Zanna Black - Smoke and Mirrors Sound System - Remy Garrison - The Names - The Inciters

Zanna Black - This Town.

With melancholic guitar and the loveliest vocals, Zanna Black lets out into the world her latest single, ‘This Town’ and its wistful music video on February 7th.

Zanna Black as a solo act has been sharing her tenacious tunes with the world since 2022, but she’s been active in the musical space for years, touring with her various bands around Brisbane where they rule live venues. Her sweet tone and dreamy songwriting has led to her music being used in TV and movies, with 'Down To The Waterside' used in the Canadian TV series ‘Hockey Wives’ and the 2016 film ‘Burns Point’.

Her latest single, ‘This Town’ is nothing short of magical, a wistful indie afternoon. The song takes on layers reminiscent of singing in a round, echoing and mingling together in a summertime haze, Zanna Black’s sweet voice seeming angelic, her Australian accent playing wonderfully with her sweet voice to contribute a folksy serenity to the song. Weaving throughout the song is Zanna Black’s skillful, moody guitar that brings everything together like pieces of a puzzle.

The bittersweet music video captures the feeling of summer in a small town. Though the song is peaceful and tranquil, it’s tinged with sadness. A paper boat is carried around, contrasted against imagery of rolling waves until it’s finally set free on the water, barrelling down a brook as Zanna pilots the ship, her band playing behind her.

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Smoke and Mirrors Sound System - Return of the Numbers (Album).

Here it is! The follow-up to one of the most exciting releases in the ska/reggae scene over the last 5 years, 2021’s Strength in Numbers by the powerhouse all-star musical collective Smoke and Mirrors Sound System! Return of the Numbers features bandleader and ska scene legend John Roy of the long-running San Diego, CA, band Unsteady, bringing us a strong collection of 10 tunes. And like in Strength, he has scoured the ska, reggae, and rocksteady scene worldwide to assemble a mind-blowing roster of talent.

Forty-eight (!!!) different musicians make up the rotating lineup of this project. Live favorites include Roy’s longtime Unsteady bandmates Kevin Hewitt on the Hammond organ and Doug Shaffer on trumpet, as well as Mobtown’s bassie Jeffrey Govan. From East Coast players like Agent Jay Nugent (Slackers) and Buford O’Sullivan (Scofflaws, Skatalites, Easy Star Allstars), to West Coast musicians like Fritz Zar (Steady 45s), Korey Horn (Aggrolites, Gogol Bordello), Robert Sotelo (Allentons, Arise Roots), and Roger Rivas (Aggrolites), and even down to Brazil with the legendary Victor Rice of the Scofflaws and New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, as well as his own solo work. The guest list is truly staggering. Just take a look at these credits!

Return of the Numbers runs the gamut of traditional ska, rocksteady, early reggae, roots, and lovers rock, all with the soul that infuses the songs you remember from Unsteady and the previous Smoke and Mirrors releases. It’s all here, from the uptempo, scorching ska of album opener “Eight Hours a Day” to the reggae of “Gettin’ Through It” featuring a blistering trombone solo from Scott Kisinger! Side one closer “Mala Salud” even incorporates Latin flavor to their roots sound and features spaghetti western guitar from Brian Jordan, tenor sax virtuosity of Dave Hillyard (The Slackers), as well as accordion from Ali Culotta (Stop The Presses, Rude Girl Revue)—not an instrument commonly used in Jamaican roots music, but it all fits together so organically.

Side two opener, “Nothing to Lose,” is a beautiful roots reggae tune featuring East Coast ska legends Dunia Best (Agent 99, Rude Girl Revue) and Mark Lyn (The Slackers), as well as former Stubborn All-Stars bassist Sheldon Gregg and West Coast stalwarts like The Allentons' Chris Stoefen on trombone. The soulful reggae of “Scroll On By” is another highlight here, featuring a wonderful vocal performance by I-Peace Unikue (Eastern Standard Time) as well as guitars from Agent Jay Nugent (The Slackers) and Andrew Bauer (Steady Ups). Kelly DiFilippo (The Loving Paupers) sings the fantastic tune “Motive,” one of your humble narrator’s favorite tracks on the album. The hits just keep coming nonstop on this record.

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Remy Garrison - Delusional.

Country pop songstress Remy Garrison releases the official music video for her buzzing single "Delusional," Crafted alongside frequent co-writers Shane Yoder and Mark Siegel, "Delusional" delves into the familiar plight of romantic misadventures and the comedic yet fruitless efforts to fix a flawed partner. Known for her sharp songwriting and engaging narratives, Garrison transforms an everyday story of misguided affection into a relatable and spirited anthem.

Garrison describes the track's theme, saying, “For me, being a bit 'Delusional' in love feels universally relatable. It seems many of us, especially women, have found ourselves with the unmistakably wrong person yet stayed, thinking 'we could fix 'em, right?' This song is my tongue-in-cheek self-reflection.”
 
The release of the "Delusional" music video brings a visual dimension that perfectly captures the song's lively essence and emotional resonance, making it an essential addition to Garrison's burgeoning repertoire. The video serves as a vivid showcase of her evolving artistic identity and her ability to blend lyrical depth with infectious rhythms.
 
Garrison has been named an Artist To Watch by both Sweety High and LADYGUNN, signaling her rising status in the country music industry. Since her impactful debut with the EP “Southern Luxury” in 2023, which has accumulated over three million streams, Garrison's unique sound and authentic storytelling have captivated an ever-growing fanbase.

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The Names - Encore! (Album).

Who better than the legendary Belgian post-punk and new wave pioneers THE NAMES to release a new album titled “Encore!”? This much-anticipated album stands as a testament to their unbreakable commitment to an ever-evolving sound. Since 1977, they’ve stayed true to their unique, eclectic style, captivating fans across the globe who continuously clamor for more.
 
Emerging from the iconic Factory Records alongside JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER, THE NAMES have etched their place in music history. With a cult following and a sound that remains as invigorating as ever, “Encore!” continues their journey, offering a fresh milestone in their timeless discography.
 
Launched with the electrifying “Volume” EP and the bold “Far From the Factories” single, “Encore!” is a sonic tapestry where vintage echoes of the early ’80s meet explorations into futuristic soundscapes. Tracks like “Last Train From Nowhere,” “Touch Touch Touch,” and “Watching For The New World” carry the spirit of the 1980s, while “Sunny Side” and “Inadequacy” channel a nostalgic 1960s vibe. Unexpected gems like “Apophenia,” “Laudanum,” and “Swimming With Brian Jones” highlight their experimental side, while intimate tracks like “Mei Mei” and “A Walk With Miss J” bring moments of reflection. The title track “Encore!” feels like an anthem for the ages, echoing long after the last note.

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The Inciters - Bring Back the Weekend.

Santa Cruz's sensational soul stompers The Inciters are back with an exciting new release on Pirates Press Records! This time around, the band have a new recording of the title track from their acclaimed 2023 full length Bring Back the Weekend, backed with the combo putting their unmistakable stamp on Nolan Porter's 1972 Northern Soul classic, "If I Could Only Be Sure."

The single is available for pre-order now on 7” Colored Vinyl, and the band have just released the video for the A-side, directed by Matt Eskew of Generation X Ray! Click here to watch the video.

Not only that, this fabulous new single comes with a special edition 12-page full color comic book companion, with the lyrics to the A-side represented in vibrant illustrations courtesy of tattoo artist Gerald Stryker, in collaboration with The Inciters' Rick Kendrick!

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Denielle Bassels - Victoria Akua - Steph Cameron - Tobacco City - Bambara

Denielle Bassels - Songbird.

Canadian JUNO-nominated powerhouse vocalist Denielle Bassels releases a new single, "Songbird," a haunting and introspective ballad that explores the complexity of love, loss, and societal judgement. Releasing on February 7th, 2025, on all platforms, "Songbird" is the third offering from Bassels' forthcoming album It Goes Like This, and once again showcases her dynamic range as a singer and songwriter.

"Songbird" finds jazz/blues chanteuse extraordinaire Denielle Bassels crossing arbitrary genre boundaries with a gorgeous foray into a folk ballad with country vibes. In an astonishingly beautiful and tender vocal performance, Bassels tells the story of a seemingly joyful songbird by day who becomes a lonesome wolf by night. It encapsulates the emotional turmoil of losing a deeply troubled partner, and the burden of mourning in silence. The melodic turns and vocal harmonies from Bridgette Anderson are stunning; Drew Jurecka's string arrangement is heartbreaking; and Ewan Farncombe's brief organ solo is as engaging as it is subtle.

"'Songbird' tells the story of a relationship with a person whose struggles with addiction led to their untimely passing," says Bassels. "It's meant to evoke a quiet, profound sense of mourning – an unspoken grief that remains unsolved in the face of social stigma."

Denielle Bassels · SONGBIRD - DENIELLE BASSELS

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Photo - Camilla Vodstrup Øverup

Victoria Akua - Radical Self Love.

Released today 'Radical Self Love', is the second single of artist Victoria Akua from Copenhagen, Denmark. Victoria describes her music as a genre mix of indie pop, folky singer-songwriter and meditative music.

Victoria Akua on her new single: "Like leaves falling from the trees in autumn, I’m reminded of the natural cycles within us. Not all of them are easy, but each one is essential. Radical self-love means embracing every part of ourselves – not just the ones we find easy to love, but also the ones we believe are unlovable."

Victoria's music is based on her own journey, which began at a young age, searching for more balance and a deeper peace and understanding within herself. In a hectic world where it is so easy to be pulled in many directions, she wants to find ways to stay centered with an open heart in the hope that her music can support others on their own paths. The intention of the music is to have a nourishing, calming and healing effect. Music that comes from the heart and that reflects and creates inner peace, trust and self-love - and connects us. Her music is inspired by the rhythms and cycles of nature, healthy and nurturing connections between people and creating spaces for expression, creativity and loving energy. Through the simplicity of the music, the listener is invited directly into a calm cocoon where breathing becomes deeper and the mind can rest.

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Photo - Andrew Bromell

Steph Cameron - Rain.

Polaris Music Prize nominee Steph Cameron returns with "Rain", the first offering from her highly anticipated third studio album, ‘Blood Moon,’ out later this year via Neon Moon Records. Accompanied by a striking new music video, the single finds the Saskatoon-born artist expanding her sonic palette, weaving elements of indie Americana into her signature folk roots.

A hauntingly poetic ballad, “Rain” blurs the lines between longing and memory, its evocative lyrics carried by a melody as fleeting as the wind. Rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, the track showcases Cameron’s arresting lyricism and emotive vocal delivery, elevated by the skillful production and mixing of John Raham and engineering work by Mike Lefebvre. Cameron’s hands-on approach to the production ensures a sound that is both intimate and exquisitely polished.

“Rain is the first song I wrote in this genre—a significant departure from the sparse, revivalist folk music I’m known for,” Cameron shares. “This song allowed me to be playful with vocals and structure them in a more layered way than I have in previous recordings. Rain is about the dissipation of the soul and the search for those we’ve loved and lost. It reflects on connecting with those who have passed by finding them in the earth, the elements, and the natural world.”

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Photo - Hannah Bailey

Tobacco City - Bougainvillea.

There's plenty of country influence around these days, but few contemporary bands hit the sweet spot for me the way Tobacco City does. The wry humor, the mundanity and the heartbreak all in equal measure make them real torch bearers for classic country songwriting the way I've always loved it. Today we're sharing second and final single Bougainvillea, along with a beautiful video for it.

In Chris Coleslaw's words: “Bougainvillea is my favorite song on the album. It’s another nostalgia trip about the time in your younger years when you are free to be stupid and silly with very little consequence. Those days of excess were wild and illuminating but eventually times have to keep changing but the view from the heights of those times never changes.”

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Bambara - Letters From Sing Sing.

Bambara’s new single "Letters From Sing Sing" is out today! This classic Bambara rager drops with a video by Jason Miller featuring Wife Erath and the band. The video captures the grim madness of the track’s narrator, depicting a scene that fits neatly within Birthmarks’ intricate, multi-generational story arc.

Birthmarks (out 3/14) emerges directly from the band’s favored aesthetics and themes, but captures them with a new sense of sonic adventurousness and thematic subtlety, resulting in a collection of songs that are somehow both the band’s most apocalyptic and most poignant. Produced by Graham Sutton (Bark Psychosis, These New Puritans) and the band, Birthmarks is a wild, musically adventurous suite of songs that follows a host of lost characters caught in a cycle of love, violence and rebirth.

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Dumpstaphunk - Kacimi & Mécréance - Ellen & Simona - Steven Troch Band - Bandits on the Run

Dumpstaphunk - Let's Do It.

New Orleans’ modern torchbearers of funk, Dumpstaphunk returns to the fray with their new single “Let’s Do It” out now on all digital platforms. An infectious gumbo of collective empowerment, the song marks one of the band’s final recordings with late bassist Nick Daniels III and is Dumpstaphunk’s first studio release since his April 2024 passing.

Ivan Neville shares of the new single: “This song expresses the concept of 'We' is more powerful than 'Me.' If we combine our strengths, talents and ideas we can accomplish more. It’s also one of the last songs written and recorded with our brother and co-founder Nick Daniels III, who passed away last spring. As we celebrate his life with this song, we move into a new era of Dumpstaphunk so… Let’s do it!!”

“Let’s Do It” takes off with bright, percussive horns and sticky basslines that reel in the listener from the jump. Keyboardist Ivan Neville and bassist Tony Hall trade off lead vocals throughout the opening verses, followed by multi-harmony choruses that coalesce into a powerful groove. A third of the way in, the gospel-like voice of the late founding member and bassist Daniels proclaims “I’m good, together we’re great,” in a poignant moment for fans.

Other special guest vocalists include long-time friend and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco, and Dumpstaphunk’s newest addition Viveca Hawkins. Infectious horn arrangements by band members Alex Wasily on trombone and Ashlin Parker on trumpet, with additional appearances by Brad Walker on tenor saxophone and Stephen Lands on trumpet, weave throughout the song to create one of Dumpstaphunk’s most poignant singles to date. 

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Kacimi & Mécréance - Ne comprennent rien.

Kacimi teams up with La Mécréance and unveils a new garage rock single with 60's vibes, "Ne comprennent rien."

With everything going on in the world lately, it’s safe to say no one understands anything anymore. And if you were hoping for Kacimi to guide you through the chaos—think again.  The Franco-Swiss artist puts his dreamy pop aside and teams up with La Mécréance to hit us with a jolt of raw energy through their punchy garage rock single, "Ne comprennent rien".

With biting lyrics and raw energy, Kacimi and La Mécréance channel their frustration into an electrifying anthem, expressing their indignation at the complacency in the face of a world on the brin.

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Photo - Cristina Capdevila

Ellen & Simona - All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder.

Great Canyon Records, the label behind Joana Serrat and the band Riders of the Canyon, is pleased to announce the signing of Ellen & Simona, the indie-folk project of Catalan-born Helena Capdevila. To mark this occasion, Ellen & Simona are releasing the music video for the song "All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder".

Under the name Ellen & Simona, Helena Capdevila invites us on an intimate and melodic journey, where her accordion, Simona, acts as a second voice.

After two years in UK, where she developed her career as Helen, she returns to her homeland in western Catalonia with a suitcase full of songs and a unique universe. This return takes shape in her first EP, Salvation Mountain (2023, self-released), a work of North American folk-rock sound and existentialist lyricism that captivates from the first beat.

Now, Ellen & Simona present the lyric video for "All I Need is to Cry on Your Shoulder", a song included in their EP Open Water (2024) —a work that anticipates their debut album, scheduled for 2025, to be released through Great Canyon Records.

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Steven Troch Band - The Mountain.

Steven Troch Band releases new single "The Mountain" from upcoming New Album.

A mountain can be beautiful and haunting at the same time. Driven by a pulsating rhythm, the climber is pursuing the unattainable. A noble goal, but it can also make him a victim of unachievable expectations.
 
This single announces Steven Troch Band's fourth studio album. ‘The Dawning’ will be released on April 25, 2025 on CD, vinyl and digital services worldwide.

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Bandits on the Run - Let's Go Below.

Theatrical indie-pop band, Bandits on the Run, release their first single of 2025, “Let's Go Below,” on February 5, 2025. The next night, they kick off a string of tour dates supporting The Wood Brothers.
 
Known for their distinct combination of cello, guitar, accordion and found-percussion with sophisticated three-part harmonies and rotating lead vocals, the trio of Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they), Sydney Shepherd (she/her) and Regina Strayhorn (she/her) sprang from a chance encounter while busking in NYC's bustling subways. “Anyone who knows us knows we're no strangers to the subways-- our band was forged busking on the train platforms of New York City," says Enscoe.

The Brooklyn-based outfit burst onto the national stage in 2019 when their song, “Love in the Underground,” was featured on the NPR Tiny Desk Contest's Top Shelf. After recording their 2021 EP, Now Is The Time, with producer Ryan Hadlock (Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers), the Bandits took to the screen, devising a short musical film, Band At The End Of The World, commissioned by Prospect Musicals. Since then, they have continued to explore the nexus of indie-folk and theatrical storytelling, composing music for the Netflix animated series, Storybots, scoring the movie, The Same Storm, adapting several songs from texts by William Shakespeare for a production of As You Like It, receiving an NEA grant for a new musical with Prospect Musicals, all the while touring the globe with appearances at the Cambridge Folk Festival, Floydfest, Summerfest Milwaukee, Americanafest, F1 Singapore Grand Prix, Mile of Music, and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival.

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Upside of Maybe - CJ Wiley - Blessed Child Opera - Melys - Esther Rose

Upside of Maybe - Boys From The North.

Upside of Maybe is a chart-topping, award-winning band that blends rootsy pop and rock with an infectious passion for storytelling. Hailing from the vibrant town of Stratford, Ontario, this family-friendly group has taken Canada by storm with their tight harmonies, magnetic stage presence, and unforgettable live shows.

From intimate house concerts to festival stages that shake the ground, Upside of Maybe knows how to turn every performance into an experience. It’s not just about the music—it’s about creating memories and sparking genuine connections with fans. Lead singer Michael Bannerman sums it up perfectly: "When we hit the stage, it’s about more than just playing songs. It’s about forging a bond with our audience that lasts long after the lights go down."

The band’s musical evolution has been dynamic, seamlessly blending pop, rock, folk, and roots influences. What began as an acoustic-driven sound has grown into an exciting, genre-bending mix that has earned them the title of “alt-rock” trailblazers.

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CJ Wiley - Don't Die Charlie.

Rising Canadian singer-songwriter CJ Wiley is gearing up for the release of their debut album So Brand New on February 28th, treating fans to one final insight with ‘Don’t Die Charlie’

Building on the seamless fusion of slacker rock intensity and soul-baring Americana that defines their upcoming LP, CJ Wiley's latest single emerges as a gutting testament to survival against all odds. Their voice—equal parts grit and grace—weaves through the track, transforming personal tragedy into universal truth. It's a haunting eulogy for fallen friends that manages to find light in the darkness, balancing the weight of loss with an urgent celebration of second chances. Where many artists might shy away from such vulnerable territory, Wiley leans in, their vocals carrying both the tremor of grief and the fierce joy of being alive to tell the tale. "'Don’t Die Charlie is about my decade-long battle with addiction and the grief I still carry for the friends I lost along the way.” Wiley expands “It holds vivid memories, taking me back to high school when everything felt so chaotic, though I didn’t fully realize how dark things really were at the time. There’s a sense of guilt that comes with surviving, knowing how easily it could’ve been me who didn’t make it out. Writing this song helped me make sense of it all. It’s for anyone who’s lost someone and still feels their presence."

‘Don’t Die Charlie’ is the final insight into Wiley’s upcoming LP So Brand New, produced by Boy Golden and mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mark Lawrence. Wiley's distinct voice leads the charge through a collection of songs that swing effortlessly between breezy, gripping rock and twangy country ballads. Tackling themes of queer love, grief, addiction, and the rejection of societal norms with unflinching honesty and with the album stands as a down-and-dirty-roots-rock revelation, showcasing CJ Wiley's ability to craft songs that resonate with both personal truth and universal appeal.

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Blessed Child Opera - Oblivion.

Oblivion marks the return of Paolo Messere's brainchild Blessed Child Opera, after a 6 years hiatus, and is also the first single taken from the new album Red Flags, to be released March 21st, 2025.

It's a longing song, passionate, with samples strings building up climax around lyrics grasping to irrational hopes, longing for sparkles able to revive connections, actually condemned to a cosmic oblivion.

It's a decadent and abysmal romanticism, akin to the bare lyricism of Sophia (Robin Proper-Sheppard), the spleen of The Smiths, the rich instrumentation of Woven Hands.
The video, directed and edited by Messere himself, is a collection of images from the area of Ragusa in Sicily where he lives, and perfectly captures – as glimpses of fields from a train's window - the transience and impermanence of everything.

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Melys - Santa Cruz.

Welsh Legends 'Melys' have unveiled a brand new video for latest single 'Santa Cruz' which is Out Now on all streaming platforms. Taken from their brand new album which will be released in the spring of 2025.
 
This release follows their April 2024 released BBC radio sessions (Vol 1) album that showcased sessions recorded for Huw Stephens, Adam Walton and John Peel (who the band recorded 11 sessions for). 'Santa Cruz' is the band's first new material since 2005's 'Life’s too short' album. “It's been so long; we feel like a brand-new band again….” (Andrea)
 
'Santa Cruz' was written and inspired by a recent trip to California where Andrea and Paul realised a long-held dream of driving the Pacific coast highway from San Diego to San Francisco.

'Santa Cruz' is about coming from a background of low expectation and ambition, of being told you would never be good enough or in the right social circles to realise ambition or dreams, of being told to stay in your lane. ‘Who the hell do you think you are….’

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Photo Char Klein

Esther Rose - New Bad.

Esther Rose will release Want on May 2, 2025 via New West Records. The 11-track set was produced by Ross Farbe (of Video Age) and recorded live-to-tape at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville, TN. Want is the anticipated follow up to 2023’s Safe to Run which was met with wide acclaim from The New York Times, Pitchfork, Stereogum, No Depression, and more. The album features appearances by the singer songwriter Dean Johnson as well as members of Video Age, The Deslondes, and Silver Synthetic.

Following the wide-open serenity of Safe to Run, Rose now leans toward confrontational arrangements full of distortion and full-band spontaneity, never sacrificing a classicist’s gift for melody that makes each song instantly memorable. “For me, these songs felt like revelations,” she explains, comparing the record to a memoir, alive with kinetic storytelling and personal insight. Ranging from stark solo performances to grungy blowouts, the album maintains a steady focus while never staying too long in one place. Vivid and bracing, she has made the most adventurous, hardest-hitting record of her career.

Today, Esther Rose shared the video for the first single, “New Bad,” which is the music video directorial debut by the artist and New York Times bestselling author Anna Marie Tendler. Rose says, “This song leaps from the speakers. It’s part grunge, part shoegaze. Working with Anna Marie Tendler was the collaboration I’ve always dreamed of. We sparked an easy, natural rapport out of mutual admiration for each other’s artistry. After I read her book Men Have Called Her Crazy, I sent her a note, saying that my unreleased album and her memoir were apparently spiritual twins. Luckily, she agreed." Anna Marie Tendler said, "We spent five days, just the two of us, traversing the desert talking and laughing about love, family, our careers, therapy, ketamine, divorce, and music, all while filming a video whose themes and visuals were predicated on the pluralism of self.

We also spent a lot of time in comfortable silence watching a golden sun set into an inky sky. On our last day, I thanked Esther for taking this chance on me. She, of course, had access to all my photographs, but there was little in terms of video work to prove my proficiency, let alone talent. I was surprised to learn it wasn't my visual work, but my memoir, which had gotten me the job. I just knew you would get what I was trying to say, Esther told me."

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