Hannah Delynn - Shplang - Ani Glass - Alpenstock

Photo - Betsy Phillips

Hannah Delynn - Trust Fall (Album).

Hannah Delynn, a Nashville-based vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, independently released her debut full-length album, Trust Fall, yesterday September 5. Hannah’s ability and openness to view life from many perspectives result in songs that are emotionally engaging and compelling. This record is a testament to accepting self-responsibility and the myriad mixed emotions that entails.

Finding freedom through vulnerability, Delynn crafts heartfelt songs of hope and healing. “I write about matters of the heart and hope my words and songs bring you hope and healing and connect you with the beauty that is all around us—even when it feels difficult to see,” says Hannah. “This collection of songs honors a potent sea of change in my life and reflects a season of deep grief, loss, betrayal, and heartbreak, as well as beauty, love, generosity, and friendship,” says Hannah. “I have been learning how to more deeply trust myself, others, and the world around me. Life has a way of alchemizing pain and hardship into beautiful blessings and gifts, but it can feel like we’re first being melted down in the crucible or turned to goo in the chrysalis. Learning to ask for help and to summon both courage and surrender during those moments has been a vital, if uncomfortable, process, and these songs have come from that cauldron. They are soul-friends, catharsis, comforters, and companions.”

For as long as she can remember, Hannah has always loved words and stories, music, and adventures. Originally from Florida, she found her way to Nashville in 2013 by way of New Zealand, British Columbia, and Australia, gathering stories (soon to be songs) along the way. Hannah says, “I have now called Nashville home for over 11 years and have fallen deeply in love with this community. I owe so much to some dear friends who took me firmly under their wing and graciously showed me the ropes of Music City.”

Hannah continues, “Trust Fall was made with some of my favorite people on earth. We are close friends, and I think that’s what allowed for the depth of vulnerability. Each person made me feel so completely held and free to just ‘be,’ which allowed me to truly open up and allow the raw emotion of these songs into the performances.”

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Shplang - Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man) / Frankies Back.

Big Stir Records is proud to announce a new double-sided digital single from veteran LA psych-pop combo Shplang, coinciding with the long overdue debut of the band's entire back catalog on all digital streaming services worldwide. “Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man)”, a long-standing fan favorite, gets its first standalone release to celebrate the occasion, and it's paired here with the all-new B-side “Frankie's Back”.

Shplang, the LA-based brainchild of Peter Marston (vocals, guitars and more) and John Krause (bass, visuals) has been a mainstay of the city's guitar pop scene for over three decades, but much of their early work has been relegated to physical CD releases –until now. “Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man)” has long been a fan favorite at live shows and in its original appearance on the band's 2009 album MY BIG THREE WHEELER. That record now joins the band's full catalog of albums –the never-before-streaming JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF MIRTH(1995), SELF MADE MONK(1997) and AMERICAN CREAM(2000), plus the band's Big Stir Records output of the career-summarizing LOS GRANDES EXCRITOS 1994-2019and the subsequent career-rebooting THANK YOU, VALUED CUSTOMER(2023) marking the first time the entire Shplang oeuvre has been available to stream. And the tune that heralds the digital rollout is as emblematic of the ever-eclectic band's style as anything could be: Shplang is never predictable, but always effortlessly tuneful and lyrically sly. 

The A-side is no exception. “'Let’s Get High (and I Could Be Your Man)' has a title that often raises both eyebrows and presumed comparisons to Jimmy Buffett’s 'Why Don’t We Get Drunk (and Screw),' but even a single listen will reveal that this comparison is well off-target,” says Marston. “It's actually deeply romantic—indeed, one of the most romantic songs Shplang has recorded. The singer, feeling stuck and without hope of reversing the course of his life, seeks not gratification or distraction, but connection and solace. He wants to belong to someone.” The songwriter adds, “In terms of production, the highlights are John Krause’s sliding bass, the melancholic baritone guitar riffs, and the Brian Wilson pastiche in the instrumental bridge. In earlier versions, the bridge had lyrics, but the piano arrangement seemed too good and the tribute to Wilson too lovely to not feature it in an instrumental section. Listen to Stack-o-Tracks and you’ll see why.”

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Ani Glass - Acwariwm.

Award-winning, Cardiff-based artist, Ani Glass, launches her new album ‘Phantasmagoria’ on the 26th of September. What a journey to this moment. Fittingly, Ani’s debut LP ‘Mirores’ (translates as “observer”) was based around movement and progress. It was her first foray into the self-taught art of recording and production. Ani Glass has not stopped progressing or moving since.

Futuristic, fascinating pop. Ethereal vocals, lush instrumentation and swirling synth pulses echo early Goldfrapp or Enya, but this is all Ani Glass. Phantasmagoria's intricate, ethereal, expansive - and newly revealing with every listen.

Inspired by working with Martin Rushent as a member of indie pop group, The Pipettes, a strong pop sensibility was cemented as a member of the band, Genie Queen (managed by OMD’s Andy McCluskey). Additional inspirations included 1980s artists and producers Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and Arthur Russell (who inspired her to learn the cello).

At the start of 2020, just before the release of her debut album ‘Mirores’, Ani was diagnosed with a rare benign brain tumour. The diagnosis marked the beginning of the personal journey that has shaped ‘Phantasmagoria’. That final shape is a lush, introspective concept album that delves deeply into her experience of navigating life since then.

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Alpenstock - Little Bird.

Alpenstock from Biel (Switzerland) are making waves: just a few days ago, the eventful life story of their mastermind Charles de Ribaupierre was published in Bund, Berner Zeitung, Blick am Abend (Baz), and Tages Anzeiger, among others. In spring, he released a prog rock album with the band that has gained worldwide attention and continues to captivate critics and radio producers alike. Alpenstock has also been heard on major Swiss stations such as Radio Munot, Option Musique, the Rete channels, and countless others. 

As a reminder: Charles de Ribaupierre must undergo dialysis three times a week due to complete kidney failure. A Parkinson’s disease has increasingly taken a strong grip on his body. Nevertheless—or perhaps precisely because of this—the Biel/CH-based singer and songwriter recorded all these magnificent prog rock tracks with renowned Swiss musicians. With his Alpenstock project, he now wants to encourage others who are affected.

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The Man From Delmonte - The Howlers - The Happy Fits - Foxford - Jon Nolan & Good Co.

The Man From Delmonte - Believe Me.

After 35 years away, Manchester indie legends The Man From Delmonte are back playing live shows and releasing a brand-new album ‘Better Things’ in November, with its first taster, the fabulously hooky single ‘Believe Me’ backed by B-side ‘The International’ out this week.

Between 1988 and 1991 TMFD weren’t part of any music scene. They were their own movement, sounding nothing like anyone else at the time. Selling out 3000 capacity venues, hitting the top of the Indie charts and having Inspiral Carpets and 808 State as their opening acts. Mike West, Sheila Seal, Martin Vincent and Howard Goody delivered classic pop tunes including ‘Water in My Eyes’ and ‘My Love is Like a Gift’ that were lyrically ahead of their time. Mike wrote and sang about loving men just as easily as he did about relationships with women. The audiences always loved it. The press often treated them with outright biphobia.

After a chance conversation with TV presenter Iain Lee, The Man From Delmonte are back. Their first reunion gig at Band on the Wall sold out in 12 minutes. Their following show at Manchester Academy 2 sold out in days. Over 600 copies of a double CD reissue of the band’s two albums ‘Big Noise’ & ‘Good Things in Life’ have been bought by fans desperate to get their hands on anything TMFD related.

‘Who knew that we had such amazing fans that had been listening to TMFD all through those years and would want us to come back and play live!” exclaims bassist Sheila Seal. ‘Someone said to me: you go into a Man From Delmonte gig in your fifties and come out in your teens’, she further adds.

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The Howlers - You Can Be So Cruel.

Following the release of single “Night Crawling” earlier this year and the independent success of the band’s debut album in 2024 which saw the band claim a Top 15 Official Chart Position, The Howlers saunter back into frame ahead of their biggest shows to date with new single “You Can Be So Cruel”.

“You Can Be So Cruel” isn't shy or reticent in its meaning, it's a confident and sultry anti love letter, a memory of those late nighter rendezvous that goaded you into a confrontational position, the stranger sauntering around your favourite bar with confident intent on pursuing whatever crosses their mind.

After recording in studios for the band’s debut album, frontman Young decided to set himself a challenge and make a record that sounds better, without stepping foot in a studio. So all the vocals, all the guitars, all the synths are recorded at home and over Skype and Teams with producer Chris Ostler, the idea was to make a record that breaks the mould on what is possible.

Speaking about the track, frontman Adam Young says: “The track is an anti love letter. We have all been swept up in the way we feel about someone that we ignore the warning signs and end up getting hurt. The track is a confident F*** You directed at those people, I’m sure there will be people who hear this track and immediately think of someone in particular who made them ignore all the signs.”

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Photo - Anna Koblish

The Happy Fits - Black Hole.

Indie/rock darlings The Happy Fits released yesterday their riotous new single “Black Hole” along with an immersive official video. The track is the latest to release off their upcoming album Lovesick, due out September 19th. Over a bed of anthemic guitars, theatrical strings, and an earworm chorus, “Black Hole” explores what happens when we surrender our sense of self to meet the needs of another, watching helplessly as a relationship that once brought such light and joy slowly descends into a source of frustration and regret.

“I learned through this experience that no matter how badly you may want to help someone, if they’re unwilling to accept it, you have to let go,” explained frontman Calvin Langman. “Otherwise, you’ll just keep giving more and more of yourself until you get whittled down to nothing.”

Forthcoming album Lovesick was written and recorded after ten tumultuous months that saw one founding member depart the band severing a creative partnership that had formed the group’s bedrock since the start, another leave tour to get sober following an emotional intervention, and a third entering an era of self-renaissance after the dissolution of a serious relationship and a series of relocations. 

Rather than let the hardship break their stride, though, the acclaimed quartet leaned into the turmoil, transforming all the heartbreak and uncertainty they experienced into their most exhilarating, adventurous, and cathartic record yet. Lovesick is, as its title would suggest, a complicated reckoning with all the joy and pain that comes with opening your heart to the world. The songs are bold and fearless, reveling in the intensity of it all with radical vulnerability, and the performances are similarly, pairing blistering rock and roll energy and addictive pop hooks with sweeping orchestral arrangements and raw, revelatory lyrics.

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Foxford - Tennessee Whiskey.

Foxford share an epic new cover of the classic “Tennessee Whiskey” from studio EP “Heaven Here” Raised in South Manchester, brothers Michael and Liam reflect their diverse inspirations from Michael’s love for Oasis and The Beatles to Liam’s admiration for Bob Dylan and Otis Redding, thus forming Foxford.

Michael, a self-taught pianist, guitarist and lyricist, previously released his solo record “Home Again”, which garnered support from BBC Introducing, and even got featured at a few Manchester United halftime shows. Liam, a self taught multi-instrumentalist and singer has collaborated with singer/songwriter Jake Mattison, and toured with Emeli Sandé. Between the brothers, their wealth of experience and creativity transcends throughout “Heaven Here”. 

The project blends heartfelt songwriting with rich musical influences, rooted in emotion and authenticity. Heaven Here includes two original tracks. The title track is an uplifting anthem about finding beauty in everyday moments. The second,”The Only Face in the Crowd” is a poignant piano ballad about love and connection, featuring strings by acclaimed producer George Shilling (Blur, Ocean Colour Scene, Primal Scream, Frank Turner). 

Also included is a soulful cover of Tennessee Whiskey, showcasing the duo’s dynamic chemistry, with Liam on vocals and Michael on organ. “This EP reflects our journey and what inspires us,” says the band. “We hope listeners feel something real and are reminded of the connections that matter.” Heaven Here is an introduction to Foxford’s honest, emotionally driven sound, resonating with the listener and leaving a lasting impression.

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Photo - Edwin Remsberg

Jon Nolan & Good Co. - Hidden Glances.

Jon Nolan & Good Co. released “Hidden Glances,” the latest single from Slow Cooker, Nolan’s forthcoming album with Good Co., his band of hometown friends, out September 19 via Strolling Bones Records. On the album, the New Hampshire native underscores his relatable storytelling with eloquent folk-inspired songcraft accented by flourishes of country and rock brought to life during cozy and relaxed jam sessions which took place in his hometown of Newmarket.

“Love, desire, romance, regret, missed moments, memories. A photo album of infatuation and heartbreak,” Nolan says about the new track. “Another song where I left some space for the listener to fill in the details of the movie scenes playing out in their mind.”

“Hidden Glances” follows previous singles “On My Own” and “Sea Glass,” premiered by Magnet Magazine, which was released with a music video starring two of Portland, Maine’s most respected and prolific musical figures—Jon Roods (Rustic Overtones, Paranoid Social Club) and Anna Lombard (Gypsy Tailwind, Love by Numbers)—and was co-directed by Nolan and Jay Boyington.

During the summer of 2022, Nolan, who fronts the alternative country band Say ZuZu, experienced a surge of inspiration so he launched a new music project “just for fun.” At first, he holed up in the attic of a friend’s barn with collaborators Geoff Taylor [bass] and Rick Habib [drums]. “We were eventually kicked out for being too loud,” Nolan laughs. Despite losing their de facto clubhouse, the guys welcomed Zack Tremblay [guitar] into the fold, cementing the lineup for Jon Nolan & Good Co.

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Saint Etienne x Confidence Man - WHITEHORSE - Kai Korven - bat zoo

Photo - Rob Baker Ashton

Saint Etienne x Confidence Man - Brand New Me.

When two cult favorites come head-to-head to record a single together, you'd expect the results to be special - but "Brand New Me" is so much more than the sum of its parts. It's a pumped-up cartoon of a pop record with hooks for days and the latest single to be taken from their forthcoming, and last, album, International, out this Friday, September 5 on Heavenly Recordings.

Saint Etienne first met their Heavenly label mates Confidence Man at Kite Festival back in 2022, and it was love at first sight. Confidence Man had been weaned on a diet of Saint Etienne and Vegemite whilst growing up in Australia, while Saint Etienne were genuinely dazzled by Confidence Man's shiny, new, exciting cocktail of electro-pop hedonism. Plans were instantly hatched to work together, and the result is "Brand New Me".

Sarah Cracknell and Janet Planet’s voices are a natural pairing, and when Sarah steps in for the spoken word parts, "Brand New Me" begins to feel like the lovechild "Nothing Can Stop Us" always hinted at.

Talking about the collaboration, Sarah of Saint Etienne said: I got a message from Danny Mitchell at Heavenly Recordings, Saint Etienne’s spiritual home, about an Australian band they had signed called Confidence Man. Danny told me they were fans of our music and would love to meet and chat about a potential collaboration. We met backstage at a festival and immediately hit it off, kindred spirits! Making 'Brand New Me’ was a lot of fun and I think it’s a perfect mash up of both our band’s styles.

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WHITEHORSE - Red Riptide.

WHITEHORSE is the new band from Thomas Haywood, the former frontman of The Blinders. Their new single ‘Red Riptide’  is out now, watch the video below. Riven with urgency, with guitar licks like knives being unsheathed, dexterous basslines, scampering drums and a vocal that simmers, broods and reaches crescendo. It’s about being completely clear-headed and in a place of certainty in your mind, and the rushing feeling of violence that comes with determination when you’re cutting through the chaos and staying true to a vision you’re so certain of.

Formed in Sheffield in late 2024 by Haywood alongside Bobby Bouché, John McCullagh & Nathan Keeble, and James Keith. The light of experience has meant a rapid start to what has quickly been established as an exciting outfit fronted by profound lyrical songcraft and a trademark performative ability.

From their debut single ‘Doesn’t Come Close’, WHITEHORSE immediately caught the attention of BBC Introducing Sheffield, who quickly spotlighted the band with airplay and a festival slot. This momentum followed a run of sold-out one-off shows and a dry run of UK dates in March 2024. Their sound blends delicacy with visceral power, channelling “swirls of feeling” through poetic lyricism and vivid imagery, then forward rolling into simple explosive streams of a song.

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Photo - Cate Oxford

Kai Korven - Bug on Head.

Toronto composer, songwriter, and producer Kai Korven invites listeners into a whimsical, heartfelt world with his new single, "Bug on Head." Playful, dynamic, and elating, the track blends indie pop and folk sensibilities with theatrical storytelling, capturing the warmth of friendship and the joy of creative collaboration.

"'Bug on Head' is really about the voices of my friends," Korven explains. "This is by far the song I've collaborated with the most people on, and the depth of light and joy that comes from their voices is really present in the track. It feels like a burst of light – like everybody's invited to join in! Look at us!"

The song emerged from a melody Korven heard in the spring of 2024, influenced by his immersion in Irish jigs and reels. From the line I had a fever dream about a bug, the whimsical narrative took flight, evolving into an allegorical tale that reflects on emotional mechanisms and codependent relationships with humor, warmth, and honesty.

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bat zoo - The Upward Bird (EP).

Emerging artist bat zoo unveils his long-awaited debut EP The Upward Bird, a six-track meditation on memory, vulnerability, and transformation. Blending R&B, soul, folk, and experimental electronic textures, the project captures the full range of bat zoo’s artistry - emotional, cinematic, and unapologetically human.

“This EP is me learning to hold chaos and beauty at the same time. Each song was born in solitude, but they all point to connection—ancestral, romantic, or cosmic. The Upward Bird is about shedding, rising, and finding light in the mess.” - bat zoo.

From ancestral reflections to cathartic explosions, The Upward Bird is as much a personal diary as it is a universal soundtrack to growth.

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Teen Creeps - Kate Stables Jesca Hoop & Lail Arad - better joy

Teen Creeps - Anywhere.

Teen Creeps are releasing their third studio album, ‘Today Is The Day’ on September 5th. Ahead of the album release, the band have dropped new single ‘Anywhere’. It’s their most anthemic song yet and bears resemblance to the energetic Springsteen-goes-punk sound of Japandroids. When singer Bert Vliegen screams out “I’m not going anywhere”, he’s talking about his band.

Bert: “When we started writing the new album, I kind of suffered from writer’s block. Until we celebrated our 10 year anniversary as a band. It made me realize how much I enjoy playing with these guys, even after all those years. 

It inspired me to write this song about our band, what it has meant to me and what it still does. Basically, ‘Anywhere’ is about finding something you love and taking pride in it. I hope it inspires confidence and energy in whoever hears it.”

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Kate Stables Jesca Hoop & Lail Arad - Raised on Robbery.

Following a revered debut at The Roundhouse in April 2024, a string of sold out performances and widespread critical acclaim, The Songs of Joni Mitchell returns this autumn with an extraordinary lineup of artists paying tribute to one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Jesca Hoop, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) & Lail Arad, acclaimed singer-songwriters in their own right, will perform intimate interpretations of their favourite Joni Mitchell songs in a loving ode to the Matriarchitect of modern song. They will be joined by Richard Sears on piano and Lisa Hannigan & Loah as special guests in London and Dublin.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and the band LYR have also been announced as special guests for London show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on November 13th, bringing not only Joni's songs, but also her poetry to life. To celebrate this next chapter of the live show, Hoop, Stables and Arad will also release a companion EP: The Songs Of Joni Mitchell Vol. 1. Playing like the sweetest bedroom concert, these up close and personal recordings, out September 12th via Small Matters, offer fresh interpretations of four formidable Joni Mitchell songs (‘Raised On Robbery’, ‘Morning Morgantown’, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ and ‘A Case Of You’).

Today, the trio have shared their cover of ‘Raised On Robbery’, with crunchy guitars, velveteen harmonies and a bare bones approach that sends the timeless classic into a fresh and enlivened landscape. “It was the joy of clicking these harmonies together, backstage at the Roundhouse, that sowed the seeds for the EP,” shares Arad.

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better joy - plugged in.

After releasing her debut EP ‘heading into blue’ in March 2025, which saw a sold-out run of limited edition baby blue vinyl, as well as a predominantly sold-out debut headline tour, Manchester-based better joy has now shared new single "plugged in" - a follow up to most recent single, "this part of town". In addition, she has announced a new EP ‘at dusk’ which will be released on 31st October; 3 weeks before she ventures on tour across the UK with Amy Macdonald, including a sold out 13,000 capacity Glasgow OVO Hydro.
 
“I like that the better joy sound is evolving; it’s what we do as people, so it’s only natural the sound grows with me” says Bria Keely, better known by her stage name - better joy.  A vivid indie-pop guitar project backed by a band, better joy fuses sparky melodies with strong guitars and pulsating bass lines, coated in lyrics that delve deep into all things vulnerable. The upcoming EP ‘at dusk’, a sister EP to her debut ‘heading into blue’, reflects a moment in her life “where I just stopped trying to please anyone or caring whether the music I wrote ‘fit’ a mold. It’s not on anyone else to define what better joy is: it’s on me”.
 
New single “plugged in” and previous "this part of town" are taken from better joy’s forthcoming second EP ‘at dusk’, produced by Mike Hedges (The Cure, U2, Manic Street Preachers, Travis). The 6-track EP will be the second full-length project from better joy and is both a perfect segue from ‘heading into blue’ which introduced better joy’s alt-pop sound, and an exciting taste of more to come this year. The vinyl version of the EP will be available to pre-order soon!

Bria says “for me, this song captures the moment of finally connecting with someone and understanding love for the very first time. Suddenly you see the world differently because you’ve unlocked another part of yourself, you’ve been ‘plugged in’.”

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