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.
============================================================================
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.”
============================================================================
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.”
============================================================================
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?"
============================================================================
