The latest single from the brightest new stars in the Daptone universe – R&B trio The Womack Sisters (BG, Zeimani, and Kucha Womack) release “You Went Away Too Long” today. The song opens with a dark herald of horns, orchestral chimes, and percussion groove, before shifting to the tender first verse: a melancholy longing of women who haven’t been able to forget.
the latest single from the brightest new stars in the Daptone Universe: BG, Zeimani, and Kucha, also known as The Womack Sisters. An ominous organ ostinato leads into a dark herald of horns, orchestral chimes, and percussion.
The groove shifts and the Womack Sisters enter the first verse of “You Went Away Too Long”. But real love and longing is not so simple. The mood turns when they launch into a haunting unison chorus dripping with the confidence of three women who refuse to wait too long for their due.
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| Photo - Tom Oxley |
Rising Wigan (UK) based indie-rock quartet Montello return with the breezy new single ‘Suit & Tie’. Formed in late 2023, the band have quickly built momentum with appearances at The Great Escape, Isle of Wight Festival, Tramlines, and Sound City in summer 2025, all achieved in just over a year and a half of the band being together.
Working with producer Luke Owens, the new single ‘Suit & Te’ both captures the fluorescent, youthful flare of the band's live sound while displaying mature, memorable songwriting. Built around jangling guitar tones, tight drums and grounding bass, the track captures a bubbling indie accessibility comparable to The Vaccines, whilst bringing an undertone of The Stone Roses.
Speaking about the track, the band explain: "Suit & Tie is a song dedicated to the struggle of creative minds around the world. Since starting this band we've seen the peaks and troughs of the music industry, and we all share a burning desire to keep Montello moving forward - none of us want to quit our passion despite the amount of artists and venues struggling in the current climate, none of us want to sit behind a desk instead of doing what we really love, none of us want to die in a suit and a tie."
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Following several successful single releases with over 400 airplays on Swiss and international indie radio stations, singer-songwriter Sarah Villiger just released her debut EP Next Corner on February 27, 2026. At the same time, the final EP single With You will be released – a stripped-back, spacious neo-soul/electronic pop track about closeness and the reflection on a simple yet profound question: what if someone is no longer there?
With Next Corner, Sarah Villiger presents her first cohesive body of work, further refining her musical identity. Lyrically, the songs move between deep pain, creative struggle, and an underlying sense of optimism – the will to keep going, to encourage oneself and others, and to reach out for hope.
Sonically, the EP is defined by a clear and distinctive signature: deep beats, analog and digital synthesizers, spaciousness, and deliberate contrasts. Sarah Villiger’s warm, soulful, floating voice takes center stage, meeting both minimalist arrangements and more densely layered instrumental sections. Songs such as Reflection and With You are intentionally minimal, while Next Corner and Word serve as more energetic counterparts with fuller instrumentation. Retro elements – drum machines, vinyl crackles, synthesizers, or Motown bells – merge with modern electronic textures to create a warm, organic sound.
The songs began as sketches in Sarah’s home studio, with melodies and harmonies mostly developed on the piano. In collaboration with producer Manuel Halter, they were further shaped in the studio. Analog synth takes were deliberately left unquantized to preserve a sense of human imperfection. The EP is complemented by instrumental contributions from Andreas Allenbach (guitar, trumpet) and Matthias Meusel (drums), whose personal interpretations and spontaneous recordings add their own distinctive character to the sound.
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| Photo - Cameron Berrens |
Nashville-based up-and-comer Amelia Day shares her new single "Love Me / Love Me Not," an emotional whiplash of a song fueled by toxic love cycles and electric guitar. Her first release of 2026, the track follows Day's 2025 singles "False Prophet" feat. Sydnee Conley, "Margie" and "Lady Los Angeles."
Amelia Day on the new single: "This song is inspired by the emotional whiplash of a past relationship, stuck in the limbo of loves me, loves me not. It explores the toxicity of love-bombing and withdrawal, ultimately leading to self-realization and rebirth - a kind of spiritual awakening. It is for anyone who's lived through push-pull heartbreak, coming out stronger on the other side."
Amelia Day is a musical jack-of-all-trades. Standing at the intersection of folk, rock, and pop, she blends heartfelt storytelling, raw delivery, and unforgettable melodies into music that feels both fresh and familiar — like rediscovering an old favorite.
Born and raised in the small town of Sumner, Washington, Day has been making music since she could walk and writing original songs since middle school. In college, she overcame paralyzing stage fright and began performing publicly. Starting with farmers markets and local restaurants, she developed the confidence and following that would lead to sold-out shows in Seattle, Boston and D.C., as well as festival appearances.
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Melina Malone is a Dublin-born Irish-Greek artist redefining the landscape of Irish Soul and R&B. Known for her powerhouse vocals, emotional depth and commanding live presence, she has emerged as one of Ireland’s most compelling contemporary voices. Blending neo-soul, jazz and classic R&B influences, Melina’s artistry is rooted in honesty, musicality and a fearless commitment to authenticity.
Her debut album Aphrodite (October 2023) introduced her as a distinctive force. The record, inspired by artists such as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and female R&B girl groups like SWV and Brownstone fused sultry melodies with raw lyricism and earned widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 review from Hot Press. The project positioned her at the forefront of a new wave of Irish R&B, while drawing international attention for its rich musicianship and unapologetic vulnerability.
Since then, Melina has solidified her reputation as one of Ireland’s strongest live performers. She has opened for Grammy-winning jazz legend Gregory Porter, performed alongside Macy Gray and Morcheeba, and in 2024 delivered a landmark performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, showcasing her versatility and vocal command.
Now, 2026 begins with the release of her new single “Lola,” the second single from her forthcoming sophomore album 'Don't Trust a Gemini.' Bold, rhythm-driven and vocally expansive, “Lola” marks another step in Melina’s artistic evolution. Leaning further into live instrumentation and improvisational phrasing, the track reflects her deepening love for jazz traditions and vocal freedom, while maintaining the soulful storytelling that defines her. It serves as both a continuation of her sonic refinement and a preview of the more improvised, jazz-led direction shaping her next body of work.
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| Photo - Mara Rothman |
After a year spent traversing the country - both as an opening act and as headliners - NYC's Bandits on the Run show no sign of slowing down in 2026. In addition to an upcoming run supporting Alan Doyle, the indie-pop-folk group have recently announced upcoming performances at Kerrville Folk Festival and Sisters Folk Fest, and have dropped the new single, “Woods Alone at Night,” last Friday. This new single continues to demonstrate the continuing musical evolution of Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn
“Woods Alone at Night,” Enscoe explains, “was written for the dark night of the soul, for the moment in every journey you feel the loneliest: all options blocked, all escape routes exhausted, all solutions tried and failed. Sometimes you're lost, the only company the echoes of your own hapless yelps. We all know those moments — lots of us are feeling it now in this current moment of creeping authoritarianism and oligarchic totality.”
Born from a chance encounter busking on the subway, Bandits on the Run defy convention with an impressive trade-off of lead vocals and instruments, marrying acoustic, electric, and bass guitar sounds with cello, accordion, suitcases-turned-kickdrums, and (if you're lucky) sometimes even a megaphone.
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