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| Photo - Tom Gaiger |
We have been massively impressed with Wyldest who this week shares new single 'Old Flame' the latest single from her newly announced album 'The Universe Is Loading' out 14th November via Hand In Hive. 'Old Flame' follows the album's previous tasters 'All It Would Take Is A Phone Call' and 'After The Ending'. Based on what we have heard so far, Wyldest (Zoë Mead) is an artist to listen out for, the album is eagerly anticipated!
Written after visiting California’s Sequoia National Park in the aftermath of wildfires, 'Old Flame' parallels nature’s cycles of destruction with human trauma. Opening like a spark on dry earth, guitars crash and shimmer while Wyldest’s voice cuts through the incandescent indie rock backdrop, pulling imagery from scorched forests and collapsing relationships, where destruction becomes the very condition for growth. The accompanying video, filmed in Connemara on Ireland’s west coast, follows Mead chasing (and ultimately releasing) a vision of her past self against the region’s surreal coastal landscapes.
Speaking more on the release of her new single, Wyldest said: "Old Flame was written after a small run of US shows, when I had the pleasure of visiting Sequoia National park in California. The forest fires had been running rife there and I learnt about the ecology of the area and how the trees up on the mountain grow to be the largest in the world. The trees there grow in a particular altitude and climate and the forest fires are natural to their ability to thrive in the environment. This got me thinking about trauma in the human world and how it could have the same natural tendency to occur and help with personal growth.
The song reflects on the loss of a relationship ‘I’m longing to be with you again’ and then jumps between the wider context of the turbulent environment our planet is currently in. It re-frames the idea of going through trauma as being natural and something we might (in hindsight) be able to embrace. The idea that you’re letting go of an old version of yourself and leaving it behind in a less progressive time, in order to develop and grow - much like the trees in Sequoia."
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Manic Pixxies are a six-piece band from Switzerland channeling riot energy with a modern indie edge. Since forming in 2020, they’ve built a reputation for raw, emotional songwriting that blends the grit of 90s alternative with the experimentation of today’s DIY scene. Their music thrives on contrasts — fierce and delicate, chaotic and melodic, unpolished yet unforgettable.
Their latest single, Bluecarpet, showcases this intensity with driving basslines, sharp guitar riffs, swirling synths, and vocals that move between softness and fire. Early listeners have called it “good alternative indie rock with punk influences… powerful percussion rhythm, catchy lyrics, and beautiful vocals”, highlighting the 1:40 mark with double vocals as a standout moment. The track has already been added to playlists spotlighting European and Swiss alternative music.
On stage, Manic Pixxies are explosive and cathartic — turning shows into a release of energy where audience and band feed off each other. With Bluecarpet and more releases on the way, they’re carving out their place in the alternative scene as a band that embraces honesty, noise, and emotion in equal measure.
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Acclaimed singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Fred Brown has announced his debut EP and released the title track ‘Distraction’. Recorded at Louis Grace’s studio (renowned for his work with the likes of Mura Masa & kaeto), the new single features Brown himself on drums, Joey Crouch on bass and engineering duties, and Henry Arrowsmith on piano.
Blending muted guitar tones, delicate keys, unhurried drums, and fragile, heartfelt vocals, Distraction exudes an emotional sincerity and intimacy, wrapping its melancholic warmth around a rich, downtempo soundscape. As comparable to Elliott Smith as it is to Duster, Teethe and even early Bon Iver, the track showcases the indie-folk writing that stylises the upcoming EP.
Speaking about the track, Fred explains: “The song is about seeing myself as a distraction for others around me. In a both positive and negative way. When writing the words this wasn’t clear to me at first, and I then found it to be that entertaining others also distracts myself from bigger things inside. The things I want in life, and being afraid to try my hardest at them.”
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| Photo - Leticia Wiggins |
Today, Saintseneca released a suite of five new songs from their forthcoming album Highwalllow & Supermoon Songs that will be released on October 31 via Lame-O Records. The band’s first album in more than seven years consists of a ten-song landscape (tracks 1-10) orbited by two sonic “moons,” named for the colors bandleader Zac Little experienced through synesthesia while writing. Out today is the entire Viridian Moon (tracks 11-16), consisting of “Burnt Hand Hymn,” “May Day,” “Battery Lifer,” “Green Ink Pen,” and “Long Winter.”
Saintseneca have also announced a fall album release tour that will kick off on November 5 in Pittsburgh, PA and make stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Asheville, Chicago and more. The tour will culminate in a hometown album release show on November 21 at the Athenaeum Theatre in Columbus, OH. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, September 12. Find a full list of tour dates and ticket information at their website.
The album was born from a period of personal struggle when Little hit a years-long stretch of burnout and found unexpected healing and a creative spark in painting. What began as a meditative artistic practice grew into a collection of paintings that became the basis for a solo exhibition in a hospital gallery and ultimately the hand-painted gatefold jacket that houses the new album. Longtime collaborator Glenn Davis helped shape the recording sessions, while producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) brought the songs into full focus with expansive, layered mixes.
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