The Cyrkle - DIVKA - Freyja Elsy - Kat Greta - Asara - Ryan Hamilton

The Cyrkle - Revival.

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the first album from '60 hit makers and sunshine pop pioneers The Cyrkle and the band's landmark performances as the opening band on The Beatles' final tour, Big Stir Records proudly presents the first-ever Vinyl release of the group's acclaimed 2024 reunion album Revival. Remastered and re-sequenced from its original CD release, the album (featuring founding singer-guitarist Don Dannemann, original keyboard player Mike Losekamp and vintage vocals from late co-founder Tom Dawes) joins the band's original albums on wax in record stores and online retailers on July 10 2026.

Famed for their 1966 #2 radio smash “Red Rubber Ball” and its era-defining follow up hit “Turn-Down Day,” both regarded as classic cornerstones of the sunshine pop sound, The Cyrkle had an all-too-brief but astonishing heyday exactly sixty years ago. Beyond the beloved hits, they were the only American band to be managed by Brian Epstein and landed a coveted slot opening for The Beatles on their historic final tour. Despite their stratospheric early success, The Cyrkle would only issue two proper albums, their debut and 1967's underappreciated-at-the-time Neon, before disbanding. 

It would be forty years before founders Dannemann and Dawes reconnected to explore a prospective reunion, only to have it cut short by Dawes' tragic passing. Yet another decade elapsed before Dannemann and Losekampre united as the anchors of a new lineup of The Cyrkle including bassist Dean Kastran (a founding member of The Ohio Express) as well as Pat McLoughlin (vocals, guitar), Don White(lead guitar, vocals) and Scott Langley (drums, vocals). They've been performing on the retro rock circuit to adoring crowds since 2016, mixing their own classics with other key '60s tracks and, most excitingly, brand new original material.

============================================================================

Photo - Lauren Stewart

DIVKA - folk fatale (Album).

On the heels of their spellbinding new debut album folk fatale, which sounds ancient as dirt and scans post-modernly feminist as Bikini Kill, the charismatic and revolutionary Ukrainian-rooted duo DIVKA, launch their LP release tour of Ontario and Western Canada on July 7, 2026, at The Tranzac Club in Toronto. For more information, please visit the DIVKA website.

DIVKA is made up of Alina Kytasty Kuzma, a tradition-re-focusing player of the bandura (Ukrainian national harp/zither) and vocal forest nymph; and Zoë Santo, a guttural viola player and gremlin of chaos and sometimes vocals. DIVKA use bygone folk songs from Ukrainian and global women's music-making traditions to launch their ethereal, polyphonic vocals and throaty, primeval invocations – haunting as fear itself, hypnotic as a trance. As a sonic rebel reckoning, DIVKA's music is charged with mythology, traditional village singing, and generations of femme power, mystic whimsy, and a dash of vengeance.

DIVKA began with a deceptively simple mission: To find and perform songs where women are allowed joy, and not punished for desire, curiosity, pleasure, or power. From that seed, the project expanded into something larger: a sonic archive of women’s inner lives across time filled with flirtation, rage, grief, eroticism, humour, longing, survival, and magic.

DIVKA’s live performances, like the folk fatale album itself, range from playful rural songs celebrating the forces of nature and wildlife (“Of Storms, Babas, and Fiddling Rabbits,” “Kozel”); a cover of a feminist-gunslinger country novelty from the ‘50s, with an ending re-written to deservedly punish the patriarchy (“IDK”); to alternately raunchy and devastating songs of attraction, courtship, romance, and sex (“Harbuz,” “Oj Na Mori,” “Volodar,” “Shopski Prispevki”); to dead-serious meditations on the ecocide and genocide in Russia's invasion of Ukraine (“Rusalka”), as well as horrific income inequality and the impermanence of genocidal empire in “Garden of Time.”

============================================================================

Photo - Siria Ferrer

Freyja Elsy - Control.

Following the release of ‘In My Veins’, Freyja Elsy returns with ‘Control’ - a darker, more inward-looking chapter from her forthcoming EP to stop the world turning. Where its predecessor captured fleeting childhood vignettes, ‘Control’ turns sharply inward, navigating cycles of intrusive thoughts, emotional overwhelm, and the fragile grip we try to maintain over our inner world. “These facts all sound so fictional…”

Stripped back and deliberately tense, ‘Control’ trades Elsy’s signature sweeping strings for a skeletal palette of drums, bass, guitar, electronics and voice. The result is a moodier, more claustrophobic sound, placing Elsy’s exposed vocal at the centre, surrounded by fractured and reshaped vocal manipulations that denote the spiralling, nebulous thoughts of a chronically anxious mind. 
 
‘Control’ reflects a psyche attempting to hold itself together as it slips between certainty and doubt. Lyrics like “Take control / nothing but a soul in me” and “I’ve seen it all / everything I’m scared I’ll be” capture a fragile internal dialogue where vulnerability, fear, and self-perception collapse into one another, while “Lead me on / make me believe I’m worthy” speaks to the struggle to maintain belief in oneself as that sense of stability begins to erode. Adam Walton described ‘Control’ as “an elevating slow burn… sumptuously produced.”

‘Control’ is the second single from to stop the world turning, following ‘In My Veins’, which was selected as a Fresh Fave by Freshonthenet and named Molly Palmer’s ‘Must Add’ on BBC Radio Wales. Alongside tracks ‘Another Life’ and ‘From Within’, the project explores memory, identity and emotional consequence through shifting sonic landscapes - moving between expansive, cinematic arrangements and darker, more insular moments.

============================================================================

Kat Greta - Audacity.

Melbourne/Naarm based multi-instrumental artist Kat Greta returns with her new single ‘Audacity’, released yesterday Friday, July 3. A melodically driven indie-pop anthem, deceptively enveloped with an underswell of grief, ‘Audacity’ and its accompanying music video are anchored in mourning and bolstered by shimmering electronic textures.

Following the release of her debut EP in November, which highlights Kat Greta’s unbridled pop-senses, ‘Audacity’ takes the pop dial and cranks it up to 10 with vibrant and energetic charisma. Below the surface of ‘Audacity’s pop rhythm lies the complex feelings and multitudes of grief and acceptance. Written after experiencing immense loss, ‘Audacity’ is a track riddled with mourning and the battle of understanding - masquerading in dance vibrancy. 

From the outset, Greta’s vocal distortion emulates speaking through a mask as one uncovers the bitter reality of the lyrics at hand. Accompanied by the instantaneous punch of the drums, high-spirited electronic elements and guitar, Greta’s distinctive artistry takes centre stage, embodying the confidence and conviction that sit at the heart of ‘Audacity’.  

Co-produced by Melbourne producer Seetali Mack, this collaboration has allowed for Kat Greta to explore the themes and elements of the world around her unvaryingly as her own collapses in. The track brings light to the blatant absurdity of loss as the days roll in and out - remaining unchanged for the masses while Kat Greta is wondering how this could be. Kat Greta shares: “‘Audacity’ explores the emotional whiplash of grief, where the world carries on as usual while yours quietly falls apart." 

============================================================================

Asara - 028 Crises (Album).

Asara is the solo project of Paris-based French-Moroccan artist Sarah Pitet, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, and video director whose debut album 028 Crises was released yesterday July 3rd via French label Géographie. After spending four years as a member of Dog Park, moving fluidly between guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals, she now steps into a more intimate and personal space with her first solo work.

Having played music since childhood, Asara grew up through various band projects before joining Dog Park, alongside Erica Ashleson, Isabella Green Catani, and Jean Duffour. Together, they released the album Festina Lente in 2024 on the same label, Géographie. That collective experience now feeds a more introspective form of songwriting and a deeply personal approach to creation.

Written throughout 2025, 028 Crises unfolds like a near-documentary sonic diary, tracing the emotional landscape of her twenty-eighth year. Voice takes center stage throughout the record, balancing raw vulnerability with sharper rhythmic momentum. Her debut single Cute draws from the textures and pulse of hip-hop drum machines, while Thank You, Thank You stays rooted in a melodic, stripped-back bedroom pop aesthetic. On With Love, Asara blends upright piano with French touch-inspired electronic elements, while the rest of the album leans toward a darker, denser, and more organic form of rock. From her apartment studio in the Paris suburbs, she writes, produces, and shapes the entire visual and sonic identity of the project.

GÉOGRAPHIE · Asara - 028 Crises

============================================================================

Ryan Hamilton - Haunted By American Dreams (Album).

Ryan Hamilton returns with Haunted By American Dreams, a powerful new album arriving July 3 via Wicked Cool Records. Blending heartland rock, power pop, and deeply personal storytelling, the record finds Hamilton examining ambition, identity, and the often-unspoken cost of pursuing the life we've been told we're supposed to want. Written from the perspective of someone looking back on the roads traveled and the expectations carried along the way, Haunted By American Dreams captures both the hope and disillusionment woven into modern life. Across the album, Hamilton balances soaring melodies, sharp songwriting, and emotional honesty, creating one of the most reflective and compelling releases of his career.

"'Haunted By American Dreams' is really about chasing something you were told would save you—and realizing it doesn't," says Hamilton. "It's the echo of small-town promises, late-night highways, and all the ghosts of who you thought you'd become. I didn't want to make a perfect record—I wanted to make an honest one, even if it rattles a little."

That spirit runs throughout the album, which finds Hamilton confronting uncertainty, disappointment, and reinvention without losing the warmth, humor, and melodic instincts that have long defined his music. The album's focus track, "Dreaming Screaming," serves as a fitting introduction to the record's themes, exploring the darker side of ambition while still finding moments of hope and clarity amid the noise.

With Haunted By American Dreams, Hamilton begins a new chapter—one that embraces hard truths while remaining deeply connected to the human experiences that have earned him a devoted international audience. It's a record about growing older without growing cynical, about confronting reality without surrendering optimism, and about finding meaning in the space between who we were and who we become.

============================================================================

Sheva Elliot - Starpainter - Freyja Elsy - Lentamente - The Spongetones - The October Effect

Sheva Elliot - Birds of a Feather.

Los Angeles-born singer, songwriter, and producer Sheva Elliot makes music that lives where roots rock, soul, Americana, gospel, and classic rock collide. A lifelong vocalist who began singing at age four, Elliot has built a reputation for music that is both emotionally raw and stylistically fearless, songs rooted in lived experience, instinct, and a refusal to flatten the complexity of being human.

Her work often explores what she calls “the truth of the human experience”: freedom, vulnerability, sensuality, playfulness, heartbreak, humor, and the courage to become who you really are. Whether delivering a slow-burning torch song or a swaggering rock anthem, Elliot writes with an autobiographical honesty that feels timeless and lived-in.

Elliot’s recent releases have begun to cut through with both audiences and tastemakers, earning editorial support and growing press attention while helping her carve out a distinct space in the modern roots and Americana landscape. Her previous single, “Ruler of My Heart,” marked a creative breakthrough,  a cinematic, soul-infused release that showcased her vocal power and emotional depth, and further established her as an artist to watch in the next wave of genre-blending singer-songwriters.

Following that momentum, Elliot returns with “Birds of a Feather,” a twangy, upbeat roots-rock single that reveals another side of her artistry, bolder, freer, and more mischievous. Driven by the tension between doing what’s expected and doing what feels right, the song captures the thrill of choosing desire over approval and instinct over image.

============================================================================

Starpainter - I Found a River.

The pride of Lethbridge, a city in southern Alberta that serves as the hub of the local rural community, Starpainter likes to think of itself in similar geographic terms—a little bit town, and a little bit country. The six-piece unit demonstrated that on 2023’s Rattlesnake Dream, and is set to follow it up this fall with a new album that sees the band pushing its sonic ambitions even further.

Produced in Calgary by Chris Dadge—who also plays drums with Alvvays and Chad VanGaalen—first single “I Found a River,” adds a bit of shoegaze haziness to Starpainter’s alt-country foundation. Stretch says the song came to him quickly as a simple folk-rock tune, but blossomed into something entirely unexpected when they got into the studio, particularly once lead guitarist Joel Grey broke out his fuzz box.

Stretch explains, “‘I Found a River’ explores a déjà vu feeling that hits pretty often for me. Have I been here before? In this room with these exact people having this exact conversation? It can be a nice feeling sometimes—there is comfort and pleasure to be found in life’s repetitions. I used to see life in terms of growth and forward movement; in some ways I still do, but these days I notice cycles and seasons that leave and return. So, I think this song celebrates familiarity and dependability.”

"I Found A River" is further proof that Starpainter is a band determined not to be pigeonholed, but instead evolve with each album. As Stretch says, “I guess the through-line with the artists that inspire me the most is longevity and a willingness to try out bold ideas and create something that reflects wherever they’re at.” 

============================================================================

Photo - Ed Townend

Freyja Elsy - In My Veins.

‘In My Veins’ is the first single from Freyja Elsy’s upcoming 2026 EP to stop the world turning. The track captures vivid vignettes of childhood, quiet moments of inner turmoil, and a search for hope in the darkness. Anchored by Elsy’s emphatic voice, classically trained composition and innovative, cinematic production, it weaves together dramatic piano and luscious string swells with subtle electronic details to create an immersive, emotionally charged ‘folktronica’ sound while carrying a nostalgic undercurrent reminiscent of mid-2000s indie pop. The track was recently selected as a “Molly’s Must Add” on BBC Radio Wales by presenter Molly Palmer.

“Loud words taste violent, so I whisper.” The song centres on moments of emotional disconnect, tracing the tension between the desire to reach out and the instinct to retreat inward. Its lyrics move between quiet vulnerability and suppressed intensity, capturing the difficulty of expressing what sits just beneath the surface. As Freyja explains: “It’s about reflecting on moments from early life, realising the drastic impact they can have on the rest of your life, for better or worse, and trying to reconnect with emotions after a long period of numbness.”

Built from a rediscovered fragment, the track grew outward into something expansive in scale. As Freyja describes, “The song started with a piano loop I had forgotten that I’d recorded into my electric piano years prior, and used that as the foundational tool to build up the song layers from there. The melody transmuted into what is now the main guitar melody that meanders and flows around the lyrics, expanding into a gentle anti-melody underneath the entire song.” The arrangement unfolds from this core idea, mirroring the song’s emotional push and pull while maintaining a sense of forward momentum around its introspective core.

============================================================================

Photo - Adriàn Mora

Lentamente - Bienvenida (Album).

Burnt Toast Vinyl releases Lentamente's Bienvenida, an album by San Jose, Costa Rica-based post-punk, dream pop and shoegaze band, today June 5. The Spanish language band is comprozed of members of other popular Costa Rican shoegaze bands Adiós Cometa and Dylan Thomas. Since 2020, Lentamente has released three full-length albums, two EPs, and several singles through independent labels such as Z Tapes, Furia, and Stupid Decisions, among others. Their music has been issued in multiple formats, including cassette, seven-inch vinyl, and CD.

Lentamente is the moniker of musician and producer Arío Rojas. For live performances, the Ario is joined by Pablo Matamoros (Adiós Cometa), Esteban Fuentes, Diego Cubillo (Decora, Nuncamuere), and Sebastián Álvarez (Dylan Thomas., A Su Ladera)

The third full-length album, Bienvenida, was released in October 2023 and represents the most polished work in the band’s history. The record marked a turning point for Lentamente, solidifying the project’s longevity and expanding its recognition within the Latin American indie scene. The album has a shoegaze/dream pop sound with Cocteau Twins/Robin Guthrie guitars and the catchy energy of The Radio Department.

============================================================================

The Spongetones - (I Really Need) To Kiss You.

Legendary power poppers The Spongetones return to continue their ongoing series of standalone singles with the all-new track “(I Really Need) To Kiss You,” a pitch-perfect swinging chamber pop mini-masterpiece that's sure to follow their recent hit “So Long” onto the indie airwaves and into their longtime fans' hearts. 

“(I Really Need) To Kiss You,” is resplendent with chamber pop arrangement touches evoking the likes of Pet Sounds, Sgt. Peppers and Odessey and Oracle while rocking out like only The Spongetones can. Its natural fit within the band's oeuvre makes it a delightful surprise that, after the recent songs showing off the undimmed songwriting chops of founders Hoover, Stoeckel and Walters, it's the newest member of the band who provided the melodic framework for “To Kiss You.” As drummer-vocalist Eric Willhelm tells it, “I’ve had this melody knocking around in my head for quite some time. Over the years it’s had placeholder lyrics with subjects ranging from a girl dressed as a fish stick to the agony of misinterpreting a person’s body language. I decided to see what The Spongetones' brains trust could do with it, and Jamie came up with some great lyrics that capture the optimistic nature of the melody. 

From there everything else fell into place, with Steve and Pat adding their own delicious talents. So finally, after years of bouncing around my head, the song is ready to leave the nest.” Hoover picks up the tale: “Eric sent me a copy of a demo he had put together of what we now call '(I Really Need) To Kiss You.' Great sounding thing, and I immediately said Hell yeah! Let me at it! All I needed was lyrics, and they streamed to me from 'above.' It was almost like taking dictation. It happens like that every so often, and this was such a time. I really just got the lyrics from how the music made me feel. They fell right into the track very quickly.

============================================================================

The October Effect - Repeat After Me.

Repeat After Me” is The October Effect at their most playful, a catchy tongue-in-cheek anthem about the people who book the same holiday, in the same place, every single year. Full of warmth, humour, and instantly recognisable scenes, the single captures the charm of all-inclusive tradition with a big chorus and an affectionate wink.

Formed in 2023 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK, The October Effect grew organically with an idea to record songs from songwriter and guitarist Laurence (aka Loz) Collins with the fantastic vocals of Cath Back.  Laurence's songs blend elements of jazz and pop with a reflective, atmospheric edge - a very real 'October effect'. With an award-winning background in musical theatre, vocalist Cath Back adds depth and nuance to the band’s understated, emotionally-driven sound. The band is completed by its latest member, Mike Gutsell (bass and backing vocals), who has been collaborating musically with Laurence since they were teenagers.

The band's debut EP, Paint Yourself a Picture, was recorded at 13 Sound Studios, Weston-super-Mare and released in January 2026. The EP introduces The October Effect’s distinctive approach — thoughtful songwriting, emotionally resonant lyrics and a quietly confident sound.

============================================================================

Freyja Elsy - Terry Emm - Jake Morley - Awkward Branches

Freyja Elsy - Golden Hour.

Freyja's vocals on her new song ‘Golden Hour’ are breathtaking and oh so versatile, add in a gorgeous musical arrangement and this really is a standout song. The promo is spot on telling us that the song  encapsulates the nervous joy that comes with change and seeking the strength and bravery to take a different path. Experimenting with vocal chopping alongside deep harmonies, Elsy constructs a warm sonic bath of piano, strings and synthesisers around lilting melodies and uplifting crescendos.

Previous singles ‘Lungs’ and ‘Requiem’ drew praise, coverage and radio play internationally - including BBC 6Music. On ‘Lungs’ the BBC’s Adam Walton said: “This gave me goosebumps that haven’t subsided since I first heard it … off-the-scale evocative” and for ‘Requiem’ Circuit Sweet said of Elsy: “A classic composer on all levels with an understanding of connection within their creations.”

Freyja Elsy is an independent songwriter and composer who produces layered, striking music from her home studio in Cardiff. She incorporates both pop technique and classical influence under her own momentum and direction.

Freyja Elsy · Golden Hour

======================================================================

Terry Emm - November Evenings.

We continue to be impressed by Terry Emm. The new song mixes timeless folk with a twist of Americana and despite the subject matter plenty of warm vibes. OK so here's the background. Hertfordshire singer-songwriter Terry Emm returns with blistering new single ‘November Evenings’, just out on October 27th. The single is his second new track of 2022 following ‘Wish You Were Here’, which came out in April beginning a new era for the artist.

Combining a vintage live band sound with rustic Americana flavours, the track packs a punch with its jangly catchy chorus. Working again with Lukas Drinkwater (Emily Barker, Annie Howie, Jacob & Drinkwater), the track turns the heat up a few notches from ‘Wish You Were Here’, with scorching lead guitar and drums that evolve against the big repeating chorus refrain, “I can’t be this way when I love you”.

Elsewhere, lines like ‘Does it leave you so cold, the feeling of being sold everything you can ever have?’, see Emm moving into a rawer lyrical territory than the nature inspired chamber-folk he’s been mostly known for. An irresistible slice of vintage-pop, ‘November Evenings’ is sure to set the radio airwaves alight this winter.

On the track, Emm says “November Evenings is about that feeling when autumn changes into winter and we’re left reflecting on the year. It’s about jealously and a feeling of wanting more from life, when certain things are always just out of reach. It’s probably the second or third upbeat track I’ve ever released”.

======================================================================

Jake Morley - Some Things Are Like Other Things (Album).

Hidden in your house is a button
For use in an emergency
You'll find it at the back of a cupboard
Or behind the washing maching
You'll know it when you see it, it's the one that says
'Everything goes back to normal'
....... from 'Everything Goes Back to Normal' written by Jake Morley

To be fair, we could probably all do with one right now.  In Jake Morley's case, couple the world and UK events of the past few years with swapping late night songs with Michael Kiwanuka, breaking Jack Garratt's amp, and having an incident in Ed Sheeran's bathroom, and you'll understand these sentiments:

A recent Covid infection has meant Jake's had to postpone a number of dates on his current UK tour.  Jake says: "Sold out rooms, magic moments, all manner of cooked breakfasts, it was all going so well…. and then I got covid. Now… I’m… feeling… quite…. tired. And postponing shows.  Two weeks on and still every day is a fresh round of covid symptom bingo. A tedious relay race of unwanted characters, from tiredness to achy bones to ooh feeling better to brain fog to Now That’s What I Call Covid 2020 classics like The Cough That Never Ends and Lungs That Are Surely The Size Of A Crisp Packet."

BUT ... his new album 'Some Things Are Like Other Things' came out yesterday Friday, 28th October and it's a thing of aural and visual beauty.

======================================================================

Awkward Branches - A Frame (Not a Window).

Awkward Branches is the new project of singer, keyboardist and former Fiction frontman Mike Barrett and close collaborator and guitarist Phil Swan. Today they share their debut single ‘A Frame (Not a Window)’ via Tip Top Recordings.

After writing and performing with each-other in numerous other projects - including a 6-piece experimental collective (Holy Island Sketchbook), gothic trio (Sweet Heave) and as part of Mike’s dream-pop project (Brand New Moon) - they felt it was finally time to put a name to their own project, and thus Awkward Branches was born.

Appropriately, the pair first met standing under a much-beloved tree in the gardens of an old wedding chapel where they both worked. While waiting for ceremonies to run their course, talk would often turn to music. United by a shared appreciation for ambient soundscapes and buoyant melodies, they tentatively began recording sketches; ideas which grew over several years, without hurry, into a handful of fully formed songs.

‘A Frame (Not a Window)’ is the first single to be shared from forthcoming debut EP due out next spring. The debut single is a tranquil sun-flecked number, driven by bouncy acoustic guitar and verdant synth, with tender vocals that speak to the nature of trust, faith and dogs. The song is complemented by a charming animated video, created by Mike Barrett, that satisfyingly mirrors the colourful textures and sanguine spirit of the song itself. Barrett on the video: “The video began life as a simple zoom through abstract spaces, inspired by a craft-paper collage Phil had made as a potential EP cover. Using a blend of hand-drawn elements, original footage and AI-assisted animation techniques, it soon evolved into a somewhat labyrinthine journey across a variety of fantasy landscapes, culminating In the slightly tongue-in-cheek / slightly deadly serious ascension to heaven for the final scene. Mostly it was a chance to indulge my affection for kitsch architectural forms, potted plants, and - in a nod to the first line of the song’s lyrics - the illusive joy of dogs”



======================================================================

Freyja Elsy - DB Armitage - Wy - Sophie Janna - Sara Bug - Let's Be Giants

Freyja Elsy - Lungs.

The debut single Lungs from Freyja Elsy is an epic, yet introspective look at the end of a relationship.

Freyja Elsy is an independent singer songwriter and composer with a nomadic past and a sound that pushes into the future. Creating songs with a keen ear whilst pursuing music education, she found herself within the vibrant, engaging Cardiff scene. Through both outside musical influence and internal personal conflict she started to establish a clear identity, forging a path forward to create ‘Lungs’, her first single.

Based around very real, very intimate voice recordings, ‘Lungs’ starts small and reserved, fragile in its form and structure. The track slowly unfolds and develops into rising crescendos alongside uncompromising percussion. A mixture of glitchy synthesisers and rising strings interweave around Elsy’s voice, which sits unwavering and steadfast. Her bold lyrics are strong in the face of a contrasting anguish found in the recordings nestled within the music.  

With other musical endeavours in the form of collaborations within the band Blue Amber, alongside orchestral compositions performed by members of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and thematic interludes created for commercial use - this single is her first, strikeout release and sets the course for a prolific career ahead.

Freyja Elsy · Lungs

===================================================

DB Armitage - Lovelow.

Lovelow is the forceful dark wave/art pop debut from DB Armitage, the stage name of East London-based multidisciplinary vocalist and video artist Dalma Berger.

Revolving around the bitter end of a love story, Lovelow authentically captures mourning as themes of inevitable hurt, imbalances between lovers, and heartfelt sadness ultimately collide with self-empowerment.

Each song in the brilliantly produced synth-fueled EP tells a different story about power and vulnerability. While “Old Bones” is about an active choice and open rebellion against heartache, “Last Summer” and “Lovelow” find Dalma learning lessons about her own womanhood after a problematic break up.

Accompanied by a dark and dynamic visual co-directed by Berger and Gareth Phillips (whose previous credits include The 1975, Wolf Alice and Pale Waves), the "Lovelow" video captures Dalma dancing and fighting with the dazzling Emma Holty, expressing nuances of love and hate.

“Expressing vulnerability excites me as a songwriter as I’ve never really explored this territory before,” says Berger. “I’ve picked these three songs because they are all coming from the same state, the state where love is low.”

===================================================

Wy - God's Lamb.

Wy are a band strongest at their most vulnerable. The Malmö indie duo, Ebba and Michel Gustafsson Ågren, have showcased their musical skills across two albums, 2017’s Okay and 2019’s Softie which gained them recognition from KEXP, Line of Best Fit, NBHAP, Tonspion, CLASH and more as well as tours in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. But what makes them stand out as a band is the raw, brutal emotion they capture in their music.

A Wy song at their best sounds like opening it all up, and letting the feelings flow where they will, letting the pain, anger, fear, hope and love steer the song. Those emotions are spun into the band’s skyscaping, cinematic sound, and turned into music that has a force behind it, a power that hits you, even when it's at its softest. And that power that illuminates the band’s songs is more present than ever on their new album Marriage which is out on May 7th, God's Lamb is the last single and comes alongside a video directed and recorded by the duo themselves.

Marriage is the first record since signing to Rama Lama Records (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) and the  sound of Wy moving forward and backwards at once. Leaving the more produced style of last album Softie behind, it turns to the simpler sound of their earlier work for music that’s rawer and sharper. On both the indie-rock and the pop songs of this album, there’s less between the listener and the heart of the song - this is music that’s very direct, both in theme and sound, with melodies that hit cleanly and leave nothing even trying to hide. It’s the work of a band that have grown into themselves and what they do, and making the strongest songs of their career.

That album, in a way, begins with a wedding. Ebba and Michel have been together since their schooldays, but a couple of years ago they tied the knot. The songs on Marriage have all been made since their wedding, and so in that sense the timing made it a natural title for a record that’s something of a scrapbook from the first two years of that marriage. But there’s also a deeper sense to it. Both in sound and theme, Marriage is more of a conceptual record than their earlier work. Ebba writes the band’s lyrics, and on the previous albums her themes were specific to her. But on this album, their relationship is at the heart of the songs. The lyrics have come from the experiences they’ve shared together, which they’ve then worked together into what they want to say, to each other and to everyone else.  “I have always written the lyrics”, says Ebba. “But this time they feel like our lyrics, and not just my diary set to our music. We've talked a lot with each other about what we want to say. About who we are and where we can find our place in the world. The title has been in place since we started, and that was because a lot of the songs revolved around our relationship since we got married. Not so much the relationship between us, but more about the internal conflicts that appear when you’re in a long-term, safe relationship, where you’re really sure about each other, but you’re not sure about yourself”.

The journey to the record has been a difficult one. The band started work on Marriage not intending to make an album. They went into the studio with the idea of making an EP, wrote some songs, but couldn’t quite nail what they were going for - the songs didn’t quite feel right together. So they went into overdrive, wrote a bunch more songs, and suddenly found themselves with over 20, and within those 20 what they realised was an album.

===================================================

Sophie Janna - Wide World.

Sophie Janna today releases her new single ‘Wide World’. Sophie describes her song as an hymn for the modern age. Quiet vocals and beautiful sounds make the single very refreshing to listen to.

Sophie says about 'Wide World': “This song is about not daring to tell someone that you love them. I've always been scared to express how I feel and I've spent most of my life so far pretending to be stronger and more independent than I really am. Only in music I dare to show my emotions. With this song I tried to tell someone what I didn't dare to say out loud: that I wanted them to stay with me, preferably forever, and not to go home to their own country. I was feeling all this and picked up my guitar to play a traditional song that I love - I'm a folk musician and I often play songs that are more than a hundred years old. Singing such old love songs gives me comfort, because they remind me that so many people before me have felt the same way. But when I strummed the first few chords of the song I intended to play, other words came up and formed this new song instead. "

The west Frisian Sophie Janna lived in Scotland for a while, discovered traditional folk there, and since then can be found every week at the folk sessions in her favorite cafe in her hometown Amsterdam. You can hear the influences of Scottish and Irish ballads well in her own songs. With a clear, sensitive voice and subdued strumming, she sings comforting songs that make you forget where you are for a moment. After her debut album 'Laurels', with eleven bittersweet traditional songs, Sophie Janna has now released her first EP with her own work, in which she is clearly influenced by artists such as Iron & Wine, The Weather Station, Anaïs Mitchell, and Sandy Denny.

During her solo career, Sophie Janna has performed on various stages worldwide. She was the opening act for Small Houses and she toured through Germany and America. She has also performed at many (international) festivals, such as The Brave, Tandem, Offbeat, Nest Collective Campfire Club and Knockengorroch. These are just a few examples of the highlights of her career.

Revanche Records · Sophie Janna - Wide World

===================================================

Sara Bug - Ride On Sundys.

"It’s a play on words I guess. Sitting inside writing on a sunday afternoon instead of out in the sun driving or riding or at the lake with my friends. Ride on Sundys is about the guilt of being sad and trying to bandage it with isolation."

The ten songs on Sara Bug’s forthcoming self-titled debut album were not meant to be shared. A culmination of seven years of her life, these songs were journal entries that reckoned with defining herself. Growing up in New Orleans, Bug imagined herself to be a successful songwriter. “I was so deep in the music. ‘Oh, I'm going to be a famous musician. When I get out of high school, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go have a career in music,’” she explains. “I think I held on to that for so long, I had finally kind of let go, like that pressure. Now it was just fun.” This eponymous project embodies Bug’s journey away from the expectations of others and her younger self, allowing her creative freedom.

Sara Bug opens with a lush, symphonic ballad about desire. “My whole life through, I want to die with you,” she sings tenderly on “Die With You.” Romantic and a bit morbid, Bug opens with the oldest song on the album and takes us to that time when the urgency of her happiness began pushing against the pressure of others’ approval. It's easy to get lost in the dreamy guitar strums and sturdy bass lines, Bug’s voice sharp and clear against the country-psych rock combination. A close listen reveals that Bug is letting the listener into the most poignant moments of the past years with sincerity and ease. She takes us on reflective motorcycle rides, whether literal or desired, for “Rosebank” and “Ride On Sundys.” She details the loss of a family member and a trip back home from her then-residence in New York on “Lotta Pride.” Inspired by the detailed storytelling of Dolly Parton and Neil Young, Bug leads across state lines and along her timeline of personal growth with unconventional, vivid song structures.

===================================================

Let's Be Giants - I Don't Mind.

There’s a ‘beauty in tragedy’ and ‘dreaminess to heartache’ that Canadian multi-instrumentalist Esther Spiegelman — and group Let’s Be Giants — weave into their encapsulating new single, “I Don’t Mind”. Landing ahead of the Montreal-based band’s forthcoming album, Fade In / Fade Out, the song features simple lyrics with a profound message; Spiegelman both implores you to listen, and also hear what she’s feeling, what she’s wishing, and what she's needing.

Drawing on the nostalgia of 90s soundscapes — think Liz Phair asking Dolores O’Riordan to the dance, only to find out that Mazzy Starr was the opening band — “I Don’t Mind” lulls you into memories of heartbreak, but with an air of hope that you’ll survive this, too. Having fronted several outfits over her tenure as a singer/songwriter, it was Spiegelman’s assembly of Let’s Be Giants where she found her niche. After recruiting Jeremie Dallaire on guitar, Matt Wozniak on bass, and Simon Pesant on drums, songs Spiegelman had started penning began to take a life form all their own.

“Esther often writes songs about being in her own head, and in her own world, where she can view things the way she wants to,” says the band. “As an introvert, she writes a lot about what goes on in her mind, and often references not wanting to go out into the real world.

“‘I Don’t Mind’ is the perfect example of that,” they continue. “It’s especially the ‘I don’t mind, change my mind’ lyrics that provide listeners with the possibility of change and hope.”

As a song that delves into the core of ‘human spirit,’ and challenges it to leave it all on the dance floor, the subsequent music video is another brainchild of Spiegelman where she found her creativity not only in song and on screen, but also behind the lens.

===================================================