Showing posts with label Kate Prendergast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kate Prendergast. 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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Monday, 23 February 2026

Kate Prendergast - Dani Ivory - Leo Brazil - Birds Flying Backwards

Kate Prendergast - Glass and Glue.

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, Jeff Buckley and Kingfishr.

She burst onto the scene in 2024 with her debut single ‘Past Letters’, quickly followed by Undergrowth, Lavender Country, Ignition, and Retold Tale produced in collaboration with producer Declan Legge at Big Space Studios under the Stray Dog records label. Her songs have become staples on Irish, UK and International radio, resonating with listeners for their emotional depth and rich sonic textures. Whether performing solo or with a band, Kate captivates audiences with her haunting voice and magnetic stage presence.

Selected as a showcase artist for Your Roots are Showing – Ireland’s Folk Conference 2026, nominated by Radio Wigwam for Best Folk and Acoustic Act 2026 and with two new songs ‘Glass and Glue’ and ‘Perfect Plans’ to be released in early 2026, Kate continues to carve out her place in the music world – fearless, introspective, and impossible to ignore.

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Dani Ivory - Get Through.

Dani Ivory returns with “Get Through,” a raw, heartfelt anthem about choosing your partner even when love feels complicated, heavy, and far from perfect. The song captures a deeply specific yet universally understood emotion: standing beside the person you love as they struggle, knowing there’s only so much you can do, yet refusing to walk away anyway. Tinged with neo-soul, country and Americana influences, Ivory delivers another hit in a new landscape.

Ivory’s vocal lands with emotional weight from the very first lines, setting the tone with unfiltered honesty: “I really want to write a love song, but I can’t seem to get it right, I really want to tell you I miss you, but you’re drunk out of your mind.”

It’s a devastatingly real opening. There’s no attempt to soften the edges or romanticize the situation — she simply tells the truth. From there, the song deepens as Ivory makes clear that her love isn’t conditional or convenient: “There’s no other way around it, we can’t hop, skip, or go backward, we looked our whole damn lives and found it…”

One of the most powerful moments comes when Ivory turns the lens inward, acknowledging her own flaws and contradictions with striking vulnerability: “And I wish I was stronger not to enable you, but I’m human too, I’m no better than you, I still choose you, so you can meet me halfway and we can get through.”


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Leo Brazil - Unsinkable Sam.

Leo Brazil has been creating his own music since he was a child singing into a tape machine. Drawing on a love of classic pop, rock and roll and soul, Leo writes thoughtful songs with a lyrical focus and a confident musical individuality. Running a label out his home studio brewing up a unique and colourful evolution of sound, 2026 sees two album releases; the introspective wonky folk solo album Alone and the bombastically heavy psych-rock of the dinosaur inspired band Bone Wars. Leo plays keyboards, drums and violin but live he sticks to guitars and banjo to conjure up emotive ballads alongside rousing ear worms and foot stomping guitar freak outs.

'Unsinkable Sam' is the new release by Leo Brazil from album ‘Alone’ Out Now. Unsinkable Sam is a dreamy piece of folk rock with an alternative woozy psychedelic edge that explores dreams, memories and trauma through a naval tale from the second world war and stands as a tribute to animals caught up in humans' struggles and conflicts.

Unsinkable Sam was a cat aboard the battleship Bismarck during world war 2. After the ship was sunk he was picked up clinging to a piece of wreckage by HMS Cossack. He repeated the experience shortly afterwards when Cossack was torpedoed and then a final time when he was rescued from the sinking of Ark Royal. After his third sinking he retired to the navy base in Belfast.


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Birds Flying Backwards - If I Ever Needed Someone.

London-based six-piece Birds Flying Backwards return with ‘If I Ever Needed Someone’ (Today Feb 23rd), the fourth and final single from their forthcoming debut album Lovebirds, released March 11th via Real Love Recording Co. Building a reputation for their blend of alt-country, indie-folk and psychedelic-rock, Birds Flying Backwards are already firmly established as one to watch. The new single ‘If I Ever Needed Someone’ leans into the more folk and Americana side of the band's sound bringing an organic, earthy warmth through a layered acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, bass and drums. 

Warm, worn-in sounding picked strings and the dual Joe and India’s radiant harmonies give the song a reflective yet quietly confident feel which is central to the overarching feel of the album. Speaking about the single, the band explain: “‘If I Ever Needed Someone’ is about finding yourself after heartbreak, and the resoluteness and self-assuredness that it takes to move on. Taking cues from Cut Worms, Daniel Romano and Wilco, it shifts the record from loss towards resolve - the moment when the dust finally settles.” 

The track was mixed by Joe Wyatt at Abbey Road Studios, whose credits include The Smile and The Beatles Anthologies, and mastered by Timothy Stollenwork, known for his work with Kevin Morby, Drugdealer, John Andrews and The Yawns, and Arthur Russell, further enhancing the band’s warm, organic sound.


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Tuesday, 30 September 2025

The Cords - Terry White - Kate Prendergast - Erica Knox

The Cords - The Cords (Album).

The debut album from The Cords, described previously on Beehive Candy as the brightest new indie pop band from Scotland, has now been released. It's everything the singles promised it would be, vibrant, addictive and oozing charm and energy.

The album was produced by Jonny Scott and Simon Liddel, and it respects the band’s stripped down DIY approach. There is some bass guitar (played by Eva and Grace) and occasionally a keyboard pokes its head above the surface.  

But these elements are simply doing their job: the real stars of this record are Eva’s sinuous guitar and silky vocals, and Grace’s clattering, expressive sing-song drums.  It’s the sound of two sisters having an intense musical conversation with each other, pushing each other on to greater heights, exhilarated by the set of perfect pop songs they have magicked up.  


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Terry White - You Won't Have a Name.

Chicago singer-songwriter Terry White's new album You Won't Have a Name was released a couple of days ago. White, known for his work with Modern Day Saints and the Yellowhammers, released his solo debut, Our Separate Ways, in 2007 and then formed the band Cannonball in 2009. Cannonball was an opportunity to collaborate with other musicians based around long-running venue FitzGerald’s Nightclub in Berwyn, IL, and White's 2012 album Cannonball Fodder, produced by Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Bros, Skull Orchard), celebrates that spirit of collaboration and being part of a musical community.
 
2020's Still Got Me, credited to Terry White and his backing band The Loaded Dice, continued to shine a light on White's fine songwriting and musicianship and set the stage for his fourth full-length solo album You Won't Have a Home.
 
You Won't Have a Home is a collection of songs written over the last four years. It began in 2021 when White, Paul Bivans (drums), Andon Davis (guitar), Michael Krayniak (bass) and Chris Neville (organ) met at Joyride Studios, owned by engineer Blaise Barton (who sadly passed away on June 12, 2025), in Chicago. 
 
The songs that comprise You Won't Have a Home were recorded one at a time, with as few overdubs as possible, to maintain a "live in-studio" sound. Over the course of many sessions, White enlisted his musician friends, including Brian Leach (who also engineered and mixed tracks on the album), Gerald Dowd, Patrick Brennan, Rob Pierce, John Pirruccello, and Phil Bayer, to lend their voices and assorted instruments to flesh out the desired sounds and textures. He further enlisted Pie Eyed Pete Cimbalo (bass), Sheila Cimbalo (vocals) and Tom Kneesel (pedal steel) to record a version of "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Lost Gatos)," written by Woody Guthrie and Martin Hoffman. 


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Kate Prendergast - Retold Tale / Ignition.

Kate Prendergast is a young, emerging alt-folk musician and singer-songwriter living in County Meath in Ireland. A keen vocalist, Kate also plays piano, guitar, bass and is learning drums and harmonica. She is carefully building a portfolio of original songs which broadly sit within the alt-folk genre but experiments with ideas and influences from country, blues, jazz and a tinge of rock.

Her first single ‘Past Letters’ was recorded in her small home studio and received considerable radio attention in Ireland and the UK. John Dinsmore (formerly lead singer of the Beat Poets) saw promise in her songwriting abilities and introduced her to producer Declan Legge of Analogue Catalogue Studio B and manager of bands such as Jealous of the Birds and Vera. Declan invited Kate to visit his studio in Newry to work on a single and her second song ‘Undergrowth’ was recorded with drums and bass provided by the talented Darragh Tibbs.

Following the success of this second single, Kate and Declan decided to collaborate further and recorded ‘Lavender Country’. This time Kate chose to move away from the drums of ‘Undergrowth’ in favour of a slow build and change in mood during the song from wistful dreaming to cautious hope to upbeat optimism reflecting the challenging roads many of us traverse as we search for peace and balance in our lives.

Kate's next single 'Ignition' was released on 9th May 2025. Ignition explores the uncertainties of starting a new episode in life and the conflicting feelings that often arise for those left behind - between the desire to see loved ones flourish in their new futures and the yearning for them to return home. This was followed by 'Retold Tale' in September which is a commentary on the experiences, doubts and challenges facing countless young artists as they try to make an impact in a noisy and sometimes disdainful world.



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Photo - Calm Elliott Armstrong
Erica Knox - Growing Song.

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Erica Knox continues her Abbey Road Studios story with “Growing Song” a chill, introspective soft-pop track that balances vulnerability with resilience. Written during her time at the legendary London studio – handpicked as one of three artists to record there through DHL’s FastTrack Sessions – the single lays bare Knox’s moments of self-doubt while celebrating the growth that comes with perseverance.

“It’s a very vulnerable song, highlighting every thought of self-doubt that tends to race through my head,” Knox shares. “Among that comes knowing that things will eventually work out as long as I keep trying to build a happy life, and a strong career for myself.”

The track’s inspiration ties directly to Knox’s journey. After being turned down for the same contest in 2023, she almost didn’t apply again in 2024. But a last-minute submission won her a life-changing opportunity. “A few weeks later I was being flown out to London. I was so proud of myself for making it here and I had to write about the mental challenges leading up to that moment.”

Sonically, “Growing Song” carries inspiration from The Staves’ rich harmonies and open guitar tuning, whose live performance Knox attended the night before writing. The subtle production leans into dreamscape vocal effects and spacious instrumentation, highlighting the lyricism at its core.


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Nothing But Thieves - Grace Elizabeth Harvey - Piper Butcher - So So Modern - Strawberry Alarm Clock - Freyja Elsy

Photo - Steve Gullick Nothing But Thieves - Baby Kool (Evelyn). Marking a decade of Nothing But Thieves last year, with four albums, billio...