Zoe Polanski - Eric Bolander - Jordan Lehning

Zoe Polanski has just released a new single 'Pharoah's Island' and it's an introduction to the forthcoming 'Violent Flowers' album due in July, the song itself is a mixture of ambient and dream pop styles and it's beautiful. == Eric Bolander has a new single entitled 'Magic Moon' which is a refreshing slice of Americana with some refined rock vibes. === Jordan Lehning shares 'Oolaloom' ahead of his next album, Jordan states that the track "acts as a prologue in the story of 'Little Idols'" (the album), it's also a fine taster for the collection.
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Zoe Polanski - Pharoah's Island.

Zoe Polanski has released a new single "Pharoah's Island." The single features Polanski’s hypnotic vocals and shimmering guitar paired with electronic producer Aviad Zinemana Zinemanas’ blend of implied rhythms, soft percussion, and weaving keyboard pads.Hear an advance of the cinematic & exploratory work of ambient-pop below. Zoe's record "Violent Flowers" is out July 17th on Youngbloods on limited edition vinyl and across digital channels.  The record is co-produced and written with Tel-Aviv electronic producer Aviad Zinemanas.

"Pharaoh's Island started out as an exciting and unexpected match between one of my guitar loops and a Goblet Drum rhythm (a very common, household instrument in Israel). The unusual combination of sounds inspired me to think about an Island east off the shore of Sinai (Egypt) and a little bit south to the Israeli city of Eilat.

This island, called Pharaoh's Island, or "Coral Island", is the site of an ancient fortress, used throughout the centuries as a strategic point in wars between the people of the area. What enchanted me about the place was the fact that underneath this militarized land there is a parallel universe that exists underwater, in the base of the island - an exceptionally rich colony of corals and marine life. It's this shifting of focus from the surface inwards that inspired my musical and lyrical expression in this song." - Zoe Polanski.

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Eric Bolander - Magic Moon.

Americana singer-songwriter Eric Bolander has released a new single "Magic Moon", and plans to release a second single "Window" on August 21 as he works towards a third full-length release.

Human beings are surprisingly resilient creatures. Through honoring his grandmother, singer-songwriter Eric Bolander weathers his own emotional firestorm with his 2019 record The Wind, and now with two new singles, “Magic Moon” and “Window”. These are brooding, often languid, folk set-piece weaving in and out of tales of drug addiction, religion, renewal and the birth of his two-year-old daughter. He casts off his hard-rock outer shell for a more traditionally-rooted and sensitive storybook, steeped in heartfelt emotions and embodying the endurance of the human spirit.

“Magic Moon” and “Window” both display a decidedly more electric guitar-driven approach from Bolander’s previous efforts, but weaved into that are brooding strings, keyboards, and Bolander’s familiar acoustic guitar and expertly-layered folk vocal harmonies. Both singles share a common thread of being tales of out-of-body experiences, as the characters within embark on existential searches for truth and escape from all things negative.

Much of his work has been scattered in the rock music scene through the years. He’s mounted numerous creative endeavors, including rock bands Modern Day Relic and Alcatraz Shakedown, and made enduring friendships with the likes of producer Duane Lundy (Sturgill Simpson, Ringo Starr) and Americana troubadour Arlo McKinley among countless others.

These new singles were once again produced by Lundy at his studio in Lexington, Kentucky, is as much a natural transition in Bolander’s catalog as an evocative love letter to a weathered existence in an ever-tumultuous world. “He’s just trying to live his whole life / in search of her,” he calls into the void on “Magic Moon”, depicting a narrator in search of a metaphorical “her” that isn’t necessarily a physical being.

Sonically, Bolander gallops through the crossroads of John Moreland and Bruce Springsteen (circa Devils & Dust), from rollicking explorations of struggle and its broken remnants to bitter, cynical prayers.

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Jordan Lehning - Oolaloom.

Nashville composer/producer/artist Jordan Lehning has announced the August 7 release of his cinematic new album Little Idols. As a celebrated producer, Lehning has worked with the likes of Caitlin Rose, Rodney Crowell and Andrew Combs, in addition to writing and tracking string arrangements for Kacey Musgraves, Burt Bacharach, Brett Eldridge, Leon Bridges and more. Along with the announcement, Lehning has released the first track “Oolaloom”, which acts as the opening credits to a whirlwind story that unfolds over the length of the album.

“‘Oolaloom’ acts as a prologue in the story of Little Idols,” explains Lehning. “The main character addresses the audience imploring them to ‘sing along a secret song’ that then sets in motion the events to follow. The music was written and recorded first, and once I understood the purpose of the song in the context of the record the lyrics came together quickly. Street sounds can be heard throughout, as well as acoustic guitar, pitched percussion, keyboards, upright bass, strings and winds.”

Approaching the process from a director’s perspective, Jordan Lehning crafted Little Idols in the style of a short film while drawing on the focused, deliberate works of filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman. The album takes place over the course of a week, recounting a passionate affair between a married woman and a single man who grapple with the persisting conflict of right and wrong, free will and fate, connection and commitment.

Each song acts as its own scene, illustrated by intimate vocals, breathy woodwinds and sweeping strings that weave through strategic interludes marking the narrative's forward motion. Beginning with the swirling opening track “Oolaloom”, with an off-kilter time signature that hints at the impending chaos, a flirtatious anticipation builds before erupting with the explosive end of “Passing The Time” and moving into the remorseful aftermath of the album’s second half. The story concludes with “Only That You’re Gone”, as our protagonist pieces his life back together and the closing credits roll. Little Idols is a poignant, literate collection of songs encouraging repeated listens.

“You have to be patient watching a Bergman film,” Lehning elaborates. “They’re very still, but they’re brilliant at capturing the quiet amidst the loud. I envisioned this album as something similar, a tonal exploration set within the eye of the storm.”

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Grizzly Coast - Katie Wood

Grizzly Coast returns with 'End Of The Night' just a month after we shared 'Catch and Release' and again her indie rock impresses, this time with a powered up and hook filled song. === This weekend Katie Wood released 'Uh Huh Yeah' a self produced track that focuses on her struggle with agoraphobia and doing so with a fine musical arrangement and her stylish vocals.
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Grizzly Coast - End Of The Night.

From the imaginative, yet highly-analytical mind of Alannah Kavanagh comes Grizzly Coast, the Toronto-based indie rock project with heavy-hitting instrumentation that tears up the stage and heavy-lifting lyrical narratives that compel you to think deeper.

Formerly performing as an acoustic singer-songwriter, Kavanagh wears her expansion into full-band territory well on the brand new Party of One EP.

Grizzly Coast’s newest single, “End of the Night,” is about leaving your creature comforts to go have fun around others. It evokes the dearly missed, brimming energy of live music through an upbeat melody and fuzzy/almost triumphant guitar lines.

grizzlycoast · End of the Night

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Katie Wood - Uh Huh Yeah.

There's a place that exists somewhere between the past and future, that isn’t now. A kingdom of flamboyance, eccentricity and otherworldly hues and a desire for charm beyond the physical. This is where you will find Katie Wood, music for the electric, songs that permeate the heart, lyrics that reveal your power, and a voice to remember. Welcome to her world.

Following the successful release of “Steve”, Wood is unveiling “Uh huh Yeah”. The self-produced track narrates the singer’s struggle with agoraphobia and the powerless feeling it entails. Wood confides, “I couldn’t face leaving my flat, let alone go to work or see my friends and I just felt so powerless. So the song is about that feeling and in many ways accepting it as a way to move on through it, I do believe that you have to face your fears to overcome them.”

“Uh huh Yeah” depicts everything that comes with agoraphobia - the frustration, anger and resentment, but also hope and self-acceptance. Detailing the journey of finding light at the end of the tunnel, Wood has crafted a poignant song of sincerity and self-discovery. “Uh huh Yeah” features muted tones, 80’s drums and emotional, raspy vocals reminiscent of Haim meets Kate Bush. Drenched in ethereal backing vocals, Wood has established a distinct sound and strong identity that is entirely her own.

Wood’s music is immersed in emotion, using writing as a form of escapism and expression. The musician shares, “All of my music has a kind of sarcastic charm to it, even though I mainly write about my own life experiences I don’t actually take myself ALL that seriously and it’s part of who I am - to use humour alongside somewhat depressing and solemn subjects.”

The London based artist is heavily inspired by the likes of post-punk and new wave bands such as Blondie, The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen, as well as the glam rock days of T. Rex and Bowie. Soaking up the heavy, distorted sounds of these artists, Wood presents it in a beautiful and graceful delivery.

Having garnered acclaim from the likes of Billboard, MTV and the BBC, Wood hopes that her music will continue to enable others to feel powerful and like they’re not alone in this world. She is on a mission to help listeners be as authentic as possible and to overcome their hardships and fears.

Katie Wood · Uh Huh Yeah

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Heads Or Heads - Dolls - Katherine Abbott - Mojo JNR

Heads Or Heads shares a video for 'Lake' the song is beautiful dreamy psych pop and the images add a little extra to the atmosphere. === Dolls share the title track to their much anticipated second E.P 'Eggshells,' the track itself is a fresh sounding and energised indie rocker. === From Katherine Abbott we have 'Lullaby for Lucas' a gentle and tender folk song, from a talented and pleasing artist. === The solo project of Josh David-Read Mojo JNR has a new song called 'Miles Away' which is a really fine mixture of Folk and Bedroom Pop.
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Heads Or Heads - Lake.

Kansas City-based psych pop producer Heads or Heads has a new video for "Lake," the closing song from his latest record, Low Angles.

Filmed by the project's Alex Harbolt (who is also a filmmaker by day), "Lake" is a idyllic snapshot of the lake that inspired the song coupled with Harbolt's friends shot before COVID-19 made tight-knit barbecues and swimming a temporary impossibility.

The song fittingly concludes an album built on idealism, framed around a trip to Los Angeles Harbolt took with his girlfriend in 2018.

"It was the first time in LA for both of us and I remember being there and so many crazy things kept happening that in my head, I was going 'I can make an album out of this," he says. "I grew up in rural Missouri and always wondered what places like LA would be like; it's sort of been a dream to live there for a while now. And being there in person was a very surreal experience."

Low Angles is out now on cassette and all digital platforms.

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Dolls - Eggshells.

Dolls have announced their long-awaited second EP ‘Eggshells’ will be exclusively released as part of the Love Record Stores event on Saturday June 20th. Again released with iconic soundtrack labels Mondo/Death Waltz on a beautiful limited edition multi-coloured and etched vinyl LP and digital.

The 2-piece, comprising Jade (guitar and vocals) and Bel (drums and vocals) packed out Rough Trade East in London to launch their first EP ‘Pop The Bubble’, however in current circumstances will be operating solely online for this release, in part because Jade is in home town of London and Bel is back in Spain. The EP was produced and mixed by Margo Broom at Hermitage Studio Works in North London and the first track to urace from the session is the EP’s title track ‘Eggshells’

Jade explains that the ‘Eggshells EP’ is more auto-biographical than Dolls have ever been in the past and that it is “about the struggles that we have faced in our 20’s. Losing friends, creepy men, the strive for perfectionism and day-to-day anxiety. We have written about what we feel is really important as we get older. Musically we have evolved with this EP and although the gritty garage rock is still there we’ve broadened our sound with synths, percussion and multiple vocal layers.”

The “Eggshells EP”, set for release on 20th June 2020 as part of Love Record Stores Day which is the music coming together aiming to get music-lovers to support their favourite independent record stores by shopping online on June 20, when exclusive and limited edition vinyl releases from a range of artists and labels will be made available to purchase on the websites of various record stores.

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Katherine Abbott - Lullaby for Lucas.

Katherine Abbott is a free spirited folk singer/songwriter from England. Growing up in a musical household, she has been singing all her life and began writing songs as a teenager which led to pursuing a musical career through busking & performance. Influenced by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Bon Iver and inspired by the quest for freedom and the contrast between reality and dreams; Abbott composes songs on guitar that display poetic and thought provoking lyrical content and a haunting, soulful and soaring vocal delivery. Abbott’s songs blend contemporary subject matter with classic folk songwriting to create something truly unique & captivating.

Abbott began busking at the age of 16 and gigging in working mens clubs in Coventry and the West Midlands. After moving to the seaside town of Brighton, she started to play local shows and small festivals regularly, where she met and began touring with a band throughout Europe in 2010. This set alight her love of travelling which she pursued alone a year later, busking throughout Spain, living out of a rucksack and camping out. Later her travels took her further afield to India, New Zealand and Australia where she busked and played shows along the way. Tales of Abbott’s travels and the people she’s met on the road have greatly influenced her writing. Her lyrics are inspired by observing the contrast between people’s dreams and their realities. The shortcuts we take in order to reach the highs we’re hungry for and the loneliness that comes from lost dreams and the pitfalls along the way that block you from achieving your potential.

Her highly anticipated single “Lullaby for Lucas” is a song about forgiveness and not being so quick to judge others. Written after a man named Lucas, who she met whilst walking the Camino de Santiago, Abbott felt compelled to tell his story of an opera singer turned nomad.  She explains, “Lucas was an opera singer in Vienna but had lost his voice and had taken to living a nomadic existence. We had a jam in a bar one night and he tried to sing but his voice just came out as this croak which brought him to tears.”

Recorded with the talented producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and friend; Jonathan Fletcher, “Lullaby for Lucas” glows with warm guitar melodies providing the backdrop for her delicate, ethereal vocals and storytelling lyricism. The minimalist arrangement allows for Abbott to demonstrate her ability to craft authentic music, creating a poignant and euphoric emotion. The songwriter confides, “I would hope in the moment the music may help someone to feel lighter in spirit. There’s so much beauty that exists inside our own minds and we can combat our daemons with it. I’m always dumb-struck by the transformative power of music.”

Abbott has performed up and down the country playing acoustic sets at festivals including Glastonbury, Rollright Fayre and Secret Garden Party and some of her personal highlights include playing in venues of great renown including Ronnie Scott’s & The Troubadour in London, as well as being invited to perform at the commemorative Nick Drake Gathering. Abbott is set to embark on a year of touring in 2021, showcasing her latest work with an array of releases lined up for the coming year. The cinematic and dreamlike “Lullaby for Lucas” is currently available worldwide.

Ray Dawg Records · Lullaby for Lucas - Katherine Abbott

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Mojo JNR - Miles Away.

Mojo JNR is the solo project of Josh David-Read (Singer and Songwriter for Cactus Haus). Writing more mellow folk and also bedroom pop inspired tracks.

About the Song - This was written at the beginning of the UK Covid-19 lockdown (although you’ll be pleased to hear the song is not about that specifically).

I wrote, played and recorded all the parts for Miles Away in a student bedroom with a terrific view over Swansea Bay, this helped set the scene for my mood and attitude and can easily be translated in the laid back approach to my musical style.

The music was inspired by my fascination with bands like Big Thief, Courtney Barnett and Phoebe Bridgers all of whom I am a massive fan. The lyrics were influenced by a book called Pan by Knut Hamsen.

Mojo JNR · Miles Away

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Spunsugar - Running Red Lights - Yard Arms - Eliot Bronson

Spunsugar share 'Happier Happyless' where the genre spanning band mix rich synth sounds with dream pop vocals and some natural rock. === Today Running Red Lights have released the new single 'Hollow' the band taking us in a different direction that they describe as 80's mock Gothic power pop, could not put it better myself! === Yard Arms are back with 'These Four Walls' and the Bristol based duo are on splendid form with this hook filled pop/rock song. === We were impressed by Eliot Bronson not that many weeks back and now he has released 'Empty Spaces' which is another refined singer songwriter track.
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Spunsugar - Happier Happyless.

Following on from the release of their breakthrough debut EP ‘Mouth Full Of You’ last year, a collection that cemented them as one of the finest emerging shoegaze outfits of the moment as well as garnering support from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6Music, Swedish trio Spunsugar now return with their latest dose of forlorn industrial electronics on ‘Happier Happyless’ through Adrian Recordings.

With a strong affinity for post-punk, noise-rock and dream-pop, this genre-bending new offering sees the group deliver one of their hardest and most impactful releases to date. With a Robyn-esque direction, filled with the atmospheric vocals of frontwoman Elin Ramsted, the group look to emulate the warm and driven sound of acts like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive with their pulsing aesthetic.

Speaking about their new single, the band said, "’Happier Happyless’ is a sour and sweet song, tackling subjects of pining, happiness and revenge. Having a fittingly slower pace than former Spunsugar singles, this song is also an homage to the shunned 2001 slasher movie Valentine, released a little too late in the post-Scream era. Written with the aim to have “a memorable hook, a thumping synth bass line and a gazey chorus” this is a good introduction to the bands debut album, because of the constant switching of emotional tonality."

‘Happier Happyless’ is set to become the band’s first taste of their long-awaited debut album ‘Drive-Through Chapel’, which is set to later this fall via Adrian Recordings.

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Running Red Lights - Hollow.

Toronto band, Running Red Lights, announces the release of the second single in their retirement ‘Sendoff Series’, 80’s mock-gothic power pop single, ‘Hollow’. The series marks the finale of a fifteen year career that includes a multitude of awards, notable performances, international tours, as well as some beautifully crafted music.

Fifteen years is no small commitment and the band wanted to honour those years with a proper good-bye. Though they played a farewell show to a sold out Toronto audience in November of 2019, RRL chief architects, Kevin Howley and Scarlett Flynn, have since been haunted by the ghosts of abandoned songs that currently exist only in the consciousness of an old hard-drive.

‘Unfortunately, after 15 years, RRL lost its vivacity and it was time to let it go’, Scarlett remarks, ‘however, there still remained the question of what to do with all the material that never made it to a release. There is nothing worse than banishing a song to its grave, having never given it a chance to live’. Therefore, in a single driven music economy, RRL is seizing one final opportunity to draw its final breath.

The second single in the sendoff series forms a shadowy coalition between indie rock and 80’s pop/darkwave. Hollow opens over minimalist swirls of ominous sounds evocative of a classic 80’s horror film soundtrack. Scarlett’s voice maintains a trancelike composure insinuating a feeling of creeping dread. The song seamlessly swells and mutates into a fast-packed mock gothic 1980’s pop/rock chorus with urgent, syncopated grooves and full-throttle gritty vocals. The alliance of mythological imagery with the twisted, hypnotic echoes of the synth hauntingly paint the spectral portrait of what remains of a scorned woman and her painfully vacant heart.

The single hollows out its own niche in the RRL ethos, distancing itself from the classic euphonic and organic RRL folk fare. It is the 80’s power-pop black sheep that will satisfy fans longing for nostalgic RRL circa 2008. The song and the official music video is set to premiere on YouTube and release to all major streaming platforms and digital stores, Friday June 5th.

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Yard Arms - These Four Walls.

The third EP 'Sanctuary Lines' from Bristol-based melancholic pop duo Yard Arms, is due for release June 26th. Described by frontman and lyricist Noah Villeneuve as "an exploration of combating nostalgia in the modern age", the EP is bursting with alt-indie hits and I'm really excited about this release.

Ahead of the EP, the second single 'These Four Walls', the isolation anthem they never knew they had written, is released today June 5th.

Initially the song was an avidly honest commentary of longing for the ‘honeymoon periods’ in life and dealing with our internal voices that keep us thinking the grass is always greener. The timely lyrical themes began to take on a whole new meaning as the world around us began to shut its doors due to the coronavirus.

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Eliot Bronson - Empty Spaces.

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Eliot Bronson, shares his new single “Empty Spaces”. The song is the title track from his album which is set to be released on July 24th via New Pain Records.

The song dives into the bittersweet depths of emotional experience with humility, honesty, grace, and sadness” fits perfectly into the tapestry of the album, which was written during a period of tumult — including the breakup of a 10-year relationship, the end of an engagement, and a move from his adopted home of Atlanta to his current headquarters in Nashville.  The collection is about loss, redemption, the places we leave, and the homes we make for ourselves. More importantly, it's an album about starting again and it’s Bronson's sharpest songwriting to date.

The project can be viewed as a concept album as Empty Space's unique punch is best  delivered on the title track where Bronson sings about coming to terms with the void left by his ex's departure. The song’s video illustrates this sentiment quite literally. It's a breakup song for realists — a song that neither wallows in its own misery nor celebrates a sense of newfound freedom. Bronson sings about the complicated feelings that exist somewhere between

Of the project the artist shares, "I began writing the kind of songs I needed to hear," he explains. "Empty Spaces was the best healing work I could've ever done. I had a weird, challenging childhood, and I originally turned to music because I didn't have anywhere else to go. I made my own little world that made me feel safe and understood. This time, I really needed to find that space again. I made this record for the same reason that I wrote my first song. It wasn't for anybody else; it was for me. Hearing the right words at the right moment can be the most magical elixir you can possibly take. It can heal you."

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