MORA & the Fabulous Wonderfuls - Mayvie - Raynes - Jo Davie - Sofia Härdig

MORA & the Fabulous Wonderfuls - Tool.

MORA & the Fabulous Wonderfuls bring a unique blend of righteous anger and soul-lifting songs to rouse your spirit and move your feet - combining their passions for music and justice to defy genre with atmospheric prog-protest punk...for the masses!

MORA & the Fabulous Wonderfuls is a unique father daughter duo, of George Guitar Borowski and his daughter, who is gifted with a voice described as “Janis Joplin meets Nina Simone”, MORA performs with her hand-picked top-drawer players; The Fabulous Wonderfuls! Together they have been captivating audiences with pieces reflecting our times, sharing compassion with conviction and shaking the foundations with powerful vocals and unifying anthems. They  quickly found themselves in demand on the festival circuit and will be releasing their first album in spring 2025.

Drawing on a rich musical heritage and an inclusive sense of troubadour camaraderie, MORA & the Fabulous Wonderfuls never fail to raise the voices, hands and hearts of the people they meet and share their music with.

The new single Tool, is released today and is the 4th and final single from MORA & the Fabulous Wonderful ahead of a debut album release next month, is a warped and wavy sonic journey through the aural wormhole into a galaxy of smoking baselines and soaring synth - the latter courtesy of renowned multi-genre maestro John Ellis (studio engineer, producer and musician for this album). A summoning march booms into waves of bouncy lead bends and sultry vocals speaking on the mirages of power and success - this latest single is the final furious fanfare to hail the full album ‘Hot Property’ arriving in May.

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Mayvie - Keep Going.

Admittedly, many claim to know the recipe for a good pop song. But Mayvie can rightfully make that claim. After all, the singer—whose real name is Nadine Nigg and who hails from Bern, Switzerland—has actually published cooking recipes for each of her songs. Since last year, those have even been available in book form.

And because it was so well received—as evidenced by Mayvie’s regular presence on radio, TV, and in print over the past few years the story continues: "Keep Going" the name of her new single is both title and motto. The cheerful soul-pop tune was once again inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan, India Arie, Sheryl Crow, and Jason Mraz.

Mayvie means life. And yes, she’s lived quite a bit: the self-made artist has toured with and without a band to places as far as Berlin, Vienna, and Cape Town, steadily building a loyal and growing fanbase.

To take things to the next level, Nadine studied composition for film, theater, and media at the Zurich University of the Arts from 2013 to 2015. Following several albums and EPs, and her much-acclaimed podcast “Tunes & Coffee Beats”, more singles—and a vinyl album—are set to be released this year.

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Raynes - It's So Quiet Without You.

BottleRock Festival-bound British-American pop act Raynes are thrilled to announce the April 11th release of “It’s So Quiet Without You,” the second single from their highly anticipated seven-song EP, Bloom.

Layering dozens of vocal tracks over a chamber ensemble of strings, the song combines flute textures, sleigh bells, and orchestral chimes with electric guitars and drums to create a hard-hitting rock song, mixed by GRAMMY award-winning engineer Chris Sclafani (Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, and more).

“This song was written several years ago and existed only in demo form until recently,” says songwriter Mat Charley. “Over the years, ‘It's So Quiet Without You’ stayed in our heads. Unlike some of our other songs, this one changed very little from the demo version to the final record—the strings were fleshed out and a few sounds were replaced, but even the title and the lyrics stayed the same (which is rare for us). It felt like a very honest song from the beginning. It's simply about the feeling of distance—specifically, the distance that comes from being apart from someone you love.”

Bloom draws inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement, using its distinctive floral and botanical elements to visually and sonically evoke a garden. The EP is designed to “bloom” from the first song to the last; the opening track has a relatively spare arrangement, and each subsequent track becomes more layered and lush until the EP ends in a full symphony. Bloom will be available everywhere on June 20th.

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Jo Davie - Colder.

Embrace the changing seasons with Jo Davie’s unearthly alt-indie single ‘Colder’ when it came out yesterday Thursday, April 10, and prepare for the best in the wait for her upcoming debut EP ‘Nothing Comes Free’, out on Friday, May 2.

Ever since Jo Davie graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium in 2017 with First Class Honours and the University Medal, her music career has bloomed, becoming a regular on the festival circuit with regular performances at the Woodford Folk Festival (QLD), The National Folk Festival (ACT), and the Caloundra Music Festival (QLD) among others since 2018.

In the last few years, her career has been rising to new heights, receiving the Carol Lloyd Award at the Queensland Music Awards, performing a sold-out solo show at the 2024 Sydney Festival, supporting ARIA-winning artist Katie Noonan across a variety of venues, performing internationally on other projects, all while completing her PhD. Her lilting voice, impressive versatility and technical skill, and masterful storytelling weave together an experience that stirs the soul and lingers in the heart.

‘Colder’ is her newest single, a folk-pop song that feels like a well-worn memory. With kaleidoscopic guitar, heavenly strings, and dreamy riffs, this song builds an intimate atmosphere. Jo Davie’s vocals are powerful yet gentle and vulnerable, perfectly carrying the listener through the story of the song.

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Photo - Jessica Nettleblad

Sofia Härdig - Lighthouse of Glass (Album).

Following a string of successful single releases, Swedish songstress Sofia Härdig drops her highly anticipated 9th studio album Lighthouse of Glass today April 11th via Icons Creating Evil Art and Bark At Your Owner.

Showcasing Härdig's distinctive vocal range and innovative songwriting, Lighthouse of Glass emerges as a portal into hundreds of untold stories, each track representing a crystallised moment from two years of intense artistic isolation."I wrote on my own in solitude for almost two years. I read a lot, wrote a lot, and recorded more than hundred of songs," Härdig recalls. "I was in this cave of writing.”  This prolific period of creation has culminated in what might be her most ambitious and personal work to date. From the brooding piano of ‘Pale Fire’ to the power ballad of ‘Kingdom Come’, each track unleashes the full force of her commanding vocals while highlighting her masterful touch as both producer and songwriter.

Each song on Lighthouse of Glass represents what Härdig describes as "the tip of the iceberg of a long cycle of lyrics, often a novel or short story built in solitude." Her process involved"taping images, fragments of text up on the wall," with many songs starting as half-hour epics before being distilled to their essence. "I think and hope that listening is like dipping your toes into these different fragments of worlds that exists under the surface," she reflects. The album’s centrepiece and title track ‘Lighthouse of Glass,’ emerged as a rare moment of pure artistic channeling – captured in its original form during an improvisational session, with Härdig's initial guitar take remaining untouched throughout the production process. This track became the catalyst for her collaboration with Risenfors, whose contributions helped shape the album's distinctive sound.

The record features an impressive roster of collaborators, including Bebe Risenfors (known for his work withTom Waits and Elvis Costello), who was so moved by Härdig's live performance that he spontaneously joined her musical journey. "It was amazing to open the projects from Bebe when he sent them back to me and see what he had added to my demos," Härdig says. "It spurred me on recording more, building soundscapes." The album also brings together some of Sweden's finest musicians, including guitarists Robert Johnsson (Robert Johnson and the Punchdrunks) and John Essing (Bob Hud), with Grammy-awarded Nille Perned handling the mixing duties.

Sofia Härdig · LIGHTHOUSE OF GLASS

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Paco Cathcart - Paige Barnard - Jont - Esther Rose - Ways of Seeing

Paco Cathcart - Invasive Species.

“Invasive Species” is the second advance single from Paco Cathcart’s new album Down on Them (out 2nd May) and it’s streaming everywhere now. 

The song is a snapshot of Paco’s life in NYC working to make rent while sharing the city with fellow invasive species like the Spotted Lantern Fly.

The absolute wrecking crew that Paco put together to record Down on Them is on full display on “Invasive Species.” The band comprises Miriam Elhajli (Guitar, Vocals), Ellie Shannon (Synth, French Horn, Piano, Vocals) and Fantasy of a Broken Heart’s Bailey Wollowitz on drums.

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Paige Barnard - What Else.

Singer-songwriter Paige Barnard has released yet another gut-punch single,  ‘What Else’, gripping the minds of its listeners for four minutes and forty seconds. The track is a preview of her upcoming debut album, 'Find Your Way Back', set for release on June 4. In her second release of 2025, Paige gives it her all in yet another showcase of her talents, showing why she’s earned praise from Triple J Unearthed, Aus Music Scene, Milky, and more, and why she’s received recognition from the Darebin Songwriters Judges Award 2020 and the AIR Women in Music Mentor Program.

Though this single encapsulates her iconic emotive sound and the grandeur of her storytelling, 'What Else' breaks from her usual style with its country twist, through the pedal steel guitar, slow drums and bed of piano the track is laid upon. The heart of the track is the vocal performance of Paige Barnard, adventuring the emotional and literal highs and lows of the track in truly showstopping form. ‘What Else’ is a ballad reminiscent of a song at the emotional peak of a musical, its incredible vocal range paired with immersive storytelling.

This song explores the stage of a relationship where the same arguments repeat, the threads wear thin, and love feels like a cycle of unresolved problems—no matter the effort, both sides are always in the wrong. Paige describes the inspiration as,

"Having the same disagreements play on repeat, feeling guilty for how I react but still trapped in the cycle, like nothing will ever change. This song was me screaming out in desperation to find a way to change the narrative. But at the end of the day, it’s unconditional love, so we always find a way to forgive each other."

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Jont - Fingers Crossed.

Nova Scotia via London, UK singer-songwriter Jont's new single, "Fingers Crossed," is a powerful and emotionally charged anthem that dives deep into the complexities of forgiveness, accountability, and the transformative process of taking control of one's own emotional freedom. The song offers an unflinching exploration of the personal struggle to let go of anger and pain, turning them into liberation rather than allowing them to fester into resentment.

Jont's music has always carried a sense of introspection, and "Fingers Crossed" is no exception. It comes from a place of yearning for release—release from waiting for someone else to acknowledge their wrongdoing. The song highlights how we often find ourselves trapped in the prison of unspoken grievances, waiting for apologies that may never come, all the while neglecting the fact that we have the power to release ourselves from this self-imposed captivity.

Sometimes we need to see the truth, to be shocked by the unrelenting truth of how things are, so that we can make a change. And that change invariably needs to happen in us, not in someone else. "Fingers Crossed" is about that realization. It's about forgiveness, and how it's often not about the person we are waiting to apologize, but about us choosing to forgive and move on. – Jont

The song's music video, directed by Annaka Gale and Dario Lozano-Thornton, is a visual extension of its themes. "We knew we had the opportunity to create something deeply connected to the shadow realms," says Jont. "The moments in the video are shocking but playful, and the intense, graphic re-enactments of toxic relationship dynamics are designed to be visceral, dark, and most importantly, true to the nature of those deeply painful moments that so many experience."

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Photograph by Char Klein

Esther Rose - The Clown.

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.
 
Now Rose shared the album standout “The Clown.” Rose says, “This song is about self-acceptance, gender identity, and being turned on. Clothing and how it makes me feel is a huge part of my process. I heard that David Bowie would dress up in the studio when he was making records. The band caught on to my process, and it was fun to surprise them each morning with a lewk. Nothing too wild, but alluding to a vibe that would carry into the music. For ‘The Clown,’ I wore my favorite outfit: a blazer with huge shoulder pads and low-rise leather pants.”

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Ways of Seeing - Idolise.

ork risers Ways Of Seeing share the atmospheric yet buoyant new single ‘Idolise’. Taken from the band's upcoming sophomore album, The Inheritance of Fear the single displays the band’s blend of shoegaze and alt-rock elements.

‘Idolise’ was brought to life with Christian Best (Susan O’Neill, Mick Flannery, O Emperor) at the helm of production, with additional production and mixing by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band (Sprints, Lambrini Girls, Silverbacks). The result is a textured, immersive listening experience that continues to build on the band’s growing reputation.

Highlighting the band's evolution towards a rawer, darker and more foreboding sound, ‘Idolise’ marks a bold departure from their debut album, End Comes To Light. Danceable and driven thanks to the up tempo drums and pulsing bass, the tracks intricate guitar work, which shifts between fuzzy lead lines and the twinkling modulation tinted verses. Topped with commanding, theatrical and expressive vocals throughout, the track is at once haunting and subtly hooky.   

Speaking on the track the band explains: “This song explores the dangers of idolisation in a relationship or any other realm of society for that matter. It has the potential to lead to a loss of identity, a power imbalance and the hindrance of growth. Putting anyone on a pedestal means there is a good chance that you might miss the red flags attached which can lead to an unravelling into chaos and destruction. Sometimes only seeing the good in something or someone can tear you apart more than acknowledging and tackling the messy parts of life.”

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Claire Helm - Moving Into Tucson - Gwenno - Hannah Rose Platt

Claire Helm - Ghost.

Fusing pop and soft rock into hauntingly beautiful but pulsing melodies and lush musicianship, Ghost is a searing track all about the person who comes into your life like a game show host, showing you all of the best parts of themselves, and then when you pull back the curtain to look for the truth and the real person, you discover the smoke and mirrors that lie that behind the facade....and that in reality there is nothing there...like a ghost. Written by Mark Sykes and Claire Helm and produced by Steve Dutton with mastering from the highly respected studios of Carl Rosamond at RSS Music and Media.

This track features a veritable Huddersfield super group of superb, well established local musicians of the highest calibre. With polymath Steve Dutton from the mod legends The Killermeters on drumming, engineering, producing, cinematography and photography duties, local rock god Roger Kinder from one of West Yorkshire’s leading live bands Razorbach on lead guitar, the badass bass from Mark Sykes of Champagne Supernova, and the exceptional singer/songwriter and exemplary musican Nick Ryder on additional guitars and keys.

Ghost also features the stunning acoustic guitar of the late Boo Sutcliffe, and this fact is heartbreakingly significant as it is the last track that Boo was able to play on shortly before brain surgery led to him losing his renowned dexterity in his arm and hand. It was purely incidental that the track was called Ghost, as his playing is very much alive and in glorious technicolour on this powerful track, and will forever be.

Claire Helm · Ghost

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Moving Into Tucson - Are You Ready.

Moving Into Tucson, the indie pop rock band known for their evocative storytelling and unforgettable melodies, returns with Are You Ready, a shimmering Britpop anthem for our times. Infused with the optimism and energy of the genre's golden era, this track is a call to action wrapped in an irresistibly catchy tune.

The song’s lyrics, driven by heartfelt imagery and a universal message, evoke childhood innocence and the urgent need for unity. With lines like, “Are you ready to build up a world of love / To build up a world of peace” the track challenges listeners to step up and create a better future. The nostalgic verses, painted with sunny playground memories and riverside conversations, are a poignant reminder of what’s at stake.

Anchored by the chorus’s soaring harmonies and upbeat rhythm, Are You Ready is not just a song, it’s an anthem of hope. The band’s Britpop influences shine through in every driving chord and uplifting refrain, making it impossible not to sing along.

Are You Ready is more than a rallying cry; it’s a feel-good reminder that change starts with all of us. So, turn up the volume, let the music inspire you, and join Moving Into Tucson in building a world worth dreaming about.

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Photo - Clare Marie Bailey

Gwenno - Dancing On Volcanoes.

Gwenno today announces her new album Utopia due out July 11 via Heavenly Recordings. The album is the follow-up to her hugely acclaimed third album Tresor which was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2022. To accompany the announcement Gwenno has shared lead single “Dancing On Volcanoes” together with a stylish B&W video shot in Las Vegas. Over a backing track that swirls, drives and punches like a motorik-fuelled version of The Smiths, Gwenno looks back on dancefloors that no longer exist, to the act of dancing as catharsis and the magic of losing oneself until 5am in a strange and beautiful new environment. It’s the perfect return of one of the UK's most creative and driven musicians.

Commenting on the track Gwenno says: “Jarvis Cocker dancing alone on stage, surrounded by dry ice, perfectly conveying the loss of our congregational dancing and drinking in small venues with a slight swing of the hip and flick of a hand... dancing 'til 5am at Le Mandela restaurant in Grangetown, Cardiff... the Pet Shop Boys' perfectly aimed observations on modern life... the spirit of Johnny Marr on guitar, his echoes of the Celtic sea passed down through the generations... the need to dance as a cathartic act... it's all here - Dancing on Volcanoes!"

43 years into her life, Gwenno Saunders has been many people. The disaffected Cardiff schoolgirl; the teenage Las Vegas dancer; the singer in indie pop group The Pipettes. There was a turn in a Bollywood film, a nightclub tour, a stint cleaning floors in an East London pub. Long before she would become an acclaimed solo songwriter in both Welsh and Cornish, a winner of the Welsh Music Prize, a nominee for the Mercury, a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, there were the days of Nevada, London, Brighton; of Irish dancing, techno clubs, messiness and chaos.

Utopia, Saunders’ fourth solo album, is an extraordinary exploration of all of these selves. If the singer regards her first three solo records — 2014’s Y Dydd Olaf, 2018’s Le Kov and 2022’s Tresor as “childhood records”, rooted in her upbringing, her parents, her formative identity, then Utopia captures a time of self-determination and experimentation. These are songs of discovery, of the years between being someone’s daughter and becoming someone’s wife and someone’s mother. They range from floor-fillers to piano ballads, via contributions from Cate Le Bon and H. Hawkline, and encompass William Blake, a favorite Edrica Huws poem, and the Number 73 bus. It is her finest work to date.

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Hannah Rose Platt - Young Men Need Their Wives.

While staying true to the themes of medicine and misogyny at the heart of her conceptual album, "Young Men Need Their Wives" is drawn from a much more personal well of influence. Ultimately pressured by multiple therapists and medical professionals to stay in an abusive relationship during a particularly challenging chapter of her life, this fierce track channels the chaotic, disorienting emotions she felt during that time.

As Hannah explains: “I wrote "Young Men Need Their Wives" as a fierce declaration that we are all worthy of love that is kind, genuine, and healthy—free from manipulation. Many of the lyrics are drawn directly from the harmful and dangerous advice I was given verbatim by therapists and medical professionals. This song is not just about reclaiming my own voice; it’s also about empowering anyone who has ever felt pressured to stay in toxic situations. It serves as a reminder that we deserve love that lifts us up, and we should never settle for being collateral damage in someone else’s journey of self-discovery.”

With lyrics that cut right to the bone and a score that blends the raw energy of Sonic Youth's distorted guitars with the soulful, catchy, yet vulnerable sound of The Shirelles; "Young Men Need Their Wives" shakes to the core with its rebellious spirit and defiant message.

A standout moment of her next album ‘Fragile Creatures’, this song is an assertion of independence and strength that turns a painful experience into a powerful call for self-worth and self-liberation. The track will feature on the record alongside previous singles ‘Curious Mixtures’ and ‘The Edinburgh Seven’.

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Annie Stokes - Blue Foundation - Sister Sadie - Daphne Blue Underworld

Annie Stokes - Ghostwriter (Album).

After hustling in the Washington, DC music scene for a decade, Annie Stokes arrived at the end of 2023 with a calm clarity: she was ready to write the type of album she’d always dreamed of. She and her husband and songwriting partner, Will Berger, holed themselves up in a cabin by the Shenandoah River for a weekend in December and sketched out the bones of what would become “Ghostwriter.” Built around themes of grief, belonging, and permanence, the album also visits topics of gender dymanics and double standards, the lingering ache for validation from past friends and lovers, reclaiming boundaries in the digital age, and the intense, alchemical friendship young women experience in their twenties.

“Ghostwriter” began to take form under the creative helm of producer and co-writer Austin Bello, who collaborated on 2023’s “Wild Rose” EP. Stokes leaned more on her banjo as a rhythm instrument, while Berger used the bass to push the melodic narrative of the songs. Marty Garfield, who joins Stokes on stage as part of her live line-up, added fiddle, alternating between highland-esque dirges and Appalachian licks. Before recording each song, the players loosely discussed the genre and sound they were attempting to create, while ultimately agreeing that the songs needed to take their own shape. The result is a collection of dark-hued, modern Americana music firmly rooted in folk songwriting tradition.

While recording this album in the spring and summer of 2024, Stokes also independently toured the East Coast, began hosting songwriter showcases in her hometown of Leesburg, VA, and parented her two young daughters. She loves that the grit and fatigue of being a working artist and millennial parent shine through in these songs. Americana and folk music is many things, but it’s ultimately defined by its connection to the earth and the everyday people who inhabit it. With “Ghostwriter”, Stokes hopes to crystallize and honor some of the sacred, ordinary experiences of everyday living.

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Blue Foundation - Ecstacy In Space.

Blue Foundation are proud to announce the release of, ‘Ecstasy in Space’, the third single from their forthcoming new album ‘Close to the Knife’, which is set for release on April 18th. Recorded in 2024 and written by Tobias Wilner, this dreamy, shoegazey track takes listeners on a sonic journey through ethereal soundscapes and pulsating rhythms, capturing the essence of liberation and desire. The track also introduces a new member to the Blue Foundation lineup, Nina Dahlgaard Larsen, who provides vocals on this song.

‘Ecstasy in Space’ is a fuzzy and delicious snowball of pure dream pop that calls you to surrender to the moment. The track tells you to hold on tight and glide with grace and reminds you that true ecstasy comes from the freedom of choice and the strength to surrender. On the single, Tobias Wilner said, "I wanted to capture my feeling of floating high on feelings". His words echo in the refrain, "Wish you were mine".

The music video for "Ecstasy In Space" is a dreamy journey into the energy and emotion of a group of young people in Copenhagen. Shot with an artistic and cinematic aesthetic, the video follows them as they venture into the night on their way to an underground warehouse party. The music video, directed by Hannah Bertram, is a visual poem – hypnotic, raw and nostalgic.

Founded in 2000 by Danish singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Tobias Wilner, the group was inspired by Mark E. Smith's method of forming a band (The Fall), with Wilner recruiting a rotating lineup of traditional musicians over the years to fuel creativity. Since 2010, the core members of the band have been Tobias Wilner and Bo Rande, working between Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

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Photo by Allister Ann.

Sister Sadie - Let the Circle Be Broken.

In a mostly male genre still known as much for its reticence about contemporary subjects as for its powerful harmonies and virtuosic picking, bluegrass music’s Sister Sadie have stood out ever since the all-female group’s founding more than a dozen years ago. 

Now, with the release of “Let The Circle Be Broken,” the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award-winning, GRAMMY-nominated ensemble is breaking new ground with a somber yet uplifting exorcism of the generational trauma of domestic abuse.

“Dani Flowers, Erin Enderlin and myself wrote ‘Let the Circle Be Broken’ right after my Dad passed away,” says the group’s co-founder, fiddler Deanie Richardson. “He was an abusive man who verbally, emotionally and sexually abused me for most of my 18 years living at home with him. When I confronted him as an adult, he said that it had been done to him as a child. This song is about that generational trauma and abuse that keeps getting passed down. The continuing of that trauma and abuse stops with me. It doesn’t go any further.”

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Photo Loren Ipsum

Daphne Blue Underworld - Fake It Make It.

"Fake It Make It" is the newest single from Boston-based alt-pop mad scientist Daphne Blue Underworld (aka. Loren Ipsum).

"Fake It Make It" is the second single from Daphne Blue Underworld's forthcoming album, Memory Palace. Trading the frantic electronic drive of previous single "Kicking and Screaming" for wistful guitar pop a la Camera Obscura or Belle and Sebastian, Daphne Blue Underworld’s "Fake It Make It" may sound gentle, but loses none of the potent lyrical venom of its predecessor.

The song’s chiming guitar chords and plaintive vocal melodies may evoke nostalgia, but serve as a spoonful of sugar for DBU principal Ipsum's bitter ruminations on integrity and authenticity. The music may harken back to a simpler time of homespun indie rock that lived and died by short-run 7” singles and self-Xeroxed zines, but the message is bang up to the minute and all-too-relevant in a world where reality is being obfuscated more than ever before.

The forthcoming Memory Palace is DBU’s forthcoming mid-fi masterpiece—an evocative collection of songs that take the form of aural daydreams bathed in a nostalgic VHS glow. Flipping stylistic channels between the guitar-dominated heyday of MTV’s 120 Minutes and the warm synthesized landscapes of PBS’s Nova, Memory Palace explores themes of personal authenticity, courage in the face of change, and the tenuous escapism of a complex inner life.

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Jæd - Virgins - Course

Photo - Alexis Vokos

Jæd - The Sting.

London based Irish-Puerto Rican musician Jæd (pronounced: jade) yesterday shared a new video for 'The Sting' a highlight from her recently released debut album 'I Loved The Gauntlet And There Was No Other Way' - out now digitally and on 12" heavyweight vinyl via Irish label Delphi.

On its release at the tail end of 2024, Jæd's debut album ‘I Loved The Gauntlet And There Was No Other Way’ received notable support from Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC 6 Music, Paste Magazine, The Forty-Five, The Line of Best Fit, Nialler9, Rough Trade, Hard of Hearing, Hot Press & more, praising the project's freewheeling guitars, jagged drum patterns and spiralling vocal runs, with comparisons to the work of Fiona Apple, Anna Calvi and Nadine Shah.

Once seen live, Jæd is hard to forget. In her hands, the guitar is choked at the neck, tamed and mastered like a wild animal to yield a particular tone, while her voice – an instrument all of its own – is capable of incredible tenderness one moment, before taking on shades of desperation and defiance the next.

Speaking more about her song 'The Sting', Jæd said: "The Sting is about the transformative power of jealousy when worked with for insight into our hidden and sometimes surprising desires. The initial pain of jealousy like a sting, when given space with patience and some meditation, is actually a storehouse of energy and can provide an impetus to initiate change."

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Virgins - blooms.

Following the success of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Nothing Hurt and Everything Was Beautiful’, Belfast-based shoegaze risers Virgins return with the intoxicating new single 'blooms' (April 3rd via Blowtorch Records). The track sees the band further evolve their sound, pushing into darker, more dynamic territories, whilst retaining the euphoric textures that have defined their rise in the shoegaze scene to date.

Produced by Simon Francis (The Japanese House, Kylie Minogue, Ellie Goulding) and mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott, 'blooms' is a cinematic and stylistic swirl of reverb-drenched guitars, tight drums, grounding bass and cascading fuzz, culminating in a cathartic explosion of sound. Shimmering verses burst into swirling choruses as the siren vocals soar above the atmospherics of the instrumentation.

Speaking on the track, songwriter and guitarist Michael describes 'blooms' as: “the band redefining our sound while delving to new emotional depths. A sonic exploration of tension and release, accented by reverse delays and glide guitar. Lyrically, it’s explores themes of reflection and self-confidence..”

Virgins have rapidly become one of Ireland’s most promising alternative acts. Their 2022 EP ‘Transmit a Little Heaven’ sold out its vinyl pressing, and their debut album ‘Nothing Hurt and Everything Was Beautiful’ garnered praise across major press and radio, solidifying the band as ones to watch. The band’s dynamic live performances have cemented their reputation, with sold-out headline shows at GazeFest, appearances at Stendhal Festival and Other Voices Wales, as well as UK and Irish tours supporting artists including Bleach Lab, BDRMM, New Pagans, Sign Crushes Motorist.

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Course - Feeling Alive.

Chicago-based synth/pop group Course has released their new single “Feeling Alive” off their upcoming album Hue Mirror, due out April 25th. Their third full-length offering, Hue Mirror marks their most raw, vulnerable, and poignant collection of songs to date, written by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jessica Robbins in the wake of a traumatic, life-altering diagnosis. On “Feeling Alive,” she acknowledges the personal challenges ahead, but enjoys the small victories of the present, allowing herself to bask in the relief of a pain-free day. Under The Radar featured the track and raved "Although much of the album explores the thorny and emotionally laden experience of living with chronic illness, 'Feeling Alive' offers a welcome detour into serene folk balladry. Robbins’ vocals settle atop glassy synths and swaying acoustic guitar as her melodies sprawl outwards, stretching dreamily as though she is waking from a restful sleep to greet a new day.”

"I wrote this song a few months after my diagnosis when I had come to terms with everything, for the most part, and was feeling better,” said Robbins. “I started to work out, lift weights, and walk more. I was feeling more like myself. This is probably the most hopeful song on the album. It touches on how it takes time in the morning to feel like myself and bring all the stiffness down in my back, 'can the day awake?' And then when it does, I feel alive again and can forget about this horrible disease for the day."

“Feeling Alive” follows the release of the album’s title track “Hue Mirror,” a song that captures a moment of whirlwind confusion, fear, and shock. Magnet Magazine spoke with Robbins and featured the track along with an early peek at the album, raving “it’s her most sonically expansive, emotionally unfettered set of songs to date.”

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Abbey Lane - Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine - The Bats - Steven Troch Band

Abbey Lane - Baby Steps

Drink in Abbey Lane's signature smooth indie blend in her single ‘Baby Steps’, an ode to the small wins and small joys, released this week.

In her first release of 2025, Abbey Lane showcases the talent she’s nurtured through her 13 years of experience with music, once again standing out as someone who pours her heart into every song. In her time, Abbey Lane has accomplished a great deal, collaborating with writers such as Yung Bleu and Tenille Arts and recently performing at Old Bar Beach Festival (Surftrash, Kim Churchill), Rockhampton River Festival (Eskimo Joe), Never Had So Much Fun (supporting Ula and Eluera) and so much more.

Her 2024 debut EP release drew in praise from all corners, with the track 'Darling' winning Best Folk Song of The Year at the ASA Awards, 2025 is sure to bring great things too.

‘Baby Steps’ is a daydream, perfectly embodying Abbey Lane’s ephemeral style. Dreamy indie romance guitar, with echoing effects that make this track flow like a lazy river. Abbey’s vocals stand out as something purely magical, possessing the gentle lure of a siren’s song.  The earnest quality of this track makes it feel reassuring, a comforting mid-afternoon ray of sunshine, something the lyrics exacerbate.

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Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine - Rear Meat (EP).

A year after their debut EP, A Good Way to Get Yourself Killed, Bristol's Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine return on April 4th with their sophomore effort Rear Meat.

Blending the irreverent spirit of Devo, The B-52s, and Talking Heads with their distinctive fusion of new-wave and post-punk sensibilities, the quintet’s latest offering marks a significant sonic evolution. Pulsating  with dark rhythms and gritty textures, they collectively push into heavier, more adventurous terrain. "Rear Meat is probably our heaviest set of songs stylistically and represents a significant shift from our previous output," explains synthist/vocalist Harri Elliott. "We've gradually become a bit heavier the longer we have been a band."

The EP's four tracks dive into darker territory while maintaining the band's signature humour. From the genre-blending 'There's Less Trouble When You Stay At Home' to the powerful awakening of 'Skyrats,' each song offers fresh perspectives. The EP's standout focus track 'Armadillo' arrives wrapped in swirling synthesisers and mind-bending effects, inspired by an unsettling dream. "Armadillo is about a dream that Smudge had where a business tycoon would steal from everyone he could which made Smudge super scared but then he woke up and realised it was all a dream." explains drummer Seamus, "The inspiration for this song came from Smudge having that dream, and then we as the band wanted to recreate the different notions of sleep we experience such as REM, waking up from a nightmare, the notion of falling asleep and not being able to get to sleep in a musical sense."

Across this compact but potent collection, Wakey Wakey Rise & Shine plunge into a cathartic space where anxiety and mistrust dance with playful irreverence. Recorded primarily by bassist Duncan and guitarist Cameron in the basement of Bristol's iconic venue The Louisiana, the band took an unconventional approach to production. "One of the main creative processes to this EP is that we recorded the drums without a click/metronome," Seamus notes. "Nowadays that is not standard practice, but I really wanted to capture a flowing energy because when you play to a click sometimes that flow gets lost."

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Photo - Richard Langston

The Bats - Loline.

Look out, it’s The Bats! These New Zealand indie rock royals have had their heads down recording new music and are now ready to share the first offering; ‘Loline’. The new single strikes a very distinctive and familiar chord that exists in the fuzzy-loving hearts of fans all round the world. We can’t wait to see what else this line-up of over 40 years has in store for us this year.

‘Loline’ was recorded at Chicks Studio in Port Chalmers by Flying Nun legend, Tex Houston, with extra keyboards from Ryan Fisherman. The gorgeous music video featuring recent concert footage was directed, shot and produced by Martin Sagadin, ably assisted by Jack Freeman and Lucy Lallemant – and all with the support of New Zealand on Air.

The Bats are Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean and Malcolm Grant, the much-loved indie rock band from Aotearoa. Since their inception in Christchurch in 1982, The Bats’ music has earned a devoted following around the world, and they remain one of New Zealand’s most cherished and enduring exports. Their music is a perfect blend of bittersweet beauty and deceptive simplicity, and the band has a phenomenal ability to create melodies that linger long after the record has stopped spinning.

Throughout their 40 plus years of existence, and now with album number 11 in the pipeline, The Bats have stayed true to their roots, creating timeless music that continues to resonate with fans old and new.

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Steven Troch Band - God Pulls The Strings.

Steven Troch Band have just released their new single "The Dawning". The song exudes a mystical border town atmosphere and asks the question whether our fate is predetermined. The narrator of this song narrows his scope, to concisely find an answer. This single announces Steven Troch Band's fourth studio album. ‘The Dawning’ which will be released on April 25, 2025 on CD, vinyl and digital services worldwide.

Frontman Steven Troch got “contaminated” by Rhythm & Blues in his late teens. Over the years he has turned into a very fine harmonica player with an extra dose of originality, an accomplished vocalist and clever songwriter.

In 2016 Steven surrounded himself with a very talented & experienced bunch of musicians and the Steven Troch Band was born. Matt T Mahony is carrying the torch high, keeping one eye on tradition while pushing forward into newer areas.  Miss Liesbeth Sprangers keeps a steady pace on her powerhouse bass and drummer Dennis de Gier loves to groove and brews up a wide  variety of rock-solid rhythms like no other.

In their music you will hear the mean menace of modern day life, the sweaty rhythms of the city, the blue notes of days gone by and lyrics that will paint a smile on your face. They are always walking a tightrope between High-Octane Swing, mellow Afterhours Blues and vintage feel-good R&B. Steven Troch Band is a solid four piece band that plays rough-edged contemporary Rhythm & Blues with soul-baring conviction. Without any doubt " Steven Troch Band " is one of the finest bands playing some of the best contemporary and vintage style blues you will hear in Europe today.

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The Bones of J.R. Jones - North Mississippi Allstars

Photo - Christian Harder

The Bones of J.R. Jones - Shameless.

New York-based artist The Bones of J.R. Jones releases his new single “Shameless,” the latest offering from his sixth studio album Radio Waves, due out June 20 via Tone Tree Music. The brooding new song arrives with a neo-noir-inspired music video, produced by Blackhorse Lowe (Reservation Dogs) and Bryan Norvelle with Anora Cinematographer Drew Daniels as Director of Photography, and tells the story of a lover's betrayal. Holler praised the track and its cinematic visual, saying, “Falling somewhere between the widescreen Americana of Roy Orbison and the spare, clean-limbed moody alt-rock of The National, the song sounds like the soundtrack to a late night drive through a neon light desert town.”

“‘Shameless’ is taking the long way home to retread your past,” says The Bones of J.R. Jones (aka Jonathon Linaberry). “The inevitable inner conflict and perhaps guilt that rise up from past decisions, that were maybe made in haste and in passion. I think we all struggle with the ‘what could have been’ question. What arrogant fool can’t look back and wonder? I am just trying to recognize that in this song.”

On the music video: “I have always been drawn to an unsatisfying ambiguous ending. Endings that are never explained, nor make sense in the straight line of a narrative. I think because much of life feels this way. We never get to make sense of so many things. Human nature isn't logical … it just doesn't work that way. It's chaos and we do our best to control it. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. It's this recognition that makes the noir genre so appealing and that's what we tried to create here in three short minutes.”

"The inspiration for ‘Shameless’ came from an idea based on the all tracks provided by J.R.,” says Producers Blackhorse Lowe and Bryan Norvelle. “We thought of the throughline to a story being told from the perspective of the character for each one of the tracks, and landed on this neo-noir mish-mash, somewhat in the vain of Lost Highway and No Country for Old Men. We wanted to write a story that could fit the emotional tone of the track — like a soundtrack; reflecting visually but not necessarily verbatim with the lyrics.”

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Photo - Michael Emanuele

North Mississippi Allstars - Still Shakin’.

North Mississippi Allstars return with Still Shakin’ on June 6, 2025 via New West Records. The 11-track album was produced by Luther & Cody Dickinson. Still Shakin’ follows their acclaimed 2022 album Set Sail, which No Depression said was “their most soulful, funky creation to date.”
 
To make their twelfth album, the North Mississippi Allstars went back to the beginning—namely, their 2000 debut, Shake Hands with Shorty. Luther Dickinson says, “Still Shakin’ is a celebration of our life-changing first album, which we released 25 years ago, and a love letter of appreciation to everyone who supported us and kept us in the game all these years. Touring this album cycle into 2026 will mark thirty years since we started North Mississippi Allstars, and we couldn’t resist commemorating those anniversaries with a new record. In the spirit of our debut, we recorded Mississippi classics that despite inspiring us to start the band in 1996, we have yet to record.  

We also wanted to feature our fantastic band mates Joey Williams and Rayfield “Ray Ray” Hollman who inspire us to no end. Their contributions elevate NMA to new heights.” Still Shakin’ is a daringly inventive expansion of that album, showing how much the Dickinson Brothers have grown in the last 25 years. The point wasn’t to re-create the sound of Shake Hands with Shorty, but to recapture that spirit of invention and excitement. Back in the day, the Allstars came up with the phrase Modern Mississippi Music to describe their collision of styles and attitudes: an obsession with Mississippi Hill Country and Sacred Steel cross-bred with their stoner/punk/psychedelic jams. Still Shakin’ embodies that idea with every note and incorporates wild explorations, weird experiments, and unexpected influences into their sound.

Today the album’s title track is released, which was shot at the family’s beloved Zebra Ranch Studio, Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studio, at the Boulder Theater, and features footage supplied by North Mississippi Allstars fans. Of the song, Luther Dickinson said “Still Shakin’” is a testament to our chemistry and collaboration with bandmates, Joey and Ray Ray. The music came together easily, improvising in the studio and I began recording the lyrics as they came to me, day after day, out on the road, in hotel rooms, using my kid’s plastic karaoke mic. The song is filled with inside jokes from the last 30 years and gratitude to our fans for keeping us in the game.”

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Night Swimming - Palindrones

Photo - Rosie Risdale

Night Swimming - In The Real World.

Bathed in the ethereal glow of dream-pop, Night Swimming's new single 'In The Real World' captures the ache of youthful detachment. The band's new single is released today alongside news of their debut UK headline tour this autumn, alongside dates supporting Miki Berenyi this May.

'In The Real World' follows the success of the Bath/Bristol outfit's 2024 debut EP, 'No Place To Land,' which drew support from well-respected tastemakers including NME, The Line of Best Fit, Dork Magazine, CLASH Magazine, Under The Radar Magazine, Rough Trade, Notion, along with keen airplay from BBC 6 Music and Radio X.

Night Swimming now return with a track that further showcases their ability to craft immersive sonic landscapes. Produced by trusted collaborator Peter Miles (TORRES, Orla Gartland) and mastered by Simon Scott of Slowdive, 'In The Real World' delves into the perspective of a young person trapped, both emotionally and geographically - capturing the sensation of the world existing just beyond reach.

Deeply rooted in the rural landscapes of Shropshire, where vocalist and lyricist Meg Jones spent her teenage years, she commented on the song's inspiration: "In The Real World is written from the perspective of a young person who feels physically and emotionally isolated. It expresses a longing to be part of something bigger, but not feeling sure what that might look like."

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Palindrones - Chapter Two The Slender Blade (Album).

UK darkwave duo, Palindrones have announced the release of their latest full-length album, Chapter Two: The Slender Blade. The album is preceded by the single "Animus" which was released in February.

Chapter Two: The Slender Blade is the next part of the story which began in 2023 with the album, Chapter One: With Fearful Velocity, a mythical science fiction tale centered around humankind’s first contact with extraterrestrial life.

The Slender Blade’s story picks up in humankind’s dark forest of the soul, evolving into archetypal themes of hope, redemption, transcendence, universal consciousness and human connection. It’s a story of existence, exploration and discovery. It’s the haunted echoes of a lost civilization on a doomed planet, a fear of the unknown and the irrepressible euphoria of the human bond,

The Slender Blade is an enduring celebration of the redeeming power of unity; “The Two Become The Many Become The One”. With The Slender Blade, PALINDRONES have built upon their signature hybrid of entrancing, beat-driven, industrial synthpop and infectious melodies, incorporating elements of EBM, darkwave and melodic techno to create a rich tapestry of emotive, cathartic euphony.

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Marketplace - Dubblestandarts - Dad Of The Year

Photo - Rob Irish

Marketplace - Contact Sports.

Hartlepool rising 5-piece Marketplace announce the upcoming EP Marketplace Mean Business (June 6th) and share the radiant new single Contact Sports. Produced by Chad Rodgers (Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Cape Cub), ‘Contact Sports’ is a high-energy ode to the exhilarating uncertainty of new romantic escapades. The track blends a dynamic alt-pop-indie-rock aesthetic with vibrantly catchy melodies and an infectious guitar led backdrop to create a track which is colourful, bright and euphoric.

Vocalist Evie Rhodes explains: "‘Contact Sports’ is about budding romances, where everything is touch and go, and where you know you really like someone but you’re still trying to convince yourself it’s not that serious.

We took a lot of inspiration for this song from bands like The Beths and their style of scrappy love songs that are just so unapologetically sincere without being too serious. The song kind of reads like I’m just crashing out and riding through a train of thought, so I think that balance of lighthearted sincerity was something we tried to capture.”

Drawing influences from a wide range of artists, including Alvvays, Declan McKenna, Pulp, and Talking Heads, the band—consisting of Evie Rhodes (vocals/guitar), Joel O’Beirne (vocals/bass), Jack Purcell (guitar), Matthew Short (synth/vocals), and Ross Dixon (drums)—brings their own individual tastes to the table to create the signature Marketplace sound.

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Dubblestandarts - Bass 4 A Nervous Planet (Album).

And here we find ourselves in today’s shaken world. Bass 4 A Nervous Planet, Dubblestandarts 16th full length album, aims to balance the vibes.12 new tracks with a focus on filtered impressions from the world around Vienna, homebase of the team. Dub music’s philosophical side: “The Bottom Half”,  “Chomsky Dub”, “ Dub Mentalny Fitness” or “People From Western Europe”: Audible reasonings for the fellow listeners. This is music in hi-definition, thoughtful and energetic.

Black Cherries & Burnt Bridges feature Bristol based Arta Ardens unique voice and thoughtful lyrics on 2 downtempo/triphop tracks, leaving the dub genre for very inspiring up to the time reasons! Then there is Evil Empire 2025, Dubblestandarts take on the current POTUS, a reenvisioned version originally featured on Dubblestandarts legendary 2005 release “Heavy Heavy Monster Dub”. Questioning the status quo.

“Bass 4 A Nervous Planet” also includes a dubby remake of the legendary Third Man movies’ famous Harry Lime theme. Shot in Vienna 1947, Carol Reeds iconic film, features Orson Welles & Joseph Cotton. Post war atmospheres of undercover diplomacy and underground businesses, still present in many ways in today’s Vienna.

“In dub we trust”, a legendary line from Echo Beach’s founder Nicolai Beverungen, leads the way: This is music you can listen, dance and contemplate to. While Dub is still considered very much to exist inside the Reggae Music niche, the reality is quite different. What once was developed by the grand old fathers of dub reggae music, Lee Scratch Perry or King Tubby, has made its way around the world into today’s universe of contemporary dub producers. Incorporating sonic inspirations from 5 continents. Dubblestandarts Eurotopian sound does exactly that. Here is new music for 2025 for conscious people, inspired to make our world a peaceful sustainable place to live.

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Dad Of The Year - There's No Rule.

Change Underground had the following to say about Dad Of The Year's There’s No Rule (and that's all we could find out about this amazing track & remix so please give them a visit).  Following the delicate and textured debut EP by Landhouse, D.O.T.Y. Records continues its journey into downtempo and cinematic electronica with Dad of the Year at the controls. There’s No Rule is a warm, slow-burning piece where organic percussion meets ethereal pads, combining subtle grooves with introspective melodies.

The remix by Thea & Schtu elevates the track into more hypnotic territory, emphasizing intricate rhythms and adding a touch of playful tension. This second release cements the label’s commitment to organic and emotive club music. (change-underground.com).

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The Tisburys - Kacimi & Wendy Martinez - Brye - better joy

Photo - Olivia Kirchner

The Tisburys - A Still Life Without You.

The Tisburys share new single “A Still Life Without You” from upcoming album A Still Life Revisited out April 25 on Double Helix Records and SofaBurn Records.

“A Still Life Without You” leans back into the band’s alt-country roots with twangy instrumentation, a folk story style of songwriting, and a guest appearance by Philadelphia lap steel legend Mike Brenner (of Marah, Songs: Ohia, & Wild Pink).

”I wanted to write a story song for this record”, says singer-songwriter Tyler Asay. “It’s about two people finding each other after a series of disastrous relationships & the appearances of fate”. The music video uses archival footage shot while the band was recording the album and was edited by Asay’s wife, Kathleen.

While their last album (2022’s Exile On Main Street) channeled '90s radio rock such as Gin Blossoms and The Replacements, A Still Life Revisited pushes into the aughts with the rustic bombast of millennial indie such as Frightened Rabbit and The Hold Steady. With themes that tackle memory & chosen family, A Still Life Revisited overflows with songs that find home in both packed dive bars and stadiums. It’s about looking back at your life, the choices and decisions you’ve made, and celebrating where you ended up today. The album was mixed by Phil Joly (The Strokes, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey), mastered by Ryan Schwabe (Beach Bunny, Slaughter Beach Dog, Hop Along). A Still Life Revisited by The Tisburys is out Friday, April 25 on Double Helix Records and SofaBurn Records.

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Kacimi & Wendy Martinez - Lune Noire.

Recorded by François Serin at Le Gatillon (Haute-Savoie) during a marathon session with La Mécréance as the backing band, Kacimi presents a series of collaborations with various artists. After working with Joel Virgel and Nick Wheeldon, Kacimi invited Lyon-based singer Wendy Martinez (Gloria) to lend her voice to a garage- and fuzz-infused track.

A sort of repetitive rock’n’roll trance, where Wendy Martinez delivers her prose in the psychedelic tradition of French icons Brigitte Fontaine and Catherine Ribeiro. “Lune Noire” was mixed by Léo Persoz (Le Roi Angus, Magic & Naked) in Geneva and is published by Tweny.

If you're a fan of 60's inspired music and pop psychedelic proposition, don't miss this beautiful collaboration!

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Brye - Body Back.

Indie pop singer-songwriter and producer Brye releases the anticipated new single "Body Back," her first new music since her debut full-length RECOVER and 2024's follow-up EP Growing Through It. Written, recorded and produced entirely on her own, Brye's deeply personal and vulnerable confessional reflects the experience of coercion in a relationship and what it means to reclaim your autonomy. She shared a snippet of the song on TikTok at the end of last year, garnering millions of views and empowering fans to share their own stories.

"'Body Back' was born from a deeply personal moment of anger and rawness," explains Brye. "At the time, I didn’t expect it to resonate with so many people—it was a reflection of my own experience, not something meant for an audience. But as I’ve seen how many people relate to its themes of reclaiming autonomy, it’s become clear that this song matters, and it deserves to be heard."

She continues, "I wrote, produced, and recorded 'Body Back' entirely on my own, pouring every bit of vulnerability into it. The song explores the power of saying 'no' and what it means to finally put words to something so nuanced. This track isn’t just about personal healing—it’s a reminder that we’re not alone in our experiences. That’s why I’m releasing it: to offer the same comfort and validation it gave me while writing it.

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better joy - heading into blue (EP).

After teasing her debut body of work with a series of singles, Manchester-based Bria Keely, better known as better joy, has today shared her first EP ‘heading into blue’ alongside focus track ‘couldn’t run forever’.
 
Debut EP ‘heading into blue’ was produced by Mike Hedges (The Cure, U2, Manic Street Preachers) and the 6-track collection features previous singles ‘waiting on time’, ‘carnival’, ‘what a day’ and ‘quiet thing’, as well as two brand-new tracks, the brooding ‘couldn’t run forever’ and the stripped-back ‘can I land the plane?’. A frank and deeply personal set of songs that focus on themes of self-love and self-belief, the EP is Bria’s true self-expression of herself, with the title ‘heading into blue’ referencing the colour blue being the exact shade of self-expression.  As the first full-length project, it is both a perfect introduction to better joy’s alt-pop sound and an exciting taster of more to come this year. Thoughtful lead track ‘couldn’t run forever’ balances both lightness and darkness in true better joy style, as a melodic and upbeat pop song, backed by a gritty edge with fuzzy guitars and reflective, wide-open lyrics.
 
Bria says, “At its core, ‘couldn’t run forever’ is about running away from things and the notion that you can’t run away from those things forever. I find it fascinating that tiny decisions can steer your life in weird and wonderful ways, but also sometimes there’s that feeling of well “what if” it went that other way? And sometimes these feelings are hard to run away from. In the same breath, I do believe life steers you in ways that are meant for you which is also something you shouldn’t be running from. It’s one big contradiction!”
 
When better joy launched in late 2023, her vivid songs brought comparisons to The Cure, The Smiths and Phoebe Bridgers. A solo project led by Bria Keely and backed up by her band, Bria has an upfront and centre voice as colourful as Debbie Harry and a knack for effortless storytelling. Ringing, complex riffs winding around Bria's vocals, dancing bass lines, characterful drumming and vulnerable lyrics: this is the sound of better joy.

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