Merpire - Milk Pool (Album).
Naarm/Melbourne's Merpire aka Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt has just shared her highly-anticipated second album Milk Pool - a indie/alt/dark-pop album for the romantics, the daydreamers, and those moving through intense periods of change, punctuated by unconventional rhythms and chord choices, provocative guitar, moody synths and vivid imagery - its title representing "the murky fluidity of the action [she] took to create it", a second teenagehood for Merpire that finds her “wading playfully and trustingly into the unknown" in a deeper, darker, more personal way than her globally-acclaimed debut album Simulation Ride (2021).
Angled toward her deep, abiding love for her artist community through thick and thin and co-produced by Merpire and James Seymour (Pillow Queens, Elizabeth M. Drummond, Jacob Diamond), buoyant alt-pop/indie-rock focus track 'Fishing' immediately hooks in heart-first with its opening lyrics and bright, fuzzed-out guitar - "I'm just a little bit in love with all of my friends / Oh how I need them" - a beautiful celebration of friendship and connection and a testament of the fierce and unshakeable love Merpire has for her community.
Fluid and metaphysical as the tides, Milk Pool is for the romantics, the daydreamers, and those moving through intense periods of change - a dark-pop album punctuated by unconventional rhythms and chord choices, provocative guitar, moody synths and vivid imagery, its title representing "the murky fluidity of the action [she] took to create it".
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Marie Minet unveils a new version of one of her most intimate tracks, Prête à Tout. This re-imagining, titled Summer Radio Edit, introduces a subtle rhythmic layer bringing movement and tension while preserving the poetic essence of the original song.
Originally arranged by Jon Luz, a renowned Cape Verdean musician and long-time collaborator of Cesária Évora, the track finds a new pulse through the elegant textures crafted by Ghanaian producer Two Bars, delicately enhanced by French producer SDO. Prête à Tout – Summer Radio Edit is not simply a remix, it’s a gentle and rhythmic metamorphosis, a second breath for a song in constant evolution, blending cultures, emotions, and interior landscapes.
At the heart of Prête à Tout lies a deeply personal story, a tale of emotional surrender, passion, and the illusions we sometimes weave in the name of love.
Built upon an acoustic foundation, the song gives space to both the sweetness and ache of love. Marie’s voice tender and inhabited floats in a melodic cloud that crosses oceans with grace: between tropical sway, flamenco ornamentation's, and the expressive restraint so distinctive of French chanson. A song suspended between control and abandon, both intimate and universal. After all, who hasn’t loved to the point of losing themselves?
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Diva Bhatia, is a 22-year-old independent singer-songwriter based in Melbourne, Australia. This week her new single "Scared of Love" has been released and it is so beautifully natural and honest sounding, something that we are sure many will connect to. Diva describes the song as follows: This track is a raw, emotionally honest indie-pop song for the people still picking up the pieces long after the relationship ends. Written about a breakup from two years ago, Scared of Love explores the quiet, ongoing cost of emotional betrayal — the kind that doesn’t just break your heart, but shifts how you show up in love. It’s a song for anyone who’s pulled away from love not out of bitterness, but fear.
Diva Bhatia is an independent singer-songwriter whose music blends raw emotion with storytelling rooted in real-life experiences. Known for her honest, melancholic sound, Diva creates songs that reflect the highs and lows of navigating self-worth, heartbreak, and resilience.
Born into a musically-inclined family, Diva’s passion for music started young. Her earliest memories include watching her father, a drummer, perform on stage—sparking her own dream of connecting with audiences through song. By three, she was learning piano; by twelve, she found her voice as a singer. At fifteen, she taught herself guitar through YouTube tutorials, adding another layer to her songwriting. Despite her early passion, Diva’s musical journey hasn’t always been easy. She faced bullying for chasing her dreams and, overwhelmed by self-doubt, turned down an offer from Berklee College of Music. She later pursued a psychology degree to better understand herself and the world around her.
A turning point came when she met her idol, Dean Lewis, whose words—“keep going and walk into the fire”—reignited her confidence. Since then, Diva has released several singles, blending emotional depth with melodic hooks, inspired by artists like Dean Lewis, James Arthur, and Lewis Capaldi. Her music offers connection and comfort for those navigating heartbreak, anxiety, and the quiet struggles we don’t always speak about.
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