Natalie Holmes - Home Front - Emily Hines - Blue Loop

Natalie Holmes - Alone Time.

Natalie Holmes just dropped a new music video for "Alone Time" ahead of her studio album "Opposite Day" due out Friday 17th October and it's another superb track that raises expectations even further for the new album. We have also added the tracks shared so far that are available on Bandcamp.

A nod to that ‘you always want what you can’t have’ feeling, ‘Alone Time’ is a sonic self-confrontation wrapped in shimmering pop meditation. 

Where the rest of the album roams, this track stands its ground, providing a steady and unwavering foundation for an eternal tug-of-war between craving solitude and needing connection, coupled with the haunting sense that you might be too tangled to harmoniously share life with another. Melodic keys based synths pair with a heartbeat 808 kick and addictively silky, catchy vocals, building subtly throughout.


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Photo - Lyle Bell

Home Front - Light Sleeper.

Home Front holds on to a particular kind of passion. The sort of thing that guides you - like a climbing vine steadily blanketing your bests and worsts, cutting through changes and impasses; victory and loss. This passion, their drive, is what makes a record like Watch It Die, their latest full-length for La Vida Es Un Mus, feel just right. 

For decades the duo’s Graeme MacKinnon and Clint Frazier have embedded themselves in grass roots music making, community building, and the overpowering ebbs and flows of diy punk. With Home Front, formed in 2020, they’ve given their lifetime of experience a chance to distill and then power into this musically omnipotent project which equally conjures textured Tangerine Dream sounds in a film montage, or the pummelling soundtrack to the first steps taken towards winning the fight of your life.

Its lead single “Light Sleeper” sends energy waves rattling through speakers with all the urgency and volume of post punk/new wave/street punk. The track is available today alongside a video which features a cast of characters including Home Front touring members Brandi Strauss (bass), Ian Rowley (guitar), and Warren Oostlander (drums). The new album 'Watch It Die' is coming on November 14 via La Vida Es Un Mus Discos.

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Photo - Ellie Carr

Emily Hines - These Days.

Last month Nashville-based songwriter Emily Hines released her debut album These Days via Keeled Scales. This month she releases her cover of the Jackson Browne classic by the same name. 

Emily writes, "I first heard 'These Days' about ten years ago while I was on the road opening for Corey Kilgannon. Jackson Browne was my on ramp into the folk rock that guides much of what I make.'These Days' quickly became a song I returned to over and over. Its meaning to me only expands over the years. I’m honored to offer my rendition of such a timeless work."

A self-described chronically-sincere farm girl, Hines grew up on a farm in rural Ohio before moving to Nashville where she played in other songwriters’ projects before recording her own songs on a 4-track cassette recorder. Hines worked with producer Henry Park. Together they drew inspiration from acts like Duster, Laura Marling, and Karen Dalton to record simply and add layers one at a time.

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Blue Loop - Luxury Chords.

Last month, London-based electronic artist Blue Loop, the moniker of Merseyside-born producer and performer Emma Hall, announced her debut album Cycles would be released on November 7th. Crafted during the treatment for stage 3 breast cancer in summer 2023, Cycles weaves together analogue synths, layered vocals, and found sound to trace a raw, non-linear path through illness, identity and transformation.

Hall announced the album in July via the sharing of the its title-track. Early praise from CLASH called the single “a beautifully sonorous excursion into analogue electronics.” New single ‘Luxury Chords’, out today, showcases a different side of Blue Loop’s repertoire. A woozy, love-soaked ballad written for Hall’s partner during the bleakest days of chemotherapy. Of the track, Hall says: 

"I wrote 'Luxury Chords' deep into chemo, about the love that can arise out of deep grief and sorrow. By that point everything felt so bleak – yet me and my partner had reached this weirdly beautiful, isolated place that it felt like only we could understand. One of his favourite songs is 'If I Am' by My Bloody Valentine, which he loves for its “luxury chords” – it has a kind of janky, soulful chord progression. The best gift I could think of was to write him a track with some more luxury chords just for him.

The track features a beautiful, James Bond-esque string arrangement from Amy Chalmers (who also wrote the strings for Bill Ryder Jones’ album Iechyd Da). Amy was my first music teacher at school, and when I was diagnosed she got in touch to offer me a string arrangement - the most amazing gift! When this song emerged I knew it would be the perfect fit.

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Wyldest - Manic Pixxies - Fred Brown - Saintseneca

Photo - Tom Gaiger

Wyldest - Old Flame.

We have been massively impressed with Wyldest who this week shares new single 'Old Flame' the latest single from her newly announced album 'The Universe Is Loading' out 14th November via Hand In Hive. 'Old Flame' follows the album's previous tasters 'All It Would Take Is A Phone Call' and 'After The Ending'. Based on what we have heard so far, Wyldest (Zoë Mead) is an artist to listen out for, the album  is eagerly anticipated!

Written after visiting California’s Sequoia National Park in the aftermath of wildfires, 'Old Flame' parallels nature’s cycles of destruction with human trauma. Opening like a spark on dry earth, guitars crash and shimmer while Wyldest’s voice cuts through the incandescent indie rock backdrop, pulling imagery from scorched forests and collapsing relationships, where destruction becomes the very condition for growth. The accompanying video, filmed in Connemara on Ireland’s west coast, follows Mead chasing (and ultimately releasing) a vision of her past self against the region’s surreal coastal landscapes.

Speaking more on the release of her new single, Wyldest said: "Old Flame was written after a small run of US shows, when I had the pleasure of visiting Sequoia National park in California. The forest fires had been running rife there and I learnt about the ecology of the area and how the trees up on the mountain grow to be the largest in the world. The trees there grow in a particular altitude and climate and the forest fires are natural to their ability to thrive in the environment. This got me thinking about trauma in the human world and how it could have the same natural tendency to occur and help with personal growth. 

The song reflects on the loss of a relationship ‘I’m longing to be with you again’ and then jumps between the wider context of the turbulent environment our planet is currently in. It re-frames the idea of going through trauma as being natural and something we might (in hindsight) be able to embrace. The idea that you’re letting go of an old version of yourself and leaving it behind in a less progressive time, in order to develop and grow - much like the trees in Sequoia."

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Manic Pixxies - Bluecarpet.

Manic Pixxies are a six-piece band from Switzerland channeling riot energy with a modern indie edge. Since forming in 2020, they’ve built a reputation for raw, emotional songwriting that blends the grit of 90s alternative with the experimentation of today’s DIY scene. Their music thrives on contrasts — fierce and delicate, chaotic and melodic, unpolished yet unforgettable.

Their latest single, Bluecarpet, showcases this intensity with driving basslines, sharp guitar riffs, swirling synths, and vocals that move between softness and fire. Early listeners have called it “good alternative indie rock with punk influences… powerful percussion rhythm, catchy lyrics, and beautiful vocals”, highlighting the 1:40 mark with double vocals as a standout moment. The track has already been added to playlists spotlighting European and Swiss alternative music.

On stage, Manic Pixxies are explosive and cathartic — turning shows into a release of energy where audience and band feed off each other. With Bluecarpet and more releases on the way, they’re carving out their place in the alternative scene as a band that embraces honesty, noise, and emotion in equal measure.

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Fred Brown - Distraction.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Fred Brown has announced his debut EP and released the title track ‘Distraction’. Recorded at Louis Grace’s studio (renowned for his work with the likes of Mura Masa & kaeto), the new single features Brown himself on drums, Joey Crouch on bass and engineering duties, and Henry Arrowsmith on piano. 

Blending muted guitar tones, delicate keys, unhurried drums, and fragile, heartfelt vocals, Distraction exudes an emotional sincerity and intimacy, wrapping its melancholic warmth around a rich, downtempo soundscape. As comparable to Elliott Smith as it is to Duster, Teethe and even early Bon Iver, the track showcases the indie-folk writing that stylises the upcoming EP. 

Speaking about the track, Fred explains: “The song is about seeing myself as a distraction for others around me. In a both positive and negative way. When writing the words this wasn’t clear to me at first, and I then found it to be that entertaining others also distracts myself from bigger things inside. The things I want in life, and being afraid to try my hardest at them.”

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Photo - Leticia Wiggins

Saintseneca - Viridian Moon (suite of five songs).

Today, Saintseneca released a suite of five new songs from their forthcoming album Highwalllow & Supermoon Songs that will be released on October 31 via Lame-O Records. The band’s first album in more than seven years consists of a ten-song landscape (tracks 1-10) orbited by two sonic “moons,” named for the colors bandleader Zac Little experienced through synesthesia while writing. Out today is the entire Viridian Moon (tracks 11-16), consisting of “Burnt Hand Hymn,” “May Day,” “Battery Lifer,” “Green Ink Pen,” and “Long Winter.”

Saintseneca have also announced a fall album release tour that will kick off on November 5 in Pittsburgh, PA and make stops in New York City, Philadelphia, Asheville, Chicago and more. The tour will culminate in a hometown album release show on November 21 at the Athenaeum Theatre in Columbus, OH. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, September 12. Find a full list of tour dates and ticket information at their website.

The album was born from a period of personal struggle when Little hit a years-long stretch of burnout and found unexpected healing and a creative spark in painting. What began as a meditative artistic practice grew into a collection of paintings that became the basis for a solo exhibition in a hospital gallery and ultimately the hand-painted gatefold jacket that houses the new album. Longtime collaborator Glenn Davis helped shape the recording sessions, while producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) brought the songs into full focus with expansive, layered mixes. 

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Gal Musette - Serious Child - Tamar Berk - The Grahams - Rob Smith (a.k.a. RSD) & Ammoye

Gal Musette -Broken Clock. 

Gal Musette is a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles whose upcoming third album, Our Day in the Sun, marks a quiet rebellion and a coming-into-self. Known for her delicate, introspective sound, Gal steps into new power with this record, an intimate ode to loss, endings, and the unraveling of old ideals. Vulnerability becomes a strength here, as she sheds the need to please and embraces a raw, unfiltered voice. The album also features a collaboration with Aaron Marsh (of Copeland), who composed the lush string and woodwind arrangement for one of its most poignant tracks.

Her latest single "Broken Clock" is a stunning folk embrace featuring blissful harmonies and delicate acoustic rhythms. She shares, "‘Even a broken clock is right twice a day’ is an old saying that caught my attention when an old boyfriend called me ‘blind.’ I thought then—even with my blind spots, I knew my gut was right in leaving that relationship behind."

In recent years, she’s toured and recorded with artists like Vacations, Jazzie Young, and Georgia Gets By (of Broods), released music with her trio Tin Angel, and opened for Rufus Wainwright and Gaby Moreno.

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Serious Child - First Tattoo.

Serious Child, aka Alan Young, is pleased to announce the release of his fourth album ‘What Lies Beneath’ for 7th November 2025. Hailing from an old wood in West Sussex (England), Young draws from a wide range of influences to explore the world around us with a poet’s ear for emotion and a comedian’s eye for everyday detail.

For the new record, Young has drawn from a wide range of sources of inspiration- from Tony Harrison’s sonnet “Book Ends”, to Rob McFarlane’s brilliant book “Underland” and Georgian traditional lullaby “Iavnana”. The album sees him joined by classical composer and violinist, David Grubb, bass clarinettist, Anna Perry, vocalist and touring partner My Girl The River, and long-time collaborator and producer Chris Pepper.

‘What Lies Beneath’ is a collection of musical stories about what’s underneath the surface of our everyday lives, from a woman quietly riding the bus all day to keep warm, to the prickle of fear exploring an ancient burial chamber and to the joy of a midlife tattoo on the album’s first single ‘First Tattoo’.

In finest pop tradition, ‘First Tattoo’ is literally a three-chord song, centred around a nursery rhyme riff, but played on a kalimba (thumb piano), with loads of lovely texture and interplay from Annie Perry on bass clarinet and David Grubb on violin. “I wanted to write something simple and joyful, without a care in the world”, explains Young. “On vocals, it was a family affair, with daughter Rosa providing backing a-has in addition to My Girl The River, and partner Kate donating her laugh at the whole silliness of it all. And yes, I am getting a tattoo”, he further adds.

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Tamar Berk - ocd (Album).

Tamar Berk released her fifth album ocd across music platforms last Friday, unveiling her most personal and sonically ambitious work yet. The record is a fuzzed-out, reverb-soaked exploration of looping thoughts, emotional spirals, and the strange beauty of overthinking.

Following wide indie acclaim for the first single “stay close by,” Tamar turns the spotlight to the album’s title track and focus single, "ocd", whose music video arrives alongside the full release. A groovy and dizzying layering of Wurlitzer, trumpet, and lyrical repetition, the song is both beautiful and claustrophobic. Teasing synths drift like sirens over an ocd-like refrain: “over and over and over.”

“It’s about the chaos I live with internally, the constant loop of anxiety, memory, control, regrets, and perfectionism,” Tamar says. “But it’s also about trying to find the humor and beauty in it, too.”

Across ocd, Tamar blends fuzzed-out guitars, dreamlike synths, warm piano, and intimate vocals into songs that examine identity, anxiety, memory, and the patterns we cannot escape. The album’s 12 tracks move between loud catharsis and quiet confession, capturing the absurd, messy, and sometimes hopeful loops of the mind. Each song connects like a fragment of a larger story, both personal and cinematic. With distorted guitars, dreamy piano lines, and diary-level confession, ocd is as melodic as it is mentally spiraled. It is Tamar’s most vulnerable and self-aware work, while also being her catchiest.


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Photo - Julian Gross

The Grahams - The One Who Remembers.

Acclaimed Americana-pop duo The Grahams have released their new single “The One Who Remembers.” The deeply personal piano ballad from married couple Alyssa and Doug Graham is a heartbreaking tale about a loved one struggling with Alzheimer’s and the impact it has on an entire family. “The One Who Remembers” is the latest offering from the group’s fourth studio album, The Bridge, out October 10th via 3Sirens, following the releases of their singles “Only New York” and “Found It In Us.”

“This song is the most personal song we’ve ever written,” shares Alyssa. “It is an authentic, unfathomable, and devastating look into a life story and struggle. Ultimately, I think it is a song about acceptance and remembrance.” - “‘The One Who Remembers’ is a small glimpse into a long and arduous battle,” adds Doug. “The unimaginable reality of memory loss and the realization that love is never forgotten.”

The Bridge marks the first time The Grahams are giving listeners an honest glimpse into their personal lives within their music. The 11-track collection, named after the George Washington Bridge, which transported the New Jersey natives to New York City during their formative years, is inspired by their everyday lives. For the album, The Grahams found themselves embracing the collaborative Nashville co-write by collaborating with GRAMMY-nominated producer Dex Green, singer-songwriter Kate York, and GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan. Alyssa (vocals) and Doug (guitars/vocals) credit these three creative ambassadors with helping them write about their lives honestly and vulnerably, diving deep into their childhood love affair that has lasted over 37 years.

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Rob Smith (a.k.a. RSD) & Ammoye - Walking In The Rain.

Rob Smith is a true producer legend, he produced the first Massive Attack single Any Love in 1988 together with Ray Mighty. They had the project “Smith & Mighty” going on which was huge and successful on K7! Records. 

They formed and created the melting pot of Bristol Sound with trip hop, breakbeat, dub, jungle, drum and bass, soul and jazz unfluenced vibes. ROB SMITH and Smith & Mighty remixed Neneh Cherry, M People, Beats International, Fine Young Cannibals and many more.

Ammoye – is a Jamaican-Canadian reggae musician, most noted as a seven-time Juno Award nominee for Reggae Recording of the year - on lovely vocals appearance and Rob Smith on production, they both bring us back to the time as Flash & The Pan and later on Grace Jones were doing 'Walking In The Rain' as their big and huge hits in the 80ties.

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Kathryn Williams - Nicki Bluhm - Adam and The Hellcats - Ally Row - Regina Brury & ask Robin

Kathryn Williams - Goodbye to Summer. 

Kathryn Williams, the folk singer-songwriter long celebrated for her emotional depth and lyrical precision, releases her 15th studio album ‘Mystery Park’ via One Little Independent Records on September 26th. A deeply personal, intimate collection, ‘Mystery Park’ marks 27 years of making music. It’s a reflective, textured work shaped by time’s shifting tides.

Known for her delicate, moving voice and poetic songwriting, Williams rose to prominence in 2000 with ‘Little Black Numbers’, the self-released album that earned her a Mercury Prize nomination and became a touchstone for a new generation of British folk. Over the decades since, her output has been both prolific and shapeshifting. She’s written a novel (The Ormering Tide), hosted a podcast (Before the Light Goes Out), worked as a visual artist, collaborated with a wide array of musicians from John Martyn and Paul Weller to Ed Harcourt and Withered Hand, and released celebrated projects across genres, including her Christmas album, ‘Midnight Chorus’, with Dame Carol Ann Duffy. Her most recent release, ‘Willson Williams’ was SAY and Americana Award-nominated as well as receiving critical praise.

New single ‘Goodbye to Summer’, co-written with Polly Paulusma during an Arvon retreat, is breezy and bittersweet, a song suffused with colour. Kathryn tells us they were “outside on two wooden chairs watching the dying sunlight tip off the wings of the swallows and the swifts. The last hurrah of summer before they fly away. The seasons begin to mark more and more. How many summers do we have in one life? Will the birds fly back home? Polly writes in open tunings so the new paths to melodies felt giddying and fresh.”

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Photo - Lauren Massie

Nicki Bluhm - Tumbleweed.

Nicki Bluhm has shared her new single “Tumbleweed,” the next preview of her forthcoming album Rancho Deluxe, out October 3. Featuring infectious guitar riffs courtesy of American Aquarium’s Shane Boeker, the new song is about embracing life's unpredictable twists and turns and was inspired by the memories of Bluhm’s rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Atwood Magazine praised the track, calling it “a song of sweet surrender, celebrating the beauty and wonder of being fully present.”

About the new song, Bluhm says: “The guitar riff and tone by absolute shredder Shane Boeker (American Aquarium) kicks this song off and just puts a huge smile on my face, makes me wanna turn it up. Lyrically, ‘Tumbleweed’ is about letting go and trusting in what you cannot see. When I was writing, I had strong images of my time floating down the Grand Canyon. The overhanging cliffs are so imposing and the blind bends in the river are so vast, all you can do is wait and see what is revealed around each turn. You are at the mercy of nature’s pace; the wind, the current, the weather. There is no use in worrying or trying to control the situation, you surrender and appreciate the ride.”

“Tumbleweed” follows the stomping “Cumberland Banks" and the feel-good “Simple Side of Me”, which had Magnet Magazine raving that it “embodies all that’s refreshing about the new Nashville.” A musical patchwork quilt that captures Nashville’s collaborative spirit, Rancho Deluxe finds her reflecting on well-earned lessons from nearly two decades in the music business. Joined by her co-writer, producer and partner Jesse Noah Wilson and other first-rate musicians like Kai Welch (Kacey Musgraves), Jess Nolan (Jenny Lewis) and Cameron Neal (Elle King, Shakey Graves), they pulled from a swirl of influences, including folk-rock, western psychedelia and ‘60s West Coast soul. The end result features songs that are rooted in resilience, relaxation and the relationships she's built with like-minded collaborators.

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Adam and The Hellcats - Go Easy.

Adam and The Hellcats are an unstoppable six-piece rock ‘n’ roll band from Bristol. The powerhouse act will release their eagerly awaited third album, 9 Lives, on Friday 3rd October. Prior to the release, the band have just unveiled their emotional new single and video, Go Easy'.

The Hellcats have carved out a fierce reputation on the UK rock circuit, earning their stripes by touring and supporting a host of established acts. They hit the road as special guests of Jackie Chambers (Girlschool) with her band, Syteria, and opened the first night of The Wildhearts’ UK Tour. Since then, they’ve toured with U.S. rock heavyweights, Hearts & Hand Grenades, and rising UK favourites White Raven Down.

Their festival presence has been just as commanding, with high-energy sets at Station 18, Dementia Aware Fest, Crazy Cowboy Festival, Rockin’ by the River, and many more. In November 2024, they headlined the second stage at the prestigious HRH Festival in Great Yarmouth to a packed crowd. That buzz secured them a slot at HRH Road Trip Ibiza 2025, where they opened the festival for none other than Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.

Founded by frontman and guitarist Adam Feasey, the band features two lead vocalists — Adam and the formidable Cirwen Costa — bringing power, versatility, and emotional depth to their sound, which is made even more distinctive by the inclusion of a keytar, adding flair and rich texture to their explosive live performances.

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Ally Row - Something More.

Hot on the heels of the hits ‘Hold Me Now and ‘Middle of The Road’, comes the stunning new single from Gippsland duo, Ally Row, ‘Something More’, the title track from their forthcoming debut album.

This high energy track blends distorted electric banjo, punchy drums, strong smoky lead vocals and rebellious spirit into a thunderous rallying cry for anyone who’s ever felt invisible, unsupported or just sick and tired of playing nice. It’s where folk meets punk to channel their frustration, burnout and existential angst into this fierce cry for recognition.

Known for their introspective alt-country storytelling, Ally Row take a sharp turn towards punk sensibilities on ‘Something More’, taking inspiration from as far field as The White Stripes and Florence and The Machine and even Aussie icons The Bushwackers.

Recorded, mixed and produced by Spud Thompson at Elusive Creative Studios, it also features Alex Keser on drums and was mastered by Nick Franklin (Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys/ Ocean Alley/ Custard). The duo announces their ‘Something More’ debut album for Friday 19th September and will support Irish duo, DUG, at Meeniyan Town Hall VIC during their first Australian tour.

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Regina Brury & ask Robin - My Callback.

With airplay on Swiss indie radio stations, such as Radio Munot, as well as on more than 50 stations worldwide and with their previously released singles, Regina Brury & ask Robin from Zurich and Brazil have built up a rapidly growing fanbase both at home and abroad. Now it’s time to release their debut “My Callback EP.” Anyone who recognizes echoes of the big pop-rock melodies of Avril Lavigne and Pink is right on target. If you like the single you will love the EP, unfortunately we don't have the release date yet.

To celebrate this cultural connection and to honor her Brazilian roots, Zurich-based Regina Brury will travel to her homeland of Salvador, Brazil, in October. There she will give an exclusive concert—a symbolic act of respect and gratitude toward the culture that has shaped her art.

In short: Regina Brury & ask Robin once again demonstrate that musically and thematically, they masterfully bridge global indie rock, pop melodies, and cultural heritage. Their early successes have not gone unnoticed: in October the band will perform, among other places, at X-TRA Zurich—a milestone for a project that only went public with its first single this spring.

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Hannah Delynn - Shplang - Ani Glass - Alpenstock

Photo - Betsy Phillips

Hannah Delynn - Trust Fall (Album).

Hannah Delynn, a Nashville-based vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, independently released her debut full-length album, Trust Fall, yesterday September 5. Hannah’s ability and openness to view life from many perspectives result in songs that are emotionally engaging and compelling. This record is a testament to accepting self-responsibility and the myriad mixed emotions that entails.

Finding freedom through vulnerability, Delynn crafts heartfelt songs of hope and healing. “I write about matters of the heart and hope my words and songs bring you hope and healing and connect you with the beauty that is all around us—even when it feels difficult to see,” says Hannah. “This collection of songs honors a potent sea of change in my life and reflects a season of deep grief, loss, betrayal, and heartbreak, as well as beauty, love, generosity, and friendship,” says Hannah. “I have been learning how to more deeply trust myself, others, and the world around me. Life has a way of alchemizing pain and hardship into beautiful blessings and gifts, but it can feel like we’re first being melted down in the crucible or turned to goo in the chrysalis. Learning to ask for help and to summon both courage and surrender during those moments has been a vital, if uncomfortable, process, and these songs have come from that cauldron. They are soul-friends, catharsis, comforters, and companions.”

For as long as she can remember, Hannah has always loved words and stories, music, and adventures. Originally from Florida, she found her way to Nashville in 2013 by way of New Zealand, British Columbia, and Australia, gathering stories (soon to be songs) along the way. Hannah says, “I have now called Nashville home for over 11 years and have fallen deeply in love with this community. I owe so much to some dear friends who took me firmly under their wing and graciously showed me the ropes of Music City.”

Hannah continues, “Trust Fall was made with some of my favorite people on earth. We are close friends, and I think that’s what allowed for the depth of vulnerability. Each person made me feel so completely held and free to just ‘be,’ which allowed me to truly open up and allow the raw emotion of these songs into the performances.”

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Shplang - Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man) / Frankies Back.

Big Stir Records is proud to announce a new double-sided digital single from veteran LA psych-pop combo Shplang, coinciding with the long overdue debut of the band's entire back catalog on all digital streaming services worldwide. “Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man)”, a long-standing fan favorite, gets its first standalone release to celebrate the occasion, and it's paired here with the all-new B-side “Frankie's Back”.

Shplang, the LA-based brainchild of Peter Marston (vocals, guitars and more) and John Krause (bass, visuals) has been a mainstay of the city's guitar pop scene for over three decades, but much of their early work has been relegated to physical CD releases –until now. “Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man)” has long been a fan favorite at live shows and in its original appearance on the band's 2009 album MY BIG THREE WHEELER. That record now joins the band's full catalog of albums –the never-before-streaming JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF MIRTH(1995), SELF MADE MONK(1997) and AMERICAN CREAM(2000), plus the band's Big Stir Records output of the career-summarizing LOS GRANDES EXCRITOS 1994-2019and the subsequent career-rebooting THANK YOU, VALUED CUSTOMER(2023) marking the first time the entire Shplang oeuvre has been available to stream. And the tune that heralds the digital rollout is as emblematic of the ever-eclectic band's style as anything could be: Shplang is never predictable, but always effortlessly tuneful and lyrically sly. 

The A-side is no exception. “'Let’s Get High (and I Could Be Your Man)' has a title that often raises both eyebrows and presumed comparisons to Jimmy Buffett’s 'Why Don’t We Get Drunk (and Screw),' but even a single listen will reveal that this comparison is well off-target,” says Marston. “It's actually deeply romantic—indeed, one of the most romantic songs Shplang has recorded. The singer, feeling stuck and without hope of reversing the course of his life, seeks not gratification or distraction, but connection and solace. He wants to belong to someone.” The songwriter adds, “In terms of production, the highlights are John Krause’s sliding bass, the melancholic baritone guitar riffs, and the Brian Wilson pastiche in the instrumental bridge. In earlier versions, the bridge had lyrics, but the piano arrangement seemed too good and the tribute to Wilson too lovely to not feature it in an instrumental section. Listen to Stack-o-Tracks and you’ll see why.”

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Ani Glass - Acwariwm.

Award-winning, Cardiff-based artist, Ani Glass, launches her new album ‘Phantasmagoria’ on the 26th of September. What a journey to this moment. Fittingly, Ani’s debut LP ‘Mirores’ (translates as “observer”) was based around movement and progress. It was her first foray into the self-taught art of recording and production. Ani Glass has not stopped progressing or moving since.

Futuristic, fascinating pop. Ethereal vocals, lush instrumentation and swirling synth pulses echo early Goldfrapp or Enya, but this is all Ani Glass. Phantasmagoria's intricate, ethereal, expansive - and newly revealing with every listen.

Inspired by working with Martin Rushent as a member of indie pop group, The Pipettes, a strong pop sensibility was cemented as a member of the band, Genie Queen (managed by OMD’s Andy McCluskey). Additional inspirations included 1980s artists and producers Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Arthur Russell (who inspired her to learn the cello).

At the start of 2020, just before the release of her debut album ‘Mirores’, Ani was diagnosed with a rare benign brain tumour. The diagnosis marked the beginning of the personal journey that has shaped ‘Phantasmagoria’. That final shape is a lush, introspective concept album that delves deeply into her experience of navigating life since then.

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Alpenstock - Little Bird.

Alpenstock from Biel (Switzerland) are making waves: just a few days ago, the eventful life story of their mastermind Charles de Ribaupierre was published in Bund, Berner Zeitung, Blick am Abend (Baz), and Tages Anzeiger, among others. In spring, he released a prog rock album with the band that has gained worldwide attention and continues to captivate critics and radio producers alike. Alpenstock has also been heard on major Swiss stations such as Radio Munot, Option Musique, the Rete channels, and countless others. 

As a reminder: Charles de Ribaupierre must undergo dialysis three times a week due to complete kidney failure. A Parkinson’s disease has increasingly taken a strong grip on his body. Nevertheless—or perhaps precisely because of this—the Biel/CH-based singer and songwriter recorded all these magnificent prog rock tracks with renowned Swiss musicians. With his Alpenstock project, he now wants to encourage others who are affected.

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The Man From Delmonte - The Howlers - The Happy Fits - Foxford - Jon Nolan & Good Co.

The Man From Delmonte - Believe Me.

After 35 years away, Manchester indie legends The Man From Delmonte are back playing live shows and releasing a brand-new album ‘Better Things’ in November, with its first taster, the fabulously hooky single ‘Believe Me’ backed by B-side ‘The International’ out this week.

Between 1988 and 1991 TMFD weren’t part of any music scene. They were their own movement, sounding nothing like anyone else at the time. Selling out 3000 capacity venues, hitting the top of the Indie charts and having Inspiral Carpets and 808 State as their opening acts. Mike West, Sheila Seal, Martin Vincent and Howard Goody delivered classic pop tunes including ‘Water in My Eyes’ and ‘My Love is Like a Gift’ that were lyrically ahead of their time. Mike wrote and sang about loving men just as easily as he did about relationships with women. The audiences always loved it. The press often treated them with outright biphobia.

After a chance conversation with TV presenter Iain Lee, The Man From Delmonte are back. Their first reunion gig at Band on the Wall sold out in 12 minutes. Their following show at Manchester Academy 2 sold out in days. Over 600 copies of a double CD reissue of the band’s two albums ‘Big Noise’ & ‘Good Things in Life’ have been bought by fans desperate to get their hands on anything TMFD related.

‘Who knew that we had such amazing fans that had been listening to TMFD all through those years and would want us to come back and play live!” exclaims bassist Sheila Seal. ‘Someone said to me: you go into a Man From Delmonte gig in your fifties and come out in your teens’, she further adds.

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The Howlers - You Can Be So Cruel.

Following the release of single “Night Crawling” earlier this year and the independent success of the band’s debut album in 2024 which saw the band claim a Top 15 Official Chart Position, The Howlers saunter back into frame ahead of their biggest shows to date with new single “You Can Be So Cruel”.

“You Can Be So Cruel” isn't shy or reticent in its meaning, it's a confident and sultry anti love letter, a memory of those late nighter rendezvous that goaded you into a confrontational position, the stranger sauntering around your favourite bar with confident intent on pursuing whatever crosses their mind.

After recording in studios for the band’s debut album, frontman Young decided to set himself a challenge and make a record that sounds better, without stepping foot in a studio. So all the vocals, all the guitars, all the synths are recorded at home and over Skype and Teams with producer Chris Ostler, the idea was to make a record that breaks the mould on what is possible.

Speaking about the track, frontman Adam Young says: “The track is an anti love letter. We have all been swept up in the way we feel about someone that we ignore the warning signs and end up getting hurt. The track is a confident F*** You directed at those people, I’m sure there will be people who hear this track and immediately think of someone in particular who made them ignore all the signs.”

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Photo - Anna Koblish

The Happy Fits - Black Hole.

Indie/rock darlings The Happy Fits released yesterday their riotous new single “Black Hole” along with an immersive official video. The track is the latest to release off their upcoming album Lovesick, due out September 19th. Over a bed of anthemic guitars, theatrical strings, and an earworm chorus, “Black Hole” explores what happens when we surrender our sense of self to meet the needs of another, watching helplessly as a relationship that once brought such light and joy slowly descends into a source of frustration and regret.

“I learned through this experience that no matter how badly you may want to help someone, if they’re unwilling to accept it, you have to let go,” explained frontman Calvin Langman. “Otherwise, you’ll just keep giving more and more of yourself until you get whittled down to nothing.”

Forthcoming album Lovesick was written and recorded after ten tumultuous months that saw one founding member depart the band severing a creative partnership that had formed the group’s bedrock since the start, another leave tour to get sober following an emotional intervention, and a third entering an era of self-renaissance after the dissolution of a serious relationship and a series of relocations. 

Rather than let the hardship break their stride, though, the acclaimed quartet leaned into the turmoil, transforming all the heartbreak and uncertainty they experienced into their most exhilarating, adventurous, and cathartic record yet. Lovesick is, as its title would suggest, a complicated reckoning with all the joy and pain that comes with opening your heart to the world. The songs are bold and fearless, reveling in the intensity of it all with radical vulnerability, and the performances are similarly, pairing blistering rock and roll energy and addictive pop hooks with sweeping orchestral arrangements and raw, revelatory lyrics.

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Foxford - Tennessee Whiskey.

Foxford share an epic new cover of the classic “Tennessee Whiskey” from studio EP “Heaven Here” Raised in South Manchester, brothers Michael and Liam reflect their diverse inspirations from Michael’s love for Oasis and The Beatles to Liam’s admiration for Bob Dylan and Otis Redding, thus forming Foxford.

Michael, a self-taught pianist, guitarist and lyricist, previously released his solo record “Home Again”, which garnered support from BBC Introducing, and even got featured at a few Manchester United halftime shows. Liam, a self taught multi-instrumentalist and singer has collaborated with singer/songwriter Jake Mattison, and toured with Emeli Sandé. Between the brothers, their wealth of experience and creativity transcends throughout “Heaven Here”. 

The project blends heartfelt songwriting with rich musical influences, rooted in emotion and authenticity. Heaven Here includes two original tracks. The title track is an uplifting anthem about finding beauty in everyday moments. The second,”The Only Face in the Crowd” is a poignant piano ballad about love and connection, featuring strings by acclaimed producer George Shilling (Blur, Ocean Colour Scene, Primal Scream, Frank Turner). 

Also included is a soulful cover of Tennessee Whiskey, showcasing the duo’s dynamic chemistry, with Liam on vocals and Michael on organ. “This EP reflects our journey and what inspires us,” says the band. “We hope listeners feel something real and are reminded of the connections that matter.” Heaven Here is an introduction to Foxford’s honest, emotionally driven sound, resonating with the listener and leaving a lasting impression.

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Photo - Edwin Remsberg

Jon Nolan & Good Co. - Hidden Glances.

Jon Nolan & Good Co. released “Hidden Glances,” the latest single from Slow Cooker, Nolan’s forthcoming album with Good Co., his band of hometown friends, out September 19 via Strolling Bones Records. On the album, the New Hampshire native underscores his relatable storytelling with eloquent folk-inspired songcraft accented by flourishes of country and rock brought to life during cozy and relaxed jam sessions which took place in his hometown of Newmarket.

“Love, desire, romance, regret, missed moments, memories. A photo album of infatuation and heartbreak,” Nolan says about the new track. “Another song where I left some space for the listener to fill in the details of the movie scenes playing out in their mind.”

“Hidden Glances” follows previous singles “On My Own” and “Sea Glass,” premiered by Magnet Magazine, which was released with a music video starring two of Portland, Maine’s most respected and prolific musical figures—Jon Roods (Rustic Overtones, Paranoid Social Club) and Anna Lombard (Gypsy Tailwind, Love by Numbers)—and was co-directed by Nolan and Jay Boyington.

During the summer of 2022, Nolan, who fronts the alternative country band Say ZuZu, experienced a surge of inspiration so he launched a new music project “just for fun.” At first, he holed up in the attic of a friend’s barn with collaborators Geoff Taylor [bass] and Rick Habib [drums]. “We were eventually kicked out for being too loud,” Nolan laughs. Despite losing their de facto clubhouse, the guys welcomed Zack Tremblay [guitar] into the fold, cementing the lineup for Jon Nolan & Good Co.

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Saint Etienne x Confidence Man - WHITEHORSE - Kai Korven - bat zoo

Photo - Rob Baker Ashton

Saint Etienne x Confidence Man - Brand New Me.

When two cult favorites come head-to-head to record a single together, you'd expect the results to be special - but "Brand New Me" is so much more than the sum of its parts. It's a pumped-up cartoon of a pop record with hooks for days and the latest single to be taken from their forthcoming, and last, album, International, out this Friday, September 5 on Heavenly Recordings.

Saint Etienne first met their Heavenly label mates Confidence Man at Kite Festival back in 2022, and it was love at first sight. Confidence Man had been weaned on a diet of Saint Etienne and Vegemite whilst growing up in Australia, while Saint Etienne were genuinely dazzled by Confidence Man's shiny, new, exciting cocktail of electro-pop hedonism. Plans were instantly hatched to work together, and the result is "Brand New Me".

Sarah Cracknell and Janet Planet’s voices are a natural pairing, and when Sarah steps in for the spoken word parts, "Brand New Me" begins to feel like the lovechild "Nothing Can Stop Us" always hinted at.

Talking about the collaboration, Sarah of Saint Etienne said: I got a message from Danny Mitchell at Heavenly Recordings, Saint Etienne’s spiritual home, about an Australian band they had signed called Confidence Man. Danny told me they were fans of our music and would love to meet and chat about a potential collaboration. We met backstage at a festival and immediately hit it off, kindred spirits! Making 'Brand New Me’ was a lot of fun and I think it’s a perfect mash up of both our band’s styles.

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WHITEHORSE - Red Riptide.

WHITEHORSE is the new band from Thomas Haywood, the former frontman of The Blinders. Their new single ‘Red Riptide’  is out now, watch the video below. Riven with urgency, with guitar licks like knives being unsheathed, dexterous basslines, scampering drums and a vocal that simmers, broods and reaches crescendo. It’s about being completely clear-headed and in a place of certainty in your mind, and the rushing feeling of violence that comes with determination when you’re cutting through the chaos and staying true to a vision you’re so certain of.

Formed in Sheffield in late 2024 by Haywood alongside Bobby Bouché, John McCullagh & Nathan Keeble, and James Keith. The light of experience has meant a rapid start to what has quickly been established as an exciting outfit fronted by profound lyrical songcraft and a trademark performative ability.

From their debut single ‘Doesn’t Come Close’, WHITEHORSE immediately caught the attention of BBC Introducing Sheffield, who quickly spotlighted the band with airplay and a festival slot. This momentum followed a run of sold-out one-off shows and a dry run of UK dates in March 2024. Their sound blends delicacy with visceral power, channelling “swirls of feeling” through poetic lyricism and vivid imagery, then forward rolling into simple explosive streams of a song.

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Photo - Cate Oxford

Kai Korven - Bug on Head.

Toronto composer, songwriter, and producer Kai Korven invites listeners into a whimsical, heartfelt world with his new single, "Bug on Head." Playful, dynamic, and elating, the track blends indie pop and folk sensibilities with theatrical storytelling, capturing the warmth of friendship and the joy of creative collaboration.

"'Bug on Head' is really about the voices of my friends," Korven explains. "This is by far the song I've collaborated with the most people on, and the depth of light and joy that comes from their voices is really present in the track. It feels like a burst of light – like everybody's invited to join in! Look at us!"

The song emerged from a melody Korven heard in the spring of 2024, influenced by his immersion in Irish jigs and reels. From the line I had a fever dream about a bug, the whimsical narrative took flight, evolving into an allegorical tale that reflects on emotional mechanisms and codependent relationships with humor, warmth, and honesty.

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bat zoo - The Upward Bird (EP).

Emerging artist bat zoo unveils his long-awaited debut EP The Upward Bird, a six-track meditation on memory, vulnerability, and transformation. Blending R&B, soul, folk, and experimental electronic textures, the project captures the full range of bat zoo’s artistry - emotional, cinematic, and unapologetically human.

“This EP is me learning to hold chaos and beauty at the same time. Each song was born in solitude, but they all point to connection—ancestral, romantic, or cosmic. The Upward Bird is about shedding, rising, and finding light in the mess.” - bat zoo.

From ancestral reflections to cathartic explosions, The Upward Bird is as much a personal diary as it is a universal soundtrack to growth.

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Teen Creeps - Kate Stables Jesca Hoop & Lail Arad - better joy

Teen Creeps - Anywhere.

Teen Creeps are releasing their third studio album, ‘Today Is The Day’ on September 5th. Ahead of the album release, the band have dropped new single ‘Anywhere’. It’s their most anthemic song yet and bears resemblance to the energetic Springsteen-goes-punk sound of Japandroids. When singer Bert Vliegen screams out “I’m not going anywhere”, he’s talking about his band.

Bert: “When we started writing the new album, I kind of suffered from writer’s block. Until we celebrated our 10 year anniversary as a band. It made me realize how much I enjoy playing with these guys, even after all those years. 

It inspired me to write this song about our band, what it has meant to me and what it still does. Basically, ‘Anywhere’ is about finding something you love and taking pride in it. I hope it inspires confidence and energy in whoever hears it.”

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Kate Stables Jesca Hoop & Lail Arad - Raised on Robbery.

Following a revered debut at The Roundhouse in April 2024, a string of sold out performances and widespread critical acclaim, The Songs of Joni Mitchell returns this autumn with an extraordinary lineup of artists paying tribute to one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) & Lail Arad, acclaimed singer-songwriters in their own right, will perform intimate interpretations of their favourite Joni Mitchell songs in a loving ode to the Matriarchitect of modern song. They will be joined by Richard Sears on piano and Lisa Hannigan & Loah as special guests in London and Dublin.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and the band LYR have also been announced as special guests for London show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on November 13th, bringing not only Joni's songs, but also her poetry to life. To celebrate this next chapter of the live show, Hoop, Stables and Arad will also release a companion EP: The Songs Of Joni Mitchell Vol. 1. Playing like the sweetest bedroom concert, these up close and personal recordings, out September 12th via Small Matters, offer fresh interpretations of four formidable Joni Mitchell songs (‘Raised On Robbery’, ‘Morning Morgantown’, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ and ‘A Case Of You’).

Today, the trio have shared their cover of ‘Raised On Robbery’, with crunchy guitars, velveteen harmonies and a bare bones approach that sends the timeless classic into a fresh and enlivened landscape. “It was the joy of clicking these harmonies together, backstage at the Roundhouse, that sowed the seeds for the EP,” shares Arad.

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better joy - plugged in.

After releasing her debut EP ‘heading into blue’ in March 2025, which saw a sold-out run of limited edition baby blue vinyl, as well as a predominantly sold-out debut headline tour, Manchester-based better joy has now shared new single "plugged in" - a follow up to most recent single, "this part of town". In addition, she has announced a new EP ‘at dusk’ which will be released on 31st October; 3 weeks before she ventures on tour across the UK with Amy Macdonald, including a sold out 13,000 capacity Glasgow OVO Hydro.
 
“I like that the better joy sound is evolving; it’s what we do as people, so it’s only natural the sound grows with me” says Bria Keely, better known by her stage name - better joy.  A vivid indie-pop guitar project backed by a band, better joy fuses sparky melodies with strong guitars and pulsating bass lines, coated in lyrics that delve deep into all things vulnerable. The upcoming EP ‘at dusk’, a sister EP to her debut ‘heading into blue’, reflects a moment in her life “where I just stopped trying to please anyone or caring whether the music I wrote ‘fit’ a mold. It’s not on anyone else to define what better joy is: it’s on me”.
 
New single “plugged in” and previous "this part of town" are taken from better joy’s forthcoming second EP ‘at dusk’, produced by Mike Hedges (The Cure, U2, Manic Street Preachers, Travis). The 6-track EP will be the second full-length project from better joy and is both a perfect segue from ‘heading into blue’ which introduced better joy’s alt-pop sound, and an exciting taste of more to come this year. The vinyl version of the EP will be available to pre-order soon!

Bria says “for me, this song captures the moment of finally connecting with someone and understanding love for the very first time. Suddenly you see the world differently because you’ve unlocked another part of yourself, you’ve been ‘plugged in’.”

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