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Effortlessly charismatic and dripping in sarcasm, Isle Of Wight’s indie sensation Lauran Hibberd caps off her phenomenal year with Sweat Patch, the latest addition to her colourful patchwork of sparkling slacker pop.
Arriving hot on the heels of critically acclaimed debut EP Everything is Dogs earlier this autumn, Hibberd’s prolific songwriting and playful personality is encapsulated once more in her newest fizzing cut, and drops in the midst of her extensive UK/EU support tour alongside US punk rockers The Regrettes.
With substantial praise across the BBC Radio 1 airwaves (Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders) and throughout the online community (The Line Of Best Fit, Dork, Clash, Gigwise), not to mention notable comparisons to contemporaries Courtney Barnett and Phoebe Bridgers, it’s evident the singer-songwriter has made quite the statement over the last twelve months.
Having produced a rousing display on Glastonbury’s BBC Introducing stage, in addition to a slew of supports with Hippo Campus and her own biggest headline gigs to date, Hibberd’s reputation on the live circuit has grown significantly, and with a second headline tour already lined up for February 2020, the newcomer looks primed to bring her unique performance to even bigger audiences.
Discussing her upcoming single, Hibberd revealed: “Sweat Patch is arguably a song about drugs, but it’s not like I’m trying to be cool about it. I’m pretty much frigid with anything unprescribed. But because of that, this song is based on my idea of that world. There’s loads of songs about getting high, not as many songs about watching and I guess analysing other people do it. I guess this is me, soberly sat in a room watching all of my friends take drugs. I guess there’s also a nod to the elephant in the room, A DUDE. There’s always a dude! And I guess this song stemmed from me being into this guy, but he was pretty much into other things more.”
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Following up on the solo debut of Don’t Give Them Any Reaction, Robert Jeffery returns with a single a that simultaneously furthers the range of his songwriting and deepens the scope of his classic rock references in This Time. Tracing the tropes of 80’s classicism with re-invigorating entendre and refreshingly modern values, This Time is reflexive and rocking. Jeffery’s attention to detail and desire to suffuse confident energies with widely relatable themes fosters a dynamic entanglement of Muse and Supertramp.
Recorded at Valleysound Studios with producer Pete Dyball (Kasey Chambers) the track can be interpreted in a number of ways with the core theme surrounding preoccupation with a person or object and how exhausting it can be.
‘Sometimes there is something or someone in your life who you just cannot get out of your mind. It may be because you admire them or it could be because you despise them. Either way, they are riding your train of thought without a ticket and you can’t kick them off.’ - Robert Jeffery
His songwriting style of pushing for loud, thundering guitar riffs was suddenly met with a desire to explore old-school styles, tones and melodies. These desires grew as the influence of groups such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Foxygen pushed his creative comfort zone out into new territory which was eventually revealed in his 2019 introduction Don’t Give Them Any Reaction which received national airplay across Australia’s Community Radio Network and was also featured on international stations KOR and Uckfield FM in the United Kingdom Robert works out of a home-studio in Coffs Harbour, NSW. It is there that he composes music and records demos to provide a guide for when he takes his songs to a producer to be recorded properly. This has allowed him to hone in on his on a sound over time and focus on performance when it comes to recording.
After a car accident in 2013, he found himself taking everyday life and music a little easier. Robert is working towards expanding his release catalogue and is currently putting together a band to play shows in the Mid North Coast area. He looks forward to jumping back into live performance and sharing his music with the world however he can.
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Carroll presents "Fern" The first single from their third LP, out 2020 on Shattered Orb Records The first line of the song "Fern" by Philadelphia band Carroll provides an apt metaphor for the band's sound: "I'm a fern with the leaves curled up / in the light I extend and unravel." Over the course of two critically acclaimed LPs and an EP, Carroll continues to compose blossoms of psychedelic pop that unfurl and bloom as you listen.
"Fern" is the first single from the band's forthcoming third album (out 2020 on Shattered Orb Records). Recorded in the band’s subterranean bunker in Philadelphia and at Berlin Studios in New Jersey, the band is taking their outrospective sonic palate to glistening new heights and some of the murkiest depths of their career.
After years on the road and stints opening for the likes of Dr. Dog, Whitney, and Jessica Pratt, the four members of Carroll are learning to stay in place. “I get used to it / ivy grows when I'm not watching,” sings frontman Brian Hurlow on “Fern.” The vividly colorful video by Karl Cooney reflects this sense of settled unsettling. A fruit bowl signifies mise en place but the band members' faces float on the surface of moving liquid, suggesting something more uncanny. Underneath Hurlow’s plaintive delivery swirl the dense psychedelic landscapes the band is known for.
The propulsive, liquid bass lines of Charles McClung are a second narrator throughout the course of the song and Max Kulicke continues to create micro-climates and sonic storms with his atmospheric guitar. The single’s tasteful and varied synthesizers seem to bubble up from beneath the understated beats of drummer Charlie Rudoy, an indication that the band is working on some of the most enveloping grooves of their career.
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Singer-songwriter Dante Mazzetti recently announced his new EP Hotel Vol. 2, slated for release on November 22nd. Keeping with the themes and story-telling from his July EP, Hotel Vol. 2 continues the tale of a troubled man finding a new life and new challenges. Through 4 new original tracks, Dante Mazzetti tackles a darker tone, infusing his sound with somber vocals and bluesy undertones.
In preparation for his upcoming EP release, Dante dropped the first single “Ugly” in September. A combination of jazz, blues, and a slight Latin flair, “Ugly” conveys a story of an unpleasant encounter. Dante once again shows off his diverse artistry, while maintaining his notable songwriting skills.
Reflecting on “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti offers a clear explanation, "I purposefully wrote ‘Ugly’ to be able to be interpreted in different ways. I like to let the listener make the decision on how they want to receive the meaning. Some people hear it as being about a man who is sponging off of an aesthetically unattractive woman. I like to think of it as a song about a woman who is beautiful on the outside, yet has an ugly soul. I hope to inspire the listener to question the meaning of ugliness and to search for more in my songs than the surface understanding of the lyrics."
In July, Mazzetti made his official return to music with Hotel Vol. 1. With four new original songs, the record brought together acoustic folk and soul, laced with lyrical storytelling. The EP was the first volumes that brought together various unreleased songs in folk and Americana, but emphasize Mazzetti’s ability as a songwriter to express struggles and triumphs in life. For the artist, a piece of music is a living organism - always evolving, improving, finding new creative avenues to explore.
Mazzetti says, “The music on this EP is a mixture of accessibility and wild imagery. I’ve always enjoyed making music that goes off on a tangent but doesn’t fall off the cliff. The songs are doors that open easily into bizarre worlds rather than places of comfort.”
Now, through the introduction of “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti takes listeners on a different journey. Whereas Vol. 1 incorporated higher energy and excitement, Vol. 2 ventures into the slow tempo darkness. Dante Mazzetti’s new EP Hotel Vol. 2 is set for release on November 22nd and will be celebrated at Rockwood Music Hall on November 19th, with tickets available now.
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NYC-based art rock duo The Soft Underground have been hailed as modern descendants of the touchstone bands from Seattle’s 90’s alternative scene, garnering strong international press and plays including a buzzy endorsement from Alt Nation.
Spearheaded by Andrew McCarty and Charlie Hickey (both 26-yrs-old), the duo was formed in 2010 when the two musicians met and bonded over their love of the jangly melancholia. Riffing on their love of the The Smashing Pumpkins and other alternative 90’s bands, the two struck up a friendship and eventually began to hone in on a sound that mined deep into 70’s psych rock, falling somewhere between My Bloody Valentine and The Velvet Underground.
Anemoia is the bands third LP, following 2015’s Lost in Translation and 2018’s Morning World. The LP is a clear indication of their intent to constantly reinvent themselves musically, replacing standard guitar rhythms with more exotic instrumentation, implementing flutes, violins, synthesizers and pots and pans. Anemoia was recorded at Andrew’s house in Memphis, TN, affording them the laid-back, off-the-clock vibe they were looking to capture. As usual, the two worked together to craft the arrangements and instrumentals and worked to cast singers for each song - this time working with guest vocalists Sam Reed and Lisa Mac.
“Thematically, it’s a happy album,” McCarty reflects, knowing that their material often boasts an impenetrably moody veneer. “We tried to capture that state of euphoria where you can appreciate all facets of life, including the lows.”
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