Dahlia Sleeps - Chris Tavener - J Nicolás

Dahlia Sleeps - Overflow (Album).

Two years in the making and almost 6 years since their debut single, producer/writer Luke Hester and singer/writer Lucy Hill bring a new weight sonically with their debut album Overflow, depicting a new kind of freedom for the duo – from managing and coming to terms with mental health problems to experiencing love in all its forms despite them.

With eclectic influences ranging from electronic acts including MOVEMENT, Autechre and Burial to the lyrically poetic works of Florence + the Machine, Radiohead and The National, Dahlia Sleeps shift seamlessly between genres; from dance to electronic to pop.

Across the album's track listing, Dahlia Sleeps have collaborated with Jacob Oak Welsh (drummer/producer from The Hics), cellist/bassist/guitarist/pianist Mat Roberts, and pianist Edward Cross.

Speaking more on the upcoming album, the band said: "The title Overflow was chosen because this is a record that features a lot of struggle, fight, bravery, will, hope, and ultimately, triumph." Early on in the writing process for the album Lucy battled a severe episode of mental ill-health, which strongly influenced the direction of the record. “What we have now is an album about entering the very depths of despair, those who hold us when we’re there, and climbing back out again”, Lucy said of the record.

Dahlia Sleeps · Overflow LP

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Chris Tavener - Right Back Again.

 'Right Back Again' is a heartfelt ballad that refuses to sit quietly: with its piano-rock style, raw, impassioned vocals and a compelling chorus that swells with emotional poignancy. The lyrics grapple with love and loss; as mind over matter proves to be a futile exercise... The sincere emotion is perhaps the most surprising facet of this song from a singer-songwriter that is mostly known for satirical social commentary.

Tavener states that this song in fact came from personal experience: “This song came very naturally to me. I think a lot of people can relate to that feeling of losing someone, and trying to rush your recovery when your heart and mind are continually being taken back to memories shared with them”.

The minimal production by Aron Bicskey really allows the song and Tavener's vocals room to breath. The driving drums and upright piano make the track seem determined to move forward, while there's an emotional fragility put forward by the ethereal sounds and an almost Americana-feel to the sparingly-placed electric guitar.

The single is the second from Tavener's upcoming EP 'Easy Ways To Be Happy'. The ironic title seemingly commenting on society's increasing fixation towards a quest for happiness. The new pop-rock, five-song EP will be released in the middle of this year. Jangly-guitar rock and a biting sense of humour meet in the satirical stylings of Chris Tavener. A deft lyricist with an acerbic wit, Tavener writes his storytelling songs from the perspective of flawed characters that he draws from 21st century life.

His cynical social commentary, dressed in punchy, uplifting pop-rock and acoustic ballads has won him acclaim from BBC 6 Music and multiple BBC Introducing stations. He's popular for his unique and theatrical live performance that has seen him sharing the stage with Super Hans, Emily Capell, Tony Hadley, and Peter Hook of Joy Division, whilst also writing songs for the likes of Sir Ian McKellen

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J Nicolás - Lost + Found.

Folk singer-songwriter J. Nicolás has released his latest single, "Lost + Found." The new track reflects on a love he feels is being lost and ponders the possibilities for revival. “Lost + Found” is being released alongside a studio performance music video, which can be viewed on YouTube. The single is available to be streamed on digital music platforms worldwide.

With a combination of picturesque lyricism, layered guitars, and raspy, inviting vocals, J Nicolás skillfully tells the story of losing a love and longing to rediscover it. Nicolás took inspiration from his life, past dreams, and memories to create a compelling song about finding something to hold on to in trying times. "’Lost + Found' was inspired by a couple of things: I've had this recurring dream since childhood, where I fall into a dark hole and encounter a witch," Nicolás explains. "It's a tribute to someone who has helped me find myself & encouraged me to be vulnerable as a means of finding my way out of that hole — often just by merely being in their presence." The accompanying music video displays Nicolás performing his newest track live in an intimate and warm setting. Nicolás produced and mixed the track at The Hallowed Halls & Mission Mountain Recording Co. with Allen Hunter on bass, and Joe Mengis on drums. “Lost + Found” was mastered by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.

J Nicolás has been involved in the indie rock scene for over 20 years, and only recently began his solo career in the folk area, gaining a fanbase in both genres. He has toured all over the U.S. and has played internationally with a copious amount of musicians. Nicolás' first album Wild Oak was released at the end of 2021; with 10-tracks, he dives into his journey of self-discovery and uses poetic lyricism to make a mark on the folk genre. His upcoming sophomore album, A Rosary of Bone, will further tell his story of introspection and focuses more on his darker times, leading to his ability to overcome hardship. "Lost + Found" is a message about finding hope even when there is none to be found.

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Strange Neighbors - Pet Deaths - Alison Sudol - Oceanator

Strange Neighbors - Window Watching.

Strange Neighbors first unleashed their jangly power pop onto the New York scene in 2018. Founded by vocalist Aidan and drummer Tracey, they soon brought guitarist Zach into the mix through a Facebook ad. It remains one of the three all-time positive outcomes of social media. 

Their new single and video for "Window Watching," is a nostalgic and vibrant track with Indie vibes steadily laced throughout. The video shows the true essence and nature of the band which further brings the song to life.

After a few early singles and some lineup changes, the band brought along bassist Dana to record their debut album “How to Human” in early 2019. Taking influence from the power pop and pop punk of the band’s youth, the album’s eight songs are characterized by sparkling guitars, intricate bass lines, rock solid beats and impassioned vocals, a mix of the old and new.

The band followed up with the “Illuminasti” EP in 2020 and marked their live comeback as a live act with the single "Mystic Piers" in July of 2021. They have continued recording, writing and performing into 2022. Since their formation, Strange Neighbors have played at popular New York City haunts like Piano’s, The Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery, Mercury Lounge, Knitting Factory, and more.

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Pet Deaths - Swingtime.

London based duo Pet Deaths have announced their second album unhappy ending - out 27th May via Silver Mind Records and release new single "swingtime" alongside a stark, surrealist black and white short film. The announcement follows the band's widely acclaimed debut album To the Top of the Hill and Roll... - released in 2019, described by Huw Stephens as “beautiful, understated and special” - noting it as one of his favourite albums of the year.

Inspired, musically, by the spiritual moments of Alice Coltrane, the freeness of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew with a sprinkling of Talk Talk’s Spirit Of Eden in its colourful unravelling, unhappy ending is an enveloping experience, touching upon universal themes but all shone through the lens of lyricist and vocalist Liam Karima’s signature perspective.

Swirling new single "swingtime" showcases the Pet Deaths' ability to juxtapose this deep dive of discovery with the brightness of the music. A beautiful five minutes, the song feels like a daydream, a memory you can’t quite get a hold of - “Hindsight is true fuckery, it’s our last waltz, and curtains for you and me baby,” Liam sings – while the music paints an almost psychedelic journey, the layering of the instrumentation indicative of the band’s desire to push these songs to their most colourful form.

Speaking on the release of "swingtime", vocalist Liam Karima said: "It’s a bite in the cheek song about irony at its bitter finest, protecting that loved one from the rogues and strapping in for the bumpy ride. When we suddenly see the sun through the clouds and it gets snatched away by a rain cloud; when we buy the milk and it’s sour; just when you think things are about to get better, D:REAM write a song about it - we go back to swingtimes."

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Photo - Federico Nessi

Alison Sudol - Peaches.

American singer-songwriter and actress Alison Sudol shares intimate new single ‘Peaches'. Released ahead of her upcoming support dates with Goldfrapp at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 April, and a day before the UK release of ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore’, in which Alison reprises her role as Queenie Goldstein, ‘Peaches’ is the first single taken from Alison forthcoming album due later in the year.

Delivered with bare-bones songwriting, hushed vocals, ‘Peaches’ is a deeply personal paean to motherhood. The intricate, yet delicate arrangement - built through sparse guitars, drums, bass and synths - is skilfully constructed around Alison’s vocal harmonies, which carry her autobiographical tales with mature delivery and poetic undertones. The single gives us a first glimpse into Alison's upcoming album, which she wrote, co-produced and recorded with London based multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer Chris Hyson, who is also half of adventurous collective Snowpoet in Wales at Giant Wafer Studios, during Summer 2020.

“We came up with the foundation of ‘Peaches’ in the studio in Wales, sitting in the sun during an insane heat wave, looking out over sheep fields,” says Alison. Opening about the inspiration behind the track, she unveils; “the framework of the song came almost immediately but the words were slow. Several months later, with a nearly finished record, ‘Peaches’ still had no lyrics. My partner and I were talking about trying again for a child after our loss. I kept dreaming of this little baby girl. The dreams were so vivid, so real it was like she was right there, but I had no idea if I could bring a child into the world. The dreams made me long for her so much it was dizzying, but painful too, knowing it might never happen. The lyrics finally came. Three weeks later our daughter was conceived”.

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Oceanator - The Last Summer.

Brooklyn artist Oceanator recently announced her sophomore album Nothing's Ever Fine, co-produced by Bartees Strange, due out tomorrow, April 8th via Big Scary Monsters / Polyvinyl. Today, she shares new track 'The Last Summer', with an accompanying video directed by Baby Pony Food. Talking about the video, Baby Pony Food said: "The Last Summer’s lyrics evoke aimless youthful nights in DC, aimless youthful nights that we lived alongside Elise, so we tried to channel those memories and that energy as much as possible. We thought of this video as a love letter to Washington, DC and tried to cram in as many of our favourite places in the city as possible.:

"The cars break. Everything goes slow motion. There’s disaster and fire,” foretells Elise Okusami, describing her cinematic vision of the end of the world. Apocalypse is a subject she mined in acute detail and to critical acclaim on 2020’s Things I Never Said, her debut full-length as Oceanator. But in her most recent cataclysmic telling, she keeps the camera focused on the people who survive and need to keep on living. A couple escapes the wreckage in a classic pickup truck, their dog riding in the back. They find a new home in the woods and consider how to start over. “It could either be hopeful or negative,” Okusami explains of the tale’s ambiguous ending. “You’re either walking off into a nice sunset or going off into a black hole. For me, it depends on the mood; it can be both ways.

Those speculative vignettes inspired polymathic Okusami to begin writing a short film—one she ultimately scrapped in favour of putting those themes to music. These vividly imagined scenes comprise the sunrise-to-sunset arc of her resplendent new record Nothing’s Ever Fine, the first Oceanator has recorded for Big Scary Monsters/ Polyvinyl and the already-shredding project’s heaviest collection yet. This narrative of doom and hope told over the span of a single day is reinforced by a thrice-recurring leitmotif—appearing on the tracks “Morning,” “Post Meridian,” and “Evening”—composed on Okusami’s newly beloved Reverend baritone guitar. 

She used it to write several of the songs’ knottiest riffs, lending a gut-punching low register (perhaps indebted to her past experiences playing in thrash and hardcore bands). But like on previous Oceanator recordings, Okusami’s characteristic ease with bright hooks still shines, and the wide-ranging influences of ‘80s power pop, ‘90s melodic punk, Americana, film scores and Civil Rights-era vocal groups lend textured complexity to the collection. Okusami uses these sounds to explore anxious nightmares, nostalgia for late night adventure, the fog of depression, climate catastrophe and cautious optimism for the future. It’s material ripe for an end-of-days flick, sure; but it’s also the reality of living with the noise in your own brain in America’s 2020s.

Many Voices Speak - Susan Cattaneo - Jesse D'Kora - Georgia State Line - The Deslondes - Nice Vice

Photo - Julia Mard

Many Voices Speak - Nothing's Gone.

Swedish artist Many Voices Speak has announced her second album 'Gestures' will be out on 29th April via Strangers Candy. Having released two previous singles 'Seat for Sadness' and 'Within Reach', she has now shared new track 'Nothing is Gone'. She explains: "Nothing’s Gone is about coping with the physical presence of something that is no longer there."

Many Voices Speak, the project of Swedish musician Matilda Mård, has always found its power in its ability to capture an eternity in an expression. Mård’s elegant, yearning dream-pop makes the world seem to slow down around it, where time stretches out, and you can get lost in the deep pools of memory and emotion. After the success of her 2018 debut 'Tank Town,' her new album 'Gestures' showcases her growth as a songwriter, one more comfortable in her own skin.

Working with longtime producer Petter Nygårdh, the writing process, and how Mård thinks about it, grew into something new on 'Gestures'. She wrote the early versions of the songs on piano, as she always has. But before, she thought as a singer-songwriter, determined to make the songs stand up on their own, in their stripped-back version. Here, she wrote them merely as beginnings, aware of the possibility to evolve them into something more. “I want to capture these things that I can’t really put my finger on”, says Mård. “The lyrics have become more important for me. I’ve put a lot of trust in the text this time. I could explore this darker and more cinematic sound, I didn’t just think about writing a pop song”. That step made for an album that presents a more mature, developed vision of Many Voices Speak.

As well as an artist, the album has seen Mård grow as a person through writing it. Each song represents an issue she has struggled with - they tell a story of unspectacular, but deeply meaningful, transformation. Mård says “What unites the songs is a need for inner change, to handle the things in life that can’t be changed. I’m creating strategies for myself - new ways of thinking, so I can live with certain things. The title comes from that. I’ve figured out that gestures are important because they’re proof of love, and that’s the only power we have against death and separation”. It’s a theme that’s very personal to Mård, but one that resonates with a lot of people – something that could be said about Many Voices Speak itself. The stargazing mood of Gestures makes for an album that’s powerfully moving, one that creates a space apart from the noise of the world around it – a little retreat for Mård, and her listeners, to call their own.

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Susan Cattaneo - Borrowed Blue.

Boston award-winning, songwriting boss Susan Cattaneo has shared "Borrowed Blue," from her forthcoming LP, All Is Quiet, which is also released today.

This spare, beautiful track tackles the complicated relationships we, as women, have with our mothers and our daughters - "What do we, as women, inherit and what do we pass on? What roles do we play and what sacrifices do we make?" Susan asks. "I am the daughter of a mother in her nineties and the mother of a teenage daughter, and I wanted to explore these themes and show how sometimes we are caught between what we’ve been taught and being our true selves."

The most powerful voice in the room isn't always the loudest one.  On her new album, All is Quiet, Susan Cattaneo sings softly and carries a big song. Nine big songs, actually. Recorded remotely during the initial months of the pandemic, All is Quiet reflects Susan’s heartache for the world, but also reveals how she rediscovered joy and resiliency through music. 

It’s been an extraordinary and challenging time to be a musician and creative person in the world. For many artists and musicians including Susan, those first few months of the pandemic were filled with uncertainty and fear. When the quarantine shut everything down, opportunities were cancelled, collaborations were scrapped and most importantly, momentum was lost. For the first time in her life, Susan felt creatively muted. All is Quiet was the project that helped her process these feelings and in making this album, she found the joy and redemption that only music can bring.

 

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Jesse D'Kora - Dont fool with a phantom.

Jesse D’Kora is an indie/dream pop artist based in Salford (UK). His new song - ‘dont fool with a phantom’ - is his 4th single in as many months. Continuing on the one release per month plan for 2022, this latest track is fun, nostalgic, and crammed full of great vibes.

Jesse tells us "I wanted to make a song that made me feel like I was back in the 90s watching cartoons again. Inspired by those early mornings as a child in front of the tv with some sort of ridiculously unhealthy and tasty cereal, the title of this track is taken from an original classic Scooby Doo episode. Looking back I find the idea of chasing and unmasking the bad guys for them to only turn out to be someone you know and don’t expect strangely paralleltek in adult life. Specifically with the new age anonymity that the internet brings, I decided this song is for the trolls. So any internet trolls out there, this ones for you! ;)"

He continues "Musically it's similar to many of my other tracks; it's got the jangling guitars, surfing drums, washed out vocals and to the point structure. On its own, I think it's a track that wants to chase you down a hallway lined with doors, for you to go in one door and come out of another and the chased become the chaser… or something like that!"

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Georgia State Line - Jackson.

Georgia State Line has been on a hot streak since the release of the highly acclaimed and ARIA charting album, ‘In Colour’, released through Cheatin’ Heart Records/Spunk Records.

As one of the most talked about Americana acts in Australia thanks to the refreshingly honest, yet melancholy sounds, that are even parts heartsick and hopeful, Georgia State Line takes the third single from the album to Australian radio, ‘Jackson’.

According to Georgia Delves, ‘Jackson’, is a track inspired by the comfort found in an old worn song.

“Just like good friends, they’re there for us in the best and worst of times, softening the blows and making us all feel a little less alone”.

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Photo by Bobbi Wernig

The Deslondes - South Dakota Wild One.

The Deslondes are set to return with Ways & Means July 8th, 2022 via New West Records. The 14-song set is their first album in five years and follows 2017’s critically acclaimed Hurry Home. Ways & Means was produced by The Deslondes & their longtime collaborator Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes) and was recorded at The Bombshelter in Nashville, TN. The album features Margo Price on the title track, as well as Twain and the multi-instrumentalist Billy Contreras on multiple songs as well. 

Long combining elements of early Stax, Sun, and Atlantic Records with the influence of a more raw, stripped-down sound gleaned off field recordings from Alan Lomax and the Mississippi Records catalog, the band also incorporate psychedelic flourishes that bring to mind the sonic experimentation of Joe Meek, Lee Hazlewood and the Velvet Underground. Infusing everything from saxophone, flute, and synth to string arrangements and a full drum kit for the first time, the group naturally progresses and evolves in real-time on their third full-length offering.

Lauded as “burgeoning stars” by The New York Times, The Deslondes’ 2014 self-titled debut was a breakout hit praised by NPR as “energized, elegant, and new,” and their follow-up, Hurry Home, earned similar acclaim with Rolling Stone calling it “a gritty, grimy mix of early rock ‘n’ roll and lo-fi R&B.” Following the band’s hiatus in late 2018, members Sam Doores and Riley Downing each released their debut solo albums to critical acclaim. PopMatters called Doores' eponymous debut “...a deeply poetic and haunting collection that draws upon the musicians’ disparate influences” and “Perhaps not since Los Lobos’ Kiko has an artist so effortlessly married avant-garde and everyman sensibilities, arriving at a place where childlike curiosity meets the fruits of patient practice and ambition. 

Deep knowledge and unbound imagination coexist peacefully, happily, throughout. Of Downing’s Start It Over (2021), Uncut Magazine in the U.K. called it a “dusty triumph” and described his voice  “...like Johnny Cash with a hangover,” exclaiming “His brain…is abuzz with sounds and ideas, which makes his solo debut a thrill.” The first sampling of Ways & Means is “South Dakota Wild One.”

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Nice Vice - No Ends.

Indie-rock trailblazer Nice Vice has just released his latest single, “No Ends.” The new song vividly shows his inspiration from ‘90s rock icons and features melodic guitars, heavy undertones, and honest, reflective lyricism. “No Ends” is now available to stream worldwide on digital music platforms.

“No Ends” conveys to listeners the range of talent of which Seth Horst, known musically as Nice Vice, is capable. Being in your twenties is an exhilarating yet confusing time, and “No Ends” displays the personal strife of having to figure that out. Horst explores how to set boundaries, learn and maybe unlearn life habits, and simply understand how to let things be in his newest single. 

“‘No Ends’ went through a lot of phases,” says Horst. “The chorus of this song was originally a slower verse from another track, but after some experimenting and switching things around, it somehow turned into this! It ended up being my favorite recording process of all the songs on the EP!” Similar to his previous release, “Bloom,” the new single was also mixed by Zak Van Zeumeren and mastered by Theodore Papadopoulos. Both songs have been a thrilling look into the upcoming EP from Nice Vice, which he has described as having two main themes. 

“Half of the tracks deal with different stages of being in love,” explains Horst. “Some good, some bad, and just the general feeling of new love and how great that can be and then also how bad it can be. The other theme is ego death: dealing with your own personality, breaking points, and becoming someone else.” The EP, entitled First Dose, will be released later this year.

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Fresh - Wildes - Dana Gavanski - Tragedy Ann

Fresh - Babyface.

London DIY punks Fresh have announced their forthcoming new album, ‘Raise Hell’, out 1st July on Specialist Subject. Alongside the announcement, they share lead single ‘Babyface’, a song written in early lockdown, “hence the ‘boredom’ refrain” says lead singer and songwriter Kathryn Woods (cheerbleederz, ME REX). “It’s a song about having a mind that’s both overstimulated and under-stimulated at the same time. The light, airy synths make it a cry for help masquerading as a pop song.” This is a sentiment that runs through much of ‘Raise Hell’ – the push and pull of conflicting emotions, wrestling with opposing personality traits, the tension between learning to self-love and yet wanting more.

Fresh have been an unwavering fixture within the UK punk scene since their first record in 2017. A joy to behold live, lead singer Kathryn Woods honed her craft not only fronting Fresh but as a member of several heralded indie and punk bands, including cheerbleederz and ME REX alongside Fresh bandmate Myles McCabe.

Their new album radiates with their signature mischievous British charm and flourishes of brilliant pop punk flair – though underestimate Fresh at your peril. ‘Raise Hell’ dares to dive deeper than most, delivering Woods’ darker moments and contemplative thought processes through the sharply focussed lens of upbeat indie punk.

Having shared another single from the album towards the end of last year, Fresh have shown no sign of slowing down; ‘Morgan and Joanne’ references the story of a blind date that went viral in 2019. “It’s about queer joy and queer visibility” says Woods. “I wrote Morgan & Joanne because I was so struck by the charm of Morgan and Joanne and how they turned what had the potential to be a typical first date into an adventure. The song is about the magic of meeting someone who you really fancy for the first time and kind of escaping into a different realm with them. I think popular media and historical narratives tend to make queer relationships tragic instead of focusing on all the joy and possibilities that they hold, so I wanted to put a song out there that’s sweet and funny and empowering to counter that a little bit.”

specialistsubject · FRESH - Babyface

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Wildes - Woman In Love.

London singer songwriter Wildes returns this week with her new single "Woman In Love". The new track is the first to be heard since her 2020 EP 'Let You Go' and debut EP 'Illuminate'. Sonically falling somewhere in a Bermuda Triangle of Angel Olsen, St Vincent and PJ Harvey, Wildes' music sits within an entrancing skeleton of folk songwriting, all the while lifting the listener up on a storm cloud of cinematic electronics and her sharp, honest lyricism. Wildes’ sound is one that never falls short of empowering, and new single "Woman In Love" is a biting first taste of her currently unannounced debut album, due for release later this year.

Produced by St Francis Hotel (Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz) - "Woman In Love is a song of anger," Wildes explains. "It's all about the facade presented by someone who isn't all that happy, and the rage that lies under the glassy exterior. I had put on a brave face for so long when I was in fact feeling underestimated, scared, manipulated, and cornered. I wanted to release that fury and fear in to a song and be honest for the first time about how I was feeling. The music was part inspired by artists who occupied my head at the time - PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, SASAMI. Unapologetically honest women and musicians. They gave me permission to come out of the box I'd been cowering in."

Wildes is the solo project of Ella Walker, a singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in London. “Come on and bare your teeth” urged Wildes on her soaring debut single "Bare". And bare she did, tenaciously carving out a path that saw her release 2 acclaimed EPs; ’Let You Go’ and ‘Illuminate’, which have over 60 million streams across platforms to date; firm radio support across BBC Radio 1, 2, and 6 Music, as well as Radio X, KCRW, and European stations 3FM, Flux and Radio Eins.

The viral success of Wildes grabbed the attention of Danger Mouse, who became her publisher, and led to over 20 notable syncs on US TV shows like Suits, Scream and The Royals. On top of UK tours supporting Isaac Gracie and Ardyn, Wildes' music has received widespread press support from outlets including Consequence, The Line Of Best Fit, Metro, Stereogum, Notion, Clash Magazine, DIY Magazine and more.

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Dana Gavanski - I Kiss The Night.

Taken from her forthcoming album When It Comes which is out on April 29 through Flemish Eye, Dana Gavanski has just shared the video for the opening track on the LP, "I Kiss The Night". The video, directed by Gaia Alari, is made up of 1,700 hand-drawn frames, around 12 drawings per second, creating a beautiful stop motion animation that fits the music perfectly.

“The nocturnal and lulling atmospheres evoked by Dana's song,” says Gaia, “had me design a video treatment that aims to represent a dreamscape, or, more precisely, the moment of drowsiness happening right before falling asleep. By entering the door of the liminal space between awake and asleep, the character erases the external world and enters within her brain, experiencing a maze made of layered visions, distorted perception of self, time and space, intrusive thoughts that range from playful-bizarre-uncanny sequences to reassuring memories, in the attempt to fall asleep and finally shut the door.”

Dana wrote the song whilst cat sitting alone in her friend’s apartment in Montreal: “It’s an ode to the night, learning to lean into its magic and the spookiness of solitude in a winter storm.” Yesterday Is Gone is the follow-up to her 2020 debut When It Comes. It was started in Montreal, ended in Belgrade, recorded back in London at Total Refreshment Centre, and then mixed by Mike Lindsay (Tunng, Lump).

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Tragedy Ann - The Shield.

Every note of The Shield urges you to surrender to the infectious sense of wonder evoked when driving North and West around Superior. Vivid storytelling pairs with rich strings to create sweeping vistas, with the listener in the passenger's seat; The Shield is as lush and dynamic as the locations it describes. The name of Stuart McLean is invoked, and is not done lightly: this new single by Tragedy Ann rings with a familiar awestruck love and gratitude for the landscapes that define travel in this part of the world.

With their upcoming album Heirlooms (May 6, 2022), Liv Cazzola and Braden Phelan issue a call for deeper connection with each other and with the natural world. The answer to this call is reflected both in the collaborative creation process and the meaningful ways in which Heirlooms will be shared. Setting these intentions rooted them and provided the insight needed to nourish the project and create something lasting.

"We want Heirlooms to encourage listeners to question their individual choices and reconsider the experiences of others in their communities, provoking critical thought rather than merely expressing our opinions. In order to encourage this in others, we must do so ourselves." Heirlooms is an opportunity to reconnect, share stories and learn.

The album is a follow up to their 2018 release Matches which garnered them two ‘Songs from the Heart’ songwriting awards (Folk Music Ontario), international critical acclaim, Canadian folk/roots radio charting, and syndication on CBC Radio and Stingray Music.

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