Natalie Holmes - Kramon feat. Meredith Adelaide - Kerala Dust - Rachael Sage and The Sequins

Natalie Holmes - Bird Song.

Alt-pop artist Natalie Holmes is set to release her highly anticipated second album, Opposite Day, on 17/10/25. Following the success of her debut self-produced album, Vitamin Be (2022), Natalie’s new project takes listeners on a kaleidoscopic journey through the paradoxes of human existence. Like Alice down the rabbit hole, we tumble together through accidental worlds of style and sound that mirror the disorienting beauty of being alive today.

Reaching her arms wide, ’Opposite Day’ involves a team of outrageously talented musicians - Boci, violin; Rob Pemberton, drums & mix, Alex Heane, bass & William J Stokes, co-production - Holmes proudly prepares to release this collection of genre- blurring alt-pop that ping-pongs between introspective ballads and upbeat anthems. With influences ranging from Caroline Polachek & Aurora to The Japanese House & Bon Iver, Opposite Day continues to showcase Natalie’s signature blend of ethereal vocals and thought-provoking lyrics.

Prepare to be taken through a sea of strange yet magical imagery with ‘Bird Song’, as Natalie hits on the strange concept that whenever we are feeling low, someone else is feeling high. Perhaps there’s a give and take to it, and we are constantly passing around the baton of joy. Quirky vocal samples and weaving classical guitars lure you into this clockwork fantasy of snow rooms and birds nests, moving through worlds of vocoder, lush drums and ethereal pads.

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Kramon - Morning Vapors feat. Meredith Adelaide.

This weekend singer-songwriter, renowned tv and film composer, and multi-instrumentalist Kramon returns with dreamy new single, “Morning Vapors”. Available on most streaming platforms, the track is a luscious groove paying homage to the healing powers of Mary Jane.

What began as a hazy stoner’s anthem, “Morning Vapors” quickly turned into a re-evaluation of life conceptions and what it means to connect to a higher power. Invoking feelings of escapism and tranquility throughout its sonic haven, the new track is a mesmerizing offering filled with abstract lyrical quips and psychedelic 70s guitar rock sounds. Together, the blistering drum patterns of David Goodstein merge fruitfully with Meredith Adelaide’s smooth vocals, creating a captivating listen for all. With production styles casting a backdrop filled with indie pop surrealism, the vocals of Hunter Hawkins and Meredith Adelaide can be compared to those of Mazzy Star or Beach House.

What makes the upcoming album Evolutions unique is that it is entirely a collaborative effort between various musicians from different generations. Its main contributors are Hunter Hawkins and Meredith Adelaide, whose vocals and lyrical excellence spruce up each track, creating a refreshing vibe throughout. At the helm of the project is the incredibly talented Josh Kramon– who’s primarily known for composing the soundtracks behind some of television's most notable screenwriting (Veronica Mars, High Potential, iZombie, Lethal Weapon). Just recently on May 14th, Josh proudly accepted his second BMI Award for Film and Television, due to his aforementioned contributions.

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Photo - Andrin Fretz 

Kerala Dust - The Orb, TX.

Kerala Dust have just shared a new track, "The Orb, TX", the latest to be taken from their forthcoming third album, An Echo Of Love, released via Play It Again Sam on August 22. Alongside the new single, the band has announced details of a huge North American tour. Having previously released album tracks "Bell" and "I Remember You A Dancer", "The Orb TX" is a gritty blend of electronica, blues, and psychedelia. 

Fresh off a headline tour across Europe and standout sets at Printworks London and DGTL Amsterdam, the trio continue to captivate with their signature live energy. Previous support from BBC Radio 6 Music, Clash, and KCRW has cemented them as genre-blurring innovators. This track deepens the groove, inviting listeners into a cinematic desert rave.

Talking about the track, Kerala Dust said: "The Orb, TX is about shedding the past, loss, and seeking love over and over again."

Kerala Dust’s new album, An Echo of Love, is a dynamic blend of art rock, electronica, and Americana, reflecting constant change and musical experimentation. The album’s fluidity is mirrored in both its shifting lineup—adding keyboardist Tim Gardner and drummer Pascal Karier—and its diverse recording locations, including Tuscany, Austin, Berlin, Zurich, and Rome. Lead member Edmund Kenny describes the album as capturing a state of mind, shaped by his personal experiences, especially after a tumultuous period following the band’s 2023 tour.

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Photo - Anna Azarov

Rachael Sage and The Sequins - Just Enough.

Alt-folk-pop singer-songwriter Rachael Sage and her longtime band The Sequins have released their upbeat new single “Just Enough” from their upcoming full-length album Canopy – out later this year via MPress Records. “Just Enough,” a self-produced, starry-eyed love song that peddles positive vibes with a neo-folk flair replete with wah guitar and ‘60s-style backing vocals and handclaps.

“‘Just Enough,’ at first listen, seems like a romantic love song and, to some degree, it started out that way when I was first writing it,” shares Sage. “But the longer I’ve played it live out on tour, the more now it feels like it’s equally a mantra to oneself about being enough as you are: lovable enough, accomplished enough, attractive enough, smart enough… all the things that a best friend or any loved-one might acknowledge in you are truly, unconditionally and authentically enough. The song has also just got a fun, groovy, and lighthearted feel to it musically and my hope is it gets everyone up off the couch, dancing and feeling as free as possible. I think we all need that right about now!”

Sage’s upcoming album Canopy is equal parts emotional exhale and invitation to a more compassionate future, as well as a masterclass in radical inclusivity and self-acceptance. Featuring recently released title track “Canopy,” which imagines a world where shelter is a given for everyone rather than a luxury for some, the collection offers a much-needed musical reprieve from our current cultural upheaval. “Creating safety and inclusivity in times of divisiveness can be a radical and powerful act; it takes courage to stand up for justice and for our fellow human beings,” Sage adds. “Acceptance, inclusivity and safety are big themes on my forthcoming album Canopy.”

RachaelSage · Just Enough (Single Version) [feat. The Sequins]

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Natalie Holmes - Annie Keating - Tough On Fridays

Natalie Holmes - Floating TV.

Described as a consistently astounding songwriter, South West/ Bristol based singer-songwriter Natalie Holmes writes lilting, haunting and yet also invigorating Indie-Folk tinted with a hint of Pop. Now back with new single ‘Floating TV’ taken from the upcoming album ‘Vitamin Be’, Natalie once again demonstrates her honey toned vocals and incredible musicianship.

‘Floating TV’ is a prime example of Natalie’s work, bringing together gentle musical textures with dappled moments of experimentation to create a beautiful and warming soundscape. Blending the gentle folk-infused nature of her material with shuffling drums, twinkling piano, swelling guitar lines and jazz influenced double bass, the result is a stunning, multi-faceted musical backdrop. Topped with Natalie’s effortless, ethereal vocals and a deceptively catchy vocal line, the track manages to gracefully tread the ground between Bon Iver-esque raw instrumentation and accessible indie-pop in a unique and hugely effective way.

With her soberingly relatable, yet soothing lyricism, Natalie sets out to strike a conversation between the conflicting effects of modern society, and those of the natural world on our ability to be content. With mental health struggles being talked about and diagnosed more and more, Natalie felt called to write about the simple bewilderment at being a young adult in today’s society and the pressures that brings.

From the constant comparisons we make on social media, to the over-stimulated, unrelenting pace of modern life, to the money fears that leave younger generations wanting to run for the mountains, the upcoming album touches on many elements of modern life and how they can affect mental wellbeing.

Speaking about the meaning behind the new single ‘Floating TV’, Natalie explains: “I have this ever-present sadness at the way the world is becoming more limiting, constantly feeding us stimulation and keeping us needing or wanting an endless cycle of stuff and achievements. This song is about rebelling I suppose - in a sweet, naive kinda way."

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Annie Keating - Sunshine Parade.

Ahead of a fresh run of UK and Ireland shows this Autumn Annie Keating is revealing a surprise new single: “Sunshine Parade”. Released yesterday, the track is a taster of a brand new EP from the NYC singer-songwriter, ‘Twenty 22 Tour EP’, which will be exclusively available at her upcoming shows.

With its blazing Keith Richards-inspired guitar licks and vaporising lyrics capable of blistering even the most hydrated of tongues, “Sunshine Parade” is the tarmac-melting new release from Annie Keating.

Born in the daze of the New York heatwave in the summer of ‘21, “Sunshine Parade” came together as Keating found herself dreaming of escaping the city’s almost claustrophobic temperatures. As Mercury relentlessly rose, she began to play around with some phrases that were hounding her thoughts in the heat.

“It was hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement” remembers Annie. “When I was walking my dog in the thick August heat, I wanted to take myself someplace else with my imagination, to have some fun with words”

Inspired by a phrase inherited from her mother to not “let it rain on your parade”, the single offers a tongue-in-cheek inversion of that old adage, as Keating purrs:  “There’s no rain on this parade / yeah not today babe not today / You can lie down in the shade but sunshine’s what I really crave / There’ll be no rain now on this Sunshine Parade”.

AnnieKeatingNYC · Sunshine Parade

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Tough On Fridays - Growing Pains.

Tough On Fridays has proven time and again that they are experts at the big, in-your-face, wall of incendiary, alt-rock salvos. The new single by the alternative indie rock band, ‘Growing Pains’ expertly shows off the more understated, deft, and delicate side of their musical personality. Rock it still is, but rock showing its more sensitive side. 

Big rock guitars are replaced with washes of indie rhythms and almost country-esque vibes. On top of that, you’re reminded how great the twin vocals of Caleigh and Carly can be, especially when they are given the room to breathe, intertwine and beguile, that this song allows. This release marks a first for Tough On Fridays after finding their home at newly launched label Archangel Records, a subsidy of the Golden Robot Global Entertainment Group.

The ironically named single 'Growing Pains' is nothing short of sonic anarchy to trip up those who would pigeon-hole the band or the sound of them evolving, being adventurous, and spreading their sonic wings. Instead of being weighed down by expectation Cayleigh and Carly remain expertly in control, staying true to their eclectic sound and pushing the limits of genre and familiarity. As long as it is an approach and attitude that they don't lose, who needs, or indeed would want to maintain, musical comfort zones when you have bands like Tough On Fridays in the world?


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Team Picture - Edan Archer - Odetta Hartman - Natalie Holmes

Team Picture - EVE.

Background - The six-piece Leeds-based Team Picture have just shared the video for their ltd. edition 7" single 'EVE' - released on Come Play With Me. 'EVE' is a re-working of a track by fellow Leeds trio, Laminate Pet Animal. Recorded and released initially under the band’s alias, ‘Group Photograph’ for West Yorkshire-based label, Come Play With Me, the new video arrives hot off the back of their recent 6 Music-supported mini-album, ‘Recital’, and just ahead of a headline at Camden Assembly Hall on July 27, 2018 for Come Play With Me/War Child.

“We chose to mangle 'Eve' after sharing one side of a 7" with Laminate Pet Animal's original, excellent, version of the song,” says Team Picture frontman, Josh. “We didn't bother trying to recreate the original because we knew we had nowhere near enough bloopy and bleepy machinery, so we came at it as a re-imagining of the source material.”

Speaking about the video for ‘EVE’, visual artist and director of the clip, Theresa Steinmetz says: “The video references the important topic of mental illness using the routines of three women as the narrative. I worked with light, contrast and tempo in the footage to emphasise mood changes and frustrations. I wanted to bring up, and contribute to the conversation of depression, as it is a topic that’s often forgotten.”

On June 1, 2018, Team Picture released their acclaimed Matt Peel-produced (Menace Beach, Eagulls) debut mini-album, 'Recital' - the band supported the release with a debut headline tour, ticking off a date at Leeds' Brudenell Social Club, and further dates at The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City,  and Hit The North. Since forming in 2016, the group have earned praise at Radio 1, Radio X, and 6 Music, alongside ticking off support slots with the likes of Parquet Courts, Psychic Ills, The Orielles, Wire, and Ulrika Spacek. We’ll have more new music and live dates from Team Picture to come later in 2018. WEBSITE.

Following on from the song '(I Want Your) Life Hack' which we shared last month and described as  "a creative song where power and eccentricity come together" we now have 'EVE' a piece that differs considerably. There is something of a core band sound that is present, however the tone is a little more sombre, but again intriguing and hypnotically attractive. 


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Edan Archer - Bad Imitation Of Something Good.

Background - Florida-bred Nashville-based alt-country songcrafter Edan Archer has unleashed a brand new tune--a carefree Tom Petty-esque ode to being liberated from others' ideas and assumptions about ourselves. The song shines a bright rock n' roll spotlight on the absurdity of people trying to change each other. "Basically, this car ain't changing directions," explains Archer. "So, you can either stand back or get in."

“The sentiment behind this song is that 'to hell with it' feeling when you just accept yourself as you are. I came up with the phrase 'bad imitation of something good' to describe when others don’t really see you; they see a bad version of what they think you should be. Specifically, this song is about love and relationships, and priorities: does he see me as the feminine force of nature that I am, or does he see me as someone who can’t put the toothpaste cap on right?”

Archer's swampy sensibilities come through loud and clear, her voice is sultry as sweet tea and crackles like the ever-present heat lightning of her Everglades upbringing. All moonshine and honey, Archer combines rock and country with her roots in Appalachian folk as she gets gritty with guitar magic and casts spells with intimate ballads and finger picking, alternate tunings, and rich effects. There is more music on the way, so keep Edan Archer on your radar. WEBSITE.

'Bad Imitation Of Something Good' is a feisty and lively Americana song that mixes country and rock and roll together, whilst retaining the separate character of both genres. It's also sing along and catchy stuff.

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Odetta Hartman - Widow's Peak.

Background - NYC artist Odetta Hartman releases her new album 'Old Rockhounds Never Die' through Memphis Industries on 10th August.

Following the release of first two singles 'Misery' and 'Sweet Teeth', Odetta has now unveiled new track 'Widow's Peak'. 'Widow’s Peak' begins as a dusty banjo dirge but soon opens up into a sublime wall of sound comprised of strings, drum machines and deep bass. A sonically diverse palette of sounds that only Odetta Hartman can conjure up. Odetta says about the track: “Sometimes lightning strikes and an entire song reveals itself in an instant. Sometimes I feel like a vessel, channeling stories from beyond, and this spooky tale certainly sounds like it came from another world. With the intention of playing a fiddle solo, I sound-checked the violin in multiple rooms. Thanks to a happy accident, we played back all of the test takes together and fell in love with the wall of sound. At the end, we featured a prayer call & street sounds from our walk through Fez. Of all the songs on the record, I am most proud of this composition.”

'Old Rockhounds Never Die' is a bonanza of beautiful contradictions: intimate yet fiercely internationalist, spiritual and yet tangible, sweet and also sexy. It convenes with the ghosts of the past while marching relentlessly forwards.

Drawn from experiences as far-flung as riding a train from San Francisco to Chicago with an old-style, rootin'-tootin' cowboy for company ('Cowboy Song'), to experiencing the intense natural beauty of Icelandic waterfalls ('Dettifoss'), it’s a record that taps into the musical traditions of the past while being a collection of songs about living in the moment.

Raised by pioneering parents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC, Odetta’s milieu was a “colourful culture of artistry,” that included early exposure to community activism, renegade film screenings, poetry readings and trips to CBGB's. Inchoate punk and hip hop were aural wallpaper, as were the 45s spinning in the household jukebox featuring her dad’s extensive collection of soul and afrobeat records, as well as her Appalachian mother’s classic country selections. A classically trained violinist with a penchant for back-porch banjo, Odetta combines these variegated sounds of her childhood with her personal passion for folk music and the musicological legacy of Alan Lomax. Lomax is writ large on 'Old Rockhounds...' at least in spirit anyway. Odetta plays all the instruments on this and her debut '222'. TWITTER.
 
Our second feature in less than a month for Odetta Hartman and 'Widow's Peak' is a softer and much slower affair. The delicious and well described "cowboy soul" gently oozes through again adding distinction and hooks throughout.

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Natalie Holmes - Hideout (Live Piano Session).

Background - Top 10 iTunes singer-songwriter Natalie Holmes has just unveiled a stunning live piano session video of her new single ‘Hideout’. Bristol-based singer/songwriter Natalie Holmes writes lilting, haunting and yet somehow invigorating pop, with honey toned vocals and an incredible depth to every song. An independent artist building her fan base entirely from scratch, she kick-started her musical career by uploading songs and now has over a million hits on YouTube, thousands of subscribers and a loyal following on social media. Although just into her twenties, Natalie has clocked up four successful EP’s: The Simplest Things, Child, Over & Out and her most recent release, Calm Places, all of which featured in the iTunes and Top 10 Singer/Songwriter Charts.

In 2016, Natalie was asked to accompany trance legends ‘Above & Beyond’ as the new female vocalist on their Acoustic II world tour, performing to sold out audiences at the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House to name a few. Since Over & Out, Natalie has been writing and making plans for her next solo release, taking time to hone her sound before making her comeback. On top of the A&B tour, the last 12 months have seen her travelling all over Europe, showcasing her existing material to a new audience and trialing new songs.

Described as one of the most consistently astounding new songwriters the music world has seen in ages, Natalie admits that her latest EP, Calm Places, marks a real milestone in her life, where she realised the importance of sitting back and taking care of yourself, making time for all the things and people you love. Listeners have said that she’s coming back with a new edge of maturity on every release, transforming her music into something truly new and unexpected. WEBSITE.

I have added the studio version of 'Hideout' alongside the live piano session, both are superb, it' no wonder the attention Natalie Holmes has received. If her material is new to you, enjoy exploring her previous EP's, and join the large crowd of folk looking forward to more.

 
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