Leanne Gallati - Selve - Oslo Twins - Us and Them

Leanne Gallati - Villain 2.0.

Leanne Gallati proves that she can belt her heart out on new single “Villain 2.0”. If you’re a fan of Lake Street Dive or Sammy Rae & the Friends, then the powerhouse vocals of Leanne Gallati will surely catch your attention. The synopsis of the new track is about looking within and recognizing that you can be the bad guy in a relationship sometimes, making it an introspective and relatable number.

The new video for “Villain 2.0.”  is a playful, old-fashioned perception of a “damsel in distress” gone wrong. Filmed with a camcorder and a green screen, the video leans into the old time-y vibes and whimsicality of the overall story the video portrays. Halfway through the video, the script is flipped with Gallati’s lover acting as the damsel, and Leanne turning into the perpetrator. Throughout the video and track, the duality of humankind unfolds, as we see an imperfect version of the narrator owning up to her flaws while simultaneously embracing the positive parts of herself. 
 
Leanne Gallati shares a few words about the inspiration behind the new track: “Villain 2.0” came out of an instance, where I realized that I was actually the bad guy in a relationship, not the man. This songwriting process was very cathartic for me, because it is essentially about me accepting the ugly parts of my personality, and how I became self aware of my actions and how they affect others.”

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Photo - Joshua Tate

Selve - Friday Night. 

Australian band Selve share the final teaser of forthcoming album 'Breaking Into Heaven' before its release on the 12 September, the new single 'Friday Night' lands ahead of Selve's album tour spanning dates in so-called QLD, NSW & VIC across Sep-Nov, set to bring their (and we sort of quote) "lively" (Rolling Stone) singular blend of "mystery, intrigue and damn good rock & roll" (Scenestr) with "levels of throwaway fun right on the money" (Paul McBride); and to a New Year's appearance at Lost Paradise alongside names like Underworld, Channel Tres, Confidence Man, Dameeela, Marc Rebillet and more and a support for Winston Surfshirt.

A deeply earnest love song evoking a drive-in-cinema romance with sweeping string sections, lofty duet vocals via Liddle and Creation Saffigna, 'Friday Night' was written during the band's time in France, with Liddle going through a difficult time that "warranted the melancholic nostalgia" of the track's irrepressible pop hooks - with the song's creation taking on a journey reflective of its joyous post-nihilism. 

Loki Liddle explains: "'Friday Night' is song coming from a sad time that transformed into something beautiful and redemptive - a Cadillac by the river, Bonnie and Clyde romance. It was the hardest song to get across the line. We couldn't find a chorus and were in the studio for 2-3 hours ad-libbing shit, we were about to give up hope - then I found it: 'If nothing matters / then why do you matter to me' - and we knew that was it, a skin of our teeth kind of moment! We hope you feel washed by its gentle waves of healing, redemption and real love."

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Photo - Veronica Maier

Oslo Twins -All In Your Mind. 

London-based indie-dance outfit Oslo Twins return today to announce a new A/B side, led by electrifying new track ‘All In Your Mind’, out digitally today via Half-Normal Records. Following the semi-viral success of their 'Tresor' EP earlier this year, with lead track 'I Wake Up Slowly' now approaching a million streams and gaining extensive radio airplay across Europe, 'All In Your Mind' builds on that breakthrough moment, and will be released on limited 7" vinyl with its B-side 'Sirens' on 15th October.

New single 'All In Your Mind' cements Oslo Twins' evolution from their Bristolian indie roots and plants them firmly in London’s after-dark orbit. Their hypnotic, industrial-tinged electronica feels more alluring than ever - led by Claudia Vulliamy’s conversational vocals, and the kind of nocturnal melancholy that belongs to rainy streets, flickering night-bus lights and post-club detours.

Recorded and produced by band member Eric C. Davies at his east London studio, the track rides on kinetic beats and gleaming synths, its intimacy heightened by Vulliamy’s vocals, recorded on her phone in a park, giving them a grainy, half-remembered texture. 

On the release of 'All In Your Mind', Claudia Vulliamy said: "I approached the song with ideas of nostalgia and our blurred images of the past. This got me looking at a corner of the internet where people curate photos that are eerily reminiscent of a childhood memory, often low-res photos of empty spaces from the 2000s, as well as the similar ‘liminal’ aesthetic. I was interested in how we construct vague fantasies from incomplete memories or narratives. Vocally, I wanted it to feel like a conversation caught on record and turned into a song."

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Us and Them - Get in the swing.

The Swedish-based duo Us and Them have a penchant for vocal harmonies and strong melodies in combination with elements of folk, psychedelia and baroque pop. The songs can be introspective and based on personal experiences, but also expressing timeless and universal stories. They first recorded for Fruits de Mer Records back in 2009 and have been regular visitors to the label since then, most recently with the first CD in our retrospective series ‘An Introduction to’ – it was a sell-out release. But now it’s time for a new album released on FdM’s ‘Friends of the Fish’ label.

In the autumn of 2022, Us and Them's third album. “…and I observed the blue sky” was released, an album that broadened Us and Them musical styles and was born from the isolation that the covid pandemic enforced, as well as the focus that arose from this time. Since then, the duo has released a covers EP, a few singles and collaborated with other artists.

The duo's fourth album scheduled for release on September 15 is “The Lights and the Shadow”, Britt and Anders explain... "While working on it, the songs were pulling in two directions, partly towards the pastoral and idyllic - a kind of escape from reality and a denial of the world that is going on outside of us - and partly towards a darker, more atmospheric sound; it was as if the album as a whole described the different sides of life - the light that is at best the starting point but with the shadow that is always there and risks falling over our lives at any time, hence the album's title."

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False Futures - Risley - A Better Place - Crystal Jacqueline and friends

False Futures - Under The Same Sun.

Just days ahead of their debut UK headline tour, London-based indie quartet False Futures return with their third ever single 'Under The Same Sun' today August 26th. Bathed in sunlight, the track is a reflective meditation on youth, ambition, and the timeless search for belonging—marking the band’s transition from underground darlings to a rising power in the indie scene.

Recorded in a cramped 9ft x 9ft room in North London, 'Under The  Same Sun' belies its humble origins with an expansive sound that recalls the angular precision of Television and the lo-fi authenticity of Pavement. Self-produced with the kind of DIY ingenuity that echoes Mac DeMarco's bedroom recording ethos, the track transforms spatial limitations into sonic intimacy. The track's stripped-back musicianship allows frontman Mathew Conner’s distinct Northern tinged tones to permeate every line, delivering lyrics that speak to anyone who's ever felt the pull between conformity and self-expression.

The song began life eight years ago as an instrumental demo, written during Conner’s first summer in London when he was "obsessed with The Beach Boys" and experiencing the intoxicating freedom of city life. But it wasn't until a moment of inspiration at Peckham Plex cinema that the words finally came together, transforming a long-dormant idea into a fully-fledged anthem.

"This track is a pat on the back to my younger self; a reminder to do as you please with your time on earth," he explains "The good, the bad, the alright, everything that has ever happened has done so, under the same sun, and that's all the guarantee you're getting."

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Risley - Halah.

Portland, Oregon's Risley is a four-piece band that can be described as dreamy and nostalgic indie-rock with a twist of 80s British influence. A web of guitar melodies often sit atop a driving rhythm section to stage the backdrop for soaring vocals and thoughtful lyrics. As such, you can imagine the band is heavily influenced by Mazzy Star, and to pay homage to them they have covered Mazzy Star's "Halah" and will release it nationally on all streaming platforms today August 26th. 

Of the song, frontman Michael Deresh says: “We had learned ‘Halah’ to play at a show, with the intention of it being a one-time thing, like most songs we cover and occasionally throw into a set. What can I say? We grew attached and didn’t want to say goodbye, so quickly. It felt like we had really reminded a lot of people of a song that they loved but had forgotten. So, we decided to record it and share it more widely. We’ve never released a cover song as a single, but it just felt right. Why not? It's such a wonderful song and singing Hope’s parts is like putting on a velvet robe. I just want to stay there and linger.”

Risley released their latest album, Umbra Penumbra, this spring at Mississippi Studios (Portland, Oregon). This June, the band was honored and thrilled to share their live session in the KEXP studios, where they had charted for six weeks. The record also notably features a guest appearance on the song "Walls" by Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam) on drums.

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A Better Place - Don't Mind.

On their third single Don’t Mind, A Better Place drifts into dreamlike territory—led by a hypnotic guitar line and a slow-burning build that erupts into a hazy indie rock climax. Clocking in at just under two minutes, the track captures intimacy, longing, and fleeting connection in one tight, powerful swoop. 

Like a half-remembered dream or a whispered confession, Don’t Mind leaves its mark before slipping away. Catch them live, because once you do, you’ll be hooked. 

Even amidst the success of HALF CAB, Joris Ras, singer and guitarist, felt a burning desire to create something different. Less pop-punk, more indie rock. That’s when A Better Place was born. What started as a side project quickly took center stage after HALF CAB came to a close, and with that shift, the creative energy skyrocketed. New songs are flowing in at a rapid pace, and the band wasted no time hitting the studio.

TCBYML · A Better Place - Dont Mind

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Crystal Jacqueline and friends - Elven Boy.

Crystal Jacqueline and The Honey Pot have been Fruits de Mer ‘regulars’ for many years – as close as you can get to being the label’s ‘house band’; their blend of psychedelia, folk, originals and covers has made them firm favourites of followers of the label; ‘Smoke Road’ is Jacqui’s new project – a double LP (on sale September 15th) containing all original songs. Featuring guest appearances from Leo O'Kelly, Icarus Peel and Mark McDowell amongst others, 'Smoke Road' has lyrics by David Greygoose, which have dark, gothic undertones, so expect a mysterious rural psychedelia-meets-acid folk feel to the music
Over to Crystal Jacqueline to explain….

“During the summer of 2023 there was some conversation evolving between myself, Icarus Peel and the author David Greygoose; he had been following our music and supporting us for a while, sending us a few of his books and some poems to read so that we could write some cover notes for his next book ‘Crow Dark Dawn’. It soon became clear that there were similarities in the style and subject matter between his lyrics and Icarus’s, so the idea of a collaboration between us was all but inevitable. Many of David’s poems reminded Icarus of Mervyn Peake’s ‘Gormenghast’ in style and thought; the words would lend themselves to his music very well. We were, in fact, equally impressed with one another’s qualities and that would go on to contribute to this rather special album. We arranged a few songs to start with and all agreed that the sound was good, so we kept the project going and invited some friends along...

The first musician we approached was Leo O’Kelly from Tír na nÓg, with whom we had been planning to work for a while, but hadn’t quite got a suitable set of songs together; his playing brings an exciting, atmospheric dynamic especially to ‘The Tides That Turn’. We had also been looking for an excuse to work with Mark McDowell for some time, and this was the perfect opportunity. He does a fine job singing on ‘Smoke Road’ and ‘The Grey Light’. Icarus was already working with Rob Gould and Jay Tausig on other projects and they were happy to join in with this. Jay plays drums and also sings as well as contributing some wonderful flute. Rob contributes his excellent keyboard playing on ‘The Greygoose Lament’ amongst others. Equally impressive is the Mellotron playing from Mordecai Smyth, which can be heard to best effect on ‘Dreamwalkers’. Dick Terry, drums and vocals, and Django Manglunki, glissando guitar, both members of The Honey Pot Collective, contributed beautifully along with Maria, Irish whistle, and Phil Townsend who played jaw harp. 

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Maple Mars - Tullycraft - Rachael Sage & The Sequins - Kashena Sampson

Maple Mars - Couldn't Have Been A Better Time / Tidal Wave.

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of LA pop-psych titans Maple Mars, Big Stir Records have just released an all new two track single from the band: “Couldn't Have Been A Better Time” and “Tidal Wave”, a one-two punch demonstrating both the power and the pop that have made them longtime favorites onstage and on record. 

It seems impossible that it's been a quarter of a century since Maple Mars rose from the ashes of front man Rick Hromadka's beloved '90s outfit Double Naught Spies, and the new songs presented here are as full of youthful rock and roll energy as ever. But it's a reality worth celebrating, and the current lineup of the band Hromadka on vocals and guitar, Steve Berns on guitar and vocals, longtime drummer Ron Pak and returning bassist Jeff Legore do so in their customary bracing rock style. 

The songs presented here display the band at the absolute top of their game, too. The A-side “Couldn't Have Been A Better Time” is a pure guitar-pop delight, with soaring hooks and a sense of palpable joy permeating the performance. The title telegraphs a look back at the band's history, but there's more going on here, however coy Hromadka may be about it. “I gave away too much personal info about some of the songs on the last Maple Mars album,” he says of the personal journey detailed in music on Someone's Got To Listen. “Gonna keep this one a secret. Although listeners can probably figure out that it's about someone special in my life.” The song simply radiates warmth, and the blend of trippy touches and Beach Boys like glee are pure Maple Mars.


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Tullycraft - Tarrytown / Love On the Left Bank.

Seattle, Washington's own indie pop pioneers Tullycraft are back with two new singles "Tarrytown" & "Love On the Left Bank" off their new album Shoot the Point out now on HHBTM Records. 

Over the years, Tullycraft has penned a handful of songs that practically define the twee movement in America. The chorus "fuck me, I'm twee" was the refrain that launched a thousand t-shirts. “The Punks Are Writing Love Songs” introduced bratty punk to hummingbird twee. "Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend’s Too Stupid to Know About" encapsulated an entire music scene in a single song. 

And yet despite this, for most, the band exists somewhere near the edges of obscurity. Occasionally, they receive a nod (like when their album 'Old Traditions, New Standards' was featured on Pitchfork's list of the 25 Best Indie Pop Albums of the ’90s) but these spotlights don’t tend to happen as frequently as one might think.

While the mainstream has largely ignored Tullycraft, their status in the indie pop underground is undeniable. Formed in Seattle in 1995, they are considered to be one of the bona fide pioneers of the American twee pop movement. Touring relentlessly during the last gasp of the truly independent indie-underground, they influenced countless young bands. They were once called “the Johnny Appleseed of Indie Pop — making their way across the country, leaving new bands, zines, and record labels to sprout up in their wake."


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Photo - Anna Azarov

Rachael Sage & The Sequins - The Best Version.

Beloved folk-pop singer-songwriter Rachael Sage and her longtime band The Sequins have released their uplifting new single and video “The Best Version” alongside the announcement of their new studio album Canopy, out October 24 via MPress Records. Standing as Sage’s most soulful and thought-provoking work to date, Canopy confidently spans Americana, pop, and neo-folk while exploring themes of living a purposeful and joyful life rooted in inclusiveness and equality. The new single is a lyrical, piano-pop confession that grapples with social media surrealism and imagines a blissful, unplugged state of being.

“‘The Best Version’ is a pretty different flavor musically from the rest of the album,” shares Sage on the new single. “Over the last few years, I’ve witnessed more and more people throwing up their hands and feeling so continually misunderstood on social media that they’ve had to go on ‘social media fasts’ just to feel sane. 

This gave me the idea of imagining a sort of blissful, off-the-grid state of being where you might gaze into a night-sky, imagine your soulmate(s) living in other parts of the world, and feel simultaneously tiny and huge. In these chaotic times, I personally find a lot of solace knowing from being on tour that I have kindred spirits in many places now and this song expresses the gist of why I love touring so much. I think this is among the most hopeful tracks on the record and we worked really hard to reflect the hopeful, expansive feeling of the lyrics in the string arrangement.”

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Photo - Jon Karr 

Kashena Sampson - Ghost Of Me.

Nashville-based powerhouse Kashena Sampson has unveiled the title track of her forthcoming LP, Ghost Of Me, out on October 3. Kashena tells us “Besides being a musician, I have also been a bartender at a music venue for the past 10 years to pay my bills. It’s a great job, but there are some nights that feel like my heart is breaking,” Sampson told Chorus.fm. “Watching others live out the exact dream I’m still chasing, night after night. Having to put a smile on my face and serve industry people who’ve passed on me can be rough, and I can get real down on myself about it sometimes. 

‘Ghost Of Me’ is about those moments. The times when I question my worth, and the internal struggle of not being where I would like to be in my music career,” she added. “It’s about not giving up on my dreams even though at times it feels like it’s killing me.”

“Stuck in the same place, same routine,” she sings, before a swell of gorgeous, nocturnal noise, full of swooning keyboards and atmospheric guitars, like a long-lost Roy Orbison classic reborn for a film noir soundtrack. “Ghost Of Me” follows lead single, “Rearview Mirror,” a song born of intuition and shadow work, a spiritual shake-up designed to clear the path for truth. 

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heddlu - Peech. - Ezra Bell - Katy Guillen & The Drive

heddlu - Tramor (Album).

The Welsh Electronic / Indie Artist 'heddlu' released his new album 'Tramor' via Zawn Records a couple of days ago. Beehive Candy have already featured three great tracks from the album and are really pleased to share the full album now. As a reminder heddlu is the new musical project by Rhodri Daniel. The Ceredigion native was a founding member of renowned Welsh band Estrons who had a major impact on the industry.

 After finishing the band in 2019, Rhodri became aware that his hearing was severely damaged. Years of touring the live circuit had taken their toll, Rhodri ultimately being diagnosed with hearing loss, tinnitus and severe sensitivity to noise. The effects were so acute, Rhodri was unable to play live music, leading to him composing his critically acclaimed debut album (Cantref, 2022) in his head whilst completing the entirety of the Wales Coastal Path (900 miles). His family and namely his sister, were great sources of comfort and hope during this difficult period. Serendipity led Rhodri back to music, and heddlu was born. Meaning ‘Police’ in Welsh, from the words ‘peace-force’, heddlu's music has been true to its’ name, offering a force of peace to the songwriter.

Rhodri spent the next few years writing and experimenting with new sounds and instruments as his hearing slowly recovered. Whilst writing and recording his 2nd album, life found a way of both disrupting and influencing the creative process, leading to multiple re-writes and an entire album being erased. Eventually, despite the interruptions, heddlu’s 2nd album, ‘Tramor’ - was completed. Meaning ‘Overseas’ in Welsh, ‘Tramor’ is series of intimate and volatile songs, detailing years of loss, estrangement, trauma and hope.

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Peech. - Going West / Tomorrows.

Rising country-folk artist Peech. released his debut EP, Small Town America, yesterday via CCMG/TAMLA. The six-song collection captures the warmth, ache, and transformation of leaving behind everything familiar in pursuit of something greater. Beehive Candy feature two songs from the EP Going West and Tomorrows.
 
Since his breakout single, “Don't Miss Your Moment,” Peech. has been spotlighted by CMT, the Academy of Country Music, All Country News, Fandom Daily, Sweety High, and Earmilk, earning praise as “a voice worth listening to.” Building on that momentum, Small Town America blends vivid lyricism and intimate vocals into stories of growth, nostalgia, and chasing the unknown.
 
“It's about moving forward, letting go of hardships while holding onto the warmth of home, missing the moments that shaped you, yet embracing the thrill of the unknown,” says Peech.
 
With growing support from media and industry tastemakers alike, Peech. is poised for a breakout moment. Small Town America marks the beginning of a larger narrative—one that promises depth, honesty, and a whole lot of heart.


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Photo - JCPenney

Ezra Bell - let me in.

Ezra Bell, one of the 21st century’s most organically successful folk/Americana bands, has released their new single “let me in” and announced their ninth studio album, Chin Chin, a tribute to the band’s lead singer and lyricist Ben Wuamett. The new track sums up the living contradiction that is the life of a man and the fate of a band, with lyrics that reflect Ben’s turn toward guarded optimism in the last years of his life. 

Set for release on October 24th via ONErpm, Chin Chin was fully written and recorded before Wuamett’s unexpected passing last October. The 11-song collection serves as both a way of honoring Ben’s life and musical legacy while also paving a way forward for Ezra Bell, which 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.

“I’m not about to tell you what this song means or what inspired it,” shares Aaron Mattison (horns, backing vocals). “We can't say it any better than by making you this track. I can give you the lyrics. I can tell you that it is more prescient and true than is comfortable. I don't know what it means though…Ben passed. This was some of his last work, his best work. He was a writer and a singer; he did both here. He did not graduate high school, and he could not stay. And we leave no one behind.”

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Katy Guillen & The Drive - Outcome.

Kansas City duo Katy Guillen & The Drive led by music + life partners Katy Guillen (vocals/guitar) and Stephanie Williams (drums) prides itself on fostering empowered spaces for women in music both onstage and off, and their performances showcase the group’s signature all-female powerhouse formation, technical prowess, and electrifying chemistry. 

This core value heavily influenced the band’s second full-length effort Make That Sound, produced by Megan McCormick (Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah), due October 17, 2025 via Are and Be Recordings.

The driving, melodic rocker “Outcome” gives a taste of what’s to come from the new album. It is about finding your voice, and going for what you want in life, no matter the challenges or hurdles along the way. “It’s a call to push through self-doubt and create your space in the world. You can steer the outcome,” says Katy.

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