The Gentle Spring - Sam Scherdel - The Clumps - Rachel Cribby - Eliza Hull - Soot Sprite

The Gentle Spring - Down With Love.

Just released we have the first single "Down With Love" by The Gentle Spring from their forthcoming second album "Northernhay". The witty lyrics of this upbeat single feel like they could be a riposte to the lovelorn romance of The Field Mice (songwriter Michael Hiscock’s first group). But the music and the arrangements sound like a reprise of that much-loved band – Down With Love is melodic, infectious, pure pop.

Michael Hiscock, co-founder of legendary indiepop band The Field Mice, along with his new cohorts Émilie Guillaumot and Jérémie Orsel have created an album that combines wisdom, wistfulness, reflections on love and celebrations of community - all threaded through a set of songs whose melodic power and sheer catchiness recall The Field Mice at their best.  

The music is more upbeat than on debut album Looking Back At The World. The shimmering acoustic guitars and sinuous bass are still present, but this time Michael’s and Émilie’s voices are accompanied by drums and percussion. With this new recipe, the songs sometimes remind you of early Microdisney, and sometimes The Pet Shop Boys, with deadpan, considered, unvarnished, but deeply emotive human vocals, and an insistent rhythm that drives on regardless.  Depending on where you are situated, you could dance to Northernhay, or you could sit very still and just immerse yourself in it.

The album title, Northernhay, is a clue to the inspirations that drive the songwriting.  It is the name of a winding street that led from the Croydon suburbs where Michael lived as a kid, leading out to a wilderness, surprisingly close to the city, where foxes are seen, where the streetlights don’t penetrate - where you can get lost: one of those places where you first discover that the world is awesome, mysterious, deeply romantic and unknowable. 

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Photo - Rizzo (Ianthe Warlow)

Sam Scherdel - Kyoto Snow.

Following a breakthrough single approaching four million Spotify streams and widespread press and radio acclaim, South Yorkshire singer-songwriter Sam Scherdel returns with ‘Kyoto Snow’, out now via Broke Records / Ostereo. After losing his job in 2022, Scherdel faced a defining moment: with no label backing him, he began independently funding his own recordings and releases, determined to turn his music into a viable career. What began as a leap of faith has since developed into an extraordinary journey of success, driven by relentless work, self-belief and a growing audience that has carried his music far beyond his Yorkshire roots.

From a residency at SXSW in Austin, to opening for Duran Duran at BST Hyde Park, to going viral on TikTok, having his music played on Love Island and now having a recording contract with Broke Records and Ostereo the forthcoming EP, Boy Who Fell To Earth, is set to be another big moment for Scherdel as he continues to build an exciting career. 

Produced by Colin Elliot at Sheffield’s Yellow Arch Studios, ‘Kyoto Snow’ explores the search for beauty amid difficult, emotionally toxic circumstances. Built around the image of something fragile and fleeting, the track captures a relationship beginning to fracture and the desperate desire to hold on to what remains.

Sonically, the track leans into folk and Americana influences, while retaining the melodic pop sensibilities, indie accessibility and emotionally driven songwriting that have been central to Sam’s rise so far. A blossoming soundscape places Sam’s captivating, raspy vocals front and centre, with organic instrumentation weaving around them to create a warm, vibrant and effortlessly catchy listening experience.

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The Clumps - Easy.

The Clumps just released their new single “Easy” marking their first release with AWAL and the first taste of an EP due in early 2027. Still early in their story but already building serious momentum, the four-piece have amassed 3.3 million streams on previous single “Worthless”, grown to 100,000 monthly listeners, and recently played Eurosonic and Soho Calling in London.

Built around a collision of grunge, post-rock and noise, “Easy” looks at the psychological toll that can sit behind pursuing something you care about — the pressure, exhaustion and uncertainty that are often flattened into the idea that following your passion should somehow feel effortless. “Nothing left, Hold your breath, While they tell you everything, They never said it was easy” — The Clumps

Behind the scenes, that momentum is being matched by an expanding international team. The Clumps work with Made Management, whose roster includes Aurora and Sigrid, alongside ACT Booking / Live Nation, as they begin building towards a wider European presence through 2027. Musically, the band draw from the weight and abrasion of ’90s alternative rock without leaning too heavily on nostalgia. Their sound pairs heavy, immediate guitars with atmosphere, tension and an increasingly strong sense of emotional restraint. “Easy” is the first indication of where that next phase is heading, with further new music to follow ahead of the EP next year.

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Photo - Kelsey Gale

Rachel Cribby - Frankenmuth, MI.

Rachel Cribby has shared the second single 'Frankenmuth, MI' from her debut album ‘I Can’t Wait To Forget This Later,’ to be released November 20 on First City Artists (Coco, Alexa Rose, Eliza Edens). Cribby wrote the song about a peculiar town in Michigan designed to architecturally mimic Bavarian Germany, famous for its chicken and fudge. Cribby shares, “It is objectively a bizarre place, but as a kid, it was my personal paradise. I wrote this song after I stopped by on my way home from Traverse City a few years ago. The town hasn’t really changed that much since the 90s. But it really does turn out you can never go back.”

Produced by Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, Oh Pep, Ken Yates), ‘I Can’t Wait To Forget This Later’ shimmers with early aughts alt pop appeal—brisk melodies laden with sharp, darkly comical lyricism reminiscent of Aimee Mann, Rilo Kiley, or Liz Phair. Today’s offering follows the lead single “Rich Boy Luck,” a zipping and incisive assessment of privilege that landed on several playlists.

The Canadian-born, Detroit-based songwriter’s sardonic style is for more than listener’s amusement; it’s her healing method of choice. And in recent years, she’s needed one, having lost her father and left her beloved Montreal in quick succession. “It’s not like my twenties weren’t tumultuous,” shares Cribby. “I had plenty to sing about. I was dumped more than I can count and maybe did a bit of dumping myself. But something has happened to me in my thirties, where all of the big life stuff that I thought I could ignore by moving away, by trying to become a completely independent and self-assured person, smacked me in the face. And then it promptly started to eat me alive.” 

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Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder

Eliza Hull - Balcony.

Dja Dja Wurrung Country/Castlemaine-based multi-award-winning songwriter, musician, advocate and writer Eliza Hull O.A.M shares her new single and video 'Balcony' from forthcoming album You'd Think We'd Be Used To Change By Now (4 Dec/independent). 

Written and recorded in London with Sneaker Pimps' Liam Howe (fka twigs, MARINA), 'Balcony' flits between bittersweet nostalgia and sky-high euphoria, sonically drawing from atmospheric 90s trip-hop; "a song about trying to hold onto something beautiful long after it has passed". 'Balcony' arrives with the announcement of intimate album preview events the week of album release across 2x dates in so-called VIC, featuring acoustic performance, signing and conversation to be paired with ABC Melbourne's Jacinta Parsons at the Naarm/Melbourne event. 

‘Balcony’ penned quickly to capture something instinctive and almost fleeting is Eliza Hull's aching love letter to a long-past summer that can't ever be recreated, tracing the emotional tension between what was and what is: revisiting being young, free and naïve, surrounded by friends, falling in love with a particular moment in your life and desperately wanting to return to it. 

Drawing on the gently-haunting atmosphere of British 90s trip-hop and electronic music, 'Balcony' features live instrumentation in minimalist drums and reverb-drenched guitars, first-demo vocals and dramatic, sweeping strings melding to create an organic, cinematic feel that will resonate will fans of Portishead and Goldfrapp. 

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Soot Sprite - Cautious Optimist (Reckless Version) 

Brighton rockers Soot Sprite have today dropped ‘Cautious Optimist (Reckless Version)’ and also announced their ‘Carbon Copy’ EP, which is due out November 20th via Specialist Subject. 

‘Cautious Optimist’ first appeared as the closing track on Soot Sprite’s critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon’. Ahead of their UK headline tour, the band have reimagined the song as a rousing anthem, released alongside the announcement of ‘Carbon Copy’, an EP of reworked tracks from the record. 

Soot Sprite front woman Elise Cook says: I originally wrote this about 6 years ago now when I was essentially given an eviction notice at the height of a pandemic. It would mark the 11th time I had moved in about 10 years period and having recently upped and moved across the country from Torbay to Brighton it retains its relevance! 

It’s about the rocky uncertainties around your home space, and how shaping your life round the music industry feeds into that. How sometimes you feel burnt out by it all and find yourself idealising a life with regular stable work to provide a stable home. Ultimately it’s not been for me, and that always comes at a cost. Getting to realise this song from a somber solo pursuit to this defiant anger with the whole band has been so fun, and reminds me why I chose these people to play in Soot Sprite. Everyone elevates it.

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Winona Oak - Phoebe Rea - Matty Simpson - Project Earthbridge feat. Myla Arden

Winona Oak - Bloom (Album).

Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak has released her second album ‘Bloom’ alongside the focus track ‘Anemone’ via Nettwerk. New album ‘Bloom’ marks a new chapter and is a testament to survival, showcasing both her emotional and musical growth and devotion to connection. Allowing herself to slowly open up again with honesty and hope after a period of grief and heartbreak, her new record lets the listener into a deeply personal world where beginnings emerge from endings. Throughout the last year, she has worked on new music and a more organic progression in her raw and unvarnished sound, whilst still writing candidly about the highs and lows of life; loss and repair, heartbreak and love, resistance and patience. 
 
Winona Oak has thoughtfully introduced her second record over the last year with a host of singles, including ‘Do You Hate Me Now’, ‘Horses’, ‘Stay the night’, ‘Breaking Point’, ‘Bones’, and most recently ‘Next Mistake’ featuring Maye. Alongside the full album, she shares the cinematic focus track ‘Anemone’, which is a moving ballad that builds delicately through beautiful instrumentation. 

Winona says, “Like a flower emerging after a long winter, blooming isn’t instant - it’s the result of surviving the darker seasons. Bloom reflects the transformation - the idea that even after pain life still finds ways to grow. It’s a gentle but powerful reminder that healing isn’t about forgetting the past, but about allowing yourself to open again to the light."


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Phoebe Rea - Meet Me There.

Originally from Oxfordshire, Phoebe Rea is a singer-songwriter, pianist and keys player whose music brings together nu-jazz, alternative and art-pop with a strong focus on live musicianship and emotional honesty. Classically trained in piano and violin, she studied at the BRIT School and Goldsmiths, University of London, where she became immersed in London’s jazz scene and found the collaborative community that continues to shape her music. Her songwriting explores identity, self-worth, relationships and growth, often using music as a way to uncover what she really thinks and feels.

Her new single, “Meet Me There”, begins a new chapter following her debut EP Anybody Else?, which explored perfectionism, toxic cycles, co-dependence and self-sabotage. For her upcoming music, Phoebe knew she wanted to move beyond some of the darker themes of her earlier twenties and start “leaning into the light”. This led to using the idea of phototropism, (the way plants react to and grow towards light), as a theme for the new project, embracing warmth and growth after “digging her roots into the ground” with the previous EP.

At the heart of “Meet Me There” is Phoebe’s grandad, who passed away over three years ago, and the pieces of him that she continues to carry into her own life. “I find him whenever I see a good view or go on a good walk, or when I decide to go to an exhibition and firstly have to stop at the museum cafe for a coffee and cake because that’s what we used to do with him,” she shares. “I find him in my desire to see the world. He’s a constant reminder to make the absolute most of life because he was so good at living.”

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Matty Simpson - Explode.

Hamilton, Ontario singer-songwriter and guitarist Matty Simpson shares “Explode,” a restless, emotionally charged single that blends the raw energy of grunge and punk with the introspective storytelling of Americana and roots rock. Caught between exhilaration and uncertainty, the track explores the overwhelming nature of love and the fear of surrendering control.

Inspired by a period of listening to both heavier rock bands and introspective singer-songwriters, “Explode” emerged from Simpson’s desire to bridge those musical worlds. The title comes from the lyric, “you made my heart explode,” capturing feelings so powerful that they become both beautiful and destabilizing.

“It was an attempt to write a love song and be more positive during a phase where I was writing mostly about sadness and heartbreak,” Simpson explains. “It ended up being about someone who is so deeply in love, that it is debilitating and even self-destructive. Love can be that way, too. Love is complex and so is writing about it.”

That emotional push and pull shapes the song’s arrangement. Its heavier, grunge-inspired passages contrast with quieter moments that leave room for reflection. One of Simpson’s favourite lyrics, “Hey, don’t talk so loud, I’m trying to hear the softest sound,” arrives after a loud chorus crescendo, creating a shift that emerged naturally during the songwriting process.

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Project Earthbridge - Just One Bite (feat. Myla Arden)

"Just One Bite" is upbeat "girl power rock" with a straightforward message - "Don't ask for my number, if you stay for just one night, there's no feast here for you boy, if you look for just one bite". Project Earthbridge consists of the Swedish duo Jimmy Granstrom (music and/or lyrics) and Thomas Karlsson (music/production) as well as invited collaborator(s), which will vary between songs. 

Project Earthbridge's songs have been played on the radio in at least 12 countries on five continents, from Australia and South Africa to Sweden, France, Belgium, Peru, England and the USA. The singles "Alicia" and "Made Of Stars" were selected for rotation on P4 Sörmland, which is a major Swedish radio station equivalent to a regional BBC radio station in the United Kingdom. Green & Granstrom's "Only Summer" (with English lyrics co-written by Jimmy) was played on the SiriusXM The Spectrum show Nordic Rox, co-hosted by Roxette singer/songwriter Per Gessle, on September 8 2024. 

More recently, Elin Engdahl and Elitronic's "Bound For Glory" - with lyrics co-written by Jimmy - was played on "Nordic Rox" on October 5, 2025. Most recently, the Project Earthbridge single "Love Will Always Be Near" (featuring Aubrey Illurimo) was released in December 2025, with significant airplay around the world, from Australia, Colombia and Uganda to France, Greece, Italy, Germany and the U.K.

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Strange Dream - Nofar Margaliot & Waterman Project - At Baron Lane - Siv Jakobsen feat. Marit Larsen - The Sunshine Rebels - Blank Instrument

Strange Dream - Levanter.

Strange Dream contacted us a week or so ago and we were massively impressed with their latest track Levanter, and are pleased to share it after it's release this weekend. The band tell us "Levanter takes its name from the warm wind that blows in from the east across the Mediterranean. In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist it's a presence that's always close by but never seen, known only by the mark it leaves. This track borrows that idea: a hypnotic, driving groove built around exactly that feeling." 

Some background on the band: Strange Dream is a Manchester based psych band blending hypnotic rhythms, jangling guitars and reverb soaked melodies into a sound that’s both timeless and unmistakably modern. Drawing influence from bands such as Allah Las, BJM and Night Beats, the band crafts immersive songs built on driving grooves, layered guitars and hazy atmospheres.

Originally formed in 2023 as a studio project, Strange Dream focussed on writing and self producing a handful of singles. Following a short hiatus of recording the band returns with renewed creative focus and is now bringing their sound to the stage for the first time.

With a live set built around high energy performances, Strange Dream is currently seeking support slots and festival opportunities in Manchester and across the northwest. For fans of: 60’s Garage Rock, Modern Psychadelia, The Black Angels, Allah Las, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Velvet Underground. 

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Nofar Margaliot & Waterman Project - Fake Love.

Released a couple of days ago 'Fake Love' is one of those songs that stands out immediately and then goes on to build into a beautiful alt pop song. Nofar Margaliot sings in Hebrew and English and on the next album 14 of the songs are recorded in English and on the strength of this one may well reach a larger international audience. Some more background on the song. 

Israeli singer-songwriter Nofar Margaliot and Alon Wasserman's Project feature Fake Love, the first single from their forthcoming joint album. The song is about clinging to the crumbs of love: small gestures that give great hope, even when the connection itself does not give what we need. At the center of it is an image of plastic flowers, which look like the real thing but life is lacking.

Alternative pop with singular singing, guitars and piano in the stecto, in a sensual and melancholy atmosphere reminiscent of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black spirit. Nofar and Alon wrote the words and melody together. Alon also played, arranged, produced and recorded; Daniel Wortheimer is responsible for the mix and mastering.

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At Baron Lane - Door.

With their new single “Door,” At Baron Lane deliver a fresh, upbeat indie-pop song. At Baron Lane are a four-piece indie band from the greater Zurich area, extending as far as Lachen in the canton of Schwyz. Since celebrating the release of their debut album “in Paradise” at Amboss Rampe in Zurich in 2019, the band has continued to refine their songwriting and successfully demonstrated their skills live at countless concerts.

The quartet has already performed at venues including Schüür in Lucerne, Exil Club in Zurich, and Werk21 at Dynamo in Zurich. With the single “Future-Men,” released in June 2025, the band also secured its first airplay on various indie radio stations, both locally and internationally.

Inspired by groups such as Parcels, Twenty One Pilots, Metronomy, l’Impératrice, and Duran Duran, At Baron Lane explore the boundaries of indie pop. Their music remains catchy despite its many influences, while retaining a distinctive At Baron Lane sound—with melodies that stay in listeners’ heads long after the music ends.

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Photo - Jørgen Nordby

Siv Jakobsen feat. Marit Larsen - On You.

Acclaimed Norwegian songwriter Siv Jakobsen this weekend announces her new album Scandinavian Dread, out 12th March 2027 via The Nordic Mellow/Virgin Music Group, and shares new single 'On You' feat. Marit Larsen. Scandinavian Dread is Jakobsen's fourth studio album and the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2023 album Gardening.

Taking a wry look at the "sad girl" label attached to her music, Scandinavian Dread makes room for gratitude, grief and the humour of everyday life. Where Gardening explored past hurt, its follow-up finds Jakobsen considering what comes next: the comfort of a loving relationship, the pressures of ambition, and the small domestic pleasures that help her through the Norwegian winter. "Oh, you think I’m sad? Fine. I’ll give you sad," she jokes of the title, though the songs tell a more expansive story.

Co-written with her longtime friend and collaborator Marit Larsen, who brings a sparkling pop sensibility and guest vocals to the recording, new single 'On You' finds Jakobsen at her most bright-eyed and thankful. Celebrating a love that feels effortless after one that demanded too much, the song looks back with a new perspective, past experiences deepening her appreciation for what she has now. Anchored by acoustic guitar, it opens out into strings, layered vocals and an uplifting chorus, as Jakobsen sings: "I’m not trying, we are an effortless blend / In the thick of you now, never losing - you are my luminous mender."

Discussing the new single,  Jakobsen says: "On You is an ode to gratitude and pure joy - to finally finding the right person and realising that every road and dead end somehow led you to them. I wrote it with my good friend and collaborator Marit Larsen, wanting to create a song that could act as a bridge between my previous album, Gardening, and the next, Scandinavian Dread. It also became a very effortless blend of our individual voices as artists and songwriters, so having Marit join me on the recording felt both natural and obvious."

Marit Larsen added: "On You feels like—and sounds like—a breakthrough for my dear friend Siv. It is an emotional release bathed in light, hearts beating; the perfect song to take with you into the low autumn sun, with leaves crunching under your soles. The song reveals a side of Siv that’s usually reserved for those of us in her innermost circle."

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The Sunshine Rebels - Hop On, Hop Off.

Chicago’s latest indie-rock sensation The Sunshine Rebels arrives with their debut single “Hop On, Hop Off”. The neo-psychdelic inspired track is now available via digital streaming platforms worldwide. 

Inspired after a trip to the British Isles, “Hop On, Hop Off” drips with an intense and classic swagger, sonically self-described by the band as “Radiohead meets 10,000 Maniacs through a Beatles lens”. There’s a dash of Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders as well, which is evident in Sangeeta Driver's spunky and powerful vocals. Consisting of droning pedal tones, chaotic travel themes, and scattered vintage pop culture references, The Sunshine Rebels’ latest track is intentional yet surprising— leaning cleverly into a vintage aesthetic yet still remaining uniquely its own.

“Hop On, Hop Off” was created at Chicago’s Electrical Audio. Although recording for the tracks took place as recently as the Summer of 2026, The Sunshine Rebels have been cooking up these tunes for quite a while. The result is the forthcoming album, slated for unveiling in early 2027 – consisting of tracks that have been in conception since as far back as the early 2000’s.

“Hop On, Hop Off” was recorded live, with no click tracks or autotune, creating a rare and organic experience that is hard to find in today’s current soundscape. The new single is the precursor to what is to come on the forthcoming album, a decadent sonic treat leaning into 80s rock, alternative indie, and elements of post-punk revival.

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Blank Instrument - Jumping at Ghosts (Album).

Blank Instrument, Boorloo/Perth-based singer-songwriter Kim Franklin returns with her debut album ‘Jumping at Ghosts’, just released on Friday, (October 23). Spanning 11 tracks, the album brings together themes of love, grief, uncertainty, mental health and hope through Franklin’s intimate, reflective songwriting. Made possible by the generosity of her late friend Julie, ‘Jumping at Ghosts’ grew from songs Kim Franklin began writing in early 2023, without initially intending to make a full album. Musically, the album evolved through experimentation, drawing on folk, soul, blues and piano ballads. About this album, Franklin states:

“Over the 2 and a half years that I’ve been working on these songs, they have made their truth known to me. They were born from a place in my subconscious and in understanding them, they have helped me become a better person. How I feel about my songs, my voice, myself, has been transformed through recording this album.”
 
The transformation Kim describes has also been reflected in the response to the album’s first releases. Kim’s releases have reached #1 on the AMRAP Country/Blues/Roots Chart and #4 Overall, alongside airplay on ABC Country, ABC Perth, RTR and community radio across AUS. They've also drawn support from Backseat Mafia, Scenestr, AAA Backstage, Good Call Live, The Point Music News, Lock Mag and more.

Now, it all comes together across 11 tracks, with ‘Jumping at Ghosts’ moving through heartbreak, uncertainty, grief, love and mental health while holding onto hope and the possibility of renewal. The album opens with its first three singles, ‘Brand New’, ‘Know Nothing’ and ‘Green and Blue’, exploring new beginnings, accepting uncertainty and learning to remain present through grief.

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HENGE - Piper Butcher - Just Pearls - Clara Cloud - Junior VP - Casii Stephan

HENGE - Brains.

Attention Humans! Cosmic rave-prog outfit HENGE return with “Brains”, the first single from their fifth studio album ‘Humans’, arriving 29 January 2027. Where previous album ‘Journey to Voltus B’ took listeners to a distant planet, ‘Humans’ plants HENGE firmly on Earth, with its apex inhabitants as the subject. "Human beings are intriguing to us," says HENGE front creature Zpor. "Your capacity for abstract thought, your creativity, is nothing short of astonishing.”

Lead single “Brains” channels rave and electro, powered by trouser-flapping bass from Venusian bass maestro Brother Goo. Groove-centric and casually delivered, it features a guitar solo that sounds like it is ripping through the fabric of the universe. "The human brain is truly a thing of wonder, and I naturally felt compelled to write an ode to it" explains Zpor.

The single follows a huge year for the band, with clips of “DNA” and “Mushroom One” racking up over 20 million views across platforms. ‘Humans’ will be accompanied by a world tour of 80+ dates across 25 countries, including the band's first shows in North America and Asia. Find the band’s UK dates below. 

Extra-terrestrial joymongers HENGE have been delighting audiences on Planet Earth for over a decade, earning an Association of Independent Festivals 'Live Act of the Year' award and legions of fans along the way. They have four acclaimed albums and their own comic book series to their name. Their last album, Journey to Voltus B, sold out headline shows across the UK and Europe and earned support from BBC 6 Music's Stuart Maconie, Deb Grant and Craig Charles.

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Piper Butcher - Directions (EP).

The last few years have seen the rise of Newcastle country artist, Piper Butcher. After being crowned the inaugural winner of the CMAA Young Achiever Award, she didn’t slow down - she increased her output and took her music to the people, continually refining her songs by road testing them in front of live audiences across the globe. As a result, her maturity and evolving artistry are evident on her brand-new EP, “Directions”, due for release yesterdy Friday 23rd October 2026 through Community Music.

“I am so proud of this collection of music”,says Butcher. “This year I’ve taken a new direction with songwriting, being upfront and writing exactly what I’m thinking and feeling, rather than being metaphorical with every song. It has encouraged me to find inspiration in more places and delve deeper into other people's music to learn from as well. All of these songs are me down to a tee.”

Produced by Andy Mak (The McClymonts/Brooke & Adam), the EP showcases five original songs including co-writes with Austin Mackay and Kingswood’s Alex Laska, that not only grew their friendship but allowed Butcher to explore the scary feelings that were difficult to describe in song. The balance of the tracks sit between crazy ideas that woke her up at 2am begging to be heard and confronting feelings that flowed out when written in full.

The title, “Directions”, came from Butcher’s love of all musical genres. “I’ve always created music with the idea of serving the song and I wasn’t trying to stick to a certain sound or brand. But it’s evident to me now - I’m a country artist, through and through. And this feels like the first EP I’ve released that is cohesive and packed to the brim with my musical identity.” “I hope you love this EP. I feel like there’s a story for everyone; songs for people travelling in any direction of their life!”

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Just Pearls - Flutterby (Album).

Flutterby had a magical beginning at its book premiere in Berne’s Stiftsgarten and has received many rave reviews. Kate Pearl’s lovingly illustrated fairy tale for children and adults touches audiences and has led to invitations for interviews and guest appearances on Radio. But Kate Pearl is not only an author. A musician and teacher who grew up in Ohio and has lived in the region of Emmental, near Berne, since 2001, she has been writing and performing music for many years under the name Just Pearls. And in many ways, it is the music that lies at the heart of Flutterby. “Although the book came first in terms of its release, it is really an accompaniment to —and an extension of — the album,” she explains.

Music has been a constant thread throughout Kate Pearl’s artistic life. Her musical journey has included collaborations with Balts Nill and Ursula Hotz of the Rodeo Ranchers, who have themselves worked with artists such as Tammy Wynette, Brent Moyer and Hans Holzherr. American songwriting legend Tom Paxton has also personally supported Kate Pearl’s work and her translation of his song “The Crow That Wanted To Sing”, included on this album (“Dr Chräie”).

Singing and writing in English, French, Standard Germanand Bernese German, she moves freely between musical worlds. Her songs have been described as combining the directness of Tracy Chapman with the poetic sensibility of Patti Smith and the distinctive energy of Courtney Barnett. Her latest single, “Comes Love,” received more than 400 plays on cultural radio stations around the world this summer, including numerous Swiss independent stations.

Now comes Flutterby— an album that brings together Kate Pearl’s songwriting with the work of a number of accomplished Swiss musicians. Among them is drummer and percussionist Dave Jutzi, who contributed to the soundtrack of Pirates of the Caribbean and has worked with Joe Cocker and Nils Burri, as well as Tom Gisler, known for collaborations with Bo Katzman, Nubya, Zia Lisa & Gattopardo and Mario Capitanio, and for his earlier work with Polo Hofer.

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Clara Cloud - As Above (Album).

BC singer-songwriter and “fairy songstress” Clara Cloud returned yesterday October 23 with As Above, her most ambitious project yet, a cinematic new album and companion novella that reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice from Eurydice’s perspective. Blending alternative, folk, pop, Celtic influences and dream-like textures, the album follows Eurydice from the world above into the Underworld, exploring love, loss, fate and the fragile possibility of hope. While Cloud’s debut album The Woods was rooted in reconnecting with the inner child and finding the light, As Above ventures into darker territory, asking whether there can be comfort in learning to live alongside the shadows rather than simply trying to escape them.

The album arrives alongside a novella of the same name, written by Cloud, which keeps readers at Eurydice’s side as she moves from nymph to wife to inhabitant of the Underworld. Together, the music and story challenge the familiar tragedy and imagine whether Eurydice might have more agency over her fate than mythology has traditionally allowed her. “Could there be a world in which Eurydice marches herself out of Hell and back into the arms of the one she loves?” Cloud asks. Produced by Sal Verma, Jenna Marie, Charlotte Duggan and Cloud herself, with mastering by Greg Mindorff and additional vocals from her real-life partner Tristan “TEEG.” Giroux, As Above creates a haunting, atmospheric world where mythology, nature and storytelling collide.

The project is already receiving recognition ahead of its release. Album track “Shadow Song” was selected through MusiCounts to become an educational arrangement for the 2027 CBC Music Class Challenge, with Cloud collaborating with composer Hope Salmonson on an arrangement that will be made available to educators across Canada in winter 2026/27. Originally from Kimberley and now based in BC’s Kootenays, Cloud has built her work around the belief that music and storytelling can create worlds of their own. With As Above, she takes that idea further than ever, inviting listeners not simply to hear Eurydice’s story, but to descend into the Underworld alongside her and consider whether even the oldest stories might still have another ending.

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Junior VP - American Optimism.

Glasgow indie-rock trio Junior VP return with their new single ‘American Optimism’ yesterday October 23rd, the latest track to be taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘Do You Feel The Same?’, due in 2027. Following the release of July’s ‘Red Cardigan’, which picked up support from RTE, Total Rock and KUTX, American Optimism sees Junior VP lean further into the melodic, emotionally charged indie that has quickly become their calling card.

Since forming in 2025, Junior VP have quickly built momentum. The debut studio EP ‘Head Full of Sadness’ arrived in May 2026, earning national airplay from BBC Introducing and saw the band shortlisted for Kerrang Radio’s The Deal competition. The band’s name is taken from the distinctly American position of ‘Junior Vice President’, paying tribute to the golden era of American college rock, emo and indie that inspires their sound. Through pop hooks and expansive guitar sounds, Junior VP blends the emotional immediacy of the early 2000s with a modern melodic edge. 

“We can’t escape the music that influenced us growing up,” says vocalist Ross. “There’s a real 2000s nostalgia in our music that seems to connect with people who lived through that era and those discovering it for the first time.”

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Casii Stephan - Happy.

Released this weekend we have the new single "Happy" by Minnesota born Tulsa Oklahoma based award-winning singer-songwriter Casii Stephan. Written late at night out of a string of existential questions, "Happy" features a catchy hook that asks what it actually means to be happy. The track is carried by Casii’s warm, soulful voice and a retro, sunlit production from Chad Copelin (SPORTS, BRONCHO, Ben Rector). "Happy" emerges as the first offering from Casii Stephan's debut album Let Her Have Her Flowers set for release spring 2027.  Written in the wake of her father's death, the album is an exploration of what it means to grieve those we've lost and love those who are still here. 

Casii Stephan is hard to pin down—to genre, that is. To Casii, genre has always felt more like a tool to tell a story or evoke an emotion than a category to fit into. Anytime someone has said she’s found her “niche,” no one has ever told her the same thing twice.

Born and raised in funky Minnesota and cultivated in rootsy Tulsa, Casii is carving her own space in music—just don’t ask her to label it. Best described as somewhere between pop, soul, and rock, she has also been embraced by the folk community for her love of storytelling. Casii writes her songs honestly, from the depths of her emotions, with themes including life and death, love and loss, protest, and pushing back on negative societal norms like sexism, ageism, and fascism. 

In 2026 she has received recognition for her songwriting from the International Acoustic Music Awards winning Best AAA/Alternative Song for “California Gold”,  finalist for Best Rock Song with the International Songwriting Competition, the coveted “New Folk Finalist” from Kerrville Folk Fest with two unreleased songs off her upcoming debut album, and most recently a finalist for Best Rock Song at the Unsigned Only Music Awards.  

She has toured regionally and internationally, including London’s inaugural SXSW, and has performed multiple official SXSW and Folk Alliance showcases, and just performed her first official showcase at AMERICANAFEST in Sept. She has been profiled by Billboard, NPR, SPIN, and American Songwriter. Her catalog is with TRO Essex Music Publishing, home to writers like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, and bands like The Who and Black Sabbath. Her EP Relationship Status, produced by Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St Paul and the Broken Bones), was released in September 2024 on Shamus Records to rave reviews.

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Christian Wethered - Marsy - James Felice - runner - Raynes - D.B. Tait - Night Teacher - Rosina Cove

Christian Wethered - The First Thing.

Opening the album 'From the Balustrade', 'The First Thing' is a song about vulnerability, restraint and the search for authenticity. Its refrain – "The first thing is keep yourself at bay" – offers an unexpected piece of advice: not to withdraw from life, but to resist performance, certainty and the temptation to lose oneself in appearances. It suggests that stepping back can sometimes be the first step towards genuine connection.

Blending spoken word with song, 'The First Thing' unfolds through fragments of memory and recurring images: pines, birds, dawn, a strange star at the end of the road. Rather than resolving into a fixed narrative, these images remain deliberately open, inviting the listener to inhabit the song's atmosphere rather than decipher its meaning.

Carried by a warm yet haunting arrangement, with echoes of French chanson and the rhythmic directness of spoken poetry, 'The First Thing' establishes the emotional landscape of 'From the Balustrade': a world where tenderness and uncertainty coexist, and where moments of intimacy are inseparable from the fear of losing oneself within them.

Christian Wethered is a songwriter and poet based in Dublin. His music sits at the intersection of alternative folk, chanson and more experimental sound worlds. His influences include Leonard Cohen, Serge Gainsbourg, Fionn Regan and Laura Marling.

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Marsy - Miss Wave.

Marsy announce their new EP Miss Wave, out November 20 via Heavenly Recordings, alongside the release of its title track. One part bucolic folk, one part Wire-esque angular rock ’n’ roll and five parts magic, “Miss Wave” introduces a young band finding confidence in their own weird selves. 

From the track’s hypnotic, metronomic drone to the haunted dancehall of “My Old Guy” and the beautiful harmonic overdrive of “All My Love,” the EP captures Marsy finding their own sense of confidence and cohesion—and letting it guide them onwards and upwards. 

Wrap up warm, play loud and prepare to fall in love.

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Photo - Michael Koshkin

James Felice - Midflight.

James Felice released “Midflight,” this week the second song to be released from his sophomore album Homeworld Blue that will be released on November 13 via Conor Oberst’s Million Stars Records. Produced by Nate Walcott of Bright Eyes, “Midflight” captures the expansive sound of Felice’s sophomore album, which builds on the intimate world of his debut with lush orchestration, pounding piano, brass and strings, while continuing his lifelong fascination with the small, strange and deeply human stories unfolding against the vastness of the universe.

About the song, Felice explains, “This is a big swing! Pretty far outside my wheelhouse as a writer and musician. But this song was rattling in there somewhere and I needed to get it out, despite my shortcomings…despite my reach always and forever exceeding my grasp. But listen to Nate Walcott’s plangent and vivid orchestration. That is what makes this track speak and slither. There is detail and thoughtfulness and exploration on this track…from the opening cascading strings, to the delicate pizzicato of the verse, to the final culminating wild exclamation at the tail end. If any songs can be considered alive, I’d submit this one into the taxonomical record.”

Nate Walcott adds, “This was one of my favorite songs to work on on this record. James’s vision was clear and before we got to work he was saying something about waking up while falling from the sky and miles of xylophones. So I had to pull out all the stops on this one - full orchestra along with harp, timpani, the works. When it got to the mile of xylophones part I wanted it to feel like the speakers were going to explode sort of like in the audacious apex of the first movement of Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique. That’s not the easiest thing to aim for but I’m grateful for James trusting me to go for it and for gifting the world this song.”

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Photo - Peter Thor

runner - My Man.

Vancouver, BC-based band runner share “My Man,” a playful, wistful country song about leaving one relationship and finding another waiting around the corner. Warm and easygoing, with a touch of romantic nostalgia, the track captures that strange in-between period when one chapter has barely closed and you’re already learning the small, intimate details of somebody new.

Singer-songwriter Kira Cuthbertson wrote the song while coming out of one relationship and entering another, reflecting on how quickly romantic lives can change, and how sometimes it’s better to enjoy the experience than search too hard for greater meaning.

“I was thinking about how there’s always someone around the corner if one relationship ends,” Kira explains. “I was feeling like I was just moving on from one to the next but also having fun and trying not to take any of it too seriously.”

That lightness comes through in one of Kira’s favourite lyrics: “How do you take your eggs?” It’s a deliberately ordinary question that captures something much bigger about the beginning of a relationship, when getting to know somebody often means accumulating tiny pieces of information that gradually turn a stranger into someone familiar.

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Photo - Alexander Tamargo

Raynes - Radio Remind Me.

British-American trio Raynes are celebrating the release of their debut album Radio Remind Me, out now. The 10-track collection follows the theme and exploration of time, memory, and nostalgia (or anemoia). Aesthetically, the album draws from the design principles of the Art Nouveau movement of the early 1900s, both visually and sonically—in the same way that practitioners of Art Nouveau created organic and beautiful art with man-made materials. 

Raynes’ intention in creating Radio Remind Me was to make organic and beautiful music with vintage synthesizers, electronic drums, and more electric guitars than ever. Radio Remind Me was produced by Mat Charley of Raynes and co-produced and mixed by GRAMMY award-winning engineer Chris Sclafani (The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande).

“Radio Remind Me is an album built on our belief that people still care about music. That maybe sounds a little strange to say (obviously people still care about music!), but it’s become incredibly easy to shuffle and skip our way through life, constantly hearing songs but rarely really listening.

We’ve constructed this album very deliberately. Every aspect of it, from the lyrics to the arrangements to the track list itself, is designed to work together to create a complete work of art. There’s a reason the first track is the first track; there’s a reason the last track is the last track.” – Raynes.

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D.B. Tait - Where Are You Going Now.

As anticipation builds toward the release of his 2027 full-length debut album Losing Time, D.B. Tait has offered another preview in the form of “Where Are You Going Now,” a woozy, country ballad highlighted by Tait’s soaring vocals, which, combined with Allison Burke’s supporting voice, build into the sound of a full-blown choir. The song continues to establish the Canadian singer-songwriter based in Prince Edward County, Ontario as a northern contemporary of the new generation of alt-country artists led by MJ Lenderman, Greg Freeman and others.

Tait explains, “I started to write ‘Where Are You Going Now’ a handful of years ago when my grandfather was going through dementia, and seeing the brilliant man he was begin to slip away. Like many of the songs I write, it's not meant to be specific to just that, but to any relationship that you feel drifting away. Musically, it is probably the closest thing to a traditional country song that I have ever written, at least instrumentally, with lots of steel guitar and a focus on more acoustic sounds.”

As with Tait’s previous 2026 singles “Before You Go” and “Nothing To Lose,” “Where Are You Going Now” was largely recorded in his home studio, with Tait tracking most of the guitars and vocals on his own. Close collaborators Ian Roantree and Mitch Cory from the band Kojak added overdubs, while fellow Prince Edward County singer-songwriter and Littleknown Records head David James Allen handled the mix.

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Photo - Alea Doronsky

Night Teacher - Reckless.

Night Teacher has shared a new single produced by Katie Von Schleicher (Cassandra Jenkins, Frankie Cosmos, Lady Lamb). “Reckless” opens on the earthy pluck of a banjo and a vividly recalled meet-cute. Songwriter Lilly Bechtel conjures a fond but somewhat ominous feeling, her memory unfolding with autumnal moodiness.

We met in November, when the deer get reckless
You told me in yellow leaves
How their desire for life for a little while
Outruns the fear of dying

“It’s about meeting someone in the small Virginia town I grew up in, and navigating the double-edged sword of shared history,” shares singer and songwriter Lilly Bechtel. “It’s about the challenge of finding new ways of being in a small hometown where old, familiar voices can feel at times stabilizing and other times limiting. It’s about my struggle to separate my fear of getting hurt from legitimate warning signs as I puzzle through who and what to believe, and the tension between a deep desire to have a new experience without ignoring the wisdom—or dangers—of the past.”

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Photo - Travis Nesbitt

Rosina Cove - Don't Forget.

After leaving an indelible impression with their previous single “Kenwood,” Rosina Cove follows it up with another expansive and inspiring song, “Don’t Forget.” Both tracks will be on the band’s full-length album Left Of Me, out Jan. 15, 2027. “Don’t Forget” once again displays the Edmonton, Alberta modern folk-rock collective’s big-hearted Canadiana sound, based around the core trio of lead vocalist/guitarist Peter Stone, vocalist Vicky Berg and lead guitarist Drew Malcolm.

In a joint statement, the group says, “‘Don’t Forget’ continues the theme of healing and returning to self that ‘Kenwood’ introduced. At its centre is a reminder to hold on to your sense of self through periods of change and to stay close to the people who recognize and hold space for who you are.

“Throughout the project, the idea of rebuilding is explored not as a complete reinvention, but as a process of remembering—of finding your way back to the pieces of yourself that remain beneath the weight of change, trauma, loss, and personal transformation. Sometimes, it means returning to who you were before the world and others asked you to be anything else; rebuilding isn’t always about becoming someone new, but rediscovering the parts of yourself you may have lost along the way.”

Rosina Cove debuted in 2023 with the album Someday We Will Make It There, and have fully matured on Left Of Me with an intoxicating blend of bright jangle-pop and cinematic folk-rock, highlighted by expressive harmonies and sparkling production courtesy of Harry Gregg, also a member of Juno nominees Second Hand Dreamcar.

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