Ledher Blue - The Riptides - The Cravens - Mona Lissa Chanda

Ledher Blue - Fait Divers (Album).

Ledher Blue’s new album ‘Fait Divers’ came from an existential crisis. Admittedly, it was shameful to accept that the most generic of internal conflicts were at hand: the “what’s the purpose of life?”s and the “why am I here?”s out of every self-help book seemed adequate, but needed to be articulated in a particular way. What was the purpose of my life until now; “Why am I here?” Zé from Ledher Blue thought as he got into Dublin.

Ledher Blue are the product of two distinctively different individuals that the waves of life comically decided to beach in a northern town of Portugal - Guimarães. The city is known for its historical meaning in the birth of Portugal, for its nasty hooligans, for its emigrant parvenus, its domestic parvenus, its humble proletariat, its shame, envy, resignation and most importantly a mystical ability of seeing the depressed times - which have long been in the region - united in empathetic jealousy, certain that betters days are coming. The club keeps losing but we’ll be champions, the people are poor but we’ll get better, everything may be bad but he will rise in a foggy sunrise.

Zé and Pedro, the pair behind Ledher Blue, encapsulated the diversity of the town in an existential way. One was always happy, one was always longing, one found a girl, the other found the one, one flourished, the other stagnated when one fell in love with the bars and was now bored the other said, “don’t gamble your life for a couple of poems”, but impressively they would always converge from different perspectives to the same idea. Certainly, one loved Illiad for Aquiles and the other for Hector, one for Vronski another for Levin, one for Grey the other for Vane, one for Liam another for Noel… what matters is that instinctively - or “zoroastrianly” - the pure meaning for their message was not what each wanted to say but the product of the pressure. This conflict was in their youth the birth of friendship and in their slope the birth of the band.

That is why one can say that one song looks happy with mournful feel, or rebellious with fearful grooves; it can be satirical in lyricism and classical in structure, it tries to be a singular unitarian message independent of the peripheral chatter. It’s alternative sometimes, post punk in the others, even poppy on some choruses, but most importantly it always feels original and unique.


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The Riptides - Anti Social.

25+ year Canadian pop-punk veterans The Riptides have just released their new music video for the song “Anti-Social,” off their new LP Burn After Listening, the band’s first for Pirates Press Records. The album is available now on 12” Colored Vinyl, and the new video is available on the PPR YouTube channel, perfect for watching on the clock from your work computer!

The Riptides teamed back up with Petr Maur, director of the “End of the World" video, to create a video for one of the most popular tracks on the new record, "Anti-Social." The video perfectly captures the lyrics' relatable frustrations with the professional, technological, and social obligations of our modern world, presenting the band members raging in a video format that - let's just say we've all become a bit too familiar with!

Ever since the first single and video for "End of the World" dropped in January, followed by the second single, “My Hearts Tattooed On My Sleeve” on Valentine’s Day, people everywhere have been going crazy for the new album Burn After Listening.

Once the whole record came out last month, the accolades started piling up, from reviews to radio play to fans declaring it the band's best work to date!

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The Cravens - Big Ole Sky.

Formed by Bill and John Storch along with Ron DeSaram in 2014, The Cravens are a rock ensemble whose roots trace back to the vibrant alternative scene in South Florida. Renowned for their eclectic mix of classic and hard rock, glam pop with an alternative twist, and Americana, The Cravens have been a mainstay on the South Florida club scene, performing everywhere from Port St. Lucie to Ft. Lauderdale.

Their discography boasts three studio albums, a live recording, an EP, and a variety of singles. Noteworthy albums include “On The Line” (2018), the EP “Early Bird Special” (2018), “Dark Side of Love” (2019), “Cravenology” (2021), and the live album “Live From The Funky Biscuit” (2022).

The 2019 single “Dakota Rose” had resonated across more than 250 commercial, college, and internet radio stations, amassing 50,000 Spotify streams. Other popular tracks like “Distance of One” (2020), “Don’t Come Home” (2021) and “More Than Sorry” (2024)have each surpassed 20,000 streams.

Following Ron DeSaram’s exit in January 2024, The Cravens have been diligently crafting their next project in the studio, a much-anticipated successor to “Cravenology.” Enlisting guitarist David Simone, The Cravens have completed “Strangers To The Truth” , an eleven song outing, due for release in May 2025. “Big Ole Sky” is the first single from this collection.

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Mona Lissa Chanda - Queen Of Games (Album).

Mona Lissa Chanda is a Montreal-based singer-songwriter who was born and raised in Northern Quebec to a German mother and an East Indian father. She crafts torch songs that blend the sophistication of timeless classics with the allure of catchy pop hooks. Her inspirations include Amy Winehouse, Tracy Chapman, Melody Gardot, Sade, and Lake Street Dive. While Mona Lissa likes to explore the dark side of human nature, her music is imbued with wit, charm, and a nostalgic feel.

In 2014, Mona Lissa recorded her debut EP, Tip Of My Tongue, in collaboration with Juno Award-winning sound engineer Robert Heaney (collaborator of Cirque du Soleil and Patrick Watson). Critics praised the haunting folk-pop release, comparing it to Sarah Brightman’s acclaimed album DIVE. Over the years, Mona Lissa has graced the stage at renowned festivals such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival and POP Montreal, showcasing her ability to connect with diverse audiences through her versatile and engaging performances.

Mona Lissa’s first full-length album titled Queen Of Games, released on April 11th, 2025, was self-produced with major contributions by veteran songwriter-producer, Paul Cargnello, who musically arranged and recorded the album in Montreal, Quebec. On Queen Of Games, Mona Lissa explores her love of blues-rock and classic soul/R&B, with a tip of the hat to Americana. It features Mona Lissa’s sultry vocals and haunting melodies alongside Cargnello’s powerful guitar hooks and rhythm sections. This timeless collection makes you feel as if you are discovering hidden vinyl gems from the 60s and 70s. However, Mona Lissa keeps it fresh through her use of contemporary themes and creative genre-blending.

Mona Lissa began writing for Queen Of Games in 2022, which was a challenging year for her. After emerging from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was hit by significant personal loss. The grief prompted her to do some much-needed soul-searching. As a neuroscientist who has studied the effects of music on the brain, Mona Lissa was well aware of its therapeutic properties. Harnessing the power of music as medicine, she turned to songwriting as part of her healing journey. Thematically, her songs express feelings of ambivalence towards relationships and intimacy. Love is a fundamental human need, but it can lead to pain and a loss of autonomy. This dance between vulnerability and self-preservation is where Mona Lissa finds her sweet spot as a songwriter.

Mona Lissa Chanda · Queen Of Games [Album]

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Agora Sci-Fi - Nouvelle Vague ft. Hannah Hu - OK Go

Agora Sci-Fi - sloppy.

The enigmatic Agora Sci-Fi return with their fresh new hit, “sloppy” . Serving as the second single from the forthcoming EP Finding It Hard to Explain Something So Obvious, the new track is now available on all streaming platforms.

"Keep your job, but lose your mind", Agora Sci-Fi hums with sheer bliss on the new lo-fi pop tune. It’s one of the first lyrics we hear throughout “sloppy”, and although they may appeal bleak to some, they are far too relatable to those feeling stuck in a rut.
 
Crafted for a bright, dreamy day,  "sloppy" offers a relatable narrative to those feeling tangled in the death grips of capitalism. Untangling the desire to escape from the social, economic, and psychological restraints of contemporary life, "sloppy"  flirts with dynamics by gradually getting louder towards the end of the track, as Agora Sci-Fi highlights the injustice of the metaphorical shackles we are chained to.

Speaking in further detail about “sloppy” is Nathania Rubin herself: “Weaving in the fictional narrative in “sloppy” allowed me to really ramp up the stakes of the song. I was picturing a singular sane person, in a world with completely maddening and inhumane mandates. I imagined it as two separate songs in one, two personalities of the same person too, that kind of smash into each other at the end. Like many songs on the EP, it speaks to a desire to escape social confines, and the fracturing of self that happens when playing different roles in various areas of your life. The person who doesn’t conform, gets gaslit from inside and out, and labeled something like sloppy.” 

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Photo - Linda Bujoli

Nouvelle Vague - Sorry (ft. Hannah Hu).

Marc Collin has been following Terry Hall since The Specials. "Sorry" was originally a B side of Hall's project The Colourfield, released in 1984. Collin immediately fell in love with this song, revealing the beauty of Terry Hall's vocal and songwriting. When Terry passed away, he asked Hannah Hue, who had worked with Terry and whose voice he liked, if she wanted to do a cover of "Sorry" for the Nouvelle Vague album. She came to Paris to record probably the only cover existing of this beautiful song.

Hannah Hu is a singer-songwriter based in London, UK. In recent years, Hannah has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including names such as Terry Hall, The Specials, I Monster, The Moonlandingz and Primal Scream. Hannah has been described as a chanteuse of torch songs. Her voice channels the spirit of pop noir and sixties girl groups. It is a whirlwind of romance, violence and vulnerability, wrapped up in a candy shell.  

Speaking about the track, Collin said: "I’ve followed Terry Hall since The Specials, and I had the chance to work with him on the cover Nouvelle Vague has done of "Our Lips Are Sealed" in 2009. “Sorry” was released in 1984. I remember I’ve bought this maxi single at Champs Disques in the 'export' row. I immediately fell in love with this song, revealing the beauty of his vocal and his songwriting.

"When Terry passed away, I saw a message of Hannah Hue that was working with him, I liked her voice and asked her if she wanted to do a cover of Sorry for the Nouvelle Vague album. She said yes and came to Paris to record it. I think that’s the only cover existing of this beautiful song."

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OK Go - And the Adjacent Possible (Album).

OK Go returns with And the Adjacent Possible, the band’s ambitious fifth studio album and first full-length release since 2014’s Hungry Ghosts. Even for a band known for pushing boundaries, the album is wildly eclectic—postmodern and genre-dissolving, with nods to Phil Spector, Toni Visconti, and Nile Rodgers sandwiched between the fuzzy, psychedelic opener, “Impulse Purchase,” and the meditative, Zen-like closer, “Don’t Give Up Now.”  Glued together by the distinctive mixing of the band’s longtime collaborator Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Tame Impala, MGMT), the twelve tracks collectively paint a portrait of a band comfortable in its own chameleon skin.

The band will deliver an extra special performance of “Love,” its new single, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, April 15. Like the album’s first track, “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill,” “Love” is written from a father’s perspective, but the weighty concerns of the first song give way to wonder and joy on this soaring new anthem.

Damian Kulash says, “You know that dream where you’re somewhere familiar, maybe your childhood home, but there’s a door, one that was never there before, leading to some impossible magical place? Having children did that to my understanding of love. Suddenly, a huge new ballroom opened up off of the little apartment I’ve inhabited so long: a whole new wing of love, grand and soaring and utterly overwhelming. It is endlessly amazing that we exist — little, conscious clusters of stardust occurring, apparently by chance, in the vast emptiness of the universe. And we get to experience love. It is unbelievable.”

And since this is OK Go, of course there is a mind-melting music video. It always seems like the band can’t possibly top themselves, but with the release of the video for “Love," they’ve done it again. The single-take video features complex choreography between the band, 29 robots, and upwards of 60 mirrors to create a dazzling — and this time deeply moving — spectacle of infinite reflections and human-scale kaleidoscopes. Shot in the faded glory of a Budapest train station, the clip was concepted in partnership with creative agency SpecialGuest, co-directed by Damian Kulash, Aaron Duffy, and Miguel Espada, and produced by 1stAveMachine, with technology integration by SpecialGuestX.


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Emily B - aibai & vinny - Echo Valley - Alice Phoebe Lou

Emily B - Got To Get Your Own.

Got To Get Your Own is an beautiful song that's hard to place in any one specific genre, it's a bit of a musical journey that develops and quickly draws the listener in with some enticing hooks. Emily B is clearly a multi talented artist, as her bio below demonstrates, this new song demonstrates her talent to create something special and deserves to be heard.

Emily B is a music artist and classically trained musician, releasing music in many genres including pop, R'n'B, jazz, soul, dance, drum and bass, disco, triphop & reggae. Not only a singer, Emily B also plays saxophone, piano and many other instruments. She is a sound engineer and trained at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a Diploma in Music Technology and also trained at The Round House Studios in Farringdon, London.

Starting her music career making tea for Petula Clark & Mungo Jerry at Red Bus Recording Studios in Marylebone, London to then becoming Studio Assistant at a recording studio run by famous session musicians - guitarist/bassist Erwin Keiles and trumpeter John Thirkell who played for Level 42, Jamiroquai, Three Degrees, Lisa Stansfield and many other big 70's, 80's & 90's artists. Through them she met famous producer Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams) and recorded saxophonist Snake Davis! Emily enjoyed session singing for them and also met with Billie Ocean’s manager Laurie Jay!!

With this experience she built and managed her own commercial recording studio in Watford called The Sound Cube for ten years. She recorded, edited and mixed every session - including singers, musicians and groups of all kinds.

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aibai & vinny - aibai & vinny (EP).

Now this really is an impressive EP from aibai & vinny. Described as "a dreamlike fusion of indie folk and ethereal soundscapes" this is no exaggeration, each of the four songs are incredibly well constructed and can only draw us in, although we receive countless songs each week this EP really does stand out.

aibai & vinny's collaboration is a fusion of their distinct musical backgrounds, blending soulful, ambient, electronic, and indie folk influences. Working completely remotely, this duo has built a sound based on their shared love of music and creative synchronicities. Based in the Midwest, Aibai (producer) and Vinny (vocalist) met while working as producers for a sync licensing company in Minneapolis. Before teaming up, Aibai was known for her indie electronic music production, and Vinny sang in the Minneapolis R&B band, The Love Channel. Through this unexpected creative partnership, they quickly discovered a natural synergy—Vinny’s soulful vocals and Aibai’s atmospheric production blended seamlessly. Inspired by this chemistry, they launched their collaborative project, aibai & vinny.

Their new self-titled EP is a dreamlike fusion of indie folk and ethereal soundscapes. Inspired by themes of nostalgia, introspection, love and personal growth their songs blend celestial soundscapes with raw, heartfelt storytelling, drawing from personal experiences and emotions. Sonically, their sound is influenced by a mix of indie folk artists, and indie electronic artists, blending organic folk elements with lush, atmospheric production. The duo shares, “Our debut EP really captures the sound and style we’ve been working toward. Each song fits together sonically, creating a cohesive sound, yet they all have their own unique vibe. The songs tell genuine stories about love and relationships, and we hope they resonate with people in a way that feels personal and timeless."

aibai & vinny break industry stereotypes with their unique duo dynamic. With Aibai producing and Vinny as the singer, they challenge expectations, proving that women belong in the production space just as much as men. Their collaboration not only pushes creative boundaries but also helps redefine representation in the music industry. With their innovative sound and bold approach, aibai & vinny are poised to be standout artists in 2025.

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Echo Valley - Crabbuckit.

Echo Valley, the dynamic band known for its electrifying blend of Bluegrass, Rock Americana, and Folk, is thrilled to announce the release of its new video for the single "Crabbuckit." The video, a visual feast of vibrant colors and captivating performances, is now available on all streaming platforms.

This highly anticipated track is a tantalizing preview to their forthcoming Album, Leave You Behind, and showcases the band's signature energy and musical prowess. The vibrant video captures the spirit of Echo Valley, featuring the captivating harmonies and infectious stage presence that fans have come to love. "Crabbuckit," written by Kevin Deron Brereton, is a reflection of our collective experiences and the joy we find in making music, and it exemplifies the group's unique sound with a retro vibe that will resonate with audiences".

Echo Valley takes pride in its talented lineup: Olivia Anderson leads with her powerful vocal and acoustic guitar, supported by her sisters Elizabeth and Emily Anderson on harmony vocals, and a remarkable ensemble that includes Dave Anderson on dobro, Emmaline Anderson on upright bass, and Dolly Anderson on mandolin. The track, produced by Valerie Smith and Elizabeth Anderson, highlights their exceptional musicianship and creativity.

Crabbuckit is not just a song; it's a testament to our journey and the joy of performing together," says Elizabeth Anderson. "We can't wait to share this with our fans and bring them along on this musical adventure." Since its inception in 2009, Echo Valley has won over audiences nationwide with high-energy performances and a distinctive sound. The band has graced prestigious venues and festivals, earning credits such as the title of Official Showcase Band at IBMA 2022 and impactful performances at the Pennsylvania Fairs and Showmen Convention.

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Alice Phoebe Lou - You and I.

Singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou makes her first ever self-produced release with the tender “You and I.” The stripped back love song returns to the busking simplicity of Alice Phoebe Lou’s early career, but the songwriting shows the maturity and directness of a woman reaching a new radiance. Few others can pen a love song in the same delicate, looping handwriting as Alice. In a direct, yet dreamlike way, she asks for a lover to shed the past and see the possibility of a future with one another.

“‘You and I’ speaks of longing and surrendering in love, it’s a confession and a prayer, a declaration that this is where we are and want to be and let’s stop holding back and dive deeper into everything together,” she shares. “It asks the other to let go of what has happened before and to be here now and dream up the future together. It’s about telling one another what our needs are so we can be there for each other in a deeper, more fundamental way.”

“After five band records, I’ve opened my treasure chest of personal storytelling songs that I’ve built up over a decade. Songs that didn’t make it into other albums, some songs I never thought would see the light of day. I am embarking on the brave and thrilling journey of recording these songs as they are, with love and playfulness, simple and all my own. Leaning into imperfection and taking inspiration from some of my biggest influences who have made timeless folk acoustic albums.”

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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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