Kylie Odetta - Swimming Tapes - Rival Cavves - High Signs - Monogold

Kylie Odetta - Stress.

Background - 19-year-old Kylie Odetta has always been able to access a musical maturity that transcends her age. By 6 she was playing piano fluidly, by 12 she was recording her own material in her own iconic style and, as of 2017, has clocked in hundreds of shows that include opening slots for Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Callait and Mat Kearny. 

The slow-burning R&B that is saturating the mainstream as of late was always in alignment with Odetta’s sensibilities, culminating in 2016’s High Dreamer EP which was a pivotal moment in her musical trajectory, both personally and professionally. Its bluesy ballads accessed the lower register of her sultry voice, drawing comparisons to contemporary soul torchbearers like Yuna, Lianne La Havas and Adele and securing coverage in outlets as varied as Paste and The Music Ninja. 

Odetta’s mellow yet modern aesthetic was molded from a youth spent listening to both top 40 radio while entrenching herself in the pantheon of jazz pianists: Ellington, Monk, Coltrane, etc.… The symbiosis between pop and blues has always been apparent in her unique style and is something she drew on heavily when returning to the studio earlier this year. The name of her newest EP, Undertow, plays on her intention to follow her muse and not defer to mainstream trends - moving in a direction that is different from that of the surface current.

Undertow is due out May 19th, website here, Facebook here.

If I describe 'Stress' as resplendent, beguiling and similar, I might still be accused of understating just how good this song is. Kylie Odetta is young, pretty and can sing, enough these day's to have TV talent shows falling over themselves to hype her up. A closer listen at both her vocals and piano skills, suggests there is some real depth to Kylie's musical interpretation and naturally developed talent. Resplendent, beguiling? go watch and listen (here), and decide for yourself!

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Swimming Tapes - Queen's Parade.

Background - London-based indie band Swimming Tapes share new track "Queen's Parade". The track was produced by Adam Jaffrey (Palace, Gengahr, Leif Erikson). Stay tuned for more details on the new EP which will feature the single, to be announced soon. The band have announced a number of UK tour dates, including stops at The Great Escape and Dot To Dot Festivals, and a headline show at The Lexington.

The now London-based five piece arrived in 2016 with a self released demo track, ‘Souvenirs’, which quickly won them acclaim from the blogging world. Follow up tracks ‘Set The Fire’ and ‘Cameos’ saw them reach the top spot on the Hype Machine chart, earned the band their first play from BBC Radio 1, and tipped them well over 1 million track streams on Spotify. Swimming Tapes rounded off the year with the release of their debut EP, named after their first single ‘Souvenirs’, on burgeoning London indie label Hand In Hive, and have firmly cemented themselves as ones to watch for 2017.

"Queen's Parade" is available digitally now via B3SCI Records (US) and Hand In Hive Records (UK). Swimming Tapes are Robbie Reid (guitar + vocals), Louis Price (guitar + vocals), Jason Hawthorne (guitar), Paddy Conn (bass), and Andrew Evans (drums). Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Swimming Tapes clearly have an ear for a fine melody and 'Queen's Parade' is no exception. Bright indie music with some appealing vocals and harmonies, backed by some glittering guitar lead music makes for a very catchy track.

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Rival Cavves - Creep.

Background - Marissa Longstreet and Matthew Lieberman first encountered one another in 2012. An LA native, Lieberman's new group Magic Bronson was looking for a rehearsal/studio space and had stumbled upon a warehouse in the San Fernando Valley that seemed to fit what they wanted. Upon arrival, Lieberman met the owner's sister who happened to be Longstreet. 

Having recently moved to LA from upstate New York, Longstreet was fronting an indie dance band and just getting her feet wet in the LA music scene. Over the next 3 years Lieberman and Longstreet found themselves playing multiple shows together with their respective bands.

Fast forward to 2015 when Lieberman moved into the same North Hollywood neighborhood as Longstreet. They began to hang out more frequently and spent a lot of late nights listening to Lieberman's record collection and showing each other new music and bands. Using his vintage Roland Juno-106 Synthesizer, Lieberman began making beats influenced by these hangouts and started giving them to Longstreet. 

Armed with a mic and laptop she began putting Lieberman's beats into garage band and tracking vocal ideas. Within a few weeks they had a number of songs and Rival Cavves was officially born. The duo debuted in June ’16 with the buzzed single “EZ Way Out” which Indie Shuffle called "a dream/synth-pop electronic jam that exudes LA vibes and LA swag.”  Their 7 song self-titled debut expands on their unique ability to fuse dream & electro-pop in the best possible way. Lieberman’s array of glitchy synths and sweeping soundscapes provide the perfect springboard for Longstreet’s bouncy, poetic and hypnotic vocals. Facebook here.

'Creep' builds around a focused synthy rhythm and some understated and yet menacing and plaintive vocals, now there's a juxtaposition. Or in English, it's a fabulous electo song.

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High Signs - A Much Larger Ocean.

Background from High Signs - We just released our new single “A Much Larger Ocean”. It’s a song about the struggle to remain positive without clinging to empty hope or unfounded optimism.

Staying present, grounded, and connected to what and who we care about is more of an action than a desire, but it is one that needs to constantly be teased out. Even if we can find this piece of mind for just a moment, it is something we can hold onto and continue to find strength in. If nothing else, it is a mindset to aspire to.

After forming in the basement of a DIY venue in Toronto, we reset our approach to music in 2016, focusing on writing songs that are honest and simple. “A Much Larger Ocean” exemplifies our process, and acts as an introduction to our full-length debut “If So, Then What?”.  Recorded by Collin Young at B-Town Sound, and mixed by Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung), the album will be released this summer. Facebook here.

'A Much Larger Ocean' launches itself like a whirlwind going at breakneck speed and refuses to ease off. Two and a half minutes of perfect rock uproar, now that's enough to wake a good few listeners.

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Monogold - Naked.

Background - Brooklyn-based Monogold have just shared their artistic new video for "Naked," taken off of their latest release, Yolk, out now via Chill Mega Chill Records.

Since the release of 2015's Good Heavens, which was Monogold's acoustic-based effort, they have torn down any preconceived notions that they or anyone else had of them. After completely stripping down their sound for Good Heavens, the Monogold boys took this new foundation of simplicity and started building with their signature, catchy power-trio melodies and hooks. They still like to go deep on the lush soundscapes, but their songs have become a bit more focused and driven by the instrumentation and the vocals. 

With their new EP in hand titled, Yolk (Chill Mega Chill Records) out now, Kelly, Apuzzo, and Falotico are giving the world a small taste of what is to come in the future of the band. The four song EP is a prelude to another full-length record which is in the process of being mixed right now. As with their new found musical simplicity, the lyrical content will tackle the simple things: breastfeeding, giving birth, being born, sex, bugs, and more.

There's about two albums worth of songs written, and Monogold couldn't bear to keep them to themselves anymore. Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

An intriguing music video that's charming in it's own right, just happens to be accompanied by a fabulous and equally artistic song that is 'Naked'. Warning this is exceptionally catchy!


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CIITY - TAWLS - Sophia Kennedy - Martin Simpson - Lød - Witching Waves

CIITY - DNVR.

Background - Dallas based Indie-Pop band, CIITY, have been creating music since 2015. Their highly anticipated new single, ‘DNVR’, just might end up in your summer playlist.

The latest single from their EP Parallels, the song was recorded at The Lair studios and produced by Matt Noveskey: owner of Austin based Orb Recording Studios. Singer Carter Davis says, “‘DNVR’ is about not seizing the opportunity you were given and having to live with the regret of never having the fulfilment you wanted.” 

This song is an Electronic/Alternative mixture that creates a cloud of ambient swells, driving drums, and catchy synths to peak interest in the listener. A perfect match for fans of The 1975, St. Lucia, Foster the People, and Coldplay.

CIITY, has been making waves across the North Texas community since the release of their first single, ‘Late Night Confession’, in October 2016 and continue to lure new listeners with their creative lyrics and unique sound. North Texas radio stations like 91.7 KXT and 96.7 the local ticket frequently feature their newly released EP. Website here, Facebook here.

With a smoothly textured electronic feel and some fine and distinctive vocals 'DNVR' is a vibrant and pacy indie song.

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TAWLS - 2+2.

Background - TAWLS is a treasure chest of original songs and stories which draw on an eclectic mix of folk, nursery rhymes and electronica.

Their debut single, ‘2+2’ bursts into our ears with the nostalgic sounds of a playground. It whisks you into day-dreams of simpler times, while tackling grown-up questions about relationship fights and compromise. “We’re supposed to be grown up, so how come it feels like we’re still just two kids trying to navigate the monkey bars?” say TAWLS on the meaning of ‘2 + 2’. It’s a melting pot of influences; textural production, an understated singing approach and unexpected rhythmic punctuations. One may hear elements of Sufjan Stevens, Regina Spektor and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Written and recorded in bedrooms across the country from Perth WA to Mittagong NSW, this song possesses a whimsical attraction and an infectious hook that will have you groovin’ in your boots.

This is the work of two musical nomads, from Perth, to Sydney to Berlin they live and breathe, creating and collaborating with music. TAWLS are euphorically uplifting.

‘The Adventures of Wonderchild & Little Seal’ (TAWLS) is a chronicle of the musical escapades of Anna-Kat (Wonderchild) and Ronan Chapple (Little Seal). Anna-Kat and Ronan both completed the Bmus (Jazz Performance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Facebook here.

Inventive and sprightly '2+2' mixes melodic vocals, alongside some intricate electronic sounds where the rhythm twists and turns creating a beautifully different song.

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Sophia Kennedy - Build Me A House.

Background - Elegant, melancholic, sometimes menacing, with smoldering piano melodies, desolately whistling organs, and a jaunty jaw's harp loop; kissed by the golden Californian sun, or shrouded in gloomy, dreary fog: Sophia Kennedy is currently the most versatile composer in German pop music – not to mention the greatest singer. Her debut album "Sophia Kennedy" reveals her as a dramatic romanticist and distanced diseuse, as a deft lyricist and master of melody. In her eleven songs, she travels from doo-wop to dubstep, from classic crooning to breathless R'n'B, from Frank Sinatra to Beyoncé. Her talent for songwriting is deeply rooted in history, yet it seeks nothing but the present: both historically versed and timelessly beautiful at the same time.

Sophia Kennedy produced and recorded the album together with Mense Reents, best known for his work with Die Vögel and Die Goldenen Zitronen. Together they developed the spartan arrangements and electronic textures that determine the willfully dense sound of this album. Often, Kennedy's voice is the only instrument that pursues a harmonic development over the repetitive structures. Then she doubles and multiplies her voice and sings alongside herself in a choir. She shines with bold syncopation over a hobbling piano, as well as in the field of the melancholic lament that suggests a late Beach Boys ballad. This results in multi-dimensional, highly individual music, which easily escapes all the traps of inwardness: just as her lyrics unfold from seemingly simple wordplay to subjective confessionals without ever regressing into the euphuistic pathos of romantic self-reflection.

This is the first songwriting record to be released on Pampa Records, and yet "Sophia Kennedy" is perfectly at home on this label, which for almost a decade has been making the connection between tradition and modernity, avant-garde inventiveness and pop sensibility. One can detect different traditions and historical impressions in every track – yet you can forego all the analysis and simply enjoy the craftsmanship with which Sophia Kennedy creates an absolutely contemporary musical language from her knowledge of classic songwriting: "I want to take tradition to the limits, to where it becomes extreme," she says, yet it sounds so easy and not at all preconceived. The unheard-of refinement of this music lies in its apparent simplicity: "You just can’t be afraid," says Sophia Kennedy, "that it turns out to be pop music." Facebook here.

If Sophia Kennedy's distinctive and delightful vocals don't get you on 'Build Me A House' then the piano lead and innovative music surely will. It's the only song I have heard from the new album and it's good enough to ensure I will check out the rest.


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Martin Simpson - Blues Run The Game.

Background - World renowned guitarist, singer and songwriter Martin Simpson releases his 20th solo album in 40 years ‘Trails & Tribulations’ on September 1st 2017 via Topic Records. The brand-new studio album, his first new solo work since 2013’s widely praised ‘Vagrant Stanzas’, will be available in standard and deluxe CD, digital download and standard vinyl (the latter through Vinyl 180).

‘Trails & Tribulations’ is a collection of songs about nature, about travels and about real life stories. There are traditional songs, poems and contemporary songs by great writers, and songs that I had to write because nobody else knew what I wanted to say. I travel, I learn songs, I write and try to get better at the skills required for me to do my job. I look at the world as I pass by, on the road, out of the train window, or as I stop and pay close attention to the square foot under my nose. There is so much to see and to hear and to inspire and to try and understand. I had a huge amount of fun playing and recording these songs, using different instruments, different noises, old friends and new ones, all of whom brought so much to the mix. Martin Simpson, April 2017.

Produced and engineered by Andy Bell, ‘Trails & Tribulations’ features some of Martin’s most inventive playing yet, showcasing his virtuosity on a variety of instruments including acoustic guitars, resonator guitars, Weissenbown lap steel guitar, electric guitars, 5 string banjo, ukulele – and voice.

Guest musicians on the new album are: Ben Nicholls (string bass and electric bass guitars), Toby Kearney (drums and percussion), Nancy Kerr (fiddle and viola), Andy Cutting (diatonic accordion and melodeon), John Smith (electric guitar and backing vocals), Helen Bell (strings), Amy Newhouse-Smith (backing vocals) and his daughter Molly Simpson on vocals. Website (includes tour details) here.

With his musical track record 'Blues Run The Game' reassures us that Martin Simpson can still turn out an inventive, original and top quality song. Melodic and with wonderful musical craftsmanship, the album may be a few months away, however I reckon it will be well worth the wait.


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Lød - Folder

Background - Danish group Lød have shared the icy, brilliant  "Folder" ahead of their first EP for Tough Love Records (worldwide ex-Denmark) & Part Time (Denmark). Limited to 300 copies on 12", you can pre-order the 4-track EP here.

The four original members of Lød formed after graduating school in Copenhagen, inspired by the post-punk that was prominent in the fervent, close-knit music community of the city. The first version of Lød was very much birthed in this same shadow: loud and heavy.

With time and addition of a fifth member, their sound began to rely less on distortion, foregoing aggression for a greater focus on melody and rhythm. Bands like LCD Soundsystem & Kraftwerk provided further inspiration and it became an ambition for Lød to create music that - while never taking the easy route - could make people dance. With their debut EP, released via London-based label Tough Love, they have very much achieved this. They're a dance band, in the same way one might consider NEU a dance band.

The recording of Folder began in October 2016 with engineer Julius Pedersen, who helped the band shape tracks that had taken more than six months to write. The result is a 24-minute, four song debut EP sung in Danish. You might consider it uncompromising were the songs not so accessible.

And despite their length, these are 'songs', with defined melodies and structure. Looping and monolithic, early commentators in their home country have noted a “trance-punk” aspect to their sound. Such nomenclature can be tedious, but it's not a million miles from the truth. Bringing to mind the likes of Preoccupations in their similarly propulsive take on post-punk, Lød add a further glacial edge indebted to both early industrial and no wave. Facebook here.

Now trance punk is a new genre for me, however it does help convey what the new track 'Folder' is all about. Rhythmic and potent, even at eight minutes length this is both addictive and play again material.

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Witching Waves - Better Run.

Background - Odd Box is delighted to be reissuing the debut album 'Fear Of Falling Down' by Witching Waves. The record was originally released on the Soft PowerRecordings (now sadly defunct) in 2014. It has long since sold out and the record sells for ££££s second hand. When Witching Waves approached the label with this idea it seemed to make perfect sense.  Here's some words from the band on why they wanted to reissue the LP.

Graeme from Soft Power came up to me after our set in front of literally no one in Edinburgh. It was our third gig with our new bass player, who had learned the songs in a soundcheck before an equally empty room in Manchester. Graeme said to me “I can’t wait to hear the EP, if even you wanted to do an album, we’d be up for that”. I politely thanked him, as my adrenaline soared. We were going to make An album based on this man’s very poor judgement. 

We had like five songs, and wrote six more. We recorded it. I agonised over every snare hit, and we made our first ever LP. Fear Of Falling Down came out in December 2014. I don’t think it made any charts. I think Tom Ravenscroft might have played ‘Better Run’ on his show. And we continued going up and down the country playing to almost no one.

Something strange happened though, ‘Better Run’ had a great video by Moe Meade, and a lot of people liked it. The record had received a glowing review in Drowned In Sound, and Norman Records, my favourite record shop, had deemed it worthy. Then the record sold out in less than a couple of months. All of our copies went in no time and before we knew it we were being asked where our LP was, and how people could get their hands on it. 

We’ve made another record since then, and that has done alright too. People still ask me about FOFD though, and seem at least moderately sad or genuinely put out when I say that we don’t have any left. One of those people happens to be Pete Dale out of Milky Wimpshake. Now it’s time for Fear Of Falling Down to get another shot, and be available to at least the people who asked for it the first time. Thanks to Trev from Oddbox this is possible, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll play to some people in Edinburgh. Bandcamp here.

The featured music video for 'Better Run' is mentioned in the promo above. It typifies the music found on the reissued 'Fear Of Falling Down' album, where unpretentious, hook laden totally natural songs are the norm.


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Zak Fleisher - Peaking Lights - Miranda Lee Richards - The Hurt

Zak Fleisher - Decisive.

Background - Zak Fleisher, a 23-year old Australian, is a multi-instrumental and talented singer songwriter. He starting playing guitar at age 7, there has been no looking back since.

Zak is excited to release his new single ‘Decisive’, through The A&R Department, marking his followup to debut ‘Green Girl’. In late 2015, Zak decided that it was time to take the leap of faith and play solo, playing shows in Western Australia, Melbourne, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Tel-Aviv and Vancouver. ‘Decisive’, which was originally written in late 2015, is broadly about making a decision with someone regarding a relationship. 

“For me it means either a ‘yes let’s go for it’, or a ‘no not for me’ attitude rather than the grey area of let’s see how this pans out. Either way, I can deal with the answer, the real trouble is getting that answer because people are too conscious of hurting other people’s feelings, which shows a higher degree of empathy but also a lack of those essential interpersonal skills that people use to have”, Zak said. “At the time of writing this, I was seeing someone I really had fallen for. All I wanted was a simple answer and the only way it seemed I could get that answer was through song.” 

‘Decisive’ was recorded at Head Gap studios in Melbourne and Produced by Finn Keane. Facebook here.

Some vibrant and breezy guitars provide a contrasting background for Zak's smooth vocals, on 'Decisive' a catchy indie song, that's both melodic and refreshing.

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Peaking Lights - I'll Be In The Sky.

Background - Peaking Lights new album 'The Fifth State Of Consciousness' is out 16th June 2017 on Two Flower Records. "A  journey thru an alien landscape where the dream world tells stories of lost innocence, finding strength and seeking an enlightened state of being after trials and tribulations all wrapped up in  two syrupy dubbed to the bone balearic pancakes sprinkled with powdered psychedelia.” — Peaking Lights

Peaking Lights’ fifth studio album, "The Fifth State Of Consciousness", is a 12-track, double LP produced in the band’s Dreamfuzz studio over the course of the last two years. 

Musically, the album shifts through many states from beginning to end, resembling a car journey through foreign landscapes. A sense of wonderment flows with each track and with every listen, new sounds and eccentricities begin to surface. Bringing together their love of Psychedelic music, House, Electronic and Reggae, each song lives and breathes it’s own life but as an album, remains knitted together by Peaking Lights’ tight, conceptual writing. Facebook here.

'I'll Be In The Sky' is the second track we have featured, that's taken from Peaking Light's forthcoming album 'The Fifth State Of Consciousness'. The song features some rich synth sounds, that provide a beautiful backdrop for the dreamy vocals, which in turn add to the overall atmospheric feel.

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Miranda Lee Richards - Lucid I Would Dream.

Background - Following 2016's Echoes Of The Dreamtime (4* MOJO & 8/10 Uncut); LA-based Miranda Lee Richards has announced the release of new album Existential Beast on June 16th via Invisible Hands Music. Existential Beast is a beautifully constructed album characteristic of the effortless, 70's influenced, country-tinged psychedelia, evident through Miranda's work. 

Existential Beast is a political album, examining the issues of our time, but with intent of tackling these difficult and sometimes taboo subjects in a poetic and heartfelt manner. The title is also a mash-up of terms, referencing the existential crisis that has in turn arisen.

“In varying degrees, we are all still working with the animal urges of fear, competition, survival, and sexuality that are deep-seeded and manifesting in different ways, depending on where people are at. Perhaps a more endearing outlook is to see this as an assignment in working with the inner child, who can at times behave like a wild beast. But like it or not, these tendencies have been revealed, within our leaders, our countries, and ourselves; it is indeed a pivotal and transformational time.” Miranda Lee Richards. Website here.

Taken from the 'Existential Beast' album due out next month we have 'Lucid I Would Dream'. Comprising of ten songs, the featured track is a good indicator of what to expect. Folk and country orientated music with plenty of melodic hooks, is taken further with some dreamy psychedelic influences that add richness and originality. Overall the calibre of the new album is very good, and should have a wide appeal.


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The Hurt - Sleeping.

Background - 'Sleeping' is an epic and brooding masterpiece. Co-written by Rikki Turner (Paris Angels) and Stephen Evans of Cabbage, the song is dark and beautifully sinister; Lo-fi American Gothic meets Cave and Cohen. 

Turner's baritone is commanding yet vulnerable, perfectly complimented by the eerily beautiful backing vocals of Jaq Gallier against a backdrop of mournful strings. Polished and pristine have no place here, 'Sleeping' is raw and pensive, it hisses and crackles with emotion.

The single marks the return of prolific songwriter Rikki Turner and his musical collective The Hurt. Having spent the last eighteen months collaborating and co-producing on Manchester's dynamic music scene, Turner unveiled the products of these studio sessions with the release of Summer 2016's critically acclaimed new single 'Berlin' along with a free download of Nico's 'One Last Chance'.

Returning to the studio, March 2017 has seen him emerge once again to launch Blindside Records in conjuntion with the enigmatic Lady D and Steve Balance, a familar face on Manchester's music scene. Facebook here.

The vocals are deep and haunting, whilst the music builds in layers making 'Sleeping' a very individualistic and fabulously dark song. The backing vocals by Jaq Gallier give the piece further depth and character, enjoy!


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Layla Frankel - The Furious Seasons - Scott Ruth - Ayla

Layla Frankel - To Disregard.

Background - Born in Los Angeles and raised in a musical family in Chicago, Folk/Soul songwriter and vocalist Layla Frankel has been delighting audiences of all ages for as long as she can remember. A performer from a young age, she appeared on her father, Joel Frankel’s, children’s records and often joined him on stage.  As a teenager, with her formal training in choirs and range of musical influences, Layla began composing songs and quickly developed her own vocal style.  She later attended the University of Illinois where she started as a jazz studies major with a vocal concentration, but soon realized that her passion lay not only in music, but in songwriting. She began to focus on creative writing and poetry while also singing in big bands and jazz combos - gaining experience as a songwriter and as a band leader. 

Between 2013 to 2015, Layla honed her craft as a songwriter, creating a body of music including the tracks on her debut EP, Tame the Fox. In the fall of 2015, Layla took a backpack and her Little Martin guitar and went sightseeing/volunteering in Europe for four months with the goal of meeting interesting people, experiencing other cultures and exploring new scenery. She spent the spring of 2016 off the grid and thru-hiking for two months on the Israel National Trail, a 600-mile hike.  It was on this trip that she conceived of the vision for Tame the Fox, a title inspired by the book The Little Prince, which she carried with her on the trail. 

Sound engineer Josh Richter recorded Tame the Fox at Victorian Recording in Barrington, IL and Frankel produced and arranged all of the tracks. The EP features multi-instrumentalist Dave Hildebrand on almost all of the guitar tracks as well as bass guitar on the whole record. Robert Rashid handled drums, while Eddie Ganet played keys. Layla played rhythm guitar on the tracks “Tenderly” and “If I Had the Words” and performed all of the vocals, including overdubs and harmonies. 

Layla Frankel performs in Chicago as a solo artist but is often accompanied by her full band consisting of bass, drums, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and backup vocals. Website here, Bandcamp (Tame the Fox) here.

The first song on the new 'Tame The Fox' EP is 'To Disregard' one of six tracks that really do mix folk and soul genres together, with a little blues along the way. This is a fabulous and quite unique collection of songs, where melodic and high quality music is delivered with such beauty. The cover version of The Cures 'Just Like Heaven' is stunning, her own material no lesser, absolutely recommended!

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The Furious Seasons - We All Belong.

Background - The Furious Seasons' new single "We All Belong", is a new entry in the tradition of the protest folk song. The new single from The Furious Seasons, “We All Belong”, is particularly relevant in this divided time. It’s a seemingly simple folk song drawing on the sharp political divides experienced in this country and how the anger and hate should be overcome and that “together we stand strong / we all belong”. 

Having rightfully been compared to Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Jason Isbell, The Furious Seasons continue the tradition of the protest folk song with “We All Belong”. The Furious Seasons are an acoustic trio consisting of David Steinhart (guitar, vocals,) Jeff Steinhart (standup bass) and Paul Nelson (guitar, vocals).

The Steinhart’s have been a staple of the Los Angeles indie pop scene since the 1980s. Their career spans 30 years and over 20 releases. Paul Nelson played professionally in the Santa Barbara area for years and was involved with several other recording projects before joining the Steinhart bothers in The Furious Seasons. The band creates ethereal and lyrical folk pop music with blended harmonies and sophisticated guitar interplay. Website here.

We first featured The Furious Seasons last August and are delighted to share the new song 'We All Belong'. A classic sounding folk protest song, that would be comfortably at home decades ago, albeit it's new and relevant to today.

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Scott Ruth - Are You There.

Background -  LA-based singer-songwriter Scott Ruth has shared his new single "Are You There". Produced by acclaimed indie folk musician Noah Gundersen and recorded at X Studios in Seattle, the track brings a melancholy feel, with Ruth’s rugged vocals ruminating on a void left by a past relationship. "The song is about that feeling you get when someone who was once a huge part of your life, suddenly isn’t there anymore and all the things that go through your head. Wondering what they’re doing, if they’re feeling what you’re feeling," Ruth says of the track.

Working with Gundersen helped Ruth get a new perspective on "Are You There." His first time not self-producing a project, Ruth was able to relinquish control over to Gundersen and engineer Andy Parks, giving him more creative freedom. As long-time friends with Gundersen, working with him was a comfortable, collaborative experience.

Formerly of LA indie rock outfit The Futures League, Scott Ruth has since put down the bass guitar to further hone his craft as a multi-instrumentalist and producer. He released his hauntingly reflective solo debut The Weight of It All in 2016, and has since been touring extensively, supporting Noah Gundersen as well as headlining tours of his own. All the while, he was still finding time in the studio to be working towards his next release.

Now Ruth has returned with “Are You There," channeling Ruth's love of classic American songwriting and admiration for artists like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. The track is a refreshing song for Ruth that marks a new direction. "I’m now in a different chapter of my life, and I couldn’t be more excited to get the rest of these songs out in the open." Facebook here.

'Are You There' is a mixture of alt rock vibes and some passionate and personal vocals, which combined create a melodic and reflective song. There is a timeless feel to this piece, and the quality of the production is superb.

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Ayla - Shallow End.

Background - Diving into 2017, Brisbane's singer/songwriter Ayla returns with conversation starting single, 'Shallow End', news of a new EP, freshly inked label and booking deals and an East Coast tour.  

Premiering on triple j's Good Nights last night, 'Shallow End' marks the opening track from from the Sunshine Coast songwriter's forthcoming EP to be released later this year. The track sees Ayla flex her growth as a writer in collaboration with co-writer Glenn Sarangapany (Birds of Tokyo) producer Sam Cromack (Ball Park Music) and mixer Ian Pritchett (Boo Seeka, Kim Churchill, Angus & Julia Stone).

Following incredible reception to her singles,  'Like the Other Kids', 'Wish I Was', 'Waiting' and 'When The World Ends', an impressive performance on triple j's Like A Version and an almost sold out EP tour in 2016,  there's been a mountain of support rolling in behind the scenes. Recently partnering with Caroline Australia and Select Music, Ayla now heads out on a national tour, older (now 21) and wiser and with a stock of new songwriting experiences and a stunning new live show in tow. Ayla's single 'Shallow End' is out via Caroline Australia, Friday May 12. Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Ayla's striking and appealing vocals ensure 'Shallow End' is very much, her song. Powerful modern pop, with a whole load of hooks, make this song hard to ignore.


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