Bandits on the Run - Lo-fi Jones - Breakfield - Mirqa - Brooke Annibale - Christa Wells

Photo - Hunter Brown and Lucy Werner

Bandits on the Run - Rough Magic (Album).

Between their innovative arrangements, instrument swapping, scope of emotions and experiences conveyed in their songwriting, and an eclectic group of old friends and collaborators, NYC-based trio Bandits on the Run are truly living up to what they call their “ethos of artmaking” on their new album, 'Rough Magic' just released 12 June 2026.

“With a reverence for imperfection, grit, commitment, an acceptance that chaos is inevitable, and a deep gratitude for the friendships that are truly the foundation for everything — ‘Rough Magic,’ like love, is both a noun and a verb. It’s the goal and the method. It’s the god we’re evoking and welcoming into the room with each song we write and each show we play. At our core, we’re NYC buskers. We’re throwing our jackets on the ground and playing troubadour style — timeless and evergreen. We know the alchemy at play when you dare to believe that an empty section of a subway platform full of strangers can turn into a concert hall with new friends. None of this is perfect, or requires permission, it only asks that you dare your heart to be seen — even with all the rough edges. Because it’s rough, it’s magic,” the band says.

With rotating lead vocals and varied instrumentation, the trio of Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn evoke the 60s and 70s spirit of bands like Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and the Papas, and The Velvet Underground while also carrying the sonic inventiveness of the modern folk power pop acts like First Aid Kit, Bonnie Light Horsemen, and Lucius. They swim in the same lyrical waves as  I’m With Her, Folk Bitch Trio, The Staves, and other trios featuring impeccable harmonies and elevated songwriting so good they make the balancing act seem simple.  

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Photo - Mark McNulty

Lo-fi Jones - Coming Sŵn (Album)

Lo-fi Jones, a folk-indie four-piece from the heart of mid-Wales, recently announced the release of their debut album, Coming Sŵn, available now on all major platforms (12 June 2026). Recorded primarily at Our Lady Studio in Borth with producer and engineer Mike West, the album is an eclectic, defiantly original debut — rooted in Welsh folk and indie, but defying easy categorization. Additional tracks were recorded and produced in Oxford by Nikò O’Brien and Hannah Jacobs of pecq, in Cardiff by Mei Gwynedd, and in frontman Siôn Rickard’s bedroom. Adam Walton of BBC Radio Wales once described the band’s work as being like ‘an excellent home brew’ — ‘take one sip and it might take you somewhere you weren’t expecting.’ Words that certainly ring true for this record.

The album opens with a rhythmic, syncopated thrum of nylon strings as fiddle and harmonica glide the listener into an upbeat rendition of the Welsh traditional ‘Diofal yw’r Aderyn’. From there, the band veer off the beaten track, moving between genres and moods — playful, lyrical, reflective, and subversive. Original songs tackle topics ranging from broken toasters to refugees, climate change, and the language, landscapes and communities of Wales. Lo-fi Jones weave seamlessly between Welsh and English, with a smattering of Spanish and French.

“Some of these songs were written when we were still teenagers; others are much newer. We’re chaotic, obsessive, and it’s probably a miracle we finished the record at all — but we’re excited about what comes next.” — Siôn Rickard, Lo-fi Jones.

“With the music we make, we want to take the Welsh heritage — the folk, the stories, the storytelling of the people and Cymru — and bring it to life through the visions of people from different backgrounds; like myself, from Nicaragua, for example. Channeling the contemporary stories we all carry, through the language of the land.” — Rolando Bertrand Ruiz, Lo-fi Jones.

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Photo - David McClister

Breakfield - Breakfield (Album).

Nashville-raised band Breakfield released their self-titled album this weekend via Rounder Records. Produced by The 400 Unit’s Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell, Beck, Morgan Wade), Breakfield reincarnates the band formerly named Boy Named Banjo as a four-piece that’s fully in tune with their most adventurous instincts.

Breakfield has already garnered support from Ones to Watch, MusicRow, Holler, All Country News and Americana Highways, who praised the album’s “sharper-edged storytelling” as the band delves into the complexities of relationships. Early singles include the rowdy “Straight for Heartbreak,” the optimistic “Pull Some Strings,” the bittersweet “Darker Out Tonight,” the tender "Ever-Loving Mind" and the anthemic “Canyon Walls.” Reimagining never-released material through the lens of their less-is-more approach, the album harnesses the spirited vitality they’ve shown at major festivals like Bonnaroo and historic venues like the Grand Ole Opry, while capturing the joyful abandon of their earliest days 15 years ago.

Formed in their teens, Breakfield includes Barton Davies (vocals/banjo), William Reames (guitar/vocals/harmonica), Ford Garrard (bass) and Sam McCullough (drums). The self-titled album follows their 2023 LP Dusk, which earned acclaim from American Songwriter, BrooklynVegan, Holler and Garden & Gun, who said "their sound has evolved and deepened, no longer penned in by just one genre."

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Mirqa - Interesting Times.

Artists such as Patti Smith, A.A. Williams and Slowdive come to mind within the first few bars of “Interesting Times.” The atmospheric density, urgency, and sonic expansiveness associated with these artists resonate throughout the new single by Bern-based musician Mirqa. With “Interesting Times,” she delivers an impressive solo debut.

Yet Mirqa is far from a newcomer to the Swiss music scene. As a drummer, singer, songwriter, and now also a producer, she moves confidently between different musical worlds. Alongside her solo work at Studio MMI and on her own label, Greymouse, she plays drums in two bands: the singer-songwriter trio “The Schrad’Elles,” of which she has been a member for more than 35 years—with interruptions—and, since 2024, the indie alternative rock formation “Curvy Curls.”

After spending an extended period abroad, Mirqa returns with a whole series of new songs. Her music comes straight from the heart—sometimes in Bernese German, sometimes in English—depending on which side of her artistic expression is calling to be heard. For her productions, Mirqa records most of the instruments herself, only occasionally receiving support from guest musicians. This independent and highly personal approach also defines “Interesting Times.”

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Photo - Sasha Pedro

Brooke Annibale - Make You Mine.

Indie singer/songwriter Brooke Annibale has announced her new album Bolder Font will release on September 17th. Her first collection of brand new music in four years, Bolder Font finds the Rhode Island-based, Pittsburgh-native at the precipice of a creative rejuvenation as she rediscovers her self-worth after a series of disheartening and unexpected setbacks. Bolder Font also marks the first time she dove into full creative control of an entire album, including writing, recording, producing, editing, and mixing entirely on her own.

This weekend Annibale shared “Make You Mine,” her electrifying new single that burns with the thrill of chasing something you simply can’t walk away from: the pursuit of love, a creative passion, a road not taken. It captures that irresistible pull of going after what you want one more time, making the scenic route feel like the only route worth taking.

“I wrote this song after writing a few quite lyrically heavy ones, feeling like I just wanted to write something fun,” stated Annibale. “I pulled up a drum loop, set up my mic, and just started playing to see what would come out. The writing of ‘Make You Mine’ fell out in about a day. I love those kinds of songs, because they just feel natural, unforced. Tommy Ng, who played bass on this, really created this danceable element with the driving bass line in the choruses. I hear it in my head even when I’m playing it solo. Sure this could be taken as a simple love song, and it has some of that inspiration in there. But it also is about the pursuit of dreams, and chasing something more.”

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Christa Wells - I’m Okay.

Christa Wells new single “I’m Okay,” is a gentle piano-led meditation on presence, acceptance, and finding safety in the moment you're in. Built around delicate piano, warm vocals, and a simple yet powerful refrain, the song creates space to slow down. There’s no rush, no destination, no pressure to be anything other than exactly who you are right now.

It feels like sunlight through a window. Like exhaling after carrying too much for too long. Like remembering that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply stay present.

At its heart, “I’m Okay” offers a reminder many of us need to hear: “In this moment - In this body - I'm okay” With each repetition, the song becomes less of a statement and more of an anchor. A grounding presence. A quiet reassurance that even amid uncertainty, there is safety in the here and now. This isn't a song about fixing yourself. It's about recognising that, for this moment, you are enough exactly as you are.


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Apryll Aileen - Bandits on the Run - Taxi Girls - American Blonde

Apryll Aileen - Call Me Anytime.

Canadian singer-songwriter Apryll Aileen shares “Call Me Anytime,” a warm and uplifting pop/alt-country single that captures the quiet strength of unconditional love across distance. Rooted in storytelling and emotional clarity, the track follows a grandfather supporting his grandson as he leaves home to pursue a rising soccer career, balancing pride, longing, and the enduring promise of connection.

At its core, the song is written from the perspective of a grandfather speaking to his grandson as he begins to find success in the Canadian soccer world. Through simple yet deeply resonant lyrics, he reminds him that no matter how far he goes, he is never alone. “Call Me Anytime” becomes both a message and a mantra; a steady reassurance that love remains constant, even as life pulls people in different directions.

That sense of connection extends into the song’s visual world. Filmed in Toronto during JUNO week, the accompanying music video features rising youth soccer talent Malakhai Eaton, one of the top defensive players in the GTA (12 and under). The video captures the emotional tension between ambition and home, reflecting the reality of leaving behind familiarity to chase something bigger, while still holding onto where you came from.

The creative process behind the song unfolded organically. “I was actually on a flight to the UK when I heard the chorus melody in my head,” Apryll shares. “I didn’t want to lose it, so I recorded a voice note right there in my seat. As soon as the plane touched down, I grabbed my friend’s guitar and the song grew naturally from there; it wrote itself.” The track was later brought to life in collaboration with UK-based producer Danny Lafrombe, blending simplicity with dynamic shifts that mirror the emotional arc of the story.

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Photo -  Hunter Brown & Lucy Werner

Bandits on the Run - lostlostlost.

Continuing to build excitement for their highly anticipated full-length album, Rough Magic, out on June 12, 2026, NYC-based indie-folk-pop trio, Bandits on the Run, just released the new single, “lostlostlost.” With rotating lead vocals and varied instrumentation, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn combine to evoke the 60s and 70s spirit of bands like Fleetwood Mac while also carrying the sonic inventiveness of the modern folk power pop acts like First Aid Kit and Bonnie Light Horsemen, and trios like I'm With Her, featuring impeccable harmonies and elevated songwriting so good they make the balancing act seem simple. 

Grown from theatrical roots Enscoe and Shepherd have appeared on Broadway, while Strayhorn has a successful career in casting - they are also writing several original musicals, including a stage musical adaptation of the novel What's Eating Gilbert Grape with actor-musician-longtime-friend Christopher Sears and newfound friend, Academy Award Nominee Peter Hedges. This summer, after a tour supporting Alan Doyle and the release of Rough Magic, Enscoe, Shepherd, and Strayhorn will perform their musical based on William Shakespeare's As You Like It, the basis for their 2025 EP, The Shakespeare Tapes, at the Chautauqua Institution, from August 10 - 15th, as well as two Bandits on the Run shows surrounding that production on August 9 and 12.
 
The new single, “lostlostlost,” was written “off the map,” during an increasingly rare moment when none of the band members were working on anything Bandits-related. Shepherd was starring in the world premiere of a show in Minneapolis, Strayhorn was working on a casting job and starting up a film portrait business, and Enscoe was cast in a TV show. Shepherd and Enscoe - who are married - were also moving, and Enscoe found themselves traveling between NY and Minneapolis, as well as visiting friends in other states. 

“It was a lot of being alone, and without the context of Bandits and our other collective pursuits, it got me in a meaningless-ness state of mind,” Enscoe reflects. “When I don't have Sydney to sleep next to, my circadian rhythm drifts, and soon I was staying up almost to sunrise and sleeping in the middle of the day. My life as a quasi-drifter lacked context. Much as I tried to find some pursuit to latch onto, I never stayed anywhere too long, so no shape took hold.”

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Taxi Girls - Say It!

Montreal’s Taxi Girls kick off the next chapter with “Say It!”, the electrifying new single and video which arrived May 1 on Stomp Records. Formed in 2022, the all-female garage punk outfit has quickly emerged from the city’s underground with a sound rooted in punchy hooks, raw edge and rock ’n’ roll swagger, nodding to The Donnas, Joan Jett and Nikki Corvette.

Like a snowy cab ride down Saint-Laurent after last call, their music carries the texture of late-night dépanneur runs, sesame bagels eaten on the curb, a Labatt 50 sweating in hand and a DuMaurier burned down to the filter. That feeling fuels a mix of garage rock cool and punk urgency, with infectious energy and a clear sense of identity. Big hooks cut through blown-out guitars, while the dual-vocal dynamic between Jamie Radu and Vera keeps everything shifting, trading lines, colliding and snapping into focus without losing control.

“Say It!” serves as the first glimpse of the band’s forthcoming debut LP Static, set for release on June 26. The single lands alongside vinyl and digital pre-orders for the album and sets the emotional and sonic tone for what’s to come. A second single, “Secret Handshake,” follows on June 5, with “Midnight Mixtape” spotlighted during release week.

“Say It!” captures Taxi Girls at their most immediate and unapologetic. The band’s dual-vocal dynamic shifts effortlessly from sweet to scathing, mirroring themes of resilience, self-realization and the courage to speak plainly. As the band explains, these ideas carry through Static: “This record is very real and very raw, exploring themes of love, loss, struggles with mental health, postpartum depression, and being caught in endless loops of nostalgia. The light at the end of the tunnel is stepping into your power, owning it, feeling it and truly understanding what that means deep down. We felt this was the perfect way to showcase Taxi Girls and share how we really feel.”

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American Blonde - Mississippi Moonshine.

American Blonde returns with their first release in nearly 18 months. This is a bold new chapter as a full band produced by Grammy-nominated Lincoln Parish (Cage the Elephant).

Swampy guitars, slide-driven grit, and a vocal that cuts, “Mississippi Moonshine” leans into Southern Rock roots with a modern edge. “Mississippi Moonshine captures the direction we’ve been moving, leaning into our roots while pushing toward a more rock-driven, live-energy sound. Delta born. Rock raised. Country at heart. This feels like the truest version of who we are as musicians.”— Nata & Tinka Morris

Mississippi-born, Nashville-based band blending Country, Rock, and Soul. Fronted by sisters Nata & Tinka Morris. International touring artists with multiple European runs. Ryman Auditorium artist program finalists. Known for high-energy live shows and a growing national footprint.

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Konradsen - Liya Shapiro - Bandits On The Run - Layla Kaylif - Plain Mister Smith - Gráinne Duffy

Photo - Marthe Thu

Konradsen - Hunt, Gather (Album).

Northern Norwegian duo Konradsen the project of Jenny Marie Sabel and Eirik Vildgren - have now released their new album ‘Hunt, Gather’ via Norwegian independent label 777 Music. Konradsen will celebrate the release of their third album with a unique headline show at Oslo's MUNCH Museum on 10th April. Featuring collaborations with Gia Margaret, Angie McMahon, Bruce Hornsby and Beharie, 'Hunt, Gather' sees Konradsen expand on their distinctive indie/folk-pop - where organic instrumentation meets subtle electronics, and intimate songwriting unfolds with cinematic scope.

Written between studio sessions and Jenny’s home in Northern Norway, the album reflects a shift toward a more instinctive, atmosphere-led process. Across its ten tracks, Konradsen explore themes of adulthood, responsibility and the search for grounding - choosing closeness, protecting relationships and asking difficult questions about the lives we build.

Konradsen's music treats everyday detail with cinematic patience - folding observations, overheard voices and small domestic details into arrangements that feel intentional without ever sounding forced. Jenny Marie Sabel’s voice carries a rare steadiness - intimate without tipping into sentimentality - while Eirik Vildgren’s production feels tactile, curious and understated. Across their discography, they’ve built a space where emotional clarity and subtle production sit side by side, creating songs that stay close to the body while thinking far beyond it.

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Liya Shapiro - Another Woman.

Liya Shapiro is a London-based singer-songwriter exploring the depths of love, identity, mental health and emotional fragility through her music. Having studied the history of art, fashion, and anthropology, each field tangibly shapes her artistry: art informs the way she hears and interprets sound; fashion fuels the visual identity she directs; and anthropology helps her explore the human condition. Through layered storytelling and intentional creative direction, she builds a world that is deeply personal and reflective of her journey to self-worth. 

The title-track from her upcoming EP, “Another Woman,” channels that same introspection, diving into the ache of unrequited love. Written after she thought she had already healed, the song was sparked by discovering that the person she once loved had moved on. “Watching someone you once loved be with someone else when you never even got the chance. Knowing it’s irrational, that you don’t even love them anymore, but feeling it anyway.” The lyrics confront that contradiction head on, as she sings, “I don’t love you anymore, not at all. But why does it still hurt somewhere deep in my heart when I see you embraced by another.” The song captures not just the emptiness of unshared love, but also the way struggles with self-worth can intensify that longing. While the single reflects on past pain, it also hints at transformation. The EP as a whole explores both closure and new beginnings, she’s now another woman, not only looking back, but moving forward.

Sonically, “Another Woman” captures this uncomfortable ache. The track’s chamber rock sound mirrors that emotional ebb and flow, showcasing soft, melancholic verses that swell into a crescendo, delivering something that is raw and frustrated, yet cathartic. Her vocals feel effortless yet theatrical, full of character and feeling, while the live-recorded instruments add a visceral authenticity.

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Bandits On The Run - Rough Magic.

Between their innovative arrangements, instrument swapping, scope of emotions and experiences conveyed in their songwriting, and an eclectic group of old friends and collaborators, NYC-based trio Bandits on the Run are truly living up to what they call their “ethos of artmaking” on their new album, Rough Magic.
 
With rotating lead vocals and varied instrumentation, Adrian Blake Enscoe (guitar & suitcase drum), Sydney Shepherd (cello), and Regina Strayhorn (accordion) combine to evoke the 60s and 70s spirit of bands like Fleetwood Mac while also carrying the sonic inventiveness of the modern folk power pop acts like First Aid Kit and Bonnie Light Horsemen, and trios like I'm With Her featuring impeccable harmonies and elevated songwriting so good they make the balancing act seem simple. The band's sophomore full-length, Rough Magic, is about friends — how we connect with them (or fail to), how we fight with them, and most importantly, how we love them. It's a testament and a celebration of what's possible when making something from nothing with your nearest and dearest. Relationships, old and new, are the heart of this LP.

“The cheat code for us has always been that if you surround yourself with good people, chances are the art will be something you're proud of,” Strayhorn shares. “And we are so incredibly proud of Rough Magic.” The song strips away the band's frequent kaleidoscope of instrumentation to the bare essentials  just guitar and three vocals; their rawest selves speaking straight to the listener. “'Rough Magic' is a message to slow down, release, and trust the timing is just right to share what's inside you. And that those who see your magic will be there sharing in it with you. And what better thing could one dream up than that?”

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Photo - Rebecca Miller

Layla Kaylif - Call Of The Yoni (Album).

This weekend, Layla Kaylif releases her new album Call Of The Yoni. Dripping in alt-rock, singer-songwriter vibes, the new album is an immersive experience for all that come across it. An organic mixture of world music built on Arabic instrumentation, chamber strings, and lyrics-forward composition, the new album by Layla Kaylif focuses conceptually on the "7-in-1 woman". Each track is a part of a continuous cycle that dissects different arenas of the female experience: innovation, eros, sovereignty, spirituality, roots, sight, and transformation. 

The English-Arab singer-songwriter's new magnum opus Call Of The Yoni is a testimony to what genuine womanhood looks like. With each track completing a piece of the puzzle, the singer showcases her most vulnerable side yet. Aptly released during Women’s History month, the album features seven introspective tracks that analyze what womanhood means while offering a unique perspective on feminism.

Layla Kaylif is an English–Arab singer-songwriter and filmmaker known for her genre-bending, lyrics-first approach that blends poetry, pop, and cinematic storytelling. After studying Arabic at Oxford University, she signed with Edel Records and released the international hit "Shakespeare in Love", which received critical acclaim as BBC Radio's Record of the Week and a top ten success across Southeast Asia. 

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Plain Mister Smith - Lucian & Frances Ft. Tyson Motsenbocker.

Plain Mister Smith returns this weekend with a delicate indie-folk track called “Lucian and Francis.” Simply put, the track focuses on the majestic paintings of Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, who often depicted raw, yet realistic portrayals of the human body.

Available now on most streaming platforms, “Lucian and Francis” is a chill tune that features the fluorescent vocals of Tyson Motsenbecker. His presence on “Lucian and Francis” packs a punch, as his textured vocals create a luscious sonic soundscape throughout. Featuring a pleasant mash of synths, mesmerizing guitar strums, and a poised drum beat, the new single by Plain Mister Smith feels like a perfect anthem to usher in the springtime.

Plain Mister Smith’s music continues to be simple, yet effective, focusing on cut and dry themes that penetrate deep within the soul. The new track perfectly captures the rush of dopamine and elation these legendary painters carved out. At its core, “Lucian and Francis” is a great tune for fine art buffs, as it highlights the amazing artwork humans can create with just a brush and some paint.

A veteran of Canadian indie scenes, Plain Mister Smith (formerly of Moev and Cinderpop, and current cellist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra) blends indie pop, baroque folk, and psychedelic sensibilities. His sound draws inspiration from an eclectic range of artists including The Beatles, Bryce Dessner, Matt Maltese, Led Zeppelin, and The Zombies, and even 20th-century classical composers like Prokofiev, who subtly influence his layered, string-laced arrangements.


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Photo - Barry McCall

Gráinne Duffy - Streets of Love.

Gráinne Duffy continues her steady rise as one of modern blues and roots music’s most compelling voices with the release of her new single, “Streets of Love” off her forthcoming Spring release, recorded at 64 Sound Studio in Los Angeles and co-produced by Justin Stanley and Marc Ford (The Black Crowes.)

Gráinne explains "This song was inspired by a beautiful bike trip around Amsterdam. I was there to see Lucinda Williams playing one of my favorite venues, The Paradiso. While I was cycling around I was watching the life of the people on the streets and all the beautiful interactions people were having, waving hi to one another, lovers kissing goodbye on the street, friends meeting each other at the traffic lights with their kids in the wooden baskets in the front and it was all so peaceful and humane. I loved that feeling of being an observer of that kind of humanity which exists everyday around us. We are constantly in these times bombarded with all the negative aspects of life from war to murder to horrible injustices in the world that we can forget that there’s actually another way to see the world in the very ordinary everyday exchanges between people which are often beautiful and full of love. That’s what this song is about really, my internal hippie speaking out I suppose! "

The Spring release was made in Los Angeles with producers Justin Stanley and Marc Ford (The Black Crowes), and you can hear that lived-in, analog warmth right away. It’s got some serious players behind it including drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney), bassist Jørgen Carlsson (Gov’t Mule), keyboardist Peter Levin (Blind Boys of Alabama), Marc Ford, and Duffy’s longtime collaborator Paul Sherry. Duffy’s story starts back in County Monaghan, Ireland, where music filled the house instead of television — everything from Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton to B.B. King and Fleetwood Mac. You can still hear that mix in what she does now: blues at the center, but always pulling in other colors.

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The Womack Sisters - Montello - Sarah Villiger - Amelia Day - Melina Malone - Bandits on the Run

The Womack Sisters - You Went Away Too Long.

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

Montello - Suit & Tie.

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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Sarah Villiger - Next Corner (EP).

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

Amelia Day - Love Me / Love Me Not.

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 - LOLA.

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

Bandits on the Run - Woods Alone at Night.

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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Dumpstaphunk - Kacimi & Mécréance - Ellen & Simona - Steven Troch Band - Bandits on the Run

Dumpstaphunk - Let's Do It.

New Orleans’ modern torchbearers of funk, Dumpstaphunk returns to the fray with their new single “Let’s Do It” out now on all digital platforms. An infectious gumbo of collective empowerment, the song marks one of the band’s final recordings with late bassist Nick Daniels III and is Dumpstaphunk’s first studio release since his April 2024 passing.

Ivan Neville shares of the new single: “This song expresses the concept of 'We' is more powerful than 'Me.' If we combine our strengths, talents and ideas we can accomplish more. It’s also one of the last songs written and recorded with our brother and co-founder Nick Daniels III, who passed away last spring. As we celebrate his life with this song, we move into a new era of Dumpstaphunk so… Let’s do it!!”

“Let’s Do It” takes off with bright, percussive horns and sticky basslines that reel in the listener from the jump. Keyboardist Ivan Neville and bassist Tony Hall trade off lead vocals throughout the opening verses, followed by multi-harmony choruses that coalesce into a powerful groove. A third of the way in, the gospel-like voice of the late founding member and bassist Daniels proclaims “I’m good, together we’re great,” in a poignant moment for fans.

Other special guest vocalists include long-time friend and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, and Dumpstaphunk’s newest addition Viveca Hawkins. Infectious horn arrangements by band members Alex Wasily on trombone and Ashlin Parker on trumpet, with additional appearances by Brad Walker on tenor saxophone and Stephen Lands on trumpet, weave throughout the song to create one of Dumpstaphunk’s most poignant singles to date. 

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Kacimi & Mécréance - Ne comprennent rien.

Kacimi teams up with La Mécréance and unveils a new garage rock single with 60's vibes, "Ne comprennent rien."

With everything going on in the world lately, it’s safe to say no one understands anything anymore. And if you were hoping for Kacimi to guide you through the chaos—think again.  The Franco-Swiss artist puts his dreamy pop aside and teams up with La Mécréance to hit us with a jolt of raw energy through their punchy garage rock single, "Ne comprennent rien".

With biting lyrics and raw energy, Kacimi and La Mécréance channel their frustration into an electrifying anthem, expressing their indignation at the complacency in the face of a world on the brin.

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Photo - Cristina Capdevila

Ellen & Simona - All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder.

Great Canyon Records, the label behind Joana Serrat and the band Riders of the Canyon, is pleased to announce the signing of Ellen & Simona, the indie-folk project of Catalan-born Helena Capdevila. To mark this occasion, Ellen & Simona are releasing the music video for the song "All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder".

Under the name Ellen & Simona, Helena Capdevila invites us on an intimate and melodic journey, where her accordion, Simona, acts as a second voice.

After two years in UK, where she developed her career as Helen, she returns to her homeland in western Catalonia with a suitcase full of songs and a unique universe. This return takes shape in her first EP, Salvation Mountain (2023, self-released), a work of North American folk-rock sound and existentialist lyricism that captivates from the first beat.

Now, Ellen & Simona present the lyric video for "All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder", a song included in their EP Open Water (2024) —a work that anticipates their debut album, scheduled for 2025, to be released through Great Canyon Records.

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Steven Troch Band - The Mountain.

Steven Troch Band releases new single "The Mountain" from upcoming New Album.

A mountain can be beautiful and haunting at the same time. Driven by a pulsating rhythm, the climber is pursuing the unattainable. A noble goal, but it can also make him a victim of unachievable expectations.
 
This single announces Steven Troch Band's fourth studio album. ‘The Dawning’ will be released on April 25, 2025 on CD, vinyl and digital services worldwide.

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Bandits on the Run - Let's Go Below.

Theatrical indie-pop band, Bandits on the Run, release their first single of 2025, “Let's Go Below,” on February 5, 2025. The next night, they kick off a string of tour dates supporting The Wood Brothers.
 
Known for their distinct combination of cello, guitar, accordion and found-percussion with sophisticated three-part harmonies and rotating lead vocals, the trio of Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they), Sydney Shepherd (she/her) and Regina Strayhorn (she/her) sprang from a chance encounter while busking in NYC's bustling subways. “Anyone who knows us knows we're no strangers to the subways-- our band was forged busking on the train platforms of New York City," says Enscoe.

The Brooklyn-based outfit burst onto the national stage in 2019 when their song, “Love in the Underground,” was featured on the NPR Tiny Desk Contest's Top Shelf. After recording their 2021 EP, Now Is The Time, with producer Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers), the Bandits took to the screen, devising a short musical film, Band At The End Of The World, commissioned by Prospect Musicals. Since then, they have continued to explore the nexus of indie-folk and theatrical storytelling, composing music for the Netflix animated series, Storybots, scoring the movie, The Same Storm, adapting several songs from texts by William Shakespeare for a production of As You Like It, receiving an NEA grant for a new musical with Prospect Musicals, all the while touring the globe with appearances at the Cambridge Folk Festival, Floydfest, Summerfest Milwaukee, Americanafest, F1 Singapore Grand Prix, Mile of Music, and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival.

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Pollyanna Blue - Ariana Delawari - Ora Cogan - Bandits on the Run

Pollyanna Blue - Sapphire Lake.

Bristol-based alt-rock two-piece Pollyanna Blue are pleased to announce the release of their upcoming debut studio EP ‘Trials and Tribulations’ on June 23rd 2023.

Formed in the summer of 2019, Pollyanna Blue is led by Zoe Collins (guitar and vocals) and Rich Earle (Bass and vocals). Although based in different cities, the pandemic forced the band to really utilise the digital age, writing tracks back and forth online before travelling to Bristol to complete them in person.

Their name was inspired by a self help book ‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’, which talks about a nickname ‘Pollyanna’, typically given to a person who is deemed overly optimistic. That ethos, blended with the waves of difficult emotions life throws at you, creates a concept of musical  juxtaposition within a 90s/00s alt rock atmosphere which sees the duo wield their self discovery, vulnerability and love of music to create something authentic and raw to connect with anyone experiencing some type of hardship.

Following up on the April release of their latest celebrated single Stray, comes their debut studio EP Trials & Tribulations, recorded with Ash Scott (Memorist, Harper, Aniimalia). The title of the EP was inspired by personal and abstract experiences, from the trials of being in a band that started right before a pandemic, to the personal tribulations of battling with your own mental health.

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Ariana Delawari - Cloak Of Lies.

Ariana Delawari is an Afghan-American musician, activist and filmmaker. Her film We Came Home (2013) documents her family, her travels to and from Afghanistan over a ten year period, in which Delawari recorded her first album. That album, Lion of Panjshir, was released on David Lynch’s record label to great acclaim.

The events that transpired during the recording of her new album, I Will Remember, were even more personally significant and traumatic, as Delawari’s mother and brother-in-law both passed away and she saw her home country fall to the Taliban. Delawari explains:

“I started to write about my mother, about living and dying, Earth and Heaven, Afghanistan and my life growing up in America, refugees, love of different forms, and about the social justice and environmental justice themes that my mom taught me about which shaped my own activism as well. I never could have imagined that COVID-19 would hit a few months before she died, and that I would lose her during quarantine. I’ll never forget the day I wheeled her up to a nurse in a hazmat suit at a sidewalk and couldn’t even kiss her goodbye.”

“I never could have imagined that just as I was finishing the album, a little over a year later, we Afghans would lose Afghanistan to the Taliban. Afghanistan is my whole heart, it is the cause of my entire lifetime and all of my activism. I am a very loud anti-Taliban Peace Activist, so the fall of the country was my biggest nightmare coming true.”

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Ora Cogan - Cowgirl.

Ora Cogan has announced the August 25 release of her new album Formless via Prism Tongue Records. Along with the announcement the cinematic singer-songwriter shares the VHS/Super 8 video for the first single “Cowgirl”,  a haunted acid trip of intense sorrow, deep solitude, and dark nights of the soul.

“Cowgirl” is a psychedelic, country slow jam reckoning with social isolation in grief. The ghostly guitar lines blanket ethereal vocals to create a twilight landscape of deep solitude, setting the stage for show work or a saloon brawl.

Formless, finds beauty, absurdity, humor, and unlikely joy in the bleakest of times. Cogan’s smoky, psychedelic approach to gothic country and hazy folk merges with post-punk, groove, psych rock, and traditional balladry. With a singular voice as much sensation as sound, Ora Cogan seeks out new realities within the smoke-and-mirrors labyrinth of our cruel society.

“Writing this album was a very much a lifeline… transformative and healing,” Cogan recalled. “Re-calibrating an internal compass constantly thrown off by the magnetism of a deranged world.”

Raised by a photographer and a singer-songwriter on the islands of Canada’s Pacific coast, where she once again resides, Cogan shaped her approach to music far from big-city scenes. Her childhood home played host to a constant stream of artists as it served as a professional recording studio. Cogan absorbed a myriad of influences from Édith Piaf, Ladino and Rumbetico to Karen Dalton, and American country blues, all feeding into her glacial and cinematic yet tinglingly intimate sound.

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Bandits on the Run - Radio.

Known for their vivacious performance style, genre-defying sound, soaring harmonies, and ability to make music-magic happen everywhere from subway platforms to concert halls, Bandits on the Run kick off a tour with the release of “Radio” and an appearance at Milwaukee Summerfest, opening for Deer Tick and The Avett Brothers.

Formed upon a chance encounter while busking in the subways of New York City, Bandits on the Run have become modern troubadours, the flower children of the digital age. The Brooklyn-based indie-pop-Americana trio is anchored by three-part harmonies and eclectic instrumentation, including accordion, cello, melodica, and a suitcase-kick-drum. Since their first release, 2017’s, The Criminal Record, they’ve received accolades from NPR Music’s All Songs Considered, American Songwriter, NPR Weekend Edition, and the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project. Their most recent EP, 2021’s Now Is The Time, was produced by Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers). This year has seen a new phase in Banditry, with band members Adrian Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn jointly producing their own recordings for the first time.

“‘Radio’ was written at a time when I felt like I was living in a funhouse mirror... I was dealing with intense feelings of anxiety, dissociation, and dread about the state of the world and the state of my place in it. Many songwriters talk about songwriting as therapy, and I suppose that's true in this case, though it felt a bit more like expelling demons -- and does simultaneously reveling and revolting in your own inner world of absurdity count as a coping mechanism? Who's to say? I do know the bones of this song poured out of me all at once, and afterward, I felt lighter, freer,” Shepherd says. “I shared it with Adrian and Regina the very day it was born, and their brilliant care and thoughts and arrangements crafted it into the beautiful wild entity it is today. We've performed this song out many times (after I got over the weirdness of singing a Bandits song without a cello in my hand), and many folks have come up to us after shows and expressed a kinship with this song, and gratitude for giving a safe space to work out some darkness and dance with their own skeletons.”

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Jillette Johnson - Renée Reed - Still Corners - Rob Kovacs - Bandits on the Run

Jillette Johnson - Forgive Her.

Jillette Johnson shares “Forgive Her,” the latest single off her forthcoming album It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You (out February 12). Striking an intimately reflective tone, "Forgive Her" is a meditation on breaking cycles that asks us to show compassion and acceptance towards ourselves and others. Audiofemme featured the track this morning, saying “The song opens with gentle chanting and piano chords that pull at your heartstrings, then escalates into angelic singing reminiscent of a parent teaching a child.”

"This song was inspired by the complicated dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, and the importance of generational healing,” explains Johnson. “It’s about nurturing and embracing the hurt parts of ourselves, and recognizing that we are all just little kids trying to connect with each other and feel ok.”

Produced by Joe Pisapia and written entirely by Jillette, It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You injects her intimate, piano-written songs with irreverent lyrics, buoyant pop melodies and a shot of guitar-driven, alt-rock muscle. The album has already garnered early acclaim from American Songwriter, Refinery29 and Rolling Stone, who describes the debut single “I Shouldn’t Go Anywhere” as “a spaced-out trip that recalls Harry Nilsson or Elton John at his most decadent.” Johnson has released three other singles – a rollicking ode to exes named “Annie,” an irreverent meditation on acceptance aptly titled “What Would Jesus Do” and a kiss-off to past relationships called “Graveyard Boyfriend.”

At the end of 2020, Johnson shared the first two songs from her upcoming OurVinyl session, including a haunting rendition of the Oasis classic “Champagne Supernova” as well as a stirring performance of “I Shouldn’t Go Anywhere.” She also recently launched her “Artist Brain” interview series, featuring intimate acoustic performances and conversations with other artists including Jaime Wyatt, Molly Parden, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Elle Varner. Airing live on her Instagram every other Thursday, Johnson welcomes Maggie Rose for the next episode (1/21), with more guests to be announced.

 

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Renée Reed - Fast One. 

The first single, "Fast One," from Lafayette, Louisiana musician Renée Reed's self-titled debut album due March 26, 2021 via Keeled Scales, has just been shared.

Self-labeled "dream-fi folk from the Cajun prairies," Renée released her first two songs in 2020-- "Out Loud" in May and "Until Tomorrow" in July, which Gorilla vs. Bear described as "an effortless, inspired union of the haunting folk music that Reed was raised on and a lilting, lost '60s French-pop gem."

Renée's statement on "Fast One" and her album:

"Full of anger over the shallow, shitty behavior of certain acquaintances I’ve had over the last few years, people who assume they know more about me than I do. But I leave things open to change and growth."

"This album is a collection of songs about toxic relationships, seeing ghosts, ancestral baggage and blessings, and daydreaming about love. It is about certain feelings and experiences I’ve had over my life coming to fruition in the past three years. It was all made on a four track recorder at home, in a place and in a way I feel most natural, and I believe that quality comes through in the sound."

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Still Corners - White Sands.

Still Corners will release their 5th album on 22nd January. Following on from the huge acclaim they have received for their previously shared singles ‘Crying’ and the record’s title-track, Still Corners have now released ‘White Sands’ from their highly-anticipated fifth album THE LAST EXIT, out on 22nd January 2021 via Wrecking Light Records.

A desert-noir soundtrack in miniature, ‘White Sands’ tells a classic ghost story of a phantom who roams the dunes and highways scaring travellers as they cross the land. Tessa Murray croons over a quick beat, clean-tone guitar and shimmering atmospherics.

The Last Exit will be the 5th album from Still Corners after a 13-year career that started back on Sub Pop Records in 2007.

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Rob Kovacs - Bitter Memory.

Indie-rock singer-songwriter and pianist Rob Kovacs debuts the new single, “Bitter Memory.” The song is the latest offering from Kovacs’ forthcoming solo debut album, Let Go, to be released on February 12th. With its ambitious compositional palette and hauntingly potent songcraft, the album affirms Kovacs as a fully focused and steadfast artist, evincing a commitment and creative persistence rarely seen in our ever more short attention span society.

Let Go tells the story of one relationship, in chronological order. “The songs are about love, longing, loss, desire, confusion, acceptance, pain, the struggle to let go – all that fun stuff,” Kovacs states. “Bitter Memory” concludes the album, and reflects the struggle to move on. It was written after Kovacs received an email from the ex-love that inspired the album. “Every so often she’d reach out and it’d bring me right me back. I felt weak and powerless and, in turn, angry. The reality though, which I didn’t want to admit, was I still longed for her. Seeing and reading her messages felt good. I still hadn’t let go.” Musically, the song has a different feel from the rest of the album, complete with being in a different key, indicating that things have changed over time. “There is no chorus,” Kovacs elaborates. “Just a repeating pattern of chords that last longer and get more intense with each repetition until reaching a boiling point and release and ending in the soft, resigned ending.”

Named “Best Pianist/Keyboardist” by the Cleveland Free Times, Kovacs has been widely hailed for his shape-shifting musical experimentalism, spanning history-making classical feats and audacious recreations of videogame soundtracks to crafting mesmerizing indie rock both as bandleader and now, at long last, solo artist. Kovacs has invested more than a decade in the creation of this solo debut, a brave and bittersweet song cycle written in the years following an intensely impactful romantic relationship and then recorded over an even longer span.

Rob Kovacs · Bitter Memory

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Bandits on the Run - We Battle Giants.

Bandits on the Run, the NYC-based indie-pop trio anchored by three-part harmonies and unique instrumentation, announce their forthcoming EP, Now Is The Time, dropping 5/7/2021, with the release of the new single, “We Battle Giants".

In 2020, the Bandits were poised for some of their biggest performances yet - as official SXSW artists, as well as at The Kennedy Center in DC and New York’s Webster Hall - and vocalist/guitarist Adrian Blake Enscoe was slated to appear in Swept Away, the musical based on the music of The Avett Brothers. Like most of the world, they saw their plans quickly deconstructed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. 

However, in true Bandit style, they immediately started looking for ways to find the silver living. “As Bandits, we’ve always tried to be bearers of light, positivity, and community,” explains Regina Strayhorn (vocals, accordion, melodica, assorted toy instruments). So, after sequestering themselves in North Carolina finalizing new material, they took a socially-distanced road trip west to record at the famed Bear Creek Studio in Washington State, with producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, Vance Joy). 

“Having Bandits on the Run out to Bear Creek Studio was a really wonderful experience,” Hadlock says. “Their songwriting and interwoven vocal harmonies are beautiful and inspiring. Working with the Bandits on these songs during the pandemic this summer was definitely a bright spot in an otherwise difficult and dark year.” Of this latest single, he continues, “When I heard the demo for ‘We Battle Giants,’ I was like, ‘PLEASE let me produce that song.’ I just love the way their three voices lock in during the chorus. The Bandits are a powerful and inspiring colorful trio of magic.”

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