Himmelaya - The Indie Pea - Matthew Azrieli

Himmelaya - Lost Horizon (Album).

Time to take a trip to ‘Himmelaya’ – a new name, a new album (‘Lost Horizon’), a new collaboration between Astralasia’s Swordfish and friends - think motorik rhythms meet spoken word, kosmische meets krautrock. A huge project (spanning two LPs and a bonus double CD of extra tracks, alternative mixes and remixes that comes with every set) that has taken a long time to come together, with everyone contributing from their respective countries.

Over to Swordfish to explain things… ‘Himmelaya’ started with Jochen Oberlack (the man behind Bellerophon Records in Dusseldorf) getting in touch through Fruits de Mer. Initially it was going to be a purely instrumental project, but I wanted it to be more like classic era Ash Ra Tempel with Rosi from the 70s, something a little bit more.

Britt Rönnholm from the Swedish duo Us and Them (also Fruits de Mer Records regulars) was suggested to provide spoken vocals; it was well out of her normal comfort zone, but we both loved her voice, so it was all systems go. Although essentially a three-piece project, we have been blessed with friends’ and bandmates’ contributions, plus some bonus CD remixes by other artists, including nick nicely, Schizo Fun Addict and the Lost Stoned Pandas. 

One of the last pieces we started on - 'Shangrilaya' - was recorded at our slide player Pete Prakownik’s house; sadly he passed away the day after we recorded the gongs - its become a personal piece 'lost horizon' and taken its own course with twists and turns in its journey to Shangri-la (Britt’s vocals sum it up all up very beautifully).

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The Indie Pea - Echoes And Answers.

Following the warmly received debut The Questions, The Indie Pea is back with Echoes And Answers, the first taste of a new EP in the making. Vocalist Campbell Anderson explains: “There’s so much beautiful, unfinished material left from the sessions. We felt it deserved our full attention — and this single is proof of that.”

Echoes And Answers continues the band’s signature blend of shimmering indie rock and sweeping string arrangements. It’s a sound both grand and graceful — full of unexpected twists, yet instantly catchy. Their orchestral touches never overwhelm; instead, they elevate, adding cinematic weight without losing emotional clarity.

With this new chapter, The Indie Pea builds on the atmospheric depth and melodic vulnerability that made their debut so compelling. If this track is any indication, the upcoming EP promises to be something truly special.

TCBYML · The Indie Pea - Echoes And Answers

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Photo -  Joel Karim

Matthew Azrieli - I thought I saw you the other day.

This week singer-songwriter and founder of Baste Records, Matthew Azrieli presents his new single “I thought I saw you the other day”. A short and crisp tune containing melancholic vibes, the new track is now available to stream on most platforms. 
 
Inspired by folk-rock greats and coming straight from the heart, Matthew Azrieli’s “I thought I saw you the other day” is an intimate ode to missing an old lover or friend. A pensive, yet emotional tune clocking in at only one and half minutes, “I thought I saw you the other day” is the perfect bit of sonic sunshine needed on a dreary, rainy day. The new track is the second offering from the four track EP, Expectations, which is slated for release later this year.
 
Recorded by Jacob Cardinal-Lacroix (who received a Juno for his work with the band Half Moon Run), “I thought I saw you the other day” consists of twangy, alt-country melodies that also maintain a sleek, folk-rock demeanor. The forthcoming tracks on Expectations are sonic treasures that will hit instantly for fans of Mac Demarco, Father John Misty, and Bob Dylan.

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Ashley Monroe - Syante - Bliss My Heart

Photo - Erika Rock

Ashley Monroe - Magnolia.

Singer/songwriter Ashley Monroe has released “Magnolia,” the latest single from her forthcoming album Tennessee Lightning due out August 8 via her label Mountainrose Sparrow. Co-written with Waylon Payne and Brendan Benson, the new single arrives with an official video shot in Muscle Shoals, AL directed by Erika Rock. 

“Waylon Payne, Brendan Benson and I wrote this song back in 2015. It’s haunted me ever since. We were on a Bobbie Gentry train-of-thought that day… musing as to what she might be up to these days and talking about how much her music affected us. We let ourselves get deep into the Mississippi Delta. I definitely honed in on that part of my own soul. I like sleeping on sheets of satin too... but you sure can’t hide my gingham soul,” Monroe explains about the new single. 

About the video, she adds: "From the day we wrote this song, I saw the scenes I was singing about in my mind. And when it finally came time to shoot the video, I knew we had to go to the Delta. We didn't have time to go all the way to Mississippi, but we went to Muscle Shoals and with a little help from our friends, we were able to create exactly what I had envisioned."

Next month, Monroe will celebrate the 10th anniversary of her GRAMMY-nominated 2015 album The Blade with a one-night-only show at Nashville’s The Basement East on July 25, where she will perform the record in its entirety. In August, she’ll celebrate the release of Tennessee Lightning with a performance at The Grand Ole Opry on August 8 before heading to the UK and Europe for a run of co-headlining shows with Fancy Hagood.

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Photo - Chris Jensen

Syante - Save Ourselves.

Indian-American artist Syante is proud to unveil her solemn new single, “Save Ourselves”. Serving as her fourth ever single, the new track is now available on most streaming platforms via Future Youth Records. 

Underneath a glistening soundscape Syante sets the melancholic tone with her heavy lyrics, “It’s such a shame / paradise ablaze”. “Save Ourselves” was inspired by the recent wildfire tragedies that gripped LA, invoking a poignant message about treating our environment with more care. With mellow yet unwavering vocals, she delivers an earnest plea for listeners to wake up and realize the gravity of our situation. 
 
Syante speaks in greater depth behind the new single’s inspiration: “The inspiration for Save Ourselves began with a single moment that shook me: waking up in Los Angeles during the wildfires to a city blanketed in ash, the sky an eerie gray, and the air heavy with smoke. It felt post-apocalyptic — almost like waking up after a bomb had dropped. That experience made something click. It wasn’t just about climate change in the abstract anymore — it was here, now, and undeniably personal. That moment became the lyrical and emotional seed for the song. There’s a collective sense of apathy — a belief that someone else will deal with it, or worse, denial that there’s even a problem. This album is a direct response to that. It’s a call for accountability and awareness. It's about shaking people out of complacency.”

Created this May, “Save Ourselves” features a legendary contribution from Dr. Fink from Prince and the Revolution, with a majority of the production handled by his son, Maxwell Fink. Throughout the process of producing the new track, it was imperative that the soundscape mirror the haunting and emotional lyrics. As a result, the sonic outcome blends dreamy textures with haunting undertones, creating a delicate, yet beautiful track that contains a subtle darkness lurking underneath. 

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Bliss My Heart – Sinner Sinner.

A low pulse, a raw voice, a tension that simmers beneath every beat. In “Sinner Sinner”, Bliss My Heart delves into the murky space between desire and self-control, where vulnerability becomes a hidden strength.

Blending gritty rock energy with sleek electro textures, the track walks a tightrope between power and fragility — intense, haunting, and strikingly cinematic.

It doesn’t just play — it lingers, it breathes, it burns slow and deep.

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From the Dirt - Juliet Lloyd - Chwaer Fawr - Mollie Elizabeth

From the Dirt - Colored Edge of Memory (Album).

From the Dirt is an Americana band from central Maryland fronted by Daniel Kenny, with Jeff Karn (Mandolin), Megan Leigh (harmony vocals), and Eddie Dickerson (fiddle). Their harmony-soaked songs reveal Bluegrass, Celtic, Americana and rock & roll influences. The songwriting is imagery and wordplay, with songs of heartache, addiction, love, loss, and loneliness.

The new Album, Colored Edge of Memory  was produced and recorded by Jerry Brown (Doc Watson, Lucinda Williams, Watchhouse / Mandolin Orange, Steep Canyon Rangers) at The Rubber Room studio in Chapel Hill, NC. Guest musicians include Joseph Terrel (Mipso) on guitars, Joe MacPhail on drums and keys, Rick LeFleur (banjo), and Robbie Link (Townes Van Zandt) on upright bass.

In “Silver Maple Spinners” we hear a dream of a lost love - back as a ghost - set against a tense Celtic rhythm. “Afterwards, on the Greyhound” is an atmospheric tale of strangers, together in their loneliness, with a crescendoing outro of fiddle virtuosity. Bluegrass songs such as “Angeline” and “Trainwreck at the Bluegrass Jam” pick up the tempo and reduce the tension, while “Quitter” and “Trick of the Dark”, songs of addiction and loss,  raise it up again. “Luthier” is a tour-de-force anthem about the joy of playing music together, the beauty of woodworking, and the threads that tie us to those who have come before. 

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Juliet Lloyd - Reno Cure.

Ahead of her first ever UK tour starting next week, acclaimed US singer-songwriter Juliet Lloyd just launched a new single ‘Reno Cure’. Written with and produced by Todd Wright (Lucy Woodward, Butch Walker, Toby Lightman), ‘Reno Cure’ is an epic, emotionally packed, Americana-tinged track that sees Juliet once again dealing with the ending of her relationship.

“I thought I was done writing about divorce,” says Juliet. “My last album, Carnival, was full of songs inspired by the experience of going through it, the aftermath, and moving on. Turns out I wasn’t quite done with the topic. Last year, I read a book about the famous “divorce ranches” in Reno, Nevada in the 1950s. At the time, Nevada had the loosest divorce laws in the country. All you had to do was reside in the state for six weeks, and you could get a no-fault divorce.”

Shortly after releasing her sophomore album in 2007, US-based singer-songwriter Juliet Lloyd walked away from music completely for more than 10 years, feeling burned out and unhappy with her career progression like so many other independent artists. After going through a divorce in 2019 and in the midst of a global pandemic, she found herself pulled back toward the siren call of songwriting and again making the leap to pursue it full time. Her latest album ‘Carnival’, released in 2024, is in many ways the culmination of those decisions, and the reintroduction of an artist who now has the wisdom of experience.

There’s an unmistakable urgency you can feel when a song is written and performed from a place of complete honesty. That feeling permeates ‘Carnival’. “I’ve always been envious of writers who say they write songs because they have to, because they had these things they just had to get out of themselves,” Juliet says. “I had never really felt that way until this album. I’ve become someone who writes because they have to.”

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Chwaer Fawr - Diwedd (Album)

Chwaer Fawr is the solo project of 'Mari Morgan', known for her time with Rogue Jones, Bitw and Saron. Her debut album (released this weekend), oxymoronically titled Diwedd ('end'), is a quiet turning point marking both a conclusion and a beginning. Written and recorded slowly, at home and with friends, Diwedd grew organically and patiently. After years of playing in other people’s bands, this time it's her own quietly defiant voice that's front and centre.

Sung entirely in Welsh, Diwedd explores the tension between innocence and responsibility, between personal vulnerability and quiet resistance. It hints at the duality between the wonder of new motherhood and the anxiety of the modern world, threading in themes of peace, hope, and the urge to rise above it all. Birds and flight are recurring images throughout as symbols of freedom, fragility, and defiance. The album doesn’t seek resolution, but offers space to sit with discomfort, wonder and change.

Musically, Diwedd lives in a wonky, artful corner of alt-pop. It balances off-kilter textures with melodic clarity, gentle warmth and sharp detail. The record features contributions from a reliable circle of collaborators, including Llŷr Pari (Gwenno, Omaloma), Alex Morrison (Cate Le Bon, H. Hawkline), and Gwion Llewelyn (Aldous Harding, Villagers), with production from Gruff ab Arwel (Bitw, Y Niwl), who helps shape its tender strangeness.

Despite it's title, 'Diwedd' isn’t a full stop; rather, it’s the exhale after a long breath in. It marks the end of the slow, steady making of a debut, and the start of a more personal musical chapter. The album is both a personal journal and a quiet protest, not against one thing, but against forgetting what matters. It might not shout, but it stays with you. Sometimes, an ending is the most powerful way to begin.

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Mollie Elizabeth - Dirty Blonde (EP).

This weekend, the 21-year-old Washington State-based artist Mollie Elizabeth released her debut EP, titled Dirty Blonde via Neon Gold / Virgin Music. Known for her whimsical, melancholic, and empowering songs, the Pacific Northwest artist describes her music as “tiny worlds”, a refuge shaped by her upbringing in the Washington woods, suffused with old-Hollywood elegance and emotional depth. 

Mollie co-produced her newest song, “Doe Eyes”, along with her Dirty Blonde EP with Dean Reid (Lana Del Rey, Marina) and co-written with Reid and GRAMMY-nominated Casey Smith (Olivia Rodrigo, Ashe, Benson Boone). 

Mollie Elizabeth about her debut EP: “I always knew my first collection of work that I put out would have a story to it, a through line that connected all of the songs together. “Dirty Blonde” represents the tale of most every relationship I've ever experienced, romantic or otherwise - it starts out with a story of self love and discovery, taking yourself out for dinner and gathering crushes on the beach, before galavanting into the riptides of love and loss. I hope you can find your story in it too!”

Mollie Elizabeth · Dirty Blonde

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Abbey Lane - Freedom Fry - Rodney Crowell - Briscoe

Abbey Lane - Burning Out.

‘Burning Out’, is the latest dulcet single from Abbey Lane, out this week. With 13 years of experience behind her, Abbey Lane has developed a distinct voice marked by smooth instrumentals and masterful vocals, a combination that continues to turn heads.

Now, in her first-ever self-produced track, Abbey strips things back with ‘Burning Out’, crafting a gentle, intimate soundscape. Guided by soft synths and a subtle electronic beat, her delicate vocal delivery leads listeners through a song that is both minimal and emotionally layered  deep in its simplicity.

This meditative track allows the lyrics to take centre stage. Written for anyone feeling overwhelmed or unsure of their place in the world, ‘Burning Out’ offers solace and a moment of stillness in a chaotic world. As Abbey shares:

"This track is for anyone having a quarter life crisis. I wrote it in a confused time of feeling lost in my twenties, where some friends are getting married and having kids, others are living day to day travelling the world, and I was conflicted between knowing what I should want and where I should be."

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Photo - Michelle Shiers

Freedom Fry - Best Friend (Album).

French American indie-pop duo Freedom Fry has released their fourth studio album, Best Friend, along with the official music video for the album’s lead single and title track. Featuring chilling synths, psychedelic beats, and hypnotic vocals, “Best Friend” is a moody dance track about a toxic friendship. The spellbinding chorus features the playful children’s rhyme “cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye” setting the tone for the rest of the album. The accompanying video features paper mâché versions of the group’s members Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll kidnapping the real versions of themselves a la the film Coraline.

“The album came together as we started setting old poems like Poe's ‘The Raven’ to music, exploring timeless themes through a darker lens,” shares Freedom Fry. “The title track ‘Best Friend’ perfectly captures that shift.”

Best Friend is an exploration of timeless themes like friendship and nostalgia through a darker lens, offering a slightly different vibe than the indie-pop Freedom Fry have become known for. The 8-track independent collection also includes the dreamy single “A Farewell,” which has been featured in Apple Music’s New In Alternative playlist. Full track listing below.

Based in Los Angeles, Freedom Fry is comprised of the married duo of the Paris-born Seyrat and U.S.-born Driscoll. Since the release of their 2018 debut album Classic, Freedom Fry has created their own musical universe – writing, producing, and recording their vastly growing catalogue. Freedom Fry’s songs have been remixed by the likes of Sofi Tukker and Penguin Prison and championed by KEXP, WXPN, the BBC, SiriusXM’s Alt Nation, Howard Stern himself, Billboard, Clash, Flaunt Magazine, NYLON, Vice, and more. The duo’s songs have also appeared across television and films, with their 2021 single “Le Point Zéro” featured in the film M3GAN. They also scored the music for the BAFTA Award-winning TV show Lovely Little Farm (available on AppleTV+) and wrote the show’s theme song “Animals.” Whether it’s an emotional folk ballad or a fun pop banger, Freedom Fry has an unquestionable knack for melodic mastery and catchy, timeless tunes.


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Rodney Crowell - Sometime Thang.

Rodney Crowell will release Airline Highway on August 29, 2025 via New West Records. The 10-song set was produced by Tyler Bryant and recorded & mixed by Trina Shoemaker in New Orleans, Louisiana. Crackling with live-wire energy, the album follows his 2023 Grammy Award-nominated The Chicago Sessions. The wise and vibrant Airline Highway features contributions from some of the most exciting young blues and country artists working today, all of whom count Crowell as a foundational influence. 

Ashley McBryde co-wrote and sings on “Taking Flight,” Lukas Nelson co-wrote and sings the opener “Rainy Days in California,” Blackberry Smoke guitarist Charlie Starr sings on “Heaven Can You Help,” while Rebecca & Megan Lovell from Larkin Poe add harmonies and slide guitar throughout. With a career spanning more than fifty years, Crowell is still questioning how and why he makes music, still setting new rules and quickly breaking them. “This record is a document of me falling in love with these musicians,” says Crowell. “That’s one of the great perks of this job—falling in love with the people you’re playing with. And we caught that on tape.” 

This week, album highlight “Sometime Thang.” has been shared. Crowell says, "Once upon a time a famous movie star made a move on my girlfriend. The mis-title (and spelling) came to me right away. The girlfriend and I have been married over three decades and once in a while the actor shows up in television commercials. No doubt the dude was handsome. But I never thought he was much of an actor. I'm just saying." 

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Photo - Justin Crook

Briscoe - Roughnecks.

Texas duo Briscoe announced the release of 'Heat of July', the bold new album, out on 19th September via ATO Records. Celebrating the great outdoors and their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men, Heat of July marks a major sonic leap for lifelong friends Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, the Austin-based duo known for their signature intertwined vocals and relentless touring alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band. 
 
Produced by Grammy-nominated Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats) and featuring a “folk supergroup” featuring Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange) and studio musicians who have performed with artists including Bon Iver, Houndmouth, and Hiss Golden Messenger.  With sweeping arrangements and vivid storytelling, the album elevates Briscoe’s raw, rootsy foundation into a polished folk-rock masterwork.
 
This week, Briscoe released 'Roughnecks', a song inspired by a photo of Truett’s great-grandfather, who made his living working gas lines and in the oilfields of Texas. “The song tells the story of a man who spends his long and strenuous hours of work in the fields reflecting on his past decisions and the girl he left behind, with instrumentation and lyrics that pay homage to the trades that are so integral to our Texas heritage”, stated Truett.

The track is a perfect introduction to the new sound from a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon. An album written while on the road, as they travelled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun. "We learned how to write music from behind the wheel," Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas' best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless American Roots. Adding, "Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process." 

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