The second single from Vera Ellen's upcoming album Heaven Knows What Time is out! When It's Over features a brooding vocal performance from fellow Wellington musician Hemi Hemingway. The two had previously torn through a karaoke classic by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, and the chemistry was undeniable.
Mixed and produced by Vera's long-time collaborator Ben Lemi, Heaven Knows What Time is both a question and an answer — an expression of frustration and a surrender to what was never within her control. The new music video was directed by Daniel Fletcher, shot by Nick White, and made with the support of NZ on Air Music.
Named ‘Best Alternative Artist’ at the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards, Wellington-based Vera Ellen is a rising star in Aotearoa's indie-rockscape. Vera is an expert when it comes to concise songwriting; every note and beat is exactly the required dose. Her albums are full of hooked-to-the-brim melodies, and guided by Vera’s clear, confident, and relaxed vocal presence.
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| Artwork - Andrew McGranahan |
Victoria, BC-based artist Jesse Roper returns with “Sweet Little Caroline,” an upbeat, infectious new single that blends blues swagger with a head-bobbing groove. Driven by feel-good energy and Roper’s signature guitar flair, the track transforms youthful memories and teenage romance into a catchy, knee-bouncing Americana anthem.
“I heard ‘Sweet Little Caroline’ as a stomp-clap blues boogie,” Roper explains. “While my producer Gus (van Go) heard it as a Beastie Boys inspired head-bob slowed down for the jeep people. We went all the way in that direction and I’m glad we did. Instead of just dancing to it with my arms, it gets to my knees and hips too.”
The story behind the song reaches back to Roper’s adolescence. Inspired by a relationship from that time, “Sweet little Caroline” captures the thrill of young love mixed with the awkward tension of parental disapproval. “I used to date this girl way back when I was a teenager,” he recalls. “Her dad thought I was no good whatsoever and he really went lengths to let me know. I’d get all excited to go pick her up for a night out and he’d put a damper on the excitement.”
While the relationship didn’t last, the memory stuck around long enough to spark the playful spirit of “Sweet Little Caroline.” The result is a song that pairs Roper’s blues-inflected Americana sound with a groove designed to get listeners moving. With its catchy rhythm, upbeat mood, and undeniable charm, the track captures the kind of feel-good momentum that defines Roper’s approach to songwriting.
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Helmed by bassist/lead vocalist Kelly Ogden, guitarist/vocalist Luis Cabezas, and touring drummer Simon Hancock, The Dollyrots are charging into spring with the release of their new single, “Attention Span,” via Wicked Cool Records. The track lands alongside the band’s Spring Break From Reality Tour, which launched March 12 in Minneapolis with Keep Flying supporting.
“Attention Span” continues The Dollyrots’ legacy of punchy, hook-driven pop-punk, pairing razor-sharp riffs with Ogden’s magnetic vocal delivery. The track balances grit and gloss with distorted guitars fueling the engine while melodies hit with sugar-rush velocity.
"It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the intensity and rate of information thrown our way every day in this modern life. Important connections with each other and the earth seem to get lost in the shuffle. ‘Attention Span’ is a happy-sounding song about the confusion we feel right now," shares Ogden.
Over the years, The Dollyrots have carved out a distinctive space in modern pop-punk with irresistible hooks, high-octane live shows, and a fiercely independent ethos. Their sound fuses classic punk attitude with choruses engineered for maximum crowd participation.
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North Riding's new single “Mustang” has just been released (13th March on Kycker). International award winning singer-songwriter Hayley Mckay and multi instrumentalist/producer and singer songwriter David Neil Crabtree combine as ‘North Riding'.
Following on from their 3 month USA tour - North Riding have played some of the biggest festivals in the North East of England, including main stage appearances at Hardwick Festival alongside the Pet Shop Boys and Olly Murs & Mouth of The Tyne Festival. They also performed two headline shows at Durham Fringe Festival and are performing at Lindisfarne festival this summer along with a UK tour later on in the year.
Legendary BBC presenter Bob Harris made North Riding his ‘New Horizon’ country artist of the week in October & played Frio River on BBC radio 2. A week earlier he had seen the band perform live at Rock N Raise in Newcastle alongside Kezia Gill & The Often Herd.
North Riding’s debut single taken from their recent EP was inspired by the Frio River in Texas! So much so that they actually wrote the song in the Frio river itself. They found time for this between shows at Poodies Roadhouse (Owned by Willie Nelson’s manager) & a huge total eclipse party near Luckenbach Texas, held on a 3000 acre ranch which North Riding called home for several weeks.
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Sofia Memphis are a rhythm-driven rock band from Helsinki, Finland, built on tight interplay, the warmth of soul, and a strong sense of movement. Their songs carry the grit of garage rock and the touch of roots music. The heart is always in rhythm. Sofia Memphis draw influences freely from all directions and make them their own.
The debut single Goddess introduces the core of Sofia Memphis right away. It doesn’t stay in the background, it gets under your skin. There’s a kind of intensity and motion in the track that can raise goosebumps and pull you in before you even have time to think. The lyrics play with car imagery, while at the centre is a woman, a magnetic figure and a kind of motion that turns heads.
“Goddess is that day when you wake up feeling so incredible that buildings catch fire and people just collapse in front of you as you walk by. It’s a power song for those days when everything is right from the morning onwards, when the goddess is free, wild, irresistible and unbeatable,” says vocalist Foxy Trickster.
Behind the members’ stage names are familiar figures from Finland’s underground rock scene, the same people who have moved through clubs, bands and projects for well over twenty years, now finally in the same lane.
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The five members of The Dibs have climbed many musical mountains and swam through numerous melodic waters, but they are young at heart. Although the band has been around since 2019, the current lineup is undoubtedly the definitive one, ready for musical happiness, success, fame, and a luxurious retirement!
With their years of expertise and knowledge, they are the much-needed lifeblood and the heartwarming and hopeful seniors of the rhythm & blues, soul, and roots scene. With a drummer who has only just turned thirty, they can pack a punch like young lions!
No musical related style is foreign to them. Blues, soul, funky or jazzy grooves, gospel, a touch of country and a hint of blues rock. The album "Just For You" is full of it. Fifty minutes of pure organic music, made without electronics or artificial intelligence. Rhythm and Blues drenched in a hot soul sauce!
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