Wednesday, 1 May 2019

Hannah Scott - Illuminine ft. Hannah Corinne - Mountain Head - In Caravans

We featured Hannah Scott's album "Pieces of the Night" last summer and are really pleased to share her latest single 'Walk A Wire' a vibrant modern folk song with bags of energy. 'The Many Deaths Of Letting Go' from Illuminine and featuring Hannah Corinne on vocals is a dreamy, gentle song that soothes and pleases. Mountain Head's alt rocker 'We Stole Your Head' touches on the information overload that so often distracts us, it does so with some fine hooks and a very engaging musical arrangement. The recent E.P release from Denmark's In Caravans is worth catching up with, the four songs are infectious as the band carve out their own quite individual and attractive sounds.

Hannah Scott - Walk A Wire.

Hannah Scott presents her new single, “Walk a Wire”. Inspired by a friend with a disability who closed herself away for fear of rejection, it invites people to take a chance and open up to life. Hannah tries to follow her own advice despite living with chronic health condition Ankylosing Spondylitis; a recent example saw her speaking in Parliament to a room full of MPs about how her condition affects her life and her music career, despite being terrified of speaking in public! Her MP Rupa Huq, who was in attendance, subsequently described her as “inspirational and courageous”.

Co-written and produced with long-standing collaborator Stefano Della Casa (Ultra Music Publishing), “Walk a Wire” expertly combines organic, live elements with electronic sounds. The two artists have struck a perfect balance between Hannah’s traditional songwriting craft and Stefano’s exquisite synth-rich production.

Since releasing her well-received album, “Pieces of the Night”, through AWAL last summer, Hannah has signed a publishing deal with Chelsea Music and has opened shows for Madeleine Peyroux, as well as touring in Europe and across the UK. Previous releases have been featured on BBC Radio 2, including a live session with Dermot O’Leary, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, The Guardian, MOJO and Clash Magazine, to name a few. Hannah’s music can also be heard in shops and bars including Caffè Nero, Costa, TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer.


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Illuminine ft. Hannah Corinne - The Many Deaths Of Letting Go.

Flemish composer Kevin Imbrechts, the artist at the helm of Illuminine, deftly blends neo-classical with post-rock influences.

The new song is a follow up to his hypnotic third album, simply titled “#3”, which deals with his anxiety disorder and accepting an Asperger diagnosis. For this new release he works again with Hannah Corinne, who gave her soft voice to this track for a very intimate and deep sound.

Kevin Imbrechts about the song: “”The Many Deaths of Letting Go” was first written as a poem. Sometimes you need to write those words to cope with a very difficult time in your life in which it feels like the future is slipping through your fingers like water. You need to make peace with that feeling and the song is the result of that.”

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Mountain Head - We Stole Your Head.

The current influx and acceleration of information has brought on an immense amount of distraction and anxiety that separates us from feeling the presence of the current moment.

“We Stole Your Head” is a reminder to be here now, to connect with life. There are a lot of things out there looking to take your head and lead it down an endless labyrinth.

The sound conception of Mountain Head started with this song. It was one of those moments where it just hits you.

It wasn’t until we brought the song to the studio that it really started to take shape; you could say that “We Stole Your Head” and the ideas it conjured truly did steal our heads. It cleared the foundation and set up our base camp before we ascend this mountain.

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In Caravans - Sunken Streets (E.P).

Denmark's In Caravans recently released their Sunken Streets EP which is their third release of 2019, with two singles "Maybe" and "Courier" released earlier this year.

In Caravans are Lasse (drums), Sebastian (bass), Niels (guitar & synths), Søren (guitar) and Magnus (vocals). They come from the beautiful city of Aarhus, Denmark, which is home to some internationally recognised facilities and events like Tapetown Studio or SPOT Festival. And just like these two brands mentioned - In Caravans, taking inspirations from neo-psychedelia or alternative rock, create a sound that’s unique to that scene but blends right into the exciting indie rock scene of today.

On Sunken Streets EP, there are moments of reflection and ones that will leave listeners hungry for more. Some actually may find themselves thinking why there aren’t more tracks on this EP, why it’s over when they’ve only just got comfortable with this Danish band’s inviting sound. In reality, the release is teasing all indie aficionados into doing exactly that - wanting more. It invites them to be a part of the process and experience what In Caravans have yet ahead of them - and, more importantly, to experience it together; in a mysterious but powerful way.

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Monday, 29 April 2019

Fanclub - Blaire - Beverly Kills - Mystery Art Orchestra

'Imprint' from Fanclub is a beautifully flowing song with appealing vocals and a finely arranged musical back drop. With their music aptly described as Punkgaze, Blaire give us 'Mimer' a distinct and hook filled song that helps explain their musics description. Gothenburg’s Beverly Kills might have created a stir locally, however 'In This Dim Light' might well be bright enough (pun intended) for their music to get noticed far and wide. We have the A side and one of the two B sides from Mystery Art Orchestra's new single as the Berlin based band demonstrate just how good their take on post punk music is!

Fanclub - Imprint.

Fanclub have just shared their new single "Imprint". Fanclub is Mike Lee, Leslie Crunkilton, and Daniel Schmidt from Austin, TX. Mike and Leslie immediately knew they wanted to craft songs driven by their love of all things twee, indie, and dreamy.

What they didn’t expect was that the songs would come out as the most mature and dazzling things they’ve ever worked on. What they also didn’t know was that Fanclub would give us a distinctly new sound that is also so incredibly nostalgic.

On the heels of their debut EP release with already over half a million streams, they want to further craft songs that find hope in the melancholy and bring that same sentiment on the road. With more and more tour dates being announced, hopefully you’ll get to see for yourself.

Tour Dates:
05/22 - Houston, TX - White Swan Live
05/22 - Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas.

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Blaire - Mimer.

Building a kingdom of textured and multifaceted guitar music—brilliantly labelled as punkgaze, Blaire creates sonics that is both visceral and maligned, maximalist and minimal. Hidden behind an explosion of layered guitars and noise lies subtlety and beauty—something Blaire have come to perfect in their two-year career.

Blaire is proud to release the new single into the world. After turning plenty of heads last year with two astounding tracks, 'Youth' and 'Smiling', Blaire's new track, 'Mimer', is out today via GD FRNDS.

Blaire has never sounded so polished and forward. Their pretence of sweltering punk swashed underneath a shoegaze current remains omnipresent, though embeds itself in a dichotomy of deepened pop movements. Using a synth for the first time in a Blaire track, there was a conscious effort to make a dreamy and otherworldly vibe on 'Mimer'.

Sparked by the passing of a family member, Blaire frontman Ben Stagg constructed a contrast of "efflorescent dreaming" and "ephemeral nightmares" to deal with or distract himself in that time.

"Mimer takes a look at the idea of distance," explains Stagg. "Whether that be a friend who lives far away, someone who's passed, a favourite place, country, anything. It is a reflection on the fact that you can still feel whatever's missing from you in a range of ways, and can be 'mimed' by something else."

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Beverly Kills - In This Dim Light.

Beverly Kills are creating an impressive name for themselves as one of Gothenburg’s up and coming bands to watch. Last year saw the band release ‘Fourteen’, ‘Melodrama’ and ‘Dreamless’, gathered great acclaim from both local and international press including being mentioned as one of the “Best Swedish Indie Debuts 2018” by HYMN and being nominated for "Breakthrough of the Year” in the Gaffa Awards. This also saw the band playing Gothenburg music showcase festival Viva Sounds and a side show at this years by:Larm Festival along with shows supporting Agent blå, Moaning(USA- Sub-pop) and Västerbron.

The release of ‘Revellers’ earlier this year came with the announcement of their debut physical release ‘In This Dim Light/Melodrama’ limited edition 7” vinyl through Australian Indie label Hell Beach. ‘Revellers’ received a plethora of editorial support among being added to Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlists, featured in Hype Machines most blogged charts and saw new live dates including taking the stage at this year’s SPOT Festival and shows supporting Terra and Westkust. ‘In This Dim Light’ signifies a new era for Beverly Kills as they join the Welfare Sounds roster, aligning with amazing fellow label artists such as Linn Koch Emmery, Terra and Tyred Eyes which is set to propel the band forward into a future that is looking very bright.

‘In This Dim Light’ may be Beverly Kills most compelling single to date and further encapsulates the bands signature sounds as they suck you in with dreamy and infectious hooks then spit you right back out with raw and thumping energy.The initial tone of the song is set by Alma Westerlund’s beautiful vocals that flow effortlessly over melodic, dreamy synths which is then completely augmented as Viggo Mattson and Hampus Höggren lay down a powerful stomping rhythm section that propels the song into full motion.

As the song builds towards its final climax, John Jonsén’s punchy and articulate guitar performance carries the song through sections of tension and release as the band artfully blend raw and energetic sonic landscapes with dreamy lush vocals. Lyrically, Alma poetically reflecting on the type of people who compulsively start talking about their exes after they’ve had a drink or two, ending up ranting about them for the rest of the evening, almost as a process of self-purification.“A gray wall can become a sky or an ocean if you look close enough, we played an eye for an eye and you took them both”. ‘In This Dim Light’ clearly demonstrates Beverly Kills song writing prowess and further establishes their emergence in the ever-exciting Gothenburg indie scene.

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Mystery Art Orchestra - Enjoy The Violence / Losing Relation.

Berlin-based Post-Punk / New-Wave band Mystery Art Orchestra released their new EP last Friday. Following six years of work on their debut album “Prismatic Dream” (2018) and several live performances, Mystery Art Orchestra returned to the studio and produced the 7" Vinyl “Enjoy The Violence”.

This cheeky new EP contains three new tracks and comes with an emergence of new darker sounds. Light-minded or not, fragments of sounds are the only form that Mystery Art Orchestra trust. Measured against the east german landscape of their hometowns, its only slightly sentimental.

Hypnotic, disruptive and sometimes strangely familiar, almost as if different musical decades have been torn apart and stitched back together in unexpected ways.

"If you like blurry guitar sounds, melancholic vocals and long stretches of instrumentals lining your car rides, lonely walks or meaningful stares out of the windows, you’ve reached the right address with Mystery Art Orchestra"



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Sunday, 28 April 2019

Honey Moon - Swanes - Le Boom & Æ MAK

Honey Moon have released 'IF I Could Only Dream' a fresh and vibrant jangle pop song that exudes classic pop vibes from decades ago. Toronto duo Swanes have created a lush, rhythmic and dreamy electronic piece in the form of 'Dreams Of Iceland'. Irish electronic-pop duo, Le Boom have teamed up with Æ MAK to share 'Dancing Bug' accompanied now with a fabulous video, adding a little extra to this upbeat song. 

Honey Moon - If I Could Only Dream.

London jangle-pop crooners Honey Moon stomp into 2019 with new single If I Could Only Dream, teaming up once more with Manchester label Heist or Hit  (Her’s, Pizzagirl, Baywaves, Guest Singer). It’s the first jangly slice of sound the quintet have delivered since last year’s acclaimed Four More From… EP, which drew fans from tastemaker tomes DIY and DORK magazine to BBC 6 Music and legendary cratedigger Elton John.

Distilling their trademark doo-wop sound to first principles on the new single, Honey Moon capture snatched moments of 50s/60s jukebox culture. Bright, plucky 50’s sounding guitars, lively baselines and poppy drums carry the song as a confident and direct strut through the ballroom, whilst vocalist Jack Slater Chandler serenades with a commanding quiver.

As Jack posits: “'If I Could Only Dream' is about change, transition and wishful thinking. It's about trying to right some wrongs. Sounds quite corny for someone in their mid-twenties but it was written during a cycle of change in my life that needed documenting in some way, and ended up in a sweet ditty. A sunny little pop song - one for the tried and tested mooner.”

The months between the last release and this return have been busy for the lovelorn boys. Support tours with label mates Her’s as well as fellow retro dreamers FUR have kept them on the road, before burying their heads in mixing desks and vintage equipment at The Nave studio in Leeds, with producer Alex Greaves (Working Men’s Club, The Orielles, Heavy Lungs).

The 5-piece will be performing their biggest headline show to date at The Sebright Arms in London on April 26th,  with an appearance at Are You Listening? festival also in the calendar.

Honey Moon are… on the drums, Glenn Rawcliffe, on the bass and vocals Joey Julliard, on lead guitar and vocals Zach Urch, on keys Daniel Moore and on guitar and lead vocals Jack Slater Chandler.

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Swanes - Dreams of Iceland.

Radio 1-tipped Toronto duo, Swanes, comprising of brothers Michael and Stefan Bildy, are today sharing their new single, ‘Dreams Of Iceland’. The lucid new cut follows previous releases on French/Japanese label, Kitsuné (Parcels, Hot Chip, Simian Mobile Disco) and will be supported with a date as part of Canadian Music Week where they will perform at The Garrison, Toronto on May 7, 2019.

With production that is coloured by rich atmospherics and vibrant idiosyncrasies, ‘Dreams Of Iceland’ is another expansive step forward for the pair. Drawing on ancient Nordic song forms, melodies, and recorded folklore, ‘Dreams of Iceland’ cuts a fine curve between icy electronic soundscapes and tropical pop, looking to explore various tropes of relationships through sultry vocal harmonies and an earworm chorus hook.

Alongside tips from the likes of Colors and Bandcamp Daily, as well as continued support from David Dean Burkhart’s esteemed YouTube channel, SWANES have found success on influential Spotify playlists such as ‘Indie All-Stars’ and ‘Fresh Finds’. The pair, who were recently highlighted by Australian electronic heavyweights, Future Classics (Flume, Jagwar Ma), have plans to tour North America extensively later in the year.

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Le Boom & Æ MAK - Dancing Bug.

Irish electronic-pop duo, Le Boom, comprising of Christy Leech and Aimie Mallon, and fellow Dubliner Æ MAK (Aoife McCann) are now sharing the video for their new BBC Radio 1-supported collaborative single, ‘Dancing Bug’. The new music is shared alongside news of Le Boom’s largest headline to-date, a stop at the 1250-capacity Olympia, Dublin on October 11, 2019 - tickets available here. The new date will follow a summer of festival touring and a brief May run, taking in stops at Thousand Island, London on May 3, 2019 and further dates at Live At Leeds and Hit The North - all dates below.

Following the impeccably choreographed ‘Just Want To’, the compelling melodies of ‘Dancing Bug’ - which visually finds Leech, Mallon and McCann gliding through the streets of Stoneybatter, Dublin City - is the latest cut from the forthcoming EP, ‘All Of My Highs’, set for release May 3, 2019. “‘Dancing Bug’ is about falling into your bedroom after a bad day and dancing like fire to your favourite song; to escape the stuff you just had to deal with,” says McCann. “That energy taking you off into the other world that you're visualising as you dance.”

Speaking about the musical coming together, McCann continues: “I’d always loved Le Boom's live shows - myself and my mates dancing ourselves into the ground, high energy and love. Myself and Christy met at The Great Escape last year and got on like a house on fire. We were both like 'I like your music - I like your music, cool'. We wrote Dancing Bug in a couple of hours late last year. Loved every minute.”

2018 signposted an exciting milestone for Le Boom, it was a year that found the pair performing across some of Europe’s largest festivals, including Primavera, Longitude, Body & Soul and Electric Picnic, whilst also taking their eccentric live show to Reykjavik, New York and Bilbao. The year also found the duo selling out an Irish headline tour - including a stop at Dublin’s 1000-capacity District 8 venue - and achieving playlist success at Spotify, attaining spots on ’New Music Friday’ & ‘Hot New Bands’ amongst others.


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Friday, 26 April 2019

JYLDA - Josh Del - Todd Warner Moore - Charlie Hole - Portland

'Reeled' from JYLDA is dreamy, melodic and her vocals are alluring, add in the vibrant beats and the song is indeed extremely catchy. Josh Del is another artist where the vocals are a key ingredient, their natural Americana instinct coming to the fore on 'Rolling Stone' a timeless country piece. Todd Warner Moore has just released 'Love & Change' an album comprising of thirteen songs, where his musical talents explore a variety of genres, and with excellent production this is a fabulous collection of music. Charlie Hole latest song 'All The Roads To Heaven' is just beautiful, the singer/song writer brims with feeling and the melodic hooks do the rest. Expansive, atmospheric and dreamily seductive 'Expectations' by Portland is a mixture of emotion, calmness and power, now there's a combination.

JYLDA - Reeled.

JYLDA is Italian-German Gianna Gehlhar's musical alter ego. Now based in London after a stint in Berlin, she releases her debut TWITCH EP, produced with Beni Giles (Otzeki, James, Marcus Foster).

JYLDA's voice finds a playful connection with sensuality and rhythm comparable with Robyn, Jessy Lanza or Little Dragon. It all revolves around the pop song, but with a darkness reminiscent of St. Vincent, Grimes and Lykke Li. JYLDA's operatic roots give her voice a unique captivating siren-like intensity, drawing you into her enchanting world.

JYLDA states: "Twitch gives an insight into different parts of my personality. The songs are like short stories about melancholy, dance, playfulness and sensuality. In all of them I’m looking for the connection between body and mind and the hidden irony of every tale.“

Twitch is the first release from JYLDA since moving to London last year. During that time she's been writing and collaborating with a series of exciting artists including Blakey, Ah!Kosmos, Hugh, Salt Ashes, Pillars and Kirk Spencer, the results of which will be seen in future releases in 2019 following her debut EP coming out.


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Josh Del - Rolling Stone.

Josh Del is a singer/songwriter from the Coachella Valley. He grew up escaping the desert heat by playing guitar and writing songs in studios.

His gravely voice and bluesy playing have earned him comparisons to some of the greats in Americana history.

Rolling Stone is a stirring, soulful roots-rock ballad built around his dusty vocals, rich keyboards, and an earthy, muscular arrangement.

And in just three minutes, it does the near-impossible: Makes you put Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Mick, Keef, Otis Blackwell, The Who and the rest out of your mind for three minutes. Which begs the question: How does it feel, Josh?

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Todd Warner Moore - Love and Change (Album).

We have a new album from pop/folk singer-songwriter Todd Warner Moore entitled 'Love & Change'. Even though Todd's mainstay is along the lines of acoustic driven songs, he has a knack for capturing different sounds and eras of Americana and Folk music reminiscent of greats such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and especially the Irish overtones of Van Morrison.  Todd also releases a steady flow of instrumental fare, reaching into ambient and cinematic territory. "Love & Change" is the sound of a perceptive, lyrically gifted artist perfecting his craft.

Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.A., Todd Warner Moore has penned a diverse catalogue of music over time. His newest album contains dashes of Folk, Americana, 70s Singer/Songwriter, Classical, Jazz, and Gipsy music.

In the 90s, Todd co-wrote songs and toured with Acoustic Juice through the American Midwest, delivering ery songs to students in college towns. Later, in Budapest, Hungary, he performed solo melodies in tea houses, where his expat band Tea Thieves would come to life. Over several years, the energetic band would release three albums. Before leaving Hungary, he nished his album titled Long Days. Todd has lived on Lamma Island in Hong Kong for the last eight years, where he plays at small festivals and pubs.

Spark was his second full-length album in 2018. Now Todd is back with another full-length release "Love & Change", which finds him further honing his songwriting craft.

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Charlie Hole - All The Roads To Heaven.

Born and raised in the coastal town of Bournemouth, UK, Charlie Hole’s story began when he heard Damien Rice’s ‘O’ at the tender age of 14. From that first listen, his desire to reach the same emotional depths became clear; realising his ability to create emotive and fearless tracks, learning and evolving throughout.

After a chance meeting with the well-respected guitarist and producer, Jim Cregan (Rod Stewart, Katie Melua, Family), the pair began working closely together, with Jim mentoring Charlie and teaching him about the world of songwriting while always pushing him to develop his own style and sound.

Finding comfort in beautifully crafted words over effortless melodies, Charlie Hole is one of the most exciting young singer-songwriters around.

Coined by Rod Stewart as an emerging talent with a gift for writing ‘beautiful songs’, Charlie has always been destined for great things. With a brave and honest voice, tackling relatable subject matters for all audiences, Charlie Hole shares his personal stories of broken dreams and lost love in the pursuit of happiness through his powerful and commanding songwriting.

With inspirations ranging from legends such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, Charlie has been writing music and touring his songs across the UK and Europe for over 10 years, playing well over 1000 gigs, and has supported notable artists such as Billy Ocean and Steve Harley. Charlie has also taken his live shows to an intimate level, doing a Living Room Tour of fans houses to only a handful of guests. The tour was close to his heart as he is heavily involved with Sofar Sounds, after bringing the monthly events to his hometown of Bournemouth.

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Portland - Expectations.

Finalists in Belgian’s magazine Humo’s Rock Rally 2016 and winners of broadcaster Studio Brussel’s ‘De Nieuwe Lichting’ 2018. Their packed festival summer and completely sold out club tour took them all over Belgium in 2018. Portland creates dreamy, everlasting storytelling songs.

The band’s debut single ‘Pouring Rain’ gained more than a million streams on Spotify, under their own management. Their subtle rework (upon request of Studio Brussel) of alt-J’s ‘Matilda’ gained popularity faster than expected and was released as a successful second single.

Their rise in popularity didn’t go unnoticed and last summer Portland proudly teamed up with [PIAS]. The first result of this partnership was ‘Lucky Clover’, an emotional, dreamy and subtle piece of harmonic prose, whose greatest strength is the harmonies and interaction between front duo Jente Pironet and Sarah Pepels. The single got picked up on radio in Flanders, club shows sold out quickly and an invitation to play this year’s Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop festivals followed.

Gearing up to release their debut full length album after the summer, Portland now proudly presents their new single ‘Expectations’. An epic and cathartic love song using lush strings, chimes, timpani, electronics and electric guitars to counter Jente and Sarah’s remarkable voices. “‘Expectations' is about high hopes, deep disappointments and very abstract interactions between attractions, rejections, doubts and certainties,” Jente explains. It’s a bold move and a step up from their previous output, still retaining the same otherworldly, dreamlike quality.


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Wednesday, 24 April 2019

GURU - Wy - Kris Kelly - Silent Forum

'Fixation' from GURU is a formidable punk rocker, the vocals are fierce and not to be left behind, the band are equally forceful. We have already featured a couple of gorgeous songs from Wy's forthcoming album and the final teaser 'Swedish Summer' ups our anticipation even more! We are a little late sharing Kris Kelly's music video for 'Birthplace' but this is such a wonderful song, it simply has to be featured. Cardiff (Wales) based Silent Forum's third single 'Safety In Numbers' is imaginative and not easy to categorise, so we will file under creative post punk, indie something.

GURU - Fixation.

Brighton’s endless production line continues to reinforce their status as one of the UK’s finest indie hotbeds and in punk sensations GURU they’ve certainly found another to add to the growing list.

Bursting out of the blocks with their rollicking third instalment Fixation, the rising quartet demonstrate all the makings of a band ready to make a name for themselves with their raucous live shows, having torn up stages throughout the UK on their recent sold-out tour alongside fellow risers Lady Bird.

Switching out the distortion driven guitars in favour of Dick Dale inspired licks and a clearly discernible chorus, their latest effort possesses an all-round groove, dealing with irreconcilable differences between people as part of a natural human condition, and follows encouraging early comparisons to the likes of Shame and Fat White Family.

Detailing their upcoming release, front man Tommy Cherrill explained: “Lyrically I’ve focused on the irreconcilable nature of some relationships I’ve failed to repair from earlier years of my life. I realised I wasn’t alone in having these botched relationships and so began writing the verses from the third person as an imagined narrator of others who’ve fallen out. Sometimes things just don’t work out and I’m not making a judgement call on whether that’s a good thing or not, we just wanted to write a blood number one for the Billboard Hot 100, ha”!

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Wy - Swedish Summer.

Ahead of the release of their highly anticipated second album 'Softie', Swedish duo Wy have today shared the final taster of the new record; the melodic, captivating and haunting 'Swedish Summer'. The song was the first the band wrote for the LP, which is due for release in one week via Hybris and Beatnik. Accompanied by another stunning video, directed by the band's singer Ebba.

On the meaning behind the song, Ebba explains: "Swedish Summer is about having too high expectations on yourself. It was actually one of the first songs we wrote for the album. We were growing tired of the tempo of our debut album and this track really helped us break away from it and have more fun with our songwriting. The name "Swedish Summer" was just a working title because we wrote it during the summer last year, but we kept it because it fit the sound so well. It's a funny name, because the lyrics are kind of dark."

The band's earnest eleven track sophomore album includes the previously released, BBC 6Music supported singles 'Pavements', 'Softie' and 'Tired II'. It follows their debut LP 'Okay', which became something of an underground sensation and garnered the highest praise with comparisons to Slowdive, Cigarettes After Sex and Mazzy Star. The new record is set to further cement their position as one of the most exciting bands around right now.

The forthcoming album is very much a statement on the turbulence of human existence, written from Ebba's experience of being bipolar. With their clarity in emotion and unapologetic use of lyrics, it's an important record in more ways than one. She explains, "'Softie' is an attempt at proving there is more than one way of being a functioning human being. The album is about coping, growing out of your fears, learning how to distance yourself from your anxieties and the ups and downs that comes with being bipolar. 'Softie' is ultimately about releasing the pressure from yourself and that's what we have been doing in the process of writing these songs. We ended up with a record that was turbulent, back and forth and non-conforming. And we love that, because it feels very 'us' and we really wanted our second album to hit you in the face rather than rock you to sleep."


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Kris Kelly - Birthplace.

Kris Kelly is pleased to share the song and video for his newest single “Birthplace.” Throughout the song, Kris explores the idea and concept of one’s birthplace, and what that means on a deeper, wider scope, provoking the listener to examine and dissect their own genesis.  

The accompanying video, executively produced by the widely-recognized and acclaimed Alma Har’el, and directed by Adi Halfin (Radiohead/Batsheva Dance Company), is a gorgeous counterpart to the track.  

“For the ‘Birthplace’ video, I explained to director Adi Halfin what the song meant to me, and she came up with this beautiful concept. The video unfolds like a dream. There is me, the narrator, in a room, away from the outside world, juxtaposed by these different characters on the exterior, each one very different from the other, in different emotional states, relating to their environment in different ways. There is struggle, peace, conflict, harmony. And there is definitely an element of surrealism and there is not a linear storyline or sense of time. It’s a dream. And like in a dream, to me anyway, the characters all represent different pieces of the main character. I ended up relating to each character in my own personal way, and I think the viewer will have their own experience as well,” explains Kris. “Birthplace” will appear on Kris’s new record Runaways, due out Summer 2019.


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Silent Forum - Safety in Numbers.

‘Safety in Numbers’ is the third single released by the Cardiff based Post-Punk / New Wave four piece Silent Forum on Libertino. Following on from the swaggering, off-kilter, infectious pop energy of ‘How I Faked The Moon Landing’ and ‘Robot’, ‘Safety in Numbers’ explores a far more reflective musical landscape. This is a song that “expresses the importance of looking after your friends......that time will forget us, but that our relationships are the most meaningful thing we can achieve in life.”

Yet again Silent Forum delivers a song very much on their terms, a song that resonates with kindness and a musicality that captures your heart.

Performing under the name Silent Forum since late 2015, the four-piece deemed Wales' most promising band blends shadowy Post Punk with uplifting, inspiring New Wave. They move unpredictably from serious and direct to playful and overblown.  Since they signed to Libertino records their sound has taken an ambitious turn, gathering praise for epic singles like 'How I Faked the Moon Landing' and 'Robot'. They have an eagerly awaited debut album set for release later this year.

Destroy//Exist "The sound sophisticated and playful at the same time, certainly reminiscent of the artful progressive pop sound of XTC, the nerve of Wire and the new wave idiosyncrasy of Squeeze and Talking Heads, while maintaining the entirety of the quartet's fervent originality."

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Anna Smyrk - ZOCO - Howling Bells - TCBYML

Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder Anna Smyrk - This is a Drill . Naarm/Melbourne based singer-songwriter Anna Smyrk shares a poignant moment o...