North Mississippi Allstars - St. Catherine's Child - Fast Followers - Alexandra Alden

Photograph by Michael Emanuele

North Mississippi Allstars - Stay All Night.

North Mississippi Allstars return with Still Shakin’ on June 6, 2025 via New West Records. The 11-track album was produced by Luther & Cody Dickinson. Still Shakin’ follows their acclaimed 2022 album Set Sail, which No Depression said was “their most soulful, funky creation to date.”

To make their twelfth album, the North Mississippi Allstars went back to the beginning—namely, their 2000 debut, Shake Hands with Shorty. Luther Dickinson says, “Still Shakin’ is a celebration of our life-changing first album, which we released 25 years ago, and a love letter of appreciation to everyone who supported us and kept us in the game all these years. In the spirit of our debut, we recorded Mississippi classics that despite inspiring us to start the band in 1996, we have yet to record.  We also wanted to feature our fantastic band mates Joey Williams and Rayfield “Ray Ray” Hollman who inspire us to no end.

Their contributions elevate NMA to new heights.” Still Shakin’ is a daringly inventive expansion of that album, showing how much the Dickinson Brothers have grown in the last 25 years. The point wasn’t to re-create the sound of Shake Hands with Shorty, but to recapture that spirit of invention and excitement. Back in the day, the Allstars came up with the phrase "Modern Mississippi Music" to describe their collision of styles and attitudes: an obsession with Mississippi Hill Country and Sacred Steel cross-bred with their punk/psychedelic jams. Still Shakin’ embodies that idea with every note and incorporates wild explorations, weird experiments, and unexpected influences into their sound.

“Though always a Junior Kimbrough favorite, NMA has never recorded 'Stay All Night' until now, featuring Junior’s son Robert Kimbrough on vocals and guitar (recorded at Duwayne Burnside’s Juke Joint, just down the road from Junior’s old spot) and NMA bandmate Joey Williams (Blind Boys of Alabama) as well Jojo Hermann (Widespread Panic).”

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St. Catherine's Child - New Eden.

Transatlantic indie folk/Americana artist St. Catherine's Child (Ilana Zsigmond) released her touching new single ‘New Eden’ on April 25th, the second single off her highly anticipated debut album This Might Affect You, (out June 15th) following the release of ‘Negative Space’ last month.

Approaching the difficult perspective of romantic love in the face of grief, St. Catherine’s Child’s latest offering is a heartfelt piece which explores the chasm between crushing sorrow and joy from one’s partner. The suddenness of her father’s passing was the creative motivation for the single, stemming from the realisation that in spite of the anguish and pain, life has to move on no matter how dark. In a touching reflection, her signature wistful voice floats above tender indie-folk instrumentation as she navigates the importance of the people who helped her hope and dream while still grieving.

“New Eden is about meeting my partner mere months before I lost my father, about the uncomfortable dissonance that formed between such incredible happiness and utter sadness,” Zsigmond explains. “Life doesn’t ask you if you’re ready before it moves on, but that does mean hope and love spring absolutely eternal, no matter how dark it gets on the journey.”

‘New Eden’ will be the second offering from St. Catherine’s Child’s debut album This Might Affect You, set for release June 2025. A chronological journey through her experience with her father's illness and subsequent passing, the album's A-side documents the period leading to his death, while the B-side explores the aftermath and her healing process. In a departure from her previous solo writing approach, St. Catherine's Child orchestrated a collective catharsis, collaborating with ten different songwriters who had also experienced recent loss. "I just didn't think I could manage it by myself," she reflects. "It was just too heavy. I feel so much deeper in my community now because we've all made this thing together."

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Fast Followers - Figure It Out.

This really is a fine song, where creativity and natural talent combine. The lyrics engage, the band have the hallmark of session musicians making it all seem easy, the final result however is as mentioned a fine, no make that delicious and captivating song.

Emerging from the sonic chambers of DC's vibrant music scene, Fast Followers materialized in 2024 when a group of session players gathered in the studio during what witnesses describe as "the most fortuitous power outage in District history." This shape-shifting collective blends keyboard-driven melodies with an alchemical fusion of alt, prog and classic rock DNA, somehow managing to sound like the love child of a 70s radio station and a time-traveling indie band from tomorrow.

Their debut EP—birthed during a feverish weekend of instrument-swapping and triangle solos that the recording engineer claimed "didn't just fill the room, it transformed it." —captures the raw electricity that happens when classically-trained fingers meet garage band hearts. Fast Followers doesn't just cross decades; they fold the musical timeline into an origami crane and then teach it to play synthesizer. This is their invitation: tune in, turn up, and follow them down the rabbit hole.

"Figure It Out" by Fast Followers We've figured it all out: Chemistry, Telecommunications, Biology... Nothing's impossible anymore. Or is it? Will we ever reach our limit? This keyboard-driven track on the debut EP from Fast Followers has a bouncy vibe that hints at the fusion of musical influences that come together when this band powers up.

Fast Followers · Figure It Out

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Alexandra Alden - magnolia.

Malta-born indie artist Alexandra Alden returns with her evocative new single, ‘magnolia,’ a song that delicately explores themes of vulnerability, resilience, and cultural identity. The single is the first glimpse into her upcoming album When is it too late?, set for release this autumn.

The song’s genesis can be traced back to a romantic dawn encounter with magnolia blossoms in a small Welsh town, followed by a spontaneous night on Brighton beach during The Great Escape Festival. Just as the magnolia flower blooms before its protective leaves appear, ‘magnolia’ captures the fragile yet unwavering strength of stepping into the unknown. ‘magnolia’ celebrates beauty breaking through the cracks.

The accompanying music video is a collaboration with animator and director Gideon van der Stelt, the ŻfinMalta National Dance Company, and Malta’s Museum of Archaeology. Van der Stelt, whose work explores liminal spaces and isolation, developed a visual narrative that blends historic frescoes with contemporary movement, creating a dreamlike meditation on the anticipation before a performance. Shot during the 2024 edition of Intimate Żfin - coinciding with the inaugural Malta Biennale - the video showcases choreography by ŻfinMalta’s Artistic Director, Paolo Mangiola, illustrating the tension between stillness and transformation.

Alden’s upcoming album, When is it too late?, takes inspiration from Sylvia Plath’s fig tree metaphor, exploring the weight of choices and the paths left untaken. This deeply introspective collection follows her previous albums, Wild Honey (2018) and Leads to Love (2021), and represents her most fully realised work to date. Drawing on her multicultural upbringing and nomadic experiences, the album’s sonic landscape is a fusion of indie and ambient influences where British and American new-wave folk meets Mediterranean warmth, appealing to fans of artists like Laura Marling, Billie Marten, Adrianne Lenker, and Weyes Blood.

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The Yesters - Steph Cameron - St. Catherine's Child - The Yagas

The Yesters - Billy Blue.

Dynamic classic rock duo, The Yesters, has released their latest song and music video titled Billy Blue. This evocative project takes viewers on a journey through history, weaving together impactful vignettes that explore how past events continue to shape our present and future. “Billy Blue” tells the story of a forgotten veteran spanning the 1960s to the present and dropped yesterday Friday, March 28th.

While the team behind The Yesters has long been recognized for their work as a film making duo, Billy Blue marks an exciting new direction for them, blending their visual expertise with their musical craft in a powerful new way. The track itself is a classic rock anthem, rich with raw emotion and thoughtful lyricism that speaks to inter generational reflection and resilience.

The music video for Billy Blue combines archival footage from pivotal moments in history, including JFK's funeral, decades of protests, and striking news clips. By grounding the video in these powerful visuals, The Yesters underscore the lasting influence of historical events on society today. Reflecting on figures like Billy Blue, our shared history, and current circumstances, the music video gave us an opportunity to voice and underscore how our past influences the present, affecting not only our children—the Billys of today—but all of us, says Alyssa Rallo Bennett, one half of the duo.

“Billy Blue” was written by Gary O. Bennett and Alyssa Rallo Bennett, composed by Ed Kuri, recorded and mixed by Mariano Flores, and mastered by Stephen Kellner at The Burn Room. The song features vocals by Alyssa Rallo Bennett, guitar by Ed Kuri, bass by Graham Orbe, drums by Liam Kerekes, and flute by Gary O. Bennett.

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Steph Cameron - Whatever Questions You’re Asking / Summer Song.

Keeping up with the momentum garnered by the release of her latest single "Rain," which received press accolades from platforms like Great Dark Wonder and songlode, Polaris Music Prize nominee Steph Cameron doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. She now unveils her new double singles, "Whatever Questions You’re Asking" and "Summer Song," bringing her third studio album BLOOD MOON even closer.

One thing central to Steph Cameron’s music is her ability to bare her emotions, crafting songs that resonate with raw honesty and vulnerability. She doesn't shy away from this on "Whatever Questions You’re Asking," a contemplative piece that weaves together vivid natural imagery and introspective lyricism. With lines like "There’s something dark in you that I cannot explain," Cameron invites listeners into an intimate dialogue about trust, understanding, and the mysteries that linger between people.  On the flip side, "Summer Song" embraces the cyclical beauty of nature, calling on the imagery of cedar-scented air, rising suns, and the quiet magic of seasonal change. The chorus, with its repeated invocation to "Shine, Rising Sun," feels both like a celebration of renewal and a deeper spiritual awakening.

“‘Whatever Questions You’re Asking’ was made to capture the magic of being on the land with someone you love,” says Cameron. “I wanted to share the sense that love is looking to find you. Love sits with you at the fire and dances with shadows along the tree line behind you. Love is alive in the night and on the wind. And for 'Summer Song,' it’s about losing yourself on the land and letting your spirit go free. It is about the magic hiding in the forest and creek, the bird’s song and the moon’s light—the mossy stone, the arching branch. There is a sense of a spell in every word.”

Steph Cameron · Whatever Questions You're Asking

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St. Catherine's Child - Negative Space.

Transatlantic indie folk/Americana artist St. Catherine's Child (Ilana Zsigmond) is set to release her powerful new single ‘Negative Space’ on March 28th, the first taste of her highly anticipated debut album This Might Affect You.

Co-written with acclaimed singer-songwriter Toria Wooff, 'Negative Space' was born from a place of shared grief, as both songwriters had recently experienced devastating personal loss. Layered with lush indie folk textures and carried by her distinctive and wistful voice, St. Catherine’s Child plunges into the abyss of human emotion, exploring how grief can transform a person into something unrecognisable, even to herself.

"Negative Space was written about the funny place in the grieving process where you can't stand to be alone, the kind of manic edge that utter despair can take on when you're doing everything in your power not to think about it," St. Catherine's Child explains. "In the end, it came down to this idea that you're there, but you're the impression of yourself. I was the negative space where a woman would be. I wanted to write this song about this depression that felt as manic as I did."

The single will be accompanied by a heartfelt music video that captures the isolating paradox of being surrounded by loved ones while still feeling alone. "I wanted the video to feel the way every party and get-together felt in that time — I was in my own bubble, ruminating alone, while the beautiful friends and family around me did whatever they could to make it easier," she adds. "The people in this music video are some of the friends who got me through that time, patiently bringing me drinks and giving me hugs. And just like at the end of the video, in a dogpile on the couch, I am grateful for them and their love every single day."

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Photo - Franco Vogt

The Yagas - Life of a Widow.

Alt rock band The Yagas, fronted by Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Vera Farmiga, has officially announced the details for their debut full-length album, Midnight Minuet, out independently Friday, April 25th. Alongside the album news, The Yagas – also featuring Renn Hawkey of Deadsy (keys), Jason Bowman (drums), Mark Visconti (guitar) and Mike Davis (bass) – have released their new single “Life Of A Widow,” an explosive yet luminous portrait of anticipatory grief, sparked from an oddly hypnotic beat constructed by Hawkey after awaking from spinal surgery. Midnight Minuet, produced by Hawkey, includes the previously released singles “The Crying Room” and “She’s Walking Down.”

“‘Life Of A Widow’ is a song of searing lament. It’s a song of embodying that ol’ prodigious saying, ‘Why has thou forsaken me?’,” shares Farmiga. “The song is aching to feel the presence of a deceased loved one. It’s a soul’s journey of yearning, pleading to crack the unbearable silence of solitude, that Vantablack void, just to hear your love’s voice once again, to feel your love’s touch again. The protagonist in our song wanders through her misery, she navigates through mad midnight moments of throbbing despair. She begs to feel less alone. She demands to feel the presence of her lost love. And she won’t stop wailing until he’s there. It’s about taking those sudden, violent jabs of red-hot grief, feeling pummeled and clobbered by desperation and crying out to the dearly departed for help and reconnection.”

“Producing Midnight Minuet was very cathartic for me,” adds Hawkey. “I felt the need to prove to myself that I could make great music outside of Deadsy, which, for the past 25 years, had been my only writing/recording partnership. This was a very different creative experience for me. I often felt in Deadsy like I was playing in someone else’s playground – I knew the rules, I mastered the slide and the monkey bars, but I felt like a visitor. Midnight Minuet just felt different. The Yagas built a new playground together, made up of our respective life experiences with equal ownership. We are the sum of our parts. When this kind of synergy exists, you grab it, nurture it, and give it a life.”

The Yagas · Life of a Widow

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