The W Lovers - Ellie M - Eleni Drake - Astrid Holiday - Francine Honey

We have a pristine Americana song from The W Lovers to kick things off today, 'Time's A Liar' just exudes natural roots beauty, this duo really do have something special going on.

Ellie M has a powerful and fabulously distinct voice, her vocals on 'Losing My Mind' is both captivating and stunning, as is the song as a whole.

'Ceilings' the new single from Eleni Drake might have been written in just fifteen minutes, nonetheless it's lyrics are striking, and with a refined musical arrangement this is one of those pieces that just stands out.

I don't think it's to much of an exaggeration to describe Astrid Holiday's voice as simply outstanding, as is the new song 'Mirror', just watch the video and see if I'm overstating things.

Francine Honey rounds today's collection off with 'Stay' a song immersed in Americana richness, it's a fabulous taster for her new album 'To Be Continued'.
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The W Lovers - Time's a Liar.

We have the pleasure of sharing with you some of the most authentic music coming out of the Northwest. The W Lovers are a duo comprised of Fleur and Wesley Wood, who met while Fleur was on tour from New Zealand in 2011, and needed to purchase an amplifier for her North American leg - fate would have it that Wesley was working that day. The two started performing together in 2014, and have been perfecting their brand of rootsy Americana ever since.

Fleur and Wesley Wood have made their mark on the live music scene all over the American West, playing over 100 shows a year, since their inception in 2014. Their debut album, released in 2016, was accompanied by four music videos and a live ‘in-studio’ video from Deep Well Studios (WA), where the album was recorded.

The sophomore album 'This Little Town' - produced by Ryan Hadlock (Lumineers, Brandi Carlile), is set for release in May 2019 Based in Washington State and friends of the road, touring has taken them from from Washington to Colorado and through New Mexico, California and Oregon. They’ve also played internationally in Canada and New Zealand.


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Ellie M - Losing My Mind.

Studying people often involves standing to the side and observing in silence. A West London native, Ellie Morgan spent her gap year tending bar in W12's Bush Hall, watching and admiring the artists performing and passing through.

Though never a wallflower, this pensive 20 year old anthropology student is now ready to take centre stage herself. By chance, she met with musical conspirator Antoine Collin in early 2018. Both restless, an offhand remark about heartbreak instantly bound the two together. What better way to soothe the soul than with a song ... or five.

On-stage the pair known as "Ellie M" mix Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae and Pop influences into their own dark set drenched in noir and mindful escape. 'Losing My Mind' is the debut single of Ellie M and will be released on May 31st 2019.

Shine your spotlight on these residents of any comfortably dark corner and observe the stark sonic beauty that will fill up any room.

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Eleni Drake - Ceilings.

Supple jazz-leaning pop, Eleni’s new single ‘Ceilings’ cuts deeper than most. Wrote in 15 minutes, the new single features Eleni’s signature laidback beguiling, reverb laden vocals and frosty guitar parts. Taken from Eleni’s new EP due out later this month.

"A love song I didn’t ever see myself writing. This took a total of about 15 minutes to write from start to finish. I guess I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of time I had spent with this one particular person, and they were also the first person I let into my life since my previous relationship. This person made me feel free, helped me experience certain things for the first time, and although for a short time, I felt happy too. I wanted to see them all the time, because of the exaltation they gave me."

Breaking through with her stunning debut EP ‘Blue’ at the start of last year, 2018 proved to be an extremely productive year for London-based singer-songwriter Eleni Drake. Having garnered a sync on Netflix series ‘Black Lightning’ with her single ‘Honey’, as well as working alongside a flurry of influential songwriters including John Foyle (Years & Years, FKA twigs), Freedo (Zara Larsson), Jez Ashurst (Tom Walker) and many more, the frontwoman now looks to cement herself in the new year with the announcement of her sophomore EP ‘’Songs On Sundays’.

Channelling a mixture of her initial influences such as Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, and blending them with the contemporary soul sound of Jorja Smith, ‘Songs On Sundays’ aims to project the frontwoman in a more luxurious light. Keeping the production minimal and her voice the centre of attention, this new release looks to pick up where her debut left off and add a more diverse and captivating chapter to her growing catalogue.

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Astrid Holiday - Mirror.

"Mirror": is about someone who only thinks of himself, and because of that he doesn't notice or appreciate the beautiful things in life. "Snow white roses, such a pity you didn't notice a single one, and now they're gone.” - Astrid Holiday

Indie label, RoastingHouse Records based in Malmö, Sweden have just about finished the album with their artist Astrid Holiday.

This follows the great success in Asia with the previous single/MV "New Beginning" (710,978 YouTube views to date) released by S.M. Entertainment, Korea.

Astrid Holiday just released her single and MV, "Mirror" from her debut album.


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Francine Honey - Stay.

To Be Continued… is an album that showcases Honey’s most striking and stirring compositions. "I'm so happy," she says. "I'm really proud of this record and how it all came together." Cut in Nashville with Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard (John Prine, Mary Gauthier, Jason Isbell) and first-call players like guitarists Will Kimbrough and Kris Donegan, pianist Dan Mitchell, bassist Dean Marold and legendary fiddler Eamon McLoughlin, To Be Continued… takes Honey's mix of Americana, Country, Rock, Canadiana and Blues to the next level, capturing the sound she's been chasing for years. "It's hard to articulate what you hear in your head and get it to come to life through other musicians," she says. But after getting Hubbard's name from singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters, she knew she'd found her man. "I looked up the songs he produced and went, 'That's what I've been hearing!'

Although she's made music since childhood — "I wrote my first song in 1976" — Honey never dreamed of making it a career.  However, along the way, the down-to-earth artist has displayed extraordinary dedication to her craft. Francine’s debut self-produced album An Ordinary Woman came out in 2008 and was followed in 2014 by Re-Drawn, produced by Lang Bliss in Nashville.  As a graduate of the Berklee College of Music Professional Singer-Songwriter Certificate Program, Francine regularly makes the nine-hour drive from Ontario, Canada, to song-writing workshops in Nashville, where she has been mentored by icons like Beth Nielsen Chapman (who contributes backup vocals to Honey's Snowflakes On My Eyelashes), Mike Reid (I Can't Make You Love Me), Mary Gauthier (Mercy Now), Verlon Thompson (Boats to Build), Gretchen Peters (Independence Day) and Jonatha Brooke (My Mother has 4 Noses).

Now, To Be Continued takes Francine’s listeners on a journey.  Courageously drawing from her own life, Honey's latest songs run the gamut of emotion. Snowflakes on My Eyelashes channels the grief of loss; Can't Break Through to You examines PTSD; and the moving Marilyn documents a harrowing health scare. "That's a very tough subject and a very personal song," she confesses. "The room goes quiet when I play it. But I'll see someone wipe a tear from their eye, and know that song has touched someone."   It's not alone: Stay is a finalist in TWO categories in the  International Songwriting Competition (Americana and Sing Your Heart Out/Love Songs) and a semi-finalist in the Canada Songwriting Contest and Mamas Take Bad Dreams Away made the top five in the Canada South Songwriting Contest.

Equally laudable are cuts on the lighter side of the roster: The upbeat driving ode Open Road, the sexy come-hither blues of Honey (a semi-finalist in the Blues and Americana categories of the International Songwriting Competition) and the uplifting title cut that chronicles her romance with a friend who re-entered her life at just the right time. "


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Paul Doffing - Trudy and the Romance - Jade Jackson

'Easy As You Care' by Paul Doffing is a beautiful example of how much singer-songwriters still have to offer in terms of creativity and emotional feeling, this really does suggest that his fourth album release is something to anticipate.

We've featured a couple of songs from Trudy and The Romance's debut 'Sandman' album due out later this month and 'That's Not Me' sees the band slow things down a little without losing any of their 50's Mutant Pop sparkle.

Back in 2017 we had the pleasure of featuring a few songs from Jade Jackson and her highly acclaimed 'Gilded' album. 'Bottle It Up' is the first of twelve songs on her second album 'Wilderness' scheduled for release on June 28th, and I have to say each and every track is on a par with the featured piece at the very least. Fans of the first album should love this and personally I think she will add a good few more of them when the new collection hit's the ground!

Paul Doffing - Easy As You Come.

Amidst the speed and uncertainty of modern life, Paul Doffing’s Running in the Dark calls for reflection on the forces that blind our vision and limit our happiness. Doffing’s fourth full-length release, Running in the Dark, is a 36-minute musical odyssey of self-exploration, human connection, and worldly realization.

Doffing, an American singer-songwriter and environmental advocate, explains, “My highest hope is that it is music that touches the listener’s heart. That it takes them somewhere and helps them feel something that maybe they forgot about, or even feel something they didn’t know about.” Doffing’s tone and delivery throughout the guitar-focused Running in the Dark carry a freshness that pushes the release toward the leading edge of the expansive songwriting tradition from which it originates. A notable evolution from Doffing’s previous efforts, Running in the Dark carries broader instrumentation with more focus on bass and percussion; palpably informed by the work of numerous songwriting giants from Leonard Cohen to Patrick Watson throughout.

With both the man and his music rich in sincerity and substance, Running in the Dark is abundant in meaning and sentiment. Doffing, who has considered music a companion since his early youth, has completed nearly 13,000 miles touring on bicycle through 22 U.S. states and 7 countries performing concerts along the way. Paul’s vast pedaled wanderings – paired with two years exploring Central America and Europe, guitar in hand– have culminated in the purposefully layered album that is Running in the Dark, which was written over a six-year span.

Doffing conveys, “There were times when I was making the album where I knew what I was trying to do and some when I didn’t, but I went to each thing that felt like it needed to be there and expanded upon it until it came alive.” Doffing allowed his intuition to lead the way in both the creation and subject matter of the album. Doffing delves into a wide array of themes on Running in the Dark, ranging from the delicate nature of emotion, to bountiful love and the contrasting deterioration of it, and the complex understanding of personal development through human connection.

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Trudy and the Romance - That's Not Me.

Trudy and the Romance unveil new single ‘That’s Not Me’, the final teaser trailer ahead of fast-approaching debut album ‘Sandman’, out May 24th.

The track follows retro stomper ‘Doghouse’ around which Noisey profiled the trio as part of their hyped Hitlist series, proclaiming “from happiness to heartbreak, and all the way back again, each of Trudy & The Romance’s songs feels like a Richard Curtis vignette”. Collecting these colourful scenes together is their imminent and eagerly-anticipated debut feature-length, ‘Sandman’, which is out next month, full track listing revealed below.

Vintage ruminations on heartbreak accompanied by swooning backing vocals that play off of Olly Taylor’s arresting vibrato, ‘That’s Not Me’ is a fine example of the trio’s interstellar time-machine tunes. Excellently distilling their flair for dreamboat-pop with nods to Jonathan Richman, Louis Prima, and Brian Wilson’s wall of sound, it also takes influence from film composers Henry Mancini and Bernard Herrmann, and the golden age of Disney.

In celebration of the LP release the three-piece will be treading the boards at London’s Oslo venue, as part of a wobbly-kneed lap of honour tour through May. Their exhilarating live show ranges from hip-swinging rock’n’roll to show-stopping ballads, all delivered with a rag-tag punk ethos – garnering stateside approval with acclaimed sets at this year’s SXSW.

Recorded with producer David Pye (Wild Beasts), ‘Sandman’ draws the listener further into the trio’s vibrant world, and follows the latest escapades of central protagonist little Johnny and his inner turmoil. Rocking and reeling through dreamy harmonies and dazzling guitars it’s everything good pop music should be – catchy, clever and brimming with curiously wonderful characters in Trudy’s inimitable realistic-cartoon narrative.

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Jade Jackson - Bottle It Up.

On Jade Jackson’s second full-length album, Wilderness, she casts a light more focused on her own life than ever before. To be released on June 28th via ANTI- Records, Wilderness – like her debut record Gilded - was produced by Mike Ness, the SoCal punk rock legend has carefully helped her hone her craft and sound. “I don’t need a man’s hands to open the jar,” Jackson quips on the charming first single, “Bottle It Up”. Watch Jade and her love interest traverse the deserts of Joshua Tree in the song’s new video.

Gilded (2017) was a masterful, critically acclaimed introduction to her strong soulful stylings as told through the eyes of characters and storytelling, with Jackson keeping any hyper-personal glimpses at arm’s length. But for its follow-up, the singer-songwriter from the Central Coast of California decided to embrace the concept of building her songs from an autobiographical perspective.

Two days after her 20th birthday Jackson was hiking in nearby Sand Canyon when she leaped from a rope swing and fell 15 feet onto a rock – she sustained serious injuries and wasn’t sure if she’d be able to walk again. As she recovered, she realized she was depending more and more on prescription painkillers and after stopping cold turkey by destroying her prescription refills and flushing the remaining pills, her body and brain spiraled into depression. She also developed a control-related eating disorder that would haunt her for several years following. Jackson refers to her mind state during that time as “suicidal.”

“Needless to say, for the first time since I had written my very first song, I didn’t believe in my music anymore,” Jackson says. “Because of my depression I didn’t like myself, so I couldn’t possibly imagine someone else liking what I created. But even that couldn’t stop me from writing, and songwriting remained my therapy through it all.”

The theme of her new work deals heavily with those attitudes and feelings while focusing largely on other true encounters and relationships in her real life. Wilderness is a powerhouse of a record about the in-betweens and stepping stones we dwell in and leap across while coming to terms with our senses of self, and how melancholy can be a powerful weapon to wield—especially in the form of a roots-rock or country song. With Wilderness, Jade Jackson has braved the depths of her soul and figured out a course for survival—though she will be the first to admit that her journey still has miles to go.

“Wilderness as the title of my album is this in-between area I’m in right now as a musician. It’s the unknown—like when we’re touring, you don’t know where you’re gonna play, or sleep, what you’re gonna eat, if you’ll have monitors…there’s so much unknown at this grinding stage in the game. I am incredibly thankful for the way my career has started, but I’ve always had this urge propelling me forward. I know where I want to go—I can visualize it—but right now I’m walking through the wild, still picking up tools, still learning, and making my way.”


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Holly Redford Jones - Cat Princess

Just a couple of artists today starting with Holly Redford Jones and her superb new song 'Bonjour Madame', a sultry country rocker with plenty of feeling. It's our third feature for Cat Princess this year as their good humoured new song 'Rocko's Theme' takes us on a journey into some cinema day's of the eighties.

Holly Redford Jones - Bonjour Madame.

London-based songwriter Holly Redford Jones just released the slow-burner country-rock single "Bonjour Madame." The track displays Redford-Jones' toughness and grit, telling the narrative of the "every-woman" just trying to get by.

Holly Redford Jones defies convention and expectation. Raised in Chesterfield, UK, to a non-musical family, she began playing guitar at age 11. Redford-Jones attended her local high school and struggled to keep up in class due to dyslexia (she really did quit that French GCSE). Nonetheless, she went on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford “to make a point,” and, upon graduating, swiftly moved to London to pursue a career in music.

The genesis for "Bonjour Madame" was born whilst just about scraping by in London, working in bars and other assorted odd jobs. Both a cynic and a dreamer at heart, Redford-Jones became frustrated at the cycle of rent-paying with seemingly little time for music. Encumbered by the weight of creeping political and cultural shadows, Redford-Jones fantasised about an escape across the English Channel. Despite now splitting her time between the UK and US, her short-lived Parisian dream endures.

Redford-Jones has been compelling audiences in the UK since 2017 with her unassuming, yet striking presence and commanding voice.

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Cat Princess - Rocko's Theme.

Uppsala quintet Cat Princess formed at a New Year's party and debuted only days after playing at guitarist Robin's birthday party. Singer Nils joined the gang after the band heard him sing that same night. Just as spontaneous as the band's birth are their music. Today the new cut Rocko’s Theme is released, their most imaginative and strangest (in a good way) track to date. Rocko’s Theme is the third and last single from Cat Princess' long-awaited debut album Forbidden Items.

Rocko’s Theme follows singles Sweet and Silver Socks released earlier this year, and explores the life of fictional 80s action hero Rocko Morocco on his adventures as a man always on the run, delivered with a natural confidence. Sweet broke about a year of silence from the band since their retro banging single Fly on Your Wall, which was followed by the band's debut London show and a support slot for synth legends OMD. Silver Socks is a fine representation of the band's live intensity and one of the brightest cuts from the upcoming LP which took a majority of 2018 to make. The result is an eclectic art rock mix, equally put together by the bands' influences spanning from 80s new wave to contemporary greats.

The band about Rocko’s Theme: "At one point we decided that music, or at least our music, doesn’t have to be so god damn serious and poetic all the time. Rocko’s Theme is definitely a product of that mentality. Like the name suggests, Rocko’s Theme is quite a cinematic song. Musically we took a lot of inspiration from the funky, groovy songs in old blacksploitation movies. We also tried to write the lyrics kind of like an old movie. Not a good movie mind you. Rocko is a coked up 80:s villain who likes fast cars, speedboats and quick deals. He’s got friends in high places and if you make a wrong move you just might end up on the ocean floor. After finally going too far Rocko is on the run from the law...The rest you’ll have to find out for yourself.."


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Hildur Hoglind - Babe Rainbow - Casii Stephan

Hildur Höglind has shared 'Further Apart' a beautifully crafted electronic song accompanied by her tranquil and melodic vocals. 'Something New' is a gorgeous and refined pop song that just eases into our lives, the band Babe Rainbow share their name with a song by Melanie Safka. Casii Stephan has a new video for her song  'Letters' a feisty and stomping piece that's hard to ignore!

Hildur Hoglind - Further Apart.

Growing up in a family of musicians in the small village of Johannishus, Sweden, Höglind has gone from gigging in local clubs she was too young to be in at 15, to playing some of the biggest festivals in Sweden. In her new single, her aching, melancholic vocals float over the top of a cavernous backdrop of thunderous bass synths as drum samples tremor and oscillate.

Alt-pop artist Hildur Höglind is releasing new single ‘Further Apart’, taken from upcoming EP Take Off. The record has an affecting and emotional sound, with lyrics that are unafraid to broach heavier subjects such as mental illness and existential dread.

The new track is a tale of lost love. Hildur tells us it’s the story of “two people who are falling out of love with each other but are reluctant to end the relationship because there’s nothing obviously wrong with it.” Her aching, melancholic vocals float over the top of a cavernous backdrop of thunderous bass synths as drum samples tremor and oscillate.

With a lifelong interest in language and writing, it was when she picked up a guitar that Hildur found an outlet for her words. Literature will always have a place in her creative heart however, with last year’s Poems EP featuring musical interpretations of verse by Dylan Thomas and Edgar Allan Poe.

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Babe Rainbow - Something New.

Cosmic conduits Babe Rainbow are overjoyed to present their latest peace offering, 'Something New'. 

The song uncurls with a star shiner swagger, curiously exploring the bands place in sonic space while permaculturally rooted here on planet Earth.

Lifted from the forthcoming third long player, the band have already announced tours in Australia (May), the USA (June) and Europe (August / September).

Babe Rainbow’s charming eco-pop is out of time just enough to feel totally on time for a movement in 2019


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Casii Stephan - Letters.

The whole video was filmed in Tulsa and it was done by Tulsans. There's so much amazing talent in Tulsa and I'm so proud to have each person be a part of this video. People in Tulsa really helped us out to make sure this video could be the best version it could and I'm so thankful for each gift.”

Stephan states,  “The star dancer, Dani Davis, is one of the sweetest young women I've ever met, yet when she dances, she's so fierce. I'm so honored that she could be a part of this video. She brought her A-game to each take and faced some of her own fears in the process. "

Stephan moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2014 with the intent to give up her pursuit of a music career.  However, in 2016, she released a single, “I Like The Way,” which won an Independent Music Award for “Best Love Song.” In early 2017, she was named “One of nine Oklahoma musicians to watch” by the Tulsa World Magazine. Stephan also performed at MisFEST (short for Music is She), Tulsa’s first female-driven music festival that she helped found and produce. She was recently featured in American Songwriter Magazine as one of the artists contributing to making Oklahoma “the next big music scene.”

Another single, “GhostShips,” premiered on Atwood Magazine, who raves, “an incredibly dynamic performance that captures an intimate moment of raw, untethered emotion.”  She received a genre nomination in the Pop category from the Hollywood Music in Media Awards and received an Honorable Mention Award by the USA Songwriting Competition. In 2017, she did not disappoint, as her band The Midnight Sun, performed an official SXSW Showcase opening for Hanson. Stephan returned as an official artist in 2019’s SXSW, performing at the Tulsa Music Night Showcase.


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