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| Photo - Archie Lawson |
Brighton-based indie-alternative rock band Miler announce their forthcoming EP Your Best, and release the haunting new single ‘Betty’ (September 11th). Led by Hastings-born songwriter and vocalist Calista Morgan, Miler make music that sits somewhere between intimacy and abandon. Their songs move through confessional indie, hazy shoegaze, brooding ’90s grunge, country-tinged slow burners and huge, cathartic crescendos. Music that can feel close enough to whisper in your ear before suddenly opening up into something much bigger.
At the centre of it all is Morgan's voice: soaring and tender one moment, raw and guttural the next. ‘Betty’ is the first glimpse into Your Best, and perhaps its most emotionally immediate one. Written about the final conversation Morgan had with a close friend before her death, it is a song about grief, warning, memory and the things that stay with us. There is weight to it, but Miler let the song breathe and move with a genuine sense of emotion whilst keeping a driving sense of purpose - gritty guitars, tight drums and grounding bass under a vocal performance that feels both exposed and intimate yet completely in control.
Recorded with Alex McCrea at his home studio in Brighton and at Hook Studios in Oxfordshire with producer Jamie Biles (Isaac Gracie, Gretel, Miles Kane, Nick Mulvey and Delilah Montague), ‘Betty’ gradually builds from its stripped-back beginnings into something much bigger. Vocal harmonies bloom around the chorus, carrying a fleeting essence of Fleetwood Mac, before the guitars and driving drums crash back in, pulling the song towards a restless, yearning climax.
Morgan explains: “‘Betty’ is about the last conversation I had with a friend before she died, in which she told me to think carefully about my life and what path I was on, before I ended up on a path like hers. This has very much shaped the EP as it is quite a personal self reflection and exploration of my experiences and how I let them shape me, and the parallels in our life that she warned me against.”
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Bone Wars are a fearsome psych-rock quartet from Yorkshire, blending classic psychedelia, heavy rock, funk and Turkish psych into an eclectic, high-energy sound that is as comfortable with a huge riff as it is with an eight-minute improvisational freak-out.
Named after the late-19th-century rivalry between American palaeontologists racing to uncover new dinosaur species, Bone Wars turn a fascination with prehistoric creatures into the inspiration for a collection of songs about dinosaurs, extinction, geology and the strange stories behind the science.
Their sound draws on the classic psychedelia of Pink Floyd, Hawkwind and The Zombies, the contemporary explorations of The Oh Sees and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the funk of Parliament/Funkadelic, the electric experimentation of Miles Davis, Turkish psych from Mogollar and Altın Gün, and the heavier instincts of Led Zeppelin and The Who.
At the centre of it all is a band that thrives on improvisation and musical chemistry. Songs are mapped out with enough structure to give the music direction, then opened up to allow the four musicians to explore dynamics, texture and rhythm. The result is music that can move from a tight, hook-driven rock song into sprawling psychedelic territory without losing its sense of momentum.
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| Photo - Siria Ferrer |
Freyja Elsy’s second EP ‘to stop the world turning’ is released this weekend. The record is deeply personal - exploring memory, identity, anxiety and the lasting imprints of formative experiences. Following her critically acclaimed, outward-looking 2023 debut EP ‘Modern Artifice’, ‘to stop the world turning’ turns to introspection. It reflects on Elsy's formative experiences and the choices that shaped her - asking what remains when we look back at the people we once were and understanding their impact on her future.
The four tracks move through nostalgia, emotional numbness, anxiety, regret and reflection before ending with resolution. Elsy’s signature electronic production and classically trained composition weave through fresh, organic piano, strings, guitar and double bass punctuated by intricate, entrancing vocal arrangements. The EP was self-produced, with recording taking place for the first time outside of a home studio in a remote converted chapel in West Wales alongside engineer Owain Fleetwood Jenkins (Tom Chaplin, Billie Marten, Cerys Hafana).
The project has already built strong momentum through its three singles: ‘In My Veins’ was selected as a Fresh Fave by Freshonthenet, ‘Control’ was described by the BBC's Adam Walton as “an elevating slow burn… sumptuously produced”, featuring on Record of the Day, and ‘Another Life’ crossed over to spend two consecutive weeks on the BBC Radio Wales Welsh A-List. The singles have also received support from The Line of Best Fit, Music Observer, Clash Magazine and others. The EP is rounded out by the final track 'From Within', which seeks redemption from a fractured past.
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Gary Calamar has long been celebrated as a true music scene Renaissance man. You've seen his name as a renowned music supervisor in the credits to acclaimed television shows from the iconic Six Feet Under to the recent hit 3 Body Problem, and LA residents have, since the '90s, known him as a popular DJ on the influential radio program The Open Road (originally on KCRW and now airing weekly on KCSN).
In the 21st Century, Gary has been increasingly heard as a songwriter and recording artist as well, starting with his acclaimed 2014 debut EP You Are What You Listen To on Atlantic Records and continuing ever since with a well-received series of independent singles, all produced by John Would (Warren Zevon, Fiona Apple). He's won fans with an approach that blends the literate storytelling of Lou Reed with the pop hooks of Tom Petty, the power chords of Pete Townshend and a touch of surreal whimsy reminiscent of Robyn Hitchcock, while forging an identity that's all his own.
This year, things are accelerating rapidly for Calamar, and this new version of the catalog standout “I Got An Idea” (guest vocals Mark Mothersbaugh) serves brilliantly as an emblematic starting point for this next phase. With an infectious abundance of giddy excitement over a creative breakthrough packed into its two-and-a-half-minute run time, it's nearly perfect as a statement of intent for what's to come. Veteran LA scenesters may even recall this Calamar original from its first appearance on beloved alt-rock band Eggplant's second album back in 1990 (Gary was the band's manager) or as the lead of manifesto on his own debut EP 24 years later, but the new version on this single is most certainly the definitive rendition.
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Kat Greta's new indie-pop single ‘I Know What This Is’ has her exploring the universal sting of rejection, those ‘almost’ relationships and the bittersweet, frustrating dance of it all. ‘I Know What This Is’ and the accompanying music video is out now. Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Kat Greta released her debut Indie-pop EP ‘Rhythm and Reverie’ last year and received support across Australian community radio, with her latest single 'Audacity' reaching #1 on the AMRAP Indie/Alternative charts. She has been a guest on Introducing with Tim Blackwell (NOVA), while her music has also been featured on ABC Rage.
Throughout ‘I Know What This Is’, Greta balances energetic, driving beats and bright pop textures with raw, vulnerable lyrics, creating an honest and vibrant indie-pop singalong. Co-written and produced by Seetali Mack and mixed by Matt Voigt (Powderfinger, Midnight Oil, KISS), the track layers expressive instrumentation, soaring vocals and roaring electric guitar into a powerful sound that remains warm and vulnerable.
Greta unravels themes of rejection and unrequited love, woven with the signature humorous energy that permeates her songwriting. The repetition of ‘I Know What This Is’ becomes a point of self-awareness, capturing the clarity and acceptance that comes with recognising when an ‘almost’ relationship isn't going to materialise. As Kat Greta explains:
"‘I Know What This Is’ is about an ‘almost’, and the moment you realise that sometimes silence is the answer. It explores uncertainty, anticipation and the feeling of knowing what something is without ever having it fully defined. Bright, energetic production sits underneath a more bittersweet story, creating a contrast between how the song sounds and what’s happening beneath the surface."
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Award-winning singer-songwriter Pam Ross released her passionate new single, “Lost in Heaven,” yesterday September 11, 2026. Blending country storytelling, Southern-rock energy, and Americana warmth, the track captures the intoxicating feeling of becoming completely lost in the presence of someone irresistible.
Set against a cinematic backdrop of towering pines, shining stars, and a full moon sworn to secrecy, “Lost in Heaven” follows two people surrendering to the electricity of an unforgettable night. Ross establishes the song’s playful, sensual atmosphere immediately, singing about loud music, faded jeans, dancing, and an attraction “hotter than a day in late June.”
“Lost in Heaven” continues Ross’ tradition of refusing to be confined by a single genre. Her music draws from country, rock, Americana, and roots traditions, creating a sound that is both radio-friendly and unmistakably her own. That artistic versatility earned Ross the title of Female Multi-Genre Artist of the Year at the 2024 Josie Music Awards, reinforcing her reputation as a compelling and independent voice within contemporary roots music.
A dynamic performer and songwriter, Ross has brought her music to stages across the country including Nashville, and at Austin’s celebrated South by Southwest music festival. Her songs regularly combine muscular instrumentation and memorable hooks with personal, emotionally direct writing.
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