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| Photo - Marthe Thu |
Northern Norwegian duo Konradsen - the project of Jenny Marie Sabel and Eirik Vildgren - just released their new single ‘Efficiency’, alongside an animated visual by Jacob Grönbech Jensen (Kelly Lee Owens, Prins Thomas). Arriving shortly after their recent collaboration with Gia Margaret, 'Nick of Time', the track provides a second glimpse of a new body of work expected later this year. Konradsen will mark the beginning of this new chapter with a special show at Oslo's MUNCH Museum on 10th April.
Written while the duo were also composing for a short film rooted in Jenny’s home village Storfjord, ‘Efficiency’ grew out of a request for something “slightly souly” in 6/8 - inspired by jazz singer Solveig Slettahjell’s version of ‘Borrowed Time’ by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The song ultimately wasn’t used in the film, but the constraint proved pivotal, pushing Konradsen into a register they might not have explored otherwise.
Produced with Hans Olav Settem and Marith Othilie Thorvik, ‘Efficiency’ features guest vocals from Norwegian singer-songwriter Beharie. Set against softly strummed guitars, sparing strings and unhurried percussion, his expressive delivery deepens the song’s emotional centre: a portrait of love that persists through routine rather than drama:
"'Efficiency' portrays a kind of love that isn’t always immediate or all-consuming, but one that endures nonetheless — a relationship where time, patience, and a willingness to see the beauty in each other’s imperfections are essential. It touches on a phase many people recognize: when the distance between two people can feel greater than before, yet the bond remains strong."
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| Photo - Orlando Cubitt |
UK-based Australian trio Howling Bells has just released their latest single 'Melbourne', marking the final release before the arrival of 'Strange Life', their first album in over 12 years, on 13th February.
Juanita explains: "Melbourne is a song about deep yearning and ultimately grief. It explores a unique inner conflict many of us feel when we leave our homes and families to start anew somewhere else. This aching can be especially intense when we’re faced with something traumatic and all we want is the safety and warm embrace of the familiar. I experienced a heightened version of this when I returned to Melbourne a few years ago to play some shows, having not been back for a while.
It felt slightly surreal and tragic being there without any family to share this with, as they had also left Australia over the years. Then, within 24 hours of touchdown, I got a call from a hospital in England telling me that my father, who was ill, had taken a turn for the worse, and so I had to pack up and return to the UK before I’d even played a show. It was brutal. I felt a thousand things that day, from the physical weight of having to lug around 2 huge suitcases full of merch I was planning to unload, to sitting alone in tears at the airport in Singapore during the layover.
All these experiences left me with a deep well of sadness and a longing to return to my homeland to find what it is I’d now lost forever. This is something I carry around with me every day. All it takes is the glimmer of the sun at a certain time of day, or the occasional scent of an eucalyptus tree, or the sharp twinge of nostalgia when I hear the melody of a particular song, to remind me of the sadness and beauty that is now my Australia".
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| Photo - Josef Lloyd |
Rising country star Tyce Delk shared a special duet version of his streaming hit “Adaline” with Oklahoma country-pop artist Trinity Lake. Her soulful vocals complement the blues-infected country ballad, which surpassed 1 million streams in under a week and currently sits at over 23 million U.S. streams to date (Luminate). “Being able to give 'Adaline' another life as a duet has been awesome,” shares Delk. “Trinity added another level to this song that it needed, couldn’t have thought of a better person for it. Thankful she was up for it!”
Lake adds: “I’ve been such a fan of Tyce and this song since he first started promoting it on social media. It’s been so cool getting to know Tyce on a personal level, and I’m super grateful he asked me to be a part of this reimagined version!”
Late last year, Delk released his debut EP Enough Ain’t Enough to praise from MusicRow, Country Central and Holler, who exclaimed, “The second you hear [Tyce] stretch out and land that opening ‘Baby’ on his debut single, ‘Adaline,’ he blows every other country singer around out of the water. His voice has a depth and power and an ability to lift a song up and send it somewhere otherworldly that few other singers in modern-day country music have.” Grounded in Delk’s Red Dirt New Mexico roots with Western swing touches and radio-ready hooks, the EP paired high-energy country stompers with tender ballads that showcased his rich, emotive voice.
A fourth-generation farmer, rancher and musician, Delk's soulful storytelling springs from a lifetime of wide-open skies and family heritage. Growing up amidst the rhythms of crops and cattle, and the melodies of swing-era music passed down through generations, Tyce’s artistic identity is steeped in generational legacy.
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Dani Ivory’s new single “Anymore” arrives with quiet intensity, capturing the moment when clarity finally cuts through confusion. Built around a rich piano line and unflinching vocal performance, the track unfolds like a confession, turning heartbreak into resolve. It’s tinged with folky, Americana-esque guitar textures, seamlessly blended with soul and pop elements, giving the song a warm, grounded feel without losing its modern edge.
The song centers on reclaiming autonomy and spirit after emotional control, with Ivory delivering lines that feel lived-in and resolute: “When I had a hunch you were creepin’ behind closed doors / I’m not yours / No, no, no, no / I’m not yours anymore.” Rather than dramatizing the breakup, Ivory leans into restraint, allowing honesty to do the heavy lifting.
Ivory shares, “I wrote ‘Anymore’ after leaving someone who mistook control for love. It’s about waking up from the fog of infatuation and excuses and realizing you’re done letting someone else’s insecurity cage you. It’s a reluctant release — part mourning, part reckoning — and ultimately a return to my true self. Even when you know it’s good for you, letting go can still hurt.”
That release shows up in the song’s smallest victories — the freedom to exist without fear or expectation: “When I step out on the street, I can be who I want to be / Makeup-free in my faded, beat-up jeans / ’Cause I ain’t got no one threatenin’ to leave.” Ivory also reflects on the future she once imagined, now left behind: “You had my heart beatin’ and even wedding dreamin’ / Until the sweetness turned sour.”
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