Imogen Clark - Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band - Home Counties

Imogen Clark - Choking on Fuel (Album).

We are a little late to the parade regarding Imogen Clark's new album 'Choking on Fuel' but it's more than worth a share on Beehive Candy and it is already kicking her 2025 into high gear. The last few weeks have seen Imogen return to the UK for a sold-out headline tour and performance at Maverick festival, and land on the lineup of this year's AMERICANAFEST in Nashville (alongside artists like Kashus Culpepper, Kip Moore, Jade Bird, Rodney Crowell and Ruston Kelly).

Nashville-via-Sydney singer-songwriter Imogen Clark is getting high octane and back to the nitty gritty with her new album ‘Choking on Fuel’. After a breakneck year of non-stop touring, returning to her roots armed with an acoustic guitar, Imogen is rolling out a record that captures the intensity, vulnerability, musical dexterity and vocal power that characterizes her compelling live performances.

“I spent last year on the road around the world, playing headline shows but also touring with Robyn Hitchcock, Steve Poltz, Bowen * Young and Andrew Farriss”, Imogen explains. “So many people have messaged me or commented on my social media to say that they would love to have an album that captured the spirit of what I do live, and that’s what this is”.

The album puts Imogen’s rich, devastating vocals front and center, foregrounding her deft, cutting lyrics and affecting melodies. The record runs the emotional gamut from the wry, incendiary All Hard Feelings (with 70s style backing vocals from co-writers Sinead Burgess and Blake O’Connor, who also tears up a blistering slide guitar solo), a high-octane harmonica solo on The Art of Getting Through from the legendary Mickey Raphael, the sexy bluegrass raveup of Sebastian (where Imogen is backed by Aussie grassers Midnight Chicken) to the raw, powerful anthem The Last of Me (with My Morning Jacket’s Bo Koster on propulsive piano), the road not taken nightmare of Squinters (a co-write with Steve Poltz powered by Bryan Sutton’s nuanced acoustic guitar), a fiery Nebraska-esque anthem If I Want In (featuring ARIA-winner Ella Hooper) to the delicate, timeless wisdom of If Your Heart Never Breaks (featuring gorgeous harmonies from co-writer Jim Lauderdale and a dexterous and beautiful guitar from the iconic Tommy Emmanuel).

============================================================================

Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band - Hare In The Haze.

Baba Pen & The Bimbam Band return with their third single, Hare in the Haze – a swirling folky journey into the misty corners of old Europe. Picture this: roadside taverns, wandering bards, and tales passed down by firelight. This one tells of a cunning hare and an aging hunter locked in a never-ending chase. Just as the hunter takes aim, a thick haze rolls in… and the hare vanishes once again. But not all stories end well for those who seek control. With rippling guitars and a timeless groove, Hare in the Haze pulls you into a world of myth and mischief – the kind that makes you want to grab a pint and stay a while.

Bastian Pen, lead singer of the band Tricklebolt, steps into new creative territory with a fresh project under the moniker Baba Pen. Collaborating with a group of talented friends, they form Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band, a collective destined to make waves. Their debut album, set for release on October 10, 2025, blends 60s-inspired psychedelic rock with hints of folk and cosmic country, all wrapped in the lush, intricate production style of Jonathan Wilson.

Featuring members from Grand East, Money and the Man, Tricklebolt, and Jimmy Diamond, "Hare In The Haze" is a captivating taste of what’s to come, offering a glimpse into the diverse sonic landscape of Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band. It's a brilliant first step into an album that promises to explore the many shades of Baba Pen's musical world.

TCBYML · Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band - Hare In The Haze

============================================================================

Photo - Luca Bailey

Home Counties - Humdrum.

Home Counties today announce their highly-anticipated second album 'Humdrum' - out 24th October on Submarine Cat Records. Produced by Al Doyle (of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem), new album 'Humdrum' is the follow up to the London six-piece's 2024 debut album 'Exactly As It Seems'. 

To mark the announcement, Home Counties are today sharing the album's title track and new single 'Humdrum'. A sardonic unravelling of social misfires, ‘Humdrum’ captures the anxiety of saying the wrong thing and stewing over it later ("It’s also about feeling bitter towards people who are just better at chatting shit," singer Will Harrison notes).

Originally almost scrapped, the track shape-shifted through krautrock and bedroom pop before landing on its final form - a jittery, synth-heavy, hook-laced highlight that reckons with self-sabotage and success-envy in equal measure.

============================================================================

Marta Vega - Warburton - Greenness - Dove Jones Connection

Marta Vega - Bruised.

London based, Italian alt-rock riser Marta Vega returns with ‘Bruised’, a haunting and hook-heavy single that shines a light on the solo artist's potential. 

Marta’s music is both emotionally raw and irresistibly melodic, carving out a space where grunge grit meets pop vulnerability. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Girl In Red, Garbage, Hole, and Wolf Alice with an undertone of Stevie Nicks, Marta Vega is already earmarked as one to watch. 

Produced by Andrea Tripodi (Adriano Celentano, Biagio Antonacci, and Gianluca Grignani), ‘Bruised’ brings a tight soundscape of gritty guitar work, tight drums and warming bass under the radiant lead vocals. As the track grows through layers of subtle synth, piano and beautifully placed vocal harmonies, the track blossoms into an expansive chorus, before closing in a wall of fuzzy guitar tones and emotive lead vocals. 

Talking about the recording of the track, Marta Vega explains: “A lot of the sounds from the original demo of ‘Bruised’ just stuck—we didn’t want to overwork it. Most of the verse vocals were done in one take, and we ended up keeping that original recording because it just felt real. That dark, moody synth sound is actually a piano we messed with—pitched it down, reversed it, added some distortion. It gave the whole track this kind of haunted vibe that we loved.”

============================================================================

Warburton - Clear the House.

We’re thrilled to welcome Warburton to the Paper Garden family — the project of songwriter Nathan Mitchell, whose music captures the beauty in breakdowns, the grace in grief, and the quiet pulse of something better on the other side.

Born from a banjo, a big dog, and the long road home to Toronto, Warburton is as intimate as it is expansive — layering piano, brass, and synths over lyrics that feel lived-in and deeply human.

As Nathan told us, “An emotion that lives quietly in this album is hopefulness.” Even at its darkest, Hurricane holds space for light. “Clear the House” might meet you in a heavy moment — but it might also remind you there’s still beauty in being here at all.


============================================================================

Greenness - Hilltop.

Award-winning Franco-English duo Greenness are back with brand new single and video “Hilltop” via One Fern Records This is the band's first release since debut album Sunrooms was launched to critical acclaim in May 2022, and there's a lot more to come:

“We've spent the past three years working on a new record and it's really exciting to finally share the first single”, explains lead singer and songwriter Cess. “When writing the lyrics, I tried to capture the whirlwind feeling of falling deeply in love with someone and realising they're about to turn your whole world upside-down. It's a song of dizzying heights and tender surrender.”

“We live at the bottom of a hill”, adds co-writer and producer Graham, “and everyday, we walk up that hill to watch the view and hatch some plans. A lot of the ideas that came to shape our new album were formulated there, on the hilltop. And it's also a symbol of perseverance. Life can sometimes feel like an endless climb, with much to do and little time, but there are always moments to take in the view, and this song is a reminder to ourselves to enjoy the journey.”

Earlier this year, Greenness sent a live acoustic version of Hilltop to the Croissant Neuf stage and were subsequently offered to perform three sets at Glastonbury Festival this year. This was their first appearance at the iconic festival. 

============================================================================

Dove Jones Connection - Namaste.

London-based Dove Jones and his collective band of musicians and artists emerged from the thriving Soho blues, arts and new music revival, evolving from the legendary Blues Jam sessions at the Spice of Life Soho and Phoenix Artist Club.

In 2011 Dove was asked to host the legendary Spice of Life Blues Jam in Soho. His music and the musicians he records with evolved out of that thriving Soho blues and new music scene, manifesting as a band. 

"I Got The Blues Today”, “The Day Has Come” and "Uh Uh Uh" are three of the tracks off of their first (self-titled) EP, recorded in London this year.  Influences include B.B. King, Muddy Waters, The Rolling Stones, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Van Morrison, The Allman Brothers, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Little Feat, John Mayer, The Grateful Dead, and Steely Dan.

============================================================================

Merpire - Marie Minet - Diva Bhatia

Merpire - Milk Pool (Album).

Naarm/Melbourne's Merpire aka Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt has just shared her highly-anticipated second album Milk Pool - a indie/alt/dark-pop album for the romantics, the daydreamers, and those moving through intense periods of change, punctuated by unconventional rhythms and chord choices, provocative guitar, moody synths and vivid imagery - its title representing "the murky fluidity of the action [she] took to create it", a second teenagehood for Merpire that finds her “wading playfully and trustingly into the unknown" in a deeper, darker, more personal way than her globally-acclaimed debut album Simulation Ride (2021). 

Angled toward her deep, abiding love for her artist community through thick and thin and co-produced by Merpire and James Seymour (Pillow Queens, Elizabeth M. Drummond, Jacob Diamond), buoyant alt-pop/indie-rock focus track 'Fishing' immediately hooks in heart-first with its opening lyrics and bright, fuzzed-out guitar - "I'm just a little bit in love with all of my friends / Oh how I need them" - a beautiful celebration of friendship and connection and a testament of the fierce and unshakeable love Merpire has for her community.

Fluid and metaphysical as the tides, Milk Pool is for the romantics, the daydreamers, and those moving through intense periods of change - a dark-pop album punctuated by unconventional rhythms and chord choices, provocative guitar, moody synths and vivid imagery, its title representing "the murky fluidity of the action [she] took to create it".  


============================================================================

Marie Minet - Prête à tout (Summer Radio Edit).

Marie Minet unveils a new version of one of her most intimate tracks, Prête à Tout. This re-imagining, titled Summer Radio Edit, introduces a subtle rhythmic layer bringing movement and tension while preserving the poetic essence of the original song.
 
Originally arranged by Jon Luz, a renowned Cape Verdean musician and long-time collaborator of Cesária Évora, the track finds a new pulse through the elegant textures crafted by Ghanaian producer Two Bars, delicately enhanced by French producer SDO. Prête à Tout – Summer Radio Edit is not simply a remix, it’s a gentle and rhythmic metamorphosis, a second breath for a song in constant evolution, blending cultures, emotions, and interior landscapes.

At the heart of Prête à Tout lies a deeply personal story, a tale of emotional surrender, passion, and the illusions we sometimes weave in the name of love.

 Built upon an acoustic foundation, the song gives space to both the sweetness and ache of love. Marie’s voice tender and inhabited floats in a melodic cloud that crosses oceans with grace: between tropical sway, flamenco ornamentation's, and the expressive restraint so distinctive of French chanson. A song suspended between control and abandon, both intimate and universal. After all, who hasn’t loved to the point of losing themselves?

============================================================================

Diva Bhatia - Scared of Love.

Diva Bhatia, is a 22-year-old independent singer-songwriter based in Melbourne, Australia. This week her new single "Scared of Love" has been released and it is so beautifully natural and honest sounding, something that we are sure many will connect to. Diva describes the song as follows: This track is a raw, emotionally honest indie-pop song for the people still picking up the pieces long after the relationship ends. Written about a breakup from two years ago, Scared of Love explores the quiet, ongoing cost of emotional betrayal — the kind that doesn’t just break your heart, but shifts how you show up in love. It’s a song for anyone who’s pulled away from love not out of bitterness, but fear.

Diva Bhatia is an independent singer-songwriter whose music blends raw emotion with storytelling rooted in real-life experiences. Known for her honest, melancholic sound, Diva creates songs that reflect the highs and lows of navigating self-worth, heartbreak, and resilience.

Born into a musically-inclined family, Diva’s passion for music started young. Her earliest memories include watching her father, a drummer, perform on stage—sparking her own dream of connecting with audiences through song. By three, she was learning piano; by twelve, she found her voice as a singer. At fifteen, she taught herself guitar through YouTube tutorials, adding another layer to her songwriting. Despite her early passion, Diva’s musical journey hasn’t always been easy. She faced bullying for chasing her dreams and, overwhelmed by self-doubt, turned down an offer from Berklee College of Music. She later pursued a psychology degree to better understand herself and the world around her.

A turning point came when she met her idol, Dean Lewis, whose words—“keep going and walk into the fire”—reignited her confidence. Since then, Diva has released several singles, blending emotional depth with melodic hooks, inspired by artists like Dean Lewis, James Arthur, and Lewis Capaldi. Her music offers connection and comfort for those navigating heartbreak, anxiety, and the quiet struggles we don’t always speak about.

============================================================================

Ani Glass - Riverwoods - Nicki Bluhm

Ani Glass - Phantasmagoria.

Ani Glass ethereal new single ‘Phantasmagoria’  is out today 4th of July, it is the title track from her forthcoming second album. It comes with a beautiful and evocative video directed by Lowri Palfrey.

The single ‘Phantasmagoria’ weaves themes of water and sleep into a beguiling sonic landscape layered with mystical ethereal vocals invested with a restless need for stillness and comfort. Lush instrumentation is underpinned by synth pulses played by co-producer Iwan Morgan and swirling flutes played by Laura J Martin. “I’m the prophet of sleep and silence/Phantasmagoria/We’ll rest until summer” Glass sings touchingly, in the arms of chiming classical textures, there are echoes of early Goldfrapp or the enveloping vocal swoops of Enya. Yet, it’s a moment of warm, transcendent beauty and comforting self-realisation. Now we rest, the storm will pass.

In February 2020, just before the release of her debut album Mirores, Ani Glass (Cardiff-based artist Ani Saunders) was diagnosed with a rare benign brain tumour. The diagnosis marked the beginning of a personal journey that shaped her second album, Phantasmagoria (released on the 26th of September), a lush introspective concept album that delves deeply into her experience of navigating life with this diagnosis. With lyrics in Cymraeg (Welsh), Kernewek (Cornish), and English, as well as some BSL woven into her live performances,  Phantasmagoria brings together all languages and mediums at Ani’s disposal to express a poignant time in her life.

Crafting a elegantly drawn sonic world underpinned by electronica, samples and synth pulses yet informed by the spirit of Arthur Russell who inspired her to learn the cello, Glass crafts her most personal and inspirational work yet, she stretches her sonic tapestry with live instrumentation and innovative vocal performances, that push into the realms of the avant-garde and forward-looking pop, Phantasmagoria fascinates and invigorates at every turn, revealing intricate and innovative details with every listen.


============================================================================

Riverwoods - Cruising (Feat. Jeanette Bengtsson).

"Cruising" is a classic soft rock tune about coping in the difficult times we live in, especially through somebody close to you. The song features brand new English lyrics by Jimmy Granstrom and Dave Prine to Lars Brundin's Swedish song "Du finns här" that he wrote with Herbert Tinz and Rebecka Molander. Lars is a singer/songwriter whose songs have been frequently played on P4 Malmöhus, one of Sweden's largest regional radio stations. His debut album Hotel Royal got a rave review by "Expressen", which is one of Sweden's largest newspapers. 

The singer Jeanette Bengtsson has toured the USA and Europe as part of the ABBA tribute band "Arrival From Sweden". She has also performed and recorded vocals with singer/songwriter Michael Stolt and his band featuring Roxette guitarist Jonas Isacsson. Jimmy and Lars also have a connection with Roxette, as their previous collaboration "Only Summer" resulted in airplay on the SiriusXM show "Nordic Rox" co-hosted by Per Gessle. 

Finally, Dave Prine came from a musical family (his "Uncle John" is indeed the legendary singer/songwriter John Prine). When he's not jotting down notes and chords, he works on endangered language revitalization. He's lent a voice to both the Navajo and the Ojibwe dubbing of Star Wars.

============================================================================

Photo - Lauren Massie

Nicki Bluhm - Cumberland Banks.

Nicki Bluhm has just announced her eighth studio album Rancho Deluxe, due out October 3. A musical patchwork quilt that captures Nashville’s collaborative spirit, Rancho Deluxe finds Bluhm reflecting on well-earned lessons from nearly two decades in the music business. Along with the announcement, Bluhm shares her infectious new single “Cumberland Banks.” Laced with banjo (played by Mumford & Sons' Matt Mennefee) and dobro (played by Greensky Bluegrass' Anders Beck), it's a nod to her new home down South inspired by her time touring with the celebrated bluegrass group The Infamous Stringdusters.

Bluhm on the new song: "Canoeing down the Cumberland River was a favorite pastime of ours, until the day we found ourselves huddled under a bridge fearing for our lives in the midst of a Tennessee thunderstorm. This song is that story told in the form of a late-night summertime John Hartford and Roger Miller pick-along.”

Recorded as live takes over just five days, Rancho Deluxe takes its name from the Nashville home studio that Bluhm assembled with her co-writer, producer and partner Jesse Noah Wilson. Joined by first-rate musicians Kai Welch (Kacey Musgraves), Jess Nolan (Jenny Lewis) and Cameron Neal (Elle King, Shakey Graves), together they pulled from a swirl of influences, including folk-rock, western psychedelia and ‘60s West Coast soul music. The end result features songs that are rooted in resilience, relaxation and the relationships she's built with like-minded collaborators.

"This is a harvest record," shares Bluhm. "It's a collection of the fruits of my labor. I've taken all these life lessons and experiences, and I've learned from them. Jesse and I have an amazing arsenal of friends and family that we recruited to play on the record, and that interplay lends itself to a freedom in the studio. We were focused on catching the moment, being in the room together, and experiencing something communally."

============================================================================