The Thing - Pascale Cheron - Cedarsmoke - Bethany Weimers

Photo - Art Davison

The Thing - Mr Useless / The Waltz.

One of NYC’s most vital new rock voices, The Thing have announced their new self-titled album 'The Thing' will be released on 6th August, and also share new double-single 'Mr Useless' / 'The Waltz'. The Thing tour the UK and Europe this summer.

As reverent of the city's gritty past as they are hungry to reinvent it, the new double-single marks the third release from the album rollout — unveiling 'The Thing' in pairs of tracks — recorded entirely analog, self-produced, and tracked live to tape without the use of a computer. The result is The Thing at their most immediate and unfiltered.

'Mr. Useless' brims with Byrds-tinged brightness and angular bite. Guitarist Michael Carter explains: “I used David Bowie’s cut-and-paste method to write the lyrics. The song’s about finding meaning in life, as opposed to sitting and watching and waiting for fate to step in.”

Meanwhile, 'The Waltz' is slow-burning and emotionally raw — a live favourite that builds to a devastating crescendo. Frontman Zane Acord shares: “I wrote it about a toxic relationship: even though it's bad for you, you love it.”

The Thing · The Waltz / Mr. Useless

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Pascale Cheron - Anna Called (Album).

After two years of writing, recording, and mixing entirely on her own, Pascale Cheron has released her debut 24-track album Anna Called, now available on Bandcamp. The title single, a soulful, meditative track also named “Anna Called,” is available on all streaming platforms.
 
To celebrate the release, Pascale is embarking on a spring and summer tour across the East and West Coasts alongside longtime friend and collaborator Sophia Eliana. Titled the Experimental Bangs Tour, the run kicks off May 10th in Bar Harbor, ME and culminates at the Underground Music Festival in Denver in late July. Along the way, Pascale will be performing with local bands comprised of both friends and musicians she discovered through TikTok, creating a genre-fluid live experience rooted in connection, improvisation, and discovery.

“My name was Anna, but my mom changed it to Pascale when I was born,” says Pascale. “She tells me my name has a letter for each one of my aunts. A perfectly consonant string of them all. In honor of the women who made me. The sound of my name. I wrote, recorded, and mixed each song on this album over a period of two years,” says Pascale. “This album is for Anna.”

Anna Called moves through serene ambient landscapes, soulful vocal improvisations, and dreamy experimental textures. Its sound is both intimate and expansive, layering meditative rhythms with powerful bursts of emotion. Each track unfolds like a memory—fluid, surprising, and deeply personal—creating a sonic journey that honors identity, reinvention, and the women who shaped her.

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Photo - Thomas Oliver

Cedarsmoke - Kicking Drugs.

As they venture out into a new era, Cedarsmoke extends an invitation to join them, through their latest single ‘Kicking Drugs’, a psychedelic indie-rock exploration of their new dawn.

With years of experience under their belt since their first releases in 2016,  Cedarsmoke has attracted a flurry of attention from Meanjin/Brisbane’s indie scene, radio stations with their hundreds of plays, and iconic music platforms such as Triple J, Triple J Unearthed, Double J, MTV,  Pilerats, The Music, AU Review, AAA Backstage, Hysteria Mag, Scenestr and more.

Their constant evolution, diverse style, and emphasis on storytelling evoke vivid childhood memories, teenage antics, and precious nights out, and this nostalgia will blend together with the rush of something new as they prepare to usher out their third full-length album. ‘Kicking Drugs’ is a genre-fluid fusion: alt rock, pop-electronica, avant-garde psychedelic sounds and the nostalgic charm of folk blend together into something experimental but classic. With cheerful drum loops, acoustic guitars, blown-out synths and whirling keys, this sobering track feels like fresh start after kicking an old habit.

The nostalgia and hope for the future of the song lends itself to the lyrics, all about breaking free of the shackles of life with good times with friends, and sharing these new experiences together. The unbridled, sunlit spirit of the band takes on a new dynamic as Frontman Jon Cloumassis,  Tamala Wright (drums/vocals) and Matt Cloumassis (lead guitar) explore and experiment together, opening portals to new worlds of soundscapes.

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Bethany Weimers - The Wild One.

Oxford-based independent artist Bethany Weimers’ new single The Wild One is an alt-pop delight that combines her folk-influenced narrative style with pulsating synths and drums, vivid lyrics and a hypnotic chorus. It’s the second track to be released from her upcoming EP The Story I Breathe, and explores themes of hope, self-discovery, and freedom.

“I wrote The Wild One at a time when life as I knew it had disappeared over night. I found myself in this magical state of heightened awareness where anything seemed possible. ‘Gilded in the heat of the wild one’ as I rebuilt my life one adventure at a time.”

With the aid of funding from Help Musicians, Bethany was able to further develop her production and mixing skills allowing the record to be self-produced and mixed in her home studio, with mastering done by 5x MPG Awards nominee Katie Tavini. A testament to perseverance and creative determination, and a powerful anthem for endings and new beginnings.

Bethany’s music has been heard on radio stations such 6 Music, Amazing Radio and BBC Introducing Oxford; and she has toured in both the UK and Europe. Performance highlights include a packed-out show at the National Portrait Gallery in London and an intimate house concert tour in Germany. She has shared bills with artists such as Aoife O’Donovan and Eliza Carthy, and co-written songs for other artists with writers in South Africa and USA. She has a Masters Degree in Composition from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and combines her solo music career with work as a songwriter/producer for a global education publisher, alongside directing full-cast audio dramas.

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Moving Into Tucson - Sofia Sampaio - Lupus J - Ruth Lyon - Alison Clancy

Moving Into Tucson - People Of The World (Album).

Indie Rock formation Moving Into Tucson is back with their highly anticipated second album, People Of The World, a record that seamlessly blends melody, raw energy, and emotional depth. With 12 diverse tracks, the album moves effortlessly between upbeat Pop anthems, introspective ballads, and electrifying Rock moments.

The title track, People Of The World, is an undeniable anthem of unity, while Are You Ready sets the tone with infectious energy. Songs like Run & Hide and Heart & Soul bring heartfelt emotion, while Everybody Knows and Come On Back To Me inject an irresistible drive. From the playful charm of Stand By Me to the thought-provoking You’re Right, I'm Wrong, every track tells its own compelling story.

Whether you want to dance, reflect, or sing your heart out, People Of The World has it all. The album captures the essence of Indie Rock, melodic, catchy, and deeply moving, while pushing the boundaries with Rock influences and lyrical depth. With unforgettable hooks and dynamic arrangements, Moving Into Tucson proves once again why they are a band to watch. This is more than an album; it’s an experience. Are you ready?

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Sofia Sampaio - Better Off Bored.

We have to say this is a beautifully layered and textured song from Sofia Sampaio. Her dreamy melodic vocals are fabulously placed above a musical backdrop that builds from acoustic to something more powerful but never overwhelming, Beehive Candy love it! 

Sofia Sampaio is a 21-year-old alternative singer-songwriter blending the rich rhythms of her Brazilian roots with the emotional grit of 90s rock. Born in Brazil and raised in Texas, Sofia began writing songs at the age of seven, inspired by her musically inclined parents. At 17, she taught herself guitar and began developing her distinctive voice as a songwriter.

A transformative move to London at 18 led her to study at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, where she honed her craft and embraced music as her true path. Now based in Houston and continuing her studies in songwriting and production at Berklee Online, Sofia brings introspective lyricism and global influences to her growing body of work.

About Better Off Bored: Better Off Bored is the dreamy, emotionally charged debut single from alternative singer-songwriter Sofia Sampaio. Blending ambient rock textures with intimate storytelling, the track explores the push-pull of infatuation and emotional detachment through spacious chords, raw lyrics, and ethereal melodies. Inspired by personal confusion and vulnerability, Sofia captures the bittersweet realization that sometimes, solitude feels safer than obsession.

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Lupus J - Beautiful Smile.

Beautiful Smile gently works it's way into our day, with soft yet refined and definitive vocals, whilst the flowing soundtrack ebbs and flows adding depth and an engaging atmosphere, this is one very fine song.

Behind Lupus J. we find Jan Nilsson, a songwriter who bases his songs on melodies. We asked him about his music and got this fantastic answer back: "The most important thing for me is that the melody is felt in the heart. My music is straightforward and actually quite simple.

What I strive for is that the music should convey joy and other positive emotions. Then whether it's pop, rock or whatever you want to call the genre - it doesn't matter much. The reason I make music is because it's fun. The creation itself is so fun.

It has also become a way for me to disconnect from everyday life. I dream in the form of music. What sparked my interest in music from the very beginning, a long time ago, was Deep Purple. Today, it's still the melodies of the 80s that inspire me!"

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Photo - Sel Maclean

Ruth Lyon - Perfect.

Newcastle indie-folk singer-songwriter Ruth Lyon just released her new single ‘Perfect’. Released today alongside a new video directed by Sel Maclean, 'Perfect' is the latest compelling glimpse of Lyon's forthcoming debut album 'Poems & Non-Fiction' - out 13th June on Pink Lane Records and available to pre-order here. The track follows earlier singles ‘Books’ and ‘Wickerman’.

Produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding), 'Poems & Non-Fiction' draws on influences from Adrienne Lenker, Fiona Apple, and Moondog, combining analogue textures and angular indie-folk sensibilities. Lyon’s songwriting gives as much weight to silence as to sound, with poetic nuance and muscular understatement. Her voice floats between the abstract, the archetypal, and raw vulnerability, inviting the listener to both reach out and dig deep.

New single ‘Perfect’ is the album’s most pop-adjacent moment: a sharp indie-pop that critiques the cult of curated living. The sardonic hook: “Isn’t it all so perfect / Sundays were made for worship”, sits uneasily against Lyon’s deadpan admission: “my skin is crawling / I want to shout.” As the production closes in during the middle eight, her voice sounds buried beneath the surface: “I can’t leave.”

On the release of 'Perfect', Ruth said: “It’s about how modern life traps us in a toxic pursuit of perfection – we’re all celebrities of our own life, worshipping at the altar of our egos. It’s kind of infected us all, I think. The perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect health and a perfect body flaunting perfect hair/skin/tits/bum blah blah blah.”

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Alison Clancy - The Valley.

Alison Clancy's haunting new track reflects the questions and ambiguities that just keep coming. Co-written and co-produced with Stephen Masucci of The Lost Patrol and engineered by Larry Alexander (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Diana Ross), the single is an expansive soundscape that shimmers with the melodic nostalgia of a rainy day, laced with a twinge of foreboding strangeness. 

Clancy's voice sounds fragile as it drifts along the razor's edge between vulnerability and power. Are her words questions or statements? Tension hums like a storm on the horizon, but pain, pleasure and release are washed over with piano cascading into misted fantasy.
 
A multi-gifted artist, when she’s not weaving adventurous sounds, Alison is busy dancing with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where she wrote this song in the basement rehearsal rooms. Alison Clancy released her IPR debut, 3-song EP Mutant Gifts in 2022. Composed and recorded when Clancy was invited to live as an artist in residence in St. John’s Church in NYC’s West Village, the EP was mixed by Noah Georgeson (producer for artists such as Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart). Of Mutant Gifts, Backseat Mafia said it’s “expansive, avant-garde, brooding, it’s a helluva way to announce your arrival.”

Independent Project Records (IPR) and singer-songwriter Alison Clancy announced that her latest single, “The Valley,” is released this week via MRI & Proper Music to all digital music platforms.

Alison Clancy · The Valley

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Gwenno - Josienne Clarke - Lou-Adriane Cassidy - The Slackers

Gwenno - War.

'War' is the brand new single from Gwenno's new album 'Utopia.'which is set for release on July 11th, 2025. Having released three albums in Welsh and Cornish, 'Utopia' is Gwenno Saunders’ first album recorded predominantly in English, and presents a very different side to her life and songwriting.

Forty-three years into her life, 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 favourite Edrica Huws poem, and the Number 73 bus. It is her finest work to date.

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Josienne Clarke - Tiny Bird’s Lament.

Critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist Josienne Clarke announces her raw and intimate new album Far From Nowhere, due out this autumn via Corduroy Punk. Alongside the album announcement, Clarke shares the first single ‘Tiny Bird’s Lament’, a haunting, minimalist track recorded direct to tape in a remote Scottish cabin. The single offers the first glimpse into the stripped-back sound and emotional clarity that define the new record.

The album will be accompanied by a short film titled Deluded, directed by Alec Bowman_Clarke, offering a candid, behind-the-scenes portrait of the album’s creation. Currently screening at festivals, the film will be shown throughout Clarke’s UK tour this October - full dates now announced - before its general release on November 30th.

Long admired for her crystalline voice and unflinching lyrical gaze, Clarke has always had an ability to evoke a communal melancholy. But with this LP, recorded at a remote Scottish cabin, she’s achieved the feat of stripping away the barriers between artist and listener. What emerges is a record of remarkable intimacy and integrity as Clarke embraces stillness and vulnerability. She sought total isolation but ended up creating something even more profoundly connective.

Also born of practical constraint, Far From Nowhere is a natural step and defiant response to the logistical and emotional tolls of trying to eke out a living in the music industry in 2025. “Making music today, for me, often feels like an exercise in retreat,” Clarke says. “The structure of the industry slowly suffocates the spirit of artists, starving them of the self-esteem that comes from remuneration for a job well done, so retreating to a cabin in the woods to make my album made sense.”


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Lou-Adriane Cassidy - Triste Animal (Album)

Yesterday, fresh off the critical acclaim of her last project, Journal d’un loup-garou, Canadian singer-songwriter Lou-Adriane Cassidy returns with a bold and unexpected follow-up: Triste Animal. A raw, genre-defying album recorded entirely live to tape with zero edits, the album arrives just three months after her previous release, and marks a daring turn toward spontaneity and artistic freedom.

While wrapping up Journal d’un loup-garou, an album celebrated in Quebec for its cinematic scale and theatrical live shows, Cassidy found herself craving something looser, more instinctive. "After two years of deep focus on that project, I just needed to let go," she explains. That urgency led to Triste Animal: eight songs captured live over four days by eight musicians, with no overdubs or polish. The only exception? A guitar solo on “Adieu”, because, as Cassidy puts it, “our guitarist couldn’t make it that day.”

The result is a stripped-down, emotionally potent record that foregrounds Cassidy’s mesmerizing voice and sharp compositional instincts. Backed by some of Quebec’s top musicians (Alexandre Martel, Thierry Larose, Vincent Gagnon, PE Beaudoin), and with vocal arrangements crafted and sung alongside her longtime collaborators Odile Marmet-Rochefort, Ariane Roy, and Lysandre Ménard, the album captures lightning in a bottle: real-time performances that breathe and bleed.

Stylistically, Triste Animal is Cassidy’s most eclectic effort yet, weaving together threads of folk, soul, West Coast country, chamber pop, samba, jazz, and even traces of acoustic grunge. Tracks like “Tout le monde dans autour” (penned by filmmaker-musician Stéphane Lafleur) showcase heart-wrenching tenderness, while the brooding intensity of “Adieu” and the driving, dissonant “Valse frustrée” highlight her dynamic vocal range and emotional grit.

Lou-Adriane Cassidy · Triste Animal

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The Slackers - My Last Star.

New York City’s longtime ska/reggae legends The Slackers have released their newest single “My Last Star,” now available everywhere fine records are sold as a 12” UV Printed Single from Pirates Press Records.

“My Last Star” began as a dream that Greg Lee of Los Angeles’s Hepcat had the week before his death in March of 2024. Greg dreamed of a Slackers song. The Slackers have completed this song, and released it into the world.

Now that the song is finally out for all to hear, and The Slackers, along with a team of close associates head up by writer/direct Pat Byrne, have crafted a poignant music video to accompany this beautiful collaboration with - and tribute to - their longtime friend.

The Slackers are currently stationed in the Los Angeles County area, where they are gearing up to perform five shows in six nights from May 7th through the 11th. These shows in Hepcat’s hometown will function as the record release for “My Last Star,” and they will be playing the song every night.

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The Northern Territories - Seasurfer - Frankie Wesson

Photo - Chris Ruiz

The Northern Territories - Arizona.

The Northern Territories reveal the final advance single 'Arizona', which is taken from the forthcoming new full-length "A Star in Orbit Still". The fourth album of the Swedish melancholic synth duo has been chalked up for release on May 23, 2025.

The Northern Territories comment: "As the title suggests, this song was started in Arizona, on a road trip through the desert on the way to Mexico, while passing cities like Sedona and Tucson on the way to Puerto Peñasco, on the Gulf of California", singer Stefan Sääf writes on behalf of the duo.

"Following our return to Europe, the working title 'Arizona' remained although the song changed somewhat. The idea to start the song a cappella was a last minute thought when we were mixing the track. We had just watched Bon Iver's amazing live version of 'Heavenly Father' and that might have inspired the idea to start with only vocals."

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Seasurfer - Collapsing.

Collapsing is the first single taken from the fourth Seasurfer album Electronic Monsters, which will be released on May 30th, 2025. The main single track is a remix by M!R!M, the solo project of Jack Milwaukee, Italian producer & multi-instrumental artist based in East London. Jack is one of Seasurfer's favorite musicians and the band is very proud about the dark, hypnotic twist he gave to the track.

The single also features Dirk Knight's own Seasurfer single mix and another remix by M/A/T, the electronic music project of Matthias Bischoff, a founding member of the former Hamburg SynthPop band Cyber, who's also been active as a DJ for many years.

Collapsing is an anti-war song. Seasurfer singer Apolonia, who wrote the lyrics, recalls: "When Dirk first sent me the track, the war in Ukraine just started. It was heart breaking to see yet again another useless war, destroying innocent people’s home’s, which could also be my or your home and how it was presented on television like entertainment… 'Watching our own demise'...In the song I ask the question again and again: why?"

Electronic Monsters is the fourth Seasurfer full-length and, after the Zombies album, the second with the current Seasurfer singer Apolonia. Other guest singers can also be heard on the album: the wonderful Gloria Endres de Oliveira, a multidisciplinary visual artist from Berlin with Brazilian origins, the singers Jana Marie and Jade from Hamburg, with ethereal voices and long reverb tails.


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Frankie Wesson - This is Motion (Album).

Singer-songwriter Frankie Wesson’s third studio album ‘This is Motion’ has been years in the making. This coming-of-age record, although boasting two award-winning singles, is more than just a collection of songs. From start to finish it takes you on a journey through periods of Wesson’s life, loves, losses and coming to terms with what never was. A present theme throughout this album is nostalgia in motion, moving from time to place, visiting and revisiting memories and relationships through an older and more grounded lens.

Not only does Wesson explore time in this way through her songwriting on this record but also genre. From soft, folky, almost orchestral soundscapes in songs like Delicate and Valentines. She continues to move through her emotions leaning into country, ambient pop and heavier pop/rock sounds, showcasing her songwriting skills in a range of ways throughout.

Swansea’s Soundboard magazine described Wesson’s music as ‘timeless; appealing to fans of Fleetwood Mac and Paramore alike without compromising or diluting any of the style that makes Wesson’s music her own’.

Frankie Wesson · This Is Motion

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mokina - Chambers DeLauriers - Miko Marks

Photo - Magda Benda

mokina - mirage (EP).

Montreal-born singer-songwriter and producer mokina reveals her gorgeous, new EP ‘mirage’. The five track display of gentle, dreamy, indie-folk arrives with three previously unheard tracks; title track mirage,  ‘heartbreaker’ and ‘dont wait por mim’. See below for

The record sees mokina dive into the complexities, illusions and delusions that often surround romantic connections. It sees them pull from her experiences of wxmanhood, pushing back against the constant critique and scrutiny wxman have come to accept as the norm.  Sharing more about the EP, mokina explained: As wxmen, we’re taught to carry shame for things that are simply human—desire, detachment, choosing ourselves. These songs are about normalizing those experiences and letting go of that inner guilt. They hold space for that emotional complexity, and say, ‘It’s okay—you’re allowed to feel this.'

The new EP acts as a flawless introduction to mokina’s heartfelt lyricism and evocative melodies. She co-produced the record with Jeremy Lachance, on the scenic Portuguese coast, near her home in Ferrel, with moments of English, French and Portuguese peppered throughout the record, paying homage to worldly experiences. The album’s raw and intimate sound is brought to life through the expert mixing of fellow Montrealer Niall Mutter.  

Two of mirage’s singles; ‘true’ and ‘sinner’ have already garnered critical acclaim, earning praise for their haunting beauty and captivating narratives. The visuals accompanying the project were filmed on location by Polish videographer Magda Benda, whose cinematic direction perfectly complements the music’s themes of love, lust and loss.


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Photo - Guy Brooksbank

Chambers DeLauriers - People Gonna Talk.  

Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers, aka the dynamic duo Chambers DeLauriers, are excited to announce the forthcoming release of their new album, Our Time To Ride, on August 22nd via Forty Below Records. They are also pleased to share their new single, "People Gonna Talk."

Our Time to Ride, was recorded at Studio MixArt in Montreal by producer Eric Corne (John Mayall, Sugaray Rayford, Joe Louis Walker), with further recording at Eric's Forty Below Studios in L.A. and Sound Arts in Houston, TX. It blends deep blues roots, soulful R&B melodies, and riff-driven rock with heartfelt storytelling, raw emotion, and dynamic musicianship. Rounding out their sound is their touring rhythm section, Gary Davenport on bass and Sly Coulombe on drums. Keyboard duties were handled by Sasha Smith and Jesse O'Brien, horns by Mark Pender and David Ralicke, and background vocals by Corne and Nicoya Polar.
 
The basic tracks were tracked live off the floor in Montreal, capturing the raw energy and chemistry of a Chambers DesLauriers performance. "Eric made sure we were all super comfortable, and things flowed," says Paul. "We had the luxury of feeling like we were just playing live." Once the foundation was laid, lead guitar, vocals, keyboards, horns, and background vocals were layered in. Annika recalls Paul recording most of the solos for the album in one night. "He was in the zone. They were asking him if he needed to take a break, and I said, 'No, just let him keep going, he's on a roll!'"

The new single, "People Gonna Talk," is an upbeat, groove-heavy mix of country, blues, and rock 'n Roll; this track is all about staying true to yourself. With a feel-good vibe that calls for line dancing, it reflects today's judgmental world and encourages listeners to let go of the noise. Imagine Mavis Staples meets The Rolling Stones - a blend of soulful grit and rock swagger that creates an anthem for living authentically.

Chambers Deslauriers · People Gonna Talk

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Miko Marks - Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul.

Miko Marks has released “Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul” via Redtone Records. The song, originally released in 1979 by gospel great Rance Allen of The Rance Allen Group, is one of Marks’ favorites. “When I was around 16 years old in Detroit, Michigan, I was lucky enough to perform with him in a gospel play called 'Mama Don’t,'” she recalls. “This was one of my rare stage performances at that time, and to be able to sing with one of the greats in gospel music is a priceless memory. It reminds me of how music has, and always will be, a healer. As we navigate uncertainty and these tumultuous times in our country, I hope this song can be a sweet respite for the listener to retreat and find a little joy."
 
“Let The Music Get Down In Your Soul” follows Marks’ January 20th release of “Peace of Mind (Live at Feldman’s),” another hope-filled, uplifting track. “‘Peace of Mind’ reminds me to pause for my peace as I navigate my life from day to day,” she explained. “Feelings of worry, fear, anxiety, and stress can really take me to dark places where I feel overwhelmed, and sometimes I'm unable to see my way out.

This song reminds me to take time to step away, to get a larger perspective. As the world hurries and worries itself along, we're part of something bigger and more constant than our struggles, our careers, our politics,” she continued. “Right now, we feel so divided and angry as a nation. Regardless of where we fall politically, we all need to find peace of mind in place of rage, blame, and despair. When I sing this song, I am always able to find the serenity and calm that I need, and I hope the listeners are able to tap into the same. Of all the songs in my live set, this is the one most likely to draw out some of my tears, and you can hear it in this live version,” she added. “They're tears of release and hope and of gratitude for the present and for days to come.”

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Kat Greta - The Happy Fits - Jimmy Dale Richardson - Voom

Kat Greta - Set You Up.

Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Kat Greta is stepping into bold new territory with her latest single ‘Set You Up’, released Friday, May 2 an explosive, percussion-driven anthem and her first fully self-produced release. Backed by earthy chants, rolling grooves, and undeniable energy, ‘Set You Up’ is a rallying cry for connection, built to be felt in the body as much as in the heart.

Known for her blend of contemporary pop, soft rock, and worldly folk influences—as well as her magnetic stage presence and fierce drumming—Kat Greta channels that same power into ‘Set You Up’, a song that pulses with communal spirit. Chant-like call-and-response vocals meet layered percussion in a track designed to bring people together, whether in the crowd, on stage, or listening solo with headphones. Mixed by Nathan Zammit, the single hums with a raw, unfiltered urgency that’s impossible to sit still through.

“Set You Up is about community, connection, and the energy that comes from people coming together,” Kat shares. “It’s built on rhythm—layered percussion, call-and-response moments, and a raw, unfiltered energy that makes you want to move.”

To bring the track’s heartbeat to life visually, Kat teamed up with director Dayne Edward for the music video—featuring none other than her own family. Filmed entirely via Zoom, the video captures Kat and her loved ones drumming together from afar, proving that distance is no match for rhythm when connection is the goal. “I wanted the video to reflect the spirit of the song—raw, real, and full of energy. Having my family involved made it even more meaningful, showing that music is something we share, no matter the distance.”'

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Photo - Anna Koblish

The Happy Fits - Everything You Do.

Indie/rock darlings The Happy Fits just unveiled their sprightly new single “Everything You Do” along with an energetic new video. The track marks their first new music to release in nearly three years as they make their anticipated return and kick off an exciting new chapter for the band. With a newfound spirit and vigor, “Everything You Do” is an intoxicating, heartsick anthem with infectious hooks, earworm melodies, and dynamic instrumentation heralding a roll-down-the-windows summer vibe.

“I read somewhere that the amount of married US adults dropped from 67% in 1990 to 53% today,” stated frontman Calvin Langman. “At the same time, over 50% of millennials are taking on multiple jobs and ‘polyworking.’ I’m no data scientist, but why is it so damn expensive to be in a relationship these days? Maybe it’s just my social circles and algorithm, but there’s a shared feeling amongst the hoi polloi of being overworked, underpaid, and underloved. It’s not that we don’t want to be in relationships, it’s just that we simply can not afford to love. ‘Everything You Do’ is my own internal battle of fighting for my heart vs. being practical and rational. Knowing me, the heart always finds a way to win…”

They continued, “For the grand premiere of the bigger, better The Happy Fits 2.0, we knew we had to show what we do best: perform! The video was shot in the basement of the punk-world-famous First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, along with a skeleton crew of guys who knew how to squeeze every ounce of vibe out of that space and into the video. Ironically, we were kicked out two hours earlier than we expected due to an Agnostic group who had rented the space after us, claiming they rented it earlier than it said on the call sheet. They seemed pretty sure about this for a group of people who aren’t sure about a lot. Nonetheless, over 11 hours of shooting, we got the dozens of takes needed for our first performance-based music video ever, and the first look into the future of The Happy Fits.”

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Jimmy Dale Richardson - Pretending / Beltline Boogie.

Here it is! The great new recording by Fun-Guy Records recording star Jimmy Dale Richardson. Jimmy is one of the top stars in the world of roots rockabilly throughout the US and Europe. He's performed at Summer Jamboree in Italy, Rockin' Race in Spain and Hemsby in the UK. His powerful tenor vocal and exciting and unique guitar work always impress wherever he plays.

“Pretending” is a haunting yet beautiful ballad with expert singing and guitar playing by Jimmy, while being backed by Reverend Horton Heat and band. Other great musicians are featured as well on this fantastic stereophonic recording. “Pretending” features the great songwriting ability of Jimmy Dale Richardson! It’s romantic and dreamy, yet dark. Super cool!

“Beltline Boogie” is a rocking and swinging little number with Reverend and band backing up Jimmy. It’s all about ‘getting your kicks” on the Route 66 ‘Beltline’ alignment road that runs through and around Oklahoma City. This cool monophonic recording also features some fantastic slappin’ bass by Jimbo Wallace as well as some exciting guitar solos by Jimmy. It is bound to be a rockabilly dancehall favorite!


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Voom - Crazy Feeling.

Voom are on a roll with the release of another great single, Crazy Feeling. Filled with all the catchiness and uplifting galore of every Voom song you've ever loved. We're super excited for the new album Something Good Is Happening, and we know you're gonna love it too! Auckland indie-rock band, Voom, who, after years of releasing and performing music to their cult-like following, have announced a brand new album, ‘Something Good Is Happening’ out May 16th via Flying Nun Records.

The release of the latest Voom album has taken just short of two decades to be officially announced. Is this pace glacial, or considered? Sloth-like, or discerning? The Tamaki Makaurau-based foursome will tell you the nineteen years since their much-loved 2006 record, Hello, Are You There?, have been spent jamming and gigging, writing, rewriting and sifting, reflecting on what surely must be some of the strangest times in human history to present fans with their latest offering. Something Good is Happening is the child of strange seasons and tides, strange minds, pedals and fingers.

After accumulating literally hundreds of demos over the years, Flying Nun Records thought it was about bloody time Voom got at least some of these songs packaged up and released into the wild. The band agreed, and so have been painstakingly whittling and curating and bashing these tracks into shape, to form the 2025 album Something Good Is Happening. Each track has walked a different path into being a part of this record. 

Written and recorded in a variety of locations, with a plethora of different equipment, over decades of seasons and life stages, but always steered by the unsteady hand and watchful ear of frontperson Buzz Moller — seen by some as one of NZ’s most treasured songwriters. All members of Voom (Buzz Moller, Murray Fisher, Nick Buckton, and Josh Sorenson) are multi-instrumentalists and producers in their own right, consequently this combination of minds has helped forge the sound and vibe of this new album.

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Perpacity - Paco Cathcart - Jo Davie - VANNGO

Perpacity - Lille Flamme.

If there is such a thing as brooding, understated power, then Lille Flamme is all of that. Add in the gorgeous vocals and deep harmonies and Beehive Candy is more than happy to lead with this single today.

The new Perpacity single ‘Lille Flamme’, which also includes the B-sides ‘Sjælekamp’ and ‘Bedrager’ officially releases on all platforms today 2nd of May 2025 through Town And Towers Records.

The new single is the third single release from the upcoming Perpacity album ‘Poverty Of The Flesh’. Sung in Danish, it embraces the band's Nordic roots. The single delves into sibling love, their shared history, and the strength that lies within it.

Two B-sides accompany the single, which are also in Danish: ’Sjælekamp’, which reflects the struggle to escape the abyss of overwhelming hopelessness and despair, and ‘Bedrager’, about that one person no one wants or should ever have in their life.

Perpacity members are Ian Harling and Martin Nyrup residing in the UK and in Denmark respectively. Each has over 20+ years of musical experience, ranging from writing music and live performance to studio work and music production. Perpacity creates haunting melodies and driving beats, characterized by their unique dark electronic landscapes.

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Paco Cathcart - Down on Them (Album).

Paco Cathcart, the longtime New York underground fixture who has previously released a rich discography under the name The Cradle, has now released Down on Them, their first record under their own name.

Where The Cradle records showed Cathcart to be a master of lo-fi solo recording, Down On Them sees them engage with studio fidelity and a full band, composed of Paco bassist Miriam Elhajli, Keyboardist Ellie Shannon, and Drummer Bailey Wollowitz (fantasy of a broken heart, Water From Your Eyes).

The album's release has been preceded by the singles "Bottlenneck Blues" and "Invasive Species," and today Paco is providing a final preview of the LP with the Spanish-language single "Ella Vive Sola."

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Photo - Georgia Peace

Jo Davie - Nothing Comes Free (EP).

Rest your head and listen to the stories Jo Davie has to tell in her debut EP, ‘Nothing Comes Free’, a rich anthology told through gorgeous indie-folk and her spellbinding voice, released today Friday, May 2.

For as long as it’s been around, music has been used to tell stories, and since graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium in 2017 with First Class Honours and the University Medal, Jo Davie has been channeling her ancestors, telling tales through songs live on stage at festivals like Woodford Folk Festival (QLD), The National Folk Festival (ACT), and the Caloundra Music Festival (QLD), connecting with an audience and giving them something to bring home with them.

Her focus on human connection has resulted in her earning the Carol Lloyd Award at the Queensland Music Awards, selling out her shows, and supporting ARIA-winning artist Katie Noonan across a variety of venues, all while working on her PHD.

Now, she is releasing her debut EP - a 6-track journey into the wonderland of her mind, played across a variety of instruments from strings to synth. It begins with ‘Throw Me A Rope’, a slow jam woven from a lilting voice that rises and falls with the grace of a songbird and instruments with a noncorporeal nature brought in through the fuzz of the guitar and soft echoing effects. This tells the story of a love left away from harbour but not let out to sea, how it feels to want to either be loved or ‘let go’, but not left drowning in the middle.


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VANNGO - Heartbreaker USA.

Following the powerful anthem We’ll Rise LA! that captured the resilience of a city recovering from disaster, VANNGO returns with a bold, electrifying new single, Heartbreaker USA. Where We’ll Rise LA! served as a rallying cry for survival, Heartbreaker USA dives deep into the wild, impulsive side of love, loss, and longing, all wrapped in VANNGO’s signature raspy vocals, soaring guitars, and southern-tinged rock swagger.

Heartbreaker USA marks a natural evolution for VANNGO, an LA-based indie singer-songwriter whose sound bridges alt-rock grit, soulful storytelling, and raw emotional depth. With cowbells, organs, and a driving beat that feels tailor-made for American highways and neon-lit nights, the track pulses with urgency and vulnerability.

“If We’ll Rise LA! was about rebuilding after the fire, Heartbreaker USA is about the fires we start ourselves,” VANNGO says. “It’s messy. It’s beautiful. It’s about losing yourself for a moment, even when you know the crash is coming.” Written and recorded in the wake of releasing We’ll Rise LA!, Heartbreaker USA showcases VANNGO’s ability to pivot emotionally without losing his fierce authenticity. The song opens with a hypnotic riff that feels part dive bar, part desert highway and a full-throttle ride through vulnerability and reckless abandon.

Produced with a stripped-down sensibility that keeps the soul intact, the track leans into VANNGO’s grunge, alt-country, and southern rock influences without ever feeling like a throwback. It’s classic in spirit, but modern in execution, the kind of song that could sit forever in a jukebox in a forgotten corner of Route 66.

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9Bach - Alex Amor - Izabella Lily

9Bach - Llaw 101 Mix.

Welcome back 9Bach although in all honesty this is our introduction to the band, and what an fabulous intro this is. The vocals shine above the subtly developing rhythmic beats that beautifully works alongside the soaring singing. OK then it's time to search out their back catalogue, something that Beehive Candy loves to do on occasions like this.   

The acclaimed Welsh band 9Bach is set to make their long awaited return to the music scene after a five-year hiatus, with a new single exclusive to Bandcamp and a series of live performances coming up in May & June 2025. 9Bach stand as one of Wales' most visionary bands, establishing themselves as a unique creative force on the music scene. Led by Lisa Jên Brown, they have broken new ground by combining Welsh musical heritage with contemporary sounds.

Groundbreaking Collaboration with Andy Gangadeen: In 2025, the band reached a completely new stage in their musical journey through collaboration with Andy Gangadeen - an artist with extensive experience working with leading bands, among them, Chase & Status and Lava La Rue. This marks the first opportunity to hear their exciting musical partnership, bringing "powerful big beats and up-tempo grooves" to 9Bach's unique sound.

This new material draws deeply from Lisa and Martin’s personal roots in the acid house movement of the '80s and '90s. It was an amazing time of togetherness. Although Martin and Lisa didn’t know each other then, they both connect on a level where those powerful beats of a London warehouse party or rave in a North Wales quarry puts them both back in that joyful place of freedom and euphoric pulse to move your body. It’s a powerful energy they crave to relive through their own music.

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Photo - Lewis Vorn

Alex Amor - Seeing Angels.

London-via-Glasgow singer-songwriter Alex Amor makes a luminous return with her new single ‘Seeing Angels’. The release follows a triumphant, sold-out show this week at London’s Folklore Hoxton, capping off recent dates supporting rising pop talents Good Neighbours and Gretta Ray.

New single 'Seeing Angels,' produced by Peter Brien (Kojaque, Kean Kavanagh) is a captivating return for Amor. Her rich Glaswegian lilt drifts through gauzy indie-folk and sunlit country-pop tones, with songwriting that feels both effortless and finely honed. Beneath the track’s soft glow lies a quiet resilience - a story of rediscovery and emotional clarity, where tenderness becomes transformative and love gently realigns what once felt adrift.

“‘Seeing Angels’ is about the healing nature of women—our ability to guide, nurture, and mend broken hearts," Alex explains. "It speaks to the way we become a source of strength in love, offering steady hands and acting as a compass pointing north, leading toward better days. Finding the wrong person can be devastating, but choosing the right partner can change everything. This song is about that kind of love—the kind that turns your world upside down, alchemises your pain, and makes you believe in something greater. Makes you believe in angels."

A tapestry of laid-back grooves, shimmering guitars, and vocals that feel both close and distant, like a memory half-remembered, 'Seeing Angels' is the first new taste of Alex Amor's first full length project, which she is currently adding the finishing touches to.

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Izabella Lily - Freedom.

Swedish-Finnish artist Izabella Lily returns with her third single “Freedom,” a modern folk rock anthem filled with lyrical depth and spiritual introspection. Following Izabella’s debut “Varandra”, 2nd single Indi rock genre “Fields of Green” and a recent live appearance on Sveriges Radio P4 Gothenburg & iHeart Radio, Izabella continues to build momentum with this evocative new release.

"Izabella Lily delivers a raw folk indie single with poetic lyrics and spiritual depth, with a heart beating for social justice. "Freedom" follows her Sveriges Radio debut and previews her 2025 EP. Rich acoustic textures meet modern indie production in this moving anthem about the kind of love that is selfless and sacrificial— that which empowers us to use our freedom for the good of others."

“The track brings genuine and authentic beauty, with acoustic instrumentation that perfectly complements the soft essence of the song. The melody is captivating and conveys a welcoming feeling, while the vocals bring emotion and sincerity, essential characteristics of the genre”.

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Pistol Daisys - James Lloyd Smith - Domi Hawken

Pistol Daisys - Calling Your Name.

Following the breakout buzz of “St Glasgow” and the emotionally raw “Crying in Marseille”, Scottish alt-pop trailblazers Pistol Daisys return with a shimmering new single full of heartbreak, groove, and unexpected truth. “Calling Your Name,” out 30 April 2025 via OneRPM Records, draws inspiration from co-frontwoman Belly’s own experience — an unforgettable night out in Kuala Lumpur that left more questions than answers and planted the seed for what’s now one of the band’s most personal and powerful songs yet.

“It was my first time at Zouk,” Belly shares, referring to KL’s infamous superclub, “My heart wasn’t broken—that was Lorna in Crying in Marseille—but I was surprised by a young six-foot-tall man. I thought we hit it off. One minute we were dancing, and the next, he was gone. When I was leaving, I saw him kissing a man. I called his name, but he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—hear me. That was the last time I saw him.”

Having moved from a conservative upbringing in the peaceful coastal town of Kota Kinabalu to study at Taylor’s University, Belly found herself immersed in a world of late nights, neon lights, and emotional curveballs. “Calling Your Name” captures that jolt of reality—when surface-level charm gives way to something more profound, complicated, and harder to process.

Musically, the track is vintage glitter laced with modern grit—a sparkling lovechild of Blondie and ABBA with a punk-pop bite reminiscent of The Gossip and the flamboyant honesty of Lady Gaga. The result is a dancefloor-ready confession: raw, reflective, and totally irresistible. “It just goes to show that it's an ever-changing world,” Belly says, “What appears to be one thing on the surface doesn't show you the whole truth. “Calling Your Name” is for those who want to keep an open mind… and maybe get a snog off the right guy.”

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James Lloyd Smith - Lake Walk.

Kent-based indie-folk songwriter James Lloyd Smith is set to release another charming and laid-back single, with ‘Lake Walk’ available across all major streaming platforms now. Blending the peaceful nature of Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell with the lo-fi and DIY methodology of Sufjan Stevens, ‘Lake Walk’ is an ode to simple living in the English countryside, which James explains has a strong impact on his music.  Born during an introspective time in his life where he became withdrawn socially, he takes solace and peace from long evening walks around the lake at Hever Castle & Gardens in Edenbridge, a routine that shaped the essence of the song's atmosphere.

“The Kent Countryside, sometimes known as The Garden Of England has had a huge influence on my sound,’ James explains. ‘“ try to write music that to some degree reflects how the landscape makes me feel,’ he added, calling the song a ‘thank you letter to the edifying quality of the natural world.”

James Lloyd Smith’s authenticity is what shines on ‘Lake Walk’ as the song is self-produced on the now-obsolete 2011 MacBook Pro, while the beautiful guitar work actually stems from a £10 parlour acoustic guitar he bought on eBay. The production lends some wonderful layers to the track, with a glockenspiel melody that James said was inspired by The Beach Boys’ legendary album Pet Sounds, as well as brushes on a snare drum that underlie a piano, double bass and electric bass. “I wanted to keep the palette of sounds fairly natural drawing from folk music and 1960’s baroque pop as inspirations,”  he adds.

Adding to the authenticity are the locations that James used for recording the track. His ode to the comfort found in the natural world is recorded in the places he frequents, including his bedroom, friends’ houses, and college classrooms. In Particular, he arranged a recording session at his friend’s house just to record the single’s double bass. “I think recording outside of the traditional studio setting gives music a different context and quality.”

James Lloyd Smith · Lake Walk

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Domi Hawken - Water And The Wine.

Domi Hawken, London’s dark rock poet, has just released her second EP, Water And The Wine following the success of her debut Sociable Pariah. An emblem of her creative expansion and a testament to the deep well of influences she draws from, the evocative and haunting record is out now.

Armed with nothing but a VHS camera and an unflinching vision, Hawken has transformed her debut into a launchpad for something far more ambitious. Water and The Wine is a sonic landscape that varies from climactic instrumentation to vulnerable, exposed folk, showcasing Hawken's growth as an artist and her willingness to try new things artistically. Across three songs, the EP is a tour-de-force that demonstrates true versatility and flexibility from both Hawken and her band.

"With my first EP, we followed a system; I would write the songs, then Matt Robson and I would record it together, with him mostly trying to bring my ideas to fruition," she recalls. "With this second EP, we approached things differently, getting the other members of the band more involved. I remember recording a demo myself of 'Water And The Wine' and sending it to my drummer Cyprien Jacquet to see what he could do with my ideas. When he sent the first version back, he asked me, 'Is this what you wanted?' and I replied, 'No, this is so much better than what I wanted.' From that moment, I was a lot more relaxed with letting the guys put their ideas and their stamp on the songs."

Moving beyond her previous approach, Hawken has embraced a more collaborative method with her band members Matt Robson, Cyprien Jacquet, and Kobi Pham. The result is a grittier, more creative sound that benefits from the collective input of the entire band. While Hawken maintains her involvement in production, the process has become more collaborative, with Pham handling the precise mixing before Robson adds his signature rough edges.

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