Abbey Lane - Dandelion & The Drop - Felix Raphael - Dear Boy

Abbey Lane - Lessons Learnt (EP).

Growth rarely comes easy. It stumbles in late, knocks things over, and leaves its mark in quiet, unexpected ways. On her new EP 'Lessons Learnt', out today Thursday, September 25, Abbey Lane traces the winding path of early adulthood with tenderness and insight, offering six intimate reflections on what it means to evolve, to unlearn, and to begin again.

These songs bloom in different shades. Some burst with the bright defiance of indie rock, all shimmering guitars and propulsive drums, while others slip into softer spaces built on slow-burning alternative pop. Her voice moves between restraint and release, drawing strength from stillness one moment, then soaring with conviction the next. 

"This EP is all about growing, learning and navigating your way through early adulthood," Abbey shares. "All the songs on this project revolve around different concepts of growth, whether it's about learning from mistakes, feeling lost in life decisions, or learning from young relationships."

The EP holds a series of emotional swells where vulnerability builds into something bold and unflinching. It is a sound that carries the weight of growth, not always graceful but always honest, as each track traces a new contour of becoming.

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Dandelion & The Drop - Underneath.

'Underneath' is the second single leading to Dandelion and The Drop's second album (due early November 2025). The song searches for answers hidden in the folds of existence. 

Dandelion’s lyrics reach into life’s unseen dimensions, where material wonders meet the inner depths of love, mind, body, and soul, tracing with appreciation the unseen threads between them. The journey begins with the grind of frozen, icy guitars, as the band conjures the vision into being: deep, resolving basslines, powerful drums, and swelling horns that rise like waves. 

Each element builds toward a functional beauty—a sound that is both urgent and searching, yet liberating and radiant with warmth. "Underneath" is a journey into the beauty of being, a soundscape of seeking, and the sound of meaning.

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Photo - Felix Raphael Compass

Felix Raphael - Compass (how to stay aligned).

Yesterday, Berlin live artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Felix Raphael dropped his forthcoming album’s second single, "Compass (how to stay aligned)" via [PIAS] Électronique – his new album, 'Do You' is out November 28.  

The LP’s theme is mental health, exploring Raphael’s own mental health challenges as a successful international electronic music artist and also his professional social work experience, aiming to help others both inside and outside the music industry by delving into these universally felt experiences. Split into four phases, Do You charts the peaks and nadirs of life as a touring musician, cycling through anxiety and struggle, mood swings, bliss, and finally equanimity. 

Raphael achieves this through a blend of melodic and organic house with indie folk elements, purpose-designed for live performance as he plays guitar, piano, synths and the Fluegelhorn which he taught himself specifically for the album as part of its signature sound and hopeful feeling. He deploys his rich, warm vocal gifts, his voice a reassuring anchor throughout.

While the LP will highlight issues such as comparison with others, dealing with both successes and failures, industry genre-conforming pressure and the courage needed to be open about mental health problems, it is also ultimately a positive record - in celebrating the true joy of creativity and sharing it with others.

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Photo - Jaxon Whittington

Dear Boy - The Address.

As anticipation builds for their sophomore album Celebrator, LA indie rock quartet Dear Boy deliver the collection's final single with "The Address," arriving ahead of the full album's October 17th release via Last Gang Records.

Reuniting once again with producer Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Momma, Been Stellar, Snail Mail), "The Address" finds Dear Boy operating at peak creative power. The track seamlessly balances nostalgic influences with forward-thinking song craft, built on a guitar-driven foundation that perfectly complements Ben Grey's compelling vocal delivery and incisive lyricism. From its opening Happy Mondays-esque drum groove, the dynamic rhythm section of Keith Cooper (drums) and Lucy Lawrence (bass, vocals) provides the propulsive energy that makes this their most immediately captivating release to date.

"The Address" rewards both casual listeners and deep-dive explorers – hooky enough for instant connection, yet layered enough to reveal new details with each encounter. The song exemplifies Dear Boy's remarkable ability to channel the golden era of British alternative rock while infusing it with their distinctive West Coast sensibility. There's an effortless quality to their approach, creating something that feels both comfortingly familiar and entirely fresh.

Quoted on the new single, Ben from Dear Boy states: "The Address is about waiting to fall in love with your own life. Sometimes the good things are all there in front of your face, but you just can’t get them to look back at you."

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Abbey Lane - Freedom Fry - Rodney Crowell - Briscoe

Abbey Lane - Burning Out.

‘Burning Out’, is the latest dulcet single from Abbey Lane, out this week. With 13 years of experience behind her, Abbey Lane has developed a distinct voice marked by smooth instrumentals and masterful vocals, a combination that continues to turn heads.

Now, in her first-ever self-produced track, Abbey strips things back with ‘Burning Out’, crafting a gentle, intimate soundscape. Guided by soft synths and a subtle electronic beat, her delicate vocal delivery leads listeners through a song that is both minimal and emotionally layered  deep in its simplicity.

This meditative track allows the lyrics to take centre stage. Written for anyone feeling overwhelmed or unsure of their place in the world, ‘Burning Out’ offers solace and a moment of stillness in a chaotic world. As Abbey shares:

"This track is for anyone having a quarter life crisis. I wrote it in a confused time of feeling lost in my twenties, where some friends are getting married and having kids, others are living day to day travelling the world, and I was conflicted between knowing what I should want and where I should be."

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Photo - Michelle Shiers

Freedom Fry - Best Friend (Album).

French American indie-pop duo Freedom Fry has released their fourth studio album, Best Friend, along with the official music video for the album’s lead single and title track. Featuring chilling synths, psychedelic beats, and hypnotic vocals, “Best Friend” is a moody dance track about a toxic friendship. The spellbinding chorus features the playful children’s rhyme “cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye” setting the tone for the rest of the album. The accompanying video features paper mâché versions of the group’s members Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll kidnapping the real versions of themselves a la the film Coraline.

“The album came together as we started setting old poems like Poe's ‘The Raven’ to music, exploring timeless themes through a darker lens,” shares Freedom Fry. “The title track ‘Best Friend’ perfectly captures that shift.”

Best Friend is an exploration of timeless themes like friendship and nostalgia through a darker lens, offering a slightly different vibe than the indie-pop Freedom Fry have become known for. The 8-track independent collection also includes the dreamy single “A Farewell,” which has been featured in Apple Music’s New In Alternative playlist. Full track listing below.

Based in Los Angeles, Freedom Fry is comprised of the married duo of the Paris-born Seyrat and U.S.-born Driscoll. Since the release of their 2018 debut album Classic, Freedom Fry has created their own musical universe – writing, producing, and recording their vastly growing catalogue. Freedom Fry’s songs have been remixed by the likes of Sofi Tukker and Penguin Prison and championed by KEXP, WXPN, the BBC, SiriusXM’s Alt Nation, Howard Stern himself, Billboard, Clash, Flaunt Magazine, NYLON, Vice, and more. The duo’s songs have also appeared across television and films, with their 2021 single “Le Point Zéro” featured in the film M3GAN. They also scored the music for the BAFTA Award-winning TV show Lovely Little Farm (available on AppleTV+) and wrote the show’s theme song “Animals.” Whether it’s an emotional folk ballad or a fun pop banger, Freedom Fry has an unquestionable knack for melodic mastery and catchy, timeless tunes.


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Rodney Crowell - Sometime Thang.

Rodney Crowell will release Airline Highway on August 29, 2025 via New West Records. The 10-song set was produced by Tyler Bryant and recorded & mixed by Trina Shoemaker in New Orleans, Louisiana. Crackling with live-wire energy, the album follows his 2023 Grammy Award-nominated The Chicago Sessions. The wise and vibrant Airline Highway features contributions from some of the most exciting young blues and country artists working today, all of whom count Crowell as a foundational influence. 

Ashley McBryde co-wrote and sings on “Taking Flight,” Lukas Nelson co-wrote and sings the opener “Rainy Days in California,” Blackberry Smoke guitarist Charlie Starr sings on “Heaven Can You Help,” while Rebecca & Megan Lovell from Larkin Poe add harmonies and slide guitar throughout. With a career spanning more than fifty years, Crowell is still questioning how and why he makes music, still setting new rules and quickly breaking them. “This record is a document of me falling in love with these musicians,” says Crowell. “That’s one of the great perks of this job—falling in love with the people you’re playing with. And we caught that on tape.” 

This week, album highlight “Sometime Thang.” has been shared. Crowell says, "Once upon a time a famous movie star made a move on my girlfriend. The mis-title (and spelling) came to me right away. The girlfriend and I have been married over three decades and once in a while the actor shows up in television commercials. No doubt the dude was handsome. But I never thought he was much of an actor. I'm just saying." 

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Photo - Justin Crook

Briscoe - Roughnecks.

Texas duo Briscoe announced the release of 'Heat of July', the bold new album, out on 19th September via ATO Records. Celebrating the great outdoors and their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men, Heat of July marks a major sonic leap for lifelong friends Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, the Austin-based duo known for their signature intertwined vocals and relentless touring alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band. 
 
Produced by Grammy-nominated Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats) and featuring a “folk supergroup” featuring Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) and studio musicians who have performed with artists including Bon Iver, Houndmouth, and Hiss Golden Messenger.  With sweeping arrangements and vivid storytelling, the album elevates Briscoe’s raw, rootsy foundation into a polished folk-rock masterwork.
 
This week, Briscoe released 'Roughnecks', a song inspired by a photo of Truett’s great-grandfather, who made his living working gas lines and in the oilfields of Texas. “The song tells the story of a man who spends his long and strenuous hours of work in the fields reflecting on his past decisions and the girl he left behind, with instrumentation and lyrics that pay homage to the trades that are so integral to our Texas heritage”, stated Truett.

The track is a perfect introduction to the new sound from a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon. An album written while on the road, as they travelled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun. "We learned how to write music from behind the wheel," Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas' best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless American Roots. Adding, "Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process." 

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Abbey Lane - Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine - The Bats - Steven Troch Band

Abbey Lane - Baby Steps

Drink in Abbey Lane's signature smooth indie blend in her single ‘Baby Steps’, an ode to the small wins and small joys, released this week.

In her first release of 2025, Abbey Lane showcases the talent she’s nurtured through her 13 years of experience with music, once again standing out as someone who pours her heart into every song. In her time, Abbey Lane has accomplished a great deal, collaborating with writers such as Yung Bleu and Tenille Arts and recently performing at Old Bar Beach Festival (Surftrash, Kim Churchill), Rockhampton River Festival (Eskimo Joe), Never Had So Much Fun (supporting Ula and Eluera) and so much more.

Her 2024 debut EP release drew in praise from all corners, with the track 'Darling' winning Best Folk Song of The Year at the ASA Awards, 2025 is sure to bring great things too.

‘Baby Steps’ is a daydream, perfectly embodying Abbey Lane’s ephemeral style. Dreamy indie romance guitar, with echoing effects that make this track flow like a lazy river. Abbey’s vocals stand out as something purely magical, possessing the gentle lure of a siren’s song.  The earnest quality of this track makes it feel reassuring, a comforting mid-afternoon ray of sunshine, something the lyrics exacerbate.

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Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine - Rear Meat (EP).

A year after their debut EP, A Good Way to Get Yourself Killed, Bristol's Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine return on April 4th with their sophomore effort Rear Meat.

Blending the irreverent spirit of Devo, The B-52s, and Talking Heads with their distinctive fusion of new-wave and post-punk sensibilities, the quintet’s latest offering marks a significant sonic evolution. Pulsating  with dark rhythms and gritty textures, they collectively push into heavier, more adventurous terrain. "Rear Meat is probably our heaviest set of songs stylistically and represents a significant shift from our previous output," explains synthist/vocalist Harri Elliott. "We've gradually become a bit heavier the longer we have been a band."

The EP's four tracks dive into darker territory while maintaining the band's signature humour. From the genre-blending 'There's Less Trouble When You Stay At Home' to the powerful awakening of 'Skyrats,' each song offers fresh perspectives. The EP's standout focus track 'Armadillo' arrives wrapped in swirling synthesisers and mind-bending effects, inspired by an unsettling dream. "Armadillo is about a dream that Smudge had where a business tycoon would steal from everyone he could which made Smudge super scared but then he woke up and realised it was all a dream." explains drummer Seamus, "The inspiration for this song came from Smudge having that dream, and then we as the band wanted to recreate the different notions of sleep we experience such as REM, waking up from a nightmare, the notion of falling asleep and not being able to get to sleep in a musical sense."

Across this compact but potent collection, Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine plunge into a cathartic space where anxiety and mistrust dance with playful irreverence. Recorded primarily by bassist Duncan and guitarist Cameron in the basement of Bristol's iconic venue The Louisiana, the band took an unconventional approach to production. "One of the main creative processes to this EP is that we recorded the drums without a click/metronome," Seamus notes. "Nowadays that is not standard practice, but I really wanted to capture a flowing energy because when you play to a click sometimes that flow gets lost."

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Photo - Richard Langston

The Bats - Loline.

Look out, it’s The Bats! These New Zealand indie rock royals have had their heads down recording new music and are now ready to share the first offering; ‘Loline’. The new single strikes a very distinctive and familiar chord that exists in the fuzzy-loving hearts of fans all round the world. We can’t wait to see what else this line-up of over 40 years has in store for us this year.

‘Loline’ was recorded at Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers by Flying Nun legend, Tex Houston, with extra keyboards from Ryan Fisherman. The gorgeous music video featuring recent concert footage was directed, shot and produced by Martin Sagadin, ably assisted by Jack Freeman and Lucy Lallemant – and all with the support of New Zealand on Air.

The Bats are Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean and Malcolm Grant, the much-loved indie rock band from Aotearoa. Since their inception in Christchurch in 1982, The Bats’ music has earned a devoted following around the world, and they remain one of New Zealand’s most cherished and enduring exports. Their music is a perfect blend of bittersweet beauty and deceptive simplicity, and the band has a phenomenal ability to create melodies that linger long after the record has stopped spinning.

Throughout their 40 plus years of existence, and now with album number 11 in the pipeline, The Bats have stayed true to their roots, creating timeless music that continues to resonate with fans old and new.

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Steven Troch Band - God Pulls The Strings.

Steven Troch Band have just released their new single "The Dawning". The song exudes a mystical border town atmosphere and asks the question whether our fate is predetermined. The narrator of this song narrows his scope, to concisely find an answer. This single announces Steven Troch Band's fourth studio album. ‘The Dawning’ which will be released on April 25, 2025 on CD, vinyl and digital services worldwide.

Frontman Steven Troch got “contaminated” by Rhythm & Blues in his late teens. Over the years he has turned into a very fine harmonica player with an extra dose of originality, an accomplished vocalist and clever songwriter.

In 2016 Steven surrounded himself with a very talented & experienced bunch of musicians and the Steven Troch Band was born. Matt T Mahony is carrying the torch high, keeping one eye on tradition while pushing forward into newer areas.  Miss Liesbeth Sprangers keeps a steady pace on her powerhouse bass and drummer Dennis de Gier loves to groove and brews up a wide  variety of rock-solid rhythms like no other.

In their music you will hear the mean menace of modern day life, the sweaty rhythms of the city, the blue notes of days gone by and lyrics that will paint a smile on your face. They are always walking a tightrope between High-Octane Swing, mellow Afterhours Blues and vintage feel-good R&B. Steven Troch Band is a solid four piece band that plays rough-edged contemporary Rhythm & Blues with soul-baring conviction. Without any doubt " Steven Troch Band " is one of the finest bands playing some of the best contemporary and vintage style blues you will hear in Europe today.

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