Babe Rainbow - Cassady Southern - Pilote - Run Remedy - Chris Pierce - Lottie McLeod

Photo by Jordan Malane

Babe Rainbow - Polymuscalsaccharide.

Australia’s psych rainbow rockers Babe Rainbow return with the lead single from their seventh studio album, “Polymuscalsaccharide”. Much like the track’s name entails, the sugary sweet new tune blends together retro synths and hazy guitars with the band’s beachy vocals, creating a perfect soundtrack for early summer nights.

Taken from Babe Rainbow’s forthcoming seventh studio album Acid And Honey, “Polymuscalsaccharide” began its production as an acoustic recording on an Amsterdam houseboat. With mastering and production completed by Kyle Mullarky at his Malibu ranch, the track leans heavily into a country-pop beat that is garnished with notes of funk, hip-hop, and stoner rock.

Known for their boogie psychedelia and throwback surf cult imagery, Babe Rainbow are an Australian stoner pop band. The group was formed in 2015 by Jack Crowther (aka Cool Breez), Angus Dowling, and Elliot O'Reilly, who lurked at the kiosks around Rainbow Bay. The three of them worked for John Cutts, a local grower near Tropical Fruit World in Duranbah, NSW. The guys at John's farm were churning out kale long before it became trendy.  

While Babe Rainbow's musical style was originally rooted in 60's psych and 70's French surf-pop, it has evolved throughout its career to incorporate woodland bop and folk disco, dub, dance, and international grooves while maintaining an Aquarian quality through Dowling's musical spacemen singing style and Cool Breez's chiming guitar sounds. Beehive Candy would also like to point out 'Babe Rainbow' is a beautiful song by Melanie Safka...

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Cassady Southern - Need someone.

Ok lets go with the detail for this gorgeous new song on Beehive Candy - ‘Need someone’ was written by Cassady Southern with contributions by Tom Goodridge, Frank Doerges, Rob Drummond, John Montgomery, JD Douglas and Dai Nettle. It was recorded at Studios 301 Sydney with Jack Garzonio and Brad Hasiuk at the helm, mixed by Luke Payne (Luke Payne Sound) and mastered by Darren Ziesing (Millennium Mastering). It features Tom Goodridge on lead guitar, Rob Drummond on rhythm guitar, John Montgomery on bass, JD Douglas on drums, Dai Nettle on keys and Amelia du Randt (Diva Amelia) on backing vocals.

Cassady Southern is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a rich catalogue of music that spans multiple genres: Blending the raw edge of rock, the heart of country, the soul of blues, and the energy of pop into one authentic sound.

Cassady grew up in a musical household, where band rehearsals were a regular feature and music was encouraged. She learned piano and saxophone and later guitar. Cassady began writing and releasing songs and has since developed a body of music which is characterised by its authenticity, heartfelt storytelling and broad appeal.

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Pilote - Sous les Oliviers.

We are delighted to feature Pilote "the solo project of Christelle Armenio, a genre-defying artist whose pop music infused with new wave influences blends poetry with melancholy." The title track is a gorgeous introduction for Beehive Candy (we are partial to some French language music that resonates with us) so anyway here is the background. Through airy and introspective production, Pilote draws listeners into a sensory universe where every note feels suspended in time. On stage, she embodies her compositions with a “wild softness,” carried by a delicately sensual and vibrant voice.

Her intimate musical world invites escape, like a waking dream. Behind this stage name stands a sincere creator with a minimalist aesthetic, refusing compromise. Christelle draws inspiration from British pop culture and iconic French singer-songwriters. Her music is an ode to life, love, and the complexity of human emotions. To place her within an artistic constellation, one might evoke the musicality of Air, the dreamlike atmosphere of Kate Bush, and the lyrical richness of Serge Gainsbourg — all carried by refined electronic production.

An artist with a singular profile, Christelle stands out through her background as an engineer, her love of literature, her traveler’s soul, and her constant search for meaning. Her art reflects this duality: profound fragility in her lyrics balanced by the power of her orchestrations. She is currently preparing a new album scheduled for release in July 2026, titled Sous les Oliviers. 

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Run Remedy - Big Nothing.

Run Remedy returns with Not at the Table out September 11th, a strikingly intimate and conceptually ambitious EP that blurs the line between indie pop, lo-fi experimentation and alternative storytelling. Written in solitude and brought to life in a shipping container studio in Manchester, the project captures something raw and immediate: a body of work built on instinct, trust, and an unfiltered emotional core.

The EP moves through a sequence of physical and emotional spaces, unfolding like a 24-hour cycle. Each track occupies its own sonic landscape, shifting from hushed, acoustic vulnerability to cinematic swells and fractured, experimental textures, all tied together by Run Remedy’s precise, confessional lyricism.

Sonically, Not at the Table pushes further into genre-bending territory than ever before. Drawing on influences ranging from Elliott Smith and The Smiths to Mitski, Adrianne Lenker and St. Vincent, the EP balances delicate folk intimacy with art-pop edge, post-rock builds and moments of off-kilter humour. There’s a constant interplay between sincerity and theatricality - a refusal to settle into one tone for too long.

“The title came first: a house, a dinner table, and the idea of everything that can’t be said in that shared space. The artwork, painted by artist Lili Holland-Fricke, shows that house, with different tensions playing out in each room. Each section zooms in on a different part of what’s happening inside, almost like moving through the house and getting closer to the different conversations (or non-conversations) happening in it.” 

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Chris Pierce - This Sunlit Morning.

Chris Pierce announces his new album Songs for the Heavy Hearted, due out August 21. Produced by frequent collaborators David Resnik and Niko Bolas (Neil Young, The Mavericks), Songs for the Heavy Hearted captures moments in the lives of everyday people as they struggle with crisis and encapsulates everything that has been so emotionally resonant about Pierce’s music for more than two decades. Along with the news, he shares his new single “This Sunlit Morning,” a tender testament to resilience.

“‘This Sunlit Morning’ came from holding the weight of the times we're living in,” shares Pierce. “Every day, we're staring into some new kind of chaos, division, or corruption, and if we're not careful, it can start to pull us away from what is right in front of us. This song is about remembering to pause and reflect on what we’ve been blessed with. The simple things that can keep us rooted when the world starts feeling unsteady. We still have to get out there and fight for a better world. We still have to speak up for people whose voices are ignored or silenced. Sometimes, we need to pause just long enough to remember what we're fighting for in the first place.”

At its core, Songs for the Heavy Hearted is a diary of — and love letter to — freedom fighters everywhere; its constant refrain is that love, joy, hope and softness are not things we need to sacrifice to fight the good fight. Featuring stellar performances from Allison Russell, Steve Earle, Grey DeLisle and Garrison Starr, the new album embodies the belief that “we shall overcome,” and this sentiment has never sounded more uplifting and within reach.

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Photo by Carrie McLeod

Lottie McLeod - Sunburnt.

Magan-djin/Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Lottie McLeod has just announced her forthcoming The Boat House EP - an intimate coming-of-age "for people who love to feel deeply" drawing from indie, alt-pop, folk and beyond, signalling a young artist coming out of her shell, stepping into the confidence to follow her own path and express herself openly, making McLeod's much-praised ability to make the personal feel universal stronger than ever. 

Alongside the announcement, Lottie McLeod shares searing new single 'Sunburnt' about a fleeting relationship, featuring tongue-in-cheek peppiness paired with some of her "most disgusting - and/or devastating - lyrics yet". The Boat House EP - which will include 'Important To You' and 'Sunburnt' - is out Friday 25 September.

Lottie McLeod says, "'Sunburnt' is about a person I was seeing for not even a month; I felt such a strong connection with this person but I also hardly knew him. I had just gotten back from a beach day with my mum, a little sunburnt - I'm a sucker for metaphor. I liked this guy. A LOT. Talking everyday, dates, future planning, dinner with the parents. Our last date was the closest I had ever felt to him - I spent the night and the next morning he asked to go to breakfast that weekend, where he ended things. 

I was so disappointed and confused, I really wanted to know him on a deeper level, see his ugly side, have some sort of future with him. He never gave me a chance to show him how beautiful it could’ve been, but I knew it was something I just had to let go because there was nothing to hold on to. There was this self reflection at the time, asking myself “why would I try to win back a stranger…  That would be silly!” - I wrote this song instead."

Lottie McLeod · Sunburnt

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Lynn Hollyfield - Big Little Lions - Penny Lane Pickets - Michael Kelly - Mama's Broke - Strange Plants - 64 Funnycars

Lynn Hollyfield - Blindspot.

We have the new folk single and music video “Blindspot” from award-winning singer-songwriter Lynn Hollyfield. The poignant song, “Blindspot” was written after losing a family member and a friend to the fentanyl crisis. She shares, “Afterwards, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had been truly open and caring when I was with them. Was there anything I could have done to help them? I’ll never know and it’s one of those hard life lessons - too little too late." The single was produced by Grammy-nominated Seth Glier. 

Blend a beautiful alto voice, crisp acoustic guitar, and a heartfelt perspective on the world, and you have Lynn Hollyfield. Known for her warm stage presence and emotionally rich songs, she connects effortlessly with audiences. Writing in a contemporary folk style, Lynn weaves in jazz-influenced chords and bluesy guitar alongside passionate vocals, think Mary Chapin Carpenter meets Bonnie Raitt with a touch of George Gershwin. The result is her own distinctive voice, witty, soulful, and reflective.

Lynn has been writing songs since her teenage years, growing up on Staten Island, NY, surrounded by a wide range of musical influences, from jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to artists like The Beatles and Neil Young. She began performing locally at a young age and later gained recognition as part of the duo Hollyfield & Spruill, appearing at festivals such as the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

After launching her solo career, Lynn released several acclaimed albums, including LAYERS (2010), IN THE BALANCE (2014), and LOOK UP (2024), earning national and international airplay along with multiple songwriting awards including being listed in the Top Artists/ Top Albums for the International Folk Alliance. During the pandemic, she also published a children’s book, The Tree, The Ship and Me, with its accompanying song recognized as a finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest.

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Big Little Lions - They Say It Builds Character.

As multi award winning cross border duo, Big Little Lions are going to be releasing monthly singles this year Beehive Candy who are genuine fans of their sumptuous music will just rinse and repeat their background again this month. Big Little Lions are a duo who were born out of a collaboration that won them a JUNO Award in 2014. Since then they have been cranking out infectious folk pop songs that are jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies that sound like the product of two people working side-by-side instead of living in different countries. 

They have released 7 albums to date, which have garnered them awards and nominations including the CFMA Ensemble of the Year, Independent Music Awards Americana Sing of the Year and John Lennon Songwriting Competition Song of the Year. Their critically acclaimed music has appeared on the CBC’s Top 20 and featured on shows like q and Vinyl Cafe. The duo consists of Paul Otten and Helen Austin, both hugely prolific songwriters - their music has been placed in hundreds of movie trailers, ads, network TV shows.

Their live show is quite the spectacle with Paul playing drums, bass and keyboard all while singing lead vocals. Helen, who is no slacker either, sings, plays guitar and foot percussion. They use every limb, and then some, to make two people sound like a full band.

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Penny Lane Pickets - Penny Lane Pickets / The Dawning (feat. The Rocksteady Crackers).

What if The Beatles grew up in the 90s California punk scene? Meet the Penny Lane Pickets. Straight out of Santa Cruz, the Penny Lane Pickets are here to bridge the gap between a 184 BPM moshpit and a 60s pop melody. Led by the grit of Jax Miller and the driving, distorted walking bass of Sky Bennett, this four-piece is fulfilling their lifelong dream: crashing the legendary Epitaph/Hellcat Records sound head-first into the timeless songwriting of Lennon & McCartney.

Produced and mixed by Sam Dekker, their sound is a high-energy explosion. It’s got the frantic, distorted soul of Rancid and The Suicide Machines, the brass-heavy punch of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, melodic hooks of Goldfinger and the soaring infectious energy of The Interrupters.

But look closer, and you’ll hear the "secret sauce": psych-rock textures and 60s pop-inspired choruses that refuse to leave your head. With a powerhouse brass section (featuring the Rocksteady Crackers) providing the fire, the Pickets deliver a sound that is as much about the "Penny Lane" harmonies as it is about the "Ruby Soho" attitude. This debut single serves as a high-octane prelude to their upcoming full-length album, Copper & Chrome, set to drop on December 18th.

Penny Lane Pickets · Penny Lane Pickets

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Michael Kelly - Anyway (Album).

Michael Kelly is a singer, songwriter, picker and performer. His new album, Anyway, encompasses a wide range of musical influences expressed from a well-honed folk, blues and bluegrass sensibility. He worked the D.C. club circuit early in his career and at one point, took a job at a celebrated Georgetown music venue where he would take money at the door, run inside to re-stock the bar, change clothes to perform a short opening set, then re-stock the bar and head back out to the door. 

He recalls, “Oddly enough, the change of clothes threw people off and only rarely did anyone recognize me as the opening act, although the bands and the regulars were always super supportive.” On-line lessons with Nashville icon Russ Barenberg helped develop a more melodic guitar approach and led to a deeper dive into bluegrass, which included workshops, festivals and wide-ranging cadre of mentors. 

Songs on Anyway include One Good Friend and Joseph, which placed first at the New Song Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and Chesapeake Waterman, which placed first at the Common Ground on the Hill Acoustic Roots 2024 songwriting competition. 

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Mama's Broke - The Nameless.

Mama’s Broke, the Nova Scotian duo of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria announce their new album, Reunion, out August 28 via Free Dirt Records and Forward Music Group and share the latest single, “The Nameless.” Building on their JUNO-nominated album Narrow Line (2022), which saw the pair invited to perform on the legendary NPR Tiny Desk, Reunion reflects a world coming apart in plain sight, tracing fractured communities, the erosion of shared ground, and the growing awareness that the systems we were taught to trust no longer hold or deliver the promises they were meant to keep. The songs don’t preach or prescribe; they reflect, holding up a mirror and leaving space for something else to take shape.

“The Nameless” are the women who are often reduced, in memory and history, to narrow, simplified roles,” explains the band, “their complexity stripped away in favour of labels they are expected to embody, whether flawlessly or tragically.” 

“The Nameless” presents four archetypes: the “scorned lover”, defined only by the man who left her rather than her own life; the “callous mother” judged by her perceived failures without regard for her struggles; the victim of domestic violence, absorbed into statistics while attention and sympathy lingers on the perpetrator; and the missing daughter, whose story evokes a place like the Highway of Tears, where many women, disproportionately Indigenous, have vanished. The headlines, demographic headings and acronyms will never convey the full story of a life, or the true weight of the violence that women face every day.

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Strange Plants - Time Killing.

Continuing upon this year’s previous releases, “Lay Your Mind” and “Ground Falls Away,” Strange Plants share “Time Killing,” a contemplative and expansive psych-rock single that blends atmospheric textures with a sense of quiet, underlying tension. Wistful and immersive, the track leans into themes of existential reflection and the slow passage of time, capturing the feeling of moving through life’s routines while something deeper simmers beneath the surface.

The song’s origin traces back to a period of heavy literary influence. “At the risk of sounding absurdly pretentious, I was reading a lot of Charles Bukowski at the time,” explains songwriter Matt Brannon. “So it created a sort of temporary supercharged nihilism.” That perspective shaped the song’s core idea; a meditation on time, purpose, and the subtle weight of existence.

Built around a rich, retro-psychedelic sound palette, “Time Killing” unfolds with layered instrumentation and tonal contrast. Trippy string arrangements intertwine with shimmering lap steel, creating a unique sonic blend that sets the track apart within the band’s catalogue. The result is a sound that feels both expansive and grounded; classic in influence yet exploratory in execution.

The recording process brought together a striking group of collaborators. Loel Campbell (Wintersleep, Billy Talent) contributed drums, while Christine Bougie (Bahamas) added lap steel and Drew Jurecka (Dua Lipa) arranged the song’s sweeping strings. The track was mixed by Chris Shaw and co-produced alongside JUNO Award-winning producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda, further elevating its textured, cinematic feel.

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64 Funnycars - Happy Go Lucky (Album)

After decades out of print, 64 Funnycars’ cult college rock debut Happy Go Lucky finally returned May 27 through 604 Records. Originally released at the tail end of Canada’s late 80s campus radio boom, the record captured a band that never aimed for cool detachment or punk orthodoxy, instead leaning hard into melody, momentum and the simple thrill of making people move. Nearly four decades later, Happy Go Lucky still sounds remarkably alive in its looseness and charm.

The band formed in 1987 through UVic campus radio circles, bonded by a shared love of groups like Young Fresh Fellows, Hoodoo Gurus, Buzzcocks and The Replacements, bands where hooks and personality mattered just as much as volume. While much of Victoria’s reputation at the time centered around heavier and more abrasive acts, 64 Funnycars carved out their own space, blending power pop, melodic punk and jangly college rock into something energetic, playful and unpretentious. Songs moved fast, choruses arrived early and the energy always felt slightly on the verge of tipping over.

That unpredictability became central to the band’s identity at Harpo’s, the legendary Victoria venue that helped define the Pacific Northwest underground touring circuit through the 80s and early 90s. Long before they became festival headliners, bands like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Blind Melon and No Doubt came through the room, and the Funnycars quickly became part of that same ecosystem. Their sets thrived on joyful chaos: no fixed setlists, rotating lead vocals and an anything-can-happen atmosphere that made even local shows feel electric. The band later joked that they were “the chess club on tour,” a line that captured both their self-awareness and total lack of rock-star pretension.


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Dan Miraldi - Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature - Cold Equations - The Good Water - Castlebeat

Dan Miraldi - Magic in the Air.

Prolific singer-songwriter Dan Miraldi returns with his new single “Magic in the Air,” out now via Wicked Cool Records. Featuring garage rock queen Palmyra Delran, the track blends Miraldi’s heartfelt storytelling with bright, infectious power-pop energy—delivering a reminder that even the most ordinary moments can feel extraordinary.

Inspired by life in New York City, “Magic in the Air” finds Miraldi reflecting on fleeting encounters and small, transformative moments. “I like to leave interpretation to the listener,” he says. “But to me, it’s about finding joy in everyday life. The world can get you down, but every now and then something mundane can feel miraculous and empowering.” The song came together with unusual ease. “Sometimes you really have to wrestle with songs,” Miraldi explains, “but ‘Magic in the Air’ felt pretty effortless.”

That spontaneity carries through to the recording process. With the exception of live drums and Delran’s vocal, the track was recorded in Miraldi’s bedroom using GarageBand—capturing a raw, immediate energy. The recording also features contributions from Michael Guggino (Brooklyn psych trio Freaky Wilderness) on lead guitar and Jay Nemeyer (DC electro-rock outfit Color Palette) on bass, both longtime collaborators in Miraldi’s orbit.

Delran’s presence on the track adds both chemistry and emotional weight. “When I was writing the song, I could hear Palmyra’s voice singing it,” says Miraldi. “Having her actually on the recording is extremely special. She’s so talented and has been a constant source of encouragement for me.”

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Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature - Night is Young (Album).

Hamilton, ON’s Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature unveil Night is Young, a sprawling and deeply personal garage rock album released alongside its optimistic title track. Rooted in blues rock grit and indie rock exploration, the record captures the disorienting, often contradictory experience of navigating change, distance, and identity while learning to embrace both the chaos and beauty of the journey.

Written across years of transition (from busking through Spain to living abroad in Scotland), Night is Young documents a period of movement and emotional upheaval. “This album is about being on a journey,” Duxbury explains. “A lot of it comes from that feeling of being in the passenger seat of your own life sometimes. It’s that weird space where everything is kind of moving whether you’re ready for it or not.”

The album unfolds as a loose narrative arc, moving from early excitement and possibility into isolation, uncertainty, and eventual grounding. Themes of loneliness, mental health, and disconnection run throughout, but so does a persistent drive toward exploration and self-discovery. Rather than resolving neatly, Night is Young leans into contradiction as a reflection of real life in motion.

At the centre of the release is its title track, a song that encapsulates the album’s emotional core. Originally written in 2018 following a formative trip to Spain, “Night is Young” began as an upbeat, carefree anthem before evolving into something more complex. Years later, while living abroad, Duxbury revisited the track after receiving a distressing call from home; a moment that reshaped the song’s meaning entirely.

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 Photo - Michael Gomez

Cold Equations - Tantalus.

Nashville-based indie shoegaze band Cold Equations releases its new single ‘Tantalus’ (Sweet Cheetah Records) last week. ‘Tantalus’ offers a guitar groove that faintly recalls Gentlemen-era Afghan Whigs, particularly if the Whigs had come with a southern drawl. As the track evolves into a more dense offering, hints of ’90s alt-radio stalwarts Radiohead, Toadies, and Howlin’ Maggie also emerge.

Lyrically, this is a story about the unreachable object of one’s desire. "'Tantalus' was inspired by the Greek myth," says Drew Kohl. "Tantalus was punished by standing forever in a shallow pool of water under a fruit tree. Whenever he got thirsty and reached down to cup some water, the water drained only to fill back again when he stood up. When he got hungry and reached for a piece of fruit on the tree, the tree branch rose just out of his reach and on and on. That's where the word 'tantalize' comes from. So, the song is about always being just out of reach of something you strongly desire.

"The song uses the G phrygian scale, and we layered guitars and rhodes electric piano on the instrumental sections," adds Kohl. "The solo uses the open G string as a drone, kind of like a expletive up version of 'thunderstruck' basically." True to their independent spirit, Cold Equations tracked the entire song in a single studio day at Nashville’s Smoakstack Studios (with Zack Zinck engineering and Sam Moses mastering), working efficiently within the constraints of an indie budget without compromising their artistic vision.

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The Good Water - Feel Your Mind (Album).

With its fuzz-fuelled guitar licks, woozy vintage organs, trippy multi-layered harmonies, and hypnotic rhythms, the rising Midlands outfit deliver a radiant psych pop wonder. Striking an alchemic blend of psychedelia, indie, and vintage pop, one single “Have You Seen Her Tonight?” at once recalls the dreamy, pastoral creations of Gorky’s Zytgotic Mynci to The Coral, The Beach Boys to the Zombies.

Catchy, colourful, and with a crunching Super Furries-esque crescendo to boot, this is joyous psych-pop to put a spring in your step. Their long-awaited debut album, ‘Feel Your Mind’, is out now. 

The Good Water are: Rob Clements (lead vocals/guitar), Tom Fisher (vocals/drums), and Stuart Webb (vocals/keyboards). Since forming in 2016, The Good Water have rapidly picked-up quite a following around their native Midlands with frequent Sold-Out headline shows in Birmingham, not to mention major support shows alongside psych-pop luminaries including Mercury Rev, Super Furry Animals, and Bill Ryder-Jones. 

Securing praise and plays from the likes of Radcliffe & Maconie and Steve Lamacq (BBC 6 Music), John Kennedy (Radio X), and regular support from Brum Radio; their string of singles to date including “Firmament”, “Love”, “Breadcrumbs” “Colours” and more have been met with rave reviews from tastemaker sites, with Live4Ever hailing the band’s “fascinating explorations of sound and rhythm, designed to excite and explore.”

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Castlebeat - Stay With Me.

Spirit Goth Records are pleased to share "Stay With Me," the new single from indie dream pop artist Castlebeat, out now and the latest preview of his forthcoming album Castlebeat II, arriving June 26th, 2026.

If the previous singles hinted at what Castlebeat II would feel like, "Stay With Me" makes it unmistakable. Built around bright, jangly Stratocaster lines and a loose, slacker-rock groove, it's an upbeat track that carries a quietly melancholic undercurrent — the sound of holding on while already sensing something slipping away. Josh Hwang's wistful, dreamy vocal carries the melody with an effortless intimacy that feels less performed than confided, and the hook arrives early and doesn't let go. It's the kind of song that fits easily into jangle pop and chill alt playlists, but lingers well past its runtime.

As Hwang puts it: "'Stay With Me' is an upbeat, home-recorded dream-pop single built around jangly Stratocaster lines and a laid-back slacker-rock feel. Lyrically it's about wanting someone to stick around when you can feel things starting to slip. Bright guitars, relaxed groove, and a hook that lands quickly."

"Stay With Me" is the third single from Castlebeat II, a record conceived as a ten-year anniversary reflection on Hwang's beloved 2016 self-titled debut. Josh Hwang — the half-Korean, half-Spanish songwriter and producer behind the project — approached the album as both a time capsule and a creative reset, deliberately returning to the sounds, instincts, and unfinished ideas of that era while bringing a decade of craft to bear on them.

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Divers - i know her - Danielle Nicole - Cassius Wolf & Das Abs - Gráinne Duffy

Divers - Shapeshifting (EP).

Following a taster with the release of ‘The Hunt’ Gothenburg alternative rock six-piece Divers released their new EP Shapeshifting last Friday via Little Low Recordings. The band's most expansive and fully-formed release to date, Shapeshifting is an EP about the person you become when life stops asking for your permission. Four tracks that move between weight and wonder, shadow and open air — each one circling the same essential question: who are you on the other side of change?

"I saw a film clip of myself yesterday, from when I was 30 years old," Lina explains. "I reacted to the fact that I was so young and unspoiled, not burdened by life. You think you've been through things at 30, but you have relatively no idea." It's that sense of growth, change and hard-won perspective — what Lina describes as echoing Bowie's belief that only when we get older do we become who we were meant to be when we were young — that runs through every track on the EP.

Recorded at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin — where David Bowie, Depeche Mode and Nick Cave all created landmark work — Shapeshifting finds Divers reaching a new dimension. Across four songs, the band deliver their most intricate and ambitious material yet, emerging from the sessions with the kind of creative resurgence long associated with the famous studio. With a wingspan that encompasses the band's entire palette from dark to sheer, it is their most fully realised release to date.

Little Low Recordings: Divers & Lina Horner · Shapeshifting EP

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i know her - At Least I Know How To Love (EP).

Helsinki-based artist i know her just released her debut EP, At Least I Know How To Love. An honest, unflinching account of what it means to love people, lose them, and refuse to close off because of it. Built across nearly three years in her own studio, in libraries and cafés, the EP moves through toxic relationships and real pain, before arriving — bruised but open — at something that feels like grace.

Sonically, At Least I Know How To Love lives in the space between the intimate and the cinematic. Acoustic warmth bleeds into electronic texture. Quiet moments crack open into something overwhelming. Even its imperfections were chosen — an out-of-tune ukulele sits deliberately buried in one track, kept because it felt more true than any polished alternative. As i know her puts it: "I see myself as a very kind person — you could call me a people pleaser — and that has shaped my experiences in relationships. Although I've faced situations where my kindness has been taken for granted, I haven't let that harden me."

That refusal to harden is what makes the EP's focus track, "You," so quietly devastating. It is a song for someone so extraordinary that every available frame of reference — every film, every poem, every book — falls short. Not a lament, not a longing, but something closer to awe: the specific, disorienting feeling of loving someone your own words cannot reach. "None of these movies could capture your beauty, not a poem nor a book could ever come close to describing you." "Let them call it whatever they want but it's an understatement to call this love."

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Photo - William McBell

Danielle Nicole - Tug Of War.

Danielle Nicole is excited to announce the release of her new album Fireflies, arriving August 28 via 40 Below Records. Alongside the announcement, Nicole is sharing the album’s powerful new single, “Tug Of War,” a soulful anthem about reclaiming strength in the face of imbalance and emotional exhaustion. “I wrote ‘Tug Of War’ for anyone finding themself no longer willing to accept the terms of a one way relationship,” says Danielle.

Long celebrated for her commanding voice, masterful bass playing, and emotionally fearless songwriting, Danielle Nicole traces the beginning of her musical journey back to a transformative moment in her teenage years: seeing Etta James perform live in Kansas City. "We had a great blues festival in Kansas City,” Nicole recalls, “and I was able to see Etta James perform. She was fearless. My parents were musicians who played in cover bands, so music was always part of my family — but I didn’t realize I wanted to sing and perform, too, until I heard Etta.”

That reverence for the great soul singers, storytellers, and trailblazers who came before her has fueled a career spanning nearly 25 years, including 10 Blues Music Awards, a Grammy nomination, and international acclaim as both a songwriter and performer. With Fireflies, Nicole delivers what may be her most personal and musically adventurous statement yet — a raw, deeply felt collection recorded live to analog tape that explores grief, resilience, empowerment, and transformation through a rich blend of blues, soul, R&B, and roots music.

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Cassius Wolf & Das Abs - Losing Sleep.

Cassius Wolf & Das Abs is the musical project of Cassius Wolf and Don Watson. Formed in Liverpool during the original wave of post-punk and new wave, the project began when Cassius met Don at school at the age of 11. The two later worked together at the now-legendary Liverpool club Eric’s, where they were immersed in the energy of the city’s thriving music scene, and officially formed the band in 1978. Surrounded by the influence of bands like Echo & the Bunnymen, OMD, and The Teardrop Explodes, their sound took shape through a shared love of independent creativity, punk attitude, and melodic experimentation. Decades later, that same spirit is driving the band’s long-awaited return, as archived material from their early recordings is being carefully restored, remixed, and introduced to a new audience.

The band’s latest release “Losing Sleep” offers a fresh insight into the scope of their upcoming album An Afternoon in Bedlam, due for release on 29 May 2026. Returning to a more direct post-punk style, the track leans into an anthemic, guitar-driven pop-punk sound, capturing the intensity of a relationship that begins to take over your thoughts to the point of distraction. There’s a sense of urgency running through it, where fixation and emotion blur into something more consuming. 

Drawing from the lineage of early eighties post-punk, the track carries the spirit of bands like The Wild Swans, whose influence helped shape the northern scene, bridging the gap between Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, and later acts such as The Lightning Seeds, The Lotus Eaters, The Icicle Works and James. “Losing Sleep” is also rooted in the legacy of Paul Simpson and the musical imprint of Ian Broudie, channelling that same melodic instinct and emotional pull.

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Gráinne Duffy - What Am I Supposed to Do (Album).

Irish blues-rock artist Gráinne Duffy continues her ascent as one of modern blues and roots music’s most compelling voices with the release of her new album What Am I Supposed to Do, available now alongside the album’s powerful title track and accompanying video.

Built around a driving guitar riff and emotionally charged lyrics, “What Am I Supposed to Do” captures both personal unrest and the chaos of the world at large. “This song is typically rock style in terms of its structure and feel,” says Duffy. “There is a sense of reflection here between the madness outside in the world and something that is also in flux or in need of repair on the inside emotionally.” Recorded in Los Angeles in January 2025 while wildfires swept through the city, the song’s opening line — “Whole world is crazy, fallin’ down outside” — took on an especially poignant meaning during the sessions.

Legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff, who performs on the record, described the track as “a mix of U2 and The Rolling Stones,” underscoring the album’s blend of expansive rock energy and roots-driven soul.

Recorded at 64 Sound Studio in Los Angeles, What Am I Supposed to Do was co-produced by Justin Stanley and Marc Ford of The Black Crowes. The album features an all-star lineup including Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney), bassist Jørgen Carlsson of Gov’t Mule, keyboardist Peter Levin, Ford, and Duffy’s longtime collaborator Paul Sherry.


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Edwina van Kuyk - Night Swimming - Victoria Staff - Kyle Morgan - Brook Fox - Scott Fisher - Rachel McCartney

Photo - Joshua Mulholland

Edwina van Kuyk - Here To Stay.

Edwina van Kuyk returns with “Here To Stay,” just arrived (May 22) on all streaming platforms. The song is a stirring new single that expands beyond her signature indie soundscape while remaining unmistakably her own. Blending delicate piano melodies, cinematic strings, gospel- inspired percussion, and a swelling choir, the track unfolds as both an emotional confession and an anthem of hope.

Opening with Van Kuyk’s intimate vocals floating over soft piano and strings, “Here To Stay” gradually builds into a rich, gospel-infused crescendo. Thunderous drums and layered harmonies elevate the track into something both deeply personal and spiritually resonant. Throughout the song, Van Kuyk’s distinctive jazz-flared vocal delivery anchors the emotional weight of the piece, bringing warmth and honesty to every lyric. “My favourite artist growing up was James Morrison, and I loved how he brought elements of gospel music into his songs,” says Van Kuyk. “I've always dreamed of recording with a live choir, and on this track, it became a reality. I feel very lucky to have the students from St. Kevins Community College involved. They really brought my vision to life.

“Here To Stay” explores the instinct to protect oneself from heartbreak. Van Kuyk captures the fear that permanence may not exist at all: “I learned the hard way that hardly anyone stays, Come to realize that leaving is on its way.” The track wrestles with self-sabotage, emotional guardedness, and the exhaustion of expecting abandonment before ultimately arriving at a fragile but transformative hope. By the song’s close, the repeated fear that “nothing’s here to stay” shifts into the possibility that maybe something finally will. “Here To Stay” ultimately reflects the tension between wanting permanence and confronting the reality that nothing really is.

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Photo - Derek Bremner

Night Swimming - Melting, Sometimes Bleeding (EP).

Bath, UK-based five-piece Night Swimming just released their second EP 'Melting, Sometimes Bleeding' via Venn Records (Bob Vylan, Witch Fever, High Vis). The band have also shared two new live recorded videos of EP tracks 'Dark Clouds' and 'Nothing Safe Is Technicolour', shot and recorded at Bam Bam Studios. Expanding from shadowy trip-hop minimalism into surges of crushing melodic shoegaze and intoxicating indie-rock, 'Melting, Sometimes Bleeding' is a confident and spellbinding statement of intent from the Bath outfit.

Produced by longtime collaborator Peter Miles (Orla Gartland, Nina Nesbitt) and mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott, the new EP features previously released singles including latest taster 'Nothing Safe Is Technicolour', the hypnotic, rhythmic dream-pop of 'Poison Berry' and the restrained urgency of 'Submarine'. "The EP is a collection of songs exploring themes of identity, de-personalization, stilted connection and loss," says vocalist and lyricist Meg Jones.

Following their 2024 breakout debut EP 'No Place To Land' which cemented them as a vital addition to the country’s new wave of dream-pop acts, Night Swimming have since drawn admirers from some of the genre’s original icons and toured extensively with the likes of Heartworms, bdrmm, Miki Berenyi and Pale Blue Eyes.

Night Swimming · Melting, Sometimes Bleeding

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Victoria Staff - Pink Magnolia (Album).

Toronto’s Victoria Staff unveils her debut album Pink Magnolia alongside its lead single “Take Me Home,” arriving together as a fully realized introduction to her world. Equal parts playful and reflective, the record captures both the thrill of being young and untethered and the quieter, more complex process of figuring out who you are.

Written and recorded alongside producer Will Crann, Pink Magnolia embraces collaboration and imperfection. From spontaneous studio moments to trying ideas with no clear outcome, the process was guided by curiosity rather than precision. “It reminded me why I fell in love with music,” Victoria notes. That sense of freedom runs through the record, giving it a loose, lived-in quality that mirrors its themes of growth and self-acceptance.

Speaking on “Take Me Home,” Victoria explains that she “...wanted to embody the excitement of meeting someone new and that mutual attraction. Dating gets a bad rap, but there’s a lot of fun in a young, single era.” Built around a simple, instantly memorable chorus, the indie pop track leans into spontaneity and connection, offering a snapshot of youth in motion. A song that has already become a live favourite, its singalong energy taps into something immediate and communal.

While “Take Me Home” captures a single, vivid moment, Pink Magnolia expands that lens outward. The album explores the broader emotional landscape of coming into yourself: searching for peace, sitting with uncertainty, and learning to accept where you are. “It’s about hunting for peace, looking for ease, and maybe always having it evade you,” Victoria says. “It’s not really a happy or sad album. It just is.”

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Kyle Morgan - Ghost of a Problem (Album).

A fine nerve runs through Ghost of a Problem, Kyle Morgan’s second solo record after 2022’s Younger at Most Everything (Team Love Records). The album is a car swerving in and out of the passing lane, driver scanning the rearview mirror for the bloody mess he’s certain he has left behind. Hit-and-run or phantom tollbooth? All in the mind, or real as red? It’s an awkward thing about life, that you’ve got to live it in forward while trying to understand it in reverse. Still, dodging traffic on the PA Turnpike amidst a beat-up Elliot Smith record, the sparkling pick-up of the Cactus Blossoms, or the blissful, wide-open lane of an Emmylou Harris album, Ghost manages to gain some perspective.

Basic tracks were laid down in May and June of 2023 under engineer/ producer Ryan Dieringer of Welterweight Sound in New Paltz, NY, performed by the trio of Morgan on guitar and piano, Sean Cronin on bass and Rachel Housle on the drums.  “We did a lot of the arranging together, the four of us, there in the studio, ”Morgan wrote about the initial sessions.

“Some I had more fleshed-out demos for, some we constructed together from the ground up, like with the title track, for instance. It was a really fun process. Less recreation of the demo and more collaborative, more defined by a band playing together, which is what I always want it to feel like.”  The result is a record that feels like a new bough grafted onto an old apple tree, deliberate in its arrangements and production while staying exploratory and organic in the actual playing.

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Brook Fox - Everybody’s in Love (EP).

Blending intimate lyrics with Sam Fenderesque guitar, ‘Everybody's In Love'’ captures the excitement of discovering that any place can feel special when shared with the right person. The EP was built around acoustic instrumentation, and Fox’s distinctive and emotive lyric delivery, the EP explores themes of connection, devotion and finding comfort in companionship. 

It’s an indie rock take on the current state of the world, a kind of social commentary touching on themes like elites, billionaires, and the sense that everything is “in flames.” But I didn’t want it to feel heavy or defeatist. There’s a thread of hope running through it, because that’s what people really need in times like these.

Support for the EP's singles has come from BBC Radio, achieving the BBC Radio Wales Welsh A-List playlist for two consecutive weeks. Further support included, Newport City Radio, Phoenix FM, Bombshell Radio and a string of US Regional plays. 

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Scott Fisher - A Billion Suns (Album).

Scott Fisher returns with his seventh studio album, A Billion Suns. Serving as the follow up to 2023’s Kingdom Of Ego the new record finds Scott at his most confident and unapologetic yet. Available now via all streaming platforms, A Billion Suns balances sophisticated production and raw instrumentation over the span of nine chill, yet emotionally impactful tracks. Following behind a trilogy of introspective jazz-influenced singles including “The Great Unknown”, “Dangerous Game”, and title track “A Billion Suns”, the new album further cements Scott’s role in the indie soul landscape. At its core, the record explores the power of duality and the poise between improvisation and craftsmanship, creating a sonic haven for those overanalyzing their place in this world.

Often critics have accurately compared Scott’s guitar deliveries to those of John Mayer’s, although vocally Fisher bears a more refined and honed in sound, similar to Leon Bridges or Father John Misty. In terms of the album, Fisher is an expert at mashing together various different genres including soul, R & B, rock, and much more — proving that A Billion Suns is one of his richest and most diverse pieces of music thus far.

Featuring an impressive roster of musicians, A Billion Suns was recorded at East West Studios, featuring co-production and bass guitar by Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie, Black Crowes, Sting) and Joey Waronker (Thom Yorke, Beck, Oasis, Roger Waters) on drums. 

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Rachel McCartney - Taming Dragons (Album).

 Rachel McCartney has released her fourth studio album, Taming Dragons, marking her first album release in seventeen years. If you were in the Boston area in the early 2000s, chances are you were aware of McCartney’s burgeoning music career. Even if not, it’s likely that you heard her voice wafting through your local MBTA train/bus station, as she was deeply committed to her morning busking shift, even after late nights of playing shows. After over a decade spent nurturing her nursing career and her family, Rachel McCartney is returning to the stage with a batch of songs and stories that have been quietly incubating, waiting for the right moment to be shared. 

Taming Dragons is produced by multi-instrumentalist/producer Zachariah Hickman (Josh Ritter, Ray LaMontagne, Rose Cousins, Mark Erelli). In addition to Zach’s musical contributions, he assembled a dream-team of session musicians to fill out the rest of the seats: Rich Hinman, Dave Brophy, and James Rohr, along with harmony vocal contributions by Rose Polenzani, Vivian Sessoms, and McCartney’s longtime collaborator, friend and co-writer, Teddy Goldstein. 

At the album release show in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Teddy Goldstein will kick off the evening, celebrating Taming Dragons’ release at Club Passim on May 28, 2026. The event marks a true homecoming, as Passim was a steady haunt of McCartney’s back in the day, and Matt Smith of Club Passim was one of the early champions of her music. The last time McCartney took the Passim stage was the album release of her previous record, New Days Nightly, where she was 7-months pregnant with her now-teenage son. Many of the studio musicians that played on Taming Dragons will be there to bring the songs to life in person, as well as some very special guests.

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