This week Marie Dahlstrom has announced her third full-length album Marie will be released on 18th September via JFH Records, and has shared jazz-influenced new single '1 Journey Away'. The Roskilde-born & London-based vocalist, songwriter and producer has also recently announced her return to the live stage, with two headline shows confirmed in London (8th October) and Copenhagen (13 October).
New single '1 Journey Away' sees Marie Dahlstrom lean into her jazz influences, blending intricate, percussive rhythms with her signature soulful vocals. An expressive scat solo adds a standout moment of musicality, while subtle, groove-led production from Corey Fonville of US jazz quintet Butcher Brown underscores her versatility and refined musicianship. The song also includes features Cuban percussionist Eliel Lazo and a synth solo from Los Angeles musician Elijah Fox.
'1 Journey Away' is the third single to be revealed from Dahlstrom's new album, following 'Alive' (feat. Jords) and 'Frostbite'. Speaking on the release of '1 Journey Away', Marie Dahlstrom said: "The song is about family life - having loved ones spread across different countries and carrying that constant feeling of wanting to be closer to them. It reflects a longing for a slower, simpler way of living, where connection and togetherness matter more than everything else happening around you.”
Glass, the stunning solo debut from Nora Stanley, is due to arrive July 31 and is co-produced with Nate Mendelsohn (Frankie Cosmos, Dougie Poole). If Nora’s name sounds familiar, it may be from her work with artists like Cassandra Jenkins, The New Pornographers and Fred Frith, or from Distance of the Moon, her acclaimed 2023 collaboration with Benny Bock. Today, she’s sharing the album’s first single, “Noble Gas,” and I hope you’ll give it a listen and help spread the word.
Nora tells us about "Noble Gas": Our phones are listening to our conversations, reading our messages, wanting desperately to participate in the drama of human life. "Noble Gas" is about the limits of that intelligence and a funny-in-retrospect yet painful-in-the-moment mistake in the advertising algorithm it fed. "Noble Gas" is about inertia, instability, and bonds, about the influence a person can have on you, and about regaining equilibrium after your world has been turned upside down.
As a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser, Nora has spent years bringing her singular voice to other artists’ projects. On Glass, she steps fully into the spotlight, drawing inspiration from Anne Carson’s writing to explore themes of reflection, separation, and the ways we see ourselves mirrored back through others. The result is a beautifully crafted indie-rock record that feels both intimate and expansive.
New York–based alternative singer-songwriter Lauren Minear shares her latest offering, “‘Til The World Ends.” It’s a cinematic and emotionally charged alt-pop single that grapples with fear, uncertainty, and the fragile state of the world before ultimately arriving at a deeply human conclusion: love is the only answer. Blending rising tension with introspective lyricism, the track captures a moment of personal and collective anxiety, filtered through Minear’s signature emotional clarity.
“‘Til The World Ends” was written in November 2024 in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. “I felt scared by how divided the world has become and worried about the sociopolitical conditions my children will grow up in,” Minear explains. At the same time, she found herself immersed in dystopian storytelling, rewatching multiple Walking Dead spinoffs that explore separation and survival in apocalyptic conditions. “I was thinking about how horrifying it would be to be separated geographically from my family if the world stopped,” she says.
What began as an attempt to process fear quickly evolved into something more grounded. Sitting at her piano, Minear started listing unanswered questions about the world around her, only to arrive at a more instinctive truth. “Naturally, I ended up writing a song about the only answer to fear: love.”
Sonically, “‘Til The World Ends” leans into atmosphere and tension. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Scott Jacoby, the track blends organic instrumentation with contemporary production techniques, creating a soundscape that feels both intimate and expansive. Arpeggiated piano chords form the foundation, while layered contributions from collaborators; including guitar (Ben Butler), keys (Andrew Sherman), percussion (Doug Yowell), and fretless bass (Richard Hammond); gradually build a sense of unease and momentum. A standout moment arrives in the bridge, where a soaring vocal stack from Lauren Mian adds an almost ethereal release.
Melbourne/Naarm artist MUKI unveils his debut EP, 'Trampoline', out today Wednesday, June 3, a deeply personal collection exploring the emotional highs, lows and in-between moments of identity, anxiety, heartbreak and growth. Building on his introspective blend of indie acoustic pop-rock, the EP is honest and vulnerable, showcasing MUKI's thoughtful songwriting and understated arrangements.
Since debuting earlier this year with singles 'Gasoline', 'Reflections' and 'Morning Music', MUKI has steadily shaped a sound defined by soft guitars, thoughtful lyricism and a powerful and passionate vocal delivery.
Produced alongside Josh Barber, 'Trampoline' brings together the themes introduced across MUKI’s debut singles, reflecting on the ups and downs of life. Now joined by new track 'My Sweet Anxiety', a deeply personal reflection on the messiness and confusion that often comes with anxiety, the EP’s emotional themes are brought into fuller focus. Speaking on the EP, MUKI shares: “It’s about the strange joy tied to childhood, and the way a memory can hold both innocence and pain. The title came from a notion I couldn’t shake: ‘have you ever seen anyone sad on a trampoline?”
Arkansas roots outfit Sad Daddy has released “Bootlegger,” the latest from their forthcoming fourth studio album, Ozark Shine, due June 26, distributed by Free Dirt Records. The band will also embark on a regional tour to celebrate the album’s release, with stops planned in Little Rock, Nashville, and more.
Recorded at Nashville’s Bomb Shelter studio, Ozark Shine captures Sad Daddy at full stride. The band, consisting of Joe Sundell (banjo, harmonica), Melissa Carper (upright bass), Rebecca Patek (fiddle), and Brian Martin (guitar, kazoo), each contributed vocals and their songwriting prowess to the album. The songs come from all corners of the band’s multiverse - some were born from writing sessions in Little Rock leading up to recording, some were longtime favorites finally making their way onto an album, and others were deeply personal solo compositions pulled from lives lived just a little outside the mainstream. The result is a collection that blends early blues, jazz, jug band, country, old-time, and bluegrass into something unmistakably Sad Daddy.
“I had a melody and a couple of verses for this song collecting dust in the archives of ideas for over a decade,” Martin, who wrote “Bootlegger,” shares. “After running it with the band, the direction the song needed to go sorta revealed itself and came together pretty quickly from that point.”
“Miserable” marks the beginning of a new chapter for YYY, whose upcoming album draws on a distinctive constellation of influences — MGMT, Animal Collective, Tame Impala’s Lonerism, and the Mamas and the Papas — each refracted through his characteristically restless creative vision. True to the YYY sound, the single builds melodic hooks around droll lyrics, and an evolving, genre-fluid sonic identity that rewards close listening.
YYY is Austin Carson, a versatile and prolific Minneapolis/St. Paul-based songwriter and composer. He has spent years genre-hopping in the best possible way, scoring and contributing songs to numerous projects across a wide range of genres, work that has earned him three regional Emmy nominations for his contributions to PBS documentaries. Austin channels that creative energy into YYY, his experimental pop outlet defined by a commitment to sounds that haven’t quite been heard before.
Samuel S.C. continues their monthly single rollout with "Mind Flies," marking the fifth release of the year and paving the way to a full-length release arriving late 2026. A breezy detour after the trio of fast paced bangers "Celestial," "Get Red," and "Push the Needle," "Mind Flies" traverses fuzzy hooks, sun-drenched harmonies and lyrical musings on memory and detachment.
Samuel S.C. (FKA Samuel) continues to bridge the gap between ’90s indie-rock grit and timeless punk. Originally a cornerstone of drummer Eric Astor’s legendary Art Monk Construction label, the band reformed in 2021 with their DIY spirit firmly intact. Five years later, S.C. isn’t just maintaining momentum—They’re accelerating.
The group’s 2026 trajectory is defined by a prolific streak that finds the band continuing to evolve and hone its sound, one that refuses to fall neatly into any punk sub-genre. Their new single “Get Red,” is a shadowy ripper, on the heels of the propulsive “Push the Needle,” and the wistful “Another Good Lie,” all recorded and mixed in 2025 by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines) at his Baltimore studio, Magpie Cage. This follows a landmark year featuring a 10″ split release with Florida’s Pohgoh and standout performances at Fest (Gainesville) and the inaugural Several States Festival in Chicago.
The current lineup features original members Vanessa Downing (vocals), Eric Astor (drums), James Marinelli (guitar/vocals), and Dean Taormina (guitar), with Michael Honch (bass) rounding out the mix. With a new full-length album expected in late 2026 via Expert Work Records and Sweet Cheetah Records, the mission remains clear: Ain't no slowing down.
Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Castlemaine based multi-award-winning songwriter, musician, advocate and writer Eliza Hull who received an O.A.M. last month for her contribution to music and disability advocacy, further cementing her reputation as one of so-called Australia's most important voices across both culture and accessibility, shares her first official new music in 3 years: 'Hotel Room', her "most unguarded" single yet, an utterly vulnerable and unapologetic-ally sensuous alt-pop self-excavation tracing Hull's emotional journey through womanhood while "feeling completely lost... moving toward midlife [and] becoming undone - questioning everything, wanting more, wanting less, changing shape in real time".
Written during a personal breakdown while Hull was alone in a London hotel room, the song explores womanhood, identity, intimacy and emotional unravelling, landing alongside an equally intimate video directed by Keiran Watson-Bonnice (You Am I, ABC's And Then Something Changed) exploring sensual expression, her most liberating visual work yet. 'Hotel Room' marks a bold and emotionally expansive new era from one of the continent's most compelling artists.
Eliza Hull peels everything back on 'Hotel Room' to capture a private moment of complete unravelling with rawness and sensuality, exploring the "messy in-between place" she - like many women - feels moving toward midlife. Recorded at London's Knight Time Studios with producer James Knight (The Kooks, Feist, Ainslie Wills) and mixed by trusted collaborator ARIA Award-winning Pip Norman (Missy Higgins, Baker Boy), written during "a breakdown" in a London hotel room reflecting that quiet, tense space where there's nowhere left to hide from your thoughts and it all cracks open, the track spirals through self-reckoning through brutally honest lyrics that see Hull searching passionately for connection with a grounded version of herself after "feeling completely lost".
London duo Sandhouse today share new single 'Pollyanna', a glimpse into a forthcoming project due to be revealed over the coming months. Opening with glassy electronics before rupturing into distorted guitars and blown-out alt-rock catharsis, 'Pollyanna' pairs Anna Sutherland’s feather light vocals with lyrics that feel seductive and darkly playful - romantic fantasy gradually curdling into something more obsessive and difficult to control.
Speaking about the track, the band say: "'Pollyanna is about becoming numbed by the cinema of infatuation, and using the fairytale of romance to blindly ignore any signs of reality." Consisting of Anna Sutherland and Caspar Holloway, Sandhouse carve out a sound that folds together grunge guitars, bleary trip-hop production, warped psychedelia and nocturnal alt-pop.
Their 2025 debut EP 'Circus' - along with the two standalone singles that have followed - have been tipped by key press taste makers including The Line Of Best Fit, DIY Magazine, Dork Magazine, Under The Radar, Rolling Stone UK, The New Cue, and more. Radio support to date includes regular spins across BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and BBC Introducing (where the band were named Track of the Week). Debut EP 'Circus' is fast approaching 4 million streams on Spotify alone.
As their name suggests, This Is the Deep is a multi-faceted project in the pursuit of something subterranean, which they achieve by expanding their music into painted sets, animation, and theatrical storytelling to form a cohesive visual and sonic world. Now signing with 5dB (Mould, Martial Arts), the collective announce their forthcoming sophomore album Everything (September 9th).
Led by the vibrant new single ‘Darkness and the Dawn’ (June 3rd), the band give a first taste of the upcoming full project, showcasing elegant avant-pop songcraft. Combining elements of alt-rock, orchestral-folk, chamber-pop, and psychedelic garage-rock, This Is The Deep traverses sprawling and colourful soundscapes, moving from moments of intimate reflection to joyous explosions of colour.
Formed by visual artist and musician Ranny (Ranald) Macdonald as a way to explore the space between music and art, the band’s members hail from across the UK, Brazil, and Japan. Their singular avant-pop sound bucks traditional genres and twins traditional songcraft in the vein of Burt Bacharach and Carole King with the experimental approach of artists like David Lynch and Aldous Harding. Through Phil Spector-like arrangements which blend: guitars, bass and drums with a cascading ensemble of horns, strings, percussion and synth, the 10-piece band create a singular and immersive world of sound and imagery.
The new single ‘Darkness and the Dawn’ offers a first taste of the full upcoming project Everything - a concept album which follows the subconscious journey of Richard (Dick) Herman, who, after dozing off at his desk one morning, is plunged into a series of dreams.
Swedish band Primula steps into a new chapter with ‘Nothing New’ their new EP which has just been released. With a dream of collective creativity and a desire to make something personal and unpretentious, Primula embraces the new sound they have grown into together as a band. Rather than following conventional three-minute structures and predictable choruses, Primula embraces tension and space that many musicians shy away from. The result is far from run-of-the-mill indie as their tracks shift seamlessly between fragility and power, driven by Ella’s striking and unconventional vocals.
The collection of songs that make up ‘Nothing New’ focus on the ups and downs of early adulthood: wanting to fit in while also finding your own path, dealing with love and loss, and the distance that can grow when life doesn’t turn out the way you imagined. Recorded using mostly a live approach and produced by Gustav Alte, the EP brings powerful drums and strong vocal performances, redefining the band’s musical identity while showcasing the matured sound the band have grown into.
The lead single from the EP, ‘Nothing New’, captures the emotional core of the release and sets the tone for the band’s new chapter. The track reflects on the strange familiarity of growing older and how certain feelings, patterns, and disappointments seem to return no matter how much time passes. It moves through resignation and repetition, while still holding onto the possibility of change, of breaking old habits, and of daring to choose differently. The song balances melancholy with a sense of moving forward, reflecting the uncertainty and hope that run throughout the EP.
Dandy Boy Records announced they will release a 12" EP on July 10 from Twin Bloom. You can hear the first single, Magazine Dreams, now. Twin Bloom makes indie rock that balances momentum with atmosphere, drifting between the glow of 80s new wave, the haze of shoegaze and the melodic pull of classic guitar pop. Based in Oakland, the band leans into warmth over sharp edges. Guitars shimmer and blur, melodies stick quickly, and close vocal harmonies give the songs a familiar, lived-in feel.
Influences like Teenage Fanclub, Alvvays, The Cure and The Strokes are present, but never foregrounded, filtered instead through a sensibility shaped by years of playing rooms, basements and clubs. There’s patience in the band’s writing, but also a steady sense of drive. Songs unfold gradually, carried by chiming guitars and propulsive rhythms that keep things moving even as textures bloom and recede. The arrangements stay lean and focused, favoring clarity over excess and letting repetition, tone and melody do the work. The music feels emotionally grounded and immediate, well suited for hazy summer drives and warm, nostalgic nights that stretch on longer than expected.
Twin Bloom’s self-titled debut EP, slated for release in summer 2026, captures a moment of transition, caught between looking back and pushing forward. Lead single “Summer’s Gone” distills the band’s approach most clearly, pairing an easy, driving rhythm with a bittersweet sense of seasonal shift. Twin Bloom isn’t chasing trends or big statements. The band is focused on writing songs that stick, sound good turned up in the car and feel just as natural on the tenth listen as the first.
Just in time for a hot, hazy summer ahead, Solar Eyes return with a brand new single, “Be Under No Illusion”. “Be Under No Illusion” is a full‑throttle indie psych-rock track that hits with immediacy, confidence and a gun-slinging swagger. Driven by a relentless groove, howling fuzz guitars, and Western-movie vocal whoops provided by Nadine Batchelor Hunt, it brings the raw energy of early Kasabian and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to a Morricone-scored shoot-out. With its unusual, off-kilter 7/4 time signature it counts itself amongst a rare-breed of classic tracks, including Radiohead’s “Pyramid Song” and Pink Floyd’s “Money”, both of which count them as part of their DNA. The result is a dizzying track firmly rooted in the now, but very much orbiting in a realm of its own.
The same day, Solar Eyes will accompany the track with two contrasting B‑sides that deepen the picture. The interdimensional, driving shoegaze of “Sweet Angel” is a claustrophobic contrast of darkness and light; whilst its companion “All Because Of You” is both hazy and melodic as it walks a tightrope of tension with atmosphere – think Velvet Underground or Suicide with a hint of Bob Dylan.
Collectively, the three tracks showcase Solar Eyes at their most focused and confident, sharpening their sound and building on the momentum of last year’s critically acclaimed second album ‘Live freaky! Die Freaky!’. Solar Eyes is the cosmic creation of Midlands (England) duo Glenn Smyth and Sebastian Maynard Francis. Formed in 2021, Solar Eyes have steadily been amassing a devoted fanbase at tastemaker events like SXSW and The Great Escape.
San Francisco duo Effie Zilch unveils “Lover Boy,” the latest single and video from their forthcoming LP Higher Calling, out July 10 via Redtone Records. The tongue-in-cheek, Motown-infused track finds the pair leaning fully into their playful side, pairing irresistible grooves with effortless swagger.
Featuring a Benny Benjamin-inspired backbeat, a prominent bass riff, and Vandellas-style background vocals, “Lover Boy” began as something of an inside joke. It quickly evolved into one of the album’s most infectious standouts. “Sometimes songs don’t have to say anything deep or important. Some of our favorite music is playful and lighthearted.” “What is serious about the track is its composition, arrangement and style. It’s a fresh take on an old, familiar sound.”
Sticky-sweet and swaggering, “Lover Boy” brings classic soul revue energy into focus through Effie Zilch’s distinctly Bay Area lens. The accompanying video leans into the song’s vintage charm - shot at historic Sacramento locations once used as filming sites for silent-era icons like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, it pays homage to California’s cinematic history. “We knew we wanted to make a silent film, but how to capture the fun and whimsy of the song eluded us until we fully leaned into the ridiculous,” the band explains. ‘Our video team, Station to Station Creative, didn’t bat an eye at our bizarre treatment. Instead, they went out and found the dapper duck costume the following day. A Flapper, Amelia Earhart, and a proper damsel dame set their eyes agaze on Mr. Gentleman Duck. Cat and mouse chases, train track mishaps, and old-timey title cards tell the silent tale of this strange love story.”
“Lover Boy” follows lead single “Easy,” a restrained and deeply felt meditation built on gospel piano and a melodic bass line. Written as a message to a daughter, the track unfolds like a Sunday sermon before slipping into a subtle current of Bay Area funk reminiscent of Sly Stone, carrying both tenderness and urgency. Together, the two singles reveal the wide emotional and sonic range of Higher Calling, a record shaped by reflection, connection, and craft, drawing equally from gospel, Bay Area funk, deconstructed blues, and classic soul through the duo’s deeply intuitive approach to songwriting.
The new Wynona Bleach album Animal Style is officially out now everywhere via Propeller Sound Recordings (US) & Fierce Panda (UK). The Belfast band’s long-awaited sophomore album delivers towering guitars, sharp hooks, and the kind of emotional intensity that’s already making serious noise with press on both sides of the Atlantic. Wynona Bleach will be hitting the road in support of Animal Style, bringing the album’s massive guitars and high-energy live show to audiences across the UK.
Formed in 2018, Wynona Bleach quickly gained momentum on the live circuit, including performances at Reading & Leeds Festival, a headline 12-date Russian tour, and high-profile support slots with Feeder, Slow Readers Club and rock icons Alice in Chains on their sold-out Irish dates. Their debut album Moonsoake (2022), recorded in an abandoned Portuguese factory with Bill Ryder-Jones and mixed by Bradfield & Mackintosh, garnered both critical acclaim and industry attention, leading to Northern Ireland Music Prize nominations for Album of the Year and Live Act.
The creation of Animal Style was a deeply collaborative journey, tracked partly in a retro Belfast ballroom-studio and refined across sessions with Bradfield & Mackintosh in London. Following 10 showcases at SXSW 2025, New Colossus NYC, Nashville festival appearances, and a personal invite to Bob Clearmountain’s Apogee Studios in Los Angeles, Wynona Bleach secured their U.S. deal with Propeller Sound Recordings, strengthening their transatlantic profile. Animal Style marks a reinvigoration of the band’s core sonic identity: an unapologetically guitar-driven album with depth, punch and wide-ranging emotional resonance. Wynona Bleach continues to expand their reach as one of Northern Ireland’s most compelling rock exports.
Interstella Boy, the creative project of songwriter Richard "Dil" Williams, is proud to announce the release of its new single, "Underpass". For more than a decade, Williams has been living with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and incurable lung disease that causes irreversible scarring of the lungs. Diagnosed 10 years ago, he was given a prognosis that typically sees patients survive between three and five years. Despite the ongoing decline in his lung function and the need for oxygen therapy for up to 15 hours each day, Williams continues to embrace life with determination, creativity, and optimism.
Throughout his journey, songwriting and music have provided a powerful source of therapy and personal expression. However, as the disease has increasingly affected his ability to sing, Williams has made the difficult decision to step back from lead vocal duties.
Taking the microphone for Interstella Boy's latest release is long-time collaborator Phil "Barney" Jones, who delivers the lead vocals on "Underpass". The new single marks an exciting chapter for the project while maintaining the songwriting vision and spirit that have defined Interstella Boy from the beginning. As Williams continues to live life one day at a time, "Underpass" stands as a testament to resilience, friendship, and the enduring power of music in the face of life's greatest challenges.
Temp Wishes is the new project from Josh Chicoine (The M's, Cloudbirds, Cult Canyon), Edward Anderson (1900s, Mazes), Colby Starck (Mar Caribe, Bobby Conn), and Glenn Rischke (AM Slingers, Bora Bora, Arks).
It is lo-fi psych pop, and songs are concise with sticky melodies, harmonies, and grooves. Flash Fantasy is the first single released from their forthcoming LP. They quietly released a single entitled "Flash Fantasy" a couple weeks, however the accompanying video was released last Friday.
The band's first-ever show will be at the Hungry Brain in Chicago on Friday, June 5. The song itself has a gentle laid back feel where the mood shifts from dark to light vibes without unsettling the listener, and the arrangement could be from an early seventies folk rock band with above average gritty determination.
London/Barcelona-based pop artist Lala Hayden today releases her new EP 'Queen of Midnight' via Goldun Egg. The EP release arrives alongside news of new UK / EU tour dates supporting Kita Alexander in October, along with a headline show confirmed for 18th November in London. Written across pregnancy and into early motherhood, Lala Hayden's new EP captures a period of identity shifts and emotional recalibration, pairing sleek, hook-led alt-pop with moments of stark vulnerability - shifting between confession and full-bodied release.
Speaking on the release of the EP, LALA said: "I’ve always felt like postpartum has been treated as a “women’s issue”, something quietly endured rather than fully expressed. And because of that, it’s been largely absent from the pop culture I grew up with. For a long time, that made motherhood feel like something that would consume me completely. Like I would disappear into it and not come back. When I found out I was pregnant last year - and that I was having a girl, something shifted. I decided to explore it instead of fear it. To document it in real time, in the studio. The love, but also the crashes. The fear.
"So many of the most intense moments happen in the middle of the night. And in that loneliness, I kept thinking about all the other women awake at the same time: holding babies, holding themselves, singing, dancing, trying to make something, trying to make a living. I started writing this EP in my first trimester, and I’ve been writing and recording throughout every stage since. Releasing it now, around eight months postpartum, feels like a kind of full circle."
Veronica D’Souza is an Indian/East African/Danish independent producer and songwriter, with a feminist, multicultural, and artistic approach to music and the world. With her new single ‘No One Is A River’, Veronica D’Souza turns her attention to endings, not as something to mourn, but as something to move through.
“I think celebrating endings is just as important as celebrating beginnings,” she says. “For me, the song is about practising letting go with joy, more than with grief. There is so much to be sorrowful about in the world right now, and that’s exactly why I believe the best things have to be built from a place of joy.”
At its core, ‘No One Is A River’ holds a simple insistence: letting go does not have to mean letting go of the dream. “I needed that,” she adds. “To be able to release something without closing myself off. To keep dreaming, even as something ends.” Rather than framing loss as absence, ‘No One Is A River’ offers a counterpoint, where endings can be marked, honoured, even danced through. Through crystalline synths and stunning soaring harmonies, Veronica captures this juxtaposition with poignancy and grace as her melancholic reflections coalesce with joyous surrender, framed in a huge moment of epic alt-pop.
New Zealand born and based alt-indie band Dateline revealed their brand new single ‘Meltdown’, serving fans with an enticing teaser ahead of their UK tour later this year. Meltdown was recorded on Karangahape road, in Auckland at Jon Pearce (The Beths) studio. Recorded by Jon Pearce & MIchael Howell. Produced and mixed by Pip Brown AKA Ladyhawke and Mastered by Tom Healy.
Honest and punchy, ‘Meltdown’ emerges from the beautifully chaotic and conflicting reality of being a mother. Through building guitars and cathartic percussion, Katie Everingham’s effortless vocals capture the complete upheaval that occurs the moment you decide to bring a new life into the world. Sharing more, Katie explained: “Not a day goes by where I am not so grateful for my daughter and so aware of how lucky I am to be her mum; however , in the last 4 years I have also experienced some really significant personal challenges that arose from parenting.
There is immense pressure to get it right and this little person exists who knows exactly how to push your buttons and the combination lead me to some pretty tricky places from a mental health perspective. I wouldn't have things any other way but trying to be a good parent really does impact and change everything.”
Born to Bosnian parents, raised in Libya, and based in the UK, Dalinda’s multicultural heritage is the beating heart of her musical identity. Her breakout debut album, Turquoise (ARC Music), was produced by the legendary late Hossam Ramzy (Shakira, Peter Gabriel, Page & Plant) and immediately captured a dedicated global audience, featuring on major radio stations and world music charts. She followed this with massive crossover success in the Middle East alongside Hamid AlShairi; their collaboration, "Leish", dominated the Arabic Top Ten Charts for 17 consecutive weeks, won the ‘Best Song’ and became the region's most downloaded ringtone.
Now, Dalinda returns with a new single, "The Nile" (released May 29th). Marking a striking stylistic departure into melancholic indie, the track is a deeply personal exploration of love and loss. Produced alongside Pete Murray using authentic live instrumentation and zero samples, the track's emotional core transcends language; upon hearing it, Dalinda’s non-English-speaking mother, whose portrait graces the single's cover art and who inspired the track, was moved to tears. Anchored by a sweeping, world-infused bridge, "The Nile" perfectly merges Dalinda's musical legacy with contemporary indie-pop textures.
Crossing genres, Dalinda has secured several sync placements, including MTV’s The Sarah Silverman Show and delivered electronic / tribal collaborations with Phil Thornton and Simon Williams (Mandragora / Earthdance). Her collaborative spirit continued with the simultaneous release of her independent crossover album, Waternixie, and the traditional Songs from Libya (ARC / Hossam Ramzy). Produced by Pete Murray, Waternixie showcased her songs performed in English, Arabic, and Serbian.
Brisbane shoegaze risers Fragile Animals just shared their new six track EP, Dead Stop (May 29th). Produced by Elliot Heinrich, the new EP Dead Stop was written in the aftermath of the band’s breakthrough 2025 EP Tourist and their first UK and European tour - a 14-date run across Germany, Poland, Ireland, England, and Scotland, including sold-out shows and festival appearances. That period marked both a creative high and an emotional unravelling. The EP reflects the disorientation of coming down from momentum, the cost of ambition, and the fragile determination required to keep pushing forward.
Victoria Jenkins explains: “I think this record means something slightly different to each of us, but there’s also a commonality there that relates to us all making the commitment to take another step forward. Personally, I actually find it hard to articulate what this record is about and what it means to me. I think that’s because, truthfully, it was written in a profound state of confusion and the tangled mess of feelings that it carries are just as confusing now as they were then.
We started writing this EP immediately after we wrapped up touring Tourist last year. We’d just lived a dream. I’d never loved doing anything so much or felt more like my true self. At the same time I’d never felt so frayed or fragile. The risks and sacrifices it took to make that record and tour happen really shook me, and it wasn’t until it was all over and we were sitting in a hotel in Manchester trying to write a new record that I kind of fell apart.
Anyone walking around near John Rylands Library last August might have actually seen me crying in the street. Haha. The weird part is that when I wasn’t waking up in a panic or crying in public I felt insanely happy. I was really proud of what we’d just pulled off as an independent band and I loved the music we were writing. I felt like if we could just keep ourselves moving, and cross our fingers hard enough to prevent the world falling apart around us, we might actually get everything we wanted. If I’m honest, I’ve spent the last year trying to keep my terror in a box so that I can keep moving. That’s what this record is for me.”
Dea Doyle is a West London-born singer-songwriter stepping into a new chapter with her deeply personal return single, “Marina.” After taking time away from music, the track marks a shift in both her sound and her storytelling, introducing what she describes as “the most honest version of this project so far.” Rooted in indie-pop with touches of folk, soul and classic singer-songwriter influences, Dea’s music has always carried a sharp sense of observation.
Growing up in a musical household and writing her first song at nine, she built her early releases around witty reflections on relationships. Now, her perspective has widened. “As I’ve got older, my writing has become less centred on love and a bit more varied,” she explains. “I’m writing about more real, difficult experiences that have shaped me.”
“Marina” sits at the heart of that evolution. Written in memory of her aunt, who passed away from cancer, the song is a moving portrait of grief, love and legacy. “She was my favourite person, my biggest inspiration, and honestly, all the best bits of me are her,” Dea says. “Everything I do is for her, but this track especially.” Balancing warmth and loss, the song captures how even joyful moments are coloured by absence, held together by lines like, “What I’d give to tell you all that you’ve missed since you’ve been gone.”
Canadian singer-songwriter Ellie Heath shares her debut album Pushing Forty alongside its bright and empowering lead single “That Sunshine’s Mine.” Rooted in joyful reflection and forward momentum, Pushing Forty captures a pivotal chapter in Ellie’s life; standing at the edge of change while embracing both the excitement and uncertainty that come with it. Blending pop, synth, indie, and rock textures, the record radiates with an effervescent energy that celebrates growth, transformation, and the beauty of stepping into something new.
“Pushing Forty began as a way to document a specific season of life,” Ellie explains. “I was entering the final year of my thirties, moving in with my partner, settling into a home and just about to welcome a dog into our lives. It felt like I was closing certain doors while opening others and I wanted to capture that emotional crossroads; the excitement and the nerves!”
At the heart of the record’s uplifting spirit is “That Sunshine’s Mine,” a playful yet powerful anthem about protecting your joy. What began as a lighthearted challenge in the studio quickly evolved into something more personal and resonant. “We joked that writing a sunshine song was basically a guaranteed hit,” she says. “From there, it evolved into something more personal about protecting your joy and not letting others dim your light.”
Driven by punchy, high-energy production and a sense of uninhibited fun, “That Sunshine’s Mine” leans into a bright, confident pop-rock sound. Its fast-paced momentum and communal gang vocals create a feeling of spontaneity and release, tapping into a kind of childlike freedom. “It makes me feel like a kid in the best possible way,” Ellie notes. “It feels fun, empowered, mischievous and free!”
