Formed in 2023 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK, The October Effect is the creation of both songwriter and guitarist Laurence (aka Loz) Collins, and vocalist Cath Back. Laurence's songs blend elements of jazz and pop with a reflective, atmospheric edge - a very real 'October effect'.
Whilst Cath Back Exceptional Vocals 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 Missing Clue – A song about that life changing moment when everything falls into place and you realise the missing piece has been added to your personal jigsaw. It might be love, the birth of a child or something else, but whatever it is you know it's going to redefine your life - forever. The October Effect’s distinctive approach — thoughtful songwriting, emotionally resonant lyrics with a subtle jazz-influenced feel.
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Michael Lane - Live Free (Album).
“Live Free” is about embracing life as it comes – with all its highs and lows. The songs revolve around love, freedom, and self-acceptance, born from honest moments and genuine self-reflection. The album serves as a reminder that freedom doesn’t mean avoiding responsibility or emotions, but staying true to yourself in every situation. It tells a story of growth, forgiveness, and finding peace with one’s own imperfections.
If there’s a modern folk/pop artist who truly knows the difficult sides of life, it’s Michael Lane. In his twenties, he was deployed as a U.S. soldier to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he witnessed many traumatic events. His previous albums were like a musical diary of these experiences – but on “Live Free,” you can clearly feel that lightness and joy have returned. The album sends a hopeful message: even crises and periods of self-reflection can bring us closer to the things that really matter.
The German-American singer became known through two Top-50 hits in the German charts, four released albums, international tours, and his single “Liberty,” which was the official song of the Four Hills Tournament 2015/2016. Several of his songs have made it onto Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists and are featured by tastemakers such as alexrainbird Music, Indie Folk Central, Starbucks Playlists, and Double J Music. In addition to his work as a musician, Michael Lane also writes production music and produces in his secluded “Studio Waldblick.”
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| Photo - Marcus Cobblyn |
Multi-award winning singer-songwriter Romanie returns with her brilliant new single ‘Anything or Anyone’, ahead of her forthcoming album ‘It’s Not That Funny’ which is set to follow on the 20th of February. A homage to community, ‘Anything or Anyone’ arrives as a reminder that you're never alone. Unfolding over gently plucked guitars, ‘Anything or Anyone’ is a reflection on loneliness and pushing back against the temptation to isolate yourself further.
Sharing more, Romanie explained: “This song is a really big reminder to myself that I’m not alone, I wrote it in the midst of a really dark and lonely time - thinking I was completely alone by shutting myself out. Living on the other side of the world, choosing a career that is not straight forward - it can sometimes feel like you’re screaming into the void.
I think the song, even though it stemmed from a sad time, is a reminder and dedication to anyone who’s ever felt lonely (all of us) and a reminder that we never are alone. Community is everything.” ‘Anything or Anyone’ is the fourth offering to be taken from Romanie's upcoming sophomore album.
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Helsinki-based goth garage band Hauntees has released the first single, All Over Again, from their upcoming debut album. The hypnotic, dark-toned track draws its striking elements from post-punk as well as goth and garage rock. Hauntees is a new band, but its members have previously played in groups such as Patsy Walkers, Borderline, Charm Bags, Goo-Hags and Lariots, so the roots of the Helsinki garage scene are well covered.
“We want to reach toward other worlds with our music, beyond everyday reality,” the band says. “When we write songs, we describe them to each other through places, films, and moods.” Based on feedback, Hauntees’ visual and atmospheric approach to music seems to resonate with listeners.
“It’s interesting that listeners experience our music this way too. We’ve received comments at shows that we sound like the jukebox in the Twin Peaks bar, a foggy forest path, or music that should be played on a road trip across the desert,” the band says. The band’s debut album Shadows Forming will be released on February 28 on vinyl and digital platforms.
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Awful Din - ANTI BODY (Album).
"Founding members Aaron Groom (vocals/guitar) and Kat Doniger (guitar) reference 90s emo and punk as what brought them together in a band (Saves the Day and Texas Is The Reason, specifically), and on their sophomore album ANTI BODY, the group (now joined by new members Jay Rodriguez and Don Lavis on bass and drums) take those influences and make a fresh, catchy-sounding emo-pop-punk album out of them.
Somewhere between post-Lemonheads earnest jangle-power pop, John K. Samson storytelling, Taking Meds-style indie rock/punk, and big PUP choruses, the opening stretch of ANTI BODY is a whirlwind between the three golden pop rock songs 'GFTO My Basement,' 'Goodbye Delaware,' and 'I Will Break You.'
"If you’ve forgotten that Awful Din are an emo band, the brake-tapping, string-laden hospital ballad 'Foot Punk' will remind you, although the quartet throw themselves into that one so fully that it just adds another layer to ANTI BODY rather than arresting any momentum (and if that one doesn’t slow Awful Din down, the sparse, slow-building 'Chaparral' certainly won’t either).
The bass-led belter '15 Minutes of Shame' and a perfect jangly pop song called “Big’s In Paris Now” (of course) are B-side highlights, as is closing track 'We Have We Are We Will,' in which Awful Din do the 'cathartic big finish' thing as well as I’d expect them to do. It’s been a minute since I’ve heard an emo (or “emo-adjacent”, even) album that hits these notes as well as Awful Din do on ANTI BODY; it’s a welcome reminder of the power of this kind of thing." -Rosy Overdrive
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