Elizabeth M. Drummond - Claude - Berries

Elizabeth M. Drummond - Crisis.

Getting lost in a window into somebody else's own existential crisis shouldn’t feel as joyful as it’s made to sound in Elizabeth M. Drummond’s sensational first steps as a solo artist. In her aptly named debut single out today titled “Crisis”, you’ll find a track that runs on the pure adrenaline that came from her own self-realisations and the honest reactions that followed.  Drummond was formerly a member of the critically acclaimed band Little May, who toured with The National & City and Colour, whilst headlining their own headline shows across the globe.

Speaking about the song Drummond said, “I wrote Crisis when I had moved cities after leaving Little May and a long relationship. I felt like everything I ever identified with had just exploded in front of me. I also realised I had been living on auto-pilot for as long as I could remember, and that I had been ignoring what I actually wanted for my life. At this point, I had started to feel a huge amount of relief and humour in surrendering to the idea that things couldn’t get any worse. In many ways I felt like I had become “no one”, and this started to become liberating. This song marks that time and those feelings for me.”

The song was written between Sydney & Melbourne, however, It was in Melbourne that she took it to her friend James Seymour for his opinion and he then went on to co-produce Crisis.  Drummond said “ We co-produced the rest of the song together at Small Time (a studio in Brunswick, Melbourne). We threw everything at it, and most of it didn’t work. Liam Gough (from The Teskey Brothers) played drums on this one. His playing really informed where everything else was going to sit dynamically. Zac Barter played strings on it, and that really added another layer of depth and weirdness to the song that I loved. As much as I like the song, I’m relieved I never have to produce it again - it was a bit of a pain in the arse.”

Ask Drummond who she is and she’ll describe herself as a self-confessed misfit with an anxious disposition. Her plans of pursuing a career in acting were sidelined by the breakout success of her band Little May, which she had started with her childhood friends. Their first release took off, a record produced by Aaron Dessner of The National followed and this inevitably led to them touring the world… It was fast, furious and it took its toll. Elizabeth M. Drummond pulled the ripcord, not for any selfish ambitions but to seek the time to repair herself, regain a sense of identity and beyond the band environment, to recover from the bruises of a few poisonous relationships.

============================================================================

Claude - twenty something.

Claude—the Chicago based existential dream pop solo project of Claudia Ferme has announced that her debut full-length album, a lot’s gotta change, will be released on August 12th, 2022 via American Dreams Records.

Produced and engineered with Michael Mac (Tenci, Tasha, Devin Shaffer, Mia Joy), the album includes contributions from fellow Chicago musicians such as Dustin Laurenzi (Twin Talk, Bon Iver), Vivian McConnell (V.V. Lightbody), Maria Jacobson (Fran), among many others, and was mixed and mastered by Andrew Weathers.

“This album is a snapshot of my early-to-mid twenties — formative, sometimes confusing years,” says Claude. “I can pinpoint specific experiences and instances that correlate with each song. Yet, I was frustrated I still didn’t have things figured out like I thought I should and that things weren’t working out the way I’d hoped they would.” Through catchy hooks, wistful production, and deadpan humor, lead single “twenty something” reflects Claude's frustrations of society’s expectations when faced with reality, which is represented visually with an accompanying music video directed by Reilly Drew.

Regarding the video, Claude shared the following: “I wanted to explore the ‘snapshot’ aspect of the album and way of concretizing experiences through the different landscapes and outfits you see throughout. The emptiness and the surreal and dream-like quality of these spaces serve as a representation of my internal environment. I’m alone in each scene, on some strange kind of journey, walking, thinking, looking inward, even when I’m surrounded by people.”

============================================================================

Berries - Haze.

Berries have unleashed a third cut from their debut album ‘How We Function’. Rhythmic and rambunctious in equal measure, meticulous new track “Haze” seesaws between infectious and ansty in a beat and evokes how unexpected the onset of intrusive thoughts and mental hurdles can be.

Just as biting as earlier tracks “We Are Machines” and “Wall of Noise”, albeit with a more measured edge, the new track showcases the band’s tight musicianship and ability to find optimism and craft an arresting melody in a tough time.

“”Haze” represents the barriers we often put up and how scary but also uplifting it can be when they break down. The “Haze” descends when least expected and is hard to fight through, but it’s important to recognise the strength it takes to open up and fight past the intrusive thoughts and be the best version of yourself.”

Blending gravelly garage rock stylings with uplifting hooks and a hopeful vision for the future, “Haze” arrives as a third glimpse into Berries’ forthcoming debut  ‘How We Function’ — an album ostensibly about mental health struggles and the resounding empowerment of overcoming and learning to live thoroughly with them.

Having sieved the last four years of their lives through tight, crunchy guitar lines and puncturing rhythmic patterns, ‘How We Function’ explores the band’s musical and emotional DNA revealing what it takes to not only overcome personal problems but set yourselves down a path to being truly independent in sound, ambition, heart and mind. “We really couldn’t have put more into it,” adds Holly, “we are so proud of the end result.”


============================================================================

Lydia Luce - Headshrinkers

Lydia Luce - Matter of Time.

It’s no secret that an artist’s surroundings directly influence their output, but in the case of Lydia Luce’s new single “Matter of Time,” it isn’t so much about the beautiful nature in which the song was written. Moreso, Luce’s ethereal tune focuses on what might become of her Eden with the upward trend of wildfires and climate change.

Written during her time as an artist in residence on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington—only a couple of months after a series of devastating heatwaves in the Pacific Northwest—it was greatly apparent to Luce that her refuge was threatened. “I was on this incredibly beautiful island immersed in nature thinking about the effect of climate change in that area.

In that moment, I was grateful to be able to be there and experience the beauty,” she says, recounting the genesis of “Matter of Time.” “I tried to stay present and really absorb it all because every year we are seeing changes to our world.” “I want to stay in the light, because I know it’s a matter of time,” she sings.

============================================================================

Headshrinkers - The Sea Has No Friends.

Expertly tapping into and memorialising a certain place and time in history, the latest single from the Black Country-based newcomers is a lofty expanse of a track that merges spoken-word lyrics with velvety vocal harmonies and opulent stretches of instrumentals.

As gentle acoustic guitar strums and skillfully-crafted poetry descend into an exhilarating crescendo of steady and majestic drums, jubilant riffs and increasingly urgent vocals, “The Sea Has No Friends” ingeniously boasts the band’s breadth. Straying slightly from the rip-roaring post-punk of their earlier singles, the new track stays true to the band’s knack for capturing the imagination and evoking the sights and sounds of a specific — and at times long forgotten — moment in time.

Of the story behind the track, vocalist and songwriter Garran Hickman explains: “It was quite the reflective day when I wrote that piece. Words and melody were both written in half an hour. It’s just two entwined memories really: one is of my older relatives sharing stories of their loved ones in the war, and secondly the opening line, ‘the sea has no friends’, are words my dad used to describe the sea.”

Produced and mixed by Gavin Monoghan at Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton and engineered by Liam Radburn, the track comes as an astute follow up to the band’s most recent single “Monocle”. Headshrinkers are Garran Hickman (vocals), James Knott (guitar), Xavier Al-Naqib (bass) and Scarlett Churchill (drums, backing vocals). Having formed in 2019 and bonded over a shared vision of capturing the intricacies of modern life within their music, the Black Country-based foursome have been quick to make a name for themselves on their local music scene and beyond.

Carving out an unmistakable sound characterised by its unflinching poetry set atop searing and confrontational guitar riffs, thunderous basslines and pummelling drums, Headshrinkers were dubbed as Brum Radio’s ‘Band of the Year’ for 2020, and named on This Feeling’s ‘Big in 2021’ list.


============================================================================

Certain Animals - Son Parapluie feat. Isobel Campbell

Certain Animals - All Is Over Now.

'All Is Over Now' proves that Certain Animals dares to become more and more personal, and is less anxious to show her true colours. What emerges is sometimes soft, sometimes sweet and longing for a recent past. Smooth and polished, like the late seventies period from which the song borrows inspiration, but always with an edge. 

With vintage artistry and a Wurlitzer which would have suited a Supertramp record, the band describes the drifting apart of two lovers, without forgetting to shine a positive light on such a situation. 

Incredible close-harmony, befitting The Beach Boys or The Beatles, and falsetto choirs echoing the sound of Electric Light Orchestra records, are complemented by an array of musical talent in the form of clarinets, flugel horn and a Hammond organ. All dressing this track up to perfection. 

After mourning a loss and nearly drowning in nostalgia, Certain Animals breaks free in the final phrase and closes the song with tasteful Baroque themes, played vigorously on trumpet and fuzz-guitar. Thus paying homage to the band Focus and lifting the spirit of the listener after an emotional journey.
With the release of their last two singles Midnight TV and Angels In Disguise, Certain Animals has now reached a larger audience in their home country of the Netherlands. The band has already been invited twice to play songs live on national TV.

TCBYML · Certain Animals - All Is Over Now

============================================================================

Son Parapluie - Paris n'existe pas (feat. Isobel Campbell).

Just released is a unique and wonderful set of songs entitled Paris n’existe pas by Son Parapluie (Translation: Paris Does not Exist by My Umbrella) through a partnership between French label Europop 2000 and American cohort 80 Proof Records. This project, a reverie of a classic era in French music featuring a fascinating, unexpected combination of performers, will be initially released on digital and limited-edition CD with a crowdfunded vinyl version. A unique NFT single with exclusive art and music will also be released.

Son Parapluie originates with Jérôme Didelot of the band Orwell, who has released a string of artful pop albums over the past two decades including 2020’s Parcelle brillante. Didelot wrote these new songs to evoke the late the 60’s Paris of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian, Mark Lanegan duet albums) leads the sterling cast as featured guest vocalist. Jah Wobble (PiL, Invaders of the Heart), Martin Carr (The Boo Radleys, Brave Captain), and noted French engineer/producer Yann Arnaud also appear providing remixes of songs from the project. Japanese singer Sugar Me rounds out the performer list singing on an alternate version of one of the songs.

Famed French artist Charles Berberian (known for his comic books, multiple movie posters and magazine covers including The New Yorker) created original artwork for the album cover, as well as second unique piece that will be available only via an NFT single. 

The lead song and title track, an aching masterpiece of gentle French pop, explores Paris as metaphor. A place steeped in dreams and fantasies that are unattainable for all but a very few. Does this Paris exist? Peut-être. Peut-être pas. The album launched globally on 3rd June via all major digital platforms and compact disc on Amazon, Bandcamp, and select record stores in Europe through Europop 2000 and Belgian label Hot Puma and North America via 80 Proof Records.

============================================================================

The Local Honeys - Art Moore - Pitou

The Local Honeys - Better Than I Deserve.

Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs, better known as the beloved Kentuckian duo, The Local Honeys, have a gifted way with words—particularly the playful colloquialisms and regional idiosyncrasies from their home in the Bluegrass State—that simultaneously connects the past and present, old and new. They bind stories with warm vernacular that makes those in-the-know feel warm and welcome and those not, well, flat out curious to hear more. 

The Local Honeys’ newest is “Better Than I Deserve” from their upcoming self-titled album (out July 15th via La Honda Records), of which the title itself was an everyday motto of Hobbs’s Papaw; a positive answer for the oft-asked question, “How are you doing?” A moody two-step, “Better Than I Deserve” tells the story of Montana’s grandfather who was an orphan, a U.S. naval pilot, and a war survivor. “‘Better than I deserve’ was his motto in life and carried him through many hardships,” says Hobbs, who built the whole song around his iconic informal greeting.

Their first release on La Honda Records (Colter Wall, Riddy Arman, Vincent Neil Emerson), The Local Honeys features ten winsome vignettes of rural Kentucky, conjuring 90’s alternatives sounds with hillbilly Radiohead lilts, soaring above layers of deep grooves and rich tones masterfully curated by longtime mentor Jesse Wells, a GRAMMY-nominated producer, musician (currently a member of Tyler Childers’ band The Food Stamps), and Assistant Director at the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State.

============================================================================

Art Moore - Muscle Memory.

Art Moore make vivid, heartbreaking short stories. Each song on the newly formed three-piece’s self-titled debut album is its own individual universe of bittersweet feeling: a brief snapshot of a moment in time that captures the fragility and occasional impossibility of human connection. The ten tracks that comprise the record are deft character studies, zeroing in on restless widows, shy beginners, jilted friends and friendly exes, chronicling minute moments — road trips, casual dates, games of truth or dare — with rich detail and subtle wit. The result is a world of remarkable emotional complexity, an album-length study of loneliness, heartache, and loss that’s sweet but never saccharine, sad but never maudlin. Featuring the inimitable songwriting of beloved Oakland luminary Taylor Vick of Boy Scouts set in sharp relief against lush production from Ezra Furman collaborators Sam Durkes and Trevor Brooks, it’s a quietly wondrous record — a set of songs that sketch out the struggle and beauty of coping with everyday life.

When Durkes, Brooks and Vick first set out to collaborate, the idea of Art Moore, as a band, or Art Moore, as a cohesive, ingratiating record, was still a ways away. Durkes had become close with Brooks through his work on Ezra Furman’s 2019 record Twelve Nudes, and the two had  begun work on her soundtrack for the Netflix series Sex Education. The pair already knew Vick, who had established herself as a prolific cult solo artist with Boy Scouts, and asked if she would be interested in lending her voice to the recordings.

“We all met up at the studio, and it was never even like, ‘Let’s be a band’, that was never a thing,” recalls Durkes. “It was more like, ‘Let’s think of a movie scene or a photograph or still image and see if we can write something around it.” Reflecting on those initial sessions, Brookes adds, “we wanted to work on something new outside of what we were so used to doing.”

Spurred by that early collaboration, the trio decamped to a studio in Oakland in January 2020, where it quickly became clear that a wellspring of inspiration lay untapped. They fell into an easy rhythm: Brooks and Durkes would work on a track from the instrumental demos they had made together, while Vick sat outside, writing hooks and lyrics. When she was done, she would come inside, lay down what she had written, and the process would repeat. The trio’s remarkable efficiency gave them the confidence that they had more than a handful of demos on their hands; the contours of Art Moore were beginning to take shape.

Art Moore · Muscle Memory

============================================================================

Pitou - Big Tear.

The music of Amsterdam-born singer and songwriter Pitou is characterized by her mesmerizing, multicolored voice, and her unique compositions. Enchanting tales, moving from delicate and intimate to grand and orchestral. As a child she sang in a professional classical children’s choir. In search of independence she started writing her own music.

Her latest single “Big Tear” is the perfect example of her love to blend pop music with classical instrumentation. Showcasing unexpected harmonies and song-structures, vocal layering and poetic, storytelling lyrics, the song transcends into a beautiful kaleidoscope of hypnotic rhythms. The harp loop mirrors the feeling of an angry, but not bitter energy, similar to a child unable to solve a puzzle due to not having learned the tools. Pitou explains, "This went well with the lyrics, a formative childhood memory translated into a fable.”

With a fearlessness towards weirdness, there are no boundaries to the music of Pitou. She shares, “I tend to write songs that serve a personal purpose. A bit of hopefulness or light that I need, a reminder of something I should give more attention, a guideline for how I’d want to live my life, or just the processing of something that’s happened. The underlying theme is often ‘how to be human’. I suppose the upcoming album could also be seen as a sort of ‘How To Human’ guide, one that I needed at the time.”

Pitou has garnered acclaim from the likes of The Independent, BBC 1, BBC 6 Music and Radio X, and has performed all over Europe (UK, Turkey, France, Italy, Belgium and more), in venues such as Paradiso (NL) and L’Olympia (FR) and festivals such as The Great Escape (UK) and Best Kept Secret (NL).

The unique musical universe that Pitou has carved out for herself has become even more substantial - a translation of this modern world into intriguing, richly layered musical tales.

============================================================================

Night Court - Katrina Burgoyne - Bad Pelicans - Nikki Lane

Night Court - Surfin' Iona.

"Surfin' Iona" is the third video from Night Court's second album - "Nervous Birds Too." A tongue-in-cheek, surf-punk ear worm featuring lead vocals by Emilor to make it sound more like the B-52’s. Shot on location in cloudy Richmond, British Columbia!

Vancouver power trio Night Court was born during the great lockdown 2020 with lifelong friends Jiffy and Dave emailing each other song ideas. Using Jiffy’s old Tascam 4-track and stolen recording software, they guerilla recorded what would become Night Court’s earworm-riddled debut duology – Nervous Birds! One and Too. 

The addition of Emilor on drums perfected the band, and conditions were now optimal for Night Court to release itself upon the world of rock. Drawing from a wide pool of influences – “kind of indie rock-ish at times, catchy yet dripping, with feedback in all the right places.” (Ty Stranglehold, Razorcake) – the band’s only concern is to play delightfully sick melodies through stupid ripping guitars, disgusting fuzzed-out bass, and bombastic beats on borrowed and broken drums. Night Court demands attention, but long attention spans are not required.

============================================================================

Katrina Burgoyne - I Wanna Get Away With You.

Country artist Katrina Burgoyne, all the way from Australia, released a music video inspired by her and her now-husband's love story.

Australia native Katrina Burgoyne’s latest single “I Wanna Get Away With You” is the perfect summer love song with an accompanying music video that captures every moment of a spontaneous romance. Set against a backdrop of lush green and sweet dates around town, Burgoyne and her band jam out to the guitar-heavy verses that complement the singer’s crisp vocals. The palpable chemistry between the two lovebirds makes for an experience that is immersive amidst shots of the band illustrating the excitement of true love. As viewers get out into the world and open their hearts to new experiences, “I Wanna Get Away With You” is masterfully created to usher them in.

With a goal to become the first Australian female artist to make an impact on American Country Music in the last three decades. Katrina Burgoyne moved to Nashville in 2017 with just three suitcases, a guitar, and her little Aussie battler spirit. Since releasing her debut album in 2011, Katrina has secured four top 10 singles, a top 10 ARIA charting album, and two CMAA nominations. As a songwriter, Katrina has collected indie and major label cuts across three continents (North America, Australia, and UK) and four countries (Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Ireland).

Katrina has seen her songs top the iTunes Charts in New Zealand & Australia. Additionally, topping the mainstream Shazam charts in Northern Ireland and gaining a feature on Fresh Country and New Nashville Spotify playlists & Today's Country Apple Music playlist.

============================================================================

Bad Pelicans - Paris.

The constant Full Chorus on top of a distorted bass, along with a martyrized snare and guitar riff plucked with the thunderbolts of Zeus present the restless trio of the Bad Pelicans as a V12 powered machine blazing full throttle in the the night with condemned break pedals.

Redirecting the Svrf Pvnk from their first records towards a savage, menacing avant-garde artrock, the band decided to ditch all the codes and protocoles of the punk scene where they grew and revives the flame of Nirvana's "Bleach" with their new record "Eternal Life Now" recorded in Seattle with Dylan Wall, coming out late 2022 on Géographie Recs.

The radical nihilism of the Bad Pelicans, exposed live through (litteraly) incinerating performaces, apparently isn't the band's only tour de force. From underneath the rumbling detonations and layers of feedback emerges a sincere display of delicacy and true songwriting talent.

============================================================================

Nikki Lane - First High.

Nikki Lane will return with her anticipated fourth album Denim & Diamonds on September 23rd via New West Records. The 10-song project was produced and mixed by Joshua Homme at his Pink Duck Studios in Burbank, CA and is Lane’s first album in five years.

The recordings boast a diverse range of players thoughtfully tailored by Homme to nudge Lane further into the rock and roll space. The All-Star band includes Homme, as well as his Queens of the Stone Age collaborators Alain Johannes on guitar, Dean Fertita on organ & Michael Shuman on bass. Additionally, the album features drummers Matt Helders of Arctic Monkeys, Carla Azar of the acclaimed post-punk band Autolux (and frequent Jack White collaborator), and Lane’s pedal steel player Matthew Pynn (Dwight Yoakum, Miley Cyrus). 

Nikki Lane has also shared the video for the album’s lead off track, “First High.” The video was directed by Jocelyn Cooper and shot in North Fork, CA. Says Lane of the track, “This song is about chasing that feeling of the first roller coaster, the first drag of a cigarette, that first kiss. Those moments are harder to come by the older we get, yet only get better each time. The video captures that feeling of being young in a small town on a summer day, and the lack of inhibition that came with it”

Lane is the first to recognize how long of a gap five years is in the music world, but she credits the time away as allowing her to write the most reflective work of her catalog. “There is a song that didn’t make the album with the lyrics ‘sometimes you gotta run away to live a life that you can write a song about.’ Prior to this album, I was so focused on writing about life on the road, that I just didn’t have the headspace to write about the road that got me here,” Lane says. The result is Denim & Diamonds, a wild and heavy journey into the mind of one of today’s most gifted songwriters.

============================================================================