Echo Ladies - Nadine Khouri - Ashley Elle - Sunny Luwe

Echo Ladies - Awake.

Malmö, Sweden shoegaze/dreampop trio Echo Ladies are pleased to announce they have signed to Rama Lama Records/Gazehop Records and will release their second album Lillies on 8th September 2023. To celebrate the news, the band are streaming new single ‘Awake’ which was released on 1st June 2023.

Commenting on the track, the band say: “‘Awake’ is a song about the feeling of drifting apart from each other in a relationship. The feeling of being left behind and forgotten and how small of a person that makes you feel, hoping it’s all a bad dream and wishing to wake up again.”

Echo Ladies are Matilda Bogren, Mattis Andersson and Joar Andersén—three school-friends who, after playing together in a few different bands, realised that they worked best on their own. In 2014, after looking for “a name that represented our sound”, they became Echo Ladies, partly inspired by the name of the drum machine from another of their favourite bands, Echo & The Bunnymen (though their own drum machine, for now, remains nameless).

Following a quiet spell for the band while the rest of the world turned upside down, Echo Ladies are now proudly returning with their second album Lillies, recorded and mastered by Joakim Lindberg at Studio Sickan in Malmö, and following on from their acclaimed 2018 debut Pink Noise on Sonic Cathedral, which was one of Rough Trade’s albums of the year.

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Nadine Khouri - Song of a Caged Bird.

Originally penned as a lament on surveillance capitalism, “Song of a Caged Bird” took on new meaning for Khouri during the pandemic when the world outside fell away, replaced by a miasma of ceaseless 1s and 0s. 

Over walking-pace percussion and spaciously layered Mellotron and guitar, Khouri dreams beyond the digital walls, into an exploration of true freedom; the song becomes a conversation with a universe of possibilities – all the lives we could live, the songs we could sing, if we knew no one was watching.

Currently based between London and Marseille, Nadine Khouri is influenced by dream-pop, film soundtracks and poetry with a sound that has been described as “music born of perennial outsider-status.” Discovered by legendary producer John Parish (PJ Harvey) thanks to her singular voice, Khouri was invited to sing on his track “Baby’s Coming” and subsequently recorded her debut album with the producer in his hometown of Bristol.

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Ashley Elle - Heavy, Heavy, Heavy.

Emerging indie-pop artist Ashley Elle has released her latest single, “Heavy, Heavy, Heavy.” Mastering a level of connection that is seldom achieved through lyricism alone, “Heavy, Heavy, Heavy” is a melodically beautiful quest to find some relief from the overwhelming experience of anxiety and depression while navigating through life. Near and dear to her heart, Ashley Elle wrote “Heavy, Heavy, Heavy” when she “felt so much pressure and responsibility trying to deal with growing up and the challenges we face.” “Heavy, Heavy, Heavy” is now available to stream on digital music platforms worldwide.

“Heavy, Heavy, Heavy” was penned when Ashley Elle was moving back from living abroad in London and feeling overwhelmed by “struggling with the complexities of life.” Unguarded, comforting, and slightly haunting, the track urgently seeks relief from the overpowering experience of navigating life as a lost young adult.  With a catchy structure and repetition paired with a composition strongly reliant on guitar and piano, “Heavy, Heavy, Heavy” feels reliable, reflecting the stability that Ashley Elle yearns for. Perfecting a sound as alluring and authentic as the lyrics, Ashley Elle has an ornate ability to connect with her fans in an intimate way, asking them, “Do you know this feeling?” 

Expressing desperation for connection, she enables her audience to feel seen as well. With a sense of familiarity and intimacy, listeners cannot help but feel as though Ashley Elle is a close friend, inviting them to seek solace and confide in one another. The song goes beyond emotional expression and allows the listener to feel as though they are trying to navigate through these feelings alongside Ashley. “Heavy, Heavy, Heavy” was co-written and produced by Cazz Brindis and is the follow-up to her single “How Do You Stop Loving Someone?”

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Sunny Luwe - Summer Kisses.

Gold Coast-based (Kombumerri Country) First Nations artist Sunny Luwe, formerly known as Dani Teveluwe, returns to captivate listeners with her latest release, 'Summer Kisses.' Following the success of her synth-y summer dream 'Fly Like A Bird', Sunny Luwe embraces her authentic musical journey with this blissful indie-folk gem.

As a natural-born storyteller and Weilwan woman, Sunny Luwe effortlessly warms our winter with the sweetness of 'Summer Kisses'. The track showcases her remarkable vocal ability, blending lush vocal layers, sweet subtle harmonies, and an effortless delivery that dances between near spoken word and a heartwarming vocal style. Recorded in a home studio, this labor of love underwent a transformative process to capture the essence of the song's true sweetness.

Collaborating with Matt Collins of WHARVES, Sunny Luwe found the perfect musical partnership to bring 'Summer Kisses' to life. Their creative synergy is evident in the dreamy instrumentation and uplifting melodies that instantly transport listeners to sunny, blue-sky days. This upbeat and pleasant track invites you to stroll barefoot, bask in its warm and relaxing atmosphere, and immerse yourself in its lulling indie-folk charm.

In alignment with her commitment to the environment, Sunny Luwe has made her musical project carbon neutral through carbon offsetting. With a deep sense of gratitude, she calculated the carbon footprint generated by the entire single release and offset it by donating funds to Rainforest 4, a North Queensland Conservation project focused on protecting the Daintree Rainforest from deforestation and preserving our old-growth rainforests.

Gotts Street Park feat Pip Millett - Sabina Chantouria - Mirrorball - Annie Bartholomew

Gotts Street Park - 'Got To Be Good' feat. Pip Millett.

For new listeners and latecomers there has been no handier introduction to Leeds collective Gotts Street Park than their recent run of releases. Singles "Lost & Found" ft. Charlotte Dos Santos, "Summer Breeze" ft. Rosie Lowe and their 2021 four-track EP Diego are a musical suite of songs that drill into the nucleus of GSP.

Now focused on 2023, Gotts Street Park announce their highly anticipated debut album On The Inside released October 13 via Blue Flowers, alongside sharing new single "Got To Be Good". With their effortless blend of vintage soul meets alt-R&B, "Got To Be Good" is enlivened by Pip Millett’s raw and impassioned vocal. A union from its early notes that submerges listeners into another cinematic Gotts Street Park experience as Millett’s voice voyages over seamless grooves of reel-to-reel keys, guitars and snares.

Talking about their union and new single, Gotts Street Park describe “Got To Be Good, came together pretty fast. Whenever we’ve been in the room with Pip, it’s pretty free and fruitful. When a song comes together like this, we don’t overthink it or alter the final take too much and just hope to have the same energy come through to the listener as we felt in the room creating it.”

Commenting further on the single’s lyrics, Millett says “Got To Be Good is about pulling yourself out of the darkness. You have to really want for a change in order to pull away from that sadness, and that’s what I was writing about.” "Got To Be Good" arrives alongside a video which acts as the song's aesthetic anchor depicting the universal feelings of isolation and unwanted solitude, directed by Harvey Pearson.

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Sabina Chantouria - Echoes.

Sabina Chantouria's sound is as eclectic as her Georgian-Swedish roots. With her velvet voice and rhythmic guitar, she’ll take you on a journey that evokes emotion and leaves you breathless. A 2017 Georgian National finalist for Eurovision, she has performed at numerous festivals and live on television and radio, working with music producers worldwide.

The single pulls us into a rich soundscape with Rock, Pop and Americana influences along with powerful heartfelt melodies and lyrics. Sabina says ''We all carry memories of someone close to us that has left a huge impact in our lives. 'Echoes' is a song about time, and memories that awake bittersweet feelings.''

The single was recorded by California based music producer Dave Jenkins (who also provides harmonies and keyboard), with world-renowned musicians like Kenny Aronoff on drums (John Fogerty, Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson m f.l), Doug Pettibone on slide guitar (Lucinda Williams, Marianne Faithful m f.l) and Jorgen Carlsson on bass (Gov't Mule).

Music Elevator PR · Sabina Chantouria - Echoes

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Mirrorball - Red Hot Dust.

Mirrorball, the dreamy LA pop duo consisting of singer/songwriter Alexandra Johnstone and multi-instrumentalist and composer Scott Watson, announces the drop of their second single "Red Hot Dust" from the upcoming debut EP, produced by Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

Mirrorball is the brainchild of Johnstone and Watson, both veterans of the LA indie scene. Following a successful debut in 2019 with two dream pop songs on Dangerbird Records, the duo caught the attention of acclaimed producer Chris Coady, meeting him at Sunset Sound to discuss their next recording. Over the next few months, they formed a special bond with Coady resulting in the upcoming EP, showcasing a unique blend of dreamy, nostalgic pop.

Johnstone states that “Red Hot Dust ” was written "during difficult times as a way of forcing some light to the surface, and because I wanted to feel like I could go home again at a time when I could not physically go home.”

“Red Hot Dust” evokes a hazy, distant past. It’s driving down the LA freeway with the top-down, molten lava flowing where the asphalt used to be. It’s being trapped in a crystal ball in the middle of a desert. The sun is beating down and time is standing still.

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Annie Bartholomew - Mountain Dove Song.

After nearly a decade of performing in Alaska’s rowdy bar scene, Juneau folksinger Annie Bartholomew became haunted by the stories of sex workers during the 19th century after touring the brothel museum at Skagway’s Red Onion Saloon. This week, Bartholomew shared the new single "Mountain Dove Song” from her debut album Sisters of White Chapel.

After conversations with her friend, Arkansas songwriter Willi Carlisle, the scope of the project came to include a play and stage show. The result is her debut album Sisters of White Chapel, out June 16. The music accompanies a play that she wrote Sisters of White Chapel: A Short But True Story, which premiered to acclaim in Bartholomew’s hometown of Juneau.

The close-sung “Mountain Dove Song” addresses the secrecy that these women needed to have to move on with their lives after sex work. Of the song, Bartholomew recounts, "I was inspired by many stories of women, but especially Maude Parrish who brought her banjo to the Yukon at 19, escaping a bad marriage in San Francisco. Maude’s roommate was a Dawson City sexworker, and I tried to imagine the life of her cabin mate in this piece. It was composed during my 2019 artist residency in the Yukon where I did most of my woodshedding in a timber frame cabin in Ship Yard’s Park on the Yukon River."

In contrast to the art created for tourists, Annie envisioned a musical work that would share these omissions of Alaska’s mining past, and embody the stories of women in Victorian-era Alaska. Through archival materials, personal history, and Alaska’s stringband traditions, Bartholomew brings these women to life, extracting the emotional truth of who they were, why they risked everything to follow a gold rush, and their subsequent journeys and misadventures along the way.

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Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos - Morning Tourist - The Roadside Bandits Project

Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos - Once And For All.

World-renowned goth trio Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos (Costa Rica) have shared ‘Once and For All’  the second video-single from their latest album, FRACTALS. The new album is the band’s sixth full-length studio album, amidst a string of releases tracing back to their inception one decade ago.

Asked about the new single, bandleader Ariel Maniki says:“…‘Once and For All’ is a difficult song to explain. But I can tell you that there was a long writing process behind it, so the ideas, inspirations, and meanings that went into it changed and grew over that time. It started as a song in Spanish, and was initially written from a very dark and personal place, hence the remaining Spanish chorus: “Hiéreme de Muerte (wound me to death)”. But I changed the other lyrics and music many times, to a point where it’s now difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is about. It touches on themes of loneliness, abandonment, and depression… wanting it all to end, and wanting to escape… being sick and tired of liars and fake people… just generally growing tired of everything.”

Both the song’s chorus en Español and Maniki’s rapidly strummed acoustic guitars can be traced in part to a family background growing up around classical Spanish guitar players in Costa Rica. Fans of post-punk, darkwave, and early goth will also hear nods to the late, great John McGeoch’s guitar work for Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Spellbound’, and the fluttering jangle of Frank Weyzig and Ronny Moorings on early Clan of Xymox records. Lines can also be drawn to the iconic Daniel Ash of Bauhaus on ‘The Passion of Lovers’ and ‘Slice of Life’, or the Flamenco-flavoured classical guitar of Robert Smith and Pearl (née Porl) Thompson for The Cure’s ‘The Blood’.

 
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Morning Tourist - Honey.

Blending nostalgic ‘90s childhood animations with sharp cultural commentary on the state of the world today, the new video for “Honey” was made by Sam Brentnall and sees a cartoon version of Sean McKinney (aka Morning Tourist) take a leading role.

Speaking of the new video, McKinney explains: “The song kind of explores arrested development in the face of adult responsibility, so it seemed a fitting idea that we went with a Saturday morning cartoon-style animation with me as a child. We not-so-subtly had toys resemble contemporary cultural figures and symbols that proceed to freak out and anger my young avatar.”

Depicting the likes of Boris Johnson, Kim Kardashian and Joe Biden amongst a sea of nostalgic childhood toys, the video also takes subtle aim at social media and commercial giants like Amazon through its troublesome and twisted take on dystopia. Morning Tourist adds: “I think [the video] does a great job of portraying the chaotic and duplicitous nature of modern culture and politics, and the way that can drive people’s emotions. Sam did amazing work with the idea and I can’t wait for people to see it.”

A staple in Morning Tourist’s live set and a firm favourite for the band to play at shows, “Honey” is a laid-back alternative-folk track seasoned with sweet harmonies and swelling acoustic guitars ripe for the season. However, gaze through the track’s golden veneer and you’ll find a track that smarts with the sting of dejection and resignation that can consume even the best of us when the world gets too much.

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The Roadside Bandits Project - Nothing.

Following the release earlier this year of their single Down Down, as featured on BBC Introducing & Amazing Radio’s Roots & Indie playlists, The Roadside Bandits Project release NOTHiNG – the second single from their upcoming sophomore album The Siberian Candidate. 

This time with Gang of Four’s John Sterry on vocals (and co-writer of the track), NOTHiNG, with its dark and atmospheric opening verse, tells a story of need, asking for help and the resultant stress and mental health issues that can arise from such a situation. “When I said I had nothing, are you gonna catch me when I fall” sings Sterry as the group’s main-man, London based Spanish Canarian Santi Arribas creates a blues infused sonic landscape through his tastefully understated guitar playing.

Arribas explains his inspiration behind the track as follows: “I wrote it in a minor blues format to establish a sad and soulful tone over which John & I laid the lyrics. It’s about the cost of living crisis and plays off the UK Prime Minister’s comment about the country needing more people to learn maths”.

The Roadside Bandits Project is the brainchild of Santi Arribas whose career in music has spanned record production and mixing, through to club / venue sound design for the world-famous Ministry of Sound and more. His creative influences include classic guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson and BB King, as well as the blues and psychedelia genres as a whole. On the visual front, Arribas cites realist Edward Hopper’s 1920’s urban themed paintings as a point of inspiration for some of his output but also has a love for the output of Dutch photographer / film director Anton Corbijn.

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Juniper Honey - Ivan Moult - Kassi Valazza

Juniper Honey - Looking at You.

Born out of an all-too-common tale, Juniper Honey’s brand new single “Looking At You” details a story of unfulfilled potential and opportunities squandered. With an upbeat vibe and colorful lyrics, the indie rock band describes the experience of falling in love with a stranger you see out in public and never gaining the courage to approach them. Haunted by this lost chance at love, the track feels painstakingly relatable to those who have experienced a similar struggle. “Looking At You” is streaming now on digital platforms worldwide.

Written with the pieces of a story in mind, Juniper Honey describes the feeling of longing for a person they have never met. “Looking At You” perfectly articulates how these lost connections can stick out in one’s mind for much longer than anticipated. In an artful fusion of silky vocals, enchanting guitar riffs, and energetic drums, the track feels almost dreamy, depicting a romanticized recount of this stranger that the artist has painted in their head. “This one was really fun to work on in the studio,” lead vocalist Jake Hesse claims. “I can perfectly remember us jamming to this one as we were creating it and just being thrilled with what we were hearing.” With the help of producer Stefan Mac (Wallows, Young the Giant), “Looking At You,” alongside Juniper Honey’s other releases, is just as vivid in its storytelling as it is relatable in its subject matter.

While Juniper Honey’s origins can be found in Southern California, they have recently established new roots in San Luis Obispo. Kicking off in 2020, original members Jake Hesse (lead vocalist and guitarist) and Donovan Hess (drums) began their journey by playing gigs across Southern California and up the central coast with their previous band. In 2022, the pair joined forces with guitarist Cason LeSueur and bassist Josh West to officially form the alternative rock foursome that they are today. In the short time span of their career, Juniper Honey’s sound has developed into something unique to their craft. Dynamic, emotionally charged, and vibrant, they balance whimsical, hazy indie, and bombastic, vintage rock. They touch on themes that hit home with younger generations, such as the growing pains of coming-of-age, romance and heartbreak, and other eclectic ideas. Their music has been praised by Grimy Goods, The Luna Collective and Wolf in a Suit.

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Ivan Moult - Songs From Severn Grove (Album).

Indie folk singer-songwriter, Ivan Moult, releases his third album 'Songs From Severn Grove' via Welsh record label, Bubblewrap Records. The Cardiff-based artist has received support from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales and Folk Radio UK, with over 100k plays on Soundcloud. His 2018 album Longest Shadow earned him festival slots at Cornbury Festival, Festival of Voice and Swn, as well as support slots with This Is The Kit, Becca Mancari, and Willy Mason.

This new album showcases Ivan's versatility as he wrote, played, recorded and mixed all the songs at his home studio in Cardiff, with mastering polished off by Charlie Francis (REM, Robyn Hitchcock, Adwaith). Songs From Severn Grove chronicles Ivan's journey of growth, beginning in lockdown during the 2020 pandemic, and continuing through the challenges and joys of becoming a father.

His signature sound, combining 1960s/70s folk and blues with a contemporary touch, is on full display as he showcases his strongest work yet. Influenced by artists like J.J. Cale, Nina Simone, and Tim Buckley, Ivan's original and unique voice is at the centre of the soundscape, layered with harmonies and delay-soaked electric guitars.

Ivan Moult · Songs From Severn Grove

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Kassi Valazza - Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing (Album).

Portland, Oregon-based artist Kassi Valazza’s second full-length, Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing, is out now via Loose (The Handsome Family, Margo Cilker). Valazza's first album on Loose, Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing is a spellbinding collection of songs, calling to mind greats like Sandy Denny and Karen Dalton and follows her brilliant self-released 2019 debut Dear Dead Days.

Of recording the acclaimed 10-song set, Valazza offers, "On this album, everything was recorded live, all the vocals and instrumentation. We recorded in a room together with [fellow Portland-based band] TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, who hadn't heard any of the songs before we went into the studio. You're rarely going to find a songwriter that writes and composes every single song; it's a combination of people working things out together, of what I want and what the band hears. When people don't know the songs, it’s a lot looser and more magic can happen. You don't overthink it.”

News of the record arrived earlier this year with lead single “Watching Planes Go By” as the opening track on UNCUT’s Sounds of the New West Vol 6 disc, which sees Valazza leading a list of breakout roots acts including Allison Russell, Nikki Lane, Sunny War, Margo Cilker, Plains, and more. Within a curious and cosmic atmosphere of psychedelic folk-rock, Valazza reflects on the dangers of standing still in life, "Autumn leaves turn to yellow / and green turns to jealousy / Watching days go by."

The second single “Corners” sees fingerpicked acoustic guitar dancing with bounding bass and twinkling piano, as a gentle backing choir flows behind Valazza like a stream through a lonesome vista. “The clouds move slower than they ever seemed to / Still, they find a way to pass me by,” she sings on her breezy lament about the longing that comes with an unhealthy love, “My friends, though, they wonder what I’m used to / To love a man who never treats me right.”

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