Showing posts with label Maddie Lenhart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maddie Lenhart. Show all posts

Sunday, 19 April 2026

Winona Oak - My Life As A Moth - Maddie Lenhart - Liv Wade - Ok Goodnight - Greg Dread feat. Don Letts

Winona Oak - Breaking Point.

Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak has shared her delicate yet powerful new single and video ‘Breaking Point’ alongside the announcement of her second album ‘Bloom’ released on 25th September via Nettwerk. 
 
Following recent singles ‘Do You Hate Me Now’, ‘Horses’ and ‘Stay the night’, new album ‘Bloom’ marks a new chapter for Winona Oak and is a testament to survival, showcasing both her emotional and musical growth and devotion to connection. Allowing herself to slowly open up again with honesty and hope after a period of grief and heartbreak, her new record lets the listener into a deeply personal world where beginnings emerge from endings. 

Winona released her EP ‘Salt’ last spring, which was a poignant personal documentation of her physical and emotional states. Throughout the last year, she has been working on new music and a more organic progression in her raw and unvarnished sound, whilst still writing candidly about the highs and lows of life; loss and repair, heartbreak and love, resistance and patience. Winona says, 
 
“Like a flower emerging after a long winter, blooming isn’t instant - it’s the result of surviving the darker seasons.Bloom reflects the transformation - the idea that even after pain life still finds ways to grow. It’s a gentle but powerful reminder that healing isn’t about forgetting the past, but about allowing yourself to open again to the light."


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My Life As A Moth - The Parade of the Starlet & the Broken Hearted (Album).

My Life As A Moth is the project of a Swedish-born, East London-based artist whose music blends post punk, experimental rock, art pop, industrial textures and alternative guitar music into something immersive, eerie and emotionally charged. The project began during lockdown, at a time when she felt lost and disconnected. Sitting down at a dusty keyboard she had not played in a long time, she found a dead moth between the keys. Struck by how sad and strangely beautiful it looked, she wrote a song called “My Life As A Moth.” That moment became the starting point not just for a track, but for an entire artistic identity.

That instinct to transform difficult feelings into something vivid sits at the heart of her new 12-track album, The Parade of the Starlet & the Broken Hearted. Written during a period of deep personal change and therapy, the record draws on experiences of trauma, manipulation, coercive control and gaslighting, but it is just as much about resilience, clarity and the parts of ourselves that survive. Her writing often takes personal experience and filters it through surrealism, symbolism and world-building, creating songs that feel both deeply intimate and slightly otherworldly.

At the center of the album is the idea of the “starlet” and her “parade of the broken hearted” as figures who carry beauty, integrity and empathy through a harsh and distorted world. The record is rooted in contrast, as the songwriter puts it, the album is inspired by “the rose in the mud, the light in the dark, the growth that comes from hardships, the stars you see above a scrapyard.” There is pain running through these songs, but also strength, mystery and a sense of something bigger than what is happening on the surface.



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Maddie Lenhart - Let Him Fly (Live from the Treehouse).

Nashville country artist Maddie Lenhart releases beautiful live cover of Patty Griffin's "Let Him Fly." Maddie Lenhart’s take on “Let Him Fly” feels less like a cover and more like a quiet moment you’ve been invited into. Recorded live in a single take at Treehouse Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, her version strips everything back to its emotional core, honoring the songwriting of Patty Griffin while gently nodding to the familiarity of The Chicks.

The arrangement is airy and weightless – soft acoustic guitar and pedal steel drift underneath without ever pulling focus, giving the song space to fully breathe. At the center is Lenhart’s vocal – genuine, unmistakably her, and delivered with a honeyed ease that feels completely natural. There’s a quiet confidence in her delivery that draws you in.

What stands out most is the restraint. Lenhart doesn’t try to reshape the song in a dramatic way – she trusts it. That trust allows each line to settle exactly where it needs to be, creating a dreamy, suspended feeling that carries throughout. Raised in the heart of Virginia’s countryside, Maddie Lenhart was singing before she could talk and writing songs long before she could put them on paper. Since moving to Nashville, she has written hundreds of songs, earned over 40 independent cuts, and released her debut single “Sober,” which has surpassed 800,000 organic streams. In 2025, she released eight new songs, all landing on Spotify and Apple editorial playlists.

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Melanie Orr Photography
Liv Wade - Carolina.

After releasing the internationally acclaimed EP Radios and Buffalos in 2024, multi-talented Indigenous recording artist Liv Wade is set to return with a new five-song collection entitled Fur Queen. Overall, it displays Liv’s wide-ranging musical approach, with the latest single “Carolina” being a dramatic ballad that blends traditional storytelling with soaring modern production.

Liv describes “Carolina” as growing out of recent global political agendas that have taken away the fundamental rights of many individuals. As a queer, two-spirit artist with Metis roots, she has long advocated for diversity, equity, equality and inclusion, and the song plainly gets the message across that she is “free to be myself and not afraid to tell the truth.”

Liv says, “We tried to showcase how cruel and calculated people can be, perpetuating lateral violence against each other, while calling out the cowardliness of individuals behind closed doors and screens, passing judgement without understanding layers of complexity and intersectionality. On the flip side we also wanted to highlight those folks pushing back, celebrating diversity, joining in solidarity, healing in community and not letting others’ insecurities determine their worth.”


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Photo - Zack Spence
Ok Goodnight - 22.

Ok Goodnight self-releases their new single “22”. Available on most streaming platforms, the new single contemplates the feelings of betrayal, loneliness, and forgiveness that follow after the bittersweet end of a friendship. Serving as the first single since the release of 2023’s The Fox and The Bird, “22” offers a glimpse into what the next Ok Goodnight record will sound like.

The Boston-based four piece are no strangers to releasing music that leaves a lasting imprint. With an impressive catalog that has amassed millions of streams on digital platforms and a riveting stage presence, Ok Goodnight have turned heads as an act to watch closely. Their new single "22" marks the beginning of a new era for the band, acting as the lead single for their third studio album stop/go coming on June 12th, 2026. With a sonic style and aesthetic indicative of Turnstile, Paramore, or PVRIS, the new single "22" combines heavy guitar riffs with dark, nostalgic synths and carefully integrated samples.

Pairing with the digital release of “22” comes an invigorating visual created by filmmakers Margot Budzyna and Christian Tasiopoulos. Stylized in an atemporal fashion amidst a surreal, dreamlike aesthetic, the new video showcases movers disassembling a room as a metaphor for uncertainty and change.


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Greg Dread feat. Don Letts - Serious Dropout (Album).

For this special release on Echo Beach, London Dub legends Greg Dread and Don Letts join forces with Frankfurt Dub collective Serious Dropout. Greg Dread selected highlight tracks from the collective’s timeless catalogue and fuses them into a thrilling seamless mega mix while Don Letts provides vocal shouts, resembling the atmosphere of a live sound system experience. They combined elderly and brand-new material.

Founded Frankfurt in the mid 90s, Serious Dropout is a collective of producers, DJs and musicians with various projects blending Dub Reggae with different forms of Electronic music reflecting their various musical backgrounds ranging from Techno House and leftfield Electronica to Reggae and Dancehall, Breakbeat and Drum`n`Bass.

Greg Dread is a writer, producer, drummer, dj and founding member of leading UK Dub band Dreadzone, operating since 1993. In the 80s, he was a member of Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones, formerly of punk legends The Clash. Don Letts is known for his work as a Grammy-winning filmmaker, creator of legendary music videos and also as an acclaimed Selector since the late 70s, when he helped to form the connection between Reggae and Punk by playing Dub records in The Roxy, London’s first Punk club. He remains a defining voice in British subculture.


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Friday, 19 September 2025

Katy Guillen & The Drive - Maddie Lenhart - Los Armadillos - Ruby Gilbert - Takeda

Photo - Lava Dreams
Katy Guillen & The Drive - Goodbye Charlie.

Kansas City duo Katy Guillen & The Drive, that's Katy Guillen (vocals/guitar) and Stephanie Williams (drums) release the third single “Goodbye Charlie” today, about grief and loss, more specifically of a beloved pet, Charlie. “Pets become family, and losing Charlie was a major blow that left a heaviness in my heart. I was genuinely surprised at how hard it was to process his passing, but writing this song helped me find some peace.”

They dropped their first EP, Dream Girl, right before the 2020 lockdown, leaving them without opportunities to perform live. In their basement rehearsal space, they spent the year learning home recording and pre-production techniques, gradually crafting a collection of songs from the ground up. With producer/engineer Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Heartless Bastards, Ray LaMontagne) at Invisible Creature Studio in Los Angeles, they emerged with a batch of 15 songs. 

At the end of 2021, the band released the four-track Battles EP. Ten more would comprise their full-length debut Another One Gained in 2022. The Pitch (Kansas City) called it “a living, breathing testament to how life continually changes against your own will, whether you’re ready or not.” While Uncut Magazine raved, “Guillen & The Drive hit the sweet spot with a mix of spiky garage rock and soulful country torch songs.”  Make That Sound will be their sophomore full-length album, available on Are and Be Recordings, October 17, 2025.


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Maddie Lenhart - Make It Up to You.

Maddie Lenhart’s new single, “Make It Up to You,” is a tender promise carried through grief, regret, and hope. Written in memory of someone she lost six years ago, it plays like a letter left unsent — one filled with the words we wish we’d said and the time we wish we’d made. From the opening scene — “I was supposed to make the trip to Virginia Beach / See your new apartment on the Chesapeake” — Lenhart describes something incredibly raw in just the first moments of the track alone.

Releasing today, during Suicide Prevention Month, the song carries an even greater weight, offering a place of comfort for those walking through loss, and a reminder of how vital it is to hold each other close while we can. The chorus swells into a vow that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant to those who have loved and lost: “I won’t waste a minute / Tell you face to face / How much I love you / You won’t have to wait / It’s the first thing that I’ll do / When I make it up to you.”

Holler has already captured what makes Lenhart’s music so essential: “Heartfelt, dreamy and vulnerable, these are the kind of warm and comforting country songs that you'll want to turn to like a best friend when the world gets too much for you.” That intimacy rings especially true here. “This song is the one that finally captured what I’ve been trying to say for years,” Maddie shares. “For anyone who’s lost someone too soon, I pray it makes you feel less alone.”


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Los Armadillos - Another Monday Morning.

We still remember vividly (and fondly!) the mid-1980s, when authentic garage rock was celebrating a revival. As part of the sixties renaissance, bands like The Fuzztones, The Fleshtones, and The Cynics found their way onto the playlists of even the biggest radio stations. In Switzerland, groups like The Needles and The Maniacs enjoyed great success. And there were The Armadillos from Zurich – who have since renamed themselves Los Armadillos. Their influences: the aforementioned bands, as well as the legendary The Kinks.

Without getting lost in flashy effects or nostalgic retro mania, Los Armadillos aim straight for the essence of a good song – and leave the rest aside. The band was founded in 1985 in Zurich as part of the Swiss sixties revival scene. With Bernie Sprenger as songwriter, singer, and guitarist, and Dominique Muench on drums, the group found its musical foundation. Today’s lineup consists of Bernie Sprenger (vocals, guitar), Dominique Muench (drums), and Michael Herzig (bass, vocals).

In-demand support act for Died Pretty, Green On Red…With their infectious joy of playing, Los Armadillos have taken to numerous stages in and around Zurich – including as support for their heroes Died Pretty and Green On Red – and beyond. In September 2025, they are releasing their new single “Another Monday Morning” (with the B-side “Do it!”) – delivering a fresh dose of garage rock and a clear message: The party goes on!

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Photo - Catguts
Ruby Gilbert - Goddamn Fool.

Ruby Gilbert returns with ‘Goddamn Fool’, a brooding tale of karmic justice and emotional reckoning, arriving today Friday, September 19. With its slow-burning tension and cinematic grit, the track unfolds like a modern-day villain origin story, inspired by the cool stoicism of 60s and 70s Spaghetti Westerns and the lingering menace of southern gothic noir.

Gilbert’s storytelling cuts close to the bone, delivering lines with a twang and tension that feel pulled from a sun-scorched outback showdown. It’s the sound of someone who’s been outplayed, knows it, and walks away from the wreckage without asking for forgiveness or redemption.

A long-time favourite of Triple J, Double J, The Music, Music Feeds and beyond, Ruby Gilbert has spent years capturing the hearts of listeners with her rich, filmic take on country noir. From her 2018 EP 'Dearly Beloved' to syncs on Netflix and ABC, and appearances at Gympie Music Muster, BIGSOUND and TEDx, she’s carved a niche at the crossroads of dark folk and desert western storytelling.

In 'Goddamn Fool', banjo, gritty electric guitar and acoustic guitar tumble through the track with dusty swagger, painting wide skies and long roads. The arrangement is richly layered and cinematic, blooming with menace and melancholy. Drums propel the song with a hypnotic steadiness, grounding Gilbert’s performance as she sings with the poise of a femme fatale, assured, unflinching, and laced with the weight of consequence.


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Takeda - In Venus' Train (Album).

Norwich (England) quartet Takeda have signed with Drongo Records and this week released their anticipated debut album In Venus' Train. Thematically, In Venus’ Train channels mystical figures from folk-lore and biblical metaphors, writing songs about obsession, love and grieving a past life. Produced by David Pye (Szun Waves, Trudy & the Romance, Faithless, Dido), the album is a musically rich, at times intricate and thoughtful, at others explosive and intense journey through the band’s blend of melancholic, organic folk and sprawling, fuzzy alternative-rock. 

Drawing influence in equal measure from British folk revivalists Fairport Convention and alt-metal icons Tool, the album fuses melodic and emotional sensibility of folk with the noise and fuzzed guitar tones of grunge, ultimately making music that sounds something like if Nick Drake joined Pile. At times poetic, beautiful and complex, and at others, raw and explosive, the album is an unapologetic yet intimate journey through the band's musical identity, packing depth and innovative ideas into every track. 

Talking about the album, lead vocalist Josh Harrison explains: “I wrote the album during a period of massive change in my life, losing touch with my family and friends, and rediscovering my own inner self.

I began writing about characters and narratives that, on the surface, felt separate from me. Yet through them, I found a way to look deeper into myself. Some of these figures emerged from folklore, others from scripture, and others still from my own imagination. Despite their varied origins, they each carried a kind of inner light—one that helped me reflect, process, and better understand the truths I was writing about.”


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Kidsmoke - Loosey - The Slackers - Tangients - Jody King Ft. Larry Cordle - Highdrive

Photo - Tom Mason Kidsmoke - I’m Always Getting Carried Away. Kidsmoke return with 'I’m Always Getting Carried Away', a shimmering ...