Home Counties - Ant Thomaz - Kramies - Cherry i

Photo - Luca Bailey

Home Counties - New Best Thing.

Home Counties today release their new single 'New Best Thing', a stomping, synth-laced thrill ride and the latest preview of their eagerly awaited second album 'Humdrum', out 24th October via Submarine Cat Records - produced by Al Doyle (of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem).

Written in a rare moment of spontaneity, 'New Best Thing' unspools like a strobe-lit meltdown - half blog-era dance-punk, half indie sleaze fever dream. Synths squelch and guitars stab between swung, danceable rhythms, as vocalists Will Harrison and Lois Kelly skewer the kind of brash self-belief that thrives in a world of instant gratification and blurred moral lines. 

Will Harrison explains: “Inspired by the electroclash of Peaches with the Cowboy-guitar blues rock of Alabama 3, we tried to make something that was fun and immediate – something that wouldn’t feel out of place on a PlayStation 2 driving game. Pairing swung drums and obnoxious synths and guitars, it felt sleazy and swaggering.

"This feeling inspired the lyrical content, capturing the overconfidence that comes from consumption and how society either tolerates it or looks down upon it depending on class. Writing the lyrics and music quickly also added to the general immediacy of the song. It was a rare moment of not allowing ourselves to overthink things, which I guess in a way reflects the carelessness of the subject matter.”

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Ant Thomaz - Feet on the Ground.

Ant Thomaz is a Glasgow-based singer-songwriter and musician with roots from the Bayou of southern Louisiana. Drawing from a vibrant mix of folk, soul, pop, zydeco, and rock, his music carries a raw, lived-in warmth shaped by years of self-taught songwriting since the age of twelve. Known for his heartfelt lyrics and a sound that blends grit with soul, Thomaz weaves personal experience into every note, echoing both his Southern heritage and his journey as an artist.

His latest single, “Feet on the Ground,” is a warm, sincere tribute to real love, written with his wife and creative partner, Frances. The track speaks to the importance of presence, and the power of staying grounded through life’s distractions, worries, and external noise. Opening with the lyric “walking through the rain without even a stain, not knowing anyone’s name…”, the song sets the tone for a reflective journey about choosing peace, clarity, and connection over chaos. It’s a reminder that even when the world feels uncertain, love can be an anchor.

Inspired by their late-night conversations as artists, parents, and partners, Thomaz uses the song to explore what it means to grow in love without losing your sense of joy and self. “Feet on the Ground” is also an expression of gratitude for the strong women who inspire him daily, especially Frances, whose impact on his life and artistry is woven through every lyric. At its core, the song urges us to hold on to our youthful spirit, to slow down, and to honour the everyday beauty of life and love, free from ego or comparison.

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Kramies - Hollywood Signs.

As the summer scurry fades and autumn winds drift eastward, the days grow shorter, the lights dimmer - Kramies makes his timely return. And “Hollywood Signs”, the lead single from an upcoming new LP, is a clear departure in sound for the cult Ohio songwriter. 

Three years after his critically acclaimed self-titled LP—which earned multiple Album of the Year accolades and saw Billboard christen him “The Dreampop Troubadour” - in 2025 Kramies begins anew and turns the page to his next chapter with its follow-up.

Operating in a genre of his own devising that he dubbed Folklore Dreampop - a blend of dreamy textures, poetic myth, and spectral beauty - his self-titled debut offered a collection of songs steeped in wonder that found the singer-songwriter drifting deeply through a series of otherworldly realms. But for his next act, Kramies marks a creative shift from any former labellings with the decisively titled new album: ‘Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour’. 

Seeking to expand his creative world into new dimensions, his upcoming work finds him collaborating with Grammy-winning producer Mario McNulty (David Bowie / Prince) to conjure dusky soundscapes shaded with nighttime colors and a nostalgic melancholia. Unlike previous releases that have been scattered with the stardust of luminaries such Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Patrick Carney (Black Keys), Alma Forrer, Jerry Becker (Train) and more, his new album is a stridently confident solo creation, with Kramies playing 90% of the instruments across the album. 

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Photo - Zosia Kibalo

Cherry i -The Arsonist.

London outfit Cherry i emerge today with their unsettling and cinematic new single ‘The Arsonist’, produced by Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Youth Lagoon, Soccer Mommy). A slow-creeping art-rock dirge that draws from myth and modern conflict, the single reframes harrowing events through a cryptic, surrealist lens: a divine arsonist trapped inside a dog, prowling the streets of Kyiv.

Built on detuned guitars and submerged percussion, ‘The Arsonist’ drifts through the liminal space between The Smile’s unsettling surrealism and King Krule’s shadowy melancholy, with glints of Portishead’s brooding atmosphere and Beth Gibbons’ fragile intensity. The result is vivid and enigmatic - anchored by singer Nikol’s spectral delivery, her voice carrying a distinctive, quivering lilt that shifts between whisper and lament.

On the release of 'The Arsonist' Nikol said: “The lyrics came out of a very tough time. I wanted to take a fairy tale or Greek myth-style approach to something too difficult to look at head-on. Some of our band members are Ukrainian refugees, so the song became a way to process those feelings, by creating distance without losing the truth. It revolves around themes of processing the trauma of war, displacement and loss. The lyrics themselves take on a more vague approach consisting of a fairytale-like reimagining of events wherein The Arsonist is this Greek god type destructive force, trapped inside a dog wreaking havoc on the streets of Kyiv."

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Alexei Shishkin - Eve Goodman + SERA - The Zac Schulze Gang - This Machine Kills Archons

Alexei Shishkin - Ode to Carl Dennis.

Inspired by the work of the titular poet, “Ode to Carl Dennis” is the third single from ‘Good Times,’ Alexei Shishkin’s eleventh full-length album. Once described as “restless lo-fi chameleon” (or as the artist himself puts it, “a label’s worst nightmare”), Shishkin is highly prolific across multiple fields, relishing the freedom of being a “hobbyist.” In 2024 alone, Shishkin released his debut feature documentary ‘Play By Ear’ (featuring Built to Spill, Pictoria Vark, Magic Sword and The Shivas), as well as three distinct records.

On September 5th’s ‘Good Times,’ he again challenged himself by venturing out to Big Nice Studio in Lincoln, Rhode Island, without a plan. In a four-day session with producer Bradford Krieger, Shishkin created the album from scratch. The result is a unique amalgamation of Americana, Jazz, and Slacker Rock, which Shishkin calls “a collage of spur-of-the-moment inspiration,” and an “escape from reality.” ‘Good Times’ will be released on September 5th via the Rue Defense label. 

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Eve Goodman + SERA - Cwlwm Cariad.

Continuing with their nature-inspired theme, Cwlwm Cariad refers to a type of moth, the ‘True Lover’s Knot’ in English. This is the second in a run of singles by singer-songwriters Eve Goodman and SERA from their upcoming collaborative album, Natur, due for release in the Autumn of 2025. It follows their first single Blodyn Gwyllt which was released in July.

Where Blodyn Gwyllt was a celebration of freedom and the summer, Cwlwm Cariad is quite different. There are no guitars and percussion here, only one piano and 2 live voices almost until the end. It is delicate and it sings of the peril often tied up in the complexities of love and relationships, the passion, the self-destruction and flying too close to the flame. The delicate moth and the human heart connected in this way.

The track was recorded on an upright piano and the duo’s voices weave together in harmony once again.  Recorded at Wild End Studio near Llanrwst, North Wales, with co-producer Colin Bass. (member of Camel and also producer of the Tincian album from 9 Bach which won ‘Best Album’ at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award in 2015)

Eve Goodman and SERA began working together after they were selected as BBC Horizons Artists in 2019. Both folk singer-songwriters, with rising solo careers and both had grown up in Caernarfon. Being part of Horizons brought them together and after just one writing session they found common ground in their connection to and curiosity around nature. 

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The Zac Schulze Gang - High Roller.

Formed in Gillingham (south-east UK) in 2020, The Zac Schulze Gang are an electrifying blues-rock trio built on the playing of front man Zac Schulze, joined by bassist Ant Greenwell and drummer Ben Schulze. ​​​​​The gang create their signature sound by blending rock and blues with influences from punk, funk, country, jazz, soul, metal and pop.
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After earning a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the country, they are now touring internationally across the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and America. They have toured and shared the bill with artists such as Samantha Fish, Jesse Dayton, Eddie 9V, Nine Below Zero, Aynsley Lister, Band of Friends and The Cinelli Brothers.

The gang have won multiple awards including the UK Blues Emerging Band of the Year award for 2024 and Young Artist of the Year 2025. They were also invited to play at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival 2023 in Los Angeles and made an appearance at Fairport's Cropredy Convention in 2024 to large acclaim.​​ In 2025 the band headlined the Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival in Ballyshannon as well as the Broadstairs Blues Bash.
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With a debut studio album on the horizon in 2025, the Zac Schulze Gang are setting up to be a future powerhouse of their genre.

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This Machine Kills Archons - Future Shocked / Day Revelation (EP).

This is a UK-based psychedelic indie-rock project founded by singer-songwriter R.P. Warrington in 2020. With lush, genre-blending sounds likened to “Beach Boys meets Big Star,” “Bolanesque” and “Crooning Beatlesy”. One radio station called it “mellow rock 'n' roll road music”. Joined by a rotating cast of acclaimed collaborators, This Machine Kills Archons has released three critically received EPs showcasing a unique blend of retro flair and modern insight.

A new EP ‘Day Revelation’ released today 18 August 2025 on all platforms has songs that warn of a future godless and controlling society where nothing is permanent. The lead track is Future Shocked – the EP also includes the songs System of Moods, Don’t Play God and Deaf Tombs.

This Machine Kills Archons is the moniker of singer/songwriter R.P. Warrington. Based in the UK. They have previously released three critically received EPs showcasing a unique blend of retro flair and modern insight. They have had radio airplay and positive feedback from radio DJ’s and music reviewers from across England, Australia, Europe, America and Canada.  



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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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