Sad Cypress released her new single ‘The Other Side’ last Friday 8th of May, ahead of Princess of Cups EP on the 3rd of June. Sad Cypress is the alter ego of songwriter and writer Sophie Cartmell, based in Cardiff and with the influence of the mystical and literature. On the 8th of May, she releases ‘The Other Side’ , written when she was 18 on 8-track and the first complete song she ever finished, it has re-recorded for her new EP. A very personal song that reflects her introverted young self, and her plaintive and unsteady growth into her full artist form.
“Its about being stuck inside myself, sensing that the way out was inward but being too afraid to.” Cartmell explains “I didn't even really understand what I was singing about until a long time later. I had a difficult time expressing myself, with music as my only outlet, something I'm sure many musicians have experienced.”
Haunting and moving it’s backed by a singular guitar motif, her voice rippling with a wistful sense of longing and artistic layers to unpeel. It’s the first taste of her new EP Princess of Cups and introduces a narrative written by Cartmell set in Cardiff’s stunning Waterloo gardens that is revealed in a full story she has written to accompany the Princess of Cups EP. “It’s a collaboration across time.” She explains "It's built around a song I wrote at eighteen and a story I wrote decades later using parts work methods. The teenage song named the problem. The magical realism story is about the transition. The remaining songs gathered around that arc on their own.”
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| Photo - Sophie Vino |
Bilingual indie-pop duo Beau Nectar (singer-songwriters Marie-Clo and éemi) share with their first full-length English album Dandy, released alongside lead single “Artichoke,” a project that turns ecological collapse, emotional fatigue, and modern disconnection into something strangely hopeful, playful, and alive. Framed through the lens of personified nature, Dandy imagines a world where flora and fauna speak back; not as symbols, but as characters with agency, humour, and resilience.
At its core, Dandy explores a world “at war with itself,” where attention is fractured, trust is eroding, and creativity is constantly under pressure. Yet instead of leaning into despair, Beau Nectar reframes the chaos with irony and softness. “It’s all fine and ‘Dandy’,” the duo suggest, holding space for contradiction while inviting listeners to reconnect with the natural world as something alive, aware, and emotionally present.
Speaking on “Artichoke,” Beau Nectar channels nature’s perspective through a flash of humour and rage, capturing a moment where Mother Nature pushes back against rising heat, both literal and emotional. “In ‘Artichoke’, Mother Nature is mad that things have gotten so heated; literally and figuratively,” the duo explain. “It’s female rage at its finest. Don’t mess with her, don’t mess with women, because we can take the heat.” The track leans into this energy with a breezy, groovy edge, balancing attitude with playful restraint.
Across Dandy, nature becomes both metaphor and companion. Listeners are invited to meet characters like the Apple, Tulip, Loggerhead Shrike, Lion’s Mane, Dandelion, and Artichoke; each representing a different emotional frequency within the modern world. Rather than distant symbolism, these figures are rendered as relatable beings, encouraging empathy for a natural world often taken for granted.
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| Photo - Milo Costelloe |
Brighton’s C86-inspired, retro sunshine pop quartet The Stanford Family Band return in radiant form, announcing their sophomore EP Go Again (out July 17th) alongside the shimmering new single ‘When Lonesome’. The Stanford Family Band extends the musical lineage of lost pop music, threading together the bittersweet glow of 60s airwaves and open-field festivals, with the glammed up intimacy of 70s singer-songwriters. Music that aches and shimmers in equal measure, carrying a sense of longing that feels both timeless and vividly alive.
The new single ‘When Lonesome’ captures this approach perfectly, referencing Queen and Todd Rungran through the band’s unique lens - displaying their part in the new wave of pastiche and retromaniacal old-school devotees such as The Lemon Twigs, Sharp Pins or Drugdealer. The track weaves together clean guitar tones, 70s-inspired keys, and beautifully placed vocal harmonies, all delivered through warm, boxy, tape-style production.
Emerging from the lingering instrumental intro, it gradually builds in layers, with Beach Boys-esque harmonies creating a sound that balances melancholy with a breezy, summery feel - packing lyrical finesse and sincerity whilst showcasing subtle yet complex musicality.
Speaking about the track, Laurence from the band explains: “I think at the time I was listening to a lot of Tommy James and the Shondells, also a lot of Carpenters, and I thought the piano break in the verses was a pretty Carpenters thing to do. I then realised that the start sounded like ‘You’re My Best Friend’ by Queen which made me laugh. A boy could only dream of those pipes.”
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Allison Russell has announced her third studio album, In The Hour of Chaos, produced by Russell and Dim Star and arriving on July 10th via Fantasy Records. To mark the occasion she has shared her single “Cold April” featuring her tour mate Kara Jackson, Denitia and the Explore! Pop Choir.
Allison Russell on “Cold April” Things are rough. Things have been rough before. "Cold April" is not laying out the grim facts of the moment. "Cold April" asks if we can let the music itself restore and recharge us. The act of singing with my sisters, Kara Jackson and Denitia, is a balm for my soul, and a wind at my back to keep on. And my daughter Ida's Explore! Pop Choir?! Let them tell it: “Calling all birds from across the nation - yeah we got a brand new murmuration - we don’t have to fly in that - old formation, no” - Youth - and Love - will be served!
Allison Russell’s In the Hour of Chaos is a fervent plea for connection in this time of alienation, isolation and dread. These are songs meant to reverse the tides that pull us farther and farther apart, even from ones we love the most. This is a record meant to make you feel Good, and, in these times, feeling good is a radical act. It’s only fitting then, that Russell leaned into her vibrant and ever expanding community of artists and friends to create a collaborative song suite that goes far beyond a succession of features.
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| Photo - Sam Desantis |
Josiah and the Bonnevilles just released his new album As Is, his first for Rounder Records. The 10-song collection was co-produced by Josiah Leming and Konrad Snyder, and marks his first full length album release since his 2023 breakthrough Endurance. Also released this weekend is a live performance video of “Carolina Heart” (By The Tobacco Barn) that will begin the rollout of a series of live sessions he and his band recorded. On Saturday, May 16, Josiah and the Bonnevilles will kick off The Redline North American Tour in Austin, TX, followed by stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York and many more.
Over the last week, Josiah and the Bonnevilles has been featured in The Bluegrass Situation and The Tennessean who proclaimed, "[As Is] paints an impassioned portrait of the proletariat. It's sometimes haunting, sometimes nostalgic, but always tied together with melodic energy and empathy.” In their rave review, PopMatters declared, "Instrumentation is tasteful, complementary, and at times entrancing. The production approach, including notable mixes, panning, and effects, aptly spotlights Leming’s poetic raggedness on the one hand and his indomitable belief in rock glory on the other. It’s Leming’s songcraft, though, that carries the day: his seasoned use of imagery and metaphor, his honed ability to forge and deliver a hook."
The ten songs that comprise As Is were whittled down from nearly 100 songs written over the last year and includes co-writes with acclaimed songwriters Natalie Hemby, Joel Little, and Scott Harris. “The only goal for me is to make something real and honest that can get people through the day,” Leming explains. “I gave everything I have for this album. I laid it all on the table, which is what I always want to do.”
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Inspired by the rhythms and melodies of a traditional West African Yoruba chant. This song adapts the polyrhythms of a drum ensemble to Appalachian string band instruments. Hinkle and Lucey wrote words inspired by the irresistible beat, inviting everyone to get up and dance: “Get up, boy, get up, won’t you dance with me. Stay all night, stay and let your troubles free.”
Sonically: The song begins with a simple beat as instruments layer in with interlocking rhythms. Uplifting, carefree, and impossible to sit still to. Dobro, guitar, and bass, with harmony vocals throughout.
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