Soft Science - Bandini - Said The Whale - Bodywash

Soft Science - Undone / I Don't Know Why I Love You.

Background -  Dream-gaze syndicate Soft Science have announced a new double A-side single 'Undone / I Don't Know Why I Love You', to be released via Test Pattern Records. This includes 'Undone', the first single off their forthcoming third album 'Maps', and a blissful sanguine cover of the classic House of Love track 'I Don't Know Why I Love You'. This single finds the band flirting in grand waters between My Bloody Valentine on 'Undone' and The Primitives on 'I Don't Know Why I Love You', offering the listener a distinctive mix of sweetness and fury.

‘Undone’ is essentially about loving someone through good times and bad. It is about accepting that although there will always be hard times in life, it makes things easier to go through tough days with people you love. For me, those times make me love them more. That  unwavering love can be like a light,” explains Soft Science vocalist Katie Haley.

The B-side was originally recorded for the House of Love tribute compilation 'Soft as Fire in The House of Love', in limited released via The Blog Celebrates Itself Records, the track has been remastered and, for the first time, is available in wider digital distribution.

Hailing from America’s farm-to-fork Capital in Northern California’s lush Sacramento Valley, Soft Science fuse melody, sound, and texture of 60s pop and 90s shoegaze like molecular gastronomists blend physics and chemistry to transform food. Together this 5-piece band have managed to create their own sweet blend of modern pop music with a sonic edge.

The band’s members share a love of such bands ranging from the Zombies and Beach Boys to Lush, Teenage Fanclub, Ride, Pale Saints, New Order, and Jesus and Mary Chain, along with newer artists such as Beach House and Frankie Rose. Such eclectic artists have influenced their music. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

The new double A side single comprises of 'Undone' an expansive, flowing, multi layered rocker with the melodic vocals immersed amongst the energised music. Accompanying this is 'I Don't Know Why I Love You' a refined and very pleasing cover version of the House Of Card's song.

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Bandini - Late Night Show.

Background - Inspired by the story of a night out in the effervescent streets of London, Late Night Show is the first single from the upcoming album Barflies. 

Produced by renowned UK soul artist Camelle Hinds; Late Night Show is a get up and dance track which combines Blues with Jazz and Gypsy Rock vibes.

Bandini is an exciting new contemporary artist, who through his re-imagining of fusion music has successfully incorporated aspects of jazz, blues, rock and gypsy  into a unique sound. 

Coupled with his enigmatic and theatrical stage performances, Bandini is quickly becoming one of the most relevant emerging acts today. Bandini’s performances have been described as an event, rather than simply a gig. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Late Night Show' mixes up some contrasting genres and does so with plenty of style. Melodic, upbeat, and vibrant, the question is do you dance to it, or just sing along with the chorus line, the answer might be both, and a beaming smile would be fitting.

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Said The Whale - Congratulations.

Background - Juno Award winning chart-toppers Said The Whale have announced a deluxe edition release of their 2017 LP As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide via Hidden Pony Records. Released one year after the original on March 30, the album will include 10 additional tracks, 5 B-sides, 4 acoustic versions, and 1 new cover song. To celebrate the release, the band has shared one of the previously unreleased tracks “Congratulations”.

Previously operating as a five-piece, the current trio - made up of frontmen Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester and keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown - have created their most collaborative, focused record to date. Previous releases highlighted the contrast between the two founders’ eclectic rock influences and salt-of-the-earth folksiness. Here, their styles become one. Despite the album’s many adventurous sonic forays, it remains true to the spirit of their classic work. At its core, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide is a singer-songwriter record, guided by introspective lyrics and alchemical group harmonies from Ben, Tyler and Jaycelyn.

Additionally, the band will be releasing a 5 episode podcast titled Demoitis - available on iTunes later this month. Each episode explores a song from As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide as well as featuring discussions with peers in the Canadian music scene such as Max Kerman (Arkells), Graham Wright (Tokyo Police Club), Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother) and more. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Feisty from the opening moments 'Congratulations' is a contagious indie pop/rock song that has the hooks on rapid fire, enjoy!

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Bodywash - Eye To Eye.

Background - Montreal-based four-piece, Bodywash, shared their new single, "Eye To Eye." The new song was produced by Nigel Ward (Seoul) as well as mixed by Austin Tufts & Taylor Smith (Braids). Their debut full length, Comforter (also produced and mixed by the same team as Eye to Eye) is scheduled for a 2018-2019 release.

Bodywash is a Montréal four-piece that layers airy vocals, intricate guitar textures and swirling synths over a heavy rhythmic foundation.

Formed by Chris Steward, Rosie Long Decter and Adam MacPherson in the Residence Basement of McGill University Residence in 2014, they released their four-track self-titled EP almost exactly one year later. This self-titled EP showcased Bodywash finding their feet as a band, experimenting with a range of styles from the thick, woozy electronics of “Nothing At All” to the more overtly poppy approach of “This Cruel”.

The band have since zeroed in on a more focused confident sound that marries all their favourite elements of 90s shoe-gaze & trip-hop, ethereal 80s pop, and contemporary left-field electronic music, in part due to the addition of bassist Tom Gould as well as drummer Ryan White. Notable past and upcoming performances include show support for Arkells, Happyness, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Hoan, Lido Pimienta, Moon King, & Doomsquad. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

The synths gently bring 'Eye To Eye' into focus (pun intended) as the song builds into a mixture of dream pop and softer shoegaze. Atmospheric throughout this is a sumptuous and soothing track to close your eyes and drift along with.

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Almanac Mountain - Alice in the Cruel Sea - Clare Hennessy - The Milkmen

Almanac Mountain - Jane.

Background - Almanac Mountain is the ever-evolving experimental pop project of New England songwriter/composer Chris Cote. Whereas his 2016 full-length Cryptoseismology represented an assertive move towards more challenging conceptual work, his latest, an EP titled Black Collar Vices is a shift towards more straightforward songwriting and pop structure.

However, this shift is not a full-bore retreat from the inventiveness of previous releases, but a more economical distillation of Chris’s core compositional approach. Collaborator Brian James acted as co-producer for the EP and also penned the chamber pop ballad “Perfect For Company” which closes Black Collar Vices.

In crafting the sound for Black Collar Vices, Chris revisited the chorus and delay heavy acoustic guitar and vocal treatment that characterized the sound of Almanac Mountain’s first EP, 2010’s When In Nature. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

The musical production on 'Jane' is crisp and clear  providing each singular element with fabulous clarity. Gently melodic and with plenty of hooks Chris Cote's vocals give the song greater distinction, the new EP 'Black Collar Voices' is eagerly awaited.

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Alice in the Cruel Sea - Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.

Background - Alice in the Cruel Sea is a 3-piece band based in London. Their sound is a mixture of alternative rock songwriting and electronic soundscapes, with synth and samples - driven tapestries of sounds. This  is enriched by lyrical yet minimal guitar melodies. It is formed by singer/songwriter Sara Rinaldi, guitarist/producer Filippo Faustini and bassist/producer Andy Kosakowski. The band is influenced by people like Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Florence and the machine, Bjork, Warpaint and also some cinematic music.

The band is currently promoting their first self-titled, self-produced EP through live performances in venues across London. Heading up to festivals in the summer, they continue pre-producing new songs and working on new material constantly. Their first single “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”, was released at the beginning of March 2018 and it will be followed by several other single launches during the following months. The group is also collaborating with the Italian director Annamaria Pennazzi for their first video.

Alice in the Cruel Sea is a project that dates back to 2015, when singer/songwriter Sara Rinaldi coupled with guitarist Filippo Faustini to work on some songs and showcase them at various venues in London. They kept working on the material and when bassist Andy Kosakowski joined the band in 2016, all the arrangements were shunned and the band began an intense period of experimentation on sound textures in order to find their own sound and direction. The guitar work was reduced to a minimum and the songs started to sound more synth-oriented. Samples from old keys, synths, mellotrons etc. started to appear as part of Alice’s sound world and the songs were shaped in their current form. FACEBOOK.

The layers slowly develop on 'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea' a dreamy landscape of beautiful vocals and sensitive musical sounds that occasionally intensify but never dominate or clutter the flowing and ethereal feeling this piece exudes.


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Clare Hennessy - April.

Background - In a world that rejects vulnerability, the most radical thing that musician and writer Clare Hennessy could do was write an album of deeply personal songs. Music helped her to navigate and heal the frayed pockets of her heart; it was only fitting that she might hope to embolden others to do the same. A bright anthem to echo the triumph of new beginnings, April, the single, muses on transformation. With warm clarity, Clare Hennessy reminds us that when the month is right, taking flight is inevitable. Perfect for high-way driving

Considering Clare’s childhood listening to Joni Mitchell records, the heartbreaking honesty and nimble vocals of April are no surprise. She draws inspiration too from the warmth of Laura Marling, the grit of Marika Hackman and the guts of Julien Baker. Her voice soars above grit and sometimes considerable darkness with a lightness akin to Katie Noonan.

When asked to summarise the story of the EP, Clare insists that it is largely one to be felt and defined for each individual listener - though there is of course a clear path between each song to her. The take away: despite harshness, barrenness or hardship, there can be beauty. There will be growth. Hope can grow in desolation with love - and “by allowing truth to be heard”.

A trained playwright, stories have always been her lifeblood. It was no wonder then that she channeled this into her music, which has (since childhood) persistently knocked upon her door. April honours this marriage between stories and song, charting her personal coming of age (and, it marks a professional leap, too).

Growing up enchanted by the fantastical competing worlds of Sydney metropolis and rural QLD where her extended family lived, there is a mirroring duality in the music Clare Hennessy creates; heavily influenced by folk and rock authenticity, she has also been ensnared by the world of the less traditional. The tracks of April chart different landmarks along the journey of her becoming, and can be heard as both stand-alone destinations or pit-stops along a larger journey.

Tonally, the musical landscape feels like something between a Spaghetti Western and Twin Peaks - with a healthy helping of witchcraft in the mix. April was produced by Clare along with Nicholas Maitland, with guitar arrangements composed by Ben McCrum and Andy Mason as sound technician. Clare navigates rock, country and folk with a distinctly Australian flair. The destination: authenticity. Recorded entirely in her bedroom, this musical debut invites us into an interior space in which a heart is thawed out and false identities are abandoned. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

The word honest came to mind before I has even read the above background promo. 'April' has so much honesty to it, with intimate and personal lyrics coursing there way through the four songs. Acoustic, melodic and with vocals that can easily touch your heart, I am just so pleased to be able to feature the whole EP.

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The Milkmen - Pirate Boy.

Background - Opening with its spine-tingling first single Pirate Boy, The Milkmen's sophomore album, Behind Closed Eyelids, is an intense and rewarding listen. Driven by the gritty vocal style of Conor Mcloughlin, the band taps a vein of dirty acoustic rock, striking gold with masterfully layered songs that delve deep into the heavier realities of life.

Raw and honest, the lyrics at the heart of Behind Closed Eyelids match the intensity with which they are sung. Each instrument in the arrangement plays its part to perfection – adding the necessary shading that makes up the album's tone. Together, both band and singer bring the powerful narratives of Behind Closed Eyelids to life – delivering wave after wave of uplifting music, even during the album's bleakest moments. To properly capture this energy on tape, the band enlisted legendary Perth producer Rob Grant to sonically sculpt Behind Closed Eyelids.

From the darkest to the lightest moments on the album, the band sound glorious. The slow-burning State Of Mind comes bearing cheery melodies amidst the perfectly gloomy Sold My Soul and the soaring gospel harmonies of I Can Still Hear The Birds. History Repeating Itself and Davy Jones bring heartache, while For The Rest Of My Dayz, Lots Of Love and To Fight For You bring joy.

Formed and based in Perth, The Milkmen have divided their time between Australia and the UK. Now armed with the greatest work of their career, The Milkmen have every cause to get out and take their music to the world. Beginning on their own doorstep, the band will launch Behind Closed Eyelids at the Ravenswood Hotel on April 14 (fb event), kicking off a 12 month cycle of touring.

Having experienced both the intimacy of small clubs and the electrifying rush of performing festivals to thousands of people, The Milkmen are poised to take everything in their stride and embrace each new opportunity. With this tenacity – not to mention a setlist of blistering new tunes – the potential for this unique band is literally endless. FACEBOOK.

Described as acoustic rock 'Pirate Boy' is all of that however it's not soft or sweet, rather potent and mesmerising with the vocals adding some menace and drama, as the band energise the soundtrack.

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Saltwater Sun - Hedge Fund

Saltwater Sun - The Wire.

Background - Hand In Hive signees Saltwater Sun return with tenacious new offering The Wire, reaffirming their irresistible blend of guitar pop on a whole new level. Marshalled by frontwoman Jen Stearnes’ gritty yet infectious vocals, the Reading quintet’s first release of 2018 boasts stratospheric hooks, explosive guitars and delicious harmonies, elevating them right back alongside their indie peers.

Having spent the last 18 months working on new material after drawing widespread acclaim from the online community and BBC Introducing, the five-piece are now gearing up for a hectic year with a slew of festival dates and releases in the pipeline.

Discussing their forthcoming single, the band stated: “Recently I think we’ve found ourselves part of a society divided by misinformation and distrust. The Wire is taking a look at the turbulent times we live in; the world’s never been so connected, yet it’s very easy to feel detached”. Produced by Alex Loring, Saltwater Sun’s The Wire is released via Hand In Hive (Dama Scout, Swimming Tapes, Zuzu) and is available on all platforms. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

'The Wire' is a sprightly indie rocker with plenty of melodic hooks and some refined clarity from the musical arrangement, there are no passengers on this song as each band members commitment comes shining through.

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Hedge Fund - True Romance.

Background - The movement from depression into hope unraveled layers of complex cognition and a heightened creative determination for Sydney's Hedge Fund. But here they stand with their most confident single yet - 'True Romance' - their first to emerge following a year of personal turmoil for the group's frontman, self-proclaimed provocateur Will Colvin.

An immaculate melting pot of muscular post-punk grooves and dreamy synth-pop, 'True Romance' is a return to form for the band, rolling with heart and sparking with emotional rawness, think the likes of New Order, Talking Heads and The Cure. For Colvin, it came with a sizable helping of heartbreak.

"True Romance was written as a reaction to the death of my father and the breakdown of my marriage, the loss of the two most important people in my life in a very short period of time. The lyrics are about grief, frustration, failure and the lies that we tell ourselves about who we are as human beings. It's a song about being wrenched into a situation which caused an immense loss of faith in reality."

Recorded alongside longtime producing partner Richard Belkner at studio Free Energy Device in Camperdown, the pair went deep on this one, working hard to merge the pounding combination of bass, drums and vocals at the core of the song. The result - something between Nirvana and Blade Runner. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

A chunky bass, accompanied by some determined and emphatic vocals open 'True Romance' a feisty rocker with hints of punk angst, backed by a band whose suppressed energy occasionally cannot be held back as they explode into a full on rock assault.

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Flower Face - Frederick The Younger

Flower Face - April To Death.

Background - Flower Face is Ruby Mckinnon, a 19-year-old songwriter from Ontario, Canada, whose voice stretches far beyond her years. Taking her musical cues from an eclectic range of influences, her sound sits somewhere between Conor Oberst, Big Thief and The National.

‘April To Death’, taken from new album Baby Teeth, sounds upbeat yet deals with the disillusion that comes with being a human being, and the various methods we use to cope with life, in Ruby’s words “whether that be drugs or dropping out of school or meaningless encounters. It's kind of a cynical take on all the things we do to make life a bit less painful, they feel so passionate and important at the time, but really they're pretty empty.”

Having played piano from the age of 5 and picked up the guitar to record her songs at 15, Flower Face has forged her way as an independent artist for years, amassing 125K+ streams on recent single ‘Honey and Milk’ with no label support or management whatsoever.

While Flower Face’s music has a quiet beauty, lyrically her songwriting deals with the darker side of life. She tells us that “it’s kind of an outlet but also a method of storytelling. A lot of my writing is based on empathy – on putting myself in places I haven’t been as a means of exploring the capacity of my own feelings. I was writing about heartbreak long before I’d ever felt it. I was writing about death before I’d ever lost someone close to me. I had a close brush with death when I was 17 – I went through surgery and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. A lot of people thought that explained my lyrics, but I was writing about the dark long before I’d been there.” FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

The vocals are melodic and sensitive, the music adds some more energy to the song with its indie folk feel as 'April To Death' quickly establishes itself as one very catchy song.

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Frederick The Younger - Human Child II.

Background - Louisville’s acclaimed psych-pop band Frederick The Younger is hitting the road in support of Houndmouth in April. In advance of the tour, they're sharing their first new song in over a year, “Human Child II”, which is a full band interpretation of the title track to their debut album Human Child that came out last February. The original version of the song was performed solo on the album by their powerhouse vocalist Jenni Cochran, so the band decided to cut a full version after it went over well during live performances in the past year.

Frederick The Younger’s sound is a perfect balance of psych-pop and vintage rock & roll, with Cochran's captivating vocals always at the forefront, drawing comparisons to everyone from Janis Joplin to Karen O. Their album Human Child was produced by veteran sonic wizard Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Andrew Bird, Twin Limb), and is a bigger and more exploratory progression of their debut Warm Front EP.

Comprised of Cochran, Aaron Craker (guitar, who’s also playing guitar w/ Houndmouth on these dates), Jake Hellman (bass) and Dave Givan (drums), there is an earnestness to Frederick The Younger’s music that rings true, the kind of sincerity only born from experience. These songs feel alive and well-lived, tragic, beautiful, and contemplative, all with solid hooks. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Upcoming Frederick The Younger Tour Dates:
4/06 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
4/12 - Detroit, MI - El Club #
4/13 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird #
4/14 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall #
4/15 - Madison, WS - Majestic Theatre #
4/16 - Appleton, WI - Tandem Bar
4/17 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue #
4/18 - Iowa City, IA - Englert Theater #
4/19 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note #
4/20 - Kansas City, MO - Truman Hall #
4/21 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre #
4/24 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger #
4/25 - Austin, TX - Scoot Inn #
4/26 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre #
4/27- Birmingham, AL - The Saturn #
# - with Houndmouth

It's over a year since were first introduced to Frederick The Younger and it is indeed a pleasure to be able to share 'Human Child II'. The psych elements are there again, along with some superb and dramatic vocals that add a level of mystery to the song, along with the creative and intriguing musical arrangement.

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Tonota 80 - Ben Glover - Ennor

Tonota 80 - Could Do Better.

Background - With a moniker taken from a vaporising device featured in the 1970's sci-fi novel 'A Whirlpool Of Stars, UK punk-rock trio 'Tonota 80' transmit news that their new album 'Killer Sands And Beating Hearts' will be released via UK/US label Engineer Records on 23rd March 2018.

Originally becoming acquainted through a chance meeting in their local record store; the Maidstone/Kent based musicians David Bloomfield (Vox/Guitar), Richard Pronger (Bass/Vox) and John Edwards (Drums) met again several years later and hatched 'Tonota 80' upon the UK music scene. 

Despite the band being firmly routed in old school British punk reverie, the 3 piece bring in subtle influences from an myriad of genres. Citing the likes of Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, Swervedriver and Radio Birdman as some of their most influential peers - Tonota 80 are encased with a penchant for brash guitar riffs, colossal melodic hooks and 60's inspired vocal harmonies.

Their self-released debut 'Jonesing For Chips' brought much welcomed support from revered BBC 6 Music taste-maker Steve Lamacq and captured them many fans of underground British rock music. After time spent out to write and produce new material, the punk fuelled anthems of Tonota 80 caught the attention of Engineer Records who shall deliver the digital/CD release of the bands latest creations. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

'Could Do Better' is a blistering two and a half minutes of classic punk. The track is packed full of hooks largely due to a few subtle chord changes, and when you add in the attitude fuelled vocals, the song really gains traction. 


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Ben Glover - Ride The River (feat. Kim Richey).

Background - Born and raised in Glenarm, Northern Ireland, Nashville based Ben Glover has been hailed by journalists around the world as one of Northern Ireland’s finest exports. A compelling songwriter, who was awarded International Song of the Year at the 2016 UK Americana Awards with Gretchen Peters for their co-written song “Blackbirds,” a song which appears on Glover’s album Atlantic and serves as the title track to Peters’ 2015 solo album, his impending studio album, Shorebound, sees him evolve even further as an artist and collaborator.

The newfound sounds and shapes that comprise Shorebound mark a moment in Glover's musical history — a moment that nods to the past decade of his artistry even while pivoting into the next era. “I’m a believer in cycles, and 2018 will mark ten years since I released my first album,” Glover says, “so it feels very much that this album is a major turning point in a cycle. Shorebound is an acknowledgment of where I am and a celebration of the people who I’ve gotten here with.”

A truly personal collection, Glover is a storyteller who can offer intrigue and insight, while his listeners lose themselves in his rich vocal. Heading up the album is the Kim Richey collaboration, Ride The River.

“Ride The River” is the story of two lovers conspiring to get free together, dreaming and planning their great escape from the commitments of the world. When writing the song Kim Richey and I wanted to use the sense and symbols of time to show just how far these characters would go in their pursuit of being together. No matter what elements and obstacles stood before them they were moving through it all with complete devotion to one another." WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
Thurs 10th May – London, King’s Place (supporting Mary Gauthier)
Fri 11th May – Carlisle, Carlisle Folk and Blues Club  
Sat 12th May – Aberdeen, The Blue Lamp
Tues 15th May – Birmingham, Kitchen Garden Cafe 
Wed 16th May – Tadcaster, Everything Good Goes  
Thurs 17th May – London, King’s Place (supporting Mary Gauthier)
Fri 18th May – Worthing, Coastal Connections          
Sat 19th May – Cambridge, The Junction
Sat 26th May – Culdaff, McGrory’s [Ireland]
Thurs 31st May – Larne, N. Ireland, Larne Town Hall 
Fri 1st June – Belfast, The Black Box.

Ben Glover's rich and distinctive vocals and the gorgeous harmonies from Kim Richey make 'Ride The River' a majestic song. The musical arrangement is refined and beautifully constructed making this one very special and enticing track.


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Ennor - Farewell To Atlantis.

Background - ‘Farewell To Atlantis’ encapsulates the reckless energy of Ennor’s West Cornwall roots to make for three minutes of folk-rock perfection. Sun-drenched melodies, sprightly rhythms, and open road lyricism peg it as the sort of performance that could only hail from the UK’s surfer heartland. It’s both a homecoming story and a bittersweet meditation on change and the passing of time. Frontman Tom Elliott wraps his lyrics in a heartfelt melodic sensibility that recalls the arena-baiting energy of The Gaslight Anthem as the group meander effortlessly through infectious verses, sing-along choruses and a raucously rising middle eight.

The careful balance of driving rock instrumentation and folk lyricism is one ENNOR strike with aplomb. The group headed back to Elliott’s hometown of Penzance to shoot the video for the track with director John Freddy Jones, set in an old outhouse overlooking the Atlantic which the singer spent much of his youth writing in.

With their musical and emotional roots embedded in the far corners of Cornwall, Ennor write songs that have a palpable sense of openness and raw emotion. It’s the culmination both of their journeys across the UK and a nostalgic longing for the Cornish sea. By turns both folk and rock, the four-piece’s infectious sound has garnered attention from London to Penzance, as well as the acclaim of BBC Introducing. The poeticism and sincerity of frontman Tom Elliott is propped by the blistering work of the rhythm section. Adam Williams’s driving drums and the dexterous string work of guitarist Jack Rennie and bassist James Creed has earned their sound a new moniker: ‘Californwall’ - a fitting epithet to describe the perennial summer in their songwriting.

Drawing influence from the likes of Frank Turner, The Gaslight Anthem and Ben Howard, Ennor spent the summer of 2017 touring their sunshine sounds across the UK to the like of Ronnie Scotts, The Eden Project and Boardmasters, before heading into the studio to record new works ready for 2018 and the turn of the seasons. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

Lively, natural and pleasing 'Farewell To Atlantis' is a marvellous mixture of upbeat rock tinged with some delicious folk sensibilities. West Cornwall is a fabulous place for a holiday (despite the unpredictable Atlantic weather), I'm guessing from this at least some the locals know that it sure beats city life.


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The Claudettes - The Magic Numbers - The Goldberg Sisters - Sugar Candy Mountain

The Claudettes - Don't Stay with Me / Pull Closer To Me.

Background - An old upright piano, a snarling electric bass, Phil Spector-ized booming drums and seductive Cool School vocals get into a punk-blues brawl at the studio of Grammy-winning Black Keys producer Mark Neill. On their head-spinning new album, The Claudettes summon vaudeville blues, ’60s soul and Cramps-like psychobilly. Behold Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium!, the band’s third full-length for Yellow Dog Records and first to feature their touring lineup of piano, drums, “Bass VI” guitar and three singers.

Pianist/songwriter Johnny Iguana airs grievances about the numbing and divisive effects of an Internet-dominated world all across these songs. “Nobody knows how to talk to each other these days,” begins the song “Give It All Up for Good,” while “Bill Played Saxophone” follows American political nemeses through periods of smoldering bitterness and revenge fantasies. “Death and Traffic” begs for stories of saved lives and heroism amidst the onslaught of bad news, then “Utterly Absurd” bemoans the age of the hair-trigger Google search: “Thought dies as transmission rise…‘fast and now’ killed ‘I know how.’” And need anything more be said about the prescience of “Naked on the Internet”?

Neill invited the Claudettes to his Georgia studio after being introduced to the band by Dave Cobb (Grammy-winning producer of Sturgill Simpson and Lake Street Dive). The Claudettes recorded at Soil of the South for ten days, taking advantage of Neill's vast knowledge and collection of vintage equipment.

“Mark insisted that, no matter how loudly we crank amps live, we record at conversational level so he could turn his vintage preamps up and use his best old mics,” says band leader Johnny Iguana, who has recorded with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and a host of other blues giants along with his own punk-organ band oh my god. The result: a big, warm sound straight off the ’60s 45s that Mark spins between takes for inspiration.

The piano-guitar-drums core of each song was recorded in a single take, as were most vocals. Neill, who shuns the practice of building tracks in Pro Tools, had the band run through songs again and again until “The” take arrived. Marxophones, mellotrons, rare fuzz pedals and an array of percussion instruments were broken out to finalize Neill's vision for each track.

Here the Claudettes introduce the singer who’s been touring with the band for two years: Berit Ulseth. “Berit went to the New School in NY for jazz vocals, but she’s got a tone you can’t learn,” says Iguana. “Sometimes she reminds me of Carole King and her soulful ‘I Feel the Earth Move’ vocals…but she’s also got this Patsy Cline warmth and lushness to her voice.”

Ulseth urges a lackluster partner to set her free in “Don’t Stay With Me,” propelled by an insistent orchestral bass drum, then reveals the exquisite nuances of her voice on the transfixing ballad “Pull Closer to Me.” Bassist/guitarist Zach Verdoorn yodels the album’s carnival-ready title cut and takes urgent solos on “Total Misfit” and the aforementioned “Naked on the Internet,” a song that sounds like the ’60s but looks to a future where our only lasting legacies are unwanted searchable ones.

What’s traditional on Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium! are the blues, soul and rock ’n’ roll touchstones and the antique instruments and equipment used to document them. What’s new and indescribable are the punk-laced energy and sum total of these songs, musicians and producer Neill, who describes this album thusly: “Haunted cabaret...David Lynch movie music crossed with Allen Toussaint’s driving piano sound! And sort of like when you’re driving late at night in the South and two radio stations are coming in together and it’s perfect!...Like Otis Spann and Mark Sandman from Morphine sitting in with Keely Smith. I'm kind of riffing here but seriously nobody sounds like them...I love this new record, it’s crazy good." WEBSITE, BANDCAMP.

We have two of the twelve songs that make up The Claudettes forthcoming album 'Dance Scandal at the Gymnasium!'. 'Don't Stay with Me' and 'Pull Closer To Me' give the listener some idea of what's in store on the album, the emphasis being on "some idea." The band have a delightfully unique musical sound, the vocals add melody and plenty of feeling to the songs, whilst the bands creative zest ensures each track has some unique attributes, alongside varying levels of energy and attitude. Collectively this works, the musical hooks are everywhere. Not being certain of what each piece might bring, adds to the excitement, this really is an album worth some time digging in to.


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The Magic Numbers - Sweet Divide.

Background - I never wanted to be a part of anything, the cool kids at school, the pretend outlaws. I was always an outsider, we’ve always been an outsider band. We don’t fit in, never have and never will. Especially now. As you get older you realise your strength in not giving a f. You realise what you’ve been trying to do your whole life. Create something that’s yours, your own world, your own views, make something special, start your own gang but always be You within it. Don’t conform. Don’t fall in line. Be free. Be inspired. Inspire. Live & Love. To all the Outsiders – Romeo, The Magic Numbers.

Mercury Prize nominated and multi-platinum selling London quartet The Magic Numbers have just shared the studio-shot video for the recent 6 Music-supported single, 'Sweet Divide'. This is the first piece of new music from the band following a three-year hiatus and taken from their forthcoming album 'Outsiders', available through Role Play Records on May 11, 2018. Outsiders captures The Magic Numbers fired by a renewed sense of purpose, immediately apparent on first single ‘Sweet Divide’, with the band’s melodic facility bolstered by a newfound, grittier sensibility. Watch here. In support of the Outsiders, the band will commence a headline tour of the UK through May - dates below.

Comprising of two sets of siblings, Romeo and Michele Stodart and Angela and Sean Gannon, The Magic Numbers have sold over a million albums worldwide across their career and scored a slew of hit singles. The band quickly shot to media attention after selling out London’s Kentish Town Forum solely on the strength of their loyal fanbase prior to the release of their 2005 self-titled debut - an album that would later go on to pick up a Mercury Music Prize nomination and break into the UK Top 10 Charts.

Hit singles – including ‘Forever Lost’, ‘Love Me Like You’, ‘Love’s A Game’ and ‘Take A Chance’ – and three hit albums followed. Alongside the band’s success, the Stodart’s have lent a hand to projects including releases from Jane Birkin, Spiritualized, Chemical Brothers, Kathryn Williams and Ed Harcourt, plus Damon Albarn’s Africa Express, with Michele Stodart releasing two solo albums to date, duetting with Conor O’Brien of Villagers along the way. FACEBOOK.

It's been a while since I last listened to The Magic Numbers and the latest song will have me digging out their debut album which was a real favourite of mine at the time. 'Sweet Divide' is a driving rocker from the opening moments, the guitars are powerful, the vocals and harmonies add even more rock swagger, this is one very addictive "play me again" track, and some!


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The Goldberg Sisters - When Or Where Or Why.

Background - On May 4th psych-pop artist The Goldberg Sisters will release their new album HOME: A Nice Place To Visit. Known as the musical alter-ego of actor, musician, filmmaker and photographer Adam Goldberg, (and his mythical sister-twin "Celeste") The Goldberg Sisters have shared a new song "Where Or When Or Why."

Movie audiences got to know Goldberg from his performances in films such as Dazed and Confused, Saving Private Ryan, The Hebrew Hammer, A Beautiful Mind, and 2 Days in Paris as well as from equally memorable appearances in TV shows like Friends, Entourage and Fargo. Music fans, however, haven’t always found him so easy to pin down. This year they‘ll have his brilliant new album, HOME: A Nice Place To Visit.

Goldberg recorded the 2009 dream-pop album Eros and Omissions over a six-year period with a variety of musicians, including Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips. But the pace quickened on the first two albums issued under the Goldberg Sisters moniker, 2011’s self-titled offering and Stranger’s Morning from 2013, on which Goldberg played all the instruments and which was recorded by engineer and longtime collaborator, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Andrew Lynch (Nav/Attack) in Goldberg’s garage.

Goldberg and Lynch teamed up once again in the garage for the new Goldberg Sisters’ album, HOME: A Nice Place To Visit. Goldberg again did all the instrumentation save for violins and trumpet. Goldberg’s elasticity as a multi-instrumentalist and producer is nothing short of astonishing considering he lacks anything in the way of formal training and didn’t even think of seriously making music until his early 20s. “I started playing drums as a kid,” he recalls. “I played along with songs on the radio but mainly Bowie records.” WEBSITE, TWITTER.

Psych pop is the description and psych pop it is! 'When Or Where Or Why' has an energetic, upbeat musical backdrop, the piano is delightful and the vocals ensure the song stands out, adding melodic hooks and extra vibrancy.

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Sugar Candy Mountain - Split In Two.

Background - Sugar Candy Mountain shares the first track and video for "Split in Two" off their upcoming album. "Split in Two" was produced by Jason Quever of Papercuts and the video was directed by TG Eaton. Do Right is due May 4 on PIAPTK Records.

Part travelogue, part response to the current, turbulent climate, Do Right gives voice to the deeply nested anxiety of modern times attempting to offer a balm.  Nature it seems, is where the band often goes to calibrate it’s moral compass so frequently upended by the daily news-cycle.  Sugar Candy Mountain invites you to join them on this journey singing “There’s a quiet place I go when I need to find my way/ There’s a quiet place inside/ Come on in just knock and a door will open”.

Musically, the band remains rooted in 60’s and 70’s rock, with their signature honey sweet vocals. Do Right leans more heavily on synthesizer than the band’s previous records lending the album a more modern feel.  The album pairs the ephemeral orchestral arrangements of The Beach Boys with the pop sensibility of George Harrison on “All Things Must Pass”.  

Oscillating between the hazy psychedelic pop of Mild High Club, the driving energy of Dungen and the danceable familiarity of The Supremes, Do Right is a perfect cocktail of old and new, imploring the listener to take a ride into the sunset with Sugar Candy Mountain. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Atmospheric and yet sprightly 'Split In Two' has dreamy melodic vocals and a soundtrack that adds some swirling vibes, for want of a better expression. It's catchy and imaginative, which is a pretty good combination to start off from.


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Rich Girls - Roxy Rawson - Diā - Be Like Pablo

Rich Girls - Wayne.

Background - Garage/art rock trio Rich Girls share their new track, "Wayne," the second single off their forthcoming debut full-length release, Black City. The album was recorded by Travis Harrison at Serious Business, Brooklyn and Sean Beresford at Blighty Sound, San Francisco. It was mastered by John Greenham at Infrasonic. Black City is due out April 6th via Tricycle Records.

Rich Girls return with a heady new pop sound and nine songs that pull their minimal garage into ambitious new territory. Songwriter Luisa Black unveils a new sonic toolkit, adding vintage synths, dark marimbas and ambitious melodies to the trademark Rich Girls verbed-out sound. The songs are awash in contrasts, veering between aggresssion and tenderness with lyrics about insurrection (“In the Street”), a power ballad about post-addiction love (“Wayne”) and the band’s biggest departure yet, a slurry synth-driven track set to a motorik beat (“Hit”).

Black channels the zeitgeist of heartbreak in “Blood Brother,” a garage rock obit for America. Since their early releases, Rich Girls have pushed against genre, taking a raw garage sound and pulling it into art pop territory. Here Luisa Black’s complex sensibilities are on full display, with an album that swings hard between pop melody and punk rage. Black City is the first full-length from the NYC trio. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Just a month after featuring the song 'Hit', Rich Girls return with their second single 'Wayne' from the forthcoming 'Black City' debut album. This time we have a slow and expansive sounding alt rocker, the music is solid and richly layered, the vocals add some melodic hooks as they passionately call out for your attention, bring on the album.

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Roxy Rawson - Rounded Sound.

Background - Bay Area artist and classically trained musician Roxy Rawson has debuted her new single "Rounded Sound". The track comes off of Roxy's forthcoming album Quenching the Kill, dropping on March 23rd via independent release.

Born into a Mormon community in Hitchin, Roxanna Rawson was introduced to music through Church hymns, but first found her feet in Paris where she studied violin and piano at University of Paris VIII. Surrounding herself with local jazz performers, she joined several orchestras and spent much of her time studying classical and baroque styles of music. Rawson found her own voice however, developing a unique vocal style through singing ‘jumping jazz intervals’ on the streets of the French capital. She also joined an African Choir, adding yet another multi-cultural layer to her sound.

Rawson left Paris for London in 2004, and  joined an anti-folk collective by the name of AsYet, working alongside alternative original talents such as William Nein, David Goo, Miss Jo Williams, Fiona Bevan and Left with Pictures. She soon attracted the attention of producer and label owner Al Mobbs (Damon Albarn). A development deal with Sony led to her debut EP Changing Things, released on Ambiguous Records (2009) and the coinciding single "Fingers". Quenching the Kill is Roxy's debut full-length album. FACEBOOK.

In January we shared 'Black Eyed Soup' from Roxy Rawson and today we have 'Rounded Sound' taken from the soon to be released 'Quenching the Kill' album. The vocals are vibrant and delicious, the music is gentle and twist & turns in harmony with the singing, this is different, in a good & perhaps even unique sort of way.

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Diā - Valentine.

Background - Diā is the stunning project of composer and performer, Danielle Birrittella. Her debut EP, Tiny Ocean, released with Manimal Records, features songs produced by Joey Waronker (Beck, REM, Atoms for Peace), Tim Carr (The Americans, HAIM) and Frankie Siragusa (theLAB).

Raised on a Hindu ashram, she sang ceremonial ragas as a child, which led to training and performing as an opera singer throughout the U.S. and Europe. Along these travels, she began experimenting with music and writing song fragments on a ukulele, which was gifted to her by her brother. Diā reminisces how she "would literally sit on the floor of my bathroom and come up with melodies". Encouraging reactions from those close to her, reinforced her musical path.

Diā 's practice as a classically trained opera singer induced an incredibly critical ear. Her influences of classical music, such as Baroque and French Romantics are beautifully infused with modern experimental cinematic folk within her music. With the critical success of her debut EP Tiny Ocean, Diā  is set to release the highly anticipated follow up single ‘Valentine’. Featuring poignant lyricism, with 60’s vintage soundscapes the single creates a moody and ethereal tale of yearning for a lost love. ‘Valentine’ highlights Diā's signature style of lush baroque-pop and cinematic folk.

Diā has found success, being featured in such prestigious outlets as Huffington Post, Wonderland Magazine, The Line of Best Fit and The 405 among others. Diā's previous single ‘Covered in Light’ was used as the official song for the trailer of popular indie film, Newness. FACEBOOK.

Back in October 2016 we featured Diā and the track 'Covered In Light' taken from her 'Tiny Ocean' EP. Fast forward to now and it's a welcome return with the new song 'Valentine' a piece where the music is cleverly arranged providing an imaginative backdrop for some gorgeously melodic and charmingly timeless vocals, it's been worth the wait.


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Be Like Pablo - My Kind Of Girl.

Background - Imagine if The Beach Boys sounded like a Scottish indie band from the 90s. This is Be Like Pablo. The band make hook-laden pop tunes with four-part harmonies, fuzzy guitars and 80s synths. New single My Kind of Girl is a love letter to 70s new wave heroes The Cars and classic pop from the 50s and 60s. Lyrically, it’s a story about falling for someone who others see as unearthly - somebody who’s laughed at for being introverted and different but who is, in actual fact, intelligent, creative and brilliant.

Lyricist Ewen Watson explains further: “It was a straightforward song to write and as a result has a simplistic charm.” Ross Watson, also of the band, describes My Kind of Girl as “our attempt at writing a super concise, to the point, pop song. The style and arrangement is very much influenced by songs from the 50s and 60s, particularly Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.”

Having released their debut album ‘The New Adventures’ in 2014, Be Like Pablo returned last summer with the single ‘There She Is’ and have had support from the likes of NME, Clash, The 405, Drowned In Sound, and many more throughout. They have previously performed at T in the Park and in session on BBC Radio 1 and Radio Scotland and have also had notable airplay from Dermot O’Leary and Steve Lamacq. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

It's just over a year ago that Be Like Pablo appeared on Beehive Candy and it is a delight to have another chance to feature them this time with 'My Kind Of Girl'. It's powerful, pleasing and just so catchy, if "Scottish Retro Surf Rock" isn't yet an established genre, then surely this qualifies as the starting point.


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Team Picture - Long Branch - Leon III - Frankiie

Team Picture - (I Want Your) Life Hack.

Background - Leeds-based six-piece, Team Picture have just shared their new single ‘(I Want Your) Life Hack’ released through Big Dumb Music Ltd. In line with sharing the new single the band have announced details of their Matt Peel-produced (previously Autobahn, Pulled Apart By Horses, Eagulls) 7-track mini-album ‘Recital’ (via Big Dumb Music), due for release on June 1, 2018. The band will support the release with a full UK tour throughout May and June, taking in festival dates at The Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City, before headlining The Shacklewell Arms, London on May 31, 2018 and The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds on June 1, 2018 - their largest headline show to date - full dates and ticket links below.

Split into two contrasting halves of three songs with a segue track running through the middle, ‘Recital’ is in part attuned to the band’s sagacious take on pop whilst also touching on their temperament for caustic guitar. Released earlier this year, ’(I Have a) Little Secret’ set the tempo for the first half of proceedings whereas new single, ‘(I Want Your) Life Hack’, finds the band delving into their fondness for post-punk sounds. Speaking about the new single, guitarist Josh says: “This is a Talking Heads song from an alternate dimension, performed by a bizarro-world version of the band, who have half the talent, twice the fuzz pedals, and are fronted by David Byrne's fictional idiot brother Malcolm.”

Since forming in 2016, Team Picture have earned praise at Radio 1, BBC Introducing and secured multiple spins at 6Music with support from Huw Stephens, Tom Robinson and Steve Lamacq, as well as ticking off support slots with the likes of Parquet Courts, Psychic Ills, The Orielles and Ulrika Spacek. In addition, the band have performed at the likes of Bluedot Festival (along with Warpaint and the Pixies), the Wire-curated Drill Festival and Manchester’s Neighbourhood Festival, as well as selling out their own curated ‘Du The Katman’ night at Leeds’ Hyde Park Book Club. A full UK headline tour including festival dates will take place throughout May and June, including stops at Liverpool Sound City, Brighton’s Great Escape and a headline show at London’s The Shacklewell Arms. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

UK Tour Dates:
5 May | Sound City, Liverpool
6 May | Hit The North, Newcastle
6 May | Sounds From the Other City, Salford
17-19 May | The Great Escape, Brighton
31 May | The Shacklewell Arms, London
1 June | The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
2 June | Long Division, Wakefield
4 June | Hug & Pint, Glasgow
5 June | Polar Bear, Hull (Club Show)
6 June | Jimmy’s, Manchester.

A booming drum beat followed by a determined rhythm opens '(I Want Your) Life Hack' a creative song where power and eccentricity come together, in something that might be described as post punk or not as the case might be, whatever this piece is, it's wonderful!


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Long Branch - Lilacs.

Background - Toronto/Honey Harbour band Long Branch releases their debut full-length album, Found the Setting Sun, May 25, 2018 on boutique label DWR, home to Michelle McAdorey's Polaris Prize long-listed album, Into Her Future.

Long Branch recorded Found the Setting Sun at Noble Street Studios throughout 2016-17 in a series of sessions helmed by Executive Producer Gavin Brown. Co-produced by Long Branch and Shaddy Roman, the album gathers ten songs from the group's repertoire, and expands on the sound the band first introduced to audiences with their self-released 7" single, "Lucky Me/Just in Case" in 2015.

Dead leaves, bare trees, redemption, and resurrection are embodied in the fuzz-fueled guitars, violin, and vocal harmonies of Long Branch's sound. Formed in 2014, the band is stacked five-high with members from beloved Canadian combos, Adaptor 45, Chicken Milk, The Good Family, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, and Venus Cures All.

Long Branch's sound emerges from a solid guitar bedrock, with haunting violin voicings and the layered harmonies of the band's four formidable frontwomen supported by nuanced, driving rhythms. Introspective, moody, and evocative, Long Branch songs are narratives of overcoming hardship. Yet the songs are hopeful: A whisper of sadness appears one moment only to be blown away by grit and determination. FACEBOOK.

'Lilacs' is a charming rocker, where the guitars seemingly dual gently with each other as the vocals add passion and additional melody, all delivered with style, grace and just a little rock swagger.

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Leon III - Between the Saddle & the Ground.

Background - The principle members of Leon III (Leon The Third), Andy Stepanian and Mason Brent, span the space between Houston, TX and Richmond, VA, but their debut album reaches into a different kind of space, with psychedelic flourishes supported by alt-country and Americana tones their self-titled album, slated for release on Cornelius Chapel Records May 11th, looks to contemporaries like Khruangbin as much as it does to the Grateful Dead. With a rich cast of players including drummer Brian Kotzur (Bobby Bare, Silver Jews), pianist Tony Crow (B.J. Thomas, Andrew Bird), singer Jordan Caress (Laura Cantrell, Justin Townes Earle), guitarist Chris Scruggs (grandson of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs), and pedal steel wizard Pete Finney (Justin Townes Earle, Kelly Willis), who joined with storied producer Mark Nevers (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lambchop, Silver Jews, Yo La Tengo) to help add texture and definition to these already sharply rendered songs. Leon III was the last album to be finished, top to bottom, in Nevers' Beech House Studios in Nashville before it was torn down.

Stepanian says that the first single "Between the Saddle and the Ground" "ties directly to a quote from some British history scholar from the 1500’s named William Camden;  “Betwixt the stirrup and the ground, Mercy I ask'd; mercy I found”.  I came across this line while reading annotated lyrics to the Grateful Dead song “China Doll”.  It was cited as influencing the line “yesterday I begged you before I hit the ground” from that song.   I was instantly intrigued with the concept implied in both lines - that it’s never too late for redemption and salvation and that it might even be found in the split second between the saddle and the ground presumably after being shot off of your horse.   I built the song around that idea.   Not the horses, but the redemption and salvation part.  I even dropped a line from China Doll “tell me what you done it for?” into the chorus as an homage or small thank you to lyricist Robert Hunter who wrote a large portion of the Dead’s lyrics. There is a lot of Grateful Dead behind the curtain of the entire record."

Leon III's album takes you for a ride, checking out “From These Heights,” a tune that falls in and out of focus like trying to read your phone after a few too many cocktails, woozy with the sound of pedal steel and the thrum of a mandolin. Right next door, “Paper Eye” meanders into psychedelic territory with the pulse of a synthesizer rubbing suggestively up against the sweep of a string section and some dub-like production touches. In addition, Leon III gives their own lysergic spin on “Jesus,” one of the signature tracks on The Velvet Underground’s 1969 self-titled third album, and find fresh insight in the song’s spiritual pleadings.

Taken as a whole, Leon III’s debut is a multi-dimensional ride through ten thematically interconnected and musically rich tunes. The songs are filled with dark corners and shadows but still have their share of sing along, anthemic moments. If Stepanian and Brent wanted to break from their alt-country past, they have clearly done so without wholly abandoning the idiom. In the process, they have paved the way for a diverse and varied future for Leon III. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

There is something of a southern rock meets alt rock feeling coursing through 'Between the Saddle & the Ground' a song engulfed in richness and passion, and some of that timeless rock & roll organic beauty.


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Frankiie - Glory Me.

Background - Sometimes it takes time apart to regain an appreciation for what you have. At least, that’s what Frankiie experienced during the winter of 2016/17.

After three years, one EP, several tours, and a debunked reality TV show pilot, we began to question the direction in which we, as a group, were heading. Frankiie comments "Naturally, we began drifting towards individual interests. One of us started a fashion line while another released a solo EP. One became a school teacher, and the other moved to a small island community to work and surf. Despite these changes, it didn’t take long before our paths crossed once more – this time, with a renewed zest for our musical and adventure-seeking bonds".

Frankiie spent the past year writing new material and working alongside Jason Corbett (Actors) at Vancouver’s Jacknife Sound to finish up their debut full-length “Glory Me” and the forthcoming record’s first single/video. contemplates death, one’s self and the mysterious beauty of life.

Is our experience of death a true reflection of how we lived? Like many tracks on the album, it explores the questions of meaning and purpose – feelings that heavily shadowed our lives before we took time for self-discovery. FACEBOOK.

'Glory Me' is a glorious song (excuse the pun) with hints of sixties all girl group splendour and a modern lush musical arrangement. It sounds like taking time out has been a good move, especially if you can return with music of this calibre.


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Thyla - Mugen - Freedom Baby - Ghost Pressure - Canshaker Pi

Thyla - I Was Biting.

Background - Brighton’s emerging indie juggernauts Thyla launch their sprawling new single I Was Biting, capitalising on an exhilarating start to 2018 that’s seen them tipped for major success at both press and radio.

Spotlighted alongside Pale Waves, Nilüfer Yanya and Sorry in NME’s 100 Essential Acts for 2018, the post-punk outfit have since finished their first ever UK tour supporting Inheaven, drawing rave reviews and attracting plenty of fanfare across the country.

Named by Huw Stephens (Radio 1) as one of his Alternative Tips for 2018, the four-piece undeniably live up to these expectations in this intense new offering. Lead by frontwoman Millie Duthie’s soaring vocals, the band’s limitless potential is exemplified once more in a collection of sky-scraping hooks and gripping guitars bursting with fury.

Discussing the single, the quartet stated: “I Was Biting is about dystopian aspects of modern society and a discontent for it. We talk about a unanimous feeling of anxiety and a desire to live in a fictional state of our own dreams; to escape from the mundane routine and expectations of society”.

With dates alongside Fickle Friends, High Tyde and Swimming Tapes scheduled over the coming months, Thyla will also play their debut London headline show at Sebright Arms on 14th March. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Live Dates:
14 Mar – Sebright Arms, London
16 Mar – Suburbia, Southampton
19 Mar – Concorde 2, Brighton (supporting Fickle Friends)
31 Mar – Lock Tavern Festival, London
13 Apr – Green Door Store, Brighton (supporting Swimming Tapes)
19 Apr – Purple Turtle, Reading

Following on from our first feature for Thyla back in December we now have the new track 'I Was Biting'. It's another stylish dream pop/rock song with a mixture of melodic vibes and some rock potency, all bound together with some fine production.

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Mugen - Going Down.

Background - 2017 saw the birth of Leeds based indie/rock clique Mugen. The band have been biding their time, perfecting their craft and carefully constructing a beautifully thought out musical and visual pairing, staring ‘Mugen’ the hedgehog.

'Mugen' himself has an indulgent drinking and smoking habit, and is a hedgehog who traverses the terrain of the human world as a personification of lead singer, and songwriter Harry Kinchington. Mugen personifies Harry’s vision to create something that is a conceptual character falling alongside his passion to release music, that is just that little bit different whilst also raising the question #whoismugen ?

Off the back of their first release ‘That Ain’t The Way It Is’, Mugen received extensive support from Record of The Day, BBC Introducing, Xune Mag, and further afield have been playlisted on New York’s WYNR, Italy’s Primantenna FM and Radio Galileo, alongside France and Switzerland's LRDR as well as New Zealand's Radio Active 88.6FM, and Radio 1. FACEBOOK.

UK Tour dates:
Tuesday 20th March - Hull - Polar Bear (The Sesh)
Friday 23rd March - Leeds - Hi Fi Club (Scruff Of The Neck)   
Sunday 8th April - Sheffield - Cafe Totum
Friday 13th April - Manchester - Soup Kitchen (Supporting KOYO)
Wednesday 25th April - Sheffield - West Street Live
Sunday 13th May - Leeds - Lending Rooms - supporting Canshaker Pi.

A smooth flowing indie rocker 'Going Down' has some engaging vocals and understated harmonies that stand out above a refined musical arrangement, and it's all rather catchy.


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Freedom Baby - My Force.

Background from Freedom Baby - We've been overwhelmed with the support for our new project. This track we wrote without any re-writes. We had not intended theme or subject matter when we began writing and it all came together as it wanted to. 

In a way the song is reflective of life, in that it poses many unanswered questions, asking the listener to decide its’ meaning.

The video furthers this feeling of duality as the mirror reflects back on the viewer and the listener. For us this song is about the end of the world, but maybe it’s about the beginning of it too. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

One of four tracks on Freedom Baby's forthcoming EP 'My Force' showcases the duos beguiling music as it gently builds into an addictive song where the hooks dig deep. We featured them in August 2017 and were impressed then, this is even better, Freedom Baby have something very special going on here.


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Ghost Pressure - Sunless Dawn.

Background - Ghost Pressure mixes elements of alternative-rock and pop, drawing influence from acts like Wolf Alice, Warpaint, and Metric. Forming in 2014 as a four-piece, the last couple of years have been the band's biggest yet. 

2016 brought the addition of vocalist Lauren Diehlmann -- whose impressive vocal range and affinity for polyphonic songwriting has helped the band evolve sonically -- and 2017 saw the release of a live EP and a new single, an expanding tour schedule, and a support slot opening for Gin Blossoms.

The band now shares new single "Sunless Dawn," a darker song that captures the ephemeral quality of memory and explores the concept of perception vs. reality. Ghost Pressure will play NYC's Pianos on March 31st. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Sunless Dawn' opens quietly enough, then erupts into a more powerful rocker, where the vocals are gorgeous and deliver a melodic element above the tightly delivered rock soundtrack. Very impressive!

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Canshaker Pi - Put A Record Out.

Background - Canshaker Pi have just announced that they’ve a new record on the way and premiered a taster from it with Put A Record Out.

After impressing many at their Eurosonic performance at the start of 2018 and supporting names such as Car Seat Headrest and Parquet Courts, to local friends Pip Blom, and indie legends The Cribs, the band have absorbed all the skill that surrounds them and poured it into the new record.

The Amsterdam quartet burst into the world of indie-rock at such a young age and yet have been no strangers to the more mature sounds of Pavement - in fact, Stephen Malkmus helped to produce the band’s debut LP and in 2017 they toured 15 countries and played 27 shows with Scott Kannberg’s Spiral Stairs. FACEBOOK.

Canshaker Pi are another band making their second appearance on Beehive Candy today. The new track 'Put A Record Out' is a feisty indie rocker with some fabulous "in your face" power and some seemingly decadent vocals that add even more attitude, it's one of those songs that just begs to be played at full volume...

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