Abby Posner - HMS Morris - Bitw - Big Little Lions - Oscar LaDell - Sheva Elliot - Sandhouse

Abby Posner - Rest and Rise (Album).

Los Angeles singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner makes a truly impressive return with Rest and Rise, a beautiful, deeply personal and wonderfully crafted album that showcases her exceptional songwriting, musical versatility and artistic vision. Arranged in two parts, Side A, “Rest”, and Side B, “Rise”, the 12-track collection takes the listener on an emotional journey through heartbreak, grief, self-discovery and, ultimately, renewal. Inspired by personal experiences and a period of significant change, Posner explores themes of love, loss, queer identity, ageing and the sometimes complicated process of finding yourself again.

What makes this album so special is Posner's ability to turn deeply personal experiences into songs that feel both intimate and universally relatable. There is an honesty and vulnerability running throughout, balanced beautifully by a sense of hope and optimism. Rather than offering easy answers, she embraces life's contradictions and reminds us that something wonderful can emerge from even the most difficult chapters.

Musically, Rest and Rise is equally rewarding. While retaining elements of Americana and folk, Posner confidently explores indie-rock influences, inventive arrangements and adventurous production. Her musicianship is exceptional, having produced, engineered, mixed and performed almost every instrument herself, including the distinctive cello banjo, which adds another fascinating dimension to the album's sound.

Abby Posner has created something genuinely special here. Rest and Rise is an album full of heart, character and musical imagination, demonstrating an artist who continues to evolve while remaining completely true to herself. Beehive Candy really love this album! It's an absorbing, uplifting and beautifully realised collection of songs that deserves to be heard. A wonderful release from an immensely talented artist, and one we will certainly be returning to again and again.

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HMS Morris – SACI HACS (Album).

Almost three years after Dollar Lizard Money Zombie, Cardiff's wonderfully inventive HMS Morris return with their fourth studio album, SACI HACS, released yesterday 30th October 2026 via Bubblewrap Collective.

Described as an “enigmatic sack of peculiar hacks”, the album explores the little tricks, personal rituals and everyday survival techniques we all develop to navigate modern life. There's plenty of wit, wisdom and playful absurdity along the way, but above all, it's about finding joy in life's unpredictability.

Musically, HMS Morris are on gloriously adventurous form, blending art-rock, electro-rock and dramatic pop with warped electronics, playful instrumentation and infectious melodies. It's chaotic, colourful, wonderfully eccentric and packed with surprises, yet there's a warmth and emotional heart running throughout.

SACI HACS is another fantastic example of a band refusing to stand still or follow the rules. Full of imagination, personality and unexpected delights, Beehive Candy absolutely love this album!

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Bitw – Gaddo Glaw (Album).

Welsh musician Gruff ab Arwel returns with his solo project Bitw and a wonderfully unconventional new album, Gaddo Glaw, released on 30th October 2026 via Klep Dim Trep. A true DIY artist, Gruff has always done things his own way, combining lo-fi pop, quirky creativity and a healthy sense of humour.

Made almost entirely alone using a borrowed Portastudio, Gaddo Glaw is his most homemade and personal release to date, and his first entirely in the Welsh language. Beneath its deceptively accessible pop melodies lie reflections on climate change, global conflict and an increasingly uncertain world. There's plenty of darkness in the subject matter, but also warmth, honesty and a wonderfully understated charm.

What makes this album so appealing is the contrast between its bleak outlook and its infectious musical spirit. Gruff may have given up on hope, but he's certainly not given up on making great music, finding comfort in the simple things, particularly love.

Gaddo Glaw is an intriguing, heartfelt and refreshingly original record from an artist who continues to follow his own path. Beehive Candy really appreciate the individuality, honesty and DIY spirit of this album.

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Big Little Lions – World Goes By.

Multi-award-winning duo Big Little Lions continue their run of monthly releases with World Goes By, released on Thursday 29th October.

Written for anyone who has ever felt they don't quite fit in, the song explores the loneliness, heartache and emotional struggles that can come with feeling different or out of place. It's a relatable subject, delivered with the warmth, sensitivity and heartfelt songwriting that makes Big Little Lions such an appealing musical partnership.

World Goes By is a thoughtful and beautifully engaging release, offering a gentle reminder that we're not alone in feeling a little out of step with the world around us. Another lovely addition to their growing collection of monthly singles, and one that deserves a listen.

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Oscar LaDell – Tell Me True.

US-born, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Oscar LaDell delivers a beautifully soulful and heartfelt new single with Tell Me True, released on 30th October ahead of his forthcoming album Untouchable.

Exploring the heartache, unanswered questions and lingering memories that follow a relationship breakdown, LaDell combines velvety yet gritty vocals with melancholic piano and vintage acoustic guitar to create a wonderfully atmospheric blend of blues and soul. His smoky, expressive voice carries real emotional weight, bringing a genuine sense of vulnerability and passion to every note.

There's a lovely warmth to Tell Me True, despite its bittersweet subject matter, and its stripped-back arrangement allows the songwriting and vocals to shine. It's a moving reflection on love and loss that feels both intimate and instantly relatable.

Oscar LaDell is clearly an artist with plenty to offer, and this latest release has certainly whetted our appetite for the forthcoming album. Beehive Candy love the soulful delivery, beautiful musicianship and heartfelt emotion of this one.

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Sheva Elliot – River Run Dry.

Los Angeles-born Americana singer-songwriter Sheva Elliot makes a powerful impression with her new single and accompanying video, River Run Dry. An upbeat, infectious Americana rock anthem, the track is all about letting go, embracing change and discovering the freedom and strength that can come from surrender.

Blending roots-rock, Americana twang, gospel and good old-fashioned rock and roll, Elliot delivers a fantastic combination of gritty instrumentation, soulful melodies and powerhouse vocals. There's a wonderful mix of attitude, passion and emotional depth here, with her rich musical influences shining through while maintaining a distinctive sound of her own.

Elliot has a real gift for combining heartfelt storytelling with music that makes you want to turn up the volume. River Run Dry is uplifting, full of energy and packed with soul, showcasing an artist who clearly knows how to deliver a memorable song.

A brilliant release and an exciting taste of what's to come from her forthcoming album. Beehive Candy absolutely love the energy, vocals and infectious spirit of this one.

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Photo - Hannah Jane Murrell

Sandhouse – Pollyanna (EP). 

South London duo Sandhouse return with their second EP, Pollyanna, released on 30th October via Broke Records. Featuring four tracks, including the previously unheard focus single Into Nothing, this is a darkly captivating release that showcases the duo's adventurous approach to alternative music.

Blending warped indie rock, grunge guitars, hazy trip-hop beats, psychedelia and nocturnal alt-pop, Sandhouse create a wonderfully atmospheric and distinctive sound. The EP explores complicated emotions, healing and the pressures of modern beauty, with vocalist Anna Sutherland's seductive, darkly playful lyrics adding plenty of character and intrigue.

Focus track Into Nothing is a particularly fascinating highlight, exploring the loss of individuality in the pursuit of an idealised version of ourselves. Its flickering electronics, inventive guitar effects and distorted basslines create an absorbing musical backdrop for its thought-provoking subject matter.

Pollyanna is an intriguing, beautifully unconventional EP that shows Sandhouse aren't afraid to push boundaries or explore the darker corners of human experience. Beehive Candy love the creativity, atmosphere and wonderfully twisted musical imagination on display here.


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Aderyn - Sirintip - Addi John - Steve & Ginie Jackson - Sandhouse - Nouvelle Vague Feat. Beth Hirsch

Aderyn - Hot Pink! (EP).

Welsh alternative pop artist 'Aderyn' today (September 30) releases her much anticipated and gorgeous 'Hot Pink!' EP and also shares the new 'Victorians' single & video. Beehive Candy have pretty much loved every song Aderyn has released, the new EP really is a breath of fresh air.

Aderyn tells us: Hot Pink! is my colourful, chaotic confessional diary of a life-altering breakup, told through four indie pop songs. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, with each song exploring a different stage of post-relationship grief - from wanting reassurance, to bitterness, anger, rumination and, eventually, acceptance. I wanted to make a record that a girl going through a breakup could put on and feel all the feelings along with me. Following my EP 'Foreverever', it pushes my diaristic songwriting into new and more experimental territory, with swagger, anger, humour and plenty of glitter along the way.

I recorded the EP in West Wales with Gethin Pearson, and we really let the songs dictate where we went sonically. The first thing we did in the studio was create a lo-fi electronic drum beat and Casio synth for Victorians, which completely took us by surprise because my music has always been so rooted in a live-band sound. I loved having the opportunity to push myself into new territory and explore different genres without losing the personality of the songs.


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Photo - Apiwich

Sirintip - Lotus.

Swedish-Thai artist and composer Sirintip releases "Lotus" ahead of  the new album "White Lilies" (due out October 30). Built around a recording Sirintip made of a Mor Lam ensemble in northeastern Thailand in 2015 for her debut EP, “Lotus” reaches into memory, ancestry, and the spiritual world she grew up with. 

For the accompanying music video, she returned to her father’s childhood neighborhood in old Bangkok, along the Chao Phraya River—a place deeply connected to her family for generations. As she puts it, “It felt like the right place to tell a story about where we come from and what we choose to grow into.”

You may recognize Sirintip from her 2018 GroundUP debut, Tribus, produced by Michael League (Snarky Puppy) and featuring Mark Guiliana, or her self-produced Carbon (2022, Ropeadope), which transformed climate data and environmental research into music. That outward curiosity continued into multidisciplinary work exploring the natural world, including Mycelium, her ongoing interdisciplinary project developed through firsthand research alongside plankton and fungi scientists, exploring the connections between microorganisms, ecosystems, and our own lives.

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Addi John - Love & Misfortunes (EP).

Canadian artist Addi John unveils his new EP, Love & Misfortunes, a deeply personal collection about loss, family, change, and learning to move forward. Entirely produced, performed, and mixed by Addi himself, the seven-track project emerged from a period of upheaval and ultimately centres around a simple but hard-earned realization: everything changes, and that’s okay.

The larger record began taking shape after Addi lost his father three years ago. Within six months, his mother and brother had moved out of the country and his former band, Lost in Japan, had broken up. Faced with several major changes at once, he turned to music as a way of processing them, writing songs that explore where different members of his family found themselves following his father’s passing.

“I want people to feel as if they’re not alone and to have a sense of hope for the future,” Addi shares. “The hope I want them to see is that change can be scary but, in order for us to grow, we need to accept that everything changes.”

That sense of hope takes a more energetic form on the title track, “Love & Misfortunes,” an indie-pop outlier inspired by an unlikely combination of a wedding and Two Door Cinema Club’s “What You Know.” After hearing the song at the wedding of two close friends, Addi was reminded how much he loved its energy and challenged himself to capture a similar feeling. The resulting song, somewhat ironically, follows a couple in the aftermath of a fight, uncertain whether their relationship will survive. 

Addi John · Love & Misfortunes

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Steve & Ginie Jackson - Make You Sing.

Montreal folk trio Steve & Ginie Jackson have released their new single, “Make You Sing,” an uplifting folk anthem inspired by the true story of how Steve Viau and Virginie St-Louis Grégoire met, fell in love, started a band and built a life together on the road.

Driven by warm vocal harmonies, spirited acoustic instrumentation and an irresistible sing-along chorus, “Make You Sing” traces the pair’s journey from meeting at a show and sharing their first drink to forming a band, climbing into a van and traveling mile after mile to bring their songs to audiences around the world.

The song’s affectionate refrain—“I want the whole world to hear your voice / I’d do anything just to make you sing”—captures the encouragement and shared sense of purpose at the heart of both the band and the couple’s relationship.

“Make You Sing” offers another glimpse into Steve & Ginie Jackson’s upcoming album, Nothing Is Real, arriving in January 2027. Produced in collaboration with Pete Bernhard of The Devil Makes Three, the album follows the recently released single “Bloodshot Eyes,” which transformed the humor and regret of an unforgettable drunken walk home into a lively folk sing-along.

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Photo - Hannah Jane Murrell

Sandhouse - Gasoline.

South London duo Sandhouse today announce their second EP Pollyanna, out 30th October via Broke Records, and share new single 'Gasoline' ahead of tour dates with MOULD next month. Fresh from touring with US indie-rockers she's green, Sandhouse’s Anna Sutherland and Caspar Holloway make the familiar feel sinister on 'Gasoline', pairing warped indie rock with strange, visceral imagery to evoke a relationship where affection and cruelty have become difficult to untangle.

The music follows an equally uneasy logic, its opening warmth unsettled by eerie textures and unexpected production flourishes. "I need to fight / but you look so good," Sutherland sings as the track spirals into a prolonged, claustrophobic outro. Produced by Sandhouse's Caspar Holloway and mixed by Nathan Boddy (Nilüfer Yanya, James Blake, PinkPantheress), 'Gasoline' features bass and drums recorded by Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode, Nadine Shah).

Of the new single, the band said: "Gasoline is about being trapped in a relationship that feeds on the softest, most fragile parts of yourself, and how realising this after leaving tarnishes memories you once treasured.

"Whilst writing this song we spoke a lot about this image of people having a fantastic day at the beach, looking closer and realising that all their food is mouldy, the ice cream is covered in ants, and the seagulls all have the plague. We wanted the start of the song to reflect the feeling of a perfect day underlined with the ominous feeling that something is not quite right. The chorus is meant to be a moment of clarity before the long outro which musically is representing this idea that you’re trapped. Something about it feels good but you also want it to end."

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Photo - Linda Bujoli

Nouvelle Vague Feat. Beth Hirsch - A Question of Lust.

"A Question of Lust" is perhaps the most fragile and intimate song in Depeche Mode’s catalogue — a 1986 track that balances entirely on the edge between desire and vulnerability. 

To interpret it, one choice felt inevitable: Beth Hirsch, whose voice had illuminated Air’s Moon Safari and etched itself into the memory of an entire generation. 

In a stripped-back bossa nova arrangement, free of artifice, her voice magnifies the song to its purest core. One of the most beautiful moments on Nouvelle Vague's forthcoming record A Date with Depeche Mode (out October 30 on Kwaidan Records / [PIAS] Recordings). 

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MUKI - Sad Daddy - YYY - Samuel S.C. - Eliza Hull - Sandhouse - This Is The Deep

MUKI - Trampoline (EP).

Melbourne/Naarm artist MUKI unveils his debut EP, 'Trampoline', out today Wednesday, June 3, a deeply personal collection exploring the emotional highs, lows and in-between moments of identity, anxiety, heartbreak and growth. Building on his introspective blend of indie acoustic pop-rock, the EP is honest and vulnerable, showcasing MUKI's thoughtful songwriting and understated arrangements.  

Since debuting earlier this year with singles 'Gasoline', 'Reflections' and 'Morning Music', MUKI has steadily shaped a sound defined by soft guitars, thoughtful lyricism and a powerful and passionate vocal delivery. 

Produced alongside Josh Barber, 'Trampoline' brings together the themes introduced across MUKI’s debut singles, reflecting on the ups and downs of life. Now joined by new track 'My Sweet Anxiety', a deeply personal reflection on the messiness and confusion that often comes with anxiety, the EP’s emotional themes are brought into fuller focus. Speaking on the EP, MUKI shares: “It’s about the strange joy tied to childhood, and the way a memory can hold both innocence and pain. The title came from a notion I couldn’t shake: ‘have you ever seen anyone sad on a trampoline?” 

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Photo - Perri Alexis Keyes

Sad Daddy - Bootlegger.

Arkansas roots outfit Sad Daddy has released “Bootlegger,” the latest from their forthcoming fourth studio album, Ozark Shine, due June 26, distributed by Free Dirt Records. The band will also embark on a regional tour to celebrate the album’s release, with stops planned in Little Rock, Nashville, and more. 
 
Recorded at Nashville’s Bomb Shelter studio, Ozark Shine captures Sad Daddy at full stride. The band, consisting of Joe Sundell (banjo, harmonica), Melissa Carper (upright bass), Rebecca Patek (fiddle), and Brian Martin (guitar, kazoo), each contributed vocals and their songwriting prowess to the album. The songs come from all corners of the band’s multiverse - some were born from writing sessions in Little Rock leading up to recording, some were longtime favorites finally making their way onto an album, and others were deeply personal solo compositions pulled from lives lived just a little outside the mainstream. The result is a collection that blends early blues, jazz, jug band, country, old-time, and bluegrass into something unmistakably Sad Daddy.

“I had a melody and a couple of verses for this song collecting dust in the archives of ideas for over a decade,” Martin, who wrote “Bootlegger,” shares. “After running it with the band, the direction the song needed to go sorta revealed itself and came together pretty quickly from that point.”

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YYY - Miserable.

“Miserable” marks the beginning of a new chapter for YYY, whose upcoming album draws on a distinctive constellation of influences — MGMT, Animal Collective, Tame Impala’s Lonerism, and the Mamas and the Papas — each refracted through his characteristically restless creative vision. True to the YYY sound, the single builds melodic hooks around droll lyrics, and an evolving, genre-fluid sonic identity that rewards close listening.

YYY is Austin Carson, a versatile and prolific Minneapolis/St. Paul-based songwriter and composer. He has spent years genre-hopping in the best possible way, scoring and contributing songs to numerous projects across a wide range of genres, work that has earned him three regional Emmy nominations for his contributions to PBS documentaries. Austin channels that creative energy into YYY, his experimental pop outlet defined by a commitment to sounds that haven’t quite been heard before. 

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Samuel S.C. - Mind Flies.

Samuel S.C. continues their monthly single rollout with "Mind Flies," marking the fifth release of the year and paving the way to a full-length release arriving late 2026. A breezy detour after the trio of fast paced bangers "Celestial," "Get Red," and "Push the Needle," "Mind Flies" traverses fuzzy hooks, sun-drenched harmonies and lyrical musings on memory and detachment. 

Samuel S.C. (FKA Samuel) continues to bridge the gap between ’90s indie-rock grit and timeless punk. Originally a cornerstone of drummer Eric Astor’s legendary Art Monk Construction label, the band reformed in 2021 with their DIY spirit firmly intact. Five years later, S.C. isn’t just maintaining momentum—They’re accelerating.

The group’s 2026 trajectory is defined by a prolific streak that finds the band continuing to evolve and hone its sound, one that refuses to fall neatly into any punk sub-genre. Their new single “Get Red,” is a shadowy ripper, on the heels of the propulsive “Push the Needle,” and the wistful “Another Good Lie,” all recorded and mixed in 2025 by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines) at his Baltimore studio, Magpie Cage. This follows a landmark year featuring a 10″ split release with Florida’s Pohgoh and standout performances at Fest (Gainesville) and the inaugural Several States Festival in Chicago.

The current lineup features original members Vanessa Downing (vocals), Eric Astor (drums), James Marinelli (guitar/vocals), and Dean Taormina (guitar), with Michael Honch (bass) rounding out the mix. With a new full-length album expected in late 2026 via Expert Work Records and Sweet Cheetah Records, the mission remains clear: Ain't no slowing down.

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Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder

Eliza Hull - Hotel Room.

Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Castlemaine based multi-award-winning songwriter, musician, advocate and writer Eliza Hull who received an O.A.M. last month for her contribution to music and disability advocacy, further cementing her reputation as one of so-called Australia's most important voices across both culture and accessibility, shares her first official new music in 3 years: 'Hotel Room', her "most unguarded" single yet, an utterly vulnerable and unapologetic-ally sensuous alt-pop self-excavation tracing Hull's emotional journey through womanhood while "feeling completely lost... moving toward midlife [and] becoming undone - questioning everything, wanting more, wanting less, changing shape in real time". 

Written during a personal breakdown while Hull was alone in a London hotel room, the song explores womanhood, identity, intimacy and emotional unravelling, landing alongside an equally intimate video directed by Keiran Watson-Bonnice (You Am I, ABC's And Then Something Changed) exploring sensual expression, her most liberating visual work yet. 'Hotel Room' marks a bold and emotionally expansive new era from one of the continent's most compelling artists.

Eliza Hull peels everything back on 'Hotel Room' to capture a private moment of complete unravelling with rawness and sensuality, exploring the "messy in-between place" she - like many women - feels moving toward midlife. Recorded at London's Knight Time Studios with producer James Knight (The Kooks, Feist, Ainslie Wills) and mixed by trusted collaborator ARIA Award-winning Pip Norman (Missy Higgins, Baker Boy), written during "a breakdown" in a London hotel room reflecting that quiet, tense space where there's nowhere left to hide from your thoughts and it all cracks open, the track spirals through self-reckoning through brutally honest lyrics that see Hull searching passionately for connection with a grounded version of herself after "feeling completely lost". 

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Photo - Hannah Murrell

Sandhouse - Pollyanna.

London duo Sandhouse today share new single 'Pollyanna', a glimpse into a forthcoming project due to be revealed over the coming months. Opening with glassy electronics before rupturing into distorted guitars and blown-out alt-rock catharsis, 'Pollyanna' pairs Anna Sutherland’s feather light vocals with lyrics that feel seductive and darkly playful - romantic fantasy gradually curdling into something more obsessive and difficult to control.

Speaking about the track, the band say: "'Pollyanna is about becoming numbed by the cinema of infatuation, and using the fairytale of romance to blindly ignore any signs of reality." Consisting of Anna Sutherland and Caspar Holloway, Sandhouse carve out a sound that folds together grunge guitars, bleary trip-hop production, warped psychedelia and nocturnal alt-pop.

Their 2025 debut EP 'Circus' - along with the two standalone singles that have followed - have been tipped by key press taste makers including The Line Of Best Fit, DIY Magazine, Dork Magazine, Under The Radar, Rolling Stone UK, The New Cue, and more. Radio support to date includes regular spins across BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and BBC Introducing (where the band were named Track of the Week). Debut EP 'Circus' is fast approaching 4 million streams on Spotify alone.

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This Is The Deep - Darkness and the Dawn.

As their name suggests, This Is the Deep is a multi-faceted project in the pursuit of something subterranean, which they achieve by expanding their music into painted sets, animation, and theatrical storytelling to form a cohesive visual and sonic world. Now signing with 5dB (Mould, Martial Arts), the collective announce their forthcoming sophomore album Everything (September 9th). 

Led by the vibrant new single ‘Darkness and the Dawn’ (June 3rd), the band give a first taste of the upcoming full project, showcasing elegant avant-pop songcraft. Combining elements of alt-rock, orchestral-folk, chamber-pop, and psychedelic garage-rock, This Is The Deep traverses sprawling and colourful soundscapes, moving from moments of intimate reflection to joyous explosions of colour.

Formed by visual artist and musician Ranny (Ranald) Macdonald as a way to explore the space between music and art, the band’s members hail from across the UK, Brazil, and Japan. Their singular avant-pop sound bucks traditional genres and twins traditional songcraft in the vein of Burt Bacharach and Carole King with the experimental approach of artists like David Lynch and Aldous Harding. Through Phil Spector-like arrangements which blend: guitars, bass and drums with a cascading ensemble of horns, strings, percussion and synth, the 10-piece band create a singular and immersive world of sound and imagery.

The new single ‘Darkness and the Dawn’ offers a first taste of the full upcoming project Everything - a concept album which follows the subconscious journey of Richard (Dick) Herman, who, after dozing off at his desk one morning, is plunged into a series of dreams. 

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Office Dog - A Place To Bury Strangers - Sandhouse - Danny George Wilson - Dirk Powell

Photo - Hamish Morgan

Office Dog - Front Row Seat.

Office Dog and Flying Nun Records are pleased to share the indie rock band’s brand new single ‘Front Row Seat’. ‘Front Row Seat’ finds Office Dog confronting the numbing weight of the 24-hour news cycle, a state of quiet paralysis where the sheer volume of bad news makes even the smallest decisions feel impossible. 

The song explores the feeling of being stuck “in the front row” as the world unravels — absorbing everything while feeling increasingly powerless to act. ‘Front Row Seat’ finds the band leaning into that uneasy tension, turning overwhelm and uncertainty into something quietly cathartic.

The music video, directed by Sophie Black and made with the support of NZ on Air Music, applies these feelings of someone's world boiling over to corporate team bonding activities. About the video concept, Office Dog’s front-person Kane Strang says “I could instantly picture it in my head, which is always a good sign.”

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Photo - Holger Nitschke

A Place To Bury Strangers - Where Are We Now.

New-York based band A Place To Bury Strangers release “Where Are We Now,” the third single/video from their new rarities album, Rare And Deadly, out April 3rd via Dedstrange. Following the “full-on sonic attack” (Consequence) of “Acid Rain,” on which “frontman Oliver Ackermann delivers deadpan, near-chanted lyrics about systemic cruelty,” (Consequence)  “Where Are We Now” finds A Place To Bury Strangers reflecting on the past: “Where are we now // Is it too late // Should I reach out // Where we are now // caught in our lives //did our dreams fade.” Ackermann says the song is about “looking back at friends you lost touch with. Wondering where they ended up. Remembering when everything felt possible.” The accompanying video was put together by Ackermann with footage from the Library of Congress National Archives. Ackermann says he made the video because “I think we need to look at people more and see the value and wonder of life so we can be compassionate towards others."

Rare and Deadly cracks open a decade-long vault of raw nerve and sonic chaos from A Place To Bury Strangers. Spanning 2015–2025, this collection of demos, B-sides, abandoned experiments, and forgotten fragments reveals the band at their most unfiltered—caught between breakthrough ideas and beautiful mistakes. Pulled from Ackermann’s personal archive of late-night recordings, blown-out tapes, and half-finished sessions, here the interference is closer, the electricity more dangerous, the edges left jagged on purpose.

What makes Rare and Deadly truly unprecedented is that every format tells a different story. The CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital editions each feature their own unique tracklisting, a fractured release strategy that is almost unheard of. No single version contains the “complete” album. Instead, each format becomes its own window into the archive, revealing alternate paths, missing links, and parallel versions of the band’s inner life. It’s a deliberately unstable document: the album shifts depending on how you choose to hear it, mirroring the chaos of its creation.

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Photo - Hannah Murrell

Sandhouse - Snapdragon.

South London duo Sandhouse just shared the new single 'Snapdragon' and become the first UK act to sign to US label Broke Records. 'Snapdragon' follows the release of their debut EP 'Circus' last year. Consisting of Anna Sutherland and Caspar Holloway, Sandhouse have spent the past year refining a sound that threads together alt-rock bite, 60s psychedelia, trip-hop atmosphere and electronic textures.

Working with renowned producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode), Sandhouse lean into a more direct, guitar-driven sound on new single 'Snapdragon', its lyrics exploring the idea of wilful self-deception: "shark eyes glistened in our bed / licked your lips and kissed me good / you smelt blood and I wanted you." Built around gently chugging guitars and a steady rhythmic drive, the track is anchored by Anna’s distinctive vocal delivery and cool-headed melodic hooks, balancing sweetness with a subtle sense of unease.

Speaking about the track, the band say: "'Snapdragon' flowers symbolise deception, due to the skull-like shape that appears when their petals fall away. This is a song about the excitement of recognising a lie and choosing to believe it, rather than turn away."

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Danny George Wilson - Arcade (Album).

Danny George Wilson has just released his new album 'Arcade' via Loose Music. Wilson, who has been confirmed as special guest on The Handsome Family's forthcoming UK tour, has unveiled his latest single 'Before September'. 

"‘Before September’ is a song about some of the fleeting random moments of pure joy that have stayed with me my whole life," explains Wilson. "Smoking a fag out of my teenage bedroom window at my mum and dad’s house in the summer holidays whilst listening to ‘Astral Weeks’ and watching the sun catch the smoke hanging in the air, free wheeling down a hill on a beautiful spring morning on my red Royal Mail bike when I was a Postman whilst Nick Drake played on the headphones, finally catching a wave body surfing with my dad and brothers, a first feeling of real love on the long walk home from a teenage party. Musically it’s inspired by the wonderful Tony Bennett & Bill Evans album and Sinatra’s genius ‘Watertown’. The stunning string arrangement by Hamish Benjamin and incredible piano by Henry Garratt perfectly capture these feelings. One of the songs and recordings I’m most proud of in all my years of making music."
 
'Arcade' finds Danny George Wilson returning to Hamish Benjamin’s studio in East Sussex - five years on from his startling, post-lockdown solo album Another Place – to construct its sequel. With Lewes-based Benjamin and right-hand man Henry Garratt, again given free rein, 'Arcade' presents a fresh collection of sonically inventive, deeply romantic songs, with atmosphere taking primacy over meaning, and narrative dissolving. As Wilson tells it: 

“The songs are about the ways we deal with losing people, time, place, or don’t deal with it… Looking back, we discover what was always there, or things that are just easier to ignore - different and contradictory perspectives. And I wanted a chance to work with Hamish and Henry again, and this seemed like their thing, and it was”.

Traditional instrumentation meets technology; the majority of tracks feature a string quartet, while Benjamin and Garratt employ synthesiser and mellotron along with a plethora of guitars. Gerry Love again provides backing vocals with cameos from Emma Tricca and Annie Dressner. Fragile, tender, full of uncertainty, ultimately 'Arcade' is a song-cycle in which the premise of each track subverts the previous, and demonstrates most assuredly, we still move in doubt.


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Photo - Karen Cox

Dirk Powell - Down The Line.

Internationally acclaimed fiddler, banjoist, and singer Dirk Powell will release Wake, his first solo album since 2020, on April 17, 2026 via The Last Music Company. A singular presence in American roots music, Powell is widely regarded as a “musician’s musician.” His artistry is grounded in the hills of Appalachia and the bayous of Louisiana, where he learned banjo, fiddle, and accordion from his grandfather and community elders.  Guest appearances include Amelia Powell, Sophie Powell, Rhiannon Giddens, Darrell Scott, Kai Welch, and others. 

The first single, "Down the Line" was shared this weekend. Powell says, “…Softly rolling banjos, stark guitars, and distant fiddles paint pictures of journeys from my home in Louisiana through places that have inspired me to lay everything on the line — and given me settings in which to do so. West. South. I’ll take either one, but both at once makes the blood rise in my chest. To feel the moisture of the Gulf give way to chaparral, then to scrubby plains, and finally to the bright desert. Danger and its opposite.”

Over the course of his career, Powell has toured extensively with artists such as Joan Baez, Eric Clapton, Rhiannon Giddens, Loretta Lynn, Irma Thomas, Jack White, Buddy Miller, and Steve Earle. In film, he has collaborated with directors Anthony Minghella, Ang Lee, and Spike Lee. He has contributed to many Grammy-winning projects across Folk, Country, Blues, and Rock. Since the 1990s, his own recordings have continued to shape a new generation of traditional musicians and songwriters. He remains a sought-after producer and composer. His best-known composition, “Waterbound,” has been recorded over 100 times. 

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