Released this weekend Degherl's first album, follows two previous EPs (one live and the other in the studio), and includes songs recorded between 2022 and 2026, as well as a new version - for the vocal part - of the single Nightmare, already published in 2021 as part of a compilation. The band further deepens its sonic research within the post-punk and new wave universe, building a work that, without losing coherence and identity, also crosses shoegaze, jangle-pop and dark-folk, with a brief excursus between no-wave and psychedelia.
More than a collection of songs, the album appears as a circular path in which each song explores a different declination of the tension between shadow and light, restlessness and desire, memory and vision. To quote some influences, you will recognise the dark romanticism of The Cure, the urban shadows of Tuxedomoon and The Sound, the angularity of Xmal Deutschland, the ethereal atmospheres of Slowdive and Cocteau Twins, up to the art-punk eclecticism of DEVO and B-52's.
The presence of different generations in the Degherl lineup testifies their timeless vitality. The group's name is also the album's title. Degherl (whose pronunciation sounds like The Girl) can then become an invitation to read between the lines, make free associations between sound assonances and phonetic decompositions, to reconstruct from scratch the possibility of regenerating meanings.
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Self-produced by Josef Ask and Christoffer Zetterlund, the album moves between 1960s French and baroque pop, British indie, soul, psychedelia and spaghetti-western cinema.
Much of it was recorded live in a converted chapel in the Swedish countryside, with a close group of musicians playing together in the room - keeping the performances warm, organic and alive.
The band once described their musical world as somewhere between “a full English breakfast and the Sanremo Festival in the 1960s,” which probably captures it better than a single genre tag. Mon Rayon will also celebrate the release with a special album launch show at Kollektivet Livet in Stockholm on the 8th October.
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Nashville country artist and singer-songwriter Maddie Lenhart releases her debut EP, Why in the World, this weekend. From track one through track six, Why in the World explores the highs and lows of love and loss — running from heartbreak, living through it, learning to trust yourself enough to fall in love again, and finding light through the difficult corners along the way. At its core, the debut EP is rooted in intentional storytelling, with every lyric carefully considered and no line left without purpose. Sonically, Maddie Lenhart draws from her Appalachian roots, blending organic country and folk-inspired instrumentation with dreamy, ethereal production to create a sound that feels both grounded and distinctly her own.
Why in the World offers a true introduction to Maddie as an artist, showcasing the perspective, songwriting, and musical identity that will continue to shape her career in country music. Virginia-born and raised, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maddie Lenhart has spent years developing her voice as both an artist and a songwriter. Since moving to Music City, she has written hundreds of songs and earned more than 45 independent cuts, building a reputation for sharp, deeply personal country songwriting rooted in honest storytelling.
2026 marked the beginning of a significant new chapter for Lenhart, with the successful rollout of her the singles from her debut EP, Why in the World, produced by Brad Hill (Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne). The project generated major attention pre-release, with “Empty Room” earning features from both Billboard and American Songwriter and “Newton’s First Law” landing on the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds Country. The EP’s title track, “Why in the World,” was co-written with Jay Knowles (Alan Jackson, Lainey Wilson) and Jen Stegall (Carter Faith), further highlighting Lenhart’s ability to pair distinctive songwriting with polished contemporary country production.
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| Ezra Tsai Photography |
Two years ago, Toronto singer-songwriter Niki Kennedy was searching for new inspiration and a new direction. Like many emerging young artists, she realized she had fallen into the trap of chasing expectations set by others rather than following her own instincts. It was an epiphany for Kennedy, who had already earned a Masters degree in music, been accepted into several industry-sponsored creative programs, and released a handful of independent singles.
She decided to try something different—ignore what she “should” be doing, and simply start writing songs that drew from her life experiences, often in a vulnerable manner she had never attempted before that unmasked and confronted her insecurities, frustrations and fears. Kennedy has channelled all of it into her debut album The Space In Between, which showcases her entrancing voice in inventive arrangements rooted in modern adult pop with hints of country, R&B and reggae.
Niki says, “I didn’t go into this process trying to ‘write an album,’ but to capture the messy human journey of figuring it all out. At the end of it, I had a collection of songs that felt true to this chapter of my life and artistry. I chose 12 of them for this album, and it was at that point that I went into the studio with long-time friend and collaborator Shane Stephenson, who mixed the record and helped me bring it to the finish line.”
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We are pleased to feature The Wandering Divide's EP 'Norte Del Sur' which is described as "a sonic journey into our interior and exterior worlds." It's heartfelt, gentle and allows the musical arrangements to take the listener along on the creators personal journey. We will let Brandon give us the background...
Fronted by multi-instrumentalist and producer Brandon Cooke, the cinematic, indie-folk project is a moving exploration of displacement, longing, and what Cooke calls "melancholic joy." For years, Cooke engineered for acts such as Glass Animals, Jelly Roll, Kamasi Washington, Earlimart, and members of The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails. As a touring and studio musician, he shared stages with the likes of Weezer, The Black Keys, Phantogram, and TV on the Radio.
In 2022, Cooke grew disillusioned with the hyper-commercialization of art in the modern music industry and walked away. Spending extensive time in Kolkata, Ireland, the American Southwest, and the Appalachian Mountains, Cooke found inspiration in the music of his roots, the scenery of his travels, and the stories of those he met along the way.
Upon returning, Cooke built a studio north of San Francisco and set out to write, engineer, produce, and perform a record that captured this inspiration. The result is the four-song EP, Norte Del Sur. Musically, Norte Del Sur bridges the rugged topography of the American Southwest and the inspiring sereness of the California coasts with the misty landscapes of Ireland. While Norte Del Sur is primarily orchestrated by Cooke, the EP is rounded out by a collective of talent, featuring cellist Peter Jacobsen, upright bassist Paul Livingstone, fiddler McGilvry Allen, and bassist Nate Levin.
It is music born from the physical and emotional impact of travel, a poignant reminder that when the industry strips art of its soul, the only cure is to let the heart be the vessel and hit the open road.
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