Dumpstaphunk - Kacimi & Mécréance - Ellen & Simona - Steven Troch Band - Bandits on the Run

Dumpstaphunk - Let's Do It.

New Orleans’ modern torchbearers of funk, Dumpstaphunk returns to the fray with their new single “Let’s Do It” out now on all digital platforms. An infectious gumbo of collective empowerment, the song marks one of the band’s final recordings with late bassist Nick Daniels III and is Dumpstaphunk’s first studio release since his April 2024 passing.

Ivan Neville shares of the new single: “This song expresses the concept of 'We' is more powerful than 'Me.' If we combine our strengths, talents and ideas we can accomplish more. It’s also one of the last songs written and recorded with our brother and co-founder Nick Daniels III, who passed away last spring. As we celebrate his life with this song, we move into a new era of Dumpstaphunk so… Let’s do it!!”

“Let’s Do It” takes off with bright, percussive horns and sticky basslines that reel in the listener from the jump. Keyboardist Ivan Neville and bassist Tony Hall trade off lead vocals throughout the opening verses, followed by multi-harmony choruses that coalesce into a powerful groove. A third of the way in, the gospel-like voice of the late founding member and bassist Daniels proclaims “I’m good, together we’re great,” in a poignant moment for fans.

Other special guest vocalists include long-time friend and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, and Dumpstaphunk’s newest addition Viveca Hawkins. Infectious horn arrangements by band members Alex Wasily on trombone and Ashlin Parker on trumpet, with additional appearances by Brad Walker on tenor saxophone and Stephen Lands on trumpet, weave throughout the song to create one of Dumpstaphunk’s most poignant singles to date. 

============================================================================

Kacimi & Mécréance - Ne comprennent rien.

Kacimi teams up with La Mécréance and unveils a new garage rock single with 60's vibes, "Ne comprennent rien."

With everything going on in the world lately, it’s safe to say no one understands anything anymore. And if you were hoping for Kacimi to guide you through the chaos—think again.  The Franco-Swiss artist puts his dreamy pop aside and teams up with La Mécréance to hit us with a jolt of raw energy through their punchy garage rock single, "Ne comprennent rien".

With biting lyrics and raw energy, Kacimi and La Mécréance channel their frustration into an electrifying anthem, expressing their indignation at the complacency in the face of a world on the brin.

============================================================================

Photo - Cristina Capdevila

Ellen & Simona - All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder.

Great Canyon Records, the label behind Joana Serrat and the band Riders of the Canyon, is pleased to announce the signing of Ellen & Simona, the indie-folk project of Catalan-born Helena Capdevila. To mark this occasion, Ellen & Simona are releasing the music video for the song "All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder".

Under the name Ellen & Simona, Helena Capdevila invites us on an intimate and melodic journey, where her accordion, Simona, acts as a second voice.

After two years in UK, where she developed her career as Helen, she returns to her homeland in western Catalonia with a suitcase full of songs and a unique universe. This return takes shape in her first EP, Salvation Mountain (2023, self-released), a work of North American folk-rock sound and existentialist lyricism that captivates from the first beat.

Now, Ellen & Simona present the lyric video for "All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder", a song included in their EP Open Water (2024) —a work that anticipates their debut album, scheduled for 2025, to be released through Great Canyon Records.

============================================================================

Steven Troch Band - The Mountain.

Steven Troch Band releases new single "The Mountain" from upcoming New Album.

A mountain can be beautiful and haunting at the same time. Driven by a pulsating rhythm, the climber is pursuing the unattainable. A noble goal, but it can also make him a victim of unachievable expectations.
 
This single announces Steven Troch Band's fourth studio album. ‘The Dawning’ will be released on April 25, 2025 on CD, vinyl and digital services worldwide.

============================================================================

Bandits on the Run - Let's Go Below.

Theatrical indie-pop band, Bandits on the Run, release their first single of 2025, “Let's Go Below,” on February 5, 2025. The next night, they kick off a string of tour dates supporting The Wood Brothers.
 
Known for their distinct combination of cello, guitar, accordion and found-percussion with sophisticated three-part harmonies and rotating lead vocals, the trio of Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they), Sydney Shepherd (she/her) and Regina Strayhorn (she/her) sprang from a chance encounter while busking in NYC's bustling subways. “Anyone who knows us knows we're no strangers to the subways-- our band was forged busking on the train platforms of New York City," says Enscoe.

The Brooklyn-based outfit burst onto the national stage in 2019 when their song, “Love in the Underground,” was featured on the NPR Tiny Desk Contest's Top Shelf. After recording their 2021 EP, Now Is The Time, with producer Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers), the Bandits took to the screen, devising a short musical film, Band At The End Of The World, commissioned by Prospect Musicals. Since then, they have continued to explore the nexus of indie-folk and theatrical storytelling, composing music for the Netflix animated series, Storybots, scoring the movie, The Same Storm, adapting several songs from texts by William Shakespeare for a production of As You Like It, receiving an NEA grant for a new musical with Prospect Musicals, all the while touring the globe with appearances at the Cambridge Folk Festival, Floydfest, Summerfest Milwaukee, Americanafest, F1 Singapore Grand Prix, Mile of Music, and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival.

============================================================================

Upside of Maybe - CJ Wiley - Blessed Child Opera - Melys - Esther Rose

Upside of Maybe - Boys From The North.

Upside of Maybe is a chart-topping, award-winning band that blends rootsy pop and rock with an infectious passion for storytelling. Hailing from the vibrant town of Stratford, Ontario, this family-friendly group has taken Canada by storm with their tight harmonies, magnetic stage presence, and unforgettable live shows.

From intimate house concerts to festival stages that shake the ground, Upside of Maybe knows how to turn every performance into an experience. It’s not just about the music—it’s about creating memories and sparking genuine connections with fans. Lead singer Michael Bannerman sums it up perfectly: "When we hit the stage, it’s about more than just playing songs. It’s about forging a bond with our audience that lasts long after the lights go down."

The band’s musical evolution has been dynamic, seamlessly blending pop, rock, folk, and roots influences. What began as an acoustic-driven sound has grown into an exciting, genre-bending mix that has earned them the title of “alt-rock” trailblazers.

===========================================================================

CJ Wiley - Don't Die Charlie.

Rising Canadian singer-songwriter CJ Wiley is gearing up for the release of their debut album So Brand New on February 28th, treating fans to one final insight with ‘Don’t Die Charlie’

Building on the seamless fusion of slacker rock intensity and soul-baring Americana that defines their upcoming LP, CJ Wiley's latest single emerges as a gutting testament to survival against all odds. Their voice—equal parts grit and grace—weaves through the track, transforming personal tragedy into universal truth. It's a haunting eulogy for fallen friends that manages to find light in the darkness, balancing the weight of loss with an urgent celebration of second chances. Where many artists might shy away from such vulnerable territory, Wiley leans in, their vocals carrying both the tremor of grief and the fierce joy of being alive to tell the tale. "'Don’t Die Charlie is about my decade-long battle with addiction and the grief I still carry for the friends I lost along the way.” Wiley expands “It holds vivid memories, taking me back to high school when everything felt so chaotic, though I didn’t fully realize how dark things really were at the time. There’s a sense of guilt that comes with surviving, knowing how easily it could’ve been me who didn’t make it out. Writing this song helped me make sense of it all. It’s for anyone who’s lost someone and still feels their presence."

‘Don’t Die Charlie’ is the final insight into Wiley’s upcoming LP So Brand New, produced by Boy Golden and mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mark Lawrence. Wiley's distinct voice leads the charge through a collection of songs that swing effortlessly between breezy, gripping rock and twangy country ballads. Tackling themes of queer love, grief, addiction, and the rejection of societal norms with unflinching honesty and with the album stands as a down-and-dirty-roots-rock revelation, showcasing CJ Wiley's ability to craft songs that resonate with both personal truth and universal appeal.

===========================================================================

Blessed Child Opera - Oblivion.

Oblivion marks the return of Paolo Messere's brainchild Blessed Child Opera, after a 6 years hiatus, and is also the first single taken from the new album Red Flags, to be released March 21st, 2025.

It's a longing song, passionate, with samples strings building up climax around lyrics grasping to irrational hopes, longing for sparkles able to revive connections, actually condemned to a cosmic oblivion.

It's a decadent and abysmal romanticism, akin to the bare lyricism of Sophia (Robin Proper-Sheppard), the spleen of The Smiths, the rich instrumentation of Woven Hands.
The video, directed and edited by Messere himself, is a collection of images from the area of Ragusa in Sicily where he lives, and perfectly captures – as glimpses of fields from a train's window - the transience and impermanence of everything.

===========================================================================

Melys - Santa Cruz.

Welsh Legends 'Melys' have unveiled a brand new video for latest single 'Santa Cruz' which is Out Now on all streaming platforms. Taken from their brand new album which will be released in the spring of 2025.
 
This release follows their April 2024 released BBC radio sessions (Vol 1) album that showcased sessions recorded for Huw Stephens, Adam Walton and John Peel (who the band recorded 11 sessions for). 'Santa Cruz' is the band's first new material since 2005's 'Life’s too short' album. “It's been so long; we feel like a brand-new band again….” (Andrea)
 
'Santa Cruz' was written and inspired by a recent trip to California where Andrea and Paul realised a long-held dream of driving the Pacific coast highway from San Diego to San Francisco.

'Santa Cruz' is about coming from a background of low expectation and ambition, of being told you would never be good enough or in the right social circles to realise ambition or dreams, of being told to stay in your lane. ‘Who the hell do you think you are….’

===========================================================================

Photo Char Klein

Esther Rose - New Bad.

Esther Rose will release Want on May 2, 2025 via New West Records. The 11-track set was produced by Ross Farbe (of Video Age) and recorded live-to-tape at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville, TN. Want is the anticipated follow up to 2023’s Safe to Run which was met with wide acclaim from The New York Times, Pitchfork, Stereogum, No Depression, and more. The album features appearances by the singer songwriter Dean Johnson as well as members of Video Age, The Deslondes, and Silver Synthetic.

Following the wide-open serenity of Safe to Run, Rose now leans toward confrontational arrangements full of distortion and full-band spontaneity, never sacrificing a classicist’s gift for melody that makes each song instantly memorable. “For me, these songs felt like revelations,” she explains, comparing the record to a memoir, alive with kinetic storytelling and personal insight. Ranging from stark solo performances to grungy blowouts, the album maintains a steady focus while never staying too long in one place. Vivid and bracing, she has made the most adventurous, hardest-hitting record of her career.

Today, Esther Rose shared the video for the first single, “New Bad,” which is the music video directorial debut by the artist and New York Times bestselling author Anna Marie Tendler. Rose says, “This song leaps from the speakers. It’s part grunge, part shoegaze. Working with Anna Marie Tendler was the collaboration I’ve always dreamed of. We sparked an easy, natural rapport out of mutual admiration for each other’s artistry. After I read her book Men Have Called Her Crazy, I sent her a note, saying that my unreleased album and her memoir were apparently spiritual twins. Luckily, she agreed." Anna Marie Tendler said, "We spent five days, just the two of us, traversing the desert talking and laughing about love, family, our careers, therapy, ketamine, divorce, and music, all while filming a video whose themes and visuals were predicated on the pluralism of self.

We also spent a lot of time in comfortable silence watching a golden sun set into an inky sky. On our last day, I thanked Esther for taking this chance on me. She, of course, had access to all my photographs, but there was little in terms of video work to prove my proficiency, let alone talent. I was surprised to learn it wasn't my visual work, but my memoir, which had gotten me the job. I just knew you would get what I was trying to say, Esther told me."

===========================================================================

The Gentle Good - Julian Shah-Tayler - Womb - Marsha Swanson - Maya Delilah - Liza Lo

The Gentle Good - Ten Thousand Acres.

“Mr Groves is a Wiltshire gentleman, who purchased ten thousand of these almost worthless acres a few years since, and is making a paradise of the wilderness…” - Benjamin Malkin, 1803*

Written in an off-grid cottage during a year-long residency in the Cambrian Mountains, The Gentle Good’s new album ‘Elan’ is a psychedelic portrait of the Elan Valley in Powys, Wales. Featuring songs in both Welsh and English, ‘Elan’ explores the landscape, history and politics of this remote area, which was flooded to provide water for Birmingham at the end of the Victorian era. The second single from the album, ‘Ten Thousand Acres’ is an ode to the valley’s many expressions and a meditation on ownership and our perception of landscape throughout time.

The new album ‘Elan’ is scheduled for release on 16th May 2025, with further singles to be released in the coming months.

============================================================================

Julian Shah-Tayler - Sufferation.

Here are my thoughts that led to the song: “All the yearning and all the memories can never make good what reality hath wrought to the dreams of the helpless romantic fool”

I wrote this song in the deadening disintegration of the dream and the dawning of prosaic realities not to be faced with poetry. There is a slippery sickening feeling when art and beauty cannot rekindle trust and it’s all fallen apart too far to fix.

All the King’s horses and All The King’s men could never put this back together again. - Julian (16th Jan 2025).

============================================================================

Womb - Angels.

To add to their string of beautiful new singles ahead of their highly anticipated upcoming album, One Is Always Heading Somewhere, sibling trio Womb has treated us with a new single 'Angels'. 

In classic Womb style, we are invited into their lush, nostalgic world through the song with an equally ethereal music video directed by Angel C. Fitzgerald.





============================================================================

Marsha Swanson -  Like An Angel.

Renowned singer-songwriter Marsha Swanson kicks off 2025 with the release of her latest single, “Like An Angel,” on January 31st, in celebration of the one-year anniversary of her critically acclaimed album Near Life Experience.

Known for her insightful lyricism and progressive pop sound, Swanson’s work continues to captivate audiences, with Rock and Reel Magazine hailing her as “a songwriter who weaves insightful and thought-provoking lyrics into irresistibly catchy tunes.”

Originally an untitled ghost track on Near Life Experience, “Like An Angel” has been re-recorded with a live band and string section, breathing new life into the song. Accompanied by an evocative music video, the single marks Swanson’s fifth collaboration with award-winning Iranian animator and music video director Sam Chegini, whose visionary work perfectly complements her artistry.

Crafted alongside an accomplished ensemble of musicians, including producer Henry (King Thumb) Thomas, “Like An Angel” was recorded once again at Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne. Henry Thomas, whose collaborations include work with Randy Crawford and Paul Weller, brought his expertise to the track, collaborating with drummer Martyn Barker, guitarist Tony Qunta, and keyboardist Anders Olinder to create a rhythmic foundation that supports Swanson’s heartfelt lyrics. The result is a spiritual and sonically rich track, blending elements from the original ghost recording with new instrumentation for a timeless and moving sound.

============================================================================

Maya Delilah - Squeeze.

Maya Delilah has announced the release of The Long Way Round, her stunning full-length debut album out March 28 via Blue Note/Capitol. The London-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist has also been named a 2025 Spotify “Artist To Watch,” another sure sign of her rising star after she was named to the Fender Next “Class of 2024.” Her debut album makes good on that promise by bringing all the elements of her art together — the intimacy, the ability, the inspiration, the depth, the lightness — into one striking work.

While the 12 songs on The Long Way Round are steeped in soul-pop, they also contain rich strains of country and blues, hints of gospel and choral music, and one full serving of unvarnished funk with the flirty new single “Squeeze” out now. “This album is a combination of so many parts of me,” says Maya. “I get so influenced by different genres, people, places, and experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took me a long time (hence The Long Way Round) to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences.”

Making the album was also a literal journey, from a barn-based studio in Devon, England, to a home studio in Los Angeles, and back to various rooms across London. All with a cast of friends new and old, including producers Peter Miles, Josh Grant, Doug Schadt, Seth Tackaberry, and Aquilo’s Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham, as well as collaborators including Samm Henshaw, Grace Lightman, members of FIZZ, organist Cory Henry, and drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift).

Maya’s muse isn’t the only thing tying The Long Way Round together. Opener “Begin Again” introduces a powerful theme. As she looks back at her first car, her first kiss, her first home, she returns to the gentle hook: “Another day, another end / Oh, we begin again.” The idea of cycles frames the set as the album goes on. Depending on your interpretation, The Long Way Round could be about regaining trust in love or losing it entirely. Shuffled, these songs could trace the arc of one relationship from inception to end, or it could be the bridge between a failed romance and a thrilling new one, or it’s a dozen separate vignettes. With these songs — from soothing, psychedelic send-off “Look at the State of Me Now” to Western-inflected codependence tribute “Necklace” to the ‘70s soul music inspired “Actress” — Maya proves herself a master of not just an evocative guitar solo, but of capturing life’s biggest contradiction: why everything matters all the time and also why it’s not that deep.

============================================================================

Liza Lo - Anything Like Love.

London-based producer and singer-songwriter Liza Lo has released her debut album Familiar via Gearbox Records. The album follows on the heels of a series of critically acclaimed singles — “A Messenger,” “Catch The Door,” “Morning Call,” “Gipsy Hill,” “What I Used To Do,” and “Confiarme” — which have seen Liza earn plaudits from the likes of DIY, The Line Of Best Fit, and more.

Having completed a sold-out EU / UK tour with Australian indie-folk songwriter Harrison Storm as well as a more recent run of UK dates both headlining and in support of Steph Strings and Vraell, Liza has been on a rapid word-of-mouth ascent with shows around the UK and Europe. The album follows her self-released Flourish EP, which saw her earn widespread playlist support and early plaudits at both press and radio, for her tender and meditative take on indie-folk.

Recorded at Damon Albarn's Studio 13, with her band and Jon Kelly (Kate Bush, Paul McCartney), the album sees Liza touch on everything from the loss of a friend to a brain injury, to moving away from her home in Europe, to the many subtle intricacies that come with modern day relationships. It's full of uncanny and intimate guitars, retro pop-inflected synth and bass, and crystalline piano that intensify and build into widescreen, driving poignant songs about vulnerability and emotional fulfilment. It’s a real exercise in both fragility and self-found strength.
 
Speaking on the album, Liza says, "The name Familiar reflects this element of going back to records I grew up listening to, this way of recording that makes music feel familiar and a way that brought my creative process close to what Jon, my mentor and co-producer on this record, is a master in too. I also wanted the word to tie in with the stories I was telling, the intimacy of family, the tales of romantic love in my life, but also the inevitable loss that comes with living and how to manage that. All these feelings we come across recurrently in life, from losing a friend, to falling out of touch with yourself and others, to the beauty of falling in love."
 
To celebrate the release of the album, Liza has shared a new single titled "Anything Like Love," a soft and gentle song that Liza describes as "a love song for friendship, romantic love and familiar love. I like to sing it at family get-togethers and birthdays. A song for my mum, my best friends, my brother and my love."

============================================================================

Beehive Candy would like to thank everybody who has visited us since our recent return. Your support is appreciated and it is superb to see how many are viewing our new music features. You can follow us on Instagram and X and be the first to know when we have a new article. The more visits we get, the easier it will become to fund Beehive Candy, so please, if you can spread the word that we are back, it really will help. Meanwhile we will continue selecting great new music from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland and wherever else we discover music we love!

Ruth Lyon - trost&treibstoff - Red Telephone - Autumn - Kat Greta - Laurel Smith

Photo - Tash Barker

Ruth Lyon - Wickerman.

Newcastle singer-songwriter Ruth Lyon returns this week with haunting new single "Wickerman". Produced by John Parish (Aldous Harding, PJ Harvey), "Wickerman" is the first new music to be heard from Ruth Lyon since her 2022 EP 'Direct Debit To Vogue'. With the release of "Wickerman" and its transfixing accompanying video (directed by Sel MacLean), Ruth Lyon also announces a UK headline tour, with stops in Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, York, Newcastle, and London - following notable festival slots at SXSW, The Great Escape, Latitude and Secret Garden Party.

Known for her transportive folk songwriting and a distinctive voice which ranges from powerful and expressive to beautifully intimate, Ruth Lyon blends the raw emotional honesty and poetic lyricism of Fiona Apple with the melancholic world-building of Regina Spektor.

New single "Wickerman" reflects upon vulnerability and betrayal. A powerful expression of resilience in the face of adversity, dreamy clarinet and melancholic strings sit diffused like sea light on top of the mesmeric groove of the piano and bass with shimmering drums and guitar cutting about like fish coming up for air.

Speaking more on the release of "Wickerman", Ruth said: "Wickerman lives in the borders between lucid dreaming and painful reality and I wrote this at a time I found myself alone yet haunted. The iconography of the burning wickerman evokes the chasing away of winter through fire and ceremony, welcoming the Spring; a re-seeding of soul into new light. Unravelling life changes can be disorientating, kicking up heavy questions to ask and the only answers I found were in time, nature and spirit. I wanted to be remembered and more importantly to remember myself."

===========================================================================

trost&treibstoff - Widely Scattered.

Alright, the name trost&treibstoff ("comfort & fuel") might be a bit perplexing. You wouldn’t immediately associate it with a band rooted in punk and raw indie rock. But as soon as “Widely Scattered,” the new single by musician and artist Rolo Schwegler from Zurich/Switzerland, starts playing, you feel its roots. Under the name trost&treibstoff, Schwegler creates powerful indie songs inspired by post-punk and pop.

Schwegler cites bands like The Cure, Tocotronic, and Watchhouse as his influences. Although the name might be new to the indie scene, Rolo Schwegler is no newcomer. Before founding his one-man project trost&treibstoff, he released a series of albums under his own name, with evocative titles reminiscent of Element of Crime lyrics, such as Das Leben jetzt (2005) and In den Tälern zieht die Sonne ein (2009). Under trost&treibstoff, works like Thermik (2011) and Warten auf die Gegenwart? (2013) followed.

So, what’s the story behind “Widely Scattered,” the new single by trost&treibstoff? “The song tackles a topic that most of us deal with more or less regularly and that can occasionally make life hell. The lyrics tell the story of a woman who has such vivid nightmares every night that she wakes up drenched in sweat—and her strategies for coping with it. The harmonies are designed to offer comfort and act as an antagonist to the whims of neurotransmitters,” explains Rolo Schwegler.

===========================================================================

Photo - Rhianedd Sion

Red Telephone - Faithful.

After a string of single releases, Cardiff’s Red Telephone finally unveil their excellent sophomore album today entitled Delay The New Day a rebellious manifesto wrapped in melodic psych and darkwave textures. Drawing inspiration from MGMT and St. Vincent, the Welsh quintet crafts a cinematic journey that blends industrial post-punk grit with haunting electronic noir. Alongside the album, they surprise fans with a brand new music video for the album’s lead single ‘Faithful’

At its core, Delay The New Day emerges as a fight for meaning and sanity. A defiant statement against institutional pressures, the band positions creativity as a powerful tool for individual resistance. “It’s not about any one thing, it’s as much about asking questions of yourself as it is answering them” 

Lead singer Declan says of the album “We’ve always found ourselves fighting pressures to fit in and play the game. Sometimes it’s seductive and you’ve really got to fight those temptations, so we wanted to use the creative process and our instincts as a guiding light. The whole process was about embracing a spirit of independence”

===========================================================================

Autumn - Venice.

US ethereal-darkwave trio Autumn (Minneapolis, MN) have unveiled ‘Venice’: the second single and video to be revealed from their forthcoming new album, Songs About Dying. Neil McKay (guitar) and Jeff Leyda (bass) generate a hypnotic, amniotic whorl of pulsing electronics, flickering guitars, and driving bass and drum-machine: echoing a sense of Venice’s transition and movement down through the ages, edging ever-near to a watery grave. It is a backdrop befitting vocalist Julie Plante’s impassioned lament for the ancient city’s uncertain future, whereas the song also celebrates Venice’s endurance as a symbol of romance and majesty, as Plante explains.

“Venice is on one level about the death of a city, in that nothing remains unchanged. Everything we experience in this world, all that we create, it is all in a constant state of transition, whether we realize it or not. Venice is a striking example of slowly drowning under the weight curated by our actions and inaction. Venice is also one of those iconic places that we hold a romantic hunger for, a celebration of decadence in spite of everything going on around it. We want to immerse ourselves in it, even as our collective hunger creates the environment that threatens its survival. So, for that reason, this track is also about resilience, and that beauty, once created, can never truly be destroyed. Its continued existence gives me hope for my own.”

===========================================================================

Kat Greta - Summer Daze.

Fresh from her regional Victoria and NSW tour, multi-instrumentalist and dynamic artist Kat Greta returns with her latest single, 'Summer Daze' (out Friday, Jan 31). With its unique, modern-60s and joyful sound, the track captures the vibrancy of the Australian summer while showcasing Kat’s original and free-spirited style.

For Kat, 'Summer Daze' is a deeply personal project that took years to perfect. “I feel like I’m sharing my most authentic self in this song,” she explains. “Recreating the essence of the ‘60s in a new way was a challenge—it’s not the kind of song that people would expect to hear these days. This song is my love letter to the Australian summer, but it’s also about holding on to the things that matter, especially as I navigate my own cultural identity. As both of my parents are unwell and I’ve lost close family members recently, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what it means to preserve traditions, memories, and the feeling of belonging. This song is my attempt to honour those pieces of myself—my Italian heritage and my connection to Australia—while embracing change.”

Drawing inspiration from icons like Burt Bacharach, The Seekers, and The Beatles, Kat has crafted a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Her melodies evoke a timeless warmth while embracing a modern energy.

At its core, 'Summer Daze' is a love letter to the Australian summer, a reflection of how Kat’s connection to the country’s traditions shaped her artistry. “The Australian summer has always been a part of my identity—beach days, family gatherings, sunsets, and the warmth that comes with it. It’s a reminder of the simplicity and beauty of our traditions,” Kat shares. “But, as we know, traditions can be fleeting. This song is about cherishing what makes Australia so unique, and finding joy in the moments we can hold on to—especially in the face of change.”

===========================================================================

Photo Tom Seager

Laurel Smith - pink gun.

North-London alt-provocateur Laurel Smith releases her incensed new single 'pink gun'. An exhilarating expression of female rage, on 'pink gun' Laurel gives a voice to the suppressed anger and frustration of women who consistently experience sexism, gaslighting and disrespect, through a torrent of breathless vocal runs and cavernous, brooding beats.

Speaking more on the release of her new single - Laurel said: "I wrote pink gun when I was holding in a lot of anger from my experiences as a woman throughout life. I have felt spoken over, belittled, not taken seriously, gaslit (and at times) unsafe, uncomfortable and taken advantage of. I know most girls and women have felt and experienced all these things too and internalise these feelings. I want them to let it out. pink gun was my outlet and something that made me feel empowered so I hope it will do the same for my listeners."

Grapples with identity, explorations of female empowerment, examinations of human relationships; the protagonists within Laurel Smith's music are rebelling against expectations, challenging societal norms, finding their place in the world. A "hip-hop kid" at heart, Laurel Smith was born into a family with rock and heavy metal at its core. Those two disparate worlds can be heard within Laurel's potent, shapeshifting creations, with her new music radiating an energy and confidence of an artist revitalised.

===========================================================================

Amy Irving - Sugar Crease - The North Sound

Photo - Gabriel Barreto

Amy Irving - Always Will Be (feat. Amy Helm).

Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Irving has announced her sophomore album Always Will Be, out April 25 via Queen Of The Castle Records/Missing Piece Records. Featuring 10 electrifying renditions from her longtime friend Willie Nelson’s iconic catalog, Always Will Be finds Irving marrying the worlds of music and theater to craft a deeply personal autobiography in song, reflecting on key moments from her widely acclaimed career. In the spirit of true collaboration, the album also includes contributions from special guests Willie Nelson, Amy Helm, Louis Cato, Steve Earle, Chris Pierce and Lizzie No. Along with the announcement, Irving shares the title track “Always Will Be” (feat. Amy Helm), a bittersweet ode to her late best friend Judy Nelson, with guest vocals from Helm and a voicemail from Nelson himself.

Irving has also announced album release shows at New York City’s City Winery on May 4 and Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY on May 31. This morning, Variety published an interview with Irving where she discussed how she chose the songs on her forthcoming album, her longtime friendship with Willie Nelson, and her relationship with music and acting.

“Judy Nelson was a great love in my life,” says Irving while reflecting on the new song that’s dedicated to her late best friend. “A blessed friendship, I miss her every day. I sing this song for her, and I know she’s dancing. Amy Helm brought so much to the party! She has such a rich soulful voice – it’s like we added a whole choir!”

The origin story of Always Will Be begins with Irving and Nelson’s decades-long friendship, which spans back to when they first met on the set of the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose. After dueting on a reimagining of his song “I’m Waiting Forever” for her 2023 debut Born In A Trunk, Nelson reached out to his longtime friend with a proposition: Why not record another album, one entirely of his own work? “I knew she’d probably do a lot of my songs and I knew they’d be good. You know, I’m just an old hustler,” Nelson said with a laugh. Irving took him up on the offer, collaborating again with bandleader Goolis (Jules David Bartkowski) to pare down a list of 50 options from the songwriter’s oeuvre to these 10 genre-defying tracks. The end result is an incredibly heartfelt album, one that is ultimately rooted in love and friendship.

===========================================================================

Sugar Crease - Rum Soaked Buns.

The video was out a week or so ago, however this new single has to be seen and heard. Joyous & surreal indie from Greater Manchester. Comprised of members who have long served the local music scene, Sugar Crease have been "privately experimenting" since 2015, including recording the album Lemon Warhead in 2020. It was not until 2023 when they expanded the line-up that they played their first live shows, culminating in their jubilant sellout summer 2024 gig at local 300 capacity venue The Vale.

Sugar Crease crack open their treasure chest to share a delicious and intoxicating treat. Probably the first indie sea shanty you've heard today, so take the plunge and dip your hip to the rolling rhythms.

===========================================================================

The North Sound - ‘Til The Love Runs Out.

At the heart of great songwriting is great storytelling. For The North Sound, songs are a declaration of joy, a hallmark of yearning, and a tender tale of honesty. Yet amidst the rawness, trials and tribulations, there are notes of hope and happiness. This is the duo at their best.

‘Til The Love Runs Out is a song written in collaboration between Forrest Eaglespeaker and Nevada Eaglespeaker who make up the folk band The North Sound. The first single is a relatable spotlight on the intense joy and sometimes heartbreaking lows that come with relationships.

"Love is the foundation of any strong partnership, but for it to maintain any kind of longevity it requires patience, understanding, compassion, and radical acceptance of yourself and each other. The hard work can sometimes be overwhelming, but with the right stuff, the tree you grow together will bear the sweetest of fruit that will keep you both fed and energized to continue on." The new album What It Takes is out on March 24, 2025 on New Sun Records.

Catbird Music · Til The Love Runs Out Master Wav

===========================================================================

The Indie Pea - Brandi and the Alexanders - The Rishis - City Cycles - Avery Friedman - Ana Cristina Cash

The Indie Pea - Keep Holding On.

Get ready for an exhilarating musical journey with The Indie Pea. Their authentic indie music is a thrilling blend of simplicity and complexity, filled with familiar twists and turns. It's a sonic adventure you don't want to miss! Their sound uniquely combines urban and rural elements, creating a signature style that is truly their own. This characteristic quality of The Indie Pea's music makes it versatile, suitable for any environment or event.

The Indie Pea's new single, Keep Holding On, brings back their original sound with a grand indie pop rock style. This track features beautiful strings, powerful vocal lines, and lively horns. All of this is packed into a tight 3-minute song, making it a must-listen for fans.

============================================================================

Brandi and the Alexanders - Black Cherry.

Yesterday, NYC-based psych-rock and soul band Brandi and the Alexanders released their new single “Black Cherry.” Drawing inspiration from R&B Queens like Chaka Khan, the subversive funk and harmonic styles of Marvin Gaye, and mix psychedelic experimentation with disco energy, the band has carved out a reputation for their cosmopolitan soul driven by their love for an insatiable groove of grit and heart with a dose of attitude. Lead singer Brandi Thompson, respected as a powerful vocalist in the classic soul vein of Aretha Franklin, Candi Staton, and Gloria Gaynor, brings a lively fire that dances inside the Alexanders’ sophisticated and cinematic heartbeat.

"I mean... I'm telling you to take a bite of my big black cherry — the lyrics came to me all at once after I had the title,” Brandi Thompson explains of the song. "We recorded it during an incredibly sweltering hot summer day with no A/C and the temperature dictated the tempo,” continues drummer Eric Gottlieb. “We all share a taste for the kind of sleazy but smooth post-disco R&B/soul/rock; George Benson, Chic, Rod Temperton and the G-funk West Coast production style which our engineer/producer Greg Teves  immediately understood what we were going for."

Brought together in 2015 first as an 11-piece band before hitting the road in 2017 as a quartet, the band has been a ragtag collective of friends and family honing their sound between adventurous sets on tour. Music blog PopMatters cuts to the chase, “This is music to move to.”

Brandi and the Alexanders · Black Cherry (Official)

============================================================================

The Rishis - Robot Factory / Coloring.

The Athens, Georgia Elephant 6 band The Rishis return with two new singles "Robot Factory" and "Coloring" off their upcoming self-titled sophomore album on Cloud Recordings. The album comes out on February 21st on digital and vinyl. The Rishis feature members of Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, Elf Power, and more.

The Athens, Georgia based band is centered around the songwriting duo of Sofie Lute and Ranjan Avasthi and has now expanded to a full band with a rotating cast of musicians playing psychedelic folk rock with tinges of world music to add coloring to the mandala. Sofie and Ranjan have been writing songs together for over a decade now with their debut album, August Moon, which arrived in 2022 on the Elephant 6 Recording Company label of Cloud Recordings.

In addition to the duo, the Rishis regularly feature a variety of artists, including members of Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo, the Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, and the Primordial Void Collective. Other guest musicians on this newest outing include Mac McCaughan (founder of Merge Records), Robert Schneider (producer of the Elephant 6 Recording Company), co-producer Chris Byron, and Colin Willard & Gregg White of Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California. The Rishis self-titled second album, out February 21st on vinyl and digital formats, picks up where August Moon left off, propelling us forward to explore the inner workings of the collective consciousness.

the rishis · Robot Factory

the rishis · Coloring

============================================================================

City Cycles - Waking Up To A World Unknown.

West coast sixties indie pop rock from London. Meet City Cycles, a fab six-piece of musical maestros, all talent! They've set up shop in always-buzzing London, adding their unique rhythm to its already pulsating music scene.

Introducing the remarkable psychedelic retro rock single 'Waking Up To A World Unknown'. This track expertly blends vintage sounds, choirs, and a nostalgic vibe while maintaining a contemporary touch. Modern indie pop rock meets the 60's retro sound of City Cycles. Experience it now.


============================================================================

Avery Friedman - Flowers Fell.

Brooklyn-based artist Avery Friedman has announced her debut album, ‘New Thing,’ for release via Audio Antihero on April 18th. The album features James Chrisman (Sister.) and Felix Walworth (Florist / Told Slant), and the pre-order will launch with "Flowers Fell,” the lead single, on January 28th.

Friedman had always felt that songwriting was just something that other people did until she was pushed by a transcendent live music experience and a traumatic mugging to seek catharsis through music. Playing her first show in July 2024, she soon shared stages with h. pruz, Dead Gowns, and Sister., and she impressed the latter’s James Chrisman enough that he offered to record her debut album. The result was ‘New Thing,’ a sonically deep and layered debut that sees Friedman explore her trauma and queerness with a raw open-heartedness inspired by artists like Adrianne Lenker, Squirrel Flower, and Babehoven.

The lead single, “Flowers Fell,” is an ode to transitional stages that uses the changing seasons to demonstrate the growth Friedman has experienced by finally immersing herself in her art. The song’s tense guitar bursts offer an illustration of resistance before a starry-eyed chorus blooms, and Friedman sings, “The flowers fell off when I was asleep / But that’s okay, ‘cause now it’s all green,” as she finds acceptance and resilience in the face of change.

============================================================================

Ana Cristina Cash - Last Call" / "Tu Última Llamada.

Ana Cristina Cash, the bilingual powerhouse known for her unique blend of Country, Pop, and Latin melodies, has released her latest single, "Last Call" (English) / "Tu Última Llamada" (Spanish). This captivating track marks the next chapter in her evolving musical journey, offering a poignant and empowering message that resonates across cultures.

Written by Ana Cristina Cash, Jodi Marr, and Willie Breeding, "Last Call" / "Tu Última Llamada" is a fiery anthem of liberation and self-discovery. With lyrics that confront betrayal and reclaim personal strength, the song weaves vivid storytelling with Ana Cristina's rich vocals and dynamic musical arrangement. The track bridges genres, blending pop and country influences with a Latin flair in its Spanish version.

"’Last Call’ / ‘Tu Última Llamada’ is about taking back your power. For my first single release of 2025, I wanted to release something with a strong beat that was fun, captivating, and powerful while showcasing a fusion of the two genres I have worked with all of my life: Country music and Latin music," says Ana Cristina Cash. "This fusion of genres has always felt natural to me and is very much a part of my authentic identity. I have always had a strong vision of Country music being a genre that can resonate with people globally, across various cultures. I love to be experimental in my work, and I feel that music knows no boundaries."


============================================================================

Magana - Kaleida - Luna Morgenstern - Stergin - flipturn

Magana - Shower Song / Half To Death.

‘Bad News’ is a new EP from Magana, the solo project of acclaimed LA-based multi-instrumentalist and photographer Jeni Magaña. Best-known as the current bassist and backing vocalist for Mitski (recently performing on the “Coyote, My Little Brother” / “Buffalo Replaced” single), Magaña is also one-half of the pen pin pop duo with Emily Moore, and has previously played with Lady Lamb, amongst others.

In March, she returned to the Magana project after a three-year-absence with the critically acclaimed ‘Teeth’ LP, which reunited her with Audio Antihero Records (Frog / CIAO MALZ / Nosferatu D2) who issued her ‘Golden Tongue’ debut in 2016. Released to coincide with the peak illumination of the Worm Moon, her return was marked with a “Witchy Rock” sound that combined Acid Folk, Synth Pop, and Indie Rock. Magaña followed this in October with ‘DREAMS,’ a multimedia project released via the UK’s Hand Drawn Hand label, which combined Ambient Electronic music with a spoken word dream diary and a book of her photography.
 
The ‘Bad News’ EP is her third release in a ten month period, and is considered the final part of the 'Teeth trilogy.' Teasingly described by Magaña as “Cozy Core” and “Winter Pop,” these four songs see her return to the singer-songwriter focus of works like ‘Golden Tongue’ and ‘Teeth’ but strip away the Rock and Ambient layers, so to emphasize words, meaning, honesty, and change.

"This EP is the last of what I think of as an interconnected trio of releases. 'Teeth' was made for spring, a period of growth. It was expansive and exploring. 'DREAMS' was made for fall. It was about dusk, the dawning of the restful months. 'Bad News' is made for that period of time between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Stillness before movement. Each song is about the period of time right before a transition: the realization that change is coming or that it needs to come. As the most lyrically driven of the releases, it is mostly about storytelling. I think of each track as a vignette of a moment in time for four different stories." – Jeni Magaña.

Magana · Shower Song

Magana · Half to Death

============================================================================

Kaleida - Chalong.

Fresh off the heels of their album ‘In Arms’ and the subsequent tour through Europe and North America, Kaleida (Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder) announce ‘In Arms (Deluxe Version)’, out now via Embassy One. Alongside an unreleased track ‘Chalong’, all five bonus tracks of the upcoming deluxe album – live studio takes of ‘Don´t Turn Me Out’ and ‘Hollow’ as well as stripped down piano versions of ‘Hansaplast’ and ‘Seagull Nun’ – are a testament to the immediacy of transatlantic duo’s stage-presence and the emotional resonance of their songwriting, not to mention their ability to reinvent themselves.

“We're glad to share this one with the world... We made it on the last day in the studio during one of our writing trips... Just a spontaneous creation and it feels good to share it with you and let it be free.” – Kaleida on ‘Chalong’

The discovery of a new artistic frontier is evident on the hypnotic microhouse opener ‘Chalong’ that sees Kaleida thriving in the twilight zone between pulsating club sound and meditative electronica. Christina Wood’s lullabylike chant front and centre with a cavernous, sixteenth note dotted bassline, Cicely Goulder wraps up Wood’s sibilant vocal tone in gauzy synth chords, an intricate texture that is soon juxtaposed with a dynamic interplay between arpeggiated guitar licks and percussive patterns, which lends the track an air of mystery and allure.


============================================================================

Luna Morgenstern - heartbreak hotel.

Songwriter and producer Luna Morgenstern just released her new EP 'heartbreak hotel', alongside a spellbinding new video for the EP's title track - directed by Anna van der Velde - capturing the stark, untamed beauty of Iceland's volcanoes, glaciers, and endless black beaches.

The juxtaposition of club music with raw, biographical lyrics is at the heart of Luna Morgenstern's new EP, 'heartbreak hotel'. Documenting an unraveling of a long-term relationship, each song opens the door to another room within the metaphorical ‘heartbreak hotel’, reflecting on the intricate emotional stages of two people parting ways.

Taking cues on her production from sources including Imogen Heap, Caroline Polachek, Taichu and ML Buch, Luna Morgenstern fuses alt-pop heartbreak with late '90s rave and early '00s club influences.

Speaking more on the video for the EP's stunning title track "heartbreak hotel", Luna said: "For these visuals I partnered up with Anna Van der Velde, a multidisciplinary artist, director and wonderful human being whom’s otherworldly visual handwriting fascinated me from the first time I discovered her work. We immediately connected creatively and personally and from that mutual trust we were able to build a visual world that beautifully reflects ‘heartbreak hotel’. At first, I was really stuck on recreating the ‘heartbreak hotel’ I had imagined while writing the record. But I am glad that I let go of that literal translation and trusted Anna with her vision: To travel to Iceland and let the otherworldly landscapes represent the different stages of grief on the record. So we flew all the way to Iceland, travelled the island in a rental car and shot as we went. We were shooting in freezing cold and windy conditions - it felt like a transformative experience that we went through together. In a way, I was able to relive some of the pain in a physical way and could let go of it."

============================================================================

Stergin - Here And Now.

Stergin, the eclectic indie artist known for genre-bending explorations, is set to release brand new EP “Here”. Written over a reflective and wildly creative 10-day residency on the Atlantic island of Gomera, “Here" embodies the joy and curiosity of its surroundings—surf pop vibes, playful synths, and dreamy vocal choirs.

With only a laptop, microphone, mini keyboard, and beat-up guitar, Stergin has crafted songs that are fun, whimsical, and textured with sounds both intimate and psychedelic. Expect indie rock and twee pop riffs, mingling with surf and chamber psychedelic twists—a mix aptly being named “Napoleon Dynamite in band form”.

The EP’s track, “Roly Poly,” captures a memorable moment from Stergin’s island life. Each night, he encountered a troop of tiny centipedes (affectionately nicknamed Roly Polies), which he carefully escorted outside before bed. “At first, I was a bit horrified,” Stergin laughs, “but eventually, we made peace. Now they have a song!”

Each track on “Here" will launch individually on streaming platforms starting 24th January 2025, released every six weeks, alongside the full EP also available for download on Bandcamp from 24th January. Listeners can expect music to dance to, dream with, and escape into... "Here" isn’t just an EP; it’s an invitation to get lost in music inspired by wind, waves, and an artist’s journey through grief and joy. This is the beginning of Stergin’s wild quest, offering a light, quirky, and soulful sonic adventure.

============================================================================

flipturn - Burnout Days.

flipturn, have unveiled their new album Burnout Days via Dualtone Records. The 12 song collection finds the indie-rock powerhouse returning as sonic architects, harnessing their impressive knack for hooks, shimmering soundscapes and “nostalgia-inducing lyrical delivery” (Uproxx). Born from years on the road together, flipturn arrives with more grit, craft and vulnerability than ever before - a clear evolution in the band’s sound, and one that reflects their growth as musicians and individuals. The album has been lauded for its “rays of optimism” (SPIN), “irresistible hooks” (Consequence) and “infectious energy” (Luna Collective) via advance tracks and videos “Rodeo Clown,” “Juno” and "Sunlight.”

Featuring some of their most intimate and cathartic songs to date, Burnout Days recounts hours spent in vans, green rooms, and onstage, all while navigating life in their mid-20s and the constant twists and turns of an industry that can be far from compassionate. As SPIN Magazine puts it, the album is “shining a light on a personal subject.” Lead singer Dillon Basse’s story – from growing up immersed in Celtic folk, by way of his mother, to supporting her through a sobriety journey – is one theme at the heart of the collection.

“‘Burnout Days’ feels like a further push into what our sound can be, whilst also staying familiar to our roots.” says Basse. “Some themes that are explored that I find new for flipturn are toxic positivity, burnout, and acceptance of constant change…It's the most honest we’ve been to our audience about what life has looked like for us the last few years.”

============================================================================