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| Photo - Layde Jane Vickers |
Inspired by modern classics "Faraway Skies" by Dean Johnson and "Cowpoke" by Colter Wall, this song began as an attempted Twilark-style cowboy song, ultimately crashing out over inauthenticity. Rising from the ashes, No Cowboy Song uses wry humor to reflect on the life of a cowboy, and whether you can still enjoy some of it from the comforts of home. Graceful, evocative, and approachable, Never Learned The Tide is the second full-length from Raleigh, North Carolina’s Twilark, the fledgling project of songwriter Canon Pence, whose articulate and wry but tender approach to Americana-inflected indie folk places him securely in a long list of similar artists. But this music is too personal, too full of Pence’s personality, to be anything but his own work, totally unique in its vivid character. Past work has been called “enchanting” by The Big Takeover and “an absolute delight” by Tonic Grain. And Never Learned The Tide is another, even more surefooted step forward.
The light touch of Pence’s voice establishes the spirit of this music, his meticulous storytelling and fine-tuned sense of the melancholic and ruminative. And it’s all shot through with a sense of gallows humor and a commitment to spontaneity and authenticity rather than perfection or self-seriousness. These values are even reflected in the album art which was created using a printing press and real book cloth; tactile and playful, touched by human hands.
While the song arrangements were largely formed intuitively in the studio, Never Learned The Tide doesn’t feel rough around the edges. The album’s ease may have as much to do with Pence’s collaborators as his own thoughtful composition. Gorgeous pedal steel guitar glides across the length of the record thanks to the incomparable Spencer Cullum, while Maya De Vitry’s banjo and fiddle pulls songs together with poignant grace. And Erin Rae’s generous vocal harmonies provide swells of color to Pence’s melodies. With production helmed by Dominic Billett (Andrew Combs) these twelve songs were recorded over the course of just six days, live-in-the-studio, the band all within arms reach.
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Sometimes we just need a cheerful "pick me up" and this song does all of that as it spreads good vibes! Tubby Love’s new single, "Life's A Beach (Soak It Up) a sunny, high-energy pop anthem built for summer radio.
Tubby wrote the song while living in Atlanta, GA, paying too much for a studio apartment, and dreaming daily about escaping to the beaches of Hawaii. The result is a playful reminder to take a vacation from the matrix, laugh a little more, and not take life so seriously.
With catchy pop melodies, uplifting vocals, and a feel-good energy reminiscent of Pharrell’s “Happy,” “Life's A Beach (Soak It Up)” is made for long drives, beach days, and those moments when you finally exhale.
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Just when we thought we could not feature this band again unless it's something very special, Moving Into Tucson makes an unmistakable return to their roots with the release of their vibrant, hyper-infectious new indie pop-rock anthem: "Again And Again."
The track is a brilliant sonic time-capsule, seamlessly blending the melodic, sunny pop sensibilities of the 1960s with the driving, high-energy indie energy of the early 2000s. Characterized by the evocative, atmospheric unison vocals that have already garnered praise from indie radio tastemakers, "Again And Again" immediately gets under your skin. Yet, beneath its instantly catchy surface lies a sophisticated, deeper layer of contemporary songwriting that elevates the track beyond a simple feel-good tune.
This perfect crossroads of eras is also visually captured in the single’s striking artwork, a fiercely contemporary portrayal of the band wrapped in a bold, retro 1960s graphic aesthetic.
As the latest high-octane taste of their highly anticipated 2026 album All Dressed Up, "Again And Again" delivers punchy production, soaring arrangements, and an undeniable groove. It’s a powerful reminder of why indie pop-rock will never die, proving that some tracks are simply destined to be played on repeat.
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| Photo - Lennard Fopma |
Emerging electronic rock duo Velocity Made Good return with "Coming Up Threes," over the weekend. Built around a punishing four-on-the-floor pulse and synths pushed into the red, the track channels the quiet resentment of being an afterthought, framed by a sailor's myth of men disappearing beneath the waves. It's claustrophobic, sweaty, and mean, and it sounds like it.
Produced by Josh Baxter of PVA inside a derelict school, the track is the second single from their forthcoming EP Big Breakers, due October 16th - a record that proves VMG are no longer an electronic live act with rock influences. They're a rock band. Already picking up early support from Radio X, these are ones to watch.
Velocity Made Good cranks synthesizers to earthquake inducing levels. Raised on the rumble of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, shaped by the electronic precision of LCD Soundsystem and Chemical Brothers. The duo delivers a sound that is raw yet refined, intimate yet overwhelming, with the no-nonsense efficiency of Northern pragmatism. Live, the distance between stage and floor disappears. VMG and audience dissolve into one heaving mass. Every show is an inevitable escalation that leaves no one standing still.
Since their debut EP in 2023, VMG have built a reputation as one of the more intense live acts to emerge from the Netherlands. They've opened for the likes of Deki Alem and Mandy Indiana, clocked over 100 shows and toured Germany, Portugal, Scandinavia and the Balkans. Now VMG are ready for the next step. Their forthcoming EP, produced by Josh Baxter of PVA, was forged in an abandoned school in their hometown of Groningen and features loud amps and intimate vocals which hit harder, rawer, and are more personal than anything before.
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Sean Morrell is an emerging 25-year-old indie-rock singer-songwriter based in Manchester, UK. Born in Hull, he spent six years DJing at Spiders Nightclub before moving to Manchester in late 2024. Known for his "indie hippie music", he blends noughties post-punk with synth-pop, and performs regularly at local grassroots venues.
Morrell’s sound acts as a nostalgic nod to UK indie bands like the Arctic Monkeys and The Wombats. He characterizes his sound as "indie hippie music," drawing heavily from his northern roots. His dynamic tracks combine danceable synths with reflective, straightforward lyricism.
In 2025 he released his debut EP, Intoxicated. The release was celebrated in and around the Northern Quarter. Going on into 2026 he kicked off the year with the single My Dealer (Loves Me) and has just released his second EP, Tinted Eyes (July 2026). Sean Morrell performs his material live with a five-piece backing band. He has become a familiar face in the Manchester live scene, regularly performing at iconic venues such as: Aatma (where he played his debut headline show), Gullivers and The Peer Ha.
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