Curse Of Lono - Kidsmoke - Dani Taylor - SERA - Go Gracious

It would appear we are averaging an appearance per year with Curse Of Lono, a band who consistently impressed me with their highly refined style of Americana. The latest material recorded in a live setting at Toe Rag Studios is stunning and hopefully will see the band reach an even bigger audience, they deserve that at the very least.

We featured Kidsmoke a couple of times last year and their latest offering 'She Takes You Under' is a refreshing indie song, their melodic hooks are intact and make this song shine.

Dani Taylor has shared 'Hello Dallas' a beautiful country song with some fine roots feeling countered with a more modern singer-songwriter vibe.

'Rabbit Hole' from SERA has an excellent musical arrangement that complements her vocals as both elements sync together on this hook fuelled song, where the momentum seemingly builds and builds.

Go Gracious have a slightly crazy video for 'Solid Influence' a song that stands out with defined and likable vocals matched with a gorgeous musical back drop.
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Curse Of Lono - Blackout Fever (Live at Toe Rag Studios).

UK Americana rock band Curse Of Lono have announced a new album '4am And Counting' which consists of 11 mellow, rootsier versions of tracks off the band’s first two albums, recorded live at Toe Rag Studios in London with Grammy-winning producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes 'Elephant'), and mixed by Oli Bayston (Boxed In).

The album features guest appearances from legendary pedal steel player BJ Cole (Elton John, Dolly Parton, Pink Floyd, Massive Attack) and harmonica player Nick Reynolds (Alabama 3).

Enjoy the first cut from this hazy, late-night record titled "Blackout Fever." We've partnered with Elmore Magazine and Blurt Online to bring you the single and today Performer Magazine premiered the accompanying music video which showcases the vibe of the record: In the studio, live to tape. No breaks, no edits.

“We wanted to capture the vibe we get when we're jamming late at night,” explains frontman Felix Bechtolsheimer. “So we booked a couple of days in the studio, invited a few friends down and pressed record. Toe Rag Studios is an incredible place. There are no computers. There’s no technology to tempt you. We just played everything completely live like we do when we’re messing around in our rehearsal room, so what you hear is exactly what was played.”


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Kidsmoke - She Takes You Under.

What a year it's turning out to be for Kidsmoke! The Welsch band are preparing for their debut LP after a successful US debut at South by Southwest, which caught the attention of Austin label Big Indie.

Known for their trademark ability to write sweet and sunny hooks, this track is no exception. The single is filled with sparkling synths, driving beats and shimmering harmonies, creating a sound akin to the likes of Sunflower Bean or Bombay Bicycle Club’s pastoral pop soundscapes. She Takes You Under once again showcases Kidsmoke’s capability to create crisp, shoegaze-tinged pop that can transport you straight into the sunshine.

The Wrexham four-piece are Lance (Vocals/Guitar), James (Bass/Vocals), Sophie (Guitar/Vocals) and Ash (Drums), who have already made a name for themselves in their native North Wales. They have also already received recognition from across the pond, having played at SXSW earlier this year and their previous single Passenger making it onto the esteemed NPR Austin 100 list. The have also received supported from The Line of Best Fit, Earmilk, Indie Shuffle and BTR Today, as well as BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and BBC Radio Wales’ Adam Walton to name a few. They have also have a sync-feature on Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror series under their belts, as well also supporting Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes previously.

Catch Kidsmoke live on 12th June 2019 at London’s Two Tribes Brewery in association with Big Indie Big Nights. "She Take You Under" is available everywhere via Big Indie Records.


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Dani Taylor - Hello Dallas.

Dani Taylor is an Arizona born and raised country singer-songwriter currently residing in Nashville Tennessee.

Her first EP has just debuted on the 31st of May with a fresh twist on the traditional country sound.

Hello Dallas is a traditional Texas country song about going back home after the world beats you down.

Hello Dallas is a traditional Texas country song with a fresh sound


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SERA - Rabbit Hole.

'Rabbit Hole' is the first single from SERA's collection of songs for 2019 and from her new collaboration with producer Andi Bonsai.

SERA played a mellow acoustic 'Rabbit Hole' on her guitar to Andi one wet and windy October morning and by the end of the day, that song had transformed into the high energy version you hear today. 'Rabbit Hole' stays true to SERA's Americana/folk style but takes on some bold new ideas.The chorus explodes into Come with me to incredible things, where the oysters march from the sea, inviting you into a world of the fantastic. SERA's new songs will continue to follow in this theme of the mythic-surreal rooted in very real experiences.

'Rabbit Hole' is a journey through an addictive relationship, leading through naivety and self destruction to escape. SERA hails from Caernarfon in North Wales and is a busy bilingual (Welsh and English) performer and songwriter, part of the CEG Records family.

In addition to great support from Welsh media and festival such as BBC Radio Wales/ Radio Cymru, S4C and Focus Wales, support for SERA's music has come from Chris Hawkins 6Music, Claire Blading Radio 2, specialist shows, North American Festival of Wales, How the Light Gets in, Festival Number 6, Henley Festival and more and continues to grow....

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Go Gracious - Solid Influence.

Go Gracious was dragged, kicking and screaming, into existence once their half written ideas had become stadium sized, with razor sharp pop hooks delivered over a fiery growl of heavy guitars and dance beats. Imagine if Dragons did it, yeah?

Morris and Dee first met at a show in Kent where Dees’ performance prompted Morris to declare: "You're a great front-man, but you need a better band".

Morris told Dee he should join forces with someone with an ear for the anthemic, and so he did, although with doubts about one man’s ability to replace an entire band. But when modern technology collides with irrepressible will, miracles and wonders can also happen.

Go Gracious take inspiration from everything they’ve listened to and loved.

With a string of stirring, undeniable singles ready to come out on The Animal Farm label, they should be the only thing you listen to and love. The first of which, ‘Solid Influence’, is a stomping piano driven indie-rock instant classic with a superbly cheeky video featuring a great dancing routine on the London underground.


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Miss June - Sarah Klang - Gabi Hartmann - Grace Acladna - Deanna Petcoff

New Zealand's Miss June have shared some spirited rock with bags of hooks, I am tempted to suggest it's literal garage rock, check the video to see where I'm coming from on that.

'New Day Coming' by Sarah Klang is a melodic and catchy piece, her vocals are beautiful and the subtle Americana hints add even more.

Gabi Hartmann has shared 'Always Seem To Get Things Wrong' a charming ballad where both the Parisian's vocals and refined musical arrangement exude a sentimental and timeless feeling.

We have already featured Grace Acladna twice this year and her new song 'Apnea' is another imaginative and simply addictive track, her vocals sweeping above a cleverly constructed soundtrack, this is hard to ignore.

Deanna Petcoff also makes her third appearance on Beehive Candy, this time with 'Stage Light' a robust indie rocker that mixes melodic hooks with some simmering energy.
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Miss June - Best Girl.

The latest export from New Zealand is coming to us by way of Auckland band Miss June. Described as “some unholy union between Sonic Youth and Le Tigre,” the four piece harness jagged, noisy guitars filtered through the unrivalled stage presence of front-person Annabel Liddel, guitarist Jun Park, bass player Chris Marshall and drummer Tom Leggett.

The band share their newest single “Best Girl” which Liddel notes, “is an anthem for anyone who has been misled from birth, into battle for a spot that doesn’t exist.”

Miss June have also announced their signing to NYC’s Frenchkiss Records and on June 10th the label will release a double a-side 7” consisting of today’s single "Best Girl" and the previously released and equally brilliant “Twitch.”

The band has built a reputation for fierce, formidable and head-spinning live shows which have caught the attention of acts like The Foo Fighters, Shellac, Wolf Alice, Idles and Die! Die! Die!, who have all eagerly harnessed their support on stage. Next month will see them bring this party to UK and US for shows in London, New York City and Los Angeles.

Combining elements of post-punk, no-wave and rock, Miss June hold close their DIY roots while creating a blistering, reckless sound full of melodic hooks and overdriven riffs that are at once immediately recognizable and yet entirely their own.


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Sarah Klang - New Day Coming.

Sarah Klang is a 26 year old singer songwriter who hails from Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg.  Since 2016 she has been releasing what she describes as pop songs laced with country and Americana influences, her Swedish Grammy winning debut album went to number 1 in Sweden.

Whilst working as a waitress she made the decision to start writing her own songs, using her love and the long history of classic love songs as her starting point. Using her heart meltingly beautiful yet grandiose voice she has managed to write the kind of songs that have charmed Scandinavian and European audiences alike.

With a batch of self penned songs that showcased a dreamy melancholy and an unbelievable stage presence she created a vintage soundscape that has wowed audiences alike in underground clubs, three sold out nights at Stockholm’s Södra Teatern, a sell-out Scandinavian tour, a sold out Gothenburg Concert Hall and an arena tour with First Aid Kit.

This spring has seen two single releases, "Call Me" and "Endless Sadness", with a third addition - "New Day Coming" - out now on all streaming platforms!


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Gabi Hartmann - Always Seem To Get Things Wrong.

Always Seem To Get Things Wrong", a classic ballad, is the first single by Parisian singer Gabi Hartmann, produced and written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jesse Harris (with new French lyrics by Gabi) and recorded in Rio de Janeiro with legendary Brazilian musicians Dadi (Marisa Monte, Jorge Ben, Novos Baianos) and Marcelo Costa (Caetano Velsoso, Tribalistas). Harris is known for his work with Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Petra Haden, and many others.

Key lyric quotes: "I thought that I would kiss your lips, but the sky went dark and the moon eclipsed, and what I missed is all that I can see." And in french: "Bien avant que tu vois le monde, bien avant cette chanson, il y en a eu des gens blessés comme moi."

Shot in New York City with director Charles Billot (originally from Paris), the video is inspired by foreign films, with subtitles during the English lyrics and English ones during the French. Gabi pines alone in an empty apartment and wanders the downtown streets in an overcoat like a female Jean Paul Belmondo.

Gabi is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Paris, France, whose influences range from Brazilian and African music to Jazz. She studied Philosophy and Politics in Paris and then moved to Rio de Janeiro where she fell in love with Brazilian music, learned to speak Portuguese fluently and performed in local bars. After two years there she moved to London to study ethnomusicology, leading her on musical journeys in South Africa, Guinea and Portugal.

After returning to Paris to study jazz, meanwhile teaching philosophy classes, Gabi became a member of many international music groups, including Triozelas and Orchestra Ewa. Most recently she appears as singer and co-composer of several songs on the debut album by Portuguese/Brazilian collective, Rua das Pretas, and is at work recording her first solo EP in Rio and New York with producer Jesse Harris, featuring her original material, as well as new French versions of his songs.


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Grace Acladna - Apnea.

Hounslow, London based producer + singer Grace Acladna is sharing new single 'Apnea' - which arrives now alongside her new EP 'Phonophobia' - both out today via Hometown Records.

Fusing inspiration from a variety of different sounds and genres including nu-house, soca, electronica and dub - both new single 'Apnea', and the EP from which it's been lifted, represents Grace taking risks, showing a side to her which has often been hidden - and follows a recent appearance with slowthai on the BBC Radio 1Xtra Live Lounge.

'"Phonophobia' is about having the guts to be vulnerable," Grace explains. "Most of the time I’m quiet and reserved, other times I’m loud and obnoxious. Some of these songs are scary for me to share because they show a side of me that I don’t often portray to the outside world…I get embarrassed of those louder, more extreme parts of myself, but from experience, it’s always those parts that people love and appreciate the most."

New single, 'Apnea' is a tantalising examination of female sexual pleasure - written to a backdrop of delicate piano, and atmospheric electronics. Speaking a little more on the track, Grace said: "I think that female sexual pleasure in heterosexual relationships can often take a back seat. The song is seductive but the heart of it is about taking the lead in how one wants to experience sexual pleasure."

Carefully developing her vibrant experimental pop sound since her last release - ’Phonophobia’ - out now via Hometown Records, takes the listener on a journey through the universal themes of love, loss and longing. From the euphoria of the first encounter; the genesis of desire and yearning, the heartbreak of rejection, to the dark abyss of loneliness, sensuously revealed above techno-house-pop rhythms.

New EP 'Phonophobia' is just the start of Grace Acladna's journey. With another body of work already written and recorded - and plenty more on its way - by her own admission, Grace is working harder than she's ever worked before. Based on 'Phonophobia' - the fruits of her labour are already showing.


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Deanna Petcoff - Stage Lights.

The word that jumps to mind when hearing Deanna Petcoff’s music for the first time is yearning. Although yearning is a verb, not an adjective, it is the closest thing that can describe the hold her music takes on the listener.

The warmth and texture of her sweeping vocals intertwined with the almost playful blueness of her lyrics fills the listener with a sense of intense longing, and reveals to us a worldview that is full of pain at the loss of love, and full of hope for something more beautiful.

Petcoff grew up worshipping the music of David Bowie, Joan Jett, Lou Reed, and Patti Smith. These musicians, among many others, inspired her to first pick up a guitar and start to play. This fire grew and was fostered by the women at Girl’s Rock Camp Toronto, which she first attended in 2011. It was there she began her musical career, being paired with many mentors and starting her first band, Pins & Needles, a four-piece based in Toronto.

She continued to play with them for 5 years, across Canada, and co-wrote two albums with the group. For Petcoff, this band spanned her high school years and was a chance to grow, play, and experiment, finding her voice among others in the city. In January 2018, Pins & Needles disbanded, leading to the beginning of Petcoff’s solo career, and the creation of her first single, Terribly True, followed shortly by her second single Stress and next up, Stage Lights.


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Jade Jackson - The Warp/The Weft - Burton Gaar - The Cravens - Jett Kwong

Less than a month since sharing 'Bottle It Up' from her forthcoming 'Wilderness' album Jade Jackson returns with 'Secret' another fabulously crafted song, that raises anticipation even higher for what's to follow.

It's almost two years since The Warp/The Weft appeared here, and with 'A Sun Filled Room' they are more than welcome back! Their modern take on folk music is tinged with the traditional past and yet roams between psychedelic and folk rock, this is a band that deserve wider attention.

Black and Tan Records have shared some excellent blues songs from the late Burton Gaar. Blues fans from any era should gain some pleasure from this material and if the genre is not normally your thing, take a dip into this mans music, it is quite something.

Grab your 'Early Bird Special' here as The Cravens have rediscovered some material from 2009, and not surprisingly shared it. Why? well this is a very fine collection of songs, it's got some loose and easy Americana vibes and because it's predominately at the demo stage, the bands natural character really stands out.

Jett Kwong has released 'Cream' a dreamy and sensitive song that mixes melodic sweeps along with her beautiful vocals and a musical backdrop that defies exact categorisation beyond the fact it's gorgeous.

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Jade Jackson - Secret.

Jade Jackson is excited to share “Secret”, a song that came to her in a sudden moment of inspiration while driving in her central California hometown.

“Secret” tells a story of addiction, loss, and the heartbreak that accompanies not just death itself but of a failure to fulfill dreams and to escape the tethers of home. As Jackson’s gorgeous voice belts out the chorus of “All the walls inside me fell down / I don’t want my bones to be buried in this town,” know that the emotion, just like the story, is real.

“That chorus came to my mind first,” she says, “and I started screaming it, like I was channeling the person in that song. A lot of little feelings that hurt me, or that I have suppressed, sometimes pop up when I sing. If you push a buoy down in the water then let go, it shoots up quickly. Sometimes that happens with sadness in my songwriting.”

“Secret” is the second track to be made available on Jackson’s sophomore album Wilderness, set for a June 28 release on ANTI-. On Wilderness, Jackson casts a light more focused on her own life than ever before.


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The Warp/The Weft - A Sun Filled Room.

The Warp/The Weft, active since 2012 in and beyond New York's Hudson River Valley, has earned praise for its uniqueness and song-crafting from casual and devoted listeners alike.

Blending traditional and avant-garde styles, the warmth of a good wool sweater and the sometimes-bleak cold of an upstate winter, the progressive folk and psychedelia that the band brings to bear  is propelled by poetic lyrics and a "spirit-conjuring" lilting tenor that "puts Murphy alongside Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg as one of the most captivating high-register voices in rock today" (Ron Hart, Chronogram).

The Band will release its third LP, DEAD  RECKONING, in summer 2019. Trevor Larcheveque: Bass/Vocals, Christian Lark: Drums, Shane Murphy: Vocals/Guitar, Chris Pellnat: Lead Guitar.

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Burton Gaar - Blue Eyed Soul.

The tall Louisiana blues man Burton Gaar started playing bass guitar at age fourteen and at age eighteen Burton started singing on stage. As a young man, Burton was invited to join Slim Harpo's band as a bass player. In the 60's Burton and his band (Boogie Kings) were very active in the Louisiana R&B circuit.

As the 70's Burton was forced to take a normal day job for a year. After this experience he was determined to be self supporting as a musician. He joined the band of Rockin' Sidney and he managed to make ends meet by either backing-up this zydeco superstar or playing with his own band.

After recording his first CD "Still Singing The Blues" for Lanor Records Burton became firmly resolved to pursue his number one goal; making a name for himself. He recorded another CD (One Hundred Pounds Of Trouble) in Europe that was released in 1997. He did a few European tours during which he performed in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Norway. Burton passed away in 2011 after a brief battle with cancer.

Musicians on these tracks are: Burton Gaar - vocals, bass, Roel Spanjers - keyboards, Frank Bolder - drums, Jan Mittendorp - guitar.

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The Cravens - Early Bird Special.

It's time to come on down to Craven House and enjoy the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. No worries here.... just kick back...It's on us.

This laid back and loose  five- song acoustic /americana appetizer was recorded in 2009.

Somehow it got lost, but has now been found and dusted off for your listening pleasure!

Early Bird Special features the fine talents of our pals, Vagrant Records recording artist, John Ralston (harmony vocals} and Ginny Hale Meredith (violin).

So.... grab a seat on the front porch, sip your coffee, iced tea or mint julep, close your eyes and enjoy your EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! Featuring the track "Lonelyville" with John Ralston.

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Jett Kwong - Cream.

Jett's work is colored by themes such as family, her identity as a mixed heritage woman, and the complexities of colonial history. “Our identities are colored by the context in which we are in - the way we grow up, our appearance, and our basic interests and beliefs”. It is through this belief that she channels her desire to seek out the true roots of individuality.

New single 'Cream' the single is an ode to summer, a time passed, to lusting over someone and ultimately lusting over an idealized version of a persona and the past. Kwong reveals, "I was inspired by the realization that we all, including myself, fall prey to the romanticization of history, and the exoticism of Asia and Asian people. This to me is a legacy of colonialism, and that lens is particularly interesting when I apply them to my own family’s stories of surviving war, flourishing in post WWII Hong Kong, and immigrating to the US". 'Cream' evokes the balmy imagery of Kwong's grandparents strolling down the road in 1940's Hong Kong in their beautiful, tailored clothes - in stark contrast to the reality of their inequality in a British colony and their everyday struggles to survive and ultimately immigrate. Sonically the single features ethereal vocals, shimmering soundscapes and hints of Kwong's Chinese influences.

Sonically influenced by a variety of sounds from different eras, Jett’s music is built from pieces of the past with an essence of the future. With the desire to spark conversations about identity, the singer/songwriter confides, "I am inspired to tell not only my and my family’s histories, but a broader story of culture - to be a conduit for those stories and to find more innovative ways to express them."

Empowered by issues surrounding women’s rights, social and political reform and questions around justice, Jett hopes to contribute towards conversations for affecting change. Having performed at prestigious venues including the renown Carnegie Hall, Jett Kwong is ready for the next installment of her journey.


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The Bambi Kills - BRIA - Davina and The Vagabonds - Vilde - WHY? - Skilton Avenue

The Bambi Kills have released 'Sweet Love' a song that fulfils the electro grunge description given to them, and additionally throws in a good few hooks along the way.

'The Strangest Of Lovers' from BRIA mixes alt country and pop sensibilities together with class and style, her refreshing take on country music is splendid, to say the least.

Davina and The Vagabonds new song 'Little Miss Moonshine' combine jazz, blues and bar room influences beautifully, this is simply addictive and oh so pleasing.

As song titles go 'Oh, What A Mess You’ve Got Yourselves Into' is pretty impressive and Vilde doesn't let us down with the music, there's a hint of Thom Yorke but see that as a positive, this is a fine and genuinely alternative piece.

Whilst on the subject of song titles WHY? ups the stakes even further with 'I may come out a broken yolk, I may come out on saddle' a track with just a little They Might Be Giants feel to it, again that's more a compliment than anything else.

Finally today we have Australian band Skilton Avenue whose latest song release 'Tomorrow' is a simple and stripped back alt rocker that allows their vocal and musical strong points to shine through and impress.
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The Bambi Kills - Sweet Love.

Few come close to the unique genre bending style of electro-grunge sister duo The Bambi Kills, now exploring serene pop formalities with 'Sweet Love'.

Stripping back their sound and returning to their roots for the first single of 2019, 'Sweet Love' sees the Melbourne pair present their most upbeat work to date. While happy at it's core, accents of the two's signature grunge tints seep through create a wonder of unease and nostalgia.

Twisting together haunting harmonies with ominous acoustic tones, the compelling pop-driven melody matches the optimistic narrative. "It’s about that feeling of happiness, euphoria that overcomes you, even for a split a second for whatever reason," singer Elly  Velinsky explains.

The project of sisters Elly Velinsky and Vanessa Morfea, The Bambi Kills blur the line between genres in a similar vein to American pioneer Tori Amos. Receiving praise from tastemaker Pilerats for their self titled EP, the pair have since supported the Australian rock royalty The Mavis's on their Pink Pills Anniversary tour, and performed  at the popular Chapel Summer Sessions and Evelyn Hotel.

'Sweet Love' gives us a distinctive taste of The Bambi Kills' potential, and a glimpse of what they will deliver for those lucky enough to catch them at their residency at The Tote in Melbourne this June!

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BRIA - The Strangest Of Lovers

BRIA is an alternative country singer/songwriter from Derbyshire. Combining traditional country roots with catchy pop melodies, she tells stories of love, loss and friendship.

Her main musical influences include Swedish duo First Aid Kit, Jake Bugg and Phoebe Bridgers.

Currently based in Nottingham, BRIA has been performing across the county since starting out in 2017 and made her debut at Splendour Festival the following year.

Her upcoming single ‘Strangest of Lovers’ was produced by Gareth Jones (who has worked with Madness and Depeche Mode) and is set to be released on vinyl on June 7th 2019 on Denizen Records.

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Davina and The Vagabonds - Little Miss Moonshine.

Red House Records is announcing the release date for Sugar Drops, the first album for the label from Davina and the Vagabonds. They are sharing the track "Little Miss Moonshine".

The album marks the first time singer/songwriter/pianist Davina Sowers entered a proper studio to record an album.  The Minneapolis-based artist holed up in Nashville’s Compass Sound Studio with producer (and Compass Records co-founder) Garry West, along with her trumpeter, string arranger and husband, Zack Lozier, and a rotating cast of powerhouse players including Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Robbie Fulks) on bass, Doug Lancio (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Tom Jones) on guitar and Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa) on Hammond B3.

Davina says of the debut track, “My songs always begin with an emotion, so it started out as an ‘I see you and I see through you’ song. I do what I do because I am who I am, not because I wanna make a buck or because it's the next cool trend. There's nothing smellier than dishonest music and fake people. Even if you're doing music from eras past and paying homage to music that you, yourself have been influenced by, it needs to come from the heart and from your own truth. Then, through the process of writing it, I started reflecting, and I ended up giving advice to these types of people and having a little empathy; it was hard when I started out, too. You can get lost in what you think others want and it’s not necessarily who you are. “At the end of the day though, it still needs to be your work and your words.”

Sugar Drops is distillation of bluesy barroom baritone and bravado, graveyard jazz grooves, and noir-ish confessional lyricism backed by boisterous piano, guitar, and strings. Eclectic, engaging and instilled with a deep respect and knowledge for the Great American Songbook, Sugar Drops is the actualization of longstanding intent for Davina.

“It represents about 100 years of Americana; I did exactly what I wanted to do,” she says.


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Vilde - Oh, What A Mess You’ve Got Yourselves Into.

With a proclivity for delivering exhilarating slices of indie-electronica infused with weird pop sensibilities already established, Vilde returns in 2019 with a new full length record Fidget on The Podium, out this summer. First single Sardines retained the Stockholm based, Melbourne raised artist’s singular style – whilst letting a little more light in to a traditionally dark sound. And now second cut Oh, What A Mess You’ve Got Yourselves Into expands the sound in a different way – by ushering other musicians into his hitherto insular sound.

Falling somewhere between Thom Yorke, Tim Hecker and TV on the Radio it’s another great addition to his steadily growing stylish and sophisticated cannon.

As well as leftfield sonics Vilde, AKA Thomas Savage, offers oblique looks at various themes through his tracks and albums. On Oh, What A Mess… Savage offers: “Topically it’s on the same tangent as everything from Fidget at the Podium; disconnect. The sensation of bare feet on soil is intense, yet it’s where they belong. We cut down an old tree pre-emptively as it might crush our car. We incessantly insinuate to each other that one should philosophise less, make things less complicated, in fear of any sort of raw emotion. We vote for anti-social political parties. Music is entirely about connection, to others as well as to oneself. It’s the most precious tool we have in order to balance our way through a society so constantly encouraging disconnect.”

He began recording the record in early 2018 in Stockholm, just before being served a visa denial from the migration agency. Re-locating briefly to Düsseldorf to stay with his brother, he eventually finished the record in Melbourne through the Australian summer.

Looking to expand the instrumentation to evolve his sound, he brought in flute, saxophone and for the first time, other people’s voices. “I have had such a solo process for so long now, it’s become quite exhilarating to collaborate with other musicians” explains Savage, revelling in opening up his creativity.

Talking on the creative process behind writing this track in particular, as well as its instrumental role in opening up his sound in general, Thomas says: “To start with I had just these two interchanging chords, and it felt like 10% of a song. I figured well, usually my songs end up feeling like 200% of a song, enough to smother you - I could use undershooting it a little bit. That sort of became the challenge - how empty can I keep this? It didn’t end up very empty, so incidentally I think it was a good approach to have” continuing, he explains  “It did allow for me to think a bit more laterally though, rather than anxiously filling it with crap at my own two hands. I asked my buddy Sean Gage to smear saxophone all over it. I asked my buddy & drummer Jesper Hättander to speak some beautiful tones. It was an odd & rewarding process, and has become hands down my favourite track on the album.”


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WHY? - I may come out a broken yolk, I may come out on saddle.

WHY?, the creative moniker for consummate wordsmith and beloved songwriter Yoni Wolf, has returned with a compellingly cryptic visual titled "I may come out a broken yolk, I may come out on saddle."

The video, whose interconnected songs comprise WHY?'s first new music since 2017's masterful Moh Lhean (Joyful Noise), stars Emmy-winning actress Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and was directed by Sundance Dramatic Special Jury Award-winner Miles Joris-Peyrafitte.

WHY? recently finished touring behind the 10th anniversary of their modern-classic 2008 LP Alopecia, and earlier this year Yoni collaborated with Lala Lala (aka Lillie West) on the bombastic "Siren 042." Stay tuned for more news and tour dates from WHY? in the coming weeks.


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Skilton Avenue - Tomorrow.

Hailing from Newcastle on Australia's east coast, Skilton Avenue are a passionate band who channel their innermost thoughts and feelings into music that people can relate to. Tomorrow is the debut single from the up and coming acoustic rock band.

Tomorrow is a track about that point in your life when you realise that you're ready to drop everything and focus on your dreams. With the knowledge that the people you love will be there to support you, but also finding the inner strength and drive to be able to chase them on your own. With elements of alternative rock and roots, Tomorrow will take you on a journey of self-discovery from start to finish.

Skilton Avenue consists of Mitchell Challice, the lead singer-songwriter, composer and guitarist, Trent Geal on drums and percussion and Kristy Richards on vocals. Tomorrow was recorded at Nuclear Sound Studios on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Skilton Avenue came to be when Mitchell and Trent were neighbours, they started jamming together and developed a sound they wanted to pursue. After putting an ad on Facebook and going through auditions they found Kristy whose vocal’s were perfect for their sound. The trio have plans to release an album and tour. Keep an eye out for more from this upcoming alt-rock band.

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