Sunshine & the Rain - Sam Rochford - Gitta de Ridder - The Velveteins - Woods - Katie Laffan

Sunshine & the Rain - I'm Not Your Girl.

Background - New York's Sunshine & the Rain new album is set for release on May 12th. Recorded in Sonic Youth’s Echo Canyon West studio with the legendary Jon Spencer, 'In The Darkness Of My Night' is full of pop gems with sugary hooks and dirty Ramones grit.

Sunshine & the Rain is a duo consisting of husband and wife Ashley Morey (vocals, bass) and Justin Morey (guitar), both formerly of critically acclaimed psych rockers The Black Hollies. Formed around the same time as the 2014 dissolution of their former band, Sunshine & the Rain kicked things off with the Jesus & Mary Chain vibes of their debut 7? 'Can’t Stop Thinking About You b/w Pale Blue Skies' in late 2015.

Early 2016 saw them heading into Sonic Youth’s Echo Canyon West studio with the legendary Jon Spencer to begin work on their debut LP. Eschewing some of the more lengthy psych leanings of their earliest days, Spencer coaxed the band towards a more immediate sound, cutting down track lengths and leaving nothing but pointed pop gems with sugary hooks and a dirty Ramones grit cutting throughout.

Alongside direction from Spencer, and engineering from Grammy Award-winning Engineer Ted Young, Sunshine & The Rain spent the majority of 2016 fine tuning the songs that ended up on 'In The Darkness Of My Night'. From the instant gratification of singles like 'Let’s Go' and 'I’m Not Your Girl' to aggressive earworms 'Take Me Out Again' and an unexpected cover of Fugazi’s 'Merchandise', this debut record is a statement that never strays from its point. Facebook here.

'I'm Not Your Girl' is a good indicator of of the power and passion to be found right across 'In The Darkness Of My Night'. Mixing full on punk attitude with some pop sensibilities makes for a roller-coaster ride, the duo hardly ever drop the rock energy, however the hooks are there song after song, making this one very decent rock'n'roll album.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam Rochford - So Easy.

Background - Americana newcomer, Sam Rochford celebrated the release of her debut single, "So Easy," on March 26, 2017. With a mellowing, acoustic introduction, Sam Rochford showcases her beautiful voice, revealing a vulnerable side that will allow every listener to imagine a love, that even though it isn't perfect, it is real. If you have ever fallen in love, or even thought you were, you know there will be hurdles ahead. The only thing you can do be willing to face them together, and together you can conquer all. That's what this single is all about. Sure, there are times when the others imperfections may be too much for some to handle, but for you, it's those imperfections that make them so perfect.

While preparing for this release, Sam Rochford created a video that is accompanying the release of "So Easy." The video is an artistic look into someone's heart, showing Sam with a handmade scrapbook, revealing the lyrics in time to the song. "You're always sorry for who you are, but you don't have to apologize" is just a small phrase of lyrics that makes "So Easy" incredible. With the rolling acoustic guitar, mixed with a little dobro, Sam's earthy voice blends perfectly and this love story comes to life.

After interviewing countless country music stars as part of the WSM Radio Nashville team, singer-songwriter Sam Rochford steps into the spotlight with her debut single and video release, "So Easy." Website here, Facebook here.

Totally natural Americana, where the vocals add some emotion, and the music gives a roots flavour, pretty much ensures 'So Easy' arrives as a very engaging and delightful song.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gitta de Ridder - Till the Day That I Die.

Background - Following the release of album Feathers in late 2016, Gitta De Ridder has announced new single ‘Till The Day That I Die plus a string of UK and Europe tour dates.

Originally growing up in the Netherlands, Gitta taught herself to write and play songs on the guitar from a young age, and cites modern folk artists such as Sufjan Stevens and Anais Mitchell as her inspiration. Gitta's folk-pop songs, with beautifully poetic but also conversational lyrics, go straight to the heart and are performed on a bed of warm fingerpicked guitar.

'Till the Day That I Die is a song about allowing space within ourselves and our relationships. About allowing life to take it's course realising we are not always in control and that for every conscious decision we make we have made a hundred subconscious ones that lead the way. And that underneath it all, love, regardless of outcome, will always stay. Website here, Facebook here, tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Having featured Gitta a couple of times towards the end of 2016 it was a pleasant surprise to receive the new single & music video for 'Till the Day That I Die'. The video may be a little minimalist, however that's just fine as the music is gorgeous and worth full attention. Live dates on our tour page.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Velveteins - Midnight Surf.

Background - The Velveteins have shared their newest track “Midnight Surf” for you. It comes off of their upcoming debut full length "Slow Wave" which will be released this May 12th.

Describing the new song the band commented "Midnight Surf” was thematically inspired by slow wave sleep - the deepest stage of sleep you can reach in the evening. The song came to us while we were discussing deep sleep and disconnecting from reality. An ode to sleeping, “Midnight Surf” has a sort of glazed feel with a lot of experimentation in the recording process".

The Velveteins will also be heading on a US/Canada tour around album release - full list of dates on Beehive Candy's tour page. Website here, Facebook here.

There is a dreamy surf rock meets indie pop feeling that for me makes 'Midnight Surf' pretty special as a starting point. On top of that the emotion in the vocals builds to a rousing point, where everything else has to stop. As a teaser for the debut album, I think this band have cracked the code.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woods - Love Is Love.

Background - "We walked down streets and crammed onto trains, our faces masks of fear. Unsure how to react, we, collectively, did not react. We grieved for a country and an ideal we never thought would die. We grieved for a loss of certainty.

We argued about what we thought would happen. We preached understanding. We advocated for anger. Some people said that we’d at least get some incredible art, other people said that was a small view of a world we were quickly realizing we’d misunderstood. Everyone was right. Everyone was wrong. Art made in precarious times matters as much as we let it matter.

But what are we looking for from the art we enjoy? Escapism? A reckoning with harsh reality? A temporary shared hallucination? Music can heal because it presents the pain of being human as universal.

Love is Love was written and recorded in the two months immediately following the election, but it’s not a record borne entirely of angry, knee-jerk reaction to what America is becoming. Instead, it’s a meditation on love, and on what life means now. Taking cues from last year’s City Sun Eater in the River of Light, it feels very much like a record made from living, shoulder to shoulder, in a major city: weaving psychedelic swirls of guitar between languid horns reminiscent of the best Ethiopian jazz—Love is Love is a distinctly New York record. It is a document of protest in uncertain times and an open-hearted rejection of cynicism in favor of emotional honesty. It is bright, and then, unexpectedly, a little dark sometimes too. Website here, Facebook here.

'Love Is Love' is both a fine song and the title track for this equally fine six song collection. As a non American, I have struggled with what on occasion appears to have been something along the lines of "at last we have something to protest about again" occasion. I may well be wrong. That said the motivation and reasoning behind this song collection really does appeal, as does the music, which is superbly produced.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katie Laffan - Tastemaker.

Background - Katie Laffan has never been an artist to stand still. From a debut EP of lo-fi bedroom funk pop to last year's subtle, affecting 'Trophy', the Dubliner delights in taking influence from a wealth of genres. Along the way, she and her band played a series of prestigious shows across Ireland - including Cork Jazz, Electric Picnic, K Fest, Canalaphonic, Body & Soul and Townlands Carnival, before finishing the year with two gigs at Other Voices, the acclaimed music gathering that takes place in Kerry every December.

New single 'Tastemaker' sees her take another left turn, this time into the world of disco and pop. Produced by Liam Caffery of Music for 18 Machines and mastered by John Flynn, who worked with Björk on her 2015 album Vulnicura, the song is her most polished release to date - while never losing her uncanny skill for a sharp lyric and a memorable melody.

Having been invited by Other Voices producer Aoife Woodlock to play Dublin's National Concert Hall in Dublin as part of the St Patrick's Festival Young Blood event (alongside Hare Squead, Rusangano Family, Kojey Radical and a number of Ireland's most acclaimed spoken word artists), Katie has recorded recent sessions for RTE 2FM and Today FM ahead of the 'Tastemaker' release. The track will also see her first ever video, directed by Sean Clancy and starring her 82 year old grandfather.

Katie is getting all the right attention in Ireland with national press, radio and festival appearances and is now venturing over to the UK. Facebook here.

'Tastemaker' is a massively catchy pop tune with just enough retro disco feel to make it appeal to young and not so young alike. Catchy, melodic and escapist, it's a delight to share.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sound Of The Sirens - Coast Modern - Planets - The Company Stores

Sound Of The Sirens - Smokescreen.

Background - There’s a certain transcendent magic that happens when two contrasting voices coalesce in perfect harmony – think The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel or George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Imperceptibly, they can raise you from the temporal to the spiritual in the breath of a song, and set you floating among the firmament infused with a sense of wonder – just like Sound of the Sirens.

Exeter-based duo Abbe Martin and Hannah Wood dovetail beautifully on their debut album, For All Our Sins, a beguiling acoustic pop collection replete with lyrical sensibility on tracks like the first single, Smokescreen (“Living beyond the darkness others create for us, and growing into something positive”), The Circus (“When everyone wants something from you, who can you trust?”) and Mr Wilson (“The chemistry of a new relationship, unsure of where it is going, but knowing that you want more from it”).

Already championed by Chris Evans – who declared himself “blown away” when he heard Sound of the Sirens for the first time, and subsequently invited them to perform alongside U2 and Take That on TFI Friday last year – they’re certain to broaden a burgeoning fan base on the back of For All Our Sins.

It’s a fan base built up not just over several sublime EP releases –  but also through their live shows, which combine a natural facility for connecting with their audiences and unforgettable performances predicated on energy, warmth, humour and, above all, real conviction. This is true whether Sound of the Sirens are playing the intimate environs of Exeter Cathedral, before tens of thousands at the Isle of Wight Festival or supporting Rick Astley on his UK arena tour. Website here, Facebook here.

From the South West of England, Sound Of The Sirens have been receiving some well deserved attention and the new music video for 'Smokescreen' more or less explains why. The duo deliver high class music to accompany their dynamic and beautifully matched vocals, delivering vibrant and addictive songs such as the one we share today.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coast Modern - Pockets Full Of No.

Background - Coast Modern debut breezy new track, "Pockets Full of No". Sometimes the only way to get ahead is to stop following the leader, and start running your own race. Coast Modern flies out of the pack with a refreshingly uninhibited sound for disenchanted dreamers everywhere. Building on an admiration for the spirit of misfit alternative bands and the fearless ethos of modern hip hop, the duo creates alternative pop with a wink that aims to push the genre into the future. 

The LA duo - comprised of Coleman Trapp and Luke Atlas - today release their new song, "Pockets Full of No"- a kicked back and mellowed out track that seeks to have you looking on the lighter side of life.  Speaking of the track, the duo noted; 'Pockets' is a song about having fun with no money. When you got pockets full of no u can still have a life full of YESSSS. 

The song comes from the bands debut record, which is set for release later this year via 300 Entertainment / +1 Records.  Like a trip to Disneyland; with each song like a stop in another world, Coast Modern's debut album is a rollercoaster ride through a musical spectrum that spans from introspective acoustic streams of consciousness to psychedelic jams to relaxed dancehall vibes.  Coast Modern are capable of covering a large swath of musical territory, yet a strong, self-aware voice and a sense of groove tie them all together. The band will be playing the Alt Nation Advanced Placement Tour this Spring with Missio, 888 and Sundara Karma, which kicks off this week in New Orleans, tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page, Facebook here.

If you like your music catchy and "sing along" then 'Pockets Full Of No' is all of that and more. Coast Modern create a feast of sounds and their playful vocals morph with the music, in this case leaving me feeling all the better after my out of tune singalong!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Planets - Reflections.

Background - Planets is the indie-pop brainchild of Matthew Morgan, Christian Haberkern and Tim Morgan. ​Originally an instrumental album, the trio quickly found Missouri-based vocalist (and coincidentally, Facebook follower of theirs) Rae Anna Beauford through YouTube. ​

Over the course of the next few months, Morgan, Christian and Rae sent files and ideas back and forth, crafting the first single off their forthcoming Colors Alive EP, "Reflections."

The sleek, sentimental track addresses the painful reality of discovering one's personal shortcomings, and the difficulty in processing those discoveries before finding something to fill the void.

More details can be found at Matthew Morgan's website (here) and his Facebook page here.

'Reflections' is absolutely gorgeous. Melodic indie pop, with vocals and music in total harmony, and hooks that go straight for your heart.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Company Stores - Love Me Again.

Background - The Company Stores share their second single "Love Me Again", from the upcoming sophomore LP, Little Lights (April 7th).  Featuring brooding chorus vocals, and darker guitar tones, this new single expresses feelings of loss and confusion.  "Love Me Again" channels classic blues cadences and blends them with a modern alt-rock ethos reminiscent of Grace Potter and Gary Clark Jr.    

The Company Stores link Appalachian folk influences with a progressive, electronic sound that isn't afraid to break boundaries and genre lines; even delving into hip-hop and funk territory.  For their newest effort, the band recorded with Grammy-winning producer Julian Dwyer at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC.

They are currently in the middle of a mini-tour through the Southeast, hitting Georgia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Tennessee. The tour culminates with their Record Release Show for Little Lights. Little Lights will be available Friday, April 7th via independent release. Website here, Facebook here.

'Love Me Again' is an atmospheric song that goes from roots type vibe into full on rock, and doesn't stop there. A band that mix up the genres (and do it so well), make the album due out this week even more of a must hear.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tashaki Miyaki - Livia Blanc - Odd Couple - Emma Ballantine

Tashaki Miyaki - Out Of My Head.

Background - The Los Angeles-based duo Tashaki Miyaki will release their highly anticipated debut album The Dream on April 7 via Metropolis Records. This week the band wrapped up their residency at the Echoplex in LA and now shares the album's third single "Out Of My Head". Here's what the band's Paige Stark said about the track:

"It's a song about wanting to shut off my mind. I suffer from various anxieties and depression that can become exhausting. As John Milton says in Paradise Lost,  'The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.' Musically I wanted it to feel the opposite, soothing and expansive...like a daydream."

Tashaki Miyaki have toured and played festivals across North America, Europe and the UK. The band has also performed at art museums around the world, including The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and MoMA, New York.

Tashaki Miyaki has spent the past couple years writing and recording their debut LP, The Dream, produced by Singer/Songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist Paige Stark and engineered by Dan Horne (Cass McCombs, Allah Las). As a writer for The Fader once observed of the band’s hypnotic sound, “It's so pretty I’m afraid saying anything else might diminish it". Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

'Out Of My Head' is the third track we have had the privilege of sharing this year from Tashaki Miyaki. With the album due out this coming week it's another reminder of what a fabulous collection of songs is in store from the band.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Livia Blanc - Amour Amour.

Background - Brooklyn-based French artist Livia Blanc releases her debut single ‘Amour Amour’ on Friday, March 31st. 

Swimming in a dreamy sonic world that pulls reference from French icons, Brigitte Bardot and Francoise Hardy, Livia opens her heart in ‘Amour Amour’ singing about pain, gain and seduction in the game of love.

'Amour Amour' is written as a love letter, spoken with simple and disconcerting sincerity and sung in her native French. Love hurts - we have all been there, but no matter how bad it gets, just one kiss and all is forgiven.

‘Amour Amour’ is the first of several releases, scheduled for the first half of 2017 along with several live dates. Facebook here.

She might be based in Brooklyn, however that has done nothing to diminish Livia Blanc's beautiful French pop sensibilities. 'Amour Amour' is full of the imagination and vivacious I associate with female French pop artists going right back to the 1960's. Love it!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Odd Couple - Am I Evil.

Background - Free from the artificial processing that most rock go through nowadays, and possessed by an attitude many thought was fading from music like a dream in the light of morning, ‘Am I Evil’ is a septic jaunt back to a time when things weren’t so mercilessly sanitised and lobotomised. Dinosaur riffs abound, the likes of which maestros like Jimmy Page or Jack White have dedicated their lives to searching out, and Odd Couple use them to question their unhealthiest and most intrusive thoughts.

Since arriving in Berlin six years ago to a revolving circus of hepcats, drugs, and trendy hangouts, Odd Couple duo Tammo Dehn and Jascha Kreft, (two kindergarten pals from Ostfriesland), still feel out of place. Perhaps it’s typified in their name - an assertion of strange outsiderness, but together the duo weave a kind of art that dredges up the nuggets of rock’s dinosaur past and infuses it with a thoroughgoing modern approach to recording sound. When the duo started working on their debut It’s A Pressure To Meet You, released two years ago, their style was still very much in its embryonic stages. Now for second album Flügge (meaning “independent” or “to spread one’s wings” in German), the band feel like they’re taking another shot at the start. 

Shearing their sultry garage-rock archaisms in favour of a grander, looser, style that takes influence from hip hop and the kosmische musik experimentation of West Germany in the seventies, Flügge is a different beast entirely, and one which Germany, and the wider world, hasn’t heard the likes of yet. A mouthpiece for millennial disaffection, Odd Couple’s new album brims with introspection and self-discovery. It’s a clever dissection of the things making our generation unhappy, and a nod towards the possible solutions in store. Mostly though, it’s a profoundly hard-hitting and deftly-delivered sonic assault that paves the way for a new rock renaissance. Odd Couple are everyman and everywoman, living in these dangerous times with the fear of uncertainty, but hell bent on spreading their wings and soaring high. Website here, Facebook here.

Our second featured track from Odd Couples soon to be released 'Flugge' album is 'Am I Evil'. It's another riff fronted, guitar meets thundering drums track, with the vocals immersed in the mix and adding to the real rock feeling.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emma Ballantine - Through Your Eyes.

Background - Emma Ballantine launches full Somebody's Story EP. A project to bring to life true stories from people around the world has been completed today with the release of a new track from British singer songwriter Emma Ballantine.

Through Your Eyes - the fourth and final track from Ballantine's Somebody's Story EP, offers a glimpse of the world as seen by 14 year-old James, who has autism. Based on a story submitted by James' mother Nancy, the song credits James as a co-writer and features samples from his own music, created with Baltimore-based producer and beat-boxer Max Bent.

Released ahead of World Autism Awareness Day (2nd April), the track combines elements of James' track Don't Bore Anyone's Ears with layered synths and subtle backing vocals to create a powerful and expansive soundscape to conclude the four-track record. Emma adds "From the moment I read James' story and heard his music, I knew I had to write a song that captured the wonderful way he sees the world. I hope it challenges preconceptions and shows that perhaps people with autism have a clearer appreciation of things and a deeper wisdom than people without. »

The EP, recorded with Brixton-based producer Moseley, will be released via iTunes, Spotify and other digital platforms, and Ballantine will mark the launch with a performance at The Green Note in Camden, London, on Sunday 9th April. The previous three tracks in the series have brought to life stories including a 7,000 mile journey to Kenya, inspired by love at first sight (Astronaut); a chance encounter in a dive bar in Chicago (Harmonise); and a young girl's determination to move on with her life after a harrowing court case (Secret Tunnel).

The full stories behind the tracks can be found at www.somebodysstory.com. Somebody's Story EP is now available on all digital and streaming services. Website here.

Somebody's Story is a beautiful EP, from which we can share 'Through Your Eyes'. The song has a modern folk feel to it, melodic and gentle and incredibly personal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Drive - The Little Miss - Karin Page - Winstons - Monarch

Night Drive - Rise and Fall.

Background - Like a synesthesia-induced landscape found within the vivid worlds of films a la Tron or The Neon Demon, Austin + Houston duo Night Drive arrive today with the scattered and lo-fi visuals for their track "Rise and Fall". The group are also thrilled to announce their debut self-titled record, due June 16th via Roll Call Records.

Inspired by sci-fi cinematic landscapes, the duo's modern synth-pop seeks to explore the darker currents of abstract emotion. With infectious melodies wrapped in thoughtful lyrics, layered over pulsing dance beats, the group create an ethereal electronic world drenched in noir aesthetics. With the handful of tracks and remixes they've released, the duo's dreamy songs have already garnered attention from the likes of SPIN as well as causing a stir from tastemakers in the blogosphere.

Night Drive's self-titled debut album brings to mind the aesthetics of acts like Interpol or The Knife, and is an effort best consumed in it's entirety. From the John Carpenter-esque stylings of hazy album opener, "Hyperion" to the urgent synth of "Strange Telepathy" or the slow-burning and subtle "Ghost Craft," from start to finish, the LP is a textured soundscape and surreal journey through sound.

Having recently toured with the likes of CHVRCHES, Austra, Yacht, Robert DeLong, and Miami Horror, Night Drive has several dates coming up in Houston, New York and Austin. Website here, Facebook here.

'Rise and Fall' mixes an uptempo, synthy and layered soundtrack, with vocals that also seem to convey a sense of urgency. It's a little like OMD only with more grit and menace.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Little Miss - Doubt.

Background - The Little Miss to release rootsy single “Doubt” April 4th. From the first fuzzy guitar line to organ and to the final fade out, “Doubt”, is relentless. The Little Miss’ new single blends Americana, Fiona Apple and possibly a little White Stripes for a passionate, rousing exploration of self-doubt. The single will be released digitally April 4th. In the words of The Little Miss: Doubt concerns itself with the intellectual understanding that life's answers cannot be summoned, but takes note of the relentless desire to still call for said answers. Essentially, it's about asking questions that you know you will never have an answer for (i.e. "I pray every day and I pray every night, but I'll never know if I am getting it right. Or will I?").

With one foot in the modern era and the other firmly planted in the nostalgia of decades gone by, The Little Miss is a Los Angeles based musician with roots in jazz, blues and folk music. She will be touring the West Coast later this year to support her upcoming EP, "American Dream," recorded and produced by Echo Park local, Joel Jerome. In addition, this will be her first year performing at the Bradley, California-based music festival, Lightning in a Bottle. Hayley Johnson, AKA The Little Miss, is a twenty-six-year-old, folk singer-songwriter originally from San Diego, CA.

Having been inspired by female vocalists such as Fiona Apple and Jewel at an early age, Johnson can remember starting girl bands at recess and writing lyrics in notebooks beginning in first grade. In middle school, Johnson began performing original music around San Diego county with her father at local coffee shops and surf competitions. Having gone by the stage name, "Hazel," for many years, Johnson developed the idea for The Little Miss while in college at San Francisco State University, where she rediscovered her love of music by way of her studies in Philosophy. After graduating, The Little Miss took off down south to further pursue her love of folk, blues and classic Americana music in Los Angeles. She now resides in Echo Park with her dog, Winifred, and continues to start girl bands at recess. Website here, Facebook here.

From the opening notes 'Doubt' suggest your in for some bluesy passion and energy, and the song does not let you down. Vocals are wonderful combined with the guitar lead music which remains potent throughout.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Karin Page - Still Got You.

Background - Upbeat and irresistibly catchy, Karin Page's latest single Still Got You is a perfect slice of folk pop, dressed up in her favourite embellishments of rootsy grooves and a dusty twang. Taken from her 2017 EP of the same name, Still Got You (produced by ARIA award winning producer Matt Fell) shows why Karin appeals to such a broad range of music lovers – seamlessly weaving several styles together – and is the perfect introduction for new fans.

After 18 months of touring Australia in a caravan with her music/life partner Adam Nyeholt, playing music wherever the road took them, singer-songwriter Karin Page finally arrived at her new home of Byron Bay in 2016. By then, her charming blend of rootsy Americana had already begun making waves around Australia –  emanating from her hometown of Perth – earning Karin a slew of awards and loyal fans in every town she visited.

Karin's nomadic lifestyle has deeply affected her music, which now bears all the character of the endless Australian road. Needless to say, this has made Karin very popular with country, blues and roots fans. Karin took out Female Artist Of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year at the 2017 WA Country Music Awards; she was nominated for a WAM Song Of The Year Award in the Blues And Roots category; she has been nominated for New Artist Of The Year at the 2017 CMC Awards; and she was crowned the 2016 Toyota Star Maker. It seems the harder Karin works, the more her accomplishments are met with recognition.

In support of Still Got You, Karin will be embarking on a slew of dates including a co-headline tour with new pal and talented folktronica artist Tobias. Karin says of the hook-up, “I met Tobias at The Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. I first discovered his music when we were both sitting in the Top 5 of the AMRAP charts. I instantly loved his style and thought our music would work well together on the road." Facebook here. Tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

There is a classic roots vibe with 'Still Got You' that is oh so, hook laden. Vocals are melodic and have some edge, the music plays it's part with a tight and polished delivery.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winstons - Enough

Background - Winstons Share "Enough" Video, Single Out Now on Grand Jury/WarHen Records. It follows their first single "Without You". Both tracks will be part of a release slated to come out later this year. The band released two EP's in 2015 entitled 'Turpentine' & 'Black Dust'. Both "Enough" and "Without You" are available via Grand Jury records.

Winstons is a garage-soul duo out of Virginia, residing in Brooklyn. They do love songs, blue songs, and dance songs with drums, guitar, harmonies, and a harmonica. Their live show is raw and earnest, with a dynamic juxtaposing devotion and depravity. Their sound has drawn comparisons to Screaming' Jay Hawkins and The Cramps. Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for Winstons, this time we have 'Enough' a blues rock number that packs passion and energy in equal amounts. The band keep it simple, and allow their total commitment to do the work.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monarch - Remember Me.

Background from Monarch - We just released our new single “Remember Me”. The three of us come from widely different musical backgrounds, from indie rock to classical to R&B. But when we got together to jam in 2015 we all quickly realized our shared love of synth driven 80s pop-rock and Monarch was born - a mixture of the lush pop harmony and hooks of that era along with experimental modern sounds.

Everyone added their own flavor to this new track, “Remember Me”. Creating the music had to be fun and familiar but with a twist. We wanted to keep it authentic and musically challenging yet lighthearted. Greg brought live classical percussion elements, Ryan, rock guitar and synth solos, and Maya wrote lyrics and stacked those harmonies ten deep - all while keeping common goal - keep the jams sounding like a tropical summer breeze in 1984. Facebook here.

Melodic vocals and a rhythmic backdrop ensures that 'Remember Me' stands out. Add in the synth sensibilities and you have a very catchy song.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------