BEEHIVE CANDY

Ålesund - Rhythm. Following up on the 2020 release of their second EP ‘All Hail To Your Queen’, Bristol-based atmospheric Alt-Pop quartet Ålesund return with upcoming EP ‘A Thread In The Dark’, due for release July 9th. After the untimely curtailing of their European Tour in Spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ålesund traveled back to the UK feeling uncertain. Although things were going so well with a new offering and an extensive touring and festival schedule to get stuck into, the timing of the unplanned hiatus was less than ideal. Rather than take it to heart, the group’s vocalist and songwriter Alba Torriset retreated to her hometown of Hastings to try and reconnect with music in a positive way.  “With all the negativity in the world, I wanted to create something uplifting and optimistic,” she says, and so the four track EP ‘A Thread In The Dark’ was created. Alba and guitarist Lloyd Starr started to put together demos with a euphoric and festival-tinged edge. They then enga

Vanessa Gimenez - Doing Better. Vanessa Gimenez releases her second single "Doing Better" and announces the release of her debut EP 'Make It Rain', out August 12th. Vanessa Gimenez doesn’t so much write songs as conjure dreamscapes for listeners to lose themselves in. It’s a talent she began honing while fronting Bristol-band Swimming Girls - racking up millions of streams along with triumphant turns at Glastonbury and at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. It’s only since going solo that Gimenez has begun to realise the true scope of her creative potential. New single "Doing Better" finds her daring to look back at difficult personal experiences. Produced and mixed by David Wrench (Arlo Parks, Jamie xx, Georgia), and co-written with Toby Scott and Swimming Girls-keyboardist Roo Primrose – the track deals with the dissolution of a romantic relationship and the mind games lovers play in an attempt to one-up one another. "Doing Better" further wounds with its r

Kat Von D - I Am Nothing. Multifaceted tattoo artist, TV star, beauty entrepreneur, author, fashion designer, and singer/songwriter Kat Von D continues her musical journey with the cathartic new video for her synthwave slow jam, “I Am Nothing,” the second single from her forthcoming debut LP Love Made Me Do It out August 27. The video, directed by Linda Strawberry, captures the essence of the song and the album’s underlying themes of love, loss, and loneliness. Kat Von D explains: “It’s about the idea of not being good enough. You feel like you’re nothing and lament the memories of the past again. It’s the everyday challenge of putting one foot in front of the other when you’re running on emotional fumes. You’re also coming to terms with the fact it’s over.” Regarding working with the director, Kat says, “Working with Linda Strawberry on this video was a beautiful experience. I was already so inspired by all the work she’s done with the Smashing Pumpkins art direction as well as other

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Fat Chance. Acclaimed Scottish rock band We Were Promised Jetpacks have announced their much anticipated brand new album Enjoy the View, to be released on 10th September via Big Scary Monsters. Along with the announcement they share single ‘Fat Chance’, which follows on from previous new single ‘If It Happens’, released via 7” this month. The new tracks signify a change in musical direction for the band, with ‘Fat Chance’ an ode to overcoming, and even thriving, despite the odds. Lead singer Adam Thompson explains; “We started properly writing this album at the end of March 2020 when we realised that everything was going to be shut down. We had a US tour lined up in May but obviously had to cancel. So from March to June, we sent each other ideas remotely and collaborated that way. I was so glad we had a project to focus on when proper lockdown hit. When we were able to get into our practice space in July, we were finally able to jam and write more like we n

Melissa Lamm - Balcony. Melissa tells us "I spent last summer's lockdown on my balcony in Toronto, and wrote a song about it." She continues "I had just gotten married before the pandemic, and was dreaming of a honeymoon abroad. When lockdown hit, my husband and I abandoned our plans of a far away vacation, and made our own little paradise in the concrete jungle." "Balcony" tells a humble story about making the most of wherever you are. You may not be able to spend your summer on a tropical beach or sightseeing abroad, but sitting on a modest little balcony with someone you love can be a perfect time – even if you aren't doing anything at all. Finally Melissa adds "I love full pop sounds but chose to take a more chill and stripped down approach to this recording, which is about enjoying the simple moments in life. Sometimes I look back at last summer and feel nostalgic about my time spent on my balcony, and this year I'm honestly looking

Alicia Walter - Prelude. Having already gained enormous notoriety as the lead singer behind the Chicago-based art-rock outfit Oshwa, singer and songwriter Alicia Walter has now announced her plans for her first solo studio album ‘I Am Alicia’. Showcased by the new single ‘Prelude’, ‘I Am Alicia’ looks to see her branch out from behind the confines of her previous outfit to explore a more multifaceted direction. Exploring a diverse array of genres including jazz, hip-hop, as well as her own distinct approach to alt-pop, her new collection sees her in her most adventurous guise yet. The new track ‘Prelude’ perfectly sums up what we can expect from her forthcoming full-length. Expertly produced by Walter and Devin Greenwood (Sufjan Stevens, Steve Reich, Norah Jones), it sees her reach to the furthest corners of her creative minds and pull back something captivating from start to finish. The video, directed by Lisa Schatz, is a vibrantly colorful odyssey that sees Walter transcending diff

Maddy Wood - If I Could Move. Describing herself as a “Rock ’n’ Roll glitter princess,” Maddy Wood combines her love for the classic rock sounds of Led Zeppelin and Stevie Nicks with modern pop sensibilities, soulful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics.  However, this self-made artist should not be confused with any old rockstar — Wood’s most appealing aspect is how she grows beyond the boundaries of her idols. Maddy effortlessly dances through a myriad of genres to create a sound that is emotional, energetic, and all her own. Crafted in the pages of a songwriting notebook and perfected on the strings of her custom purple cheetah print Telecaster, every Maddy Wood piece is original as it is beautiful.  Her process is a raw, sometimes painful, but ultimately deeply relatable. Poetic and dressed in purple, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter is well on her way to joining the ranks of fearless, no-nonsense icons like Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers. Bending to no one, she channels her em

Photo - Brenna Weeks Monica Aben - CPH. Hailing from Venice, California, Monica's song CPH is a tale of female empowerment and staying connected to your inner-self whilst building a life on the other side of the world in Copenhagen.  Monica says of the release,"CPH is about the trip that tied up my adolescence with a bow and launched me into womanhood. It's an ode to the ending of what felt like the first chapter in my life". As the 1st track from her Postcard EP (due out later this year when Monica visits Europe) CPH's seductive arrangement is mixed by Grammy winner Ryan GIlligan (Kanye West & Puerto Rican duo Calle 13) plus mastered by Jett Galindo, known for her work on the La La Land OST plus bands like Weezer, lo-fi soul artist Hayley Reinhart and others. ========================================================================== Toler Gibson - Harlingen. Toler Gibson is based in Idylwood, CA.  Kenneth Gibson and Gavin Toler have been in many indie bands

Photo - Sarah Fosco Noga - The Alchemist. After years of touring the world on bass with Cass McCombs, Delicate Steve, and many others, Noga (aka Noga Shefi) has regrouped to bring listeners The Alchemist -- a short collection of new songs out July 30. Inspired in part by Paulo Coelho's classic mysticist novel of the same name, The Alchemist follows NOGA's experience of untangling life's great dualities: dreams and reality, light and dark, known and unknown, self and other. Stream the title track, out today. Written during a quiet period of time off in Israel, Noga recorded the EP back in NYC at the Relic Room, with Scott Colberg on bass and guitar, Jason Nazary on Drums, and Frank LoCrasto on piano and synths. The EP was mixed and mastered by Greg Saunier. In the novel The Alchemist, the protagonist is made to take on a great quest spanning years and continents. It is not just about chasing dreams, but about the refinement of the alchemist's skill and ability to turn so

Lakes - Matches. Watford (London) based six-piece ensemble Lakes share second single ‘Matches’ from their forthcoming new record ‘Start Again’. The band recently announced their signing to Big Scary Monsters for the new album, out 30th July. ‘Matches’ is an exploration of political division, set to a backdrop of glistening guitars, a driving melody and the band’s signature harmonised dual lead vocals. “Watching the way political discourse has played out over the past few years and the tension that comes with polarising views - it’s exhausting. No one wants to be proven wrong.” says co-lead singer Roberto Cappellina. “There’s a need for space to have real conversations with each other and to listen. This song is about reaching out to have those conversations.” After a handful of self-releases and a stint of heavy touring with the likes of Nervus and Orchards, the pandemic forced Lakes to slow down, having been catapulted a long way in a short space of time through consistent hard work a