Beth Lucas - Emory Duncan - Strange Plants - Aldous Harding - Nic Panken - Desperately Seeking Suki - Eleyet McConnell

Beth Lucas - What I Deserved.

Australian Country artist Beth Lucas has released her deeply personal new single ‘What I Deserved'. Written eighteen years after the experience of her first love, the track is a candid reflection on the complexities of young adulthood and the mistakes made on both sides of a first serious relationship - a song she never expected to write. Though the track was already written, Lucas refined the key elements during the recording process alongside producer James North. 

Through her trademark confessional storytelling, Beth explores her own shortcomings and the lessons learned from a formative romance she once thought she’d never revisit. After surfacing subconsciously, years after Lucas had “pushed it down and moved on”, ‘What I Deserved’ has evolved into a form of therapy - transforming a suppressed memory into a moment of growth and resolution. 

“This is easily one of the most vulnerable songs I’ve ever written and I know it’s finally the right time to share this part of my story. Like a lot of my songs, the lyrics eventually found their way out in the middle of the night, and when I sat down the next day, the song basically wrote itself. It feels good to finally release it”.
 
Beth Lucas creates confessional modern country with an alt-edge, blending “sad girl country” vulnerability with the vocal power of Sara Evans. Her sound is a deliberate evolution - originally rooted in the emo and alternative scenes, Beth returned from a brief hiatus with a refocused devotion to raw, honest storytelling.

Beth Lucas · What I Deserved

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Emory Duncan - Semicircles.

Emory Duncan has shared the second single from his forthcoming EP Semicircles and Half Written Songs, produced by Jamie Mefford (Gregory Alan Isakov, Nathaniel Rateliff). Duncan’s soft, gauzy vocals float over an elegant tangle of violin, piano, and slide guitar, as he examines the power of real love to pull us out of self-sabotaging cycles. 

Duncan shares: “Semicircles” is about the rhythms we find ourselves in, patterns that we fall into and define us, and the cold realization in hindsight that the agency to change was ours all along. We become victims of our choices, stuck in our little loops despite our awareness of them. Semicircles, at its core, is a lack of self-control. It’s reconciling regret and emotional distance with a love that’s powerful and real. That’s the tragedy, that honest love is no match for self-destruction, although they both exist in a messy complexity of internal struggle. 

Originally from Houston, Duncan now lives and writes from a log cabin tucked beneath the Redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, crafting pastoral Americana as dreamy, foggy, and serene as the setting he inhabits. He released his debut EP For Someone I Don’t Know in 2024 followed by a string of singles. Duncan’s music has independently racked up millions of streams and landed in tastemaker compilations by Alexrainbird, Indie Folk Central and more.  

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Strange Plants - Ground Falls Away.

Strange Plants return with “Ground Falls Away,” an energetic rock single that blends kinetic grooves with the band’s signature analog warmth. Driven by pulsing rhythms, vintage textures, and an undeniable forward motion, the track captures the restless feeling of pushing through life’s daily pressures and refusing to stand still. Following up on February’s “Lay Your Mind,” it’s the second release to be shared as part of a collection arriving throughout the year.

The inspiration for “Ground Falls Away” came from a candid conversation between friends. “I was speaking with a friend over drinks one night and he was really going through it,” explains songwriter Matt Brannon. “He was hustling day to day just to stay ahead, and it felt like if he ever stopped moving the ground would just swallow him up. Despite all this pressure, he remained hopeful and willing to keep soldiering on.”

The song first began with a riff from songwriter Travis Flint, an acoustic figure that weaves through the verses and anchors the driving momentum. Though written several years ago, the band initially set it aside after recording the foundational tracks during a transitional period. Returning to it later gave the song new life. “We had recorded the bed tracks but shelved it for a while,” Matt says. “Coming back to it now, it feels like it was meant to be. It’s so much better and we couldn’t be happier.”

One of the most distinctive elements of “Ground Falls Away” lies in its rhythm section. The bass lands on the upbeat against the kick drum’s downbeat, creating an unusual push-and-pull groove that fuels the song’s sense of motion. The chorus then expands dramatically, culminating in an instrumental back half that delivers emotional impact without relying on additional lyrics.

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Aldous Harding - Venus In The Zinnia.

Aldous Harding has dropped a second single from her upcoming fifth album Train On The Island, which lands on 8 May. The track, 'Venus In The Zinnia' got its first spin last night on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6Music show.

On the song, Harding teams up with H. Hawkline—who handles bass, guitar, and backing vocals—while John Parish jumps in on drums, Wurlitzer, and percussion. Keeping up her streak of striking visuals, the new video features both Harding and H. Hawkline, and was made with the support of NZ on Air Music.

The 10-track Train On The Island was co-produced by long-time collaborator John Parish (PJ Harvey, Dry Cleaning) at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, where the pair recorded the New Zealander’s previous bodies of work, Party (2017), Designer (2019) and Warm Chris (2022). Joining Harding and Parish on Train On The Island were pedal steel player Joe Harvey-Whyte, harpist Mali Llywelyn, synth artist Thomas Poli, drummer Sebastian Rochford (Polar Bear) and Huw Evans (H. Hawkline) on bass, vocals, acoustic/electric guitar and organ.

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Photo - Rakel Stammer

Nic Panken - Near Divine or Merely Rhyme (Album).

Nic Panken understands the perseverance of art and its intentions to ground and inspire us. He sees how melodies ruminate deep in the belly of uncertainty, blossoming to bring fresh clarity and a whispering optimism. Over the years, the Brooklyn-born songwriter has endeavored to spread the invigorating presence of song, initially through fronting the Americana-folk group Spirit Family Reunion and now, through his own evolution as a solo artist. Panken strives for equilibrium and purpose, and it's through his gorgeously sensitive yet gutsy delivery that an exhale can be found, away from our amplified anxieties and collective mourning. 

Now residing in Kingston, NY, Panken divides his time outside of music-making between working as a puppeteer, hosting his weekly radio show, and mixing sound at beloved local venue Tubby's. By immersing himself in the restorative power of the arts, every day is decorated with the potential to be present; to find new meaning and community through his various, purposeful practices. After years of relentless touring with Spirit Family Reunion, Panken found solace in staying still, and it’s in this shift that he began crafting what would become his new body of work.

His debut solo album Near Divine or Merely Rhyme is the result of trusting your gut and the process, no matter how unexpected the outcome. The foundation of these songs were spurred on by a wink from the universe, when Panken met multi-instrumentalist Jared Samuel (Kevin Morby, Aldous Harding) while performing at a local Hudson Valley house show. Samuel and his partner Sarah La Puerta run the small recording studio Pale Moon Services in Cambridge, NY, with core beliefs that music making is for all, and that to say yes to one instant is to say yes to all of existence. 

“As soon as I walked into that space I knew I wanted to make music there,” Panken says, citing Samuel’s “encouraging yet patient,” energy that served as a catalyst in the album’s tapestry. The previously stripped-down arrangements of Panken’s songs soon morphed into an expansive landscape, as the pair’s chemistry propelled the sonic direction. “I learned to just allow it to be what it wants to be.”

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Photo - Eshe Taylor

Desperately Seeking Suki - Suki.

Desperately Seeking Suki, are an exciting duo made up of siblings Natassa Zoë and SIG SALI (Danny Pugh), based in Australia and the UK. They introduce you to their world with their impactful debut single 'Suki' out on the 10th of April, lifted from their forthcoming EP.

‘Suki' is a love song about life’s messy, beautiful bits, the good, the awkward and the real. It’s about meeting someone who truly sees you and being free to be completely yourself.  Standing on the dancefloor in the eye of a carousel of glimmering synths and infectious beats, Natassa’s evocative and literate spoken word puts you into her mind's eye. Bursting into synth-dapped, earworm alt-pop choruses. ‘Suki’ embodies the ups, the downs, the laughs and the big feelings, love with an open heart, even when it’s messy. A rushing and cinematic song built for 2026: relatable yet universal, it burrows into your head and won’t let go. Desperately Seeking Suki will take you by the hand and take you for a ride.

Natassa says: “Suki is about embracing the light and dark in yourself and finding love that holds through the chaos.” Natassa Zoë, who lives between Australia and the UK, and Danny Pugh, based in Bristol, started Desperately Seeking Suki by sending tracks back and forth across continents before reuniting to launch their debut EP. Together, they craft a sonic tapestry that fuses melodic indie pop, art pop, and dynamic synth pop.

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Eleyet McConnell - The Ledge.

Award-winning husband-and-wife duo Eleyet McConnell return with their gripping new single and video, “The Ledge,” available worldwide on April 10th, 2026. The track is the latest release from their critically praised sophomore album, The Journey, which debuted March 6th across all major digital platforms.

Written by Angie and Chris McConnell, “The Ledge” stands as one of the album’s most emotionally charged and sonically intense moments. Driven by raw vocals, urgent instrumentation, and unflinching honesty, the song captures the breaking point in a toxic relationship—where silence, manipulation, and emotional weight collide with the need for liberation.

Opening with stark confrontation—“One of these days you’re gonna realize you needed me”—the track builds into a defiant chorus that declares independence and self-worth: “Standing on the edge of the ledge / I need to break free from here.” The imagery is vivid and immediate, placing listeners at the brink of a personal reckoning. It’s a song about reclaiming control, shedding emotional chains, and choosing truth over illusion.

Musically, “The Ledge” leans into the duo’s evolving rock-forward sound, blending driving guitars with dynamic rhythms and powerful vocal delivery. It reflects the broader sonic direction of The Journey, an album that expands Eleyet McConnell’s palette while staying rooted in their signature authenticity.

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Sarah Sharp - Aldous Harding - Salarymen - El Ten Eleven - Kye Alfred Hillig

Photo -  Zack Brigham

Sarah Sharp - Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.

Austin-based singer/songwriter Sarah Sharp just announced the upcoming release of her debut album Deja Vü out May 15 via Spaceflight Records. A staple of the Austin music scene, the former leader of the critically-acclaimed Jitterbug Vipers and highly respected commercial songwriter's luminous debut blends intimate, nocturnal arrangements with her incredible vocal prowess. 

Alongside the announcement, Sharp has shared her interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”. She started performing the tune during her nine-year prestigious residency at the Elephant Room in Austin when a former boyfriend developed cancer. Passing away soon after, Sharp's reading reflects on the disappointment of past relationships, embodying life experience and loss.

When asked about the timing of her debut, Sharp says, “My kids are now old enough”, underscoring her commitment as a single mother. “I want to play for way more people. Traveling with your music to other parts of the world is like running up and saying hello to parts of yourself that you can’t always access. It’s so powerful to integrate them. I’m always striving to become whole while keeping my heart open - living in the flow of what my friends call ‘Sarahdipity’.”

After nine years of her prestigious residency at the Elephant Room, Sarah Sharp recorded her debut album in the studio of local guitar legend Eric Johnson, who offered the space to her after being mesmerized by one of her performances. The result crosses over a multitude of genres, from jazz, to folk, to americana, providing a wide cinematic canvas on which she traverses a haunting emotional journey. Deja Vü marks the singer coming into her own in the national spotlight, with a distinguished, smokey vocal in the lineage of Norah Jones.

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Aldous Harding - One Stop.

It's time to buckle up for Aldous Harding's fifth studio album, Train On The Island (on 4AD). 

Her first album since her 2022 release Warm Chris, Flying Nun Records in New Zealand are making the album available digitally and on CD, red vinyl gatefold, exclusive ‘Flying Nun Black’ vinyl gatefold, and exclusive ‘Holiday Records Copper’ vinyl gatefold [limited to 50 copies] all out on 8th May 2026! 

This week marked the release of the first single and video One Stop. Premiered by Huw Stephens on his BBC 6Music radio show, One Stop is accompanied by a Harding-esque video directed by Michelle Henning (Props/location/assistance by Hana Shimada).

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Salarymen - Borrowed Time.

Sydney's Salarymen are rolling straight off a mostly sold-out UK tour with DMAs and Old Mervs and they're not hitting pause. New music drops today March 6th, plus a run of Australian headline shows this March. The indie outfit unleash Take It Or Leave It (Extended), featuring new single 'Borrowed Time'—an atmospheric psych-pop/indie rock fusion that takes aim at the music industry's unspoken expiration date for female artists.

'Borrowed Time' combines Djo's hazy, reverb-drenched guitars and warbly synths, with Alice Phoebe Lou's ethereal, captivating vocals. It's retro-leaning but sophisticated in all the right ways, with tight harmonies, clever chord changes and richly-layered soundscapes
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But beneath the shimmering surface lies a hard-hitting message: women in music are working against a clock nobody sets but everyone enforces. Once women hit their late 20s, suddenly there's this quiet pressure, this sense that your window is closing before you've even hit your peak. “In a world increasingly obsessed with youth, women in music are quietly taught that relevance has a shelf life, long before their artistry has room to mature.” says Renee de la Motte.

The extended version also features ‘Echoes’, a fan-fan favourite dream pop track inspired by the likes of Beach House and Alvvays. Written in memory of two friends who tragically passed away, the song is a stunningly-raw and beautiful depiction of grief and the fragility of life.

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El Ten Eleven - Formerly Fresh.

The legendary post-rock duo El Ten Eleven have just released the driving and electric new track "Formerly Fresh" from their upcoming album, Nowhere Faster, on April 10th via Joyful Noise Recordings. "The title is us poking fun at how old we are getting," El Ten bassist Kristian Dunn says. "Everything you hear other than drums is coming from a fretless acoustic bass guitar (yes, with loads of effects at times!). On our new record, side one was recorded with my usual electric basses, but side two is all on the acoustic."

Not many bands greet aging head-on, and fewer still announce it with a cowbell. El Ten Eleven does both without flinching. “Formerly Fresh” is a self-effacing glance in the mirror—a song that understands time has passed and refuses to apologize. Moving between peppy, string-driven swells and quieter passages built on little more than bass and shaker, it finds El Ten Eleven at their oldest—and, undoubtedly, at the peak of their powers.

We like to believe our lives can be shaped into stories—clean arcs, legible meaning—but life refuses the outline. Instead, it moves bluntly and without apology, indifferent to our sense of order. Events pile up without resolution, momentum divorced from direction, motion confused for progress. Sometimes the only refuge left is the nowhere of our own minds.

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Kye Alfred Hillig - The All-Night Costume Company (Album).

Tacoma, Washington songwriter Kye Alfred Hillig this week releases The All-Night Costume Company, his ninth solo album. It’s a record born from necessity rather than momentum, written during a period when Hillig had nearly walked away from music altogether, and found himself worse for it. What emerged instead is his most vital and clear-eyed work to date, an album shaped by collapse, community, and the unglamorous work of staying alive. For more than two decades, Hillig has been a steady presence in the Puget Sound underground, splitting his life between songwriting, social services, and a string of bands and solo releases that value truth over spectacle. 

Since stepping fully into his solo work in 2012, he’s built a catalog known for sharp melodies, indelible hooks, and lyrics that refuse to soften the blow. His writing carries echoes of Bob Dylan’s moral unease and narrative patience, delivered with a plainspoken, blue-collar directness that recalls Springsteen at his most human rather than heroic. There’s also a modern indie pulse running through the record, a sense of emotional lift and tension familiar to fans of The Jayhawks and Wilco’s early work, even as The All-Night Costume Company stands firmly on its own.

The album exists because Hillig’s band refused to let him disappear. After releasing the double album In All Colors Singing Back in 2022, Hillig became largely inactive, convinced that music had taken more than it had given. Walking away didn’t bring relief. It made things worse. By the fall of 2024, his life had begun to unravel in quiet but dangerous ways. A rare full-band show that November at Tacoma’s Edison Square changed everything. In front of a packed room, something snapped back into place. Afterward, his band demanded a record. Hillig owed them one, and more than that, he needed it. The band at the center of The All-Night Costume Company — guitarist David Bilbrey, keyboardist Bill Nordwall, bassist Yoswa, drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jasen Samford, and backing vocalist Annie J — isn’t presented as a supporting cast, but as a collective force. Their presence shapes the record’s emotional center, giving Hillig the space and pressure needed to finish what he’d nearly abandoned.

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