Moonriivr - Easy Honey - Drakulas - Floyd Nation - Vera Ellen - Ally Row - The October Effect

Moonriivr - Force of Habit,

Toronto-based duo Moonriivr return with “Force of Habit,” an upbeat yet emotionally charged indie rock single that blends 60s-inspired kraut rock textures with surf and indie sensibilities. Equal parts nostalgic and explosive, the track traces a path from loss and desperation toward release, building into a cathartic, noise-driven finale that refuses to look back. It’s the second single to be shared from their forthcoming album, Moonriivr Vol. 2, out later this year, and follows November 2025’s “You Get Me By.”

At its core, “Force of Habit” is “...about letting go of the past and searching for a new way forward,” the band explains. That emotional arc drives the song’s momentum. What begins as reflective and restrained gradually unravels into beautiful, noisy chaos.

What sets the track apart is its tension between mood and movement. While the instrumentation leans bright and energetic, drawing from vintage rock and surf influences, the emotional undercurrent remains heavy. That push-and-pull gives the song its distinct character, capturing the feeling of being caught between holding on and letting go.

As “Force of Habit” progresses, that tension reaches a breaking point. Layers begin to collapse into a flurry of distortion and movement, mirroring the internal chaos that comes with change. The result feels both controlled and unpredictable, rooted in classic songwriting but unafraid to unravel. 

MOONRIIVR · Force of Habit

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Photo - Edwin Keeble

Easy Honey - Plaid (EP).

Charleston, SC-based indie-rockers Easy Honey have released their rapid-fire five song EP Plaid on the newly-formed Third Brother Records (via Atlantic Records’ 10K Projects). Written and recorded over a three-day session at an isolated cabin in snowy Marble, Colorado and mixed by the legendary Tony Hoffer (Beck Phoenix, The Kooks, Air, M83), the tremendous creative power between Easy Honey’s members Selby Austin (vocals, guitar), Darby McGlone (vocals, guitar), Charlie Holt (drums, vocals) and Webster Austin (bass, vocals) is on full display on this EP. 

While the quartet is celebrated for their heartfelt, nostalgic sound, this versatile collection finds them deepening their musical exploration with a more refined and expansive approach; reflecting a creative concept they’ve dubbed “tilting the cone.” It’s a sampler platter of styles that leaves the listener wanting more, tethered together by their classic song structures, instantly memorable hooks and relatable, raucous yet sentimental lyrics about love, wistfulness and life’s big moments.

Easy Honey is a Charleston, SC based indie rock band that infuses its singer-songwriter folk roots with an original mix of nostalgic East Coast surf-rock. Originating at The University of The South: Sewanee over a cooler filled with freshman year college punch, the dynamic of this group is one of their strongest elements, existing with an electricity and a true sense of comradery both on and off stage. Easy Honey, like so many of their mutual rock heroes, cut their teeth on the road and have built a devoted following of daydreamers and night seekers through extensive touring and sold-out gigs.

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Drakulas - Midnight City (Album).

Austin, Texas synth-punk lifers Drakulas return with Midnight City, their third full-length, out today May 1 via Dirtnap Records (Wild Honey Records in Europe/UK). Built from proto-punk grit, garage rock urgency, and the synthetic pulse of early new wave, the record pulls from the worlds of Devo, Gary Numan, Grauzone, Kraftwerk, and the weirder edges of Neue Deutsche Welle, landing in a tight, off-kilter pocket where jagged guitars and cold synth lines push against each other without ever settling. It plays like a lost transmission from a strip mall arcade in 1982. Not nostalgia, not revival, more like something unearthed and reassembled, flickering but fully alive.

Formed by Savage Lord Mic, Sam Francisco, and Pink Rick, with members of Riverboat Gamblers and Rise Against, Drakulas began as a conceptual project but quickly took on a life of its own. The band operates inside a fictionalized late-70s metropolis, a stylized world built from analog textures, early video-era aesthetics, and a long-running interest in character-driven songwriting. Over time, that concept has sharpened into something more cohesive, less of a backdrop and more of a system the band fully inhabits.

After a few years away, Midnight City marks a clear step forward. The songs feel more connected, the pacing more deliberate, and the overall arc more immersive without losing immediacy. “Going Going Gone Gone” sets the tone early, balancing tension and release with a sense of height and risk, while “White Off Your Nose” leans into a darker, late-night pull. At the center, “Singin’ With My Tongue Cut Out” strips things down to something direct and performative, equal parts wired and unhinged. The band’s approach to sound remains rooted in imperfection as a choice, not a limitation. 

As they put it, “We Drakulas continue to evolve our sonic mastery of lo-fi instrumentation. Midnight City is the result of a dirty basement, menthol cigarettes and the warm glow of a cathode ray TV. We spilled kerosene on the keyboards to make them sound uglier. Not for squares.” That philosophy runs throughout the record, shaping a sound that feels tactile and immediate without losing focus.

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Photo - Jessica Brothers

Floyd Nation - Watching The Sunrise.

U.S.-based Pink Floyd tribute band Floyd Nation has released their new original single “Watching The Sunrise” alongside the announcement their debut album, Inner Light, will be released on Friday, May 29th. Pushing boundaries and viewpoints, Inner Light meticulously covers the entirety of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here before closing the album with a brand-new point of view, reimagining and furthering its narrative with carefully crafted original tracks while retaining a powerful reverence for the multi-million-selling masterwork. 

The new single “Watching The Sunrise,” the album’s final track, is an expression of hope for a better tomorrow that turns isolation into togetherness, sadness into wonder, mourning into the promise of future connections, and transitions from waving goodbye to the “Crazy Diamond” to gathering together to watch a new beginning. “‘Watching the Sunrise' is about what comes after the darkness,” shares Floyd Nation’s John Conrath. “When the world starts to glow again and you feel a little bit of healing return.”

“The album Wish You Were Here spoke of absence, loss, and longing,” adds guitarist and vocalist Brendon McDonnell. “We wanted to close the album with a new point of view. ‘Watching the Sunrise’ is about hope and that quiet moment when you realize the inner light was there all along. No matter how long the night feels, we can always find our way back to the light by opening our eyes and watching the sunrise.”

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Vera Ellen - Heaven Knows What Time (Album).

The day has finally come! Vera Ellen's latest album Heaven Knows What Time is out today and available digitally, on vinyl and CD. In addition to the album, Vera has dropped a new video for ‘Walking In Vegas’, which joins previously released album tracks: the lush alt-pop of ‘Thaw’, the joyous anthem ‘Gayfever’, and the sophisti-pop Hemi Hemingway duet ‘When It’s Over’.

Vera Ellen describes ‘Walking In Vegas’ as “An exploration of artifice in the entertainment industry. The many selves, the lack of self. Identity within identity without identity.” She uses Las Vegas as a symbol for blurred reality - especially in the age of AI - adding: “I visited there a few years ago and felt like I was in the belly of the beast. When you can't decipher what is real in the world or in yourself, there's a true tragedy in that.”

Alongside the album release, Vera Ellen (set to embark on a 27-date tour of the UK and Europe supporting Flying Nun label-mate Aldous Harding) returns to Aotearoa in July for a six-date national tour in celebration of Heaven Knows What Time.


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Ally Row - Tail Lights.

Off the back of what can only be described as a meteoric rise, Gippsland duo, Ally Row kick off an exciting new era with the stunning new single, “Tail Lights”. For many years, Alice and Rowan would drive to South Australia for weddings to witness their friends and family members begin the new chapter of their lives. It began to feel like some force was guiding them to the City of Churches and their future would only manifest itself once they got there.

“Tail Lights” was written on the long drive from Gippsland - past Adelaide - to Western Australia late last year. It was recorded, in all its rawness, over two days with award winning producer, Dylan Olliviere (Siobhan Cotchin/Harry Foxton/Joan and The Giants). “When life feels grey and stale and like the world has nothing left to give, often something new and exciting is just around the corner, if we stay open to these possibilities”, says Alice Fitzgerald.

“When you feel lost, the best thing to do is try and remember that losing your way is often part of the journey. You can’t find yourself driving down someone else’s road”, added Rowan Sizer. The bittersweet track takes a folky turn down the backstreets of Ally Row - featuring the duo’s signature heartwarming vocals, velvety banjo, melancholy harmonica and a sweet as sugar chorus.

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The October Effect - Self Portrait.

Self Portrait – Is a reflective song about identity and self perception, tracing doubt, acceptance and emotional honesty across a lifetime. Formed in 2023 in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, UK, The October Effect is the brainchild of songwriter and guitarist Laurence (aka Loz) Collins. Laurence's songs blend elements of jazz and pop with a reflective, atmospheric edge - a very real 'October effect'. 

With an award-winning background in musical theatre, vocalist Cath Back adds depth and nuance to the band’s understated, emotionally-driven sound. The band is completed by its latest member, Mike Gutsell (bass and backing vocals), who has been collaborating musically with Laurence since they were teenagers.

The band's debut EP, Paint Yourself a Picture, was recorded at 13 Sound Studios, Weston-super-Mare and released in January 2026. The EP introduces The October Effect’s distinctive approach, thoughtful songwriting, emotionally resonant lyrics and a quietly confident sound.​

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Glazyhaze - Dockstars feat. ΔNØVA - Larissa Grelli - Twayn - Fast Money Music feat. Oliver Marson - Vera Ellen

Photo - Abra Cautero

Glazyhaze - Do You?

Following last year's critically-acclaimed album Sonic, Venice-based band Glazyhaze returns with brand new single 'Do You?'. Building upon their ethereal mix of shoegaze, alternative rock, and dream pop, the track features sweet yet punchy vocals that float above layers of spaced-out guitars and driving bass lines. Distributed worldwide by Hoodooh and Believe Music, the single is now streaming on all platforms. 
 
With a sound that ranges from dark and atmospheric to soft and intimate, Glazyhaze have solidified themselves as a band to watch. Since the release of their debut LP in 2023, they've been named among Europe's Top 15 Emerging Artists in the Music Moves Europe Awards and have toured Europe and the UK extensively, sharing stages with acts like Trentemøller, The Raveonettes, Soft Cult, and Slow Crush. 2025's sophomore LP and follow-up single "Romeo" took the band to new heights, earning praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Clash, BBC, KEXP, and more.

Glazyhaze is a band from Venice, Italy, influenced by shoegaze, dream pop, and alternative sounds, ranging from dark atmospheres to dreamy and ethereal soundscapes. The band consists of Irene (vocals, guitars), Lorenzo (lead guitar), Francesco (drums, programming), and Vsevolod (bass, vocals). Since the release of their debut album Just Fade Away (2023), Glazyhaze have been active across Europe and the UK, performing in major cities and supporting artists such as Trentemøller, Hater, Film School, and many more.  

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Dockstars feat. ΔNØVA - High Coast High.

NORDIC DRIFT, Vol.1, (High Coast Frequencies) is a cinematic and ethereal interpretive tribute to Sweden’s High Coast in Ångermansland — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape site where the land still rises from the sea after 10,000 years beneath the ice.

A modern songwriting experiment was set aside, until a single question to a producer intern sparked a new production that breathed the very spirit of the Swedish High Coast. Then the remarkable ΔNØVA lent her voice, weaving in hints of alt-pop magic, and suddenly High Coast High held the Nordic genie in its bottle. Forget Rocky Mountain High, Now it is the High Coast High that truly soars.

The album captures the region’s raw beauty, misty fjords, ancient forests and the quiet pull of the Gulf of Bottnia northern sea, blending atmospheric electronica, ambient textures, alt-pop and indiefolk and minimalistic songwriting. Each artist offers a unique reflection of nature’s rhythm, from waves and wind to the stillness of stone. A musical journey and a cinematic postcard from the North.

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Larissa Grelli - Tomorrow.

Larissa Grelli welcomes spring with the soulful pop track “Tomorrow.” This is the young artist’s second single. Toward the end of last year, she tentatively released her first track worldwide and received a lot of positive feedback. A new voice from the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland Larissa Grelli is both a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

There's more to come! Not only because her latest follow-up, “Tomorrow,” features a melody that instantly sticks in your head, but also because the melancholic song conveys a message that will resonate deeply with many listeners.

Larissa Grelli explains: “Tomorrow is about perseverance in difficult times—and about realizing that you’re not alone with your feelings. The song is a reminder that every day can be a fresh start, and that hope is often closer than you think. A year ago, I didn’t really know where life would take me. After many reflective hours and with a good dose of hope, this song came into being.”

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Twayn - Wouldn't It Be Better?

Less than three years’ ago the twin sister duo kicked off their music careers, whilst still at school, when they came 2nd place out of over 22,000 entries in the Liverpool International Songwriting Competition (Road to Nashville – 2022) and played the iconic Exit/In, Nashville. The competition was judged by a distinguished judging panel of Nashville and international music industry veterans, including Head Judge Jeff Cohen (Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer), Pamela Lewis (PLA Media and formerly part of the original MTV team), Regie Hamm, Tim Wipperman, and Gary Morris (Broadway and Country music legend who sung ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’).

One week after leaving school, and still only 18 years-old, the girls had even persuaded Tors to let them support at their Newcastle gig! Fast forward to 2024, when they first caught the eye of the legendary Jools Holland and opened for him at The City Hall, Newcastle – their home town. In 2025 they were thrilled to be asked back to join his winter tour at four amazing venues: The Royal Albert Hall, O2 Apollo Manchester, Utilita Arena Cardiff and the Bristol Beacon playing in considerably larger capacity venues and a real vote of confidence that he asked them back.

It’s been a pretty impressive progression for the duo, as one of their latest singles, ‘Spine’, (from their third EP ‘Sadness Is My Sanctuary’ got BBC Introducing North East Track Of The Week, and tTwayn has already had three of their videos played on national TV (C4’s Sunday Brunch).

The siblings are regulars on the festival circuit and, amongst others, played Coast Fest and the Treehouse Stage at Hardwick Festival in 2025 and they have supported the likes of Casey McQuillen (American Idol S13/S14), Oliver Pinder and Tors). 2025 also saw them perform at the Mercury Prize Fringe when it came to Newcastle for the first time. There are lots of great things in store for Twayn in 2026 too!

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Fast Money Music feat. Oliver Marson - Nevermind.

“Nevermind" came together in just a few hours, springing from an improvised bassline, a PS-5 harmonizer pedal, and a playful back-and-forth between voices. Featuring Oliver Marson, the track twists rejection into something wry and immediate - a speak-sung mantra that flips between irony and sincerity. Beneath its wiry groove lies a theme of refusing to please everyone, finding humor in disappointment, and ultimately leaning toward self-acceptance. It's bona fide and tongue-in-cheek, and it’s one of the LP’s most instant songs. 

“Oliver came into my studio one day and the song pretty much wrote itself,” shares Nick Hinman, "Rejection is universal, but pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is unique. Anyone can wallow in the fear, but I admire the resilience of those who can take it with a grain of salt. As our boy Nietzche once said, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.’" 

‘Some of the best songs come together in just one day and that’s exactly how Nick and I wrote Nevermind,” adds Oliver Marson”, "What I liked about this was it felt so natural and it was like a conversation. It was also just really fun, which is what music should be all about. I’ve been leaning more into co-writing because every session teaches me something new and sparks ideas I wouldn’t have found on my own. My musical journey hasn’t been all smooth, though rejection has been a constant teacher. And that’s what this song is really about. Instead of stopping me, it’s pushed me to write more, collaborate more, and trust that every ‘no’ is just making space for the right ‘yes.’

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Vera Ellen - Thaw.

Two weeks out from releasing her new album, Heaven Knows What Time, Vera Ellen shares her new single Thaw, alongside a dreamy cinematic music video by Daniel Fletcher. The single follows the recently released joyous anthem Gayfever and the sophisti-pop Hemi Hemingway duet When It’s Over. All made with the support of NZ on Air. Aotearoa Music Award and Taite Music Prize winning artist Vera Ellen announces her upcoming album ‘Heaven Knows What Time’ – out on vinyl and CD on May 1st via Flying Nun Records.

Three years on from her last full-length project, Ideal Home Noise; which was awarded the prestigious Taite Music Prize for 2023, Vera Ellen has found herself in a whirlwind of unconventionality - learning to embrace the chaos that comes with being a self-sustained artist in today’s constantly driving culture, and finding meaning and joy in community - all themes that inform her new body of work, Heaven Knows What Time.

Stepping away from the heavy inner-world of Ideal Home Noise, Heaven Knows What Time is less about thinking and more about just being — embracing the masks we wear, but also allowing ourselves to take them off and bare it all; the exhausted, the messy, the fear, the adventure, and all of the joy too.

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Vera Ellen - Jesse Roper - The Dollyrots - North Riding - Sofia Memphis - The Dibs

Vera Ellen - When It's Over (ft. Hemi Hemingway).

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

Jesse Roper - Sweet Little Caroline.

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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The Dollyrots - Attention Span.

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 - Mustang.

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 - Goddess.

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 Dibs - Just for You (Album).

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!

The Dibs · Just For You

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Joni - Vera Ellen

Photo - Charlotte Patmore

Joni - Still Young.

Today, American-born, London-based songwriter Joni shares "Still Young," a new single from her forthcoming debut album, Things I Left Behind, out April 11th via her twin homes of Keeled Scales (North America) and Hand In Hive (in the UK and the rest of the world).

"Still Young", Things I Left Behind's penultimate track, was also the song that kickstarted the process of writing the album and, as such, holds an important place on the record. A brooding four minutes, 'Still Young' is indicative of the charm that Joni exudes: the confessional lyrics, a weary heart, but elevated by an endearing and compelling sense of pop nous that shimmers throughout.

"I originally wrote this song for my little sister who was going through a rough patch," Joni explains, "but then somewhere down the line she got her life together and things were kind of unraveling for me... I remember being on tour and thinking that the perspective had shifted and I was really just singing the song to myself. I think it’s good to be in touch with younger versions of yourself and to carry them with you as you move through life."

When Joni says that “pain is the price you pay for loving someone” it’s coming from a place of deep experience. Having relocated to London from LA with her long-term partner, and closest musical collaborator, the singer-songwriter suddenly found herself thrust into a deeply unsettling break-up, one that left her isolated in a brand new country, and also one that pulled back the curtain on a host of unhealthy patterns she had become accustomed to within the relationship.

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Photo - Gabrielle Mary

Vera Ellen - sangria (demo).

2024 was a big year for rising Aotearoa songstress, Vera Ellen. The year found her awarded the coveted Taite Music Prize for her 2023 album ‘Ideal Home Noise’, touring 14 dates across mainland China, and flying through 10 sold-out arena shows around Australia with Crowded House… all while hard at work in the studio with longtime producer and collaborator Ben Lemi, working on what’s to come.

Today Vera shares delicate forbidden-love-anthem ‘sangria (demo)’, A fan-favourite from recent sunny festival sets at Laneway Festival and Twisted Frequency. This track is performed, recorded and mixed by Vera herself, and in keeping with its DIY essence, it’s paired with a self-edited music video.

The video is composed of lo-fi footage captured in earlier days of summer; commemorating time spent on a national tour with fellow Flying Nun alumni Voom and Reb Fountain, as well as being on the road with Aotearoa icons Crowded House, playing to their masses of Australian fans at iconic venues such as the Sydney Opera House.

About the song Vera shares “‘Sangria’ is an ode to all the romantic halfwits who know about wanting something they shouldn't have. The intoxicating mix of alcohol and the familiar scent of an old lover. Saying 'to hell with it!' and doing the thing you mustn't in the name of a particularly inviting moon.”

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Sam Scherdel - Rodney Crowell - Vera Ellen - Todd Dorigo

Sam Scherdel - Balloon.

Sheffield-UK singer/songwriter Sam Scherdel has returned with his delightful new video/track ‘Balloon’ The video paired alongside the track is refreshing, alluring, and enchanting as the visual features Sam and his son for story.

Over the past twelve months he has released a string of successful singles since launching in March 2022, 12 later he releases “Balloon”. Recorded between Doncaster and Nashville Balloon delivers a truly haunting understory lyrically, sung to a countering seismic uplifting Born to Run esque back drop.

His strongest single to date is sure to help make sure 2023 is his biggest year yet. Having began selling out shows across Yorkshire he returns to his native Sheffield to headline the Leadmill March 18th prior to embarking on a string of festival dates across the summer.

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Rodney Crowell - Everything at Once.

Rodney Crowell will release The Chicago Sessions on May 5, 2023, via New West Records. The 10-song set was produced by Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick at Wilco’s Loft in Chicago. The masterful, cross-generational collaboration follows Crowell’s acclaimed 2021 album Triage. Hailed by Rolling Stone as a “country music trailblazer” and by The New York Times as an artist whose songwriting “gets better and sharper with age,” Crowell delivers an incisive, engaging collection that balances careful craftsmanship with joyful liberation at every turn. Sounding both fresh and familiar, it’s among Crowell’s very best work.

As Jeff Tweedy puts it, “The way that Rodney writes is deeply connected to a classic era of country songwriters that I’ve always loved. In my estimation, it’s as close as I can get to working with Townes Van Zandt or Felice and Boudleaux Bryant — people who crafted songs with a very specific sensibility. And I like being near that.”

While looking at the cover of The Chicago Sessions, listeners might recognize a familiar callback to Crowell’s 1978 debut, Ain’t Living Long Like This. “In a lot of ways, this album feels like that very first record to me,” Crowell reflects. “When my daughter suggested we lay the artwork out similarly, the connection made perfect sense. There’s something very simple, very innocent about it. It’s just me and the band in a room together, loose and live and having fun.” The Chicago Sessions is indeed a throwback to the legendary Crowell’s early days of making records, but it’s no nostalgia trip. The songs are vital and timely, touching on everything from love and mortality to race and religion, and the performances are nothing short of intoxicating, fueled by raw guitars, honky-tonk piano, and tight, punchy drums. Tweedy wields a light touch as a producer, his influence subtle yet unmistakable. Engineer Tom Schick’s mixes are dynamic and lively, alternately lush and spacious in all the right places, with a spotlight fixed firmly on Crowell’s warm, weathered vocals throughout.

Now Crowell has released the video for the album’s first single, “Everything at Once,” which features footage recorded at The Loft during recording. A co-write with Tweedy, the song walks a tightrope between hope and despair as it playfully wrestles with overstimulation in an overcrowded world. Perhaps no track better encapsulates the spirit of the record. Crowell explains, “It occurred to me that Jeff and I are both songwriters, and we ought to write something together for this album. We could have harmonized on it and gone down an Everly Brothers route, but ultimately we decided to just sing in unison and throw it out there like an all-skate. I love that we didn’t get too precious about it.”

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Vera Ellen - Lenny Says.

Finding humour in self-loathing, award-winning Vera Ellen is back with the second guitar driven single, ‘Lenny Says’  from her upcoming album, Ideal Home Noise, which is out digitally and on both red or black vinyl and CD on Friday March 31st, 2023 via Flying Nun Records.

"I wrote Lenny Says to make fun of myself at rock bottom. It was actually initially for my album Beat Yr Name (2018) but I felt it was too cheesy at the time. Now, I can see the humour in it. The two verses were genuinely written three years apart — though clearly the angst did not dwindle. It's a track for us whining broke losers with unattainable dreams; having a laugh and a moan at the same time."

The video for 'Lenny Says' is the second instalment in the three-part series was directed and produced by Sports Team, and made with the support of NZ on Air. About the video, Vera Ellen says "If you cried in Carpenter, you will scream in Lenny Says. My band joins me for some diabolical plotting and scheming... but what exactly are we planning?? What we do best of course. And, listen, I won't have any of your judgement. We all do crazy things to maintain our youth and glory!"

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Todd Dorigo - Another Fantasy.

Recognised for his baritone vocal, brooding delivery and contemplative lyrics, Todd Dorigo traded big city lights for green wilderness. As the world began to go into lockdown, Todd moved from London to the Swedish woods near Jönköping. Todd has supported bands like The Libertines and also played festivals such as Glastonbury.

Todd Dorigo has released his new EP ‘Another Fantasy’ (March 3 2023). The EP is written and recorded in isolation in the Swedish woods. Sonically, there are echoes of Lee Hazlewood, Scott Walker and Ennio Morricone. There is perhaps even an element of cinema to this EP in the way it builds tension and dreams up dusty western landscapes.

“In the process of questioning my own identity and authenticity, these songs intended to seek out the truth but were soon misled through dream sequences, psychedelic trips and erotic fantasies”. - Todd Dorigo.

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The Steele Syndicate - Uhl - Vera Ellen - Jade Empress

The Steele Syndicate - City of Dread.

A tranquil, subtropical rainforest studio made the perfect setting for Meanjin/Brisbane-based funk/rock octet The Steele Syndicate to record their debut album ‘Weekend’s Coming’. The result is an uplifting, delightfully noise-filled listen brimming with feel-good fun, and is out to enjoy now.

Encompassing the themes of work, love and happiness, 'Weekend's Coming' showcases the band at their raucous and rocking best, with signature doses of funk led by plenty of horns. Each song was recorded using only analogue instruments - so every horn stab, synth note, guitar, organ or kick sound is the real deal. Frontman Steele McMahon divulges:

“I remember tracking the lead guitar line for ‘One Beer (Is Never Enough)’, and having this old Roland Jazz Chorus maxed to the proverbial 11, and there being so much thick noise even when the guitar was not playing, that it sounded like the studio was literally drawing breath.

While it was challenging to utilize only real instruments, in a day where nearly every sound can be achieved with the touch of a button, I think it presented a fun and creative opportunity to embrace limitations, and really allow the nuances and idiosyncrasies of analogue instrumentation to shine.”

The band's feature album opens with the thought-provoking, sway-inducing 'City of Dread'. It sets the scene for next track 'Dance' to steal the spotlight, and amp things up with plenty of brassy fanfare.

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Photo - Zeke Bogusky

Uhl - Haunted Tune.

"Oh what haunted tune can I bring you?" Uhl asks at the opening of "Haunted Tune," the first single from Channels. Her serpentine melodies and operatic storytelling cascade from there in perfectly executed art pop waves that crash over and over, recalling Kate Bush's The Sensual World or Annie Lennox's Diva or Weyes Blood's more recent work. To be sure, this is really not the kind of thing that works if it's only halfheartedly executed or if the artist is anything but exceptional.

And so here's Uhl: fully going for it and fullly pulling it off, supported by the acrobatic production of Peter Murray (Alela Diane, Lisa Crawley). The melodies are memorable, the arrangements are spot on, and the dramatic effect is consuming. Fans of Liz Fraser's and Cindy Sharp's songs on It'll End in Tears, brace yourselves.

Uhl embodies a different character in each song, "channeling" these narratives. In "Haunted Tune," the narrator seems to be singing from the other side, warning that "you can't fool love and you can't cheat fate," but then coolly posing: "Isn’t it a pity / A quick hand deals and suddenly you’re carried away / With all your mistakes / Can’t lose what wasn’t yours to take."

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Photo - Nicola Sandford

Vera Ellen - Homewrecker.

After recently being nominated for 'Best Alternative Artist' at the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards, Vera Ellen has released her first new music in over a year! It comes in the audio visual form of instant classic 'Homewrecker'.

"Homewrecker is the personification of my inner demon forcing its way in to create chaos where it senses harmony. I'm my own home wrecker. Ain't we all?" - Vera Ellen

The video, directed by Albert River, and made with the support of NZ on Air, is a cheeky tip-of-the-hat to "The King of Cool" Dean Martin, and his 1983 'Since I Met You Baby' video. The high contrast visuals see Vera cheerfully crooning amongst a cast of gorgeous models, despite the bleak and introspective undertones of the song's lyrics.

"I didn't realise it was my dream to dress as Dean Martin and prance about on a roof until a few months ago. Never give up on even your most current dreams!"

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Jade Empress - Madness.

Get swept away by Jade Empress when her powerful electro-pop single 'Madness' came out yesterday October 14. Jade Empress has been gaining steam and collecting accolades over the last few years as a talented songwriter. She was the winner of multiple categories of Songsalive!'s Song Comp in 2017, a finalist in the Australian Songwriters Association Songwriting Contest for three consecutive years, a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition 2021, a participant in Ben Folds’ 2021 songwriting intensive retreat - all while working as a frontline doctor in rural and remote Australia.

Now, the artist is swapping the stethoscope for a microphone, and is ready to share her second single with the world, named 'Madness'. A soaring piece that celebrates the artist's impressive vocal ability, 'Madness' speaks to embracing the chaos of daily life. Produced by Grammy award-winning Kon Kersting (who's worked with the likes of The Jungle Giants, Tones & I, The Reubens and many more), this is a moving, melancholic pop track with emotive piano, converging in a dramatically swirling melody that uplifts and carries the songwriter's compelling voice to even greater heights.

Written in response to the chaos of her life in recent years, she chose to welcome it rather than fight against it. "Routine has always been important for me. I thought the pandemic was bad. Now, suddenly I'm finding myself working in the Pacific, as a doctor alongside the Australian Defence Force, and living day to day in an environment of civil and political unrest, I truly appreciate uncertainty and a certain kind of daily madness."

Jade Empress has already received enthusiastic support for her first release from Triple J, Double J, as well as commercial and community radio stations. 'Golden Hours' has also been featured on international music blogs including Send Me Yours Ears, Roadie Music, Indie Dock Music Blog (UK), PopMuzik (Sweden).

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Listen To BCMR (Beehive Candy Music Radio) streaming 24/7 with all the music featured on Beehive Candy in recent weeks and an eclectic mix of music from days gone by. BCMR-HERE. 

Vera Ellen - The Ragged Roses - The Ninth Wave - Arctic Plateau

Vera Ellen - Joy.

Vera Ellen has proven she is unstoppable! She has today released yet another video, this time for album closer and tear-jerker 'Joy'.

“I wrote ‘Joy’ for my nephews and nieces, who forgave me over and over for leaving them to pursue music, and who love me unconditionally. Children are magic.”

The video was filmed by Al Kalyk at the artist's 'It's Your Birthday' listening party in Los Angeles. It was filmed on an iPhone in a single shot and features Vera's backyard and a handful of kind friends. In the footage taken by Vera's mum in the 90’s seen at the end of the video, you can see Vera's sister holding her as a baby and her grandparents and family singing a polish lullaby.

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The Ragged Roses - Falling Out Of Love.

Now, take 2 gallons of Wanda Jackson,2 Gallons of Etta James, a spoonful Howlin' Wolf, a shot of Dick Dale, Add some Cramps and a pint of Nick Curran, mix that all up, shake it, stir it, and light it on fire. The result you get : The Ragged Roses

The Ragged Roses combine the rock & roll spirit of the 1950's with the attitude of modern roots gunslingers. It's a new band, female fronted by Katrien, the embodiment of wild performing art, combining stunning vocals with stunning looks, being backboned by - you can call them although their relative young age and wild raging hearts - veterans of the Belgian roots scene. 

Watch out for that slapping, walking, gypsy swinging upright bass and lightning blot guitars, surfing on a wave of groovy drums.

The Ragged Roses are now releasing their Debut album "Do Me Right", containing all self-written original songs and one cover of the great Del Shannon.

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The Ninth Wave - What Makes You a Man.

Glasgow's The Ninth Wave today announce their second album Heavy Like A Headache will be released on 11th March 2022 via Distiller Records. Alongside the album announcement, the band are releasing their new single "What Makes You A Man" with a stirring black and white accompanying video; the final installment of a trilogy of videos directed by Rianne White.

The new single and album announcement arrives off the back of a sold-out UK tour and a Scottish Album Of The Year nomination for their Faris Badwan (The Horrors)-produced EP ‘Happy Days!’. Heavy Like A Headache is the band's second full length album following their 2019 debut Infancy which garnered widespread critical acclaim and nominations for the AIM Award Album Of The Year and Scottish Album of the Year.

Produced by the band themselves and mixed by Max Heyes (Massive Attack, Doves, Primal Scream), Heavy Like A Headache explores feelings of grief, anxiety, anger and loneliness, and represents the 4-piece's most triumphant and diverse body of work to date.

New single "What Makes You A Man" tackles issues of consent, airing Millie Kidd’s deeply personal lyrics ["I will feel the shame that you don't feel / And I won't feel the same now this is real"] with a heavy, lurching instrumental that seethes with defiance.

Speaking on the release, Millie said: "What Makes You A Man is as claustrophobic as it is cathartic. It’s a journey of self deprecation, and how one event can be such a throwaway meaningless action for one half but be life changing for the other. I don’t want to blame myself for the degrading actions of others anymore - I want to stand up to this shame I hold with me, and recognize that it is not mine, I’m just the one carrying it.

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Arctic Plateau - Saturn Girl.

Emerging from an eight-year hiatus, songwriter Gianluca Divirgilio brings his darkest and most introspective thoughts to light with Arctic Plateau’s Songs of Shame. Thought by some to have seen its final days, Arctic Plateau instead became a vehicle for Divirgilio to battle his demons; to chronicle struggle, self-doubt, pain, disillusion, and guilt, and ultimately to allow his scars to take form as Songs of Shame. In doing so he has returned with an album of intimate and powerful performances that serve as the first steps toward a healing that has been decades in the making.

A series of impressions drawn from Divirgilio’s own experiences in the time since the band’s last release The Enemy Inside, this record is a compendium of lost love, missed opportunity, crestfallen remorse, and lasting trauma, self-inflicted and otherwise. It is a deeply personal record that often points its finger at the mirror and winces as it’s reflected back. But in its complex self-exploration it also gains life as a living document affording the artist an opportunity to turn the page, and by accord provides its audience safe space to look to the darkness within, feel the emotion freely, and eventually discover a path through.

The compositions on Songs of Shame mirror the duality of its themes, utilizing the disarmingly upbeat aesthetics of post-punk to balance the often-grim themes contained within the lyrics. They draw from the stark self-reproach of proto-goth, the bare honesty of singer-songwriter music, and the enigmatic sparkle of post-punk to create a strikingly memorable sonic landscape for the listener. Focusing these laments through the lens of something far brighter and more buoyant sows the seeds of healing in a manner that would be far less affecting were they represented in a parallel, dirge-like manner.

While the themes center around the many ghosts that haunt us, it is the music that makes them corporeal and affords the opportunity to create tangible separation, and that is ultimately an act of joy that befits the spirited expression witnessed in the songwriting itself. Songs of Shame is an album that channels sadness and exhibits a tortured soul lay bare, but there is a formidable maturity in its honesty and triumph in its catharsis, giving it the dual quality of lifting the listener up while acknowledging the daunting weight of carrying sorrows through the years.

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Natalie Jane Hill - Kate Ellis - Mike Etten - Ruth Lyon - Vera Ellen - Parliamo

Natalie Jane Hill - Orb Weaver.

“Orb Weaver” is a song about comparing myself to the hidden intricacies that I might find on a walk in the woods. I attach most of my memories to what is visually around during a certain time. Sometimes there is a comfort to the natural world and other times there is a harshness. My experiences can almost mirror them. I’d like to think that nature has a way of telling us exactly what we need to hear.

Taken from the forthcoming "Solely”, the sophomore effort by folk guitarist/singer-songwriter Natalie Jane Hill, it is a record of transition. While the Central Texas native’s stunning debut “Azalea” grew from years spent developing a textural narrative voice and idiosyncratic guitar style in the vibrant Blue Ridge Mountains, “Solely” represents a period of inward growth, and an outward push into an expanded sonic palette.

Following a move back to the Austin area in the fall of 2019, just months ahead of the pandemic, Natalie began an intensive period of reflection, and expanded her song-craft’s foundations from the broader themes of nature into the vulnerable intricacies of self-discovery. Along with this process came an openness to external creative input.

Recorded between October 2020-March 2021 to Tascam 8 track in the Lockhart Texas home of producer Jason Chronis (Voxtrot, Tele Novella), these recordings represent Hill’s first incorporation of other musicians into her arrangements, featuring performances by Mat Davidson (Twain) among several other trusted friends. There is a liberating and careful grace in these collaborations, providing strength and color to the upper branches of each song while preserving space for the health of the roots.

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Kate Ellis – Bluebirds And Rye.

US artist Kate Ellis Bluebirds & Rye released on Friday! This is the second single from her impressive sophomore album ‘Spirals’ due out in early 2022; a collection of songs that came out of a process of soul searching "to quiet the thought storms in my head and find my balance in the world," says Kate.

‘Bluebirds And Rye' follows the critically acclaimed and widely playlisted first single Another Way. Also produced by John Reynolds (Sinead O'Connor, Indigo Girls, Damien Dempsey), it is a sweet, poignant and uplifting folk song about a mother’s loving words of advice for her young daughter. In Kate’s words: "I wrote this for my daughter who, like me, is an emotional girl. 

This is my letter to her telling her I know what she’s going through, and it can feel hard, but everything’s going to be fine in the end. The song is about recognising the patterns in myself that I can see getting passed on, and the pitfalls of certain emotional pathways that I know from experience you want to avoid. I wanted to tell her: just take a breath and find a moment of rest. All there is is love and peace, everything else is in your head. This is what's important so don’t worry about the other stuff; it’s all going to be ok."

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Mike Etten - Drive.

The newest Dull Tools release is the first solo venture from Mike Etten, who you may know from his contributions to PC Worship & to Dougie Poole's recent LPs. Love Wash lands somewhere in between those two projects stylistically, it's a brooding psych-folk LP filled with unconventional arrangement touches, as demonstrated by the rubato swirl of saxophone, synth and acoustic guitar that kicks things off.

Drive was inspired by a late night trip down a country back road, touching dark memories of that ride and wrong turns made in the past. The tune starts with a simple guitar figure that unfolds and winds its way through changes, with a mix of percussion and drum machines bouncing around it. It felt like it lent itself to pedal steel, so I asked Tristan Shepherd (Dougie Poole band) to put down some tremolo-y tracks and a wild fuzzed out solo in the middle that really gave this one its character. 

I improvised a lead synth track that I really like too, it has that first-take spontaneity which I tried to capture whenever I could through the whole recording process. Drive feels full of confusion and hope at the same time, with me trying to move towards a more peaceful station, a more loving vision, and accepting that chaos can always be around the next corner.

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Ruth Lyon - Lemon Tree.

Ruth Lyon is a singer-songwriter of intense honesty and an impulse to say it how it is. Making a unique brand of ‘baroque-pop’ she bares her soul with courage and conviction - full of stark self-reflection but also a knowing nod to the absurdity of life. She returns to drop her latest single “Lemon Tree” on August 25th, in anticipation of her debut EP “Nothing’s Perfect” expected October 22nd.

In 2019 Ruth released her first single “I’d Give It All” (under the name Ruth Patterson) which received support from 6 Music, Radio X and Spotify editorial. In 2020 Ruth cemented herself as one of the North East’s most important voices, when Sage Gateshead named her Artist-in-Residence. Over the course of the year, despite being thrown into turmoil by the pandemic, Ruth released two more singles, the evocative “Sink or Swim” and “Somebody Else”, for which she received the PRS Woman Make Music award and was named as BBC Intro one to watch in 2021.

Ruth is now taking on her mother’s maiden name, Lyon, as she launches the next chapter of her career.  Co-producing with Rhiannon Mair (Laura Marling, LUNA) and Cameron Craig (Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua) Ruth explores her different identities - from the louche rock star, to the bittersweet poet, looking for love and a place in the world. Classically trained but with an eye for the catchy chorus and bright, pop melodies, Ruth sweeps from self-questioning piano ballads and lush string arrangements, to hands-in-the-air indie bangers. With the raw energy of a young disabled person who has constantly had to adapt to life’s twists and turns, her introspective and sometimes droll twist on storytelling brings up questions you never knew you should be asking.

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Vera Ellen - Crack The Whip.

Introducing Vera Ellen’s third single ‘Crack the Whip’. Vera wrote most of this song when she came back to New Zealand from LA at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was feeling a bit of whiplash from moving countries. I was reflecting a lot on the motions of life,  the wheel of fortune and coming to accept that our efforts to control anything are charmingly futile.”

Lyrically, it's a mash up of different points of Vera feeling homesick for New Zealand; when she was missing the nature and culture and people. “I used to work at this pop up called "Wonderworld" on Hollywood Boulevard. No one would ever come in so I would just stand at the counter and look out the window wondering why the hell I came here.”

The accompanying video is made up from home video footage from Wellington Zoo in 1997, and features Vera Ellen, her brother Albert River (who features heavily on the upcoming album, and is also in Vera’s live band), and their Nana. These images are intercut with footage of familiar sights from Vera’s current LA residence; Hollywood and Santa Monica beach.

“My brother and I are very close and we have always had this way of protecting each other. The video kind of turned into a homage to our bond and the deep sadness of being apart.“

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Parliamo - She's Only Human.

Perth, Scotland based 6-piece Parliamo (pronounced Par-Lee-Ammo) today release new single "She's Only Human",  lifted from upcoming EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto', out October 7th via Modern Sky (The Coral, The Lathums, Abbie Ozard).

A bracing indie-rock jammer addressing the fragility of mental health, speaking on the release of the new single, the band said: "She’s Only Human is a testament to confusion in confusing times. It discusses the limitations that those with poor mental health can face when it comes to relationships with others and oneself, and ultimately conveys that it’s okay not to be okay."

The band's upcoming debut EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto' is the culmination of over a year's songwriting and is a bold statement of intent from the 6 piece. Employing a charming tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the slightly darker aspects of life which young people face today, the record touches on the complications of religious pressure on "Catholic Guilt", spiralling addiction on "Who Needs a Reason?", mental health on new single "She’s Only Human" and the awkward beauty of young love on lead single "Paul & Barry".

The baggy, swaggering sound of the band and the often darkly humorous nature of the lyrics, stands in stark contrast with some of the subject matter, echoing the band’s propensity for laughing in lieu of crying. In a world of such turmoil and uncertainty, with ‘The Parliamo Manifesto’ the band are aiming to reconcile people with positivity through vibrant, energetic music, whilst providing a relatable commentary on the modern world and the inner workings of the minds of young people.

Written and delivered in the Scottish vernacular, the record offers a somewhat unique perspective on the simultaneously charming and terrifying nature of modern life.

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