Josaleigh Pollett - Bywater Call - Lynn Hollyfield - Rusty Shackle - Black Bordello - Bri Fletcher

Josaleigh Pollett - If I Let It Quiet (Album).

Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter Josaleigh Pollett has issued their fourth full-length album, ‘If I Let It Quiet.’ Produced by long-time collaborator Jordan Watko (Crowd Shy), the record is released via Audio Antihero (Frog / Tiberius / Avery Friedman / CIAO MALZ / Darren Hayman) and Lavender Vinyl on digital and vinyl. A tour of the Pacific Northwest and West Coast accompany the album's release. The work of Pollett and Watko has received a slow burn of recognition over the years, reaching a broader audience with 2023’s electronics-infused ‘In the Garden, By the Weeds,’ thanks to support from notable outlets, including NPR Music’s All Songs Considered, as well as awards and end-of-year lists.

Pollett went on to share bills with St. Vincent, Torres, Deep Sea Diver, DeVotchKa, Mini Trees, and Hibou, as well as performing at Kilby Block Party. Outside of their work with Watko, Pollett’s output included a prolific run of collaborations that included Ekko Astral in 2024 and 2025, in addition to writing a song a day in January 2025 (released as ‘bro’s bad january’). 

“This album is an exploration of what it takes to quiet the noise of geographical and emotional distance in order to hear ourselves and the ones who see us. In true independent DIY fashion and similar to 2023's In The Garden, By The Weeds, If I Let It Quiet is recorded mostly at home between my Salt Lake City makeshift home studio and Jordan's apartment in Japan. The difference this time is that we're bringing in more collaborations. In particular, Andrew Goldring, who in addition to mixing and mastering, brought deeper instrumentation to If I Let It Quiet.” – Josaleigh Pollett. 

============================================================================

Bywater Call - Broken Souvenirs (Album).

A powerhouse seven-piece Southern soul, roots rock outfit from Toronto, Canada; Bywater Call was nominated for the 2025 UK Blues Award for International Blues Artist of the year for the second straight year, alongside artists such as Beth Hart and Walter Trout.

The band has also received multiple Independent Blues and Canadian Maple Blues Award nominations including Entertainer, Electric Act and Best Female Vocalist for the 2024 Awards Season.

Bywater Call’s music is an exploration of life’s highs and lows. From intimate ballads that lay bare the complexities of human emotion to electrifying anthems that demand to be played at full volume, their catalogue is a journey through human experience, featuring influences from the likes of The Band, The Wood Brothers, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Otis Redding, Little Feat, Sly and the Family Stone, and many more.

Often transcending genres, Bywater Call is known for their dynamic, emotional live shows, featuring powerful vocals and exciting interplay between all band members. And now, on the heels of a highly successful European tour and in the middle of their American tour here is their new album. 

============================================================================

Lynn Hollyfield - Diving In (Album).

We have the new folk album Diving In from award-winning singer-songwriter Lynn Hollyfield. The album was produced by Grammy-nominated Seth Glier and 
is a stunning collection of songs that reveal the twists and turns in life, our humanness, loss, love, the times we are in, and the path we choose to go through. The range of styles on the album can mostly be called contemporary folk, with a few having a traditional feel and a timeless vibe.

Blend a beautiful alto voice, crisp acoustic guitar, and a heartfelt perspective on the world, and you have Lynn Hollyfield. Known for her warm stage presence and emotionally rich songs, she connects effortlessly with audiences. Writing in a contemporary folk style, Lynn weaves in jazz-influenced chords and bluesy guitar alongside passionate vocals, think Mary Chapin Carpenter meets Bonnie Raitt with a touch of George Gershwin. The result is her own distinctive voice, witty, soulful, and reflective.

Lynn has been writing songs since her teenage years, growing up on Staten Island, NY, surrounded by a wide range of musical influences, from jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to artists like The Beatles and Neil Young. She began performing locally at a young age and later gained recognition as part of the duo Hollyfield & Spruill, appearing at festivals such as the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

After launching her solo career, Lynn released several acclaimed albums, including LAYERS (2010), IN THE BALANCE (2014), and LOOK UP (2024), earning national and international airplay along with multiple songwriting awards including being listed in the Top Artists/ Top Albums for the International Folk Alliance. During the pandemic, she also published a children’s book, The Tree, The Ship and Me, with its accompanying song recognized as a finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest.

============================================================================

Rusty Shackle - Stand Up Tall.

Welsh Folk / Rock band 'Rusty Shackle' new single 'Stand Up Tall' was released Friday 24th July. Taken from their forthcoming Album 'Mayfield' which is set for release at the end of August. A raw, heartfelt reflection on friendship, self-confidence andperseverance when times are hard. The universal message inviteslisteners to find their own meaning within the song, but at its heart,it serves as a mantra of encouragement for anyone who feels lost oroverlooked in life.Musically, the track embraces a stripped-back folk sound inspired bythe poetic storytelling of Neil Young, the pastoral textures of The Decemberists and Fleet Foxes, and the understated warmth of Wilco.The unvarnished arrangement allows the song's message to takecentre stage, creating an intimate and timeless atmosphere thatreflects its themes of resilience, compassion, and hope

Rusty Shackle are a hard-gigging folk-rock band from South Wales, known for their infectious energy, anthemic songs, and genre-blurring sound drawn from folk, rock, and indie roots. Since forming in 2010, they’ve built a loyal following through relentless touring and a reputation for exhilarating live shows that get crowds on their feet.

The band have released five studio albums to date, each one expanding their sonic palette while staying rooted in rich melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and a love of storytelling. Their 2022 release, Under a Bloodshot Moon, reached number 2 in the UK Folk Albums Chart and was praised as “a winner” by Get Ready to Rock and “their finest album yet” by Liverpool Sound and Vision.

============================================================================

Black Bordello - Fugue.

Art-rock provocateurs Black Bordello announce their new EP, Midheaven Tempest, due 18th September 2026 via AWAL, and unveil its first offering with the new single 'Fugue' (24th July 2026), a Fitzgeraldian world of sepia-tinted nostalgia. 'Fugue' offers the first glimpse into the immersive world of Midheaven Tempest, a collection that sees Black Bordello deepen their singular dialogue between art-rock, post-punk and cinematic atmosphere. Expansive yet intimate, the EP embraces contrast, where ornate arrangements meet raw immediacy, and gothic romanticism collides with moments of striking clarity.

With 'Fugue', the band continue to blur the boundaries of artistic, gothic and experimental rock, while drawing more openly from the dramatic sweep and melodic ambition of 1970s rock music. Threaded with baroque flourishes and taut post-punk tension, the single unfolds as a richly layered introduction to the conceptual landscape of Midheaven Tempest, hinting at an EP that is both emotionally resonant and sonically adventurous.

The romantic Hammond-organ introduction to ‘Fugue’ evokes 1920s picture houses and travelling carnival calliopes, hinting at a Fitzgeraldian world of sepia-tinted nostalgia. But any promise of reverie is quickly upended by the verse’s psychedelic, buoyant theatricality. Dripping with the weary, eye-rolling detachment of Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is?, the track instead unfolds in a haze of Velvet Underground fuzz, Black Heart Procession gloom, and Nick Cave–esque refrains. It moves through jarring shifts in tempo and melody, each one underscoring the band’s restless drive to experiment rather than settle into nostalgia.

Speaking on the single, vocalist and songwriter Sienna Bordello says: “Fugue is a joyful stab into the cardboard cutouts on the set of society's stage. It's our gift to music nerds, inspired by Bach.” 

============================================================================

Bri Fletcher - Salt Water.

Nashville country artist Bri Fletcher releases new single "Salt Water." Bri Fletcher is crying good tears on her new single, “Salt Water,” an R&B-leaning country anthem that cleverly uses the healing properties of salt water as a remedy for heartbreak. While the production embraces a smoother, more soulful sound, Fletcher’s signature storytelling remains at the heart of the track, blending emotional honesty with undeniable vulnerability.

The song explores the idea that sometimes the first step toward moving on isn’t pretending you’re okay — it’s allowing yourself to feel everything. Fletcher transforms tears into a symbol of hope with the lyric, “Thought I’d never be the one to cry online / But WebMD just said I’ll be alright.”

Its memorable chorus reinforces the song’s central message: “Salt water, it’s good for my skin / I ain’t bothered, it’s got healing benefits / It’ll clean my wounds, rid me right of you / When these tears are running down my face / Salt water, yeah I’ll be okay.”

“Salt Water” marks another step in Fletcher’s evolving artistry, pairing contemporary R&B influences with the heartfelt lyricism that first established her as a country songwriter. It’s a reminder that growth doesn’t always come from hiding your emotions — sometimes it comes from embracing them. With “Salt Water,” Bri Fletcher continues to carve out a lane entirely her own, proving that authentic storytelling can transcend genre while resonating with anyone who has ever cried, healed, and found strength on the other side of heartbreak.

============================================================================

Rusty Shackle - Mike Little - South Summit - The Indie Pea

Rusty Shackle - Riders Of The Purple Sage.

Rusty Shackle are back with a moody new single 'Riders Of The Purple Sage' released last week and it's the second single taken from their brand new 'Mayfield' album, that the band will release and showcase at Caldicot Castle on Saturday 29th August with special guests Taff Rapids, Tom Jenkins and Ernie Emmanuel.

Freedom comes in many forms. From the small, everyday moments that bring us joy, to the wind rattling our bones as we ride out along the wild frontier, wild and free beneath the open skies. An expansive song of two halves, about the tough roads we all must travel, the peaks and troughs of a life well lived, and how we must treat each moment like it’s our last.

Musically, the intense-yet-ethereal acoustic first movement takes its cues from the prog-tones of Atomic Rooster and King Crimson, whilst the second movement leans on the riff-driven carefree romps of Uriah Heep and The Groundhogs. This is a song about freedom-the kind that lives in your chest when you throw off the things that bind you. The purple sage isn’t a place-it’s a symbol of the wild, of inner battles and wide, open skies.

Rusty Shackle are a hard-gigging folk-rock band from South Wales, known for their infectious energy, anthemic songs, and genre-blurring sound drawn from folk, rock, and indie roots. Since forming in 2010, they’ve built a loyal following through relentless touring and a reputation for exhilarating live shows that get crowds on their feet.

============================================================================

Mike Little - Keys to the Universe (Album).

Although he’s now known as co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Canadian alt-country collective The Hello Darlins, Mike Little has spent over 35 years proving that keyboards don’t have to be in the background—they can be a full-blown event. As a master of the Hammond B3 organ, Mike has played on over 100 radio singles and over 30 Top 40 hits, many of which have attained Gold and Platinum status and earned him a stack of CCMA Keyboard Player of the Year awards. In other words, if there’s a keyboard part on a hit Canadian record, there’s a decent chance Mike Little played it.

Mike has now fulfilled a lifelong dream of making his debut solo album, Keys To The Universe, which finds him and many of his closest collaborators cutting loose on both brand new and old school funk jams. The 11-track collection was recorded in often-spontaneous situations in Mike’s home studio in Calgary, with a core band consisting of drummer Adam Dowling, bassist Mike Lent and guitarist Murray Pulver, with other friends such as guitarist Russell Broom (Jann Arden) and bassist Chris Byrne (The Road Hammers) chipping in.

Along with seven instrumentals that include The Meters’ classic “Cissy Strut” and Jimmy Smith’s “Chicken Shack,” four songs feature guest vocals from Matt Andersen, Cory Tetford, Jack Semple, and all of The Hello Darlins—led by Mike’s partner in life and music Candace Lacina—on the album’s jubilant first single, “Good Thing Going On.” Mike says, “Candace and I have spent years building music together both on and off the stage. Our relationship is woven into the album because she was my biggest supporter and the one who encouraged me to make it. Having The Hello Darlins on the song feels less like a guest spot and more like part of the record’s vibe. We also already had the song written, and it was a good fit.”

============================================================================

South Summit - Run It Back (Album).

West Australian five-piece South Summit released their second album Run It Back last week (June 12), alongside focus track “New World” — a reflective and expansive centre piece that captures the band's evolution over the past two years.

Arriving after a steady run of singles including “On The Dash” and “Heartless,” Run It Back marks a significant step forward for a band that has rapidly grown from local Perth favourites into one of Australia's most promising live exports. Following support tours with The Cat Empire and The Terrys, and ahead of a newly announced UK and European headline run later this year, the album arrives at a moment where South Summit are looking well beyond home shores. See full UK and EU live dates below.

Written across multiple sessions before reuniting with longtime collaborator Dave Parkin at Blackbird Sound Studio in Perth, Run It Back reflects a deliberate shift in approach. Rather than building songs piece by piece, the band focused on capturing performances together in the room — prioritising instinct, chemistry and the energy that has become central to their live reputation. Among the album's twelve tracks, “New World” stands as one of its most personal moments. Built around themes of growth, perspective and learning to embrace change, the song reflects on leaving behind familiar versions of yourself in order to move forward.

“'New World' is about stepping into the unknown and finding beauty in that uncertainty,” explains lead guitarist Fynn Samorali. “It's about accepting that growth often means letting go of what feels comfortable and trusting where life takes you next.”

============================================================================

The Indie Pea - Is It You Or Is It Me?

We have the third single from The Indie Pea taken from their upcoming album Life Lessons (Out December 18, 2026). After the panoramic intensity of "Staring At The Sun" and the atmospheric noir of "The Masquerade," The Indie Pea flips the script once again. Their third single, "Is It You Or Is It Me?", is a brilliant exercise in sonic irony, a high-energy, sun-drenched banger that hides a bruised heart beneath its euphoric surface.

The Pumping Pulse of the City - Stepping out of their usual comfort zone, the band has traded heavy guitar walls for a driving, melodic bassline that serves as the track's heartbeat. While the signature DNA of The Indie Pea remains, lush staccato violins and sweeping cellos that provide a symphonic grandeur, the focus here is on the "schwung." It’s high-energy British Indie Pop at its finest, channeling the rhythmic ingenuity of Bombay Bicycle Club and the jangly, conversational charm of The Kooks.

A Masterclass in Contradiction - Lyrically, the track is much darker than its upbeat tempo suggests. It is an honest, mid-tempo autopsy of a relationship caught in the "static." Between the "paper moons" and "hollow tunes," the song captures that frantic, circular questioning of a love that is losing its signal. It’s the sound of someone dancing in the heavy rain, not because they’re happy, but because they’re trying to "lose the weight and break the chain." "Can you hear the frequency? Is it you or is it me?"

============================================================================

Ringlets - The Legendary Ten Seconds - Pam Ross - Strawberry Alarm Clock - Young Martyrs - Rusty Shackle

Photo - Troy Davis

Ringlets - Hard Evidence.

Ringlets have just shared ‘Hard Evidence’, their sassy and supernal new single, via Flying Nun Records. Touching on labour, collapse, and stolen trousers - arriving with a music video directed by Martin Sagadin - the visual collaborator behind much of Aldous Harding’s acclaimed work - The track finds the Auckland post-punk four piece in vivid, uncompromising form.

‘Hard Evidence’ was recorded over a day at Roundhead Studios with De Stevens - more time than the band have previously been allotted for a single track. That space allowed the song to be developed fully in the room, and the result is audible: delicate, more industrial in texture, and underpinned by a melody a little sweet beneath the surface. Sagadin’s video takes that same physicality somewhere more surreal, where support and strain occasionally look indistinguishable.

Live, Ringlets are a different proposition again. Their first Australian tour culminated in eight sold-out shows, an appearance at BIGSOUND Festival in Brisbane, and festival slots at Rhythm & Vines, Twisted Frequency, and Laneway Festival. They recently opened for Black Country, New Road, and tomorrow will begin a 28-date run of the U.K and Europe including appearances at The Great Escape Festival, ArcTanGent, and headline shows at The Windmill, The Hug & Pint and Supersonic Paris.

============================================================================

The Legendary Ten Seconds - Sci Fi Hi Fi (Album)

We are always on the look out for something a little different and The Legendary Ten Seconds have consistently delivered on that front both musically, lyrically and by genre. So this time we have and I quote "An album of science fiction and astronomy themed songs featuring the sounds of the Mellotron." The album comes from the South West of England, recorded at Rock Lee, Torquay. Mixed and mastered by Lord Zarquon at Rainbow Starshine Studio in Marldon, South Devon. There's something different in the water the further West you go in England, whatever it is, certainly seems to make the creative juices flow (pun intended).

The album features: Ian Churchward vocals, guitars and keyboards, Jay Brown bass guitar, six string electric guitar and keyboards on The Time Stream, Ashley Dyer trumpet, Alfred Bolt electric guitar, George Bolt keyboards and backing vocals on the Lonely Planet and Lord Zarquon on drums and keyboards.

The Legendary Ten Seconds started off as the solo music project of Ian Churchward during the time when he was the lead guitar player of The Morrisons who were featured on John Peel's radio one show back in 1987. In 2013 Lord Zarquon joined Ian's music project and since then the line up has gradually expanded and various guest musician's and vocalists have helped out in the recording studio.

============================================================================

Pam Ross - That Kind of Summer.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Pam Ross returns today Friday, May 8 with her new track, “That Kind of Summer,” the first taste of her upcoming LP Wait for It. Built on sun-soaked imagery and a carefree spirit, “That Kind of Summer” captures the kind of moment you don’t plan—you just fall into. From “flip flop summer days” to “a hidden path on an old beach road,” the song leans into spontaneity and escape, pairing vivid storytelling with a breezy, radio-friendly hook: “It’s a top rolled back, that kind of summer…”

Pam wrote the track during a cold February in North Carolina, missing the warmth and freedom of coastal life. That longing translates into a song that feels immediate and transportive—windows down, music up, and nowhere you have to be.

Musically, the single blends Pam’s signature cross-genre style—country, Americana, rock, and pop—into something that feels both nostalgic and fresh. The track was produced by Pam Ross alongside FJ Ventre, with a standout lineup including Yvan Petit (guitar), George Hindenach (drums/percussion), and Franchesca “Chessie” Umbrino (backing vocals).

Pam Ross continues to build momentum following her debut album When Therapy Fails, which produced multiple UK iTunes Top 10 singles and a #1 chart-topper (“Better Than a Good Thing”). A 2024 Josie Award winner for Female Multi-Genre Artist of the Year, she has earned a reputation for both her songwriting and her dynamic live performances.

============================================================================

Strawberry Alarm Clock - The Sky Isn't Falling.

Original psychedelic rock pioneers Strawberry Alarm Clock return with the new single "The Sky Isn't Falling," a swirling rocker laden with gorgeous harmonies and lysergic guitars that continues to built the buzz for the legendary band's new album due this Summer from Big Stir Records. Together with the recent singles "Blow Your Mind" and "Monsters," it's strong evidence that Strawberry Alarm Clock is still going strong with five original members, and may be the most vital force from their generation on the scene today.

Strawberry Alarm Clock occupies a unique place on the 21st Century psych and indie rock landscape. Few true '60s veterans can boast a lineup as close to their original roster, but here they are with fve members who've been part of their legacy since the start – Mark Stephen Weitz (keyboards), Randy Seol (drums), George Bunnell (bass), Gene Gunnels (drums/percussion), multi-instrumentalist (and Oingo Boingo co-founder) Steve Bartek, plus guitarist Howie Anderson who's been a full member for forty years. 

Even more amazingly and importantly, while they embody the spirit of their original era, they trade not on nostalgia but on pursuing the musical ambition, experimentalism and unbridled creativity that made them shine in those early years. It's on display whenever the band hits the live stage, clad in paisley and stretching out with musical chemistry incorporating not just the expected instruments but marimbas, electric sitars and wild percussion, and it's been the hallmark of the new singles that have heralded their return: the eerie, unsettling “Monsters” which debuted last Halloween and the more recent hook-heavy rocker “Blow Your Mind,” as well as the attendant B-sides “White Light and “Live Water.”

============================================================================

Young Martyrs - Sugar On My Tongue.

Hot on the heels of April's 'Is There Anybody Out There?, Young Martyrs return today May 8th with their new single 'Sugar On My Tongue' and accompanying music video, the second single to be taken from their upcoming third studio album 'Might Just Be Enough', arriving this Summer. 

'Sugar On My Tongue' was recorded and produced at both Real World Studios in Bath and Indefra Studios in Frome by the band themselves, with co-production from Sebastian Brice and engineering from Ben Koch. The track was mastered by Christian Wright (Ed Sheeran, Franz Ferdinand, Blur, Laura Marling) at London's renowned Abbey Road Studios.

The song is one of three on the album written by lead guitarist Rich Beeby. It sees the band explore the desperately vulnerable yet universally relatable feelings surrounding undeclared feelings and physical longing.

Discussing the lyrical themes explored in the single, Beeby says, "The band rocks and rolls in this song so it needed a lyric that's raw and does most of its thinking from the neck down. It's about the visceral feelings of unspoken attraction and physical longing, and how those feelings might be suppressed, but can eventually develop into fantasy or obsession. It's really down to the listener to decide if surrendering to that intoxicating lustfulness should be avoided or celebrated."

============================================================================

Rusty Shackle - Your Arrows.

'Rusty Shackle' are back with an explosive statement of intent. Their new single 'Your Arrows' is released today May 8th and is our first taste from the brand new album 'Mayfield' that the band will release and showcase at Caldicot Castle on Saturday 29th August with special guests Taff Rapids, Tom Jenkins and Ernie Emmanuel.

A defiant, cinematic anthem about choosing your own path, the track channels American Western imagery into a modern inner battle between self-doubt and belief. With a vivid, time-bending narrative and a rallying battlecry chorus, it captures the clarity that comes when true intentions are revealed, and the strength it takes to stand up for what you believe in. 

Musically, the track is driven by a bluesy stomp that channels the swagger of Led Zeppelin, opening with a punchy, recognisable drum intro that propels it forward. Dynamic guitar and fiddle interplay add texture and lift, while the soaring lead vocal melodies give it a wide, defiant sense of scale, and gang vocals from all six members of Rusty Shackle bring a raw, anthemic edge.

Rusty Shackle are a hard-gigging folk-rock band from South Wales, known for their infectious energy, anthemic songs, and genre-blurring sound drawn from folk, rock, and indie roots. Since forming in 2010, they’ve built a loyal following through relentless touring and a reputation for exhilarating live shows that get crowds on their feet.

============================================================================