Showing posts with label Cassady Southern. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cassady Southern. Show all posts

Saturday, 25 July 2026

This Is The Deep - A. Lee Edwards - Starpainter - Kate Prendergast - Lottie McLeod - Cassady Southern

Photo - Reuben Bastienne-Lewis

This Is The Deep - I'm Making.

London collective This Is The Deep announce their debut album Everything (Dick Herman, The Whale and The End Of The Beginning) arriving November 11th via 5dB Records (Mould, Martial Arts, anaiis, Ashaine White), and release of the kaleidoscopic and hallucinatory 'I'm Making.' Self-produced with additional production from SHOLTO, David Bardon, and Patrick Fitzroy (Katy J Pearson, Sorry), the upcoming album Everything is a richly detailed body of work that balances instinctive indie immediacy with the band’s broader, cinematic and playful art-rock ambitions. Across the record, a surreal fable emerges, unfolding through themes of perception, desire, consumption and escape.

New single 'I'm Making' brings all the contrasting elements to life. Pivoting between post-punk urgency, chamber-pop elegance and psychedelic abstraction, the track moves through jagged rhythmic shifts and intricate arrangements of strings, harp, bass, synth, guitars and percussion. Restless and unpredictable, it captures This Is The Deep’s ability to balance melodic immediacy with a persistent sense of the uncanny.

The result is a sound that moves fluidly between surreal, The Mighty Boosh-like imagery and a wide musical palette spanning the orchestral expansiveness of Smile-era Beach Boys, the chambered intensity of Black Country, New Road, the decadent theatricality of Roxy Music, and the experimental pop sensibilities of The Beatles.

Playful, curious and gloriously unconcerned with genre boundaries, the track captures a collective equally interested in experimentation and melody. Speaking about the single, band leader Ranald explains: "I'm Making is a song that explores the idea that life is more creative than we think. We make many things we don't even realise: Journeys, conversations, faces, spaces, and ultimately our own realities." 


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Photo - Molly Harris.
A. Lee Edwards - Without You.

A. Lee Edwards' latest single, "Without You," is out now. A quietly powerful song built around Alan's warm vocals and guitar, it carries a sense of reflection and longing, with an emotional weight that sneaks up on you.

"Without You" was inspired by a line from an old newspaper editorial I carried folded up in my wallet for years. The song came from thinking about disappearing mill towns, fading dreams, lost love, and how a lot of the things that once made life feel hopeful and connected seem to be slipping away. It’s about personal loss, but also the feeling that an entire way of life is disappearing.

At the center is Edwards’ self-taught fingerpicking guitar—patient, melodic, and unadorned. His playing forms the backbone for songs that remain sparse, sweet, and disarmingly direct. Like the work of Raymond Carver after Gordon Lish, Edwards’ writing finds its power in understatement, illuminating small moments of everyday life with clarity and emotional weight. The songs continue his ongoing meditation on what it means to be human, shaped by experience, sobriety, and the quiet rewards that come from paying attention.


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Starpainter - Rabbits.

After sharing the stunning single "I Found a River" at the beginning of June, this week Starpainter officially confirm their new album, Cayenne Flowerbed, will be out Sept. 9 on Ram On Records. The pride of Lethbridge, Alberta has also released the single "Rabbits" and announced fall Canadian tour dates in support of the album.

Cayenne Flowerbed is the follow-up to Starpainter's acclaimed 2023 album Rattlesnake Dream, and carries their musical vision into uncharted territory with the help of producer Chris Dadge (Alvvays, Chad VanGaalen). "Rabbits" showcases the band's more meditative side, musically echoing artists like My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes.

Singer/songwriter Joel Stretch explains, "'Rabbits' explores the ghost-like space certain people take up in my mind after they're no longer physically present -- friends, family, or artists I admire who have died, or even just people I used to be close to that I've lost touch with. I still live with their guiding presence and perspectives sort of looming over me even though they're not around in my life anymore. I really love the parts everyone in the band laid down on this one. It's one of my all-time favourite arrangements on a Starpainter tune."

Starpainter -- who along with Stretch is comprised of Joel Gray, Mickey Hayward, Dylan Wagner, Bailey Kate, and Tyler Stewart -- intended Cayenne Flowerbed, to be a bold artistic statement, exploring new sides of their signature indie-twang sound. Across the album's eleven tracks, the blend of cinematic folk, fuzzy country rock, and richly textured pop songs reflects how the band has honed its approach over the past few years of performing together.

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Kate Prendergast - Exhale.

“There’s no I left in this team.” Hidden within an ethereal wrapping of melodic guitar and soulful piano, Exhale is a bittersweet reflection of hard truths about the struggle of maintaining one-sided relationships. A mix of emotional turmoil, powerful vocals, and a rich musical tapestry, Exhale takes us on a journey through oscillating cycles of hope and failure. It raises caution about self-criticism and the treacherous comforts of familiarity in relationships where disappointment and disillusionment reign.

Written by Kate Prendergast, Exhale is the first track in her forthcoming EP also called Exhale. It continues the Meath based singer-songwriter's collaboration with veteran producer Declan Legge of Big Space Studios and is released under his Stray Dogs Records Label.

"Something brand new from Kate Prendergast who worships at the altar of Radiohead. But to me her music has been funnelled through the autumnal Irish countryside and it came out even more interesting than Radiohead. It's very Irish, it's very up my street, a song called Exhale on BBC Introducing."     Taylor Arthur Johnson, BBC Introducing.

Kate Prendergast is a young, rising Irish multi-instrumentalist with a gift for crafting deeply evocative songs, blending indie folk, blues, country and alternative rock. Her music is a raw and soulful mix of personal reflection and sharp storytelling, shaped by influences ranging from Bob Dylan to Radiohead and Jeff Buckley.

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Lottie McLeod - Wednesdays at the Waterloo.

Magan-djin/Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Lottie McLeod shows off her wry, lighter and more playful side on new single + video 'Wednesdays at the Waterloo,' a song that sprung up organically about losing at pub trivia due to a wordless crush on your teammate, taking the warm, indie-pop/alt-country sounds of previous single 'Sunburnt' to starry-eyed heights. The new music comes as McLeod is set to embark on tour in October across so-called VIC, NSW and QLD in support of her forthcoming The Boathouse EP; also recently announced as local support for Harlan Goode. The Boathouse EP which will include previous singles 'Important To You' and 'Sunburnt' is out Friday 25 September.

With its light-hearted indie-pop/alt-folk bounce and Lottie McLeod's wry-yet-rose-tinted breathless vocals & lyricism - almost following the circular rhythms of what it's like to have a crush's name going round your head, 'Wednesdays at the Waterloo' and its tongue-in-cheek clip paint the picture of a ultra-specific situation: doggedly losing each week at pub trivia just to spend time with an unknowing crush. 

Thanks to Lottie McLeod's "reputation for turning hyper-personal moments into something painfully recognisable" (Backseat Mafia UK), her sharp-yet-warm pen renders 'Wednesdays at the Waterloo', at its core, into a song about being left wordless by someone, wanting to tell them how you feel but it never seems like the right time, and choosing - with a self-aware smile - to keep quiet about it, knowing that can't last but getting a little lost in it all anyway. 

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Cassady Southern - Wild Horses.

Sometimes a cover of a classic song comes along that simply cannot be ignored. I'm old enough to remember the original first time around, and there is no point repeating exactly the same, so a fresher, less intense yet very personal take, really does work for Beehive Candy. So to the background: This cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses”, by singer-songwriter Cassady Southern, is based on an acoustic guitar recording by her late father, John, which she found after his passing. Cassady has built on this recording, adding a compelling and unique vocal take accompanied by stunning electric guitar and drums inspired by the original recording. 

This rendition honours their lifelong love of the band and transforms a timeless classic into a moving tribute to family and enduring influence. It features John Southern on acoustic guitar, Rob Drummond on electric guitar, Glenn Welman on drums, Luke Payne on bass, Cassady Southern on vocals and Luke Payne on backing vocals.

John Southern recorded the acoustic guitar himself and the vocals and electric guitar were recorded at Parliament Studios by Luke Payne (Luke Payne Sound), mixed by Luke Payne, produced by Luke and Cassady and mastered by Darren Ziesing (Millennium Mastering).

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Friday, 29 May 2026

Babe Rainbow - Cassady Southern - Pilote - Run Remedy - Chris Pierce - Lottie McLeod

Photo by Jordan Malane
Babe Rainbow - Polymuscalsaccharide.

Australia’s psych rainbow rockers Babe Rainbow return with the lead single from their seventh studio album, “Polymuscalsaccharide”. Much like the track’s name entails, the sugary sweet new tune blends together retro synths and hazy guitars with the band’s beachy vocals, creating a perfect soundtrack for early summer nights.

Taken from Babe Rainbow’s forthcoming seventh studio album Acid And Honey, “Polymuscalsaccharide” began its production as an acoustic recording on an Amsterdam houseboat. With mastering and production completed by Kyle Mullarky at his Malibu ranch, the track leans heavily into a country-pop beat that is garnished with notes of funk, hip-hop, and stoner rock.

Known for their boogie psychedelia and throwback surf cult imagery, Babe Rainbow are an Australian stoner pop band. The group was formed in 2015 by Jack Crowther (aka Cool Breez), Angus Dowling, and Elliot O'Reilly, who lurked at the kiosks around Rainbow Bay. The three of them worked for John Cutts, a local grower near Tropical Fruit World in Duranbah, NSW. The guys at John's farm were churning out kale long before it became trendy.  

While Babe Rainbow's musical style was originally rooted in 60's psych and 70's French surf-pop, it has evolved throughout its career to incorporate woodland bop and folk disco, dub, dance, and international grooves while maintaining an Aquarian quality through Dowling's musical spacemen singing style and Cool Breez's chiming guitar sounds. 
Beehive Candy would also like to point out 'Babe Rainbow' is a beautiful song by Melanie Safka...

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Cassady Southern - Need someone.

Ok lets go with the detail for this gorgeous new song on Beehive Candy - ‘Need someone’ was written by Cassady Southern with contributions by Tom Goodridge, Frank Doerges, Rob Drummond, John Montgomery, JD Douglas and Dai Nettle. It was recorded at Studios 301 Sydney with Jack Garzonio and Brad Hasiuk at the helm, mixed by Luke Payne (Luke Payne Sound) and mastered by Darren Ziesing (Millennium Mastering). It features Tom Goodridge on lead guitar, Rob Drummond on rhythm guitar, John Montgomery on bass, JD Douglas on drums, Dai Nettle on keys and Amelia du Randt (Diva Amelia) on backing vocals.

Cassady Southern is an accomplished singer-songwriter with a rich catalogue of music that spans multiple genres: Blending the raw edge of rock, the heart of country, the soul of blues, and the energy of pop into one authentic sound.

Cassady grew up in a musical household, where band rehearsals were a regular feature and music was encouraged. She learned piano and saxophone and later guitar. Cassady began writing and releasing songs and has since developed a body of music which is characterised by its authenticity, heartfelt storytelling and broad appeal.


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Pilote - Sous les Oliviers.

We are delighted to feature Pilote "the solo project of Christelle Armenio, a genre-defying artist whose pop music infused with new wave influences blends poetry with melancholy." The title track is a gorgeous introduction for Beehive Candy (we are partial to some French language music that resonates with us) so anyway here is the background. Through airy and introspective production, Pilote draws listeners into a sensory universe where every note feels suspended in time. On stage, she embodies her compositions with a “wild softness,” carried by a delicately sensual and vibrant voice.

Her intimate musical world invites escape, like a waking dream. Behind this stage name stands a sincere creator with a minimalist aesthetic, refusing compromise. Christelle draws inspiration from British pop culture and iconic French singer-songwriters. Her music is an ode to life, love, and the complexity of human emotions. To place her within an artistic constellation, one might evoke the musicality of Air, the dreamlike atmosphere of Kate Bush, and the lyrical richness of Serge Gainsbourg — all carried by refined electronic production.

An artist with a singular profile, Christelle stands out through her background as an engineer, her love of literature, her traveler’s soul, and her constant search for meaning. Her art reflects this duality: profound fragility in her lyrics balanced by the power of her orchestrations. She is currently preparing a new album scheduled for release in July 2026, titled Sous les Oliviers. 


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Run Remedy - Big Nothing.

Run Remedy returns with Not at the Table out September 11th, a strikingly intimate and conceptually ambitious EP that blurs the line between indie pop, lo-fi experimentation and alternative storytelling. Written in solitude and brought to life in a shipping container studio in Manchester, the project captures something raw and immediate: a body of work built on instinct, trust, and an unfiltered emotional core.

The EP moves through a sequence of physical and emotional spaces, unfolding like a 24-hour cycle. Each track occupies its own sonic landscape, shifting from hushed, acoustic vulnerability to cinematic swells and fractured, experimental textures, all tied together by Run Remedy’s precise, confessional lyricism.

Sonically, Not at the Table pushes further into genre-bending territory than ever before. Drawing on influences ranging from Elliott Smith and The Smiths to Mitski, Adrianne Lenker and St. Vincent, the EP balances delicate folk intimacy with art-pop edge, post-rock builds and moments of off-kilter humour. There’s a constant interplay between sincerity and theatricality - a refusal to settle into one tone for too long.

“The title came first: a house, a dinner table, and the idea of everything that can’t be said in that shared space. The artwork, painted by artist Lili Holland-Fricke, shows that house, with different tensions playing out in each room. Each section zooms in on a different part of what’s happening inside, almost like moving through the house and getting closer to the different conversations (or non-conversations) happening in it.” 


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Chris Pierce - This Sunlit Morning.

Chris Pierce announces his new album Songs for the Heavy Hearted, due out August 21. Produced by frequent collaborators David Resnik and Niko Bolas (Neil Young, The Mavericks), Songs for the Heavy Hearted captures moments in the lives of everyday people as they struggle with crisis and encapsulates everything that has been so emotionally resonant about Pierce’s music for more than two decades. Along with the news, he shares his new single “This Sunlit Morning,” a tender testament to resilience.

“‘This Sunlit Morning’ came from holding the weight of the times we're living in,” shares Pierce. “Every day, we're staring into some new kind of chaos, division, or corruption, and if we're not careful, it can start to pull us away from what is right in front of us. This song is about remembering to pause and reflect on what we’ve been blessed with. The simple things that can keep us rooted when the world starts feeling unsteady. We still have to get out there and fight for a better world. We still have to speak up for people whose voices are ignored or silenced. Sometimes, we need to pause just long enough to remember what we're fighting for in the first place.”

At its core, Songs for the Heavy Hearted is a diary of — and love letter to — freedom fighters everywhere; its constant refrain is that love, joy, hope and softness are not things we need to sacrifice to fight the good fight. Featuring stellar performances from Allison Russell, Steve Earle, Grey DeLisle and Garrison Starr, the new album embodies the belief that “we shall overcome,” and this sentiment has never sounded more uplifting and within reach.


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Photo by Carrie McLeod
Lottie McLeod - Sunburnt.

Magan-djin/Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Lottie McLeod has just announced her forthcoming The Boat House EP - an intimate coming-of-age "for people who love to feel deeply" drawing from indie, alt-pop, folk and beyond, signalling a young artist coming out of her shell, stepping into the confidence to follow her own path and express herself openly, making McLeod's much-praised ability to make the personal feel universal stronger than ever. 

Alongside the announcement, Lottie McLeod shares searing new single 'Sunburnt' about a fleeting relationship, featuring tongue-in-cheek peppiness paired with some of her "most disgusting - and/or devastating - lyrics yet". The Boat House EP - which will include 'Important To You' and 'Sunburnt' - is out Friday 25 September.

Lottie McLeod says, "'Sunburnt' is about a person I was seeing for not even a month; I felt such a strong connection with this person but I also hardly knew him. I had just gotten back from a beach day with my mum, a little sunburnt - I'm a sucker for metaphor. I liked this guy. A LOT. Talking everyday, dates, future planning, dinner with the parents. Our last date was the closest I had ever felt to him - I spent the night and the next morning he asked to go to breakfast that weekend, where he ended things. 

I was so disappointed and confused, I really wanted to know him on a deeper level, see his ugly side, have some sort of future with him. He never gave me a chance to show him how beautiful it could’ve been, but I knew it was something I just had to let go because there was nothing to hold on to. There was this self reflection at the time, asking myself “why would I try to win back a stranger…  That would be silly!” - I wrote this song instead."

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Monday, 12 May 2025

Cassady Southern - Caitlin Cannon - The Family Battenberg

Cassady Southern - One More Chance,

Released at the end of last week 'One More Chance' is one feisty piece of raw rock'n'roll. Cassady's vocals have a little bit of 'don't mess with me' determination to them whilst the guitar driven song has a catchy and timeless feel to it - Beehive Candy.

Fans of rock guitar and vintage swagger, rejoice. Cassady Southern’s new single, ‘One more chance’, delivers a raw, riff-heavy throwback that echoes the sound of one of her biggest musical influences, the Rolling Stones.

Channelling the attitude and allure of Stones classics, like ‘Honky Tonk Women’ and ‘Miss you’, ‘One more chance’ explodes with country rock solos, gritty emotional vocals, rock’n’roll piano and a rhythm section that struts with unrelenting cool. It’s an ode to a golden era of music just as it is about making up and being given the proverbial ‘last chance’.

“We didn’t set out to emulate the Stones with this track but after being infused with this music throughout my childhood it has obviously seeped into my songwriting and performing”, Cassady said. “Luckily I have been able to play and record with great musicians who share a love for this same style of blues, rock, and honky tonk and who helped me bring the track to life”, she said.

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Caitlin Cannon - Love Addict (Album).

Nashville’s Caitlin Cannon has released her new LP, Love Addict. The album, a bold, genre-defying body of work produced by Misa Arriaga (Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson), blends dreamy Americana with classic country; think “cosmicana”—a sonic landscape as deep and evocative as Cannon’s storytelling. Its 10 tracks swirl with intergalactic pedal steel, gritty grooves, and raw, unguarded lyrics. Recorded live, the album captures the spontaneity of guitars bleeding into keys, drums, strings, and more, creating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. While arguably more 'vibey' than some of her earlier work, Love Addict still delivers her signature sneak attacks with a wink.
 
Cannon’s songwriting expertly balances humor and vulnerability, satire and sincerity. Songs like album track “Let It Hurt Some” provide introspective moments and channel the authentic country sound of 60s and 70s Nashville.
 
Album track “You’re Losing Me” captures the quiet panic of losing a lover to apathy. “Not to genderalize, but have you ever known a man who’s stunned when a relationship ends, while the woman’s been emotionally checked out for months?” she asks. “I wanted to put it in simple terms for the guy exiting my life at the time, and give advance notice for anyone who might enter.” “Jesus Is My Lover” is Cannon’s sarcastic and seductively absurd journey into the depths of desire that begs us to take a ride into a world where the only real danger is taking oneself too seriously.

Lead single “Love Addict,” an immersive, slow-burn confession full of intoxication and reckless abandon, is equal parts romantic escapism and raw self-awareness. The video, filmed and directed by Jesse Weeden, features cameos from Pam Tillis, Logan Ledger, Oliver Bates Craven (Sierra Ferrell), along with Cannon’s studio band—Jon Murray (Miranda Lambert), Eddy Dunlap (The Grand Ole Opry Band, The Time Jumpers), and the album’s producer, Misa Arriaga.



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The Family Battenberg - Anteater.
 
Welsh Garage Rockers 'The Family Battenberg' recently released their new single ‘Anteater,’ out now via streaming platforms. This track is an independent release by the South Walian four-piece. Written in just a day, it was recorded at Tom Rees’ (Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard) studio while he was on holiday. To master the recording the group sought out long-time collaborator Eddie Al-Shakarchi (Boy Azooga, Loathe, Swim Deep.)

Aligning with the soundscape that’s signature to them, ‘Anteater!’ is The Family Battenberg finessed. Drenched in fuzzy saturation, spacey vocals ricochet between a blistering guitar, all while a double-tracked mono drum plays like a call to action.

This is an anti-love song. When unhealthy adoration becomes a quest for romance, or approval in this case, we find ourselves doing strange things. In this story, the protagonist justifies total metamorphosis in the name of subservience. “It’s self-humiliation in the pursuit of a potential suitor’s attention,” as frontman Eliot puts it.

Anyone that has seen this band live before is sure to recognise it from past set-lists. The group have played it as an unreleased track amongst their own shows and a host of major festivals, namely, Green Man 2023, Trans Musicales 2024, Reeperbahn 2024 and ESNS 2025. As budding up-comers, the group have also supported the likes of Getdown Services, Panic Shack, Gruff Rhys and the Bug Club.


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Friday, 5 March 2021

Talkbøx - MARBL - Cassady Southern - Lady Dan

Talkbøx - People People People.

Talkbøx creates an unique type of music fusing electronic music with retro acoustic elements.

Talkbøx (est. 2019) consists of producer/beatmaker Dion Peters (Dion Dash), Dana Havrylyuk and guitarist/writer Mitchell Giebels. Both of these guys and girl have their history in music: Dion having the experience working as an electronic music producer and DJ for nearly 10 years and Mitchell being a professional photographer who has worked with some of the greatest musicians to have faced the earth. Dana is currently a student at the Maastricht conservatory in the Netherlands.

The music style of Talkbøx positively resembles the 80s in the western world, and is usually quite happy and cheerful.

Talkbøx about new single People People People: "At the end of June 2020 we started writing People People People. It was on a summer evening where we actually had no intention of writing music. After we had swum that night, we got inspired to create music in the studio. Mitchell had brought his guitar that night just in case, and played some chords to which Dion started whistling. This is how the cheerful flute part in the song originated. We got so enthusiastic about how quickly we came up with this cheerful melody that we wrote the lyrics that same evening.

We didn't do anything with the song for a while until Dana joined, she sang the lyrics. The lyrics are based on personal experiences of depression, which is actually the opposite of the song's cheerfulness. This contradiction can be found in the lyrics as well: wanting to be in the spotlight and going for it all, but feeling depressed at the same time. Being in your own world and running away from reality. Crying for help, but not feeling understood by your loved ones. Enjoying the company of others, but still battling with that contradiction because you'd rather retreat yourself."

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MARBL - It's Always Our O'clock Somewhere.

Israeli folk / pop musician MARBL releases her new single “It's Always Our O’Clock Somewhere” today March 5th!

“I wrote this song right after a breakup. At first I tried not to write, it was too fresh and too painful. After not touching the piano for a few days, I picked up the guitar, which I had only started learning as an instrument three months earlier. The music and the lyrics gushed out of me with such force that I couldn't resist. It was like first aid for my heart. The song is about this feeling of leaving a part of you behind while your common sense doesn't understand the language of the heart and you can't feel relieved because of it. ”- MARBL

The touching video, filmed, staged and edited by Tomer Levi, shows the sunset of love and hope in each subsequent dawn, a metaphor on the same cycle in the sunsets and in the dawn of the heart.

MARBL, who also works as a vocal coach in Tel-Aviv, was able to generate a great media response worldwide with several singles and her last EP "The Flight of the Hawks".

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Cassady Southern - You / Drowning.

Sydney-based singer songwriter Cassady Southern is releasing two new singles in advance of her first full-length album.

You is an upbeat pop rock song which packs a punch and Drowning is a big searing ballad. Both showcase Cassady’s songwriting ability and draw on her musical influences including the Rolling Stones, the Divinyls and Powderfinger.

With this new material Cassady has once again surrounded herself with excellent musicians, including Peter Austin and Nathan Cunningham on guitar, Craig Orth on bass and John Duffy on drums.

Cassady has also been working  with excellent producers and engineers in the making of these latest tracks, including Marshall Cullen (The Divinyls, The Church and Hoodoo Gurus), Michael Zuvela (Vera Blue), mix engineer Russell Pilling (Choirboys, Rose Tattoo, Lemonheads, Grinspoon and Midnight Oil),  and mastering engineer William Bowden (Gotye).

“I’m really happy with these new tracks”, says Cassady. “I spent a bit more time on pre-production this time. In 2020 I studied music production at SAE Creative Media Institute and I was able to apply what I was learning to make some demos and work these up over time”.

“It was great to record with guys who I have been playing with for a while and who are really talented and experienced. It was also a thrill to work with someone of the calibre of Marshall, who was very generous with his time”.

You and Drowning follow two EPs which Cassady has previously released: Don’t ask me in 2012 and Heart in 2016. Both of these releases have been played on radio and earnt positive reviews.

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Lady Dan - No Home.

“No Home" comes as the second installment from Tyler's debut album, I Am the Prophet which is out April 23 on Earth Libraries – I feel that this new track demonstrates a new angle to Tyler’s quite stunning songwriting, fusing these magnificent string sections with whispered guitar and introspective textures, it also finds Dozier's voice at its most isolated providing quite a chilling performance. 

The record itself is a deeply personal project for Tyler, digging into her conflicting opinions on the Church and her experience growing up within it, attending ministry school in Birmingham, AL, and also the patriarchal restraints that her life was put under via the Church/ex-partner and how these impeded her growth. "No Home" looks in part at this, whilst also paying testament to her father's passing (Dozier left school to go and care for her farther back in Dothan, AL before he passed away) – it's a song about grief, and losing comfort/home, whilst also being about taking ownership and knowing that she made certain decisions to help better her own life (leaving the school also helped allow her to prioritise music).

Each track on the debut record poses a new narrative, arriving as multilayered existential quandaries of empowerment and restriction, of life and death, or of faith and its absence. Songs are littered with poetic imagery and Biblical allusions knotted together with Dozier's frankly quite brilliant songwriting. To me, there are some comparisons to the aforementioned Katy Kirby, but also Julia Jacklin, Mattiel (who Tyler supported on a West Coast tour), etc – her take on this country-psych sound is pretty compelling.

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Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Quality Not Quantity: Calling All Astronauts - Adwaith - Cassady Southern

Calling All Astronauts - Life As We Know It.

Background - 2016 has been another fantastic year for West London Electro Punks Calling All Astronauts. It has seen the release of their widely acclaimed second album “Anti-Social Network” Their single Empire hit #2 in the Official European Indie Chart, they’ve had two #1s in the Hype Machine Twitter Chart, they headlined the Bandstand Stage on the final night of Beautiful Days Festival. They have seen their Twitter following swell to over 500,000.

They round off the year with their ninth single, “Life As We Know It” released via Supersonic Media on Dec 23rd in which we see a more mellow, electronic side to these usually noisy rockers. The single is backed by three remixes and would you believe a “shuffle” video. “We are not a band to release the same single over and over, yes they all sound like us, but we are very eclectic in our influences and I hope our music reflects this” David CAA.


Website here, Facebook here.

The original version of 'Life As We Know It' is a rhythmic feast where guitars glide and the deep vocal delivery adds some real edge. The three remixes take the song into differing orientations, however the dark sonic vibes cannot help but remain.

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Adwaith - Pwysau.

Background - Adwaith have always existed. They have been there since the sixties, through Roxy's filthy glitter, and within the glorious chaos of punk and its post-punk offspring. Now the relevant stars have aligned, Adwaith have been made physical in the form of Gwenllian Anthony (Bass, Mandolin), Hollie Singer ( Vocals, Guitar), Eva Chelsea Free (Vocals) and Heledd Owen ( Drums).

History flows through Adwaith, so much so that they are formed around a classic core songwriting duo of Hollie and Gwenllian. Like famous musical partners Hollie and Gwenllian's friendship stretches back to their childhood days (the pair met when they were three years old). After taking a detour through life with Hollie moving to Australia (which included her singing at the Opera House) the pair are now reunited and embarking on forging a new path for Welsh music. Inspired by artists who refuse to walk the easy path (Datblygu, The Slits, Nico, Happy Mondays, The Velvet Underground, Johnny Cash) Adwaith are set to be hailed as the most exciting band to come out of Wales for a very long time.

The band have worked with Patricia Morgan from Datblygu over the summer to develop their demos and sound. The results can be heard on Pwysau their post-folk debut single.  With Pwysau, Adwaith offer their hand and let the listener know that are people who care and who can support you in your time of need. Facebook here.


'Pwysau' is a beautifully understated folk song where the music is crisp and the vocals just right. At just under two minutes it's almost a tease, however if Adwaith deliver more music of this calibre, it may well be time to learn the Welsh nations language.

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Cassady Southern - Breakdown.

Background - Cassady Southern’s new single “Breakdown” is a paean to broken love and showcases the ability of Cassady's writing to uncover the vulnerable truths within all of us. Cassady’s heartfelt lyrics and unique delivery are enhanced by the signature sound of guitarist extraordinaire Wolf Mail, and the rock-solid rhythm section of current drummer for ‘Ratcat’ Reuben J Alexander and bassist Brad Fitter. Paul Najar fills out the band on piano and Sarah Hamad provided back-up vocals.

Skilfully crafted and produced, the track features the undeniable talents of Cassady and the band. Both authentic and catchy, a couple of plays will have it stuck in your head. “While this song is personal, it is not just about me. It’s the result of my own, and others’ experiences, distilled over time. It’s about wanting someone so much that it is consuming; and I think many people can relate to that” says Cassady.

Indeed Heart is the fitting name of Cassady’s latest EP, featuring three other original tracks including, “I Liked It”, which has an instant groove, the rocking “Feet on the Ground”, and “I Ain’t Feeling A Thing”, which closes with a poignant sing-along. The EP is a musical journey through many landscapes and influences - distant echoes of LA canyons, ricochets of nascent southern rock and a raucous pub’s worth of rain-soaked London blues-rock.

The EP was recorded by Nick Franklin (Daniel Johns, Matt Corby) and produced by Nick and Daniel Vanda (British India, The Wrights), son of Harry Vanda (The Easybeats, AC/DC), at Hercules Street Studios in Sydney. It was mastered by Don Bartley at Benchmark Mastering. Heart follows on from Cassady’s debut EP Don’t Ask Me which was shortlisted in the MusicOz Awards and supported on local radio around the country. Website here, Facebook here.


'Breakdown' showcases a gentler and more personal side of Cassady Southern. It sits well on the new EP in as much that, each song takes very different musical directions. The one constant is Cassady's fine vocals and the superbly delivered musical arrangements.

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Agnes Obel - Rachel Bochner - Willem James Cowan - Oh Louise

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