The Mammals - John Witherspoon - strongboi - Maya Delilah

The Mammals - Touch Grass (Volume 1&2).

The Mammals make music for the moment—and the movement. Anchored in the fertile folk traditions of the Hudson Valley, this fiercely independent band blends string-band swagger with indie-folk heart and a radical spirit that feels both deeply rooted and urgently current. Co-founded by Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar (daughter of fiddle legend Jay Ungar), The Mammals emerged in the early 2000s with a mission: revive the rebel soul of Americana, and give it something real to say.

And say something, they do. Their songs straddle the personal and political, moving from love ballads and front porch reflections to rally cries for environmental justice, labor rights, and community healing. It’s protest music with hooks—think Pete Seeger meets Wilco at a modern hootenanny. Their harmonies ache, their fiddles fly, and their lyrics don’t flinch. The Mammals aren’t here for nostalgia—they’re here to make folk music matter again.

At a time when roots music can feel either too polished or too precious, The Mammals cut through with grit, grace, and a palpable sense of purpose. Whether they’re headlining a folk festival, recording in their own homegrown Humble Abode Studio, or showing up for a cause in their backyard, The Mammals carry on a living tradition: one where music doesn’t just entertain—it empowers.


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John Witherspoon - One of Them (Album).

With human nature and stifled connection on his mind, Liverpool singer-songwriter John Witherspoon just dropped the highly anticipated third album, One of Them, this weekend. 

Meeting the high standards set by debut LP Showin’ up, Startin’ Again and subsequent record Heart in, Head Out, John Witherspoon’s latest project is both lyrically profound and thematically relevant in the face of modern culture. With One of Them, Witherspoon considers the different drawbacks of today’s technology and reflects on changing styles of communication as he takes inspiration from his own experience with phone addiction and its impact on his relationships. Feelings of disconnection carry throughout the eleven-track album, with resonant stories about everything from media and podcasts to money and painful relationships. Taking time in his writing process to create pertinent settings and characters, Witherspoon's narratives are carefully imagined. 

“Most of my writing is autobiographical, and I think One of Them offers a pretty even split of my light and dark sides, my positive and negative outlooks, my faith in humanity and my deeply cynical view of it,”  says John. “I recently told an audience that this album is about disconnection in a seemingly connected world.”

Showcasing Witherspoon’s signature blend of introspective storytelling and indie-rock sensibilities, the collection’s focus track ‘All my Venom’ explores a tumultuous relationship plagued by uncertainty and mixed emotions. The hook “I love you, but I could give you all my venom,” questions the fine line between love and hate, while the track’s instrumentation builds to emotional highs and melancholy breaks. In producing this track and others, Witherspoon experimented with fully outfitted live recordings that capture the raw energy of performance. 

“I can divide the making of this album into two contrasting chapters, that is the writing and the recording, though their timelines do overlap,” Witherspoon says of his process. “I say contrasting because while the recording was a magical team effort full of laughs and fun, the writing was all about solitude.”  

John Witherspoon · ONE OF THEM

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Photo - River Carothers

strongboi - favorite place / ep1.

Fresh off the back of a huge North American tour with Canada's finest ‘Men I Trust’, strongboi are reaching new heights and winning new hearts after playing over 31 shows this year. Brand new this weekend is ‘favorite place’, a gorgeous new offering that completes ep 1 as a heavenly bundle of infectious and innovative, genre-being tracks. Demonstrating a sound that feels truly timeless, thanks to a wild mix of influences, the EP showcases everything fans have come to adore about strongboi; swooning harmonies, slick basslines and that signature je ne sais quoi.

strongboi is a passion fueled project of long time friends & collaborators Alice & Ziv. Driven by a playful energy that lights up their live shows, the band pull out all the stops when performing. Originally this began with a super lo-fi vision of using mainly casio keyboards & toys, but today they have filled out and evolved as a full band project which lit up Village Underground at their sold out London show back in March. This dynamic setup also earned them the Anchor Award for Best Newcomer at Reeperbahn Festival last September. 

strongboi  released their self-titled debut album back in 2023 which took shape as a 7-track compendium of bouncing bangers and smooth, rolling grooves, all delivered with charming authenticity. 

strongboi · ep 1

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Photo - Rae Farrow

Maya Delilah - California.

Maya Delilah has announced the Jan. 9 2026 release of an expanded digital Deluxe Edition of her debut album The Long Way Round, which adds four new tracks including the dreamy folk-pop confection “California” out a couple of days ago. The London-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist began her year by being named a 2025 Spotify “Artist To Watch” and made good on that promise with the release of her striking debut, which The Los Angeles Times called “a timeless and gorgeous introduction.”

Maya will be wrapping up her breakout year with European touring that includes headline shows, festival appearances, and opening dates with Lawrence including a hometown London show on Nov. 24 at the 02 Academy Brixton. Find more tour info at mayadelilah.com.

“This album is a combination of so many parts of me,” said Maya. “I get so influenced by different genres, people, places, and experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took me a long time (hence The Long Way Round) to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences.”

Maya Delilah · California

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Autumn Hollow - Marathon - Molara - Skinny Lister - Maya Delilah

Autumn Hollow - Wooden Wire.

Boston's Autumn Hollow is excited to announce the release of their new single, "Wooden Wire," the first track from their forthcoming album. The full album, Say No More, is set to release on May 2nd, marking a significant milestone in their musical journey. Brendan Murphy, the Boston-based singer-songwriter known for his commanding vocal presence and incisive lyrics, draws inspiration from storytellers like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Warren Zevon. His distinctive voice carries an aura of unfiltered honesty throughout the new material, particularly evident on "Wooden Wire."

Glide Magazine describes the premiere: "'Hot damn' might be used to describe the first few minutes of Boston-based Autumn Hollow's 'Wooden Wire,' a trembly rocker that combines the vulnerable essence of Jason Molina with the cosmic improvisational charm of Zuma era Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Frontman Brendan Murphy brings a commanding presence to the vocals, and an aura of unfiltered honesty cascades in the five-minute-plus song."

The album was produced by Brendan Murphy and Elio DeLuca at the Soul Shop in Medford, Massachusetts. It features the band's new rhythm section with Chuck Vath on bass and Ian McMillan on drums, whose distinct energy has transformed Autumn Hollow's sound. Alongside Murphy and lead guitarist Mike Burke, they've crafted a collection of songs that feel both intimately familiar and daringly fresh—a roots rock record unafraid to push beyond traditional Americana boundaries.

Say No More features an impressive roster of guest musicians, including Elio DeLuca (Titus Andronicus) on piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizers, and percussion; Sarah Leveque on vocals; Peter Zarkadas on guitars; Will Ellis Johnson on pedal steel; and Gabriel Hirshfeld on banjo. Their collective talents have infused the record with a rich sonic palette that builds on Autumn Hollow's core sound.

Autumn Hollow · Wooden Wire

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Marathon - Shadow Raised a Star.

Marathon, a band forged by the raw intensity of Amsterdam’s underground scene, is sharing the last single ahead of the release of their highly anticipated debut album, Fading Image. The album is set to drop on April 11th 2025, via V2 Records, and marks a new chapter for the band, bringing their unique spin to the post-punk revival.

After singles Out of Depth and For the Better, Marathon now shares new single Shadow Raised a Star. They say there's sunshine after the rain. But what’s rarely said is how that rain shapes us — makes us stronger so we can truly enjoy the sunshine.

"Shadow Raised a Star" is the final single leading up to Marathon's debut album Fading Image. A musical journey that takes you through almost every possible emotion. On this track, the band embraces their shoegaze influences like never before — a familiar undertow in their music that now rises to the surface in all its glory.

Marathon’s music captures the anxieties of the 21st century, with relentless drumming by Lennart, gritty vocals by Kay, and commanding six-string basslines by Nina, creating a backdrop of tension and release. Expanded live by keys and guitars by additional musicians Sofie and Victor, their sound evolves into an explosive mix of post-punk, shoegaze, noise and grunge—a “wall of sound” that balances darkness with the promise of new beginnings.

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Molara - Ore Mi (Album).

This is a sensation! Molara also known Molara Adesigbin was the singer and original front woman of the legendary ZION TRAIN and finally after more than 30 years tracks from her disappeared solo album which was initially released on SKUNK RECORDS will see the light of day via ECHO BEACH. Molara joined ZT in 1992 and the DUB ensemble became the “example” for the Live Sound System culture which grew around the globe from the 90ties onwards.

The characteristic sound fusion ZT created was very progressive at that time. They merged reggae and dub with dance styles like trance and acid house to create a vibrant and potent mixture. They achieved mainstream success with the album “Homegrown Fantasy”, their first release from a record deal with CHINA Records. The WIBBLY WOBBLY WORLD of MUSIC studio in Manor House, London was the creative home of ZT and a hub for the immense output of releases, productions, remixes etc predominantly on their label Universal Egg, until they re-located to Pembrokeshire in 1998.
 
A solo album by Molara with songs co-written with Colin "Cod" was also created at that time, but not properly released. Now, ECHO BEACH is highly delighted to announce the re-release of some of the lost Molara solo album, along with Space, originally featured on the China Records Grow Together album.

A sky full of dub romantic and magic references…, a naturally hemp celebrating and glorious science piece of Dub with omnipresent influences of low-frequency bass, scrambled fantasies, delays, echoes and reverbs.  

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Skinny Lister - Plough On.

Relentless folk/punk powerhouses Skinny Lister are ecstatic to announce their new album ‘Songs From The Yonder’ due for release on 9 May 2025, via Xtra Mile Recordings. A band who’ve never been afraid to plough their own furrow, they herald in their next era with the joyous new single "Plough On".

An insurgent anthem with shades of classic Billy Bragg or Elvis Costello, "Plough On" is a rousing rallying cry that urges us to roar in the face of adversity. Propelled by the punchy vocal performance of frontman Dan Heptinstall, he says of the track: “"Plough On" is about overcoming those unwelcome obstacles that inevitably get thrown our way now and then. But most of all–it’s an optimistic song about successfully weathering the storm and the hope of reaching ‘good times again’.”

Rooted in the influences that inspired the band’s earliest works, eagle-eared listeners will detect references to the melody of the traditional tune "Speed The Plough", which the band would perform together in their very earliest days. “It’s always fun to revisit uplifting traditional melodies like this, and stay connected to what we feel is the folk soul of the band” adds Dan.

The track arrives complete with a hilarious official video that finds the band tackling all terrain and taking on a bunch of less metaphoric, very real physical obstacles some members more successfully than others...

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Photo - Rae Farrow

Maya Delilah - Maya Maya Maya.

Maya Delilah has released “Maya Maya Maya,” the final single to be revealed from her forthcoming debut album The Long Way Round out March 28 via Blue Note/Capitol. The London-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist was recently named a 2025 Spotify “Artist To Watch,” another sure sign of her rising star after she was named to the Fender Next “Class of 2024.” Maya’s debut album makes good on that promise by bringing all the elements of her art together — the intimacy, the ability, the inspiration, the depth, the lightness — into one striking work.

Following the unvarnished funk of the flirty single “Squeeze,” the endearing soul-pop gem “Maya Maya Maya” shows yet another side of Maya’s musical personality. “It feels like a song to my younger self,” she says. “It’s about not being taken advantage of, not always trying to please people, and making sure I’m living in the right way.”

“This album is a combination of so many parts of me,” says Maya. “I get so influenced by different genres, people, places, and experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took me a long time (hence The Long Way Round) to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences.”

Making the album was also a literal journey, from a barn-based studio in Devon, England, to a home studio in Los Angeles, and back to various rooms across London. All with a cast of friends new and old, including producers Peter Miles, Josh Grant, Doug Schadt, Seth Tackaberry, and Aquilo’s Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham, as well as collaborators including Samm Henshaw, Grace Lightman, members of FIZZ, organist Cory Henry, and drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift).

Maya Delilah · Maya, Maya, Maya

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The Gentle Good - Julian Shah-Tayler - Womb - Marsha Swanson - Maya Delilah - Liza Lo

The Gentle Good - Ten Thousand Acres.

“Mr Groves is a Wiltshire gentleman, who purchased ten thousand of these almost worthless acres a few years since, and is making a paradise of the wilderness…” - Benjamin Malkin, 1803*

Written in an off-grid cottage during a year-long residency in the Cambrian Mountains, The Gentle Good’s new album ‘Elan’ is a psychedelic portrait of the Elan Valley in Powys, Wales. Featuring songs in both Welsh and English, ‘Elan’ explores the landscape, history and politics of this remote area, which was flooded to provide water for Birmingham at the end of the Victorian era. The second single from the album, ‘Ten Thousand Acres’ is an ode to the valley’s many expressions and a meditation on ownership and our perception of landscape throughout time.

The new album ‘Elan’ is scheduled for release on 16th May 2025, with further singles to be released in the coming months.

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Julian Shah-Tayler - Sufferation.

Here are my thoughts that led to the song: “All the yearning and all the memories can never make good what reality hath wrought to the dreams of the helpless romantic fool”

I wrote this song in the deadening disintegration of the dream and the dawning of prosaic realities not to be faced with poetry. There is a slippery sickening feeling when art and beauty cannot rekindle trust and it’s all fallen apart too far to fix.

All the King’s horses and All The King’s men could never put this back together again. - Julian (16th Jan 2025).

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Womb - Angels.

To add to their string of beautiful new singles ahead of their highly anticipated upcoming album, One Is Always Heading Somewhere, sibling trio Womb has treated us with a new single 'Angels'. 

In classic Womb style, we are invited into their lush, nostalgic world through the song with an equally ethereal music video directed by Angel C. Fitzgerald.





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Marsha Swanson -  Like An Angel.

Renowned singer-songwriter Marsha Swanson kicks off 2025 with the release of her latest single, “Like An Angel,” on January 31st, in celebration of the one-year anniversary of her critically acclaimed album Near Life Experience.

Known for her insightful lyricism and progressive pop sound, Swanson’s work continues to captivate audiences, with Rock and Reel Magazine hailing her as “a songwriter who weaves insightful and thought-provoking lyrics into irresistibly catchy tunes.”

Originally an untitled ghost track on Near Life Experience, “Like An Angel” has been re-recorded with a live band and string section, breathing new life into the song. Accompanied by an evocative music video, the single marks Swanson’s fifth collaboration with award-winning Iranian animator and music video director Sam Chegini, whose visionary work perfectly complements her artistry.

Crafted alongside an accomplished ensemble of musicians, including producer Henry (King Thumb) Thomas, “Like An Angel” was recorded once again at Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne. Henry Thomas, whose collaborations include work with Randy Crawford and Paul Weller, brought his expertise to the track, collaborating with drummer Martyn Barker, guitarist Tony Qunta, and keyboardist Anders Olinder to create a rhythmic foundation that supports Swanson’s heartfelt lyrics. The result is a spiritual and sonically rich track, blending elements from the original ghost recording with new instrumentation for a timeless and moving sound.

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Maya Delilah - Squeeze.

Maya Delilah has announced the release of The Long Way Round, her stunning full-length debut album out March 28 via Blue Note/Capitol. The London-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist has also been named a 2025 Spotify “Artist To Watch,” another sure sign of her rising star after she was named to the Fender Next “Class of 2024.” Her debut album makes good on that promise by bringing all the elements of her art together — the intimacy, the ability, the inspiration, the depth, the lightness — into one striking work.

While the 12 songs on The Long Way Round are steeped in soul-pop, they also contain rich strains of country and blues, hints of gospel and choral music, and one full serving of unvarnished funk with the flirty new single “Squeeze” out now. “This album is a combination of so many parts of me,” says Maya. “I get so influenced by different genres, people, places, and experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took me a long time (hence The Long Way Round) to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences.”

Making the album was also a literal journey, from a barn-based studio in Devon, England, to a home studio in Los Angeles, and back to various rooms across London. All with a cast of friends new and old, including producers Peter Miles, Josh Grant, Doug Schadt, Seth Tackaberry, and Aquilo’s Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham, as well as collaborators including Samm Henshaw, Grace Lightman, members of FIZZ, organist Cory Henry, and drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift).

Maya’s muse isn’t the only thing tying The Long Way Round together. Opener “Begin Again” introduces a powerful theme. As she looks back at her first car, her first kiss, her first home, she returns to the gentle hook: “Another day, another end / Oh, we begin again.” The idea of cycles frames the set as the album goes on. Depending on your interpretation, The Long Way Round could be about regaining trust in love or losing it entirely. Shuffled, these songs could trace the arc of one relationship from inception to end, or it could be the bridge between a failed romance and a thrilling new one, or it’s a dozen separate vignettes. With these songs — from soothing, psychedelic send-off “Look at the State of Me Now” to Western-inflected codependence tribute “Necklace” to the ‘70s soul music inspired “Actress” — Maya proves herself a master of not just an evocative guitar solo, but of capturing life’s biggest contradiction: why everything matters all the time and also why it’s not that deep.

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Liza Lo - Anything Like Love.

London-based producer and singer-songwriter Liza Lo has released her debut album Familiar via Gearbox Records. The album follows on the heels of a series of critically acclaimed singles — “A Messenger,” “Catch The Door,” “Morning Call,” “Gipsy Hill,” “What I Used To Do,” and “Confiarme” — which have seen Liza earn plaudits from the likes of DIY, The Line Of Best Fit, and more.

Having completed a sold-out EU / UK tour with Australian indie-folk songwriter Harrison Storm as well as a more recent run of UK dates both headlining and in support of Steph Strings and Vraell, Liza has been on a rapid word-of-mouth ascent with shows around the UK and Europe. The album follows her self-released Flourish EP, which saw her earn widespread playlist support and early plaudits at both press and radio, for her tender and meditative take on indie-folk.

Recorded at Damon Albarn's Studio 13, with her band and Jon Kelly (Kate Bush, Paul McCartney), the album sees Liza touch on everything from the loss of a friend to a brain injury, to moving away from her home in Europe, to the many subtle intricacies that come with modern day relationships. It's full of uncanny and intimate guitars, retro pop-inflected synth and bass, and crystalline piano that intensify and build into widescreen, driving poignant songs about vulnerability and emotional fulfilment. It’s a real exercise in both fragility and self-found strength.
 
Speaking on the album, Liza says, "The name Familiar reflects this element of going back to records I grew up listening to, this way of recording that makes music feel familiar and a way that brought my creative process close to what Jon, my mentor and co-producer on this record, is a master in too. I also wanted the word to tie in with the stories I was telling, the intimacy of family, the tales of romantic love in my life, but also the inevitable loss that comes with living and how to manage that. All these feelings we come across recurrently in life, from losing a friend, to falling out of touch with yourself and others, to the beauty of falling in love."
 
To celebrate the release of the album, Liza has shared a new single titled "Anything Like Love," a soft and gentle song that Liza describes as "a love song for friendship, romantic love and familiar love. I like to sing it at family get-togethers and birthdays. A song for my mum, my best friends, my brother and my love."

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