Carrying On Catching Up With: Phoebe Green - Paris Paloma - Hailey Whitters - Boreal - Flora Hibberd - Run Remedy

Phoebe Green - What Are You Doing. 

Manchester's Phoebe Green announces her new EP 'The Container' and presents new single "What Are You Doing". New five-track EP 'The Container' will be released on 21st March ahead of Phoebe's recently announced April UK headline tour. Marking a significant evolution in her artistry, new EP 'The Container' was written and produced by Phoebe within the intimate settings of her flat in Manchester and her parents' house in the coastal town of Lytham St Annes.

"‘The Container’ feels so right for me at this point in time, I just think that these songs represent where I’m at in terms of taste, ability and emotional state. It’s been so freeing to be able to go back to recording in my bedroom and writing out of a sheer need to express myself, to document my growth and allow others into that," Phoebe offers.

New song "What Are You Doing" is released today and provides another enticing glimpse into the project, following first taste "Precious Things" released late 2024. Blending shadowy synth-pop with introspective lyrics, "What Are You Doing" grapples with the lingering anxieties and self-doubt ("Do you watch me from a distance?") that can surface after navigating a challenging and emotionally draining relationship.

Speaking more on the inspiration behind her new single, Phoebe said: "‘What Are You Doing’ explores the mourning of a pretty toxic relationship, coming to terms with how damaging it was in hindsight, but how thrilling and all-consuming it felt at the time. Now that it feels so far in the past it’s impossible not to be curious about what this person is doing, how they’re going about their day to-day-life and wondering if I still take up space in their mind."

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Paris Paloma - HUNTER (the cacophony).

Paris Paloma releases the re-imagined version of ‘HUNTER (the cacophony)’, reprising the idea behind 'LABOUR (the cacophony)', where over 250 fans lend their voices to the empowering track.  
 
A fan favourite both live and on record, originally featuring on her 2024 debut album ‘Cacophony’, Paris says, “once again, it’s been so emotional to hear the voices of hundreds of fans coming together to join me on a new Cacophony version of this song. ‘Hunter’ is one of the most personal songs on the album, it’s a story of the internal triumph over darkness and pain at one of the most mentally turbulent times in my life. Seeing people relate to this song, to come out in force to sing it with me feels so powerful, and a testament to the strength of so many people who find my music resonates with them, it makes me feel so empowered and proud.”
 
Paris returns to North America this March for her anticipated 15-city sold out headline tour, starting March 4th in Atlanta and wrapping March 27th in Los Angeles. She will follow this with further UK & Ireland dates, including a sold out show at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in June. The dates follow her previously sold out UK, EU and US runs, where she has cultivated a dedicated fan community who have made her live shows a magical experience, from trading fairy messages to swapping books to impromptu fae circles.

Paris Paloma · HUNTER (the cacophony)

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Hailey Whitters - Cassaroles.

The Iowa-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Hailey Whitters released “Casseroles,” her first major release in nearly two years out now via Pigasus Records/Big Loud Records/Songs & Daughters. Written by Whitters’ close collaborators Hillary Lindsey, Tom Douglas and James Slater, the moving song threads the needle between the raw grief of a tragic loss and the hope that can follow.

About the new single, Whitters explains: “I was sent this record from three of my favorite collaborators who've written many songs that have defined the foundation of my appreciation for modern country music — Hillary Lindsey, Tom Douglas and James Slater. During my first listen, I was absolutely floored. I lost my brother suddenly thirteen years ago, and from that moment on, my life was changed forever. 

I particularly remember everyone bringing loads of food and casseroles over and how I couldn't eat for days because I was so distraught. Remembering that moment was what made this song hit so heavy for me. What happens when the casseroles stop coming and everyone has moved on, but it feels like you never will? As heavy and somber as the lyric and melody is, I also think there's hope in the message and pray that it lands between ears that need to hear it.”

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Boreal - Winterbirds.

Canadian folk trio Boreal shares "Winterbirds," the title track from their sophomore album that will be officially released on all digital platforms March 7. Singer/songwriters Tannis Slimmon, Katherine Wheatley and Angie Nussey began making Winterbirds in 2023 as the long-overdue follow-up to Boreal's 2014 debut album Winter’s Welcome. While a chilly theme is still predominant on much of Winterbirds, it’s a collection intended to bring joy year-round, with the music presenting a balance of soulful intensity with moments of lightness and celebration.

Among the album's other standout tracks are Angie's "Shepherd Of The Road," inspired by a conscientious truck driver who helped guide her home during a blizzard, Tannis's "Weathervane," co-written with Guelph, Ontario music scene fixture Lewis Melville, Katherine's haunting "Beautiful Blue," and a cover of the Gordon Lightfoot perennial favourite, "Song For A Winter's Night."

“Collaborating with Tannis and Katherine feels like working with a dream team,” Angie says. “We admire each other’s strengths, which inspires us to continually elevate our efforts for one another. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. And to top it all off, we share a ton of laughter along the way.”

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Flora Hibberd – Lucky You.

Indie-folk artist Flora Hibberd has just released her highly anticipated debut LP Swirl via 22TWENTY (Oracle Sisters, Cornelia Murr). Made in collaboration with producer Shane Leonard (Foy Vance, Mipso, Field Report) during a sweltering summer in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this illuminating body of work explores the weight of words, their different meanings for different people, their evocative power, their problems, and their possibility.

Along with the album comes a lyric video for release day focus track, "Lucky You." Made by band member Victor Claass with font hand-drawn by Flora Hibberd herself, the video collages fascinating archival footage and scientific diagrams of plant growth cycles. About it Claass says:

Watching the video for Lucky You is supposed to feel like flipping through a book about mosses and lichens. These soft and fragile organic forms appear in the lyrics, which reveal themselves across the screen until they crowd each other out and saturate. The effect is an instability, a sense of disturbance, reflecting the song, holding all its tension until the last.

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Run Remedy - Kerosene.

Run Remedy, the project of New Jersey-born, Manchester-based artist Robin Koob, unveils her new single, Kerosene. Known for blending intimate storytelling with experimental textures and folk influences, Koob's latest offering is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on love, loss, and resilience. The track also serves as a preview of Run Remedy’s highly anticipated debut album, which is set to be released in June.

Kerosene recounts the tragic loss of Koob’s first “puppy love”, Lily, when the pair were involved in a tragic car accident during her teenage years. Raised in a strict Evangelical Christian household, with two preacher parents, Koob spent her adolescence lost and closeted, struggling to understand her identity within the confines of a conservative community. On Kerosene, she reflects on how the tragedy reshaped her life and pushed her toward self-discovery and a broader world beyond the confines of her upbringing.

On her new single, Koob shared: “Losing Lily so young is a big part of what gave me the courage to really live. It was a face-slap way to learn how short and precious life is. Kerosene is about that bright flame of being young, filled with the promise of life. It’s about the destruction and terror of that day, as well as the brightness and life that come afterward.I don't know if I ever would have been brave enough to leave the comfort of my world or risk being my true self without that experience.

I have a tattoo for Lily now. We used to talk about what we wanted to get, and after her death, when I finally got my cliché violin back tattoo, I got hers on my hand too—so I wouldn't ever forget that lesson.”

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Bumper Catch Up featuring: Rubblebucket - Mollie Elizabeth - Lilly Hiatt - The Kearns Family - WILDES and St Francis Hotel - Lucette - Caroline Strickland - Mon Rayon - Lala Salama

Keeping the comments a little shorter so we can cram a few more songs in than usual, this is our first bumper catch up of some really fine recent releases. In no particular order we present:

Rubblebucket — Anyone Else But You (Live @ SiriusXM).

We have always loved the Moldy Peaches song "Anyone Else But You." The lyrics are so poetic and the song is so simple. Despite being so soft the performance has a punk ethos in its level of carefreeness. The vibe really captures our spirit and the lyrics deeply speak to our story of being friends, then romantic and then just friends again. In that way it also brings out the spirit/story of our most recent album Year of the Banana which is about enduring friendship in its various poetic snapshots of our cosmic collision. 

It was a little challenging to figure out how we could bring something fresh to something so perfect without ruining it but we're happy with our added syncopations, percussion, trumpet and synthesizer. We also made sure to run it by our friend Adam Green who is one half of Moldy Peaches who said in response: "This is great!! Love the trumpet and the ethereal pads in the second half - you guys do it perfectly - I wouldn’t overthink it - the nature of the song is casual like this so it really works... You guys sound superb singing it." Thanks Adam!

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Mollie Elizabeth - Vegas Venetian.

Mollie introduces herself: Hi there, my name is Mollie (aka doeyedfairie), and I am a singer and songwriter from the woods of Washington State’s Cascades. 

To me, every melody is a tiny world that invites you in—an invitation to be both fierce and delicate, and to celebrate who you are, who you have been, and who you are becoming. 

My music isn’t just for listening—it’s for wandering, for imagining, and for finding a piece of yourself in a place you’d forgotten. I hope my songs resonate with you!

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Lilly Hiatt - Kwik - E - Mart.

Lilly Hiatt will release Forever on January 31, 2025 via New West Records. The 9-song set is Hiatt’s first album in four years and was produced by her husband, Coley Hinson, and mixed by Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Hole).

Forever is a raw, unvarnished work of love and trust that walks the line between alt-rock muscle and singer-songwriter sensitivity. It is a bold, guitar-driven, exploration of maturity and adulthood that grapples with growth and change, escape and anxiety, self-loathing and self-love, and the songs are intensely vulnerable, full of diaristic snapshots.

Already met with critical acclaim, Uncut Magazine named it their “Americana Album of the Month,” exclaiming “Hiatt has rarely rocked harder than on Forever.” MOJO said “Stability and appreciation of life’s little victories have rarely sounded more delightful” while Nashville Lifestyles magazine said “Lilly Hiatt steps into the bold, punchy future on her fourth album, Forever…her creative re-awakening captures the excitement of a new start.”

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The Kearns Family - The Old Days.

The Old Days is a story song about the narrator’s relationship with their father viewed through hazy nostalgia and both good times and bad. Years pass until the narrator has the ultimate realization that no matter how different they want to be, they’re still a lot like their parents.

Mojave Desert singer-songwriter Pat Kearns persists among the most recognizable voices in the high-desert folk-rock landscape, further cemented by winning the Joshua Tree Voice “Joshua” award for Best Make Vocal of 2023. Accompanied by artist/stylist/musician Susan Kearns on stand-up bass; together, they’re the Kearns Family: a wide-brimmed, steely-eyed duo embodying the traditions of ‘60s/70s outlaw/cosmic country with deep-rooted power-pop sensibilities.

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WILDES and St Francis Hotel - In The Floodlight.

WILDES and St Francis Hotel just revealed the new track "In The Floodlight" - the final taste of new collaborative EP Kopfkino, out 19th February - which will feature the previously released title track and "Are You Gonna Speak?", released in December last year.

Together WILDES and St Francis Hotel bring with them a wealth of critical plaudits, and notable collaborations between them with acts including The Flaming Lips, Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka.

For new EP Kopfkino, the pair delve into the mind's captivating power, exploring the spectrum of human experience from poignant introspection to exhilarating escapism, sonically noting the influence of 80s synth-pop bands such as Erasure, The Human League, and Depeche Mode, as well as trip-hop artists like Massive Attack and Portishead.

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Lucette - Heading For The End.

Canadian singer-songwriter Lucette shares the relatably fatalistic new single “Heading for the End,” the latest from her upcoming EP Nice Girl From The Suburbs, which releases on March 21. This song finds Lucette living in the complexity of being human while still resisting people pleasing stereotypes. Singing “everytime it hurts, I’m heading for the end,” she exists both as someone experiencing the real feelings of pain, as well as an observer chiding her own tendency to catastrophize.

“Heading For The End” follows Lucette’s previous single, the pedal-steel-filled boot-stomper “Back in the Blue” featuring Mariel Buckley. Speaking about the new song, she explains, “‘Heading For The End’ is an extension on topics that I began to speak about on my last album. It’s a dark, sarcastic way of looking at my near melodramatic behavior when I feel low. Thinking that when I’m hurt, I’m heading for the end. Telling myself stories that probably aren’t true. Leaning into those feelings a bit too much at times.”

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Caroline Strickland - Prettiest Girl of Heaven.

Caroline Strickland is an alternative rock musician out of Brooklyn, NY. Her music revolves around themes of self actualization and realization, analyzing the tension between our arrogance and tenderness, how we fall in love and how we let go.

Driving guitar and smoked out vocals are highlighted with thecoccasional one-string lick or tap on the piano, a sparse style that somehow fills the void.

"Prettiest Girl of Heaven" is the new single from Caroline Strickland. It's the latest single off of their new EP, Martha's Calling, out March 7th.

Good Eye Records · Caroline Strickland - "Prettiest Girl of Heaven"

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Mon Rayon - On the Riviera.

The song began as an instrumental piece, reflecting "the mysterious and glamorous life on the French Riviera," like a scene from a European spy film with "beautiful scenery, fast car chases, enchanting women, and the emptiness in the aftermath."

When Josef shared the idea with Christoffer, he was thrilled and wrote lyrics that ask: "What happens when the glamour is gone? What should one do with the void in your heart when all the lights are out? Is there more happiness beyond the next star?"

It’s a story of love at a crossroads. You’ve "played your cards and feel like there’s nothing more you can do." Stepping outside the "sparkling and color-filled casino of love," the world shifts to black and white—yet hope lingers that "your breakthrough lies beyond the next star."

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Lala Salama - Kuva Susta.

The Helsinki-based indie band Lala Salama will releasde their third and final single, Kuva Susta, last Friday, January 17, ahead of their debut album Miltähän me näytettäis yhdessä, set to drop on March 21, 2025. The album has already been introduced with two singles: the 2023 shoegaze hit Summer Love and the heartfelt Aurinko sulattaa mun pään. While the first two singles were intimate summer anthems, Kuva Susta is the perfect addition to winter’s melancholic playlists.

"‘Kuva Susta’ represents Lala Salama’s more sensitive side; it’s an emotional depiction of longing, memories of the past, and the difficulty of letting go," says the band’s singer and guitarist Rosa Jules.

Lala Salama: One of Finland's most promising indie bands: Lala Salama has quickly risen as one of Finland's most promising indie bands. The debut album’s first single, Summer Love, was released in 2023 and immediately gained international attention. The single topped the Hype Machine chartsand was the fourth most-played song of the year on Radio Helsinki. The British Clash Magazine praised it as an "ultra-catchy shoegaze anthem."

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Welcome Back With... CocoRosie - Tommy Keyes - better joy

When Beehive Candy decided to take a break, a few weeks became a few months and nearly became forever. The break was needed and so much has happened for us in the past year plus, however this time around it's for the love of good music and nothing more. Some new ideas are floating around, but one thing at a time, anyway welcome back, the constant visits since we stopped have been incredible, so thank you for your interest and support, we are really grateful.

CocoRosie - Little Death Wishes.

CocoRosie, the sister duo of Bianca and Sierra Casady announce the release of their eighth studio album Little Death Wishes, out March 28th on Joyful Noise. Along with the album and the upcoming European tour announcements, they share the album’s second single and music video, 'Cut Stitch Scar.'

For just over twenty years, Bianca and Sierra Casady have transmuted the love, hardship, and ecstasy of sisterhood into some of the most daring, dangerous, and wildly original music our increasingly sanitized culture has known. CocoRosie has been a project consistently at the musical vanguard, influencing countless musicians while inspiring and creating refuge for the “criminal queers” of the world. Above all, CocoRosie has been a conduit for irrepressible artistic self-realization.

Little Death Wishes is as open and tenderhearted as anything they’ve ever created. The songs tell a kaleidoscopic story of the generational hardship of women and the shattered realities of their lives, the precarious and precious nature of being human, of being done wrong by love, and a final wish to be unbroken. It boils everything CocoRosie down to its most brutal essence: turning pain into knowledge, sisterhood into polemic, trash into treasure, and recalcifying kitsch and cliché into fresh truths.

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Tommy Keyes - The Key Of Blue.

The sixth single from the acclaimed album the Key of Blue is the title track and is a throwback to the classic jazz-pop era.

It's accompanied with a sublime co-vocal from Dara MacGabhann along with some brilliant solos from Dick Farrelly on guitar and Richie Buckley on sax.

Tommy Keyes is an Irish singer-songwriter who returned to music in 2016 after almost 40 years away.  The current album is his 8th and he’s had 6 Number Ones in the Irish iTunes singles charts.

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better joy - waiting on time.

Kicking off 2025 with intent, Manchester-based Bria Keely, better known as better joy, has shared new single ‘waiting on time’ and announced debut EP ‘heading into blue’ will be released on 28th March.
 
New single ‘waiting on time’ continues to showcase Bria’s personal experiences through her candid and autobiographical lyrics about life. Written about her own mental challenges and the importance of having time to heal, the tender lyrics are coupled with jangly guitars and a cheery melody, building in measured intensity to a euphoric chorus of release.
 
Bria says, “waiting on time at its core is about going through mental challenges and losing yourself in the process, and the healing process that comes after. For me, it takes time to feel like myself again after I’ve gone through something difficult, and this one is just about the wait and the inevitability that I will find myself again. When I’ve been at my lowest, it’s hard to see through the fog of it all so I wanted this song to be a reminder to myself - and in general - that if you do all the right things to get yourself out of the rut, the fog can clear, it’ll just take some time.”
 
Alongside new single ‘waiting on time’, Bria has announced the debut better joy EP ‘heading into blue’ produced by Mike Hedges (The Cure, U2, Manic Street Preachers). The 6-track EP features previous singles ‘carnival’ and ‘what a day’ alongside new single ‘waiting on time’, as well as three brand-new tracks, ‘couldn’t run forever’, ‘quiet thing’ and ‘can I land the plane?’. It is the first full-length project from better joy and is both a perfect introduction to better joy’s alt-pop sound and an exciting taster of more to come this year.

 

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Surprise Baby - Pen Pin - Von Wildenhaus

photo - India Coombs

Surprise Baby - Motorcycle.

Surprise Baby is the Los Angeles based project of musician and songwriter Sarsten Noice and producer Claire Morison. Described as rock and roll cowboy meets indie pop, the two, who are originally from Northwest Montana, use their long-standing relationship as friends and creative partners to craft a sound which is both authentic and captivating.

Their upcoming EP is a result of Surprise Baby refusing to be pigeon-holed and see’s the two exploring a realm of different genres and sounds. Following the release of their debut single “Poison the Well,” “Motorcycle” is the second track from the EP and details a commentary on the feeling of escapism. It is a mostly fictional narrative on the desire to escape a relationship, specifically on a motorcycle heading to New York. Noice shares, “Call it a quarter life crisis, call it fear of commitment, the feeling is that of running away. There is also a sentiment of not wanting your partner to worry over you, and making the unrealistic promise that you won't die on the road. The fact that the narrator believes so deeply they won't die while simultaneously desiring to be as close to danger as possible is the irony of the song itself.”

“Motorcycle” shimmers with muted, jangly guitars, mellow melodies and celestial harmonies, creating an iridescent soundscape that you can truly lose yourself within. Not afraid to speak her truth, Noice shares how she uses songwriting as a way to process her internal world and give intense emotions a way out of her body. She shares, “I try to create imagery that accurately captures a specific feeling and then allow myself to build lyrics in an abstract way, opposed to straightforward storytelling. This I hope leaves the songs open to the listeners’ interpretation.”

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Pen Pin - Fringe.

Pen Pin is the new sun-soaked indie pop project from songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeni Magana and Emily Moore. Both established musicians in their own right, they met while touring with Mitski and started writing and recording their debut album whenever they weren't on the road. The result of their "pen pinspiration" has become a chill, vintage pop album that sounds and feels like lounging by a Palm Desert pool when the afternoon becomes the dusk.

The whole process of self-producing these songs has captured a moment of inspiration and a joyous collaboration between friends. The LP entitled Pony Up is about these feelings: the spark of inspiration, holding onto happiness, and friendship.

Pen Pin's single "Fringe" details capturing a moment in a relationship that is pure joy and recalling that feeling when times get tough. The breezy track features golden-hued vocals, dreamy melodies and nostalgic piano, creating a warm and cathartic musical moment. Designed to bring you company on your evening walks through the park, Pony Up is set to be released Spring, 2024.

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Von Wildenhaus - Ketamine.

Apocalyptic avant-pop artist Von Wildenhaus has shared new single “Ketamine”, ahead of a UK tour across September. In lieu of a traditional album release the artist is issuing an extended series of singles across the coming months, culminating in a new compilation ‘Von Universe’, which will be available exclusively at the UK shows.

A spacious, sublime offering that sees Von Wildenhaus fuse alchemistic rhythms and airy instrumentals with celestial vocal delivery and a cavernously clean approach to production, “Ketamine” is the sixth track to be taken from the artist’s forthcoming compilation.

Evoking a feeling that is as fragile as it faraway, Ben von Wildenhaus explains of the new track: ”Ketamine” embodies the feeling of dissociation that overwhelms when you separate from someone you love. We often play this as spacey folk, but here we really wanted to take it into the realm of ethereal ‘80s pop — that crisp digital world full of inorganic heartbreak.”

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The Artist Formally Known as Vince Band - Ashton Nyte - Shadwick Wilde

The Artist Formally Known as Vince Band - A Problematic Opera (E.P).

This one came out back in May but escaped our radar at the time, anyway it's never to late for some robust 'recent' new music when it's this good! The Artist Formally Known as Vince Band (or TAFKAVince Band for short) formed in 1996 and began playing out regularly upon the release of 2002's At Last CD. Other notable releases include 2007's Welcome To The Show, the 2011 vinyl release On Display, and the singles "NYC" and "Luck," which were released in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

TAFKAVince features Vince SanFilippo on vocals and guitar, Lauren Kurtz on vocals, Brian Chinino on drums, percussion and backing vocals, Chris Geisler on bass, percussion and backing vocals and Vee Sonnets on guitar, backing vocals and keys.

The band plays a heady mix of glam, power pop, punk, and rock n' roll and has built a reputation as a fierce live act who have graced stages at the Empty Bottle, Beat Kitchen, Liar's Club, Subterranean, Reggie's, The Hideout, and Double Door in their hometown of Chicago and have performed at the esteemed venues Berlin (NYC), Plain Dealer Pavilion (Cleveland) and Slash Run (Washington DC) while on tour.

TAFKAVince Band has opened for (and held their own against) Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks, The Fleshtones, The Undead featuring Bobby Steele of The Misfits, Hunx & His Punx, The Dollyrots, The Melismatics, Scott Lucas and The Married Men, Prima Donna and many other celebrated bands from the indie underground.

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Ashton Nyte - The Garden.

Singer-songwriter Ashton Nyte has just released Autumn's Children: his eighth album and second book of poetry, short stories and musings, as well as the fourth video single, "The Garden". Based in the U.S., Ashton Nyte is a South African-born composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, writer, and producer. He has released seven solo albums as Ashton Nyte and eleven albums as The Awakening, one of South Africa's most prominent alternative rock bands.

Nyte has contributed vocals and lyrics to a number of other projects, featuring members of The Cure, Cheap Trick, Peter Murphy, The Mission, and Beauty In Chaos, among many others.

Ashton has written and performed in theatrical productions and hosted philanthropic events, including his “Rock Against Rape” concert series and presenting a lecture series at U.S. universities focusing on tolerance and acceptance. He’s worked on film scores, most recently with Ethan Gold on the movie Don't Let Go, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019. His songs have also been featured in major television shows, including Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max), The Purge (USA Network), and more.

Described by music journalists as "Johannesburg's Bowie" for his widely varying musical styles and theatrical performance approach, Nyte has a released catalog of over 300 original songs and has received airplay and chart success on major independent radio stations worldwide.

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Shadwick Wilde - Floating Away.

Shadwick Wilde has released "Floating Away," the third single from his upcoming solo record Forever Home, produced by renowned Nashville drummer Ken Coomer (Billy Bragg, Will Hoge, Margo Price, Vance Joy, Al Green, Wilco and Uncle Tupelo), available everywhere September 22nd!

"My partner Sarah and I came up with the concept of this video while out on a walk in the woods together. She can do just about anything that requires a great deal of fine motor skills. We had both been imagining the paper boat playing a lead role, but the rest was all her. The theme of water comes back a lot on this record. While writing and demoing “Forever Home”, before it had a proper title, I had jokingly titled it “Waterworld” after the behemoth film that almost ruined Kevin Costner.

The parallels are difficult to ignore: both he and I nearly bankrupted ourselves to bring our apocalyptic visions into reality. I have been thinking and writing a lot about water these past few years; how Heraclitus said we can never step into the same river twice… both the human and the river being in a constant state of flux. Our bodies have roughly the same salinity as the ocean, the source of all life on Earth.

I learned a lot of letting go, in the process of making this record. We all are in this river of time, everchanging. All we can do is row, row our little boat, gently down the stream– making small adjustments to our course, but ultimately heading toward the same destination: the ocean that is eternity, the infinite vastness of the cosmos. When the waves of this life come and knock us down, we have a tendency to forget that, we too are the ocean, and that in fact everything does come in waves." - Shadwick Wilde, on "Floating Away" and its video.

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Daniel Walton - Thrillhouse - Ghost Party

Daniel Walton - Through The Glass.

An endless need for self expression has helped songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Walton focus on his creative vision as an independent artist to write and produce his debut EP titled Island: a beautiful, heartfelt collection of songs about love, loss and change.

The 28-year-old from Hamilton, ON has been involved in a handful of collaborative original bands spanning many genres (Wooly Mantis, Downstream) but “Island” is the first of many projects that are from the mind of Walton as a solo act. Being able to have full creative freedom has allowed Walton to find his voice in the songwriter space.

Reminiscent of the Laurel Canyon era of folk and singer-songwriter with a genre-blending modernism, Walton’s latest single “Through The Glass” is a drift inspiring transportive listen.

About his songwriting intent: “My goal with songwriting is to take the listener on some kind of journey, whether it may be from lyrics, music or both. To take the listener out of the present moment and into a place that feels familiar, yet new and exciting. A place that is comfortable, where the listener does not feel alone and can drift away in peace.”

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Thrillhouse - Big Tree.

Brighton duo Thrillhouse, release the intimate yet expansive new album Something About This Place, with the lead track ‘Big Tree’.

Showcasing their electrifying Alternative-Indie-come-Alternative-Country tendencies, the album further delivers on the unique sonic approach which has seen the band garner widespread acclaim from musical luminaries such as KEXP, Radio X (John Kennedy), and BBC Introducing. The brainchild of duo Sam Strawberry and Jack Nielsen, Thrillhouse gained their name as a humorous and nostalgic nod to an old Simpsons episode, but digging a little deeper, the name also evokes the yearning of being stuck in an increasingly bleak present whilst being rooted in a fragmented and pretend past.

Now releasing their hotly anticipated debut album 'Something About This Place', the band describe the 11 track release as: “A hark back to childhood - to simpler times, before ambition, failure and regret wrapped us up with our dreams and tossed us crashing back down to Earth.”

Capturing a melancholic sincerity tinged with wry humour within the captivating lyricism, the band's stylistic sound shines across the album. Heartfelt and honest vocal delivery comparable to Matt Berninger glides above intricate musical backdrops of driving drums, warming, intertwining guitar tones, sparkling synths and melodic hooks to create spellbinding, genre-bending soundscapes. Comparable to The National, Nick Cave and The War On Drugs, Thrillhouse boldly challenges the boundaries of contemporary Indie music with a post-punk flare and alternative undertones.

The new lead track ‘Big Tree’ is a perfect representation of the band's approach, blending melancholic beauty with intricate musical ideas and an underlying sense of driving energy.

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Ghost Party - Yankee Reaper.

"Yankee Reaper'' borrows its name from a Van Dyke Parks album, conveys a sense of nostalgia and loss through the guise of the surreal, and is treated with a vintage sounding gospel stomp arrangement, where barrelhouse piano, soaring pedal steel, fuzzed out guitar, and hand claps all create a ruckus, supported by the pulse of a finger picked acoustic guitar. Evocative of a psychedelic tent revival, "Yankee Reaper" suggests some sort of cosmic mashup between T.Rex and the White Album sessions. Ghost Party is joined by pedal steel master Will Van Horn, notable for his contributions to Khruangbin and Leon Bridges' latest collaborative EPs.

Ghost Party is the nostalgic, retro psych revival project of McCullough Ferguson. Mixing the ingredients of classic acts from the golden era of 60s psych and Americana music with modern interpreters as well a adding a bit of the subliminal sublime, spooky nature of the great beyond, we arrive at the Ghost Party.

Part garage rock, part cosmic country, part psych, Ghost Party came into existence in Houston Texas in 2020. As half of psychedelic rock tricksters Flower Graves, Ferguson has shared the stage with Roky Erickson, Night Beats, Holy Wave, and many more.

Ferguson is joined by Austin Sepulvado, Victor Sanchez, and Kendrick Ballard on bass, drums, and organ/keys/mellotron, respectively. They have released two singles in 2023, tracked and produced by Steve Christensen, notable for his production work with Khruangbin. Ghost Party will be releasing their first full length album this fall and will be appearing at River Revival alongside The Black Angels.

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Zach Berkman - Fast Romantics - Georgia Mooney - Bedolina

Photo - Nicole Mago

Zach Berkman - Alone.

Zach wrote "Alone" at the beginning of the end of a relationship, just when he knew he could feel something slipping away. "The verses describe a crumbling house as a metaphor for a crumbling love. The crooked pictures and fading marks of a thing untended," he says. "I thought about my grandparent’s old farmhouse where we made these recordings, left dusty and in disrepair for so long then restored and renewed, and I wondered whether you could do that with people.

I know that when I wrote the song, the chorus was meant to be sung to someone else. It’s all in the second person, but I hear and sing those lyrics now as directed to self. The repeats of the title are at once mantra, warning, and a facing of fear. If we can’t reconcile our differences, we will end up Alone."

A renowned songwriter whose compositions have been featured on ABC, NBC, The CW, Nickelodeon, The Travel Channel, and more, Zach had found himself at a crossroads artistically. He enlisted his inner circle to help him flesh out what would be his ninth LP, The Heart Of. Recorded over four days in his family's rejuvenated farmhouse in rural Michigan, these songs, which began as a quest for answers, became a beautiful celebration of the journey itself. It's a fantastic listen.

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Photo - Jen Squires

Fast Romantics - Smoke + Lightning.

Toronto duo Fast Romantics offer up another provocative new single and video, “Smoke + Lightning,” taken from their new album, Happiness + Euphoria, scheduled to be released September 29 via Postwar Records.

Fast Romantics never shy away from exploring the complicated or the contemplative. Kirty takes the lead on “Smoke + Lightning” with her ethereal vocals, and offers this insight on the track: "‘Smoke + Lightning’ was written during a time that I felt like I was being swallowed up in the most vivid dreams every night. It started to blur my waking hours with a twisted, colourful dream-life in my sleeping hours. This song is filled with stream-of-consciousness words and images that made up those dreams.”

Fast Romantics have built a reputation as tenacious musical adventurers, working their way up the mountain of classic pop songwriting, eager to carve out a piece of it for themselves. Matthew Angus and Kirty - partners on and off stage, are bringing F.R. fans, ten sprawling new songs, masterfully crafted and equally and intentionally split into two distinct sides this fall.

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Photo - Cybele Malinowski

Georgia Mooney - Full of Moon (Album).

Sydney-based polymath Georgia Mooney has just unveiled her stunning debut solo album ‘Full of Moon’. The record is a meticulously crafted sonic universe, the birth of which marks the stepping forward of a major talent. Carried by Mooney’s soaring ethereal voice over lush, cinematic soundscapes, Full of Moon features the singles ‘War Romance’, ‘Break It Off’, ‘I Am Not In A Hurry’, ‘Soothe You’ and ‘Nothing Is Forever. “Go look at your eyes, they’re full of moon” - Joni Mitchell

This album is for daydreaming. Lyrically, it yearns for connection, examining intimate human relationships, and their variations in perception and fantasy. When stories have many sides, they also have many truths. Musically, it’s a glorious and cinematic sonic fresco, holding beauty, musicality and romance in highest regard. It was recorded remotely over 18 of the strangest months in living memory, linking an all-star band based across three continents. The album grew outward in response to the physical world closing in; even the more intimate songs luxuriate in their drama.

Full of Moon’s songs were penned between All Our Exes Live in Texas tours, on solo writing trips all over the world, half on piano and half on a handmade dulcimer Mooney won in a raffle and subsequently fell in love with. Influences from every member of the Wainwright family, Joni Mitchell, the sophistication of the Great American Songbook and even classical composers sift through the songs seamlessly, alongside fuzzed out guitars and production that evokes the unsettling genius of Kate Bush. It was made during a period of global tragedy, as a way to find solace and catharsis in art and love. This record seeks someone to spend the end of the world with.

Georgia Mooney · Full of Moon

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Bedolina - Bedolina (Album).

Bedolina are thrilled to share their self-released debut album, Bedolina.  Developed at Miner Street Recordings, the album dissects society’s greatest imperfections and their effects on human nature, all with a crooked smile.

Philadelphia’s own Ken Gould is the heart and brain behind sleek new indie rockers, Bedolina. Debuting after previous singles “Yellow Boat” and “C’mon Fun”,  Bedolina continues to test the limits of conventional pop music. With jackhammer beats and smooth guitar solos that flow effervescently throughout, the record’s eight tracks each tell a unique story.

Altogether, Bedolina is an abstract musical cornucopia that channels the listener to ponder the faultiness of the digital age. Centerpieces of the album are “Cicadas” and “The Zoo”, with the former charging into a snapping drum beat with atmospheric sweeps in the background. About halfway through the track, Gould laments “This year’s gone so wrong”, allowing the listener to question what begins as a triumphant, happy-go-lucky sounding tune. Then there’s “The Zoo”, who’s purposely out of tune third chord creates an eerie sense of dissonance, further pulling the audience towards an unsettling atmosphere. Here, the crude message of human beings acting animalistic is put on display, building up to a shocking climax of shrieking and a nasal guitar tone that sounds like a hornet’s nest.

Another album highlight is the final track, “Taking the Canyon”, a saturated bass-heavy dance track that invokes classic shoegaze guitar motifs of My Bloody Valentine. The repeated refrain “Boots marching in a line” showcases the narrator’s disdain for fascist dystopia as it cascades its way into a final minute of drone-like noise. Ending the album on a just as surprising note as it begins, Bedolina show that although this is their debut, their musical gusto and expertise couldn’t be clearer.

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Lilac Haze - Arielle Silver - Survival Guide - Cara Hammond

Lilac Haze - Daisy Girl.

'Daisy Girl', is the stunning new single from dream pop artist Lilac Haze, released today, taken from her upcoming debut EP due later this year.

Lilac Haze is the project name for songwriter Katrina Swift. Greatly influenced by bands of the ‘80s/’90s, Swift draws inspiration from The Cure, All About Eve, Eva Cassidy and Fleetwood Mac, combining atmospheric and ethereal textures with a sense of nostalgic romance.

Daisy Girl, was written about pursuing new relationships and how fear can hold you back from experiencing something beautiful.

Discussing the single, Lilac Haze explains: “We all have a little “daisy girl” within us, giving courage to take a chance on something new and different. I wrote this song with the idea of pursuing new relationships with an open heart without letting fear paralyse an opportunity for happiness.  We had a great time experimenting with different guitar sounds for this track, and had fun creating this sweet treat.”

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Photo - Anabel DFlux

Arielle Silver - Ghost Ships.

Much of Arielle's music finds inspiration in the stories she's writing and reading as a literary writer and professor of creative writing at Antioch University, and in the various philosophies she explores as a yoga and meditation instructor at her own Bhavana Flow Studio in Los Angeles.

"A lot of songwriters start by writing the chorus, because from an audience standpoint, that's the part that should stick in the ears," says Arielle when describing her writing and creative processes. "But I typically begin with writing verses in order to dig into the sensory-perceiving portion of a story. I typically enter songwriting (and my other creative writing) by describing setting, character, place in order to present a situation."

A literary mind who cites inspiration in writers like Cheryl Strayed, Jane Austen, Jeanette Winterson, and Mary Oliver (to name a few), Arielle's lyrics read like moving self-contained stories, and are further elevated by her stunning instrumental and vocal performances. “Ghost Ships” is a perfect example of this approach. Inspired by Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things as well as Silver’s own flash essay "The Sleeping Porch", the song ruminates on the paths not taken to stunning effect.

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Survival Guide - Lady Neptune.

“Over the last few years, I've had a handful of dreams that involved my own death in various ways, and they've all been profound for me,” says Emily "Agent M" Whitehurst (former vocalist for punk standouts Tsunami Bomb) about the themes surrounding her upcoming fourth full-length Survival Guide album deathdreams (release date: October 19, 2023 via Double Helix Records). “It seemed natural to call the album deathdreams after this theme, and I like the opposing imagery and feelings those words can conjure. I like the way dreams can be thought of as soft, sweet, or strange, and death as dark and ominous. These are all descriptors that fit various songs on the album as well, so it seemed like the right title for the collection.”

"Lady Neptune" is the second single (following "Blood Perfume") off deathdreams and Em says the lyrics for the track are based on a dream she had where she had died, "It involved a chaotic battlefield where people were fighting and killing each other, and somehow, I knew that if I drowned myself, I’d come back to life and emerge from the water with the power to make the fighting stop."

A former Northern California native now residing in San Antonio, Texas, Emily is an electronic indie-pop artist with a background in punk. Her music obsession began with Green Day, leading her to a dreams-come-true life of punk rock as she traversed continents fronting the band Tsunami Bomb as “Agent M.” Over the years, her music gradually shifted toward synth pop in The Action Design, then further into the electronic indie-pop realm as Survival Guide. Her danceable tunes evoke a sonic birthday cake: alternating layers of Depeche Mode, Metric, Peter Gabriel, and Grimes, with vibrant melodies and vocals as the icing on top. “Music is crucial to my survival,” she says wholeheartedly, adding, “Survival Guide is one woman trying to shape her own place in this world as a musician."

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Cara Hammond - America.

Welsh Based Artist Cara Hammond has unveiled a new video for acclaimed new single 'America' and announced her Debut UK Tour which will be in November. Support on the tour comes from Rebecca Hurn.

'America' is Cara Hammond's second self produced single of 2023, following a string of successful festival appearences including Usk's Green Man Festival, 'America' has so far been supported by John Kennedy, Xposure on Radio X, Huw Stephens announced 'America' as his Track Of The Week on BBC Radio Wales, and Adam Walton on BBC Introducing in Wales.

Influenced by Lana Del Reyand Fleetwood Mac, America is a summer anthem about what happens after theAmerican dream. Country guitar slides, gospel organ and 60s girl group harmoniesblend together in creating a classic Americana sound that slowly disintegrates viaharmonic shifts.

I wrote America after returning from showcasing at SXSW 2022. At the beginning of 2022 I’d been dropped by my label & left my management, so when I was invited to play this huge festival in Austin, Texas, I couldn’t have been happier.

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Gold Dime - Vera Bloom - Ora Cogan

Gold Dime - Denise.

Gold Dime has just released "Denise," the propulsive second single from their upcoming LP, No More Blue Skies. Headed by Andrya Ambro (Talk Normal), the art-rock project's full album will be out October 20th via Liars' Angus Andrew's new imprint No Gold.

Featuring Ian Douglas-Moore on bass and Jeff Tobias on alto-sax, the instrumentation on "Denise" is deeply intricate, sharp, and rigorous. Along with the single comes a video co-directed by Joe Wakeman and Ambro herself. As unflinching as the music itself, the video shows Ambro sprinting fearlessly towards the beach and into cold water.

Regarding the music, Andrya Ambro says – “Denise” the song is about perseverance. Approaching most of my music from a cinematic perspective, Denise, the character, is on the bottom of things. With a weakened gaze, she just keeps going. No More Blue Skies? You gotta believe. The ZZ Top inspired repetitive rhythm section keeps Denise buoyant through her journey while the wailing sax by Jeff Tobias acts as her spiritual guide. As for the motivating drum beat– this was definitely under the influence of a charged live performance by Irreversible Entanglements drummer Tcheser Holmes."

Regarding the video, directors Andrya Ambro and Joe Wakeman say – "From the onset, “Denise” feels like an endurance test with its always forward momentum. So I thought I’d run. Performing this song live can be demanding on me physically."

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Vera Bloom - Eyes On You.

Emerging rock artist Vera Bloom, who holds nothing back in her addictive hybrid of alternative, grunge, and punk, has released her new single “Eyes On You” and announced her sophomore EP, It’s Me, will be out Friday, September 29th. The new track storms out of the gate on a galloping drumbeat and as the momentum increases, Vera sinks her teeth into a hypnotic hook punctuated by a promise, “my eyes are always on you.”

“‘Eyes On You’ is my dance song!” shares Vera. “It started out as a love song, which is something I don’t really write often, but it leans into the possessiveness of love. It visits the loss of excitement in a relationship where things get a bit settled in and mundane. I’ve noticed that I am afraid of this stage in a relationship, so I used this song to process that. Over time, the lyrics have revealed new meanings as they always do and I can find the loss of childhood innocence where even the touch of skin is fascinating, and acknowledging the demons and darker feelings we find in adulthood.

And, lastly, as I grow as an artist, I can see my desire to be seen and heard. My admission of wanting eyes on me and owning up to that. I wanted the video to be interesting, colorful, and also shine some light on the real rock and roll happening in the music. It’s about energy and making vibes through sound with other humans. This song, as with all my songs, really comes to life in a live band setting. I hope you like it!”

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Ora Cogan - Feel Life.

Experimental singer-songwriter Ora Cogan will release her new album Formless this Friday, August 25, an LP that finds beauty, absurdity, humor, and unlikely joy in the bleakest of times. Ahead of the album release, Cogen shares one final gift in the urgent “Feel Life,” a track that dances through the derangement of everyday turmoil and epic, life-changing loss.

Cormac Mac Diarmada from LANKUM plays strings on “Feel Life”, which speaks to diverse kinds of grief – losing loved ones to overdose and suicide; losing love where a connection can’t be sustained; seeking out ways to better understand love –, slashing, shimmering guitar both a foil for and echo of Cogan’s imploring, trance-like timbre. The track dances through the derangement of everyday turmoil and epic, life-changing loss. “I want you to feel life - I want love.”

“Feel Life” is the final part of a trilogy of videos by K. Bray Jorstad created for Formless. It follows “Dyed”, which revolves around a singular character who carries water as a symbol for the human heart, and “Cowgirl”,  a haunted acid trip of intense sorrow, deep solitude, and dark nights of the soul.

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CLOVES - Paige Hill - Linebeck - Popincourt

CLOVES - Good Try.

Talented songwriter CLOVES returns with her subtle yet hard-hitting new track titled “Good Try.” The track comes complete with a visualiser that is the perfect companion for the song’s poignant lyrics.

Kaity Dunstan aka “CLOVES” born in Melbourne, Australia has to date generated over 300million-plus streams, attracted critical acclaim including Pigeons & Planes, i-D, Clash, NME, Vice & Consequence of Sound among many others, performed on U.S network show “Late night with Seth Myers”, toured the U.S opening for Grammy award winning artist Michael Kiwanuka,and her second album saw collaborations with Hudson Mohawke & Jake Portrait from Unknown Mortal Orchestra alongside multiple taste maker praise including her single “Nightmare” becoming BBC Radio 1’s “Hottest Record in the World ”the coveted spotalways seen as a high marker for quality artists.

For CLOVES, now is the time she feels most creatively free and mentally strong as  she steps out to release her first music  independently, marking the beginning of a new relationship with herself and her music, in the midst of the often discussed & debated major label system for artists these days, CLOVES knows this is the best way forward for her make the music she wants and to do it the way she needs to.

 

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Paige Hill - Good Woman (E.P).

Paige Hill is an independent singer and songwriter based in Dallas, Texas. She is an Austin native and "a bit west coast obsessed," living there for eight years prior to making Dallas her current location. Her music is about authentic connections to the best and most challenging parts of being a woman and a mother. Her recently released debut Americana five-song original EP, Good Woman, ranges from classic 70s country and soul to rock and blues.

Every track weaves a story of a real woman who wants to be "good." Her soulful melodies also hint at her Austin roots. "I feel a special draw to sing songs for women and mothers that portray real and complex women. I used to think I'd have it all figured out someday, but we're all just learning and figuring it out together. I feel like music connects us, and I want to share a common thread we may have with someone."

Good Woman was produced, engineered, and mixed by Guillermo Murillo and mastered by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone of Sterling Sound. The EP was recorded at Acoustic Kitchen and The DuJour House in Dallas. The recording engineer was Nick Clem. Musicians on all tracks include Paige Hill (vocals), Guillermo Murillo (electric guitar), Robbie Saunders (pedal steel), Brandon Broussard (bass), Jay Brown (Wurlitzer, B3 organ, melodica), and Ethan Sedelmeier (drums.) "In the summer of 2022 I was asked to sing background vocals for a friend whose music career was taking off, then a duet.

My producer Guillermo heard I wrote the music; the rest is history. It took us less than five months to make my EP, Good Woman. I had just lost a pregnancy, and making this music was healing. I stumbled upon a group of musicians who encouraged me that my songs had stories and experiences worth sharing with others. Guillermo and I co-write a lot together now while our daughters play in the next room, and he played guitar on Good Woman and is on my next album. I love his ear for sound, his music knowledge, his mixes, and how we co-write and realize my songs into beautiful works of art that I am so proud of. Ethan is the drummer on all my projects, as well. I trust these two to help me realize my music and treat it with care so that my original message is conveyed even more powerfully than I originally wrote. And we have so much fun doing it all."

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Linebeck - Give Us A Try.

'Give Us A Try' is a gorgeous hook filled affair, with an uplifting melodic vibe hitting us right from the opening chords. The band tell us: Our new single is about being in love with your best friend and deciding to just go for it, even though you might get hurt. Heavily inspired by John Hughes' Pretty in Pink, as well as some "situationships" that our friends were caught in, "Give Us A Try" was written as a love letter from Duckie to Andie, and for anyone else who has ever been too afraid to risk it all.

Being in this in-between phase is an intense emotional roller-coaster. Honestly, I find the anticipation before a big jump to be one of the best parts of being human.

I knew soon after writing this song that if we ever released it, I would want to have a prom themed music video as a way to pay further homage to Pretty in Pink.

I personally think prom is so overrated. I went to two proms and it wasn't as fun as the movies always make it seem. We wanted to create a fun prom experience for all our friends. Many of the extras appreciated the opportunity to take their significant other to prom, and a few hadn't even had the chance to go to prom due to COVID. It was a very long shoot but so much fun.

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Popincourt - Love On the Barricades / The Worst Of Lullabies.

Popincourt's new album 'We were bound to meet' is due to be released on September 15th, 2023. We have to really fine tracks to share ahead of the release.

Love On the Barricades is a duo with Gabriela Giacoman, for a title inspired by both The Jam, Billy Bragg and the B'52s. The lyrics refer to the futility of angry political disputes when you are with well-meaning but essentially powerless people … especially while in complete safety around a good table (May as well enjoy yourself a bit while waiting for the revolution).

The Worst Of Lullabies is a syncopated and groovy rhythm reminiscent of certain 60's titles by Serge Gainsbourg with superb string arrangements evoking John Barry.

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