Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds - Laura Groves - Ora Cogan - Echo Ladies

Photo - Mediaroid

Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds - Tamagotchi Nights.

Melbourne's dynamic six-piece indie pop rock outfit, Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds, are dropping a vibrant and nostalgia-driven pop anthem, 'Tamagotchi Nights', accompanied by an equally charming music video today Friday, August 11.

With her debut EP, 'Summers Gone', already under her belt, the charismatic Lucy Lorenne and her band continue to grow their endearing sound as they explore new depths of sonic and lyrical maturity with this power pop anthem that takes a colourful trip down memory lane.

'Tamagotchi Nights' – co-written by Lucy Lorenne, Matt Hargreaves and Flagrant Artists producer Ben Oldland (Ūla, Ashwarya, Alley Eley, Genes, Sian Fuller) –  is a vibrant boppy number that pays homage to childhood innocence and fantasy. With an air of melancholy for the more innocent times gone by, the song captures the essence of post-millennial nostalgia.

Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds create a captivating soundscape that goes on a joyful trip down memory lane. Opening with an 8-bit synth riff, the track bursts with a delightful blend of upbeat guitars and charming video game-like synth lines, infusing the song with a playful atmosphere. The driving drums keep the energy soaring, while Lucy Lorenne's absolutely adorable vocals and heartfelt lyricism add a touch of innocence and sincerity to the mix. Effortlessly weaving together the catchy 8-bit elements with infectious indie-pop hooks, the track is a mixed bag of emotions that builds to an exhilarating and euphoric chorus.

 

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Laura Groves – Radio Red (Album).

Much of Radio Red, the first full length album Laura Groves has released under her own name, was written, produced and recorded by Groves in her studio, watched over by two radio transmitting towers. “I became very drawn to them and they became like symbols to me; they were always awake, sending their messages, the red lights always came on at night and watched over whatever was going on in my life.” The album deals with themes of communication - missed and intercepted signals, chance meetings, synchronicities, the channels through which we try to express our true feelings, the outside interference that can get in the way and the joy of letting go and allowing the messages to flow freely.

Working its way through years of Laura’s life as an artist - early experiences of releasing music, live performance, touring, build up and breakdown, the record was a way to tune in to the many, often conflicting signals of fragmented memories. “I’ve always been very sensitive and open to what’s happening around me, and also struggle with the sheer amount of noise sometimes. There was a radio tower on the hill opposite the house where I grew up - I would look out at the network of streetlights winding up towards it and it all had a sort of mystery to me. It was a kind of escapism and a comfort, with an undertone of melancholy that was hard to put into words. I think that glow, that strange feeling, is what I’m always searching for and exploring through making music and artwork.”

This is the wavelength Laura is tuning into and trying to pin down in “Sky at Night” and the “faraway feeling” that she talks about being consumed by in the hymn to miscommunication and determination “Any Day Now”. This faraway feeling makes itself known as the need to open up and show emotion in the chord voicing of “Synchronicity”, true friendship, togetherness and isolation in our online world in “Sarah” and the heartbreak that can come with the breakdown of communication in electric piano love song “I’m Not Crying”. The “Silver Lining” of the final track, which returns to Laura’s early love for fingerpicked guitar, leads us back to the power of the redemptive love that always seems to show up just when everything seems lost.

Self-recording and production is a core part of Laura’s songwriting process. “I remember years ago getting hold of some basic recording software and being instantly drawn in. The idea of being able to layer up my voice was a dream, like building an orchestra out of what I had at home.” The passion for home-recording, using the resources available at the time, working through limitations and capturing textures through layering, forms the foundation of Groves’ experimental and off-centre pop music and electrified folk music. The sound world of Radio Red is made up of echoes and snapshots of half-remembered pop songs, piano ballads, chopped up TV theme tunes, ambient synthesized sounds and electronic music; tuning in between channels without fully belonging to any one of them, with the comfort, familiarity and strangeness that can come with hearing voices on the radio.

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Photo - Stasia Garraway

Ora Cogan - Katie Cruel.

Experimental singer-songwriter Ora Cogan will release her new album Formless on Aug 25, an LP that finds beauty, absurdity, humor, and unlikely joy in the bleakest of times. Cogan’s smoky, psychedelic approach to gothic country and hazy folk merges with post-punk, groove, psych rock, and traditional balladry.

This week Cogan releases "Katie Cruel,” a tragic ballad about a sex worker traveling with light infantry soldiers. ‘Once they called me the roving jewel, now they call me Katie Cruel.’ The haunting track is a defiant, vindicating, feminist proclamation that flips the script on the way women are vilified.

Ethereal vocals and a shuffling brush snare lay over a sitar-like guitar pattern to underscore the strength of the lyrical message. "You can demean a woman and call her 'Katie Cruel’," said Cogan. “So what… F if I care!”

Formless, finds beauty, absurdity, humor, and unlikely joy in the bleakest of times. Cogan’s smoky, psychedelic approach to gothic country and hazy folk merges with post-punk, groove, psych rock, and traditional balladry. "Katie Cruel" follows the VHS/Super 8 video for the first single “Cowgirl” and the haunting "Dyed."

Recorded in mostly off-the-floor takes with rhythm section David Proctor and Finn Smith on analog tape at Vancouver Island’s Risque Disque studio and co-produced by Cogan and Loving’s David Parry, the album features international guest stars including Cormac Mac Diarmada from LANKUM, who plays strings on “Feel Life,” and a duet with Y La Bamba on “Ways of Losing.”

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Echo Ladies - Coming Home.

Last month, Malmö, Sweden shoegaze/dreampop trio Echo Ladies announced that they have signed to Rama Lama Records/Gazehop Records and will release their second album Lillies on 8th September 2023.

Commenting on the track, the band say: “‘This song is heavily inspired by two of our favourite bands, A Place To Bury Strangers and The Jesus & Mary Chain. Our aim was to make the song feel like a big wave of noise, feedback and guitars that hits you in the face. Can’t remember how many layers of fuzzed and distorted guitars are on this track, but it’s maaany.”

Echo Ladies are Matilda Bogren, Mattis Andersson and Joar Andersén—three school-friends who, after playing together in a few different bands, realised that they worked best on their own. In 2014, after looking for “a name that represented our sound”, they became Echo Ladies, partly inspired by the name of the drum machine from another of their favourite bands, Echo & The Bunnymen (though their own drum machine, for now, remains nameless).

Following a quiet spell for the band while the rest of the world turned upside down, Echo Ladies are now proudly returning with their second album Lillies, recorded and mastered by Joakim Lindberg at Studio Sickan in Malmö, and following on from their acclaimed 2018 debut Pink Noise on Sonic Cathedral, which was one of Rough Trade’s albums of the year.

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Tiiva - Enny Owl - Steep Canyon Rangers

Tiiva - Fireflies.

Immersive and captivating, Fireflies takes shape as a love letter to London. Reflecting since they moved away from London, Tiiva shares more; Leaving the city and then looking back at how much I got from being there, how shaping and important all those challenges were, the loneliest points becoming something that made me stronger, the loves I had there and heartbreak becoming some of the best memories of my life.

The nostalgia we feel for somewhere is a reminder of seeing importance and beauty in moments that at the time we don't quite understand. Going to the big city to find my identity was a beautiful awakening and I felt like I needed to write this love song to the place that helped me.

The new single arrives as the follow up to Cellophane which came out back in June in collaboration with Polly Scattergood. The powerful track came as an important reminder of cherrish art and expression.

Since their launch, artist and producer Tiiva has made a name for themself with their recipe of reflective lyricism, pop euphoria and weightless production. Writing songs with humbling transparency, Tiiva’s fearless approach to music has resonated with many, already scooping support from the likes of Clash, DIVA, Them., The Line of Best Fit, Wonderland and many more.

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Photo - Paula Crichton

Enny Owl - Nicolette.

The British-born, Los Angeles-based musician Enny Owl is thrilled to announce her forthcoming album, Homes in Humans, set for release November 3, 2023 on Weird Sister Records. Alongside the album announcement comes the full-length’s lead single, “Nicolette,” and its beautiful accompanying music video, directed by Paula Crichton. The ethereal siren song that is Enny Owl’s voice is fantastical throughout the new song, replete with dazzling harmonies and a plethora of fascinating instrumentation backing her up, and lyrics readymade to fend off all the dark forces in your life.

Speaking on the themes of the song, Enny says “This song is about the fear of opening up after being hurt so many times before. It’s for the quiet and gentle hearted. “Nicolette” is a reminder to be brave enough to find the strength and magic that was within you all along.”

Homes in Humans is a concept album based on the overall theme of healing and finding oneself. During the lockdown in March of 2020, Enny connected with her listeners by asking them to submit their names and what was on their mind at the time. She created different songs inspired by each response. Homes in Humans sees the singer-songwriter expand upon some of those songs to create a cinematic collection. Musically, the album explores a combination of Enny’s folksy storytelling roots, her love for the celtic/fantasy soundscape, and an experimental nod to pop music.

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Steep Canyon Rangers - Recommend Me.

Asheville, NC - Many a great tune has been inspired by a more long-form literary work—Zeppelin’s “Ramble On,” “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane, and Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights,” to name just a few. Now, North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers are the latest to add their names to that list with “Recommend Me,” their latest single from an upcoming album entitled Morning Shift.

The song’s co-writer and lead vocalist, Rangers’ banjo man Graham Sharp, remembers its origins clearly: “My friend Wiley Cash wrote a wonderful book called When Ghosts Come Home. He sent me a copy of it and asked if there were any songs that I might find in the story.” Luckily, Sharp and co-conspirator (and newest Steep Canyon Ranger) Aaron Burdett chiseled out a tender, album-closing song inspired by When Ghosts Come Home’s father-daughter relationship. With Sharp on guitar instead of his usual 5-string banjo, “Recommend Me” evolves from a finger-picked solo piece to a full, classic-Rangers sound; the refrain a charming reassurance from once character to the other. “When they start talking you'll defend me / When the roll is called you'll recommend me.”

“Recommend Me” is the latest single from Steep Canyon Rangers’ upcoming album, Morning Shift—due out September 8th on Yep Roc Records. Produced by the distinguished Darrell Scott and engineered by the legendary Dave Sinko, Morning Shift found the Rangers recording their 14th studio album in Bat Cave, North Carolina, at the Inn Bat Cave, a historical refuge settled near a long-forgotten crossroads of Southern Appalachia. This was the perfect space to feel confident in expanding upon that Carolina sound, the perfect runway to let their well-oiled machine do what it does best- craft stories from the ground up, as a unit. “It was like going to recording camp,” said Scott, “We ate together, we stayed at the Inn together the whole time, and we recorded. Going about it that way made for a very organic record. We had a great engineer with Dave Sinko, who could in essence create a studio space in a rustic, historic home.”

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Chloey Rose - Saveria

Chloey Rose - Shot You Down.

Delivering powerful pop songs with a theatrical twist, Chloey Rose has been captivating audiences at major venues up and down the UK and in Europe with her dramatic, soaring vocals that have attracted comparisons to Adele and Paloma Faith.

Drawing inspiration from Kate Bush and Taylor Swift, Chloey has just released brand new single ‘Shot You Down’, an edgy pop ballad full of dark sounds that could become the theme tune for the next James Bond Movie.

‘Shot You Down’ follows the story of being in an unhealthy relationship and the strength it can take to walk away. Written by Chloey Rose and produced by Aron Bicskey, the track builds from smoky late night piano atmospheres to become a powerful anthem for getting up again once you’ve been cut down, with a nod to Nancy Sinatra’s classic track ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’.

As a songwriter, Rose’s debut single ‘Golden Dreams’ was released in 2016, followed by a string of singles including ‘Hearts On The Line’, which was named Track Of The Week on BBC Radio Lincolnshire and A Best Track of 2021. Not only, a talented singer-songwriter, Rose was a finalist in Miss Lincolnshire in 2018/19 and has also been cutting her acting chops, with the leading role as Ruth Ellis in ‘The Thrill of Love’ and as Leading lady Nina in the BBC’s ‘First World War Musical Show’, amongst numerous other stage and TV appearances.

The video for ‘Shot You Down’ sees Chloey on neon-lit streets in the twilight hours as she searches for answers. The track weaves its hypnotic repeating refrains around her, growing and growing with intensity as she works through her emotions. “I’ll paint your name all over this town”, Chloey sings in this epically woven ballad which combines big production values with raw feelings to really work its way under the listener’s skin.

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Saveria - mosaic.

Get ready to be amazed as Canada's own Saveria takes the world by storm with her mind-blowing vocals and ground-breaking style! From earning a Family Channel co-write at the age of 13 to winning CTV's 'The Launch', rocking American Idol with 5 million views, and most recently becoming a RBCxMusic First Up Artist, and opening for the Canadian icon, Alanis Morrisette. Saveria's proven to be a star.

Through soul-stirring melodies and its emotional choir-like essence, "Mosaic" unveils a powerful message of optimism, assuring you that even in the darkest times, there is a grand design waiting to unfold. Embrace the belief that a higher purpose guides your path, leading you toward healing and restoration. Saveria aspires to be an exceptionally forthright musician and lyricist, allowing her artful sonic tapestries tell the stories of a life in search of understanding.

Don't miss out on this incredible journey as Saveria rises to stardom! It's time to experience the extraordinary talent of Saveria in all its dazzling glory! What better way to do so with her new debut album, "Mosaic", filled with electrifying singles and jaw-dropping videos that will leave you in awe!

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Stella Prince - Luluc

Stella Prince - Two Faced.

Authentic and from-the-heart, Stella Prince’s melodies delve deep into your spirit with her evocative and relatable songs. Her poetic lyrics, in tandem with the atmospheric sounds of her vocals, acoustic guitar, and musical compositions, appeal to a diverse, multi-generational audience. Born and raised in Woodstock, NY, Stella, who is nearing the end of her teenage years, is now living in Nashville.

Stella Prince’s musical influences span decades—from country and folk music’s renowned voices of Judy Garland, Karen Carpenter, Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton; to the pop icon Taylor Swift. Think Country Press says, “Imagine the perfect mixture of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and Judy Collins all packed into one young musician.”

Stella independently released her 8th single, “Two Faced,” on August 4. For this newest single, Stella had the pleasure of working with Steve Fishell, a Nashville-based pedal steel guitarist, Grammy-winning record producer, and educator [Dolly Parton, John Prine, Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris].

“No one sings like Stella Prince,” says Fishell. “I was transported the first time I heard her and I bet you will be too.”

Emotionally moving from the start, accentuated by Fishell’s pedal steel, with the harrowing opening lines, “You got her right where you wanted… Lonely enough so she’d take the bait… Blinded by words that were only an empty promise… Desperation paves way for mistakes.” The heart of the song is in the chorus: ‘There’s all kinds of empty… but the hardest one to take… is lies that seem tempting… Loneliness is two faced.’

 

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Luluc - Moonbeam.

Community Music is excited to share another gorgeous song and video from Luluc out today!  The video for Moonbeam was directed by Giraffe Studios who also created the immensely beautiful video for latest single 'Diamonds'.

“Moonbeam” captures in just over two minutes the calm essence of a Sunday morning, one scored with sparse arrangements, a touch of melancholia and singer Zoe Randell’s velveteen vocal melody. With cello offering a subtle countermelody, she moves with the understated grace of Nico on the first Velvet Underground album, especially when Randell lingers on the phrase, “There is happiness to find.” Her phrasing exudes warmth, as if she’s assuring herself in a moment of doubt.

Zoe speaks on Moonbeam, “None of us knows when our time is up. And in order to know, when time does come, when that bell does toll, that I have put my energies and attention towards the right things, taken care of and appreciated the right things, is a daily art and practice. And one I hope to master. Under this moon, under this sun.”

The release of Moonbeam comes shortly after the announcement of new album Diamonds alongside the release of the  title-track. In just over a month ‘Diamonds’ has amassed over 300k streams across platforms, and is getting consistent airplay across a number of radio stations in the US.

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Jill Andrews - Burr Island - Megan Wyn

Jill Andrews - 80's Baby.

Ahead of her anticipated new album Modern Age arriving on August 18th, Nashville singer-songwriter Jill Andrews has released her new single "80's Baby." With the slow burning nostalgic leadoff track, Andrews remarks with wistfulness on just how different the world has come to be since the days of making mixtapes and cruising the cul-de-sacs.

Of the new single, Andrews said “I grew up in a small town in East Tennessee. We lived in middle class suburbia with green lawns, fenced dogs, and nice neighbors for the most part. If my homework was done, I had freedom to run around the neighborhood and explore with my friends. Friday night was a trip to Blockbuster and The Dairy Queen for a couple chocolate dipped cones for my brother and I. My family would all gather on the couch with a bowl of popcorn to watch the latest Indiana Jones movie. 

As a child, I loved the feeling of togetherness with my friends and family. My life was centered around other people. In writing this song, I was comparing my experience of childhood to my own children’s. There has been more isolation in their experiences brought on by the pandemic and by the proliferation of personal devices. Now kids can be entertained at every moment. The outdoors isn’t as exciting as watching television or playing video games. There isn’t as much time to dream and create. It makes me miss the simplicity of my childhood and wish that I could go back in time a few decades and take my kids with me.”

Standing at the intersection of memory lane and tomorrow, Modern Age is an ode to simpler times, an album that goes beyond nostalgia to veneration of what were to so many, the golden years. It’s a stunning reflection on how far we’ve all come, but one that leaves the listener wondering about the price of “progress.” Produced by Lucas Morton at 4115 Studios, it features ten tracks that range from anthemic, pop dreams with ethereal synths and rich vocals, to intimate acoustic confessions. It’s a meditation on childhood and changing times, growing up and looking back. In moments, the epitome of 90s pop perfection with airy synths and shimmering vocals and in others, pared down and heart-wrenchingly intimate, Modern Age is dripping in reverence for a simpler time, when the world was as big as your high school, when love was waiting by the phone, when we wondered about the future instead of lived in it. With addictive melodies that evoke Susannah Hoffs and Kate Bush, Modern Age is at once a time capsule of and a love letter to the places we all began.

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Burr Island - English Roses.

From the UK’s West Country, Burr Island are duo and best friends, Tom England and Oskar Porter. After garnering support from Mark Radcliffe at BBC Radio 2 for their second single, ‘Nunney Town’, Burr Island dive into more political waters with their third release, ‘English Roses’.

Having harnessed a core following round the Glastonbury type fields of yore, Burr Island have brought comparison to the iconic Simon & Garfunkel, however, their originals and equally introspective lyrics bring new meaning to that golden era of San Francisco ‘happening’ hippie spirit, as channelled through their beloved West Country, as they take you on their own Burr Island; an intimate, melodic journey and state, in search of meaning and humane value.

‘English Roses’ is a folk song about xenophobia and how growing up in small towns, the duo saw the insidiousness of unconscious racism, notably during Brexit when there was so much hostility in the air. “You only grow English roses, calling the other flowers weeds”. Now, with the government forcing this cruel rhetoric again, with ‘STOP THE BOATS’, aiming to divide us once more, Burr Island look to remind us that there is an inherent commonality among humans.

Recorded at Kundalini Studios in Devon and produced by Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene/Paul Weller/The Specials/P.P. Arnold), ‘English Roses’ encases its politically charged lyrics in a sentimental and warm vintage sound, which builds from its poignant beginnings to powerful and thought-provoking heights. It’s a classic sound but with the duo’s perfect heartfelt harmonies echoing important social and political issues of our modern era.

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Megan Wyn - You Don't Get It.

They say no artist's journey is the same. And in the case of Megan Wyn that statement could not be more true. Megan has been playing festivals and shows on the circuit since she was 16. At the ripe age of 18 she has already done the toilet tour more than most musicians ten years her senior, thanks to the kind help of her mum, Nerys.

It is rare that an artist's first single release comes after sets at The Great Escape, Truck Festival, Y Not and Isle Of Wight Festival. Especially when they completed their debut headline tour earlier in the year. But no story is the same.

 An old head on young shoulders, Megan rightly feels that she has reached her starting point. With live experiences already in the bag, it was just a matter of honing her sound and landing on something that was truly representative of herself. It's also true that moving from her native Anglesey just off the Welsh coast, to her now home of Manchester at the age of 16, would have helped Megan develop not only as a musician but most importantly as a woman.

Megan grew up wanting exactly what she has now, the ability to put pen to paper and have songs fall out of her, to play shows to packed out venues in Manchester, as well as, elsewhere. And most importantly, play the festivals she probably would have attended anyway. 'You Don't Get It', sounds like a cut from the Ayoade classic, Submarine. It is a quintessentially British sounding record full of hope and desperation in equal measure.

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