Swiss quartet Lone Assembly present their debut album, “Knots & Chains”: hymns of pain, alienation, and sorrow, certainly, but also of hope, strength, and courage. Cloaked in a gothic aesthetic, the record is a new wave/synth-pop exploration of control in all its forms: control exerted by others, cultivated within ourselves, and imposed by the places we inhabit.
When Lone Assembly released “That Never Happened” in early 2024, a debut EP paying tribute to a lost loved one, the band quickly became more than just a group of friends making music: it became a space for healing, a place of closeness, a necessity. And while this urgency was evident in the band's first songs, it is even more apparent on their debut album.
“Knots & Chains” leans heavily into chiaroscuro, casting shifting light across songs born of profound darkness. Here, the band uses each track as a means to examine control in its various forms. First, there is the control that others exert, as in the unsuccessful attempts of the narrator of “You're Pulling at the Same Strings” to understand the evil that dwells within the other: “I've been wondering where your ache breathes, in mazes you design?” Then there is the control we exert over ourselves, as in the captivating “The Pain Keeper” and “My Life's Solid.” And finally, there is the control of places that also transcend us, as in “The City Works Like This,” where the city acts like a living organism, absorbing, rejecting, distorting.
While the topics addressed by the band are dark, glimmers of hope emerge here and there, in the form of a vital need for air, as is the case with the banger “In the Open.” “The album takes shape like a cycle, moving from suffocation to openness, from closed spaces to greater, albeit fragile, breathing space,” explains Raphaël Bressler (vocals).
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New to Beehive Candy and so glad we have been introduced to them, Susannah Sail are a four-piece from Cornwall (UK), comprising Rosie Gardner (vocals, trumpet), Morgan Doughty (guitar), George Offenbach (bass) and Taylor Daley (drums, percussion). They draw from a broad range of influences across soul, jazz, alternative-indie and beyond, and sing songs of introspection, optimism and love. The band's debut album "Are You Alright?" is due for release in June 2026 and will be released on vinyl by Cornish label "Kroustpop!"
Here's Rosie's comments on Running "The feeling of being invisible, not being seen by the one person you truly love, They are running from all there fears, this is from them not loving themselves, you don't blame them, you feel sorry for them, you can feel glimpses of what there going through, Love isn't always enough."
On recording material in Chile, Morgan Doughty notes: "The trip to Chile was insane! The Chilean hospitality was unmatched, we met so many creatives through our producer/friend Pau who were incredibly friendly, talented and hard-working (and a lot of them seemed to be big names in Chile which felt like we were hanging out with real rockstars!), and the scenery was so mind-blowing that it was a real fertile environment for us to be creative ourselves and work on the album. The studio we recorded in in Valdivia was full of incredible gear, operated by two masters of their craft (Pau and Robert) so we were able to craft the sounds exactly as we wanted them for the two new tunes. The steaks were juicy, the mountain air was fresh and we were full of gratitude every day."
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Ghost punk and goth garage band Hauntees’ debut takes you on a road trip through the desert. The Helsinki-based ghost punk and goth garage band Hauntees released their debut album Shadows Forming today. Dark and brooding, the record plays like the soundtrack to a road trip across a desert. Along the way, you stop at smoky saloons and pass abandoned gravestones. The sound carries the bitter dust and shimmering heat of sun-scorched sand dunes.
Seasoned with melancholy and minimalism, the songs on Shadows Forming range from cinematic instrumental music (Phantom Road) to stripped-down spellbinding blues (Spell) and ‘80s synth-tinged dance punk (Self-Defense). The album also features a hauntingly peculiar Misfits cover (London Dungeon).
Hauntees’ debut album is a powerful entrance — this band is here to stay. “Hauntees is not a hobby, a job, or a voluntary choice for us. It’s something we simply have to do,” the band states without a trace of sarcasm. “The album sounds perfect, even though we were a bit nervous about it,” the band explains. “It was recorded and mixed multiple times in different locations by Ville-Matti Koskiniemi and Miikka Sipilä. As a final touch, we had it mastered by American engineer Taylor Deupree, whose work ties the whole album together beautifully despite the diversity of songs, arrangements, and moods.”
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Houston’s Spain Colored Orange returned with their first single titled “April Fools,” from their forthcoming six-song EP, Confiding in Ghosts (Diverse Chorus Records). The EP sees a vinyl release in late April and is sure to tickle the sensibilities of Elliott Smith, Wilco, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Sparklehorse fans. Confiding in Ghosts is a collection of meticulously composed songs that are melodically uplifting, while telling a story of grief and loss lyrically. “April Fools” hit digital streaming platforms over the weekend.
Band frontman Gilbert Alfaro has this to say about “April Fools”: “I quoted Black Flag on “April Fools”….’it’s not my imagination, I’ve got a gun on my back,’ but that’s probably not a good idea. I was paying homage to Black Flag when I used it, I always loved that line and it worked perfectly in that song because of how I felt at the time.”
Spain Colored Orange is an indie rock band from Texas, known for blending a wide range of styles including indie rock, psychedelic rock, jazz, ‘70s-era sounds, and experimental arrangements into a distinctive, energetic sound. Started by Alfaro in 2000, SCO initially made a mark on the indie rock world with the 2005 release of their EP Hopelessly Incapable of Standing in the Way on Lucid Records, which won Houston Press Music Awards Album of the Year.
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“What do you all talk about when I leave the room?” Iron Out, the new release from folk songwriter Marnie Glum, explores anxieties with a stubborn playfulness, offering a much-needed burst of light after an unflinchingly cold winter. The soundscape juxtaposes juvenile synths with plodding basslines, dry drums and complex, steadfast guitar, perhaps making this youthful track (contradictorily) Glum’s most mature work yet.
Iron Out is accompanied by a stunning music video featuring a beautifully designed array of characters. Directed by Lizzie Farrell and filmed by George Hall, this video brings the song’s heart to the fore. As Marnie says, “it is an ode to awkwardness, to not quite fitting in or getting it right”.
“Tell me, would you stick around if I told you that I wanted you to? // Not that I want you to” Predominantly recorded in London with Snowpoet’s Chris Hyson, this is the sound of an artist coming into her own. “I can’t help but be influenced by my surroundings. Recording my first EP Since I Was Small in Norway resulted in big, sweeping, atmospheric sounds... this time, recording in small rooms with brilliant musicians, I knew it would be tighter and more careful. This song is about little details and dancing around the obvious, so small nuances and moments matter. Chris did an amazing job of bringing that feeling to the forefront.”
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