Canadian singer-songwriter Shiloh Lindsey makes a deeply personal statement with new album The Western Veil, a raw and moving exploration of life after everything familiar has been turned upside down. Moving through mortality, heartbreak, resilience, anger and the challenge of starting again, the record finds Shiloh embracing alt-country, Americana and folk-rock while learning to accept change rather than trying to return to the past.
The album emerged from an extraordinarily difficult period in Shiloh’s life. A motorcycle accident in October 2024 nearly cost her a leg, leading to seven surgeries, a serious infection and extensive bone reconstruction. Alongside this physical ordeal, the end of a six-year relationship brought further upheaval, forcing her to confront grief, uncertainty and questions of identity. Songwriting became a way of documenting the experience as it unfolded, rather than searching for easy answers.
As Shiloh puts it, The Western Veil isn't about offering a guide to surviving hardship, but rather a record of someone moving through it in real time. The title itself represents what she describes as a wiser, more intuitive part of herself, sometimes finding its way into songs before she fully understands their meaning. It is a fascinating idea that gives the album an added sense of discovery and emotional honesty.
That spirit comes through particularly strongly on ‘Said & Done’, the record’s defiant yet bittersweet focus track. Written in the raw aftermath of her accident and relationship breakdown, the song began almost by chance after an evening spent sharing beers with a longtime friend and neighbour. Once alone with her guitar, Shiloh found the first verse and chorus arriving almost immediately. It sounds like a powerful example of music emerging when it is needed most, and promises a compelling centrepiece to an album shaped by extraordinary personal change.
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Cardiff-based artist Sad Cypress recently returned with ‘Three Wishes’, a dramatic and atmospheric new single that draws listeners into a wonderfully dark musical world. Opening with a plucked acoustic motif that seems to swirl through shadowy waters, the track gradually reveals its mysterious character through dark folk textures, almost classical arpeggios and a haunting vocal performance. With echoes of later-period Kate Bush and the theatrical melodrama of Shakespears Sister, it makes for an intriguing and richly detailed listen.
There is a wonderfully unsettling quality to ‘Three Wishes’, with its evocative arrangement and shivering vocals creating an atmosphere that feels perfectly suited to the darker side of the season. Rather than offering easy answers, the song leaves plenty of room for interpretation. As Sad Cypress explains, “Three Wishes is a hall of mirrors – what do we want and why do we want it? I can see lots of different interpretations and I'm sure I'll discover more.”
The single will be accompanied by a fan-funded music video, with imagery drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It follows ‘The Other Side’, which earned praise from BBC Radio Wales presenter Adam Walton, who described it as “mysterious and beautiful”. Her previous double A-side ‘Sirens/It Means Alot to Me’ also attracted positive attention, with Real Gone Rocks highlighting its impressive sonic journey and comparisons to PJ Harvey, Father John Misty and Nick Drake.
Based in Cardiff, Sad Cypress has steadily built an audience through performances across South Wales and South West England, including a headline appearance at Folk At The Moon, Devauden Festival and an Oxfam fundraiser at Bristol's The Mount Without. She recently presented a one-woman show at Cardiff's Porters, introducing a new creative alter ego. Building on her debut album Magic Mountain, Sad Cypress continues to develop a distinctive artistic identity, and ‘Three Wishes’ offers another fascinating invitation into her world.
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Palm Beach, Florida-based singer-songwriter Brit Drozda shares a deeply moving new single, ‘Go as a River’, a cinematic love song inspired by Shelley Read’s acclaimed novel of the same name. Exploring loss, resilience and the power of love to carry us through difficult times, the track reflects on accepting life’s changes and finding the strength to keep moving forward.
Drozda was profoundly affected by Read’s story of a young woman navigating heartbreak, tragedy and the challenges of perseverance. Its exploration of love, loss and the impermanence of relationships struck a personal chord, inspiring her to consider how the people who touch our lives continue to shape us, even when circumstances change.
The title gradually became more than a literary reference, turning into a personal mantra for Drozda during some difficult periods of her own life. As she explains, it represents perseverance, resilience and hope: just as a river alternates between still pools and rushing currents, life continues to move forward. It is a beautiful sentiment that gives the song its emotional heart.
Remarkably, ‘Go as a River’ almost remained unheard, with the song initially living only in Drozda’s voice memos. As she began developing it, however, the lyrics and melody helped her recognise the love in her life that had carried her through challenging moments. That realisation became the track’s central message: even when people or circumstances change, the love we experience can remain with us, offering strength and hope for whatever lies ahead. It’s a heartfelt and uplifting release from an artist with a genuine story to tell.
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Progressive bluegrass outfit Shadowgrass have signed to New West Records, with their highly anticipated label debut album scheduled for release in 2027. The announcement arrives alongside a new single, ‘When You’re Coming Home’, featuring the wonderful Lindsay Lou. The band explain that the song began with a hummed riff, with the lyrics developing later. It truly came alive in the studio when Lou added her vocals, bringing an entirely new dimension to the track.
Shadowgrass have a remarkable story, having first come together during a casual jam session at the Grayson County Fiddlers Convention in Elk Creek, Virginia, back in 2014. Mandolinist Luke Morris, banjoist Clay Russell and guitarist Kyser George were still in elementary and middle school, aged 14, 13 and just nine respectively, when the foundations of the band were laid. Fiddle player Madison Morris and stand-up bassist Evan Campbell subsequently joined, completing the current line-up.
Now in their early twenties, and with two acclaimed recordings behind them, Shadowgrass have grown from youthful ambition into an increasingly exciting presence on the national stage. Their sold-out shows and explosive festival performances reflect a band whose musical connection has been forged over more than a decade together. As they put it, having grown up alongside one another, they are more like siblings than bandmates.
Drawing inspiration from everyone from Dr. Ralph Stanley and Flatt & Scruggs to Watchhouse, Joni Mitchell, the Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic, Shadowgrass bring a wonderfully broad musical imagination to progressive bluegrass. Their combination of breathtaking instrumental skill, adventurous songwriting and infectious energy is helping redefine what a modern string band can achieve. With New West Records behind them and ‘When You’re Coming Home’ offering a tantalising taste of what lies ahead, 2027 promises to be an exciting year for Shadowgrass.
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Kramies returns with ‘We’re All Dead’, a captivating new single that signals an exciting creative shift for the acclaimed singer-songwriter. Arriving four years after his critically praised self-titled LP, which earned multiple Album of the Year accolades and prompted Billboard to dub him “The Dreampop Troubadour”, the track also marks a year since the release of its follow-up, Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour. This time, Kramies steps beyond familiar labels to explore fresh musical territory.
Previous releases have featured an impressive cast of collaborators, including Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Jerry Becker (Train), Tyler Ramsey (Band of Horses) and Todd Tobias (Guided By Voices). For ‘We’re All Dead’ and his forthcoming EP, Kramies has joined forces with longtime friend and producer Derek Lee LaJoie. Playing and singing almost everything himself, alongside drums from regular collaborator John Panza, Kramies spent two days working with LaJoie to capture the track's distinctive atmosphere and emotional depth.
The result is an ethereal, richly textured piece that feels both ambitious and wonderfully intimate. Kramies admits that the song's meaning only became clear after its creation, eventually revealing a powerful message about the importance of kindness. As he explains: “The only thing that matters and that people remember is the kindness you gave and the kindness you received. Other than that, we’re all dead.”
Across a career spanning almost fifteen years, Kramies has developed a distinctive gift for eerie, otherworldly songwriting. His 2022 self-titled album immersed listeners in a dreamlike landscape, while 2025’s Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour, made with Grammy-winning producer Mario J. McNulty (David Bowie, Prince), explored dusky soundscapes and nostalgic melancholy. ‘We’re All Dead’ finds him moving forward once again, retaining his unmistakable atmospheric touch while opening the door to something new. It's a compelling return from an artist who continues to evolve.
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