Ben Arnold - Ezra Bell - Pearly* - Larches

Photo - Andy Bilinski

Ben Arnold - Catch The Lightning.

Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Ben Arnold has announced that his new album XI will come out on September 26 via ALP Recordings. Produced by Shane Smith (Los Lobos, Amos Lee), the roots-rock record finds the longtime musician bridging the gap between personal insights and universal statements. Along with the announcement, he released the first single “Catch The Lightning,” which combines anthemic heartland rock with early ‘90s power pop to reflect on Arnold’s decades-spanning journey so far. He also shared the official music video, which utilizes Artificial Intelligence to portray Arnold’s experience growing up in Center City Philadelphia, falling in love with music and doing whatever it takes to make it work. 

“‘Catch The Lightning’ was the last song sung and mixed for XI, and it obviously came not just from my own nostalgia, but also a sort of self-helpy viewpoint,” shares Arnold. “Slowly acknowledging the possibility that if I allow in all the colors of the rainbow, after all the shit storms, then maybe I can walk the path forward with a little more ease and satisfaction. It's probably the most orchestrated song on the record, and I couldn't be more thankful for my buddies Shane Smith and Barrie Maguire who helped me to get my vision more into focus.”  

Arnold wrote the songs on this record between his hometown of Philadelphia and hotel rooms in upstate New York where he began traveling every month to visit his terminally ill mother. The grief and introspection of this experience found Arnold turning his gaze both inward and outward, penning songs about the personal battles he was facing himself as well as tracks about the current state of our country that live in the same world as the folk protest songs of the 1960s. No matter which category they fall into, they all feel pertinent to this specific time in Arnold’s life. Sonically, the album finds Arnold pulling from folk, blues, soul, rock & roll and classic pop for a distinctly American sound – taking inspiration across musical traditions, genres, time periods and places.  

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 Photo - JCPenney

Ezra Bell - Tommy’s Lullaby (New Video).

Ezra Bell, one of the 21st century’s most organically successful folk/Americana bands, has released the official music video for their single “Tommy’s Lullaby.” The somber track was first released in August 2024 just weeks before the unexpected death of the band’s lead singer and lyricist Ben Wuamett.

Since their inception over a decade ago, Ezra Bell has created its own sound featuring an unusual mix of street-hard lyrics with folk-pop and Americana sounds sprinkled with elements of rock, blues, jazz, and R&B.

“The song is a conversation with God,” shares the band. “Tommy, our bass player, came up with that beautiful bass part and Ben's words just started flowing. The music video captures the loneliness that hides in plain sight. Even in a room full of people, we are often alone. God's message to us: a love like ours is better from a distance.”

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Pearly* - Not So Sweet.

Pearly’s cathartic title-track second single, ‘Not So Sweet’ navigates the feeling of realising a person is not always as good as they appear to be. While lyrics were written by a 17-year-old Phaedra it sat for years until guitarist Joel put it to one of his proudest musical compositions, finally completing the song, giving the song the depth Pearly* felt it deserved.

Early "Dunedin Sound" influences — especially that of The Clean — caught producer Nick Roughan’s (Skeptics) ear, realising that Pearly* were on to something special. Not So Sweet is a moody, magnetic contrast to Superglue, and is accompanied by a music video directed by Kieran J. Dodd with assistance from Cooper Sharplin, with Matilda Macandrew on DOP duties.

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Larches - Tuckered Out.

Larches began as the project of Jacob Cona, a musician from Athens, GA raised on Elephant 6, R.E.M., and the B-52’s. 

What was originally started as a band to perform the debut album, “Attack of the Telephones,” Larches has turned into a collaborative creative endeavor with Adrian Franco and Robby Fox. 

The band are touring this summer to promote their self-titled EP. Their recorded material aims to capture the energy found playing live together up and down the Pacific Northwest.


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The Herron Brothers - Ok Bucko - Oliver Marson

The Herron Brothers - This Machine.

The Herron Brothers have released their new single “This Machine”. The band will also head out on tour in the UK this September. Inspired by train carriage messaging, a love for filmmaking, and country twangs, “This Machine” marks the first new track from The Herron Brothers since their EP ‘Plum’ arrived earlier this year. Following seamlessly from their previous offering, the track finds Paul and Steven ruminating on the machine that we all exist within, weaving in discussions of friendship, birth, loss and everything in between.

“I started the song exactly one year ago on a train journey to York,” shares Paul, “I’d seen the electronic sign that said “This train is formed of four coaches,” and immediately had the main bit of the chorus pop in my head. “Train” became “Machine” and “Machine” sort of became everything, like the machinations of life, family, birth, death, all the things that nature processes in its cogs, giving zero shits about the individual people it is moving.”

The brothers pair offset weighty themes with slightly lighter instrumentation, adorning their lyrics with chirpy keys and bright strums. The result is an indie-pop balladry specific to The Herron Brothers. “We’re still blazing the trail for what will eventually become the barrier-breaking genre of middle-aged-harmony-based-thoughtful-indie-alt-pop,” adds Steven, “which the kids are gonna love.”

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Ok Bucko - They Live.

Ok Bucko has announced a new cassette on Seattle’s Youth Riot Records, out on August 22nd, and released the first single 'They Live'.

Ok Bucko is a Seattle based power-pop band. They reach through the past to construct music for the modern moment. On this self-titled EP, Ok Bucko melds their influences from DIY punk to shoegaze and grunge; pulling along everyone who can get down with a catchy hook and fuzzy guitars. 

The band comprise of Miranda Hardy on guitar and vocals, Chelsea Rodgers on keys and backing vocals, Khyre Matthews on bass, and Zeke Bender on drums.

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Photo - Hannah Woollam & Eric J Liddle

Oliver Marson - Jeremy.

London-based avant-crooner Oliver Marson today announces his new EP 'Into The Darkness' - out 14th November on High Road Records. With the EP announcement, Marson is now sharing the gothic art-pop grandeur of new single 'Jeremy' alongside an accompanying visual directed by Eric J Liddle (Walt Disco, No Windows).

A chaotic descent into the absurdity of modern self-optimisation, 'Jeremy' was inspired by a real-life article on the rise of LSD microdosing in the workplace. Having already drawn comparisons to Sparks, Nick Cave, and Alex Cameron, 'Jeremy' is a slice of lurid pop from the edge of a nervous breakdown.

“My sister sent me the article and just said: ‘You should write a song about this," Marson explains. “It opened with: 'It’s Monday morning and Jeremy begins his day. He takes a cold shower, drinks a cup of tea with a bowl of muesli, does some stretching and takes 10 micrograms of LSD before leaving for work.' I thought that was a fascinating and terrifying idea. There’s this pressure to perform in an office at 200% at all times, so much so that people are forcefully disassociating from their reality. The second part of the song is a descent into that paranoia and madness."

Over warped guitars and theatrical orchestration, Marson follows his protagonist from caffeine-fuelled precision to paranoid collapse. As he puts it: “The song is essentially a commentary on toxic extremes of self-optimisation, especially in the corporate world. It's about how people might try to transcend human limitations for success, only to lose themselves in the process. With inspiration drawn both from real-life reportage and art rock soundscapes, it paints a vivid, empathetic, yet critical portrait of modern disconnection."

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Emily Popli - Natalie Holmes - The Indie Pea

Photo - Tyler Core

Emily Popli - Alight.

Singer-songwriter Emily Popli releases her new single Alight, the track is a powerful duet featuring the prolific vocals of Matt Giraud.

Written from the perspective of a partner struggling to make ends meet in their relationship, “Alight” carries out an emotional mantra that packs a punch. The soulful vocals of Emily Popli and Matt Giraud accompanied by the melodic electric guitar give the track a passionate feeling. With production styles mixing pop, folk and soul, the vocals of Emily Popli can be compared to those of Kacey Musgraves or Adele. Overall, "Alight" holds out hope for clearer waters ahead, as Emily Popli insists that the flames in her relationship will never burn out.
 
What makes the upcoming album Lilith Fair Kid unique is its unapologetic honesty, as Emily Popli shares true stories of struggles she’s undergone and relationships that have changed her. Emily Popli named the album after the women who helped shape her as a musician. Taking bits and pieces from Sheryl Crow’s vocal style and Sarah McLachlan’s songwriting, the songs display a heartbreaking yet brave vulnerability as she details an ongoing struggle with depression. Emily Popli has something she needs to get off her chest, and “Alight” provides the perfect platform for that.

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Natalie Holmes - To Be A Woman.

Natalie Holmes has quickly gained the attention of Beehive Candy with the brand song (and video) To Be A Woman once again impressing us again in a big way. 

The song is a raw and honest reflection on the beautifully tangled experience of womanhood. It's laughable how drastically our perception of ourselves and the world’s perception of us can shift from day to day. This is not a song about being feminine, it is a song about having to navigate the word ‘woman’ and everything it holds.

The rules are always changing, yet the pressure to follow them remains constant. Natalie honours both the frustration and the quiet, surprising joy within. Lilting, angelic, and swimming in sarcasm, this other-worldly piano ballad is scattered with playful percussion, strings and harp, as well as interesting harmony and vocals that’ll stir your insides like soup.

Lilting, angelic, and swimming in sarcasm, this other-worldly piano ballad is scattered with playful percussion, strings and harp, as well as interesting harmony and vocals that’ll stir your insides like soup. To Be A Woman is ahead of Natalie’s next studio album “Opposite Day” due out Friday 17th October.

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The Indie Pea - Mirrored Days.

The Indie Pea raises the bar once again with “Mirrored Days” a shimmering follow-up that leaves no doubt about the strength of their upcoming EP.

If previous single Echoes And Answers felt like a breakthrough, Mirrored Days is a full-blown arrival. Lush, melodic, and emotionally precise, the track balances clarity and complexity with stunning ease. Strings swell, guitars shimmer, and Campbell Anderson’s vocals cut right through — reflective yet resolute.

The Indie Pea first turned heads with their debut EP The Questions, a rich and thoughtful collection of songs that introduced their unique blend of atmospheric indie rock and orchestral pop. That release laid the groundwork — but this new material shows a band coming into full focus.

With Mirrored Days, The Indie Pea proves their debut was no fluke. This is the sound of a band confidently stepping into its next phase, crafting songs that echo long after the final note.

TCBYML · The Indie Pea - Mirrored Days

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Alice Phoebe Lou - Adult Leisure - Dan Ashley - Kramon feat. Hunter Hawkins

Photo - Mira Matthew

Alice Phoebe Lou - Pretender.

Alice Phoebe Lou, announces that her sixth album Oblivion will be released on 24th October via Nettwerk Music Group. The news is arriving hand in hand with her beautiful new single ‘Pretender’; a stripped back affair that allows her storytelling and honeyed vocals to take the forefront.  

Alice’s pending 6th album ‘Oblivion’ takes shape as a deeply personal collection that delves into her journey of exploration both globally and internally. It will be her first album since the release of Shelter back in 2023. Alice shares, “After five band records, I’ve opened my treasure chest of personal storytelling songs that I’ve built up over a decade. Songs that didn’t make it into other albums, some songs I never thought would see the light of day. I embarked on the brave and thrilling journey of recording these songs as they are, with love and playfulness, simple and all my own. Leaning into imperfection and taking inspiration from some of my biggest influences who have made timeless folk acoustic albums.”

The empowered new single sets the bar for what is to come. ‘Pretender’ sees Alice commending herself for finding strength in her softness and never compromising on who she is, even when it would be easier to be someone else. Her authenticity is something that her fans have championed in her writing all along, but this is the moment where she can feel it in her own heart.

Alice describes the single as, “A loving ode to my younger self — reflecting on who I am and how hard I’ve worked to love her. The way I once used confidence as a shield to mask my insecurities has transformed into allowing my walls to come down as I can finally bask in who I am without the fear of being seen.”

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Adult Leisure - The Rules.

Following standout shows at VestRock in The Netherlands and Paris’ renowned Supersonic Festival, Bristol’s alt-indie quartet Adult Leisure release their new single ‘The Rules’, on July 25th 2025, the next single to be taken from their debut album ‘The Things You Don’t Know Yet’, arriving on October 3rd 2025.

The track follows ‘See Her’, May’s collaboration with longtime The 1975 / Sam Fender collaborator John Waugh, and the album’s previous singles ‘Dancing Don’t Feel Right’, ‘Kiss Me Like You Miss Her’ and ‘Borderline’ which saw support from BBC Radio 6’s Indie Forever show, The Line Of Best Fit, Pop Journal, Fresh on the Net and multiple Spotify editorial playlists with ‘Borderline’ being used to open an E4 Made In Chelsea episode, their first national TV sync placement.
 
‘The Rules’ was recorded and mixed with Ollie Searle at Humm Studios and mastered by John Webber (David Bowie, Duran Duran, Coach Party) and sees guest vocals from Jess Chivers. The song pulls you in from the very first note, expertly mixing rich, vibrant synths, lush guitar lines, driving rhythms and anguished vocals to deliver the perfect 80’s movie soundtrack, once again showing that this is a band that exists completely outside of time. 

On the creation of the single, vocalist and lyricist Neil Scott explains, “Starting off life via an ‘Islands in the Stream’-esque voice-note sent in the band WhatsApp from Dave back in December of 2023, our new single ‘The Rules’ is exactly the pop-soaked song Dolly Parton would be losing her mind at. We were listening to lots of Blossoms at the time and wanted to write a song from both sides of a relationship on the verge of breaking down. Fast forward to earlier this year, when we were lucky enough to work with the talented Jess Chivers who provided backing vocals on the track, the song and emotions we wanted to capture were truly brought to life. This is our take on the 70s golden era of pop duets.”

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Photo - Lily Dong

Dan Ashley - Get Lost.

Americana, Rock, and Country artist Dan Ashley invites listeners to escape the everyday with his latest release, “Get Lost.” Written by Ashley himself, the breezy, feel-good track transports you to that perfect place where worries fade, good company surrounds you, and a chilled drink is never far from reach. The official video, co-produced by Dan Ashley and Bill Bentley to support the new song, is available on the official artist's YouTube Channel. 

Dan shared the following about the song, “We all need to 'get a little lost' now and then! In this crazy, busy world, filled with pressure, expectations, and demands, who doesn’t want to feel the sand between their toes sometimes. 

I wrote this song about the need to get away with the one you care about for a few days of fun in the sun. The chance to, as the song says, “feel the breeze in your hair” is just the vacation we all want and need when things get a bit frantic in our everyday lives. “Get Lost” takes you to that place where you can stretch out on a towel at the beach and just relax with that special someone and maybe even an “ice cold daiquiri”. Enjoy!

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Kramon - Back Last Summer (feat. Hunter Hawkins).

Renowned singer-songwriter and composer Kramon releases his third single, “Back Last Summer”, from his forthcoming debut album. Dripping in lounge-y jazz vibes, “Back Last Summer” by Kramon features the bombastic vocals of Hunter Hawkins. With a melodious piano part played by Lee Pardini, the track invokes a type of nostalgic sadness that is hard to put a finger on. An ode to trusting your gut and finding freedom amidst the difficulties, regrets, and heaviness of adult life, the new single is out today.
 
Josh Kramon and Hunter Hawkins speak in further depth behind the inspiration for the new single: “For whatever reason, the first thing I could imagine was a kid growing up in the 60s/70s, without much parental watch. A feeling of eerie freedom, there. Then, if the narrator/singer is talking about the past, then it made me wonder why they are looking back, now? What has changed in their life? 

Like, how sometimes, as children, we express ourselves without thinking. We make decisions by gut. Then, later on, through social conditioning, and aiming to please those around us, we learn to second guess that gut decision-maker. Then, eventually, there’s a frustration in recognizing this huge loss, betrayal of self. So, it’s kind of asking, how can we learn to befriend ourselves/our own gut feeling, like a kid, free to roam, again? Even after adult life’s difficulties, regrets, and heaviness?”

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