Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Ida Mae Feat. Marcus King - Oracle Sisters - Bernice

Photo - Joe Hottinger
Ida Mae - Click Click Domino Feat. Marcus King.

Today, the Nashville-via-London duo Ida Mae announced their new sophomore album Click Click Domino, which follows their critically-acclaimed EP Raining For You and breakout debut Chasing Lights. The husband-wife duo Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean has also shared the title track from the record, which features a blistering guitar performance from Marcus King. Click Click Domino will be released on July 16th, through Thirty Tigers.

Filled with thunderous production, killer riffs, and an insatiable rhythm throughout, "Click Click Domino" is among their most raucous tracks to date. Ida Mae writes, "This was written kind of as a knee jerk song. The unfiltered noise of social media, concerns surrounding social engineering, the lack of emotional connection and physical disconnection gets to all of us. We all know how easy it is to falsify an image, be it in fashion / politics / or any aspect of your everyday and in a lot of people's lives it has become a necessity to play into it. I wanted to write the lyrics to ‘Click Click Domino’ almost as Twitter statements, counting characters, making a short sharp stream of consciousness commentary."

"The riff was originally inspired by the playing of one of our favourite guitar players Pop Staples and it slowly morphed into something that in my mind almost echoed moments of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. It kicked up a gear when Marcus King came over and we stood side by side, soloing call and response guitar lines over the outro. The attitude of his playing was perfect."

Adding to this Marcus King says, "A warm summer Nashville evening, enjoying a whiskey beverage with my lady and two of our best friends in town, Chris & Steph of Ida Mae. I listened through the track ‘Click Click Domino’ and was immediately floored by the raw nature of the recording, the intensity and the undeniable, delightfully British rock sound I had grown up being captured. I’m honoured to have played on this track. What a powerhouse album and what a powerhouse band."

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Oracle Sisters - I Don't Wanna Move.

Parisian trio Oracle Sisters have today shared ‘I Don’t Wanna Move’. With this, they also announce the release date for their next EP, ‘Paris II’, due April 7th 2021 via New York independent label 22TWENTY (Madge, Fat Trout Trailer Park).

Talking on the track, the band add “I Don’t Wanna Move is a duet between Chris & Lewis  about desire, the song plays out like a town crier’s rhapsody with all the ancient laments, hopes and dreams of a wayward rake, or a seaworthy mariner rolled into a blanket of harmony.”

Over the past twelve months, Oracle Sisters have built up a loyal and global following, blurring the lines between music and visual arts. Now, Oracle Sisters turn their attention to its sequel, their next EP ‘Paris II’ , due for arrival on April 7th. Building upon their first EPs thematic premise of music lifted from a utopian vision of the French capital (where the band are currently located) the upcoming body of work shows the duel side “of that world...coming back down to earth to explore the darker sides of the psyche while probing some allies of hope” add the band.

With members hailing from across Europe and the UK , the band are uninhibited in their influences, finding inspiration within the art, cinema, philosophy, and music of the world over; resulting in a sound that is both sonically sophisticated and warmly familiar. Lyrically, they explore timeless narratives of love, mysticism and spirituality, scattered with intriguing insights into their own personal lives and experiences resulting in songs that are cryptic yet inviting.

Oracle Sisters have been working hard in Greece currently finishing off their debut album. Along the road, they’ve also played impromptu shows on the island of Hydra with friends from Fontaines D.C & The Murder Capital   – capturing the troubadour spirit of the band.

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Bernice - Lone Swan.

Today, ahead of the release the band are sharing the album's final single "Lone Swan."

"When we think of swans, we think of them coupled, distant, on water - beautiful, peaceful, sailing," says Bernice leader Robin Dann. "We know them as aggressive, hissing, dominating, at odds with our world. Lone swan feels conflict, curiosity, and longing. On a deserted road, city street, snowy mountain, suburban pool, forest, nightclub, airplane, crop circle, cloud - she absorbs as much as she releases. She doesn’t quite fit in anywhere she lands, wonders what is real, and her longing for connection carry her forward one webbed foot at a time."

Eau de Bonjourno is the Bernice's first collaboration with producer Shahzad Ismaily, the acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who has worked with artists as varied as Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, John Zorn, and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. While their genre reconstruction remains distinctly Bernice, Dann’s lyrics bring a newfound focus to storytelling in the present moment, compassionately meeting ourselves where we are, and finding joy in spaces that are familiar but ever changing.

Eau de Bonjourno, according to Dann, “openly plays with the shape of a pop song,” drawing on the band members’ backgrounds in jazz, subverting rhythmic formulas, and resting in grooves that sit just outside of predictable. Instead of letting instruments take extended solos, the tone is set on opener “Groove Elation” with brief blurts of synthesized sax, patient passages of space, or clusters of beats, tenderly held together by Dann and Williams’ intimate vocals. The album’s sound is experimental in its truest definition, chopped up like musique concrète and then delicately placed back together with the loving touch of a scrapbook collagist.

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Tuesday, 2 March 2021

Clea Anaïs - Electric Religious - Dorothea Paas - Kyle McKearney

Clea Anaïs - Hazy Days.

Calgary musician & RALEIGH co-founder Clea Anaïs returns to music today with the release of her debut solo single, “Hazy Days.” Anaïs had taken a break from music to pursue a career in aviation. COVID-19 had other plans. With the world in a pandemic lockdown, Anaïs' focus returned to her first love… music.

Discussing “Hazy Days,” Anaïs stated, “'Hazy Days' captures that moment when you meet a new person and know simultaneously you love each other, but that no matter how things play out you won't move forward in this life together. It is about the practice of really being present with someone, because the second you let go, time will catapult you forward again, and the moment will be lost forever.During the second verse, I imagine the tailors of time embodied by wise deities in the original gardens. I envision them spinning the tapestry of fate from delicate spider web timelines. The track stretches and plays with our perception and relationship with time and reality. ‘Hazy Days’ feels like a brief flash of summers past, and I hope the listener is transported to a nostalgic moment they would like to remember."

A mixed race, multiethnic artist, Clea was raised in Calgary by a Mauritian dancer, and a British painter, Clea’s compositions center on two things: her multifaceted artistic sensibility, and an emotional intelligence as sharp as a shard of bright-colored crystal. Clea creates art that moves in interesting ways, and through this there are moments when she is vulnerable, and those moments move you because they are some special combination of being listenable, evoking thought/memory, and feeling new.

Her session work spans many genres, having worked with Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) on his project Music for Heart and Breath, doing residencies at the Banff Centre, and recording with bands like Woodpigeon, 100 Mile House, Reuben and the Dark, and Astral Swans. “Hazy Days” is the first of two singles expected in early 2021, hinting at a full-length album.


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Electric Religious - Catherine.

Electric Religious is the project of Edmonton-based Métis singer-songwriter, Brandon Baker, whose guitar-driven music has been described as “bursting with inspiration, insight, and hope.” 

Deeply influenced by the psychedelic sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Baker took his moniker from a Hendrix quote: “When I get up on stage, that’s my whole life. That’s my religion. My music is electric church music. I am electric religion.” The debut Electric Religious album, Yeah, Yeah, No (2018) featured the single “Revolution,” which achieved a coveted spot in the CBC Searchlight Top 100 in 2019, and spent multiple weeks at #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. 

A virtuosic guitar player whose live performances are undeniably impressive, Baker has performed for audiences as large as 50,000 during the opening ceremonies for Red Bull Crashed Ice, which was broadcast to over 1.7 million viewers. Other accolades for Electric Religious include an “Artist to Watch” nomination at the Edmonton Music Awards (2015), and a nomination for Aboriginal Artist of the Year in Baker’s home province of Saskatchewan (2009).

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Dorothea Paas - Anything Can't Happen.

Beloved Canadian songwriter, Dorothea Paas is today sharing her new single, "Anything Can't Happen" alongside which she is announcing her long-awaited debut album, also titled Anything Can't Happen and set for release via Telephone Explosion Records on May 7, 2021. For over a decade, Paas has played her unique, prismatic style of folk songcraft for audiences across North America, and lent her talents as a guitarist and vocalist to artists including Jennifer Castle, U.S. Girls, and Badge Époque Ensemble. The songs on this album have been a long time coming, transforming through a near-infinite number of forms whilst being performed at house shows and in sold-out venues.

All of this makes Anything Can’t Happen feel far more mature and complex than a debut album. It’s a statement of purpose, the next step in a decade-long process of artistic growth and evolution, and a bridge between the DIY style of Paas’s previous cassette releases and a more refined studio sensibility. Recorded between Hamilton, ON, and Toronto, and mixed by Max Turnbull (Badge Époque Ensemble and U.S. Girls) and Steve Chahley, these songs bring a diverse range of musical influences into the conversation: inflected with the layered reverberations of Grouper, shot through with the piercing harmonies of the Roches, electrified with the searing energy of Sonic Youth. You can hear Neil Young in the grittiness of the title track’s guitar; Joni Mitchell’s Hejira in the album’s lyrics, Fairport Convention in Paas’s voice. The influence of Stevie Wonder – one of Paas’s greatest musical role models – is present too, in the album’s conceptual foundations.

This first album-titled single is a meditation on trust at three levels – in relationships, in the self, and existential trust in the future. In tandem with these ideas, the music, which draws on off-kilter percussion fused with Paas's silvery vocal and guitar work, moves from rhythmic and confrontational, to drifting and introspective, and finally comes to an anthemic, euphoric conclusion.

The refrain "anything can happen at any time" is sung with confidence, but its meaning is ambiguous. Layered guitars, stacked harmonies, and heaven-bound synths feel big and bolstering, while also carrying a wide range of emotional possibilities including abandon, joy, fear, and grief.

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Kyle McKearney - Devil Water.

Kyle McKearney is a well-accomplished artist & songwriter; ready to take the world on with his unique, modern-vintage, Americana sound.

Born and raised in small-town northern BC (Canada), Kyle grew up surrounded by family and their love of Country & Bluegrass music. After high school, Kyle had the opportunity to move to Nashville, TN, where he spent his days submersed in learning how classic Country and Rockabilly songs were crafted. He eventually made his way back to Canada and settled in Calgary, AB, where him and his brother Shade started a band together. It was then that Kyle really dug in, and started perfecting his skills in: singing, songwriting, all aspects of recording, touring and performing, which have led to being a full time career.

Over the years, Kyle’s been a part of a few successful projects that found him: co-writing a song with Roger Taylor (of the legendary band, QUEEN), on a national tour with Nick Carter (the Backstreet Boy), along with garnering three Top 20 CHR/Top 40 hit songs on Canadian commercial radio, a top 30 at Pop/Hot AC radio, a Top 30 on Active Rock radio, and a Canadian Radio Music Award nomination in 2017 (an incredible feat for an independent artist).

He spent 6 months of 2019 on the road, playing guitar and touring across North America with Queen’s production of “We Will Rock You” the musical; his 15th year of experience in touring. To date, he has sold over 35,000 digital units equivalent.

Kyle has also co-produced all of his new music with Russell Broom (Paul McCartney, Jan Arden, George Canyon, Brett Kissell) and has just released his debut single “Devil Water.”


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Monday, 1 March 2021

Bandicoot - The BluesBones - Leahy - Anthony Steller

Bandicoot - Dark Too Long.

Reclaiming for a new generation the poetry of Dylan, the stark beauty and unhinged Rock and Roll of mid-70s John Cale, and Badfinger's melancholic timeless songcraft, this is Bandicoot. Their sound flows like post-industrial blues through Swansea's rain-soaked concrete streets.

Bandicoot have earned a ferocious reputation, thanks to their raucous, overflowing live shows that spin euphorically from post-punk and krautrock to glam stomp and art-pop sensuality at the drop of a note.

‘Dark Too Long’ is Bandicoot‘s debut single on Libertino, a song they describe as a “frenzied cry of desperation from the depths of excess and loneliness, influenced by the driving rhythms of NEU! and Can.”

"Bandicoot are wired instinctively to the cathartic screams of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, the lustful danger of The Velvet Underground, and CAN's cinematic propulsion. They are the art-house provocateurs of Warhol's Factory brought to life on Swansea's rainy streets" - Libertino


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The BluesBones - Sealed Souls.

We just wanted to share with you this new lyric video. This song is taken from our latest "Live On Stage" Album.

The song "Sealed Souls" deals with the madness of War. Sometimes a song is just a little more then just a song. 

Sometimes a song is also a message. And Sealed Souls is this kind of song. About the insanity of war and all the suffering it brings. Sometimes images speak louder then words. But combine Lyrics, Music and images and maybe it becomes even more powerfull!!

The BluesBones is a band of 5 passioned and experienced musicians, playing blues/rock with undiminished feeling and skill. Their original songs vary from blues rock over mellow and sensitive blues ballads, swampy slide to more heavy rock. This extended range of styles generated a diverse fanbase in Europe and beyond.

The band, formed in 2011, released its debut album in 2012 and was elected public's favorite at the Belgian Blues Challenge the same year. The band was declared winner of the same contest in 2016 and finished 2nd out of 26 countries at the European Blues Challenge in Horsens/Denmark in 2017. The BluesBones played over 400 shows all over Europe and performed at festivals like Blues Peer festival, Ribs & Blues festival, Moulin Blues, Swing Wespelaar festival, Scinawski Blues Festival, Cahors Blues Festival, Breda Jazz, Randers Blues Festival, Blues‘n Jazz Rallye, …

The BluesBones had the pleasure to share the stage, be support act or jam with artists like King King, Jimmy Vaughan, Seasick Steve, Tommy Castro, Guy Forsyth, Laurence Jones, Danny Bryant, The Nimmo Brothers, Jimmy Thackery, Dan Patlansky, …

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Leahy - Tears.

Canadian band Leahy’s brand new album, Good Water, brings the five women of the group – Leahy sisters Julie, Erin, Maria, Siobheann, and Denise – freshly to the fore, in singing and especially songwriting, along with brother Frank on drums, and introduces the newest addition to the band, Xavier, son of Frank, on accordion.

As the songs on Good Water took shape, a new edge to the band’s sound began to emerge with the addition of electric guitars which spurred them on to explore the outer edges of their traditional/Celtic/folk/roots musical origins, pushing well beyond that footing.

The record’s latest single, “Tears,” is another colour and sensibility in Leahy’s music journey. It reflects the fact that the band members are influenced by so many different genres and this comes out in different ways. Here is a nod to a rock style – with a very heartfelt deep lyric. It’s a beautiful contrast that is not soft and not hard – it’s grounded which is consistent with their sound over the years.

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Anthony Steller - In The Story To Be.

Since my sophomore year high school, I’ve been single-handedly writing and producing original music in my garage studio. What started out as a few singles evolved into a fully polished album. I am inspired by classic rock legends of the 1960s and 70s such as The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues, The Small Faces, and The Rolling Stones. 

I intend to bring sounds from these unforgettable decades back into the spotlight in the next few years. My plans are to start my own band after high school and continue to create and perform new music in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

The Album: "In The Story To Be" is a rock concept album that represents my personal story of struggles in a way that aims to connect and relate to people that listen to it. The album consists of songs about false hopes and miseries, all the way to uplifting songs about learning how to live strong once again. Part of the reason I wrote some of the songs I did was to replace the music I grew up to love because at a point in my life, I was scarred by heartbreak and couldn’t listen to them without feeling sorrowful. 

I aim for my music to connect to those moving through their own darkness so I can give hope for what is to come for everyone’s future no matter where they are or what they are going through. All guitars, percussion, keys, and vocals were proudly recorded on my own, and the tracks were all mixed and mastered by myself. Would love it if you could take a listen!!

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Sunday, 28 February 2021

Heavy Feather - Yndling - Postdata - Ontarians - The Sarandons

Heavy Feather - Sometimes I Feel.

Heavy Feather release "Sometimes I Feel", the fourth and final single leading up to the Swedish root rock band's upcoming sophomore album "Mountain of Sugar". "Sometimes I Feel" stands out from the rest of the album as guitarist Matte Gustafsson takes on the role as lead singer. Delivering a psychedelic, organic tune that brings the true sound and feel of the late 60's to the modern world. "Sometimes I Feel" is released on The Sign Records February 26.

When Heavy Feather's first album "Débris & Rubble" (2019) was released, it became praised by both press and audience; taking the band out to tour Europe. Now it ́s time for their second album, "Mountain of sugar"; an even rawer, heavier, and harder release than the previous one, still with the root rock and psychedelic touch at the very core.

“Mountain of Sugar” consists of 11 roots-rock tracks oozing with a 70‘s sound and feel, filled with attitude and raw vocals from blues singer Lisa Lystam. Catchy hooks and roaring guitar riffs are based on influences from the greats of the 60s and 70s, drawing inspiration from bands such as Free, Cream, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band then adds their own unique touch to the tracks, creating a unique and intricate sound that few can deny.


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Yndling - Childish Fear.

Yndling is the dream pop project of Norwegian artist Silje Espevik. This musical endeavour is the result of wanting to take complete creative control over her music. Through delicate soundscapes and oscillating synths, Yndling invites listeners into her own world, offering a place of escapism and resonance through her lyricism.

Her debut single “Childish Fear” is composed of a hushed, muffled bassline, beatific drums, flows of shimmering synths and hypnotic, celestial clouds of production, creating an engrossing paradise of sound and a melancholy atmosphere. Produced by Adrian Einestor Sandberg, the track drips in intimacy creating a stunning contrast to the story behind the tune which entails her fear of intimacy. Yndling divulges, “The song is about that stage in a relationship where there isn’t really that much new and exciting to discover about each other, and capture the fear that I might not be enough once the shimmering glow of first expressions fade.”

The dream-pop artist has an ability to create magical, dreamy soundscapes that are haunting and emotive, originating a fresh new sound and giving insight to an array of mixed emotions allowing listeners to have a raw view of her heart. “Childish Fear” gradually develops a thicker texture resulting in a full bloom of sound. The vocals are tender and ethereal, the backing vocals are almost unrecognisable as a voice floating throughout the track creating a wash of a dazy utopia to indulge in. Yndling shares, “I wanted to communicate a mood or a feeling with the song that evolves and becomes more consuming as the track unfolds.”

Yndling takes influences from artists and bands such as Beach House, Tops, Crumb, Hatchie and Mazzy Star. When it comes to songwriting, the Norweigan artist often allows her feelings or experiences to engross her for a while in order to fully submerge herself in the reality of the emotions. She explains, “I think there is so much power in letting a feeling or experience be all-consuming, just for a little while, and I really need that to write music.” Along with always trying to be as honest and vulnerable as possible, Yndling has an understanding that when writing, it is important to “throw away the fear of being too honest or maybe telling a truth that’s not recognized by everyone else and that may feel a little too close for comfort.” Yndling offers a kaleidoscope of imagination and feeling throughout her music and ensures her lyrics are just as positively affecting.

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Postdata - Inside Out.

POSTDATA, the solo music project of Wintersleep frontman/songwriter, Paul Murphy, is to return on March 5, 2021, with his third record, Twin Flames (out via Paper Bag Records) tipped so far by MOJO, The Guardian, Secret Meeting, Brooklyn Vegan and more. He's today sharing his new single, "Inside Out", which features Murphy's friend, Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit, on synthesiser/keys.

A breathtaking and introspective new album, brimming with deep wonderings and intricately excavated soundscapes, Twin Flames – which comes co-produced by Bristol-based Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Portishead) – borrows its namesake from the centerpiece song on the album. Twin Flames is about a storm, but perhaps more importantly, it’s also about a fire burning through it. Paul says that being in a storm can be a freeing and powerful experience. “You’re navigating this place…you can’t really see super far in front of you,” he says. “I kinda like that place.”

"Inside Out", which comes off the back of the Guardian, FLOOD and Under The Radar-tipped single, "Nobody Knows", is one of the new album's crucial cornerstones, welding together crystalline indie-pop sensibilities with a swooning melody and an infectious singalong chorus. It arrives as something that is unashamedly optimistic with Murphy keen to create something which acts as a guiding light through the pandemic, something which celebrates rather than dwells. Speaking about the track, Murphy says: "I didn’t really know what to do with this song at first. It has this open-hearted feeling to it and I usually try and mess with a song lyrically or darken it up when there’s something musically so light and warm. I don’t know why that’s always the inclination. For this though, and maybe it was because I completed it during the first lockdown period, I wanted to really celebrate that warmness or joyous quality, to lift it up. I hope that it lifts you up a little bit too."

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Ontarians - No Regrets.

Canada's new alt-country heroes ONTARIANS release "No Regrets," the second single from their debut album The Greatest Short Story Never Told, due out March 12. Like its preceding single "Time," "No Regrets" -- available on all digital platforms and Bandcamp -- evokes the spirit of the alt-country insurgency's heyday of the 1990s, with its simple video offering a glimpse of the freedom we've all been missing over the past year and hope to get back to soon. 

ONTARIANS singer/guitarist Frank Deresti describes the band's approach in broad terms by saying, “Between glasses of Pernod, car troubles and lots of laughter we wrote songs about various stages of life we found ourselves in—past, present, and a hypothetical future. Once we had a clear goal in mind, it was like a reservoir of creativity was released that had been building up for a long time.”

The band's other co-founder, multi-instrumentalist Craig Smith adds, "“The general guiding rule has been ‘anything goes.' Frank and I pursued any idea either of us came up with, as long as it felt good. And even though the album took two years to finish, when we were together in the studio there was a real sense of urgency to be productive. We didn’t have the luxury of living in the same city, so I think all of that concentrated effort really comes across on the album.”

The members of the band ONTARIANS don’t live in Toronto, although their sound isn't far removed from the distinctive brand of country rock that ruled Toronto’s Queen Street West during the glory days of the Horseshoe Tavern, the Cameron House and the Rivoli.

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The Sarandons - Caught In A Dream.

This past year has been the ultimate test of whether familiarity breeds contempt. When you're marooned at sea together, all sorts of things start to creep in. More insidious than contempt, the people we're locked in with start to become a piece of furniture in our lives.

Days on repeat. Love ignored.

Our producer Dan Hosh (City & Colour, Arkells) asked us if we had anything slower and more melancholic to round out the upcoming EP. "Caught in a Dream" is it. Lightning struck and within a few days all the pieces, including the dreamy intro/outro, fell together. 

Lyrics were drawn from the zeitgeist (pre-capital raid, so talk of enemies at the gates and insurrection must have been in the ether) to describe those mundane struggles of a relationship.

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Saturday, 27 February 2021

Aeroplane Mode - Jillette Johnson - PEP - Romanie - Elise Davis

Aeroplane Mode - In A State.

Melbourne dream-pop 4 piece Aeroplane Mode are ready to hit the skies again with their sophomore single and videoclip for 'In A State'. 

Mastered by Joe Carra (Babe Rainbow, San Cisco) the band have been able to create their own take on the dream-pop genre with rich jangle guitars, sweeping synths and honest lyricism. 'In A State' was inspired by the notion of growing up and the acceptance that comes with embracing change. As the band's bassist and songwriter Carlos explains: "The main concept that ‘In A State’ explores is that of a typical boy-meets-girl scenario, and the butterflies associated with a first crush". Exploring different vocal aesthetics and soundscapes, the single leans into a more upbeat tune and borrows the vocals of band's guitarist Brandon. "It is our mission with this single to make clear to our audience that we have two frontpeople in the band." continues Carlos.

Releasing alongside a video clip, the video features a series of the band playing amongst different colour washes, between playful scenes of lead singer Brandon, that embraces the band's aesthetic of nostalgic vaporwave, full of soft and dreamy textures. Recorded at Red Door Studios in Collingwood and produced by Melbourne based creative Nick Bond.

Having only released the one single 'Settle Down', Aeroplane Mode caught the attention of notable industry figures including James Tidswell (Violent Soho) who released the song on his Domestic La La Record Club and Brae Fisher of Dear Seattle who has taken them on for management. Along with this the band have been played on TOPS on Triple J Unearthed and received national radio play on Triple J, as well as being added to Spotify Editorial playlist ‘fuzzy’.

Comprised of members of DIET, alongside the unique talents of frontpeople Sinead and Brandon, Aeroplane Mode is set to woo fans of #1 Dads, Hatchie and Beach House. So, turn your devices to Aeroplane Mode, kick back and enjoy this flight.


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Jillette Johnson - Many Moons.

Jillette Johnson has released a celestial music video for her reflective single “Many Moons.” The track is off her latest album It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You, which just released on February 12.

“‘Many Moons’ is a coming of age story, and a reflection on all the phases of my life so far,” explains Jillette. “I worked with the super talented Grant Claire to make a video that told the story of where I came from, where I am now, and where I believe I’m headed. I wanted to use lots of color and to make it feel like a spacey fever dream, where all these disparate worlds kind of collide into one.”

It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You injects Jillette’s intimate, piano-written songs with irreverent lyrics, buoyant pop melodies and a shot of guitar-driven, alt-rock muscle. Produced by Joe Pisapia and written entirely by Jillette, the album has garnered praise from Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Refinery29, No Depression and more.

American Songwriter said "Boasting a series of mesmerizing melodies, [It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You] begins with the eerie and elusive 'Many Moons' and subsequently negotiates its way through to songs that become even more effusive and expressive.” UNCUT adds, “her latest uses country as a springboard into '60s pop, '70s rock, and Noughties indie...It's an adventurous palette that suits her well.”

In late 2020, Jillette launched her original “Artist Brain” interview series, showcasing intimate acoustic performances and conversations with other artists. Streaming live on her Instagram every other Thursday, previous guests include Jaime Wyatt, Molly Parden, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Elle Varner, Maggie Rose, Katie Pruitt and Lillie Mae. Upcoming episodes will feature Andrew Combs and Grace Weber, with more guests to be announced.

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PEP - Like a Movie / Run.

PEP the NYC-based nostalgic pop group featuring frontwoman Karys Rhea (former drummer of Starlight Girls) is sharing a surprise two-video farewell for singles “Like a Movie” and “Run”, self-released Friday, February 26. This goodbye marks the end of a six-year run for a locally beloved band and celebrates music born out of Brooklyn venues in the 2010s.

“Like a Movie” is a haunt of doo-wop dream sauce, equal parts lovesick and buoyant. It comes with a silky video (dir. Dorian Duvall), shot with Rhea’s actual ex-boyfriend, going through the motions of a contrived love story fantasized and divine. “Run” is a glittering and joyful good time, previously released in 2017 but now with a brand new video, composed of careful quick harmonies, jangly splashes of color, and extremely catchy bass lines.

PEP originally began as the solo project of Starlight Girls drummer Karys Rhea. In the fall of 2011, she started humming doo-wop and Mo-town style melodies while practicing monotonous drum rudiments for hours at a time. These drum parts and vocal melodies became the foundation for PEP’s debut album, … Presenting PEP!, released in 2017.

After years of settling into a tight-knit act, PEP says farewell this year with the release of a new single, “Like A Movie”. Their updated brand of 60s doo-wop (nu-wop…if you will), became a seven-piece live outfit with back-up singers and choreographed moves reminiscent of retro pop girl groups. PEP is celebrating with their goodbye, years of music built out of Brooklyn venues in the 2010s, and a culture unabashedly retro but with a dreaminess that captured the hearts of listeners for a feel-good nostalgia PEP created with their tunes, fits, and fun.

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Romanie - I'm Anything (But Myself Around You).

Melbourne based Romanie unveils her intimate new single  Anything (But Myself Around You). Produced by James Seymour (Feelds, Merpire) at Small Time Group, and mastered by Isaac Barter, the track was written in February 2020 right before Covid changed our lives significantly.

Speaking about the inspiration for  Anything (But Myself Around You), Romanie says, The song is about how everyone wants to show their best selves to social media, at work, even to their close circle of family and friends. We always try our best to be happy but I think sometimes we also just need to be a bit more real and call out if it's not okay. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we want to speak out against someone, but we don't really dare to break the peace.
Noting names like Lucy Rose, Julia Stone and Phoebe Bridgers as inspirations, Romanie opens her heart in her songs unveiling melancholic and sometimes personal topics of moving from her home country of Belgium to her new base in Melbourne.

I made the big trip across the ocean to Melbourne in October 2019 to start a new adventure at the other side of the world. Leaving everything behind that felt familiar - insecurity and overthinking were my first few friends I unpacked from my suitcase. I had to start over what I had left behind in Belgium (playing shows regularly, releasing my first EP Feelings, having a good network and friends). Seeing all the creative energy and talent in Melbourne, I soon got a bit overwhelmed and started to worry I would never find my feet in the music industry. This creative energy however, made me want to work hard and practice my craft to grow and figure out where I want to go with my music. I was very lucky to land in a network where I am inspired every day. I think I've never written as many songs as I did in the past year. - Romanie

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Elise Davis - Empty Rooms.

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Elise Davis released a new song “Empty Rooms” from her forthcoming album Anxious. Happy. Chill. out on April 16 via Tone Tree. The song premiered on Apple Music’s Record Bin Radio with Kelly McCartney over the weekend and was featured by The Boot, who called the album "...a 10-song record about falling in love and changing perspectives." Last month, Davis announced the new collection with “Yellow Bed,” following the release of three singles in 2020 (“Ladybug,” “The Grid,” and “Flame Color”).

“I started writing this song right before the pandemic, around February 2020,” explains Davis. It began as a reflection of how I have spent my whole adult life. I began writing songs when I was 12 years old and never looked back. I've played in many empty rooms, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, restaurants, dive bars - I've also played in front of thousands of people in sold out clubs, theaters, music festivals. At the end of the day, regardless of the ups and downs, I know that playing music is what makes me feel whole and how I want to spend my time on this earth.  After writing this the pandemic became in full swing and the reality of playing live music completely changed. It is interesting because now this song has added layers of meaning. Rooms all over the world that are usually full, are now empty rooms.”

Anxious. Happy. Chill. was recorded just days after wrapping her honeymoon in Arizona, where she finished writing the album in the Sonoran Desert outside Tucson. Davis recorded the album with producer Teddy Morgan (Carl Broemel) at his studio in Nashville, TN. With the Covid-19 pandemic already in full swing, Davis and Morgan worked together for a month while maintaining their physical distance, communicating through the glass windows of the studio's isolation booths and playing the majority of the instruments themselves. Drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, The Wallflowers) joined them for a single day to lend the album its unique, percussive pulse.

“Making this album was a unique experience to say the least. Normally, I go in with a band and we all sit around and play through songs. We hang out and have drinks, making it a social and creative experience. This time my producer and I were never in the same room. We wore masks to get to our spots in the studio, then spoke through glass on headphones,” explains Davis. “For 8 years I wrote for publishing companies in Nashville that set me up on scheduled co-writes. Those experiences helped me grow as a writer and I learned a lot. But to write this album almost entirely on my own brought me back to my roots. At the end of the day I prefer writing on my own more than anything, and I got back in touch with that again. I also played guitar on most of this album which I don't usually do. I usually hire guitar players whose skills are better than mine. But, me playing on the recordings makes them feel different. I hear myself in them more. This album is about love, success/failure, dislike of social media, aging, summertime, and most importantly, it's honest. I am so happy to be sharing my third child, Anxious. Happy. Chill., with the world.”

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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...