Talking Violet - The Happy Fits - Pam Ross - Aliza Hava

Photo - Lourdes Lasala

Talking Violet - In Your Mind.

Talking Violet seamlessly melds shoegaze, grunge, and dream-pop into a genre-defiant wave they’ve coined “dreamo”—a sound that’s as lush as it is emotionally piercing. The Windsor, ON four-piece, formed of Jillian Goyeau (vocals, guitar), Jayden Turnbull (guitar, vocals), Jeremie Brousseau (drums), and Dylan Iannicello (bass), craft a powerful sound, touching on themes that wrestle with the grief of personal change, especially in relationships.

Now, the band returns with their latest single “In Your Mind,” a sonically thick and upbeat track that calls for a darker, more emotional setting. Beneath its glistening layers lies a vulnerable reflection on the helplessness of loving someone through pain and uncertainty. “I've had to learn over time that no matter how much you want to help people, so often it's really out of your hands,” shares Goyeau. “They have to be the ones to figure things out, but you can do what you can from a supporting line.” The song’s haunting hook—“I wonder if I echo in your mind?”—speaks to that aching desire to be remembered and felt, even when distance or silence takes hold.

Produced and mixed by Justin Meli (Universal Canada) and mastered by Will Yip (Turnstile, Lauryn Hill, Panic! At The Disco), “In Your Mind” continues the emotional thread of their recent album Everything At Once, drawing from the grief of interpersonal change. “These tracks draw on a lot of grief of change, most specifically, the grief of relationship changes in our lives,” Goyeau explains. “I was going through changes that I now see as necessary but were incredibly painful at the time. It made me realize how much I had depended on my relationships with others for my identity. I had to slowly relearn who I was—and spent the next few years healing my people-pleasing baseline. It’s still something I work on every day.” 

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Photo - Anna Koblish

The Happy Fits - Do You See Me?

Indie/rock darlings The Happy Fits have just released their brand new single “Do You See Me?,” accompanied by an official video, off their forthcoming album Lovesick, due out September 19th. The track follows their previous single “Wild In Love,” which the band recently performed live for the first time during their national television debut on CBS Saturday Morning along with “Everything You Do” and “Cruel Power.”

With their sonic rebirth on full display, “Do You See Me?” builds from a lo-fi whisper to an orchestral roar on the brooding album opener. Like much of the new record, the song contemplates longing and desire, coming to terms with the inherent selfishness of love, and our bottomless need for acceptance and approval.

“We shot the music video with Jacqueline Justice on a dry hot day in LA,” stated frontman/cellist Calvin Langman. “We’d only loosely shared this idea of an ethereal, reflective world to match the dreaminess of the song and Jacq took it from there. She built a story about longing, searching, and the way memories linger all while literally building the reflective surfaces herself. In every shot with that mirrored structure, you’ll see a pair of silver hands holding it. That’s Lucky Kilmarten. He’d just flown in from the UK the night before to help Jacq. He stood with us outside all day, never complained once, and we’re really sorry about his sunburn.”

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Pam Ross - Crazy Ride.

Country-Americana singer-songwriter Pam Ross invites listeners to slow down and soak in the moment with her easygoing new single, “Crazy Ride”, which arrived yesterday August 15 on all major streaming platforms. Guided by a warm, unhurried groove and Ross’ signature heartfelt delivery, “Crazy Ride” is a love song for real life — the kind that embraces messy hair, late starts, and unexpected detours with a smile. The track draws inspiration from a candid morning with her wife, Elissa, when a whirlwind of small mishaps became the spark for a song about finding beauty in life’s chaos.

“It was around 8:30 in the morning,” Ross recalls. “I was getting ready to work out, and my wife was rushing to get to work. Her curly hair was everywhere, and she said it was going to be a crazy day and that I should write a song about it. I laughed it off at first, but later that day I wrote ‘Crazy Ride.’ It’s about those moments when everything feels out of control, but later you look back and laugh. Those times make life beautiful — and I wouldn’t want to go through them with anyone else.”

From playful verses about off-road adventures gone awry to a chorus that feels like a deep exhale, “Crazy Ride” captures the rhythm of a relationship that knows how to roll with the punches. The easy, swaying instrumentation and Ross’ warm vocals make it as perfect for a back porch sunset as it is for a Sunday drive.

Pam Ross has earned a loyal following for her relatable storytelling and ability to turn life’s small moments into memorable songs. With “Crazy Ride,” she leans into a breezier side of her sound, offering listeners a feel-good track that’s as much about gratitude as it is about love.

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Aliza Hava - Let It Roar.

Aliza Hava, who is currently splitting her time between New Orleans, Nashville and Ashland, Oregon, released the single "Let It Roar" a couple of weeks back. "Let It Roar" will appear on the album Into the Light, set for release on Sept 9.
 
Into the Light follows the 2021 single "Radiant Light" and the 2020 album Natural State. Previously released singles from Into the Light have received enough airplay to secure Aliza chart positions via The Roots Music Report, where she is currently #2 on the Top 50 Folk Rock album chart.
 
Into the Light is a thematic folk-rock album that takes listeners on a profound, transformative journey from trauma to triumph. With powerfully cathartic melodies and thought-provoking anthems that transform pain into power, each song is a step on the roadmap to self-inquiry, navigating the way through a dark night of the soul while finding peace in self-love.
 
Produced by multi-platinum Grammy® winner Mikal Blue (Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz), the album features a world-class lineup of musicians, including bassist Dean Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket and legendary drummer Gregg Bissonette. 

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Katie Boeck - The Wild Things - Greg Jamie - Jont - Honey Motel - Maygen & The Birdwatcher

Katie Boeck - Dust.

Nashville-based indie singer/songwriter + actress Katie Boeck (pronounced Bōke) returns with “Dust” today August 15th, produced by Shane Leonard and recorded at his home studio in Eau Claire, WI.

It’s a song about spiritual timing, when one soul is ready for something real and the other is still chasing fleeting pleasures. The gentle guitar and dreamy vocals seduce the listener with a gentle warning, and a challenge to rise. But ultimately the song settles into acceptance and letting go.

For the video, Katie worked with Bella Mazzola (Twin Lantern Productions). “We wanted to reflect on that longing with something simple yet ethereal, a visual echo of the song’s emotional space: vulnerable and yearning, but also beautiful and sacred,” explains Katie.

Katie Boeck is an actor who shared the lead role of Wendla in the Tony nominated Broadway revival of “Spring Awakening,” a coming-of-age rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik. The play’s success led to appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and feature with Katie and Sandra Mae Frank on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.

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The Wild Things - I Can't Wait.

Following on from the release of “Knock Down, Drag Out” earlier this summer, The Wild Things have announced their new single “I Can’t Wait”, which details the second half of their sonic love story.

Back in June, The Wild Things shared “Knock Down, Drag Out”, a scorching tale of lust and love in New Orleans, delivered through cheeky lyrics and pop-rock soundscapes. Now, the band have announced their follow-up single, “I Can’t Wait’, which recounts the bitter end to the love affair. 

From the opening moments of the track, The Wild Things make it clear that any feelings of lust have been replaced with rage over the course of the summer. “Hey son of a bitch,” declares vocalist Sydney Rae White, “First of all, go to hell.” Taking aim at game-playing scumbags and arrogant fools, the track is defiant and self-assured, bringing their summer lovin’ (or lustin’) to an abrupt end over catchy rock instrumentals.

““I Can’t Wait” is part two of our love affair story, happening inside New Orleans,” shares White, “The gap between the singles is the realtime breakdown of our character’s relationship, ending in a vitriolic yet cathartic rock song. This song is a real shift for us in some really exciting ways. If “Knock Down, Drag Out” is a nod to our past, “I Can’t Wait” is a window into our future…”

The Wild Things · I Can't Wait

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Photo - Kyle Ross

Greg Jamie - I'd Get Away.

This week, weird art lifer Greg Jamie shares "I'd Get Away," the first track from his forthcoming full-length, Across a Violet Pasture. An established devotee of dark weirdness, Greg Jamie brings forth his second solo album on Orindal, Across a Violet Pasture. Over ten songs, Jamie journeys to the strange, enchanted center of his personal vision. This is a space between sleeping and waking, where Jamie’s woodsy, weary voice guides us forward.

It’s no surprise that the latest from the Maine-based musician and visual artist aims to haunt, but this experimental folk pop does it in a way that’s more playful than funereal. It lays a shimmering floor over the abyss.

Across a Violet Pasture evokes, on different tracks — a sea shanty, a cowboy song, and lounge music for a David Lynch film. A beaten-up vintage drum machine provides the pulse for one song, while another conjures the cavernous panic of Suicide. But the album doesn’t adhere too strictly to any gesture or influence. This is Jamie’s unique blend.

Many of the songs on Across a Violet Pasture are about going away — in search of freedom, alternatives, and a sense of meaning. There are mentions of the open road, a passage through the woods, distant shores, and the countryside. Yet Jamie’s descriptions of everyday life are mostly hints of a real world, quickly interrupted by bursts of the unexpected. Stories about relationships and inner turmoil are suggested. A broken or restless heart cries out. But the narratives are never fully told. On “Beautiful Place,” the singer speaks as if in a dream: “I took the witches by the hand / To tell me where I am / And take me back inside the fold.”

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Photo - Harry Artland

Jont - Walk Right Through.

From a beach hut in Thailand to the wooded trails of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, "Walk Right Through" is Jont's latest transmission from the deeper currents of human experience – a contemplative, harmony-soaked track that feels both ancient and modern, gentle and unflinching. The inspiration that Jont experienced during his time in Thailand was more than just a song – it was a narrative wrapped in archetype and poetry.
 
"A story of a son and a father, of a truth so radical it's banned by society, of the desire to sing that truth despite everything," he explains. "It's a photographic story if you want to see it. But more than that, it's a felt experience – melodic, harmonic, trance-like. The lyrics are there, but the real message is in the feeling."

At the heart of the track lies a chorus that offers a kind of spiritual reassurance: "Nothing's ever gonna get you / nothing's ever gonna blow you out / no-one loves you like I love you / you're the me that is all around." "I have goosebumps as I type these words," Jont admits. "Perhaps I've never felt prouder of a song than this one. Or maybe I mean grateful."

"Walk Right Through" lands as a personal and artistic high point – not only for its musicality, but for the clarity with which it affirms Jont's role in this world. "We are the ones who bring the songs," he says. "Thousands that may disappear without trace. But one or two get through. One or two, 50, 60, 80 years later, will still be alive in people's hearts. We do this for those who are not here yet."

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Honey Motel - Try Not To Worry, Babe’. 

Ahead of the anticipated upcoming EP Motel FM (Nov 28th), Liverpool rising indie-rockers Honey Motel share the reflective new single ‘...Try Not To Worry, Babe’. 

Produced by Alec Brits (Clean Cut Kid, Michael Aldag, St Catherine’s Child), ‘...Try Not To Worry, Babe’ showcases more of the bands indie credentials whilst highlighting the more emotive, reflective side of the band's writing. Intimate and honest, yet built around some radiant guitar work and soaring, infectiously catchy vocals, the track balances its emotive undercurrent with an accessible and stylistically vibrant soundscape. 

Talking about the track, lead vocalist Freddie explains: “‘Try Not to Worry, Babe’ to me is if the Fallout video games were a surf rock inspired song. We wrote about what it would really look like if the world fell apart, not in a movie, in real life. Little details like the weatherman breaking down on live TV as the facade crumbles, and ultimately everyone embracing the end. (And I got to make a plane noise with Sam's guitar in the studio which I am very proud of)”

Honey Motel formed in the rehearsal rooms of Liverpool, rooted in the teenage friendship of guitarist Sam Meredith and bassist Jack Hughes, who laid the band’s early foundations before drummer Lew Fogg joined in the winter of 2023, locking in the rhythm section. With the groove in place, they brought in Freddie Griggs to lead the outfit in April 2024, debuting as a four-piece at Liverpool Sound City 2024 and diving headfirst into the live circuit. 

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Photo - No Aesthetic Stills

Maygen & The Birdwatcher - Millie Moon.

This week, the Minnesota-based group Maygen & The Birdwatcher are encouraging all of us to welcome joy into our hearts on new single “Millie Moon” from upcoming LP The Americana Dream, out October 10 via Yellow House Music Collective / Missing Piece Records. The song finds lead vocalist Maygen Lacey, vocalist/guitarist Noah Neumann and banjo player Nik Pellinen trading verses about what happens when you let good things come to you and embrace bliss – especially after a particularly rough patch in your life. Mandolin player Jesse Maravec adds harmonies to create a truly communal sound.

On the new song, Neumann shares: “The journey out of the briars into accepting and welcoming joy. The melody and the tone of this song were something we really wanted to make very sing and dance-along friendly, to encourage everyone to experience joy.” 

The new LP reimagines the traditional definition of the American Dream by shifting away from the aspirational nature of the concept itself and moving towards a full embrace of the literal definition of Americana – the vast geographical, historical and cultural expanse that reflects Maygen & The Birdwatcher’s roots as well as this country as a whole. The band already shared the bouncy first single “Feel Good,” as well as the cathartic “Elizabeth,” which was named The Current’s Song of the Day and earned praise from Magnet Magazine who lauded the band’s “easy Midwestern charm and effortless versatility.” 

The record’s expansive sound, firmly rooted in the band’s bluegrass and folk roots, is the result of a new recording process where Lacey and Neumann worked with co-producer John Fields (Brandi Carlile, Soul Asylum, Miley Cyrus). Bursting onto the scene with their sparkling bluegrass in 2021, they’ve already shared stages with fellow genre luminaries like Sierra Ferrell, Old Crow Medicine Show and Grace Potter. They’ve also won Album of the Year, Americana Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year from the Midwest Country Music Organization.


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Eileen Carey - Brògeal - The Cords

Eileen Carey - Carry Me Away.

Eileen Carey's brand new single "Carry Me Away" is all about finding that special place to get away and be in the magic of living in the moment. The seductive upbeat pop-country song also narrates finding a space to make those important changes needed in life.

Eileen Carey is an award-winning country-pop singer-songwriter based in Altadena, California. Known for her infectious optimism and genre-blending sound, Carey has become a standout figure in the independent music scene, earning accolades such as the New Music Awards’ AC/Hot AC Breakthrough Artist of 2025 and the Independent Music Network’s Entertainer of the Year in 2025.

Her music, described as “West Coast Pop-Country”, is upbeat, accessible, and emotionally resonant. Carey’s singles like “Land with You” and “Good Bad Girl” have topped radio charts and earned praise for their empowering messages and danceable melodies1.

A dynamic live performer, Carey has shared stages with legends including Don McLean, Rita Coolidge, Jefferson Starship, and The Motels, captivating audiences with her “Gretchen Wilson-meets-Miranda Lambert” stage presence. Her shows are known for turning passive listeners into active participants, with line dancing, singalongs, and standing ovations. 

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Brògeal - Go Home Tae Yer Bed.

This week Brògeal release their new single "Go Home Tae Yer Bed" ahead of their debut album. "Go Home Tae Yer Bed" is Scottish band Brògeal's most personal release yet. 

“Been sitting on this tune for a year or two, again not knowing what to do with it. The boys done a really good job adding their instruments to it, as I’d honestly no direction to go in", says Aidan Callaghan. "This song deals with grief, and that’s all I’ll say.” 

Featuring a stunning Gaelic translation and vocals from Lewis’s Josie Duncan, it’s a raw, moving departure from their usual sound—the band's debut album Tuesday Paper Club will be out on October 17.


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The Cords - I'm Not Sad.

The second single by fantastic young sibling-duo, The Cords, has been released today. It's short, sweet, upbeat… the perfect pop song for a heatwave summer! The Cords' debut album, is scheduled for release on September 26th.

The Cords are the brightest new indiepop band from Scotland.  Comprising sisters Eva and Grace Tedeschi, they started playing drums when they were little kids.  They found that they liked 80s and 90s indie music more than their peers did, and so formed a band, just the two of them, with Grace on drums and Eva on guitar – and the songs started to flow.

With only a cassette and a flexi single released so far (both of which sold out in a matter of hours), Eva and Grace honed their skills by playing a whole series of gigs with some of the biggest names in Scottish pop.  Their first show was with The Vaselines, and since then they have played with Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian, BMX Bandits and others, while also sharing stages with the new generation of indiepop stars: the Umbrellas, Chime School, Lightheaded.  They are embraced by established stars and adored by their contemporaries.

The Cords were invited to record a session for Riley and Coe on 6 Music on the back of their early releases, and have now recorded their eagerly-awaited debut album, which will be co-released by Skep Wax (in the UK and Europe) and Slumberland Records (in America).  Like all great pop bands, The Cords have taken familiar ingredients and created something utterly fresh.  Older indie fans will hear echoes of The Shop Assistants, The Primitives, Tiger Trap and Talulah Gosh, but they will hear something else too: a yearning, dreamy melodic power that takes the songs into darker, stranger places. 

The Cords · I'm Not Sad

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Midnight Sky - The Grahams - Ashley Monroe

Midnight Sky - Just Before Dawn (Album).

Americana rockers Midnight Sky have officially released their highly-anticipated full-length album, Just Before Dawn, on all major streaming platforms via MTS Records. Anchored by the evocative new single “Hearts Are Wild,” the 13-track collection is a cinematic and soul-stirring exploration of love’s complexity, highway solitude, and the quiet moments that linger just before dawn.

Led by veteran songwriter Tim Tye, Midnight Sky weaves threads of country, folk, and roots rock into a cohesive and emotionally resonant album that showcases Tye’s evolution as a storyteller and sonic craftsman. From the haunting melancholy of “Only the Moon is Blue” to the rollicking redemption in “Dockside Jump,” the LP traverses backroads of memory and emotion with unflinching honesty.

“This album is about moments—ones you regret, ones you fight for, and ones you never forget,” says Tye. “Just Before Dawn is where all those moments live. That quiet hour when the world holds its breath and your heart does too.”

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Photo - Julian Gross

The Grahams - Only New York.

Acclaimed Americana-pop duo The Grahams have announced their fourth studio album, The Bridge, will be out this fall and have released their new single “Only New York.” The powerful track pays homage to a city The Grahams, lifelong lovers Alyssa and Doug Graham call part of their heartbeat and one of the main characters in their life. Their personal and unique tribute to the Big Apple. Set for release on October 10th via the East Nashville label 3Sirens, The Bridge, referring to the George Washington Bridge which transported the New Jersey natives to New York City during their formative years, is the group’s most deeply personal album to date.

“New York City was, is, and will always be a defining piece of who we are,” shares Alyssa. “As kids, we lived across the bridge. NYC was the backdrop for all our minor indiscretions, all our not so minor rebellions. She taught us how to be smart, creative, open-minded, and sometimes devious. As adults, we lived deep within her pulsing heart. We performed music over and over again within her underground. We learned to love her and to loathe her as New York is at once the best and the worst of everything.”

“Our daughter was born a New Yorker,” Doug adds. “When we were writing this song, we realized every bridge in our life, both literally and metaphorically, leads back to New York City. Our forever home. This track is without a doubt the defining song of our life, our love affair, and our legacy, because only New York.”

For perhaps the first time since the inception of The Grahams over a decade ago, Alyssa and Doug give listeners an honest glimpse into their personal lives within their music on The Bridge. The 11-track collection, which finds the couple embracing the collaborative Nashville co-write, is inspired by their everyday lives. The Grahams wrote much of The Bridge with GRAMMY-nominated producer Dex Green, singer-songwriter Kate York, and GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan. Alyssa (vocals) and Doug (guitars/vocals) credit these three creative ambassadors with helping them write about their lives honestly and vulnerably, diving deep into their childhood love affair that has lasted over 37 years.

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Photo - Erika Rock

Ashley Monroe - Tennessee Lightning (Album).

On Friday, 3x GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Ashley Monroe released her sixth studio album Tennessee Lightning. Co-produced with GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer Gena Johnson (John Prine, Jason Isbell), the 17-song collection was recorded in the wake of Monroe’s transformative bout with cancer and recounts her remarkable journey as a celebration of life, love and the healing power of music. The album features contributions from T Bone Burnett, Marty Stuart, Brittney Spencer, Waylon Payne, Brendan Benson, Butch Walker, Karen Fairchild and Armand Hutton. 

Tennessee Lightning has received acclaim from The Nashville Scene, People, Stereogum, NPR Music, Music Row, The Observer, Americana UK and many more. No Depression proclaimed its “an electrifying new album that traverses a variety of musical landscapes, from swampy blues to gospel to pop and country.” 

The album is rich, multifaceted meditation on identity, purpose, and meaning from an artist who’s learned to see herself — and the world around her — in a whole new light following a life-altering diagnosis. “When I got diagnosed with lymphoma and started my treatment, I stopped writing, I stopped hearing melodies, I stopped thinking about songs at all,” Monroe recalls. 

“When I finally went into remission, I could feel the life and the music start flowing in my veins again,” she explains. “It was like a flood, just this rush of inspiration.” Along with that inspiration came a newfound clarity and gratitude, as well as a vision for this new album.

Ashley Monroe · Tennessee Lightning

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