom Jenkins and Ernie Emmanuel.

Freedom comes in many forms. From the small, everyday moments that bring us joy, to the wind rattling our bones as we ride out along the wild frontier, wild and free beneath the open skies. An expansive song of two halves, about the tough roads we all must travel, the peaks and troughs of a life well lived, and how we must treat each moment like it’s our last.

Musically, the intense-yet-ethereal acoustic first movement takes its cues from the prog-tones of Atomic Rooster and King Crimson, whilst the second movement leans on the riff-driven carefree romps of Uriah Heep and The Groundhogs. This is a song about freedom-the kind that lives in your chest when you throw off the things that bind you. The purple sage isn’t a place-it’s a symbol of the wild, of inner battles and wide, open skies.

Rusty Shackle are a hard-gigging folk-rock band from South Wales, known for their infectious energy, anthemic songs, and genre-blurring sound drawn from folk, rock, and indie roots. Since forming in 2010, they’ve built a loyal following through relentless touring and a reputation for exhilarating live shows that get crowds on their feet.

============================================================================

Mike Little - Keys to the Universe (Album).

Although he’s now known as co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Canadian alt-country collective The Hello Darlins, Mike Little has spent over 35 years proving that keyboards don’t have to be in the background—they can be a full-blown event. As a master of the Hammond B3 organ, Mike has played on over 100 radio singles and over 30 Top 40 hits, many of which have attained Gold and Platinum status and earned him a stack of CCMA Keyboard Player of the Year awards. In other words, if there’s a keyboard part on a hit Canadian record, there’s a decent chance Mike Little played it.

Mike has now fulfilled a lifelong dream of making his debut solo album, Keys To The Universe, which finds him and many of his closest collaborators cutting loose on both brand new and old school funk jams. The 11-track collection was recorded in often-spontaneous situations in Mike’s home studio in Calgary, with a core band consisting of drummer Adam Dowling, bassist Mike Lent and guitarist Murray Pulver, with other friends such as guitarist Russell Broom (Jann Arden) and bassist Chris Byrne (The Road Hammers) chipping in.

Along with seven instrumentals that include The Meters’ classic “Cissy Strut” and Jimmy Smith’s “Chicken Shack,” four songs feature guest vocals from Matt Andersen, Cory Tetford, Jack Semple, and all of The Hello Darlins—led by Mike’s partner in life and music Candace Lacina—on the album’s jubilant first single, “Good Thing Going On.” Mike says, “Candace and I have spent years building music together both on and off the stage. Our relationship is woven into the album because she was my biggest supporter and the one who encouraged me to make it. Having The Hello Darlins on the song feels less like a guest spot and more like part of the record’s vibe. We also already had the song written, and it was a good fit.”

============================================================================

South Summit - Run It Back (Album).

West Australian five-piece South Summit released their second album Run It Back last week (June 12), alongside focus track “New World” — a reflective and expansive centre piece that captures the band's evolution over the past two years.

Arriving after a steady run of singles including “On The Dash” and “Heartless,” Run It Back marks a significant step forward for a band that has rapidly grown from local Perth favourites into one of Australia's most promising live exports. Following support tours with The Cat Empire and The Terrys, and ahead of a newly announced UK and European headline run later this year, the album arrives at a moment where South Summit are looking well beyond home shores. See full UK and EU live dates below.

Written across multiple sessions before reuniting with longtime collaborator Dave Parkin at Blackbird Sound Studio in Perth, Run It Back reflects a deliberate shift in approach. Rather than building songs piece by piece, the band focused on capturing performances together in the room — prioritising instinct, chemistry and the energy that has become central to their live reputation. Among the album's twelve tracks, “New World” stands as one of its most personal moments. Built around themes of growth, perspective and learning to embrace change, the song reflects on leaving behind familiar versions of yourself in order to move forward.

“'New World' is about stepping into the unknown and finding beauty in that uncertainty,” explains lead guitarist Fynn Samorali. “It's about accepting that growth often means letting go of what feels comfortable and trusting where life takes you next.”

============================================================================

The Indie Pea - Is It You Or Is It Me?

We have the third single from The Indie Pea taken from their upcoming album Life Lessons (Out December 18, 2026). After the panoramic intensity of "Staring At The Sun" and the atmospheric noir of "The Masquerade," The Indie Pea flips the script once again. Their third single, "Is It You Or Is It Me?", is a brilliant exercise in sonic irony, a high-energy, sun-drenched banger that hides a bruised heart beneath its euphoric surface.

The Pumping Pulse of the City - Stepping out of their usual comfort zone, the band has traded heavy guitar walls for a driving, melodic bassline that serves as the track's heartbeat. While the signature DNA of The Indie Pea remains, lush staccato violins and sweeping cellos that provide a symphonic grandeur, the focus here is on the "schwung." It’s high-energy British Indie Pop at its finest, channeling the rhythmic ingenuity of Bombay Bicycle Club and the jangly, conversational charm of The Kooks.

A Masterclass in Contradiction - Lyrically, the track is much darker than its upbeat tempo suggests. It is an honest, mid-tempo autopsy of a relationship caught in the "static." Between the "paper moons" and "hollow tunes," the song captures that frantic, circular questioning of a love that is losing its signal. It’s the sound of someone dancing in the heavy rain, not because they’re happy, but because they’re trying to "lose the weight and break the chain." "Can you hear the frequency? Is it you or is it me?"

============================================================================

Rick Hromadka - Frank Rabeyrolles - Hanne Leland

Rick Hromadka - Are You Magical? / My Son.

Rick Hromadka has long been a major player on the LA power pop scene, from his early days fronting Double Naught Spies in the '90s through the 25-year (and counting!), four-album run of the mighty psych-rock and power pop quartet Maple Mars. Most recently heard from on the hit 2022 album Someone's Got To Listen and last year's special Anniversary Single, Maple Mars is still going strong, but it's far from Hromadka's only musical venture. Recent years have seen creation of his occasional sunshine pop-oriented side project Ruby Free, and he's always maintained a solo career with album releases in 2014 and 2020, as well as occasional standalone singles including one each for the Christmas and Halloween seasons, both now firmly enshrined as perennial holiday favorites. 

It's to those solo endeavors that the singer-songwriter returns on the new double single, pairing AM Gold vibes with a touch of psychedelic melodicism on “Are You Magical?” and mining real life experience on the sweetly whimsical B-side “My Son.” Of the lead track, Rick says: “This song was originally written and recorded for the first Ruby Free album. I’ve always loved the tune, but because the album was self-released, I felt it never reached the audience it deserved. That inspired me to revisit the song, re-recording it with new musical parts and updated lyrics. I also wanted to involve family members, especially my kids! The song is about meeting someone very special, but hoping the love is real, and not just some grand illusion!” 

If the B-side “My Son” brings not just a smile but also a hint of cinematic origins, that's down to Hromadka's other job in the movie industry. “While doing sound design on Dog Man for DreamWorks Animation, which went on to be the number-one box office film for two weeks in 2025, I noticed the story carried a strong father-and-son emotional thread. During one of the early animatic screenings, an older song I had written years ago suddenly came back to me. 

'My Son' was originally written shortly after my oldest son Dylan was born. I decided to revisit the song and record it with a cinematic, film-score-inspired feel, hoping it might eventually find its way into the film’s end credits. Unfortunately, the director was also a musician and already had several of his own songs featured in the movie, so there simply wasn’t room for another track. I played all the instruments on the recording and brought in my stepdaughter, Kylah Langevei a tremendously talented singer to add the background vocals.”

============================================================================

Frank Rabeyrolles - Bossa in My Heart.

Last February saw the release of "Slow" by Frank Rabeyrolles (Too Good 47). In three weeks' time, the album will be joined by its companion piece. Made up of eleven tracks drawn from the same writing session (with the exception of one song whose title hints at a later composition). 

"Slow 2" was entirely written, performed, produced, mixed and mastered by Frank at home, driven by an almost obsessive desire for freedom and independence, and created with whatever means were available.

"Slow 2" (Too Good 56) will be released on June 19 as a limited edition CD (presented in an 8-page A5 booklet featuring a variation on the artwork from the first volume - once again designed by Studio Trois Quatre) and digitally. 

============================================================================

Hanne Leland - Say It Once More.

Hanne Leland is a Norwegian indie pop artist and songwriter based in Oslo, known for her melodic, emotionally charged songwriting and a distinctive crystal-clear voice. She has amassed over 26 million streams across all platforms (17M+ on Spotify alone) and has toured the UK extensively, supporting All Saints across 10 sold-out shows and Gavin James at O2 Academy venues in Brixton, Sheffield, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Her new single "Say It Once More" is an 80's-inspired summer pop anthem, female-led, storytelling-driven and production-forward, sitting in the emotional cinematic pop space. It was picked up by Amazing Radio the UK station credited with the early discovery of Dua Lipa, The 1975 and Wet Leg — with 29 UK and USA airplays across their Pop and Easy Listening streams, plus a feature on their flagship "Audition" show with DJ Charlie Ashcroft.

In the studio Hanne has collaborated with Jim Eliot (Ellie Goulding), Red Triangle (Little Mix, Charlie Puth), Hight (Charli XCX, Ava Max) and Brian West (Nelly Furtado). Her track "Stay" went viral on YouTube with over 4 million views, and her 2024 single earned a five-star review from Norway's leading newspaper Aftenposten. 

============================================================================

Bandits on the Run - Lo-fi Jones - Breakfield - Mirqa - Brooke Annibale - Christa Wells

Photo - Hunter Brown and Lucy Werner

Bandits on the Run - Rough Magic (Album).

Between their innovative arrangements, instrument swapping, scope of emotions and experiences conveyed in their songwriting, and an eclectic group of old friends and collaborators, NYC-based trio Bandits on the Run are truly living up to what they call their “ethos of artmaking” on their new album, 'Rough Magic' just released 12 June 2026.

“With a reverence for imperfection, grit, commitment, an acceptance that chaos is inevitable, and a deep gratitude for the friendships that are truly the foundation for everything — ‘Rough Magic,’ like love, is both a noun and a verb. It’s the goal and the method. It’s the god we’re evoking and welcoming into the room with each song we write and each show we play. At our core, we’re NYC buskers. We’re throwing our jackets on the ground and playing troubadour style — timeless and evergreen. We know the alchemy at play when you dare to believe that an empty section of a subway platform full of strangers can turn into a concert hall with new friends. None of this is perfect, or requires permission, it only asks that you dare your heart to be seen — even with all the rough edges. Because it’s rough, it’s magic,” the band says.

With rotating lead vocals and varied instrumentation, the trio of Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn evoke the 60s and 70s spirit of bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and the Papas, and The Velvet Underground while also carrying the sonic inventiveness of the modern folk power pop acts like First Aid Kit, Bonnie Light Horsemen, and Lucius. They swim in the same lyrical waves as  I’m With Her, Folk Bitch Trio, The Staves, and other trios featuring impeccable harmonies and elevated songwriting so good they make the balancing act seem simple.  

============================================================================

Photo - Mark McNulty

Lo-fi Jones - Coming Sŵn (Album)

Lo-fi Jones, a folk-indie four-piece from the heart of mid-Wales, recently announced the release of their debut album, Coming Sŵn, available now on all major platforms (12 June 2026). Recorded primarily at Our Lady Studio in Borth with producer and engineer Mike West, the album is an eclectic, defiantly original debut — rooted in Welsh folk and indie, but defying easy categorization. Additional tracks were recorded and produced in Oxford by Nikò O’Brien and Hannah Jacobs of pecq, in Cardiff by Mei Gwynedd, and in frontman Siôn Rickard’s bedroom. Adam Walton of BBC Radio Wales once described the band’s work as being like ‘an excellent home brew’ — ‘take one sip and it might take you somewhere you weren’t expecting.’ Words that certainly ring true for this record.

The album opens with a rhythmic, syncopated thrum of nylon strings as fiddle and harmonica glide the listener into an upbeat rendition of the Welsh traditional ‘Diofal yw’r Aderyn’. From there, the band veer off the beaten track, moving between genres and moods — playful, lyrical, reflective, and subversive. Original songs tackle topics ranging from broken toasters to refugees, climate change, and the language, landscapes and communities of Wales. Lo-fi Jones weave seamlessly between Welsh and English, with a smattering of Spanish and French.

“Some of these songs were written when we were still teenagers; others are much newer. We’re chaotic, obsessive, and it’s probably a miracle we finished the record at all — but we’re excited about what comes next.” — Siôn Rickard, Lo-fi Jones.

“With the music we make, we want to take the Welsh heritage — the folk, the stories, the storytelling of the people and Cymru — and bring it to life through the visions of people from different backgrounds; like myself, from Nicaragua, for example. Channeling the contemporary stories we all carry, through the language of the land.” — Rolando Bertrand Ruiz, Lo-fi Jones.

============================================================================

Photo - David McClister

Breakfield - Breakfield (Album).

Nashville-raised band Breakfield released their self-titled album this weekend via Rounder Records. Produced by The 400 Unit’s Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell, Beck, Morgan Wade), Breakfield reincarnates the band formerly named Boy Named Banjo as a four-piece that’s fully in tune with their most adventurous instincts.

Breakfield has already garnered support from Ones to Watch, MusicRow, Holler, All Country News and Americana Highways, who praised the album’s “sharper-edged storytelling” as the band delves into the complexities of relationships. Early singles include the rowdy “Straight for Heartbreak,” the optimistic “Pull Some Strings,” the bittersweet “Darker Out Tonight,” the tender "Ever-Loving Mind" and the anthemic “Canyon Walls.” Reimagining never-released material through the lens of their less-is-more approach, the album harnesses the spirited vitality they’ve shown at major festivals like Bonnaroo and historic venues like the Grand Ole Opry, while capturing the joyful abandon of their earliest days 15 years ago.

Formed in their teens, Breakfield includes Barton Davies (vocals/banjo), William Reames (guitar/vocals/harmonica), Ford Garrard (bass) and Sam McCullough (drums). The self-titled album follows their 2023 LP Dusk, which earned acclaim from American Songwriter, BrooklynVegan, Holler and Garden & Gun, who said "their sound has evolved and deepened, no longer penned in by just one genre."

============================================================================

Mirqa - Interesting Times.

Artists such as Patti Smith, A.A. Williams and Slowdive come to mind within the first few bars of “Interesting Times.” The atmospheric density, urgency, and sonic expansiveness associated with these artists resonate throughout the new single by Bern-based musician Mirqa. With “Interesting Times,” she delivers an impressive solo debut.

Yet Mirqa is far from a newcomer to the Swiss music scene. As a drummer, singer, songwriter, and now also a producer, she moves confidently between different musical worlds. Alongside her solo work at Studio MMI and on her own label, Greymouse, she plays drums in two bands: the singer-songwriter trio “The Schrad’Elles,” of which she has been a member for more than 35 years—with interruptions—and, since 2024, the indie alternative rock formation “Curvy Curls.”

After spending an extended period abroad, Mirqa returns with a whole series of new songs. Her music comes straight from the heart—sometimes in Bernese German, sometimes in English—depending on which side of her artistic expression is calling to be heard. For her productions, Mirqa records most of the instruments herself, only occasionally receiving support from guest musicians. This independent and highly personal approach also defines “Interesting Times.”

============================================================================

Photo - Sasha Pedro

Brooke Annibale - Make You Mine.

Indie singer/songwriter Brooke Annibale has announced her new album Bolder Font will release on September 17th. Her first collection of brand new music in four years, Bolder Font finds the Rhode Island-based, Pittsburgh-native at the precipice of a creative rejuvenation as she rediscovers her self-worth after a series of disheartening and unexpected setbacks. Bolder Font also marks the first time she dove into full creative control of an entire album, including writing, recording, producing, editing, and mixing entirely on her own.

This weekend Annibale shared “Make You Mine,” her electrifying new single that burns with the thrill of chasing something you simply can’t walk away from: the pursuit of love, a creative passion, a road not taken. It captures that irresistible pull of going after what you want one more time, making the scenic route feel like the only route worth taking.

“I wrote this song after writing a few quite lyrically heavy ones, feeling like I just wanted to write something fun,” stated Annibale. “I pulled up a drum loop, set up my mic, and just started playing to see what would come out. The writing of ‘Make You Mine’ fell out in about a day. I love those kinds of songs, because they just feel natural, unforced. Tommy Ng, who played bass on this, really created this danceable element with the driving bass line in the choruses. I hear it in my head even when I’m playing it solo. Sure this could be taken as a simple love song, and it has some of that inspiration in there. But it also is about the pursuit of dreams, and chasing something more.”

============================================================================

Christa Wells - I’m Okay.

Christa Wells new single “I’m Okay,” is a gentle piano-led meditation on presence, acceptance, and finding safety in the moment you're in. Built around delicate piano, warm vocals, and a simple yet powerful refrain, the song creates space to slow down. There’s no rush, no destination, no pressure to be anything other than exactly who you are right now.

It feels like sunlight through a window. Like exhaling after carrying too much for too long. Like remembering that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply stay present.

At its heart, “I’m Okay” offers a reminder many of us need to hear: “In this moment - In this body - I'm okay” With each repetition, the song becomes less of a statement and more of an anchor. A grounding presence. A quiet reassurance that even amid uncertainty, there is safety in the here and now. This isn't a song about fixing yourself. It's about recognising that, for this moment, you are enough exactly as you are.


============================================================================

Susannah Sail - AVES feat. Olivera - The Stanford Family Band - Dennis Ellsworth - Argonaut

Photo - Maisie Mary Marshall

Susannah Sail - Are You Alright? (Album).

We had the pleasure of first featuring Susannah Sail back in March and were really impressed by the broad range of musical genres they were influenced by and the resulting creativity and originality they deliver (something we are always on the look out for). This weekend the band have released 'Are You Alright?' featuring six very different songs, each one taking the listener on a musical journey that from our point of view does not disappoint, Susannah Sail are definitely worth checking out.

The background: Susannah Sail is a four-piece band from Cornwall, blending soul, jazz, and alternative indie with the intimacy and spontaneity of a live jazz ensemble. Drawing inspiration from past relationships, their music captures raw human emotion while offering hopeful glimpses of the future. Close friends both on and off stage, they craft songs that are heartfelt, dynamic, and deeply resonant.
 
Susannah Sail’s debut album, Are You Alright?, was recorded at the calf house, Morvah, West Cornwall by Louis King, and brought to life in Chile by Fresco Fresco. The band travelled to Santiago de Chile to take part in the production, where they also recorded two new tracks for a future release. 

Upcoming Live Dates:
London 16th June @ Below Stone Nest
Bristol 18th June @ The Old England
Falmouth 19th June @ The Cornish Bank
Penzance 28th June @ Golowan Festival.

============================================================================

AVES feat. Olivera - Nobody Here Knows

Nobody Here Knows is a Finnish summer pop contender with an unusually strong international team behind it.

The song is melodic, radio-ready electronic pop built around a big chorus, a clean emotional arc and modern production. It tells a story about identity, secrets and the liberating feeling of starting again somewhere no one knows your past. Olivera brings both softness and strength to the vocal, while AVES frame the song with a cinematic pop sensibility that feels built for a wider world.

The team behind the track includes Lenno, whose productions have gathered more than 150 million Spotify streams, Olivera, who has worked with Tiësto, and Alpo Nummelin, whose credits include SANNI, Ruusut, Chisu, Vesala, JVG, Pyhimys and Anssi Kela.

============================================================================

Photo - Milo Costelloe

The Stanford Family Band - Feeding The Beast.

Brighton (England) C86-inspired, retro sunshine pop quartet The Stanford Family Band release ‘Feeding The Beast’ from the upcoming sophomore EP Go Again (out July 17th via Krautpop Records). A vibrant, pleasingly vintage,and musically inventive offering that captures the melodic charm of Beach Boys whilst leaning into the vintage aesthetic akin to the likes of Lemon Twigs and Drugdealer, ‘Feeding The Beast’ showcases the instantly recognisable sound that shapes the upcoming LP release. 

Layers of bright guitars, tight drums, and buoyant melodies create a melancholic, whimsical radiance. Delivered through vintage, warm, and reassuringly analogue production, the track feels like a long-lost gem discovered on an old cassette. Speaking about the track, Laurence from the band explains: “Feeding the beast was a really fun one to write and record, I wrote it last summer and then we cut it live really soon afterwards which is a rare thing for us, we added a wall of guitars and tambourines after. I was listening to a lot of XTC and power pop stuff at the time and really wanted to capture that classic Rickenbacker jangle as so many of our favourite records have done in the past.”

The Stanford Family Band extends the musical lineage of lost pop music, threading together the bittersweet glow of 60s airwaves and open-field festivals, with the glammed up intimacy of 70s singer-songwriters. Music that aches and shimmers in equal measure, carrying a sense of longing that feels both timeless and vividly alive.

============================================================================

Dennis Ellsworth - Every Second, Every Day.

Canadian songwriter Dennis Ellsworth is excited to announce his new album ‘Living’ due for release on September 4th on Tonic Records. Dennis heads to the UK in September for a UK tour, which includes dates in London, Cambridge, and Sheffield. The first single from the album, the laid-back, soulful ‘Every Second, Every Day’, was released yesterday Friday, 12th June and is a perfect introduction to the new album. 

Musically, Every Second, Every Day came from a heavy blended period of Dennis listening to ’60s soul music and exploring the wild sounds of George Clinton. Lyrically, he explains, “It’s a declaration of love to my family and feeling saved by their love. Incidentally, since the day I wrote it, it’s been my daughter’s favourite song of mine.”

Prince Edward Island native Dennis Ellsworth's songwriting career started in high school, filling notebooks with lyrics and poems. He grew up on the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Ray Charles, Kris Kristofferson, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. His tastes evolved in grade 6, and he began collecting cassettes. His personal music collection is stylistically expansive. Some might call his love for music an addiction, but whatever.

Dennis’ expansive career as a songwriter, performer, sideman, and record producer includes 10 solo albums including 2014 album release ‘Hazy Sunshine’, which received support from BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris; 2015’s Romantic As It Gets; Modern Hope released in 2024 which was nominated for Solo Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards and most recently, Hardcore Freewheelin in 2025 produced by Canadian songwriter and producer, Jim Bryson. Dennis has also released 2 full-length albums with his previous group, Haunted Hearts, and an album as a duo with Kinley Dowling.

============================================================================

Argonaut - Interrupted (Album).
Argonaut have released their new album 'Interrupted' on Criminal Records. No stranger to the wider landscape and having gained the support of BBC 6 Music, NME, Radio X, London experimental indie band Argonaut are back with a brand new album 'Interrupted'. The record follows on from their self-titled debut and sophomore album TRY, however instead of leaning towards a commercial crescendo the album heads deep into the void, featuring ten songs from the past year's abyss, documenting "breakdown, burnout, dementia, depression, memory, hope and healing".

Making music for fans of Sonic Youth, Pavement, Velvet Underground, Dodgy, The Stranglers, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Huggy Bear, Japan, Le Tigre, Garbage, Hole and The Pixies, their sound is completed by the super sweet vocals of Lorna Lyons.  The new record sees eighties synth influences creep in alongside syncopated bass, fuzzed up guitars and heartfelt harmonies.

Lead-off single 'Sugarfree' however, was somewhat of a wildcard on the album as Nathan Lyons explains: “I was staying at a friend's house and couldn't get to sleep. It was then I realised that this is what happens when you give up sugar... I recorded the vocals as a guide track not intending to keep them, but they worked and stayed, with Lorna and Deb adding back the sweetness.”

============================================================================

Alex Dupree - Yea-Ming and The Rumours - Forget Them Wendy - Maddie Zahm - CattSue - Jenny Gillespie Mason

Photo - Bill McCullough

Alex Dupree - New Meaning.

Alex Dupree has announced his new album 'Talking to the Dog which is due for release on August 14, and this week shares "New Meaning" from the album. Quote from Alex: "Songs don’t often reach me fully formed, but this one did. I sensed the whole shape of it right away: bright and brassy and Big Star-ish. It had the tumbling feeling of coins spilling out of a slot machine. Then I just needed language with the energy to match. The song is essentially working its way up to a “come all ye” type folk lyric: “people gather round, I got new meaning…”

Hank Williams once said that writing a song is just talking to the dog. That little piece of absurdist wisdom has become a title and guiding principle for Alex Dupree’s latest LP. What does it mean? Hank was likely just promoting his then-hit single “Move It On Over” to a radio interviewer. But Alex’s answers veer quickly into the mystical and visionary. He is a poet of rare composure and grace, and maybe for the first time in his 20+ year career, he’s found the band, the chords, and the arrangements to inject an almost inconceivable richness of color into his musical ideas. 

The result is a legitimate mid-career masterpiece that announces Alex as a talent capable of equaling the brilliance of Cass McCombs, Bill Callahan, Neko Case, Ryan Davis, Joanna Newsom, Will Oldham, and other leaders of modern song.

============================================================================

Photo - Corey Poluk

Yea-Ming and The Rumours - Residue (Album).

Bay Area indie pop band Yea-Ming and The Rumours return with their fourth studio album, Residue. With Yea-Ming’s signature heart-tugging lyrics and Nico-esq voice, she continues to explore the rawness of human experience and emotions. While 2024’s I Can’t Have It All signified a time of change and transition for Yea-Ming, Residue embraces the reset and the examination of reality after a storm, grappling with the overbearing nature of memory (remembering and forgetting) while submitting to the coarseness of love, intimacy and regret.

With the help of long-time collaborator Eóin Galvin (Hoxton Mob, Readyville) on lead guitar and lap steel, Ryli colleagues Rob Good (The Goods, Ryli) on bass and Luke Robbins (Ryli, R.E. Seraphin) on drums, Yea-Ming takes us on a journey of regrowth, with songs like Paper Doll where she admits inauthenticity in a world where one has been taught to please everyone around them to survive. In Treasury of Loved Ones, Yea-Ming explores the permanence of memory, or what appears to be permanent even as time moves on and erases moments out of our lives. 

It’s a sweet and sad ode to remembering our loved ones, especially those we have lost to in time and in death. In Fine Afternoon, we are confronted with the reality of a tainted rebirth as Yea-Ming sings “in this life renewed, you’re my residue” (here we find our album title) and we remember that resets are never clean. The Rumours explore a little bit musically this time as well, which you hear in uncharacteristic danceable numbers like in the catchy but vulnerable and sensuous St. Etienne-like single Sweet Opiate. 

While Good served as the band’s skilled recording engineer, Yea-Ming mixed the album at home; her vision realized through exploring texture, rhythm and sound, making Residue a Yea-Ming production through and through. 

============================================================================

Forget Them Wendy - Wise Guy.

Forget Them Wendy are an indie pop/grunge duo made up of Newcastle-based songwriter Laura James, and Edinburgh-born producer and guitarist Oliver Price, now living in London. The band take their name from a line in J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan: “Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you'll never, never have to worry about grown up things again.” Shaped by their shared love of 90s records from bands including The Cranberries, Smashing Pumpkins and The Breeders, the pair combine indie pop melodies with grunge influences and playful, self-aware songwriting.

Their latest single, “Wise Guy”, captures the duo’s humour, honesty and reflective songwriting style. Written on Olly’s birthday last year and released on it this year, the track playfully explores the idea of growing older without necessarily becoming wiser. “‘It’s your birthday, look at you, so grown up it isn’t true…’” Laura sings, before the chorus turns more introspective: “‘Then you act like a wise guy, cos you don’t feel smart, why do you act like a wise guy?’” The song acts as a self-deprecating tease while touching on insecurity, identity and the pressure to appear more certain of yourself than you really feel.

Sonically, “Wise Guy” starts subtle, understated and intimate before changing gear unexpectedly into a soaring finale. Laura’s delicate, soft vocals sit alongside melodic guitars and a slow-paced beat, giving the track a calm, relaxed atmosphere. Its muted instrumentation and playful lyrics keep things feeling warm and low-key, while still carrying the reflective themes running through the song, before erupting into a powerful crescendo that brings the track to an uplifting close.

============================================================================

Maddie Zahm - Everything All The Time.

Alt-pop singer/songwriter Maddie Zahm announces her stunning sophomore studio album, Everything All The Time, arriving September 25, 2026, via MNRK Nashville. Rather than treating growth as a final destination, Everything All The Time embraces it as an ongoing process, one rooted in curiosity, compassion, and the continual journey of coming home to yourself. 

Across the album’s 12 tracks, Zahm channels a warm, kaleidoscopic sense of wonder, crafting a record that is candid, funny, heartbreaking, and deeply human. She recalls growing up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – the show became a north star for Zahm, opening her mind and allowing her to simply be without self-judgment. She looks back on the freedom of this childhood awe, reminding herself to embrace the strange, beautiful flood of becoming yourself on your own terms.

Now, Maddie shares the title track and lead single, “Everything All The Time.” Through her transcendent vocals, she reminds us that tapping into the full breadth of the universe isn’t always easy. The track opens with delicate piano keys before cracking wide open to make room for sweeping acoustic guitar and thunderous toms, her voice rising to the moment, a totemic beam lighting through the clouds. 

============================================================================

CattSue - A Whisper on the Wind.

We have the deeply moving new release from country singer-songwriter CattSue. Her new single, “A Whisper on the Wind,” arrives today June 12th and it’s already connecting strongly with radio listeners through its honest storytelling and emotional sincerity.

Inspired by the loss of her mother at just four-and-a-half years old, the song reflects on grief, memory, healing, and the quiet ways love continues long after someone is gone. Blending country, pop, and contemporary singer-songwriter influences, CattSue delivers an intimate performance that feels both personal and universally relatable.

Following the success of her debut single “Come Home to Me,” which earned UK iTunes chart recognition and Independent Music Network charting, CattSue continues to establish herself as an artist whose music resonates through authenticity rather than spectacle. “A Whisper on the Wind” is more than a song—it’s a tribute to family, resilience, and the invisible threads that keep us connected to the people we love most.

============================================================================

Jenny Gillespie Mason - Rungs of Love.

“Rungs of Love” is an intimate folk song from my upcoming album In the Safety of the Light, produced by Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart). I wrote the song on a 1976 Martin guitar after a period away from songwriting, inspired by the spiritual folk lineage of Bert Jansch and Vashti Bunyan. The song explores the idea that ordinary human love can be a ladder toward higher consciousness. Sonically it’s warm, spacious acoustic folk with subtle psychedelic textures and a devotional tone.

After more than a decade exploring psychedelic pop, jazz, and electronic textures through her project Sis—most recently as Sis and the Lower Wisdom—Jenny Gillespie Mason returns to the folk music she first began writing and recording as a teenager. Her new album, In the Safety of the Light (out 6/12/26 on Native Cat Recordings), was produced by Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart) and recorded in spring and fall 2026 at a private studio in Los Angeles.

Sonically, In the Safety of the Light draws on the pastoral glow of 1970s British folk, with echoes of Catherine Howe and Fairport Convention, while sailing at times into  atmospheric sounds inspired by the ambient music of Hiroshi Yoshimura and the more cosmic folk ballads of Beck. Most of the songs were recorded live as an ensemble, allowing the arrangements to breathe and shimmer around performances by Mason on acoustic guitar, Wurlitzer, and vocals, with Josh Miner Adams on percussion, Todd Dahlhoff on bass, Benny Bock on synthesizers, Gabe Noel on cello, and Alex Budman on woodwinds.

============================================================================