Glazyhaze - Dockstars feat. ΔNØVA - Larissa Grelli - Twayn - Fast Money Music feat. Oliver Marson - Vera Ellen

Photo - Abra Cautero

Glazyhaze - Do You?

Following last year's critically-acclaimed album Sonic, Venice-based band Glazyhaze returns with brand new single 'Do You?'. Building upon their ethereal mix of shoegaze, alternative rock, and dream pop, the track features sweet yet punchy vocals that float above layers of spaced-out guitars and driving bass lines. Distributed worldwide by Hoodooh and Believe Music, the single is now streaming on all platforms. 
 
With a sound that ranges from dark and atmospheric to soft and intimate, Glazyhaze have solidified themselves as a band to watch. Since the release of their debut LP in 2023, they've been named among Europe's Top 15 Emerging Artists in the Music Moves Europe Awards and have toured Europe and the UK extensively, sharing stages with acts like Trentemøller, The Raveonettes, Soft Cult, and Slow Crush. 2025's sophomore LP and follow-up single "Romeo" took the band to new heights, earning praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Clash, BBC, KEXP, and more.

Glazyhaze is a band from Venice, Italy, influenced by shoegaze, dream pop, and alternative sounds, ranging from dark atmospheres to dreamy and ethereal soundscapes. The band consists of Irene (vocals, guitars), Lorenzo (lead guitar), Francesco (drums, programming), and Vsevolod (bass, vocals). Since the release of their debut album Just Fade Away (2023), Glazyhaze have been active across Europe and the UK, performing in major cities and supporting artists such as Trentemøller, Hater, Film School, and many more.  

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Dockstars feat. ΔNØVA - High Coast High.

NORDIC DRIFT, Vol.1, (High Coast Frequencies) is a cinematic and ethereal interpretive tribute to Sweden’s High Coast in Ångermansland — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape site where the land still rises from the sea after 10,000 years beneath the ice.

A modern songwriting experiment was set aside, until a single question to a producer intern sparked a new production that breathed the very spirit of the Swedish High Coast. Then the remarkable ΔNØVA lent her voice, weaving in hints of alt-pop magic, and suddenly High Coast High held the Nordic genie in its bottle. Forget Rocky Mountain High, Now it is the High Coast High that truly soars.

The album captures the region’s raw beauty, misty fjords, ancient forests and the quiet pull of the Gulf of Bottnia northern sea, blending atmospheric electronica, ambient textures, alt-pop and indiefolk and minimalistic songwriting. Each artist offers a unique reflection of nature’s rhythm, from waves and wind to the stillness of stone. A musical journey and a cinematic postcard from the North.

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Larissa Grelli - Tomorrow.

Larissa Grelli welcomes spring with the soulful pop track “Tomorrow.” This is the young artist’s second single. Toward the end of last year, she tentatively released her first track worldwide and received a lot of positive feedback. A new voice from the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland Larissa Grelli is both a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

There's more to come! Not only because her latest follow-up, “Tomorrow,” features a melody that instantly sticks in your head, but also because the melancholic song conveys a message that will resonate deeply with many listeners.

Larissa Grelli explains: “Tomorrow is about perseverance in difficult times—and about realizing that you’re not alone with your feelings. The song is a reminder that every day can be a fresh start, and that hope is often closer than you think. A year ago, I didn’t really know where life would take me. After many reflective hours and with a good dose of hope, this song came into being.”

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Twayn - Wouldn't It Be Better?

Less than three years’ ago the twin sister duo kicked off their music careers, whilst still at school, when they came 2nd place out of over 22,000 entries in the Liverpool International Songwriting Competition (Road to Nashville – 2022) and played the iconic Exit/In, Nashville. The competition was judged by a distinguished judging panel of Nashville and international music industry veterans, including Head Judge Jeff Cohen (Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer), Pamela Lewis (PLA Media and formerly part of the original MTV team), Regie Hamm, Tim Wipperman, and Gary Morris (Broadway and Country music legend who sung ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’).

One week after leaving school, and still only 18 years-old, the girls had even persuaded Tors to let them support at their Newcastle gig! Fast forward to 2024, when they first caught the eye of the legendary Jools Holland and opened for him at The City Hall, Newcastle – their home town. In 2025 they were thrilled to be asked back to join his winter tour at four amazing venues: The Royal Albert Hall, O2 Apollo Manchester, Utilita Arena Cardiff and the Bristol Beacon playing in considerably larger capacity venues and a real vote of confidence that he asked them back.

It’s been a pretty impressive progression for the duo, as one of their latest singles, ‘Spine’, (from their third EP ‘Sadness Is My Sanctuary’ got BBC Introducing North East Track Of The Week, and tTwayn has already had three of their videos played on national TV (C4’s Sunday Brunch).

The siblings are regulars on the festival circuit and, amongst others, played Coast Fest and the Treehouse Stage at Hardwick Festival in 2025 and they have supported the likes of Casey McQuillen (American Idol S13/S14), Oliver Pinder and Tors). 2025 also saw them perform at the Mercury Prize Fringe when it came to Newcastle for the first time. There are lots of great things in store for Twayn in 2026 too!

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Fast Money Music feat. Oliver Marson - Nevermind.

“Nevermind" came together in just a few hours, springing from an improvised bassline, a PS-5 harmonizer pedal, and a playful back-and-forth between voices. Featuring Oliver Marson, the track twists rejection into something wry and immediate - a speak-sung mantra that flips between irony and sincerity. Beneath its wiry groove lies a theme of refusing to please everyone, finding humor in disappointment, and ultimately leaning toward self-acceptance. It's bona fide and tongue-in-cheek, and it’s one of the LP’s most instant songs. 

“Oliver came into my studio one day and the song pretty much wrote itself,” shares Nick Hinman, "Rejection is universal, but pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is unique. Anyone can wallow in the fear, but I admire the resilience of those who can take it with a grain of salt. As our boy Nietzche once said, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.’" 

‘Some of the best songs come together in just one day and that’s exactly how Nick and I wrote Nevermind,” adds Oliver Marson”, "What I liked about this was it felt so natural and it was like a conversation. It was also just really fun, which is what music should be all about. I’ve been leaning more into co-writing because every session teaches me something new and sparks ideas I wouldn’t have found on my own. My musical journey hasn’t been all smooth, though rejection has been a constant teacher. And that’s what this song is really about. Instead of stopping me, it’s pushed me to write more, collaborate more, and trust that every ‘no’ is just making space for the right ‘yes.’

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Vera Ellen - Thaw.

Two weeks out from releasing her new album, Heaven Knows What Time, Vera Ellen shares her new single Thaw, alongside a dreamy cinematic music video by Daniel Fletcher. The single follows the recently released joyous anthem Gayfever and the sophisti-pop Hemi Hemingway duet When It’s Over. All made with the support of NZ on Air. Aotearoa Music Award and Taite Music Prize winning artist Vera Ellen announces her upcoming album ‘Heaven Knows What Time’ – out on vinyl and CD on May 1st via Flying Nun Records.

Three years on from her last full-length project, Ideal Home Noise; which was awarded the prestigious Taite Music Prize for 2023, Vera Ellen has found herself in a whirlwind of unconventionality - learning to embrace the chaos that comes with being a self-sustained artist in today’s constantly driving culture, and finding meaning and joy in community - all themes that inform her new body of work, Heaven Knows What Time.

Stepping away from the heavy inner-world of Ideal Home Noise, Heaven Knows What Time is less about thinking and more about just being — embracing the masks we wear, but also allowing ourselves to take them off and bare it all; the exhausted, the messy, the fear, the adventure, and all of the joy too.

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Carly King - Lauren Minear - Mama’s Broke - Chris Pellnat ft. SaKy - Natalie Shay - The Jaws of Brooklyn - Mollie Elizabeth

Photo - Bob Kelly

Carly King - Loving you is Easy.

Nashville’s indie Americana artist Carly King has shared the second single from her forthcoming debut ‘Loving you is Easy’ out May 15 on First City Artists (Coco, Alexa Rose). The song gradually builds from gentle piano flourishes and tender imagery (cartwheels in the kitchen / running down the stairs / talk about it later / if we still care) into combustive percussion and howling celebration (Loving you is easy / it’s a life that’s hard / it’s the world that’s breaking / not my heart); it’s a heartwarming, and undeniably alive ode to finding the right person.
 
Carly King shares: This song is the sound of my heart beating. It’s a love letter, to him, to her, to you, to me. It’s the love song I’ve wanted to write my whole life but never really could until I fell in love with both my fiancé and myself. My music usually works through something heavy or unresolved, and there’s often a heart-wrenching thread running through it. With this song, I faced that head-on and realized love doesn’t always have to be hard—it can be light, it can be easy.
 
Produced by Shane Travis (Evan Honer) at Cloverdale Records, King’s debut full-length is an earthy and emotionally stirring collection of folk country earworms, driven by King’s distinctly sandy vocals and alight with sparkling pop sensibility RIYL Kacey Musgraves, Madi Diaz, Courtney Marie Andrews. Today’s offering follows lead single, “Three Martinis” praised by The Bluegrass Situation as “lovely and tender… full of memories, nostalgia, and lush with imagery of falling head over heels… wrapped in a cozy and gauzy folk-country package”
 
Born in New Jersey, King lost her father at age four to the terrorist attacks of September 11th. She grew up with a vivid sense of life's uncertainty, driven by a search for its purpose. On her first full-length, she discovers that meaning in the humblest details of humanity—dusty floors, school buses, bobby pins, weathered boots—penning odes and anthems to the magic of the mundane. In a life where everything precious is fleeting, King holds simplicity as sacred thread: Loving you is easy / It's a life that's hard.

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Lauren Minear - Bruise (made of glass version).

New York–based alternative singer-songwriter Lauren Minear returns with “Bruise (made of glass version),” a stark and emotionally exposed acoustic reimagining of one of the most devastating moments from her latest album, Boxing Day. Stripped to its bare bones, the track magnifies the quiet intensity of the original, allowing the fragility of Minear’s voice and the delicacy of the guitar arrangement to carry the emotional weight.

Recorded live at Studio 42 in Brooklyn, “Bruise (made of glass version)” captures the intimacy and vulnerability that sit at the heart of Minear’s songwriting. The performance preserves the raw immediacy of the moment while subtly reshaping the song’s sonic landscape. Though Minear often performs the track live in a lower key, the team chose to retain the original key for its lyrical prosody, allowing the guitar’s natural register to mirror the emotional fragility of the vocal performance.

“This live acoustic version is especially lethal and difficult for me to perform or listen to,” Minear explains. “It comes from a deep pain that maybe only a song can express. There’s something to that though, because it’s also the song that my listeners respond to the most.”

The title itself carries a subtle nod to Minear’s broader creative universe, referencing a lyric from another song on Boxing Day. Though simple on its surface, “Bruise (made of glass version)” embodies one of Minear’s guiding artistic principles: radical honesty. Her songwriting consistently challenges both herself and her listeners to sit with difficult emotions and find connection within them.

Lauren Minear · Bruise (made of glass version)

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Mama’s Broke - Heaven.

Mama’s Broke, the Nova Scotian duo of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria share their new single “Heaven,” out now via Free Dirt Records and Forward Music Group, and announce their ‘Analog Tour’ throughout North America. “Heaven” offers the first glimpse of the pairs’ forthcoming album and fans will be able to purchase physical copies exclusively and hear the new material at the upcoming shows.

For more than a decade, Mama’s Broke have been in near-constant motion, bringing their folk-without-borders approach to small clubs, DIY spaces, and everywhere in between. This tradition is continued with their upcoming tour across the US and Canada this spring.

“Heaven,” the new single from Mama's Broke forthcoming album (due later this summer) is about stepping back from the cycles of distraction and urgency, and devoting time to what you love. Says Mama's Broke:

"We’ve been fed the distant promise that, through diligence and quiet perseverance, we will someday reap the rewards of our labor. In reality, we’ve been left with a system collapsing under the weight of its own greed and corruption. The gap between rich and poor has reached unprecedented levels; a minimum wage no longer suffices to keep both the lights on and food on the table, and our air and water are more polluted than ever before." 


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Chris Pellnat - VRChat の歌 - ft. SaKy.

We are always on the lookout for new music that invites us to explore something a little different, whilst being accessible and enjoyable rather than a test of our patience (I know, it's a getting older thing). Well Chris Pellnat has been featured here before and always well received, so it's a pleasure to explore something a little different, whilst happily enjoying the moment.

Some background: "VRChatの歌" is sung in English and Japanese by SaKy. Why English and Japanese? Because those are the two languages most spoken in VRChat. VRChat is a virtual reality platform where you can explore thousands of immersive worlds created by talented artists, and you meet people from all over the world. This youth-driven ecosystem is evolving organically and has a strong Japanese anime aesthetic.

SaKy is a singer based in Japan who sings in several languages. She is a vocalist, lyricist, and vocal coach. She has been the vocalist for several original soundtracks. Chris Pellnat is an American singer-songwriter who also plays guitar with the Poughkeepsie-based band, The Warp/The Weft.

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Natalie Shay - Atmosphere (EP).

North London born Natalie Shay writes indie-pop for people who feel everything. A multi-award-winning BRIT School grad and lyrical storyteller, she’s been playing guitar and writing since childhood — soundtracking love, self-discovery and the realities of life in your twenties, blending heartfelt honesty with bright, feel-good energy.

Natalie’s new EP Atmosphere, explores the emotional pull of love, self-awareness and the messy space in between. She describes it as a sonic diary capturing the electric obsession of new love, often tangled up in the chaos of trauma bonds. The title track, “atmosphere,” was written with long-time collaborator and close friend Kaity Rae (Remember Monday, The Shires), circling the question of whether the connection keeping you hooked is real love or simply something in the air. Each song reflects a different chapter, tracing the experiences and lessons that have shaped Natalie’s life since her last release.

Natalie explains, “I bookend eras of my life with bodies of work, so it was important to me that ATMOSPHERE contained all the experiences and lessons since my last EP.” She continues, “I want my music to be the soundtrack to my life as a mid-twenties creative who feels everything deeply. I crave love, but I’ve also been damaged by it.” Written across two years of collaboration and late-night solo sessions, the EP gathers together songs she couldn’t leave behind. “Every song is a confession in a way,” she adds. “I write songs to perform them live. That’s my therapy.”

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Photo - Kyle Rothwell

The Jaws of Brooklyn - Up All Nite.

The Jaws of Brooklyn have shared “Up All Nite,” the next single from their forthcoming EP Unstoppable, which is co-produced with Grammy-winner and Alabama Shakes keyboardist Ben Tanner, out May 15. An effervescent dose of ‘60s girl-group glitter and grit, the playful song tells the story of someone caught between two lovers and simply enjoying the fun while it lasts.

Guitarist Bryan Cohen on the new single: “This was the first song written for this new EP. It’s a combination of The Supremes meets '60s frat-house rock classic - ‘Louie Louie’ with a few twists. The intro is inspired by David Bowie’s ‘Let's Dance,’ while the chorus pays homage to The Rolling Stones classic ‘Get Off Of My Cloud.’ Lyrically, it’s a story of having two lovers – being with one and thinking of the other, and feeling guilty but wanting to have fun. The narrator knows there are consequences but damn… she’s also having fun being in the moment.”

“Up All Nite” follows the bombastic “Lie To Me” and the shimmering call-to-the-dancefloor “Where Are You?”, which also appear on the upcoming EP. Unstoppable finds the Seattle-based group blending Motown melody, Muscle Shoals soul and West Coast rock & roll for their signature melting pot sound, which has earned praise from American Songwriter and Billboard over the years. These songs delve headfirst into love triangles, relationships and ride-or-die friendships, all anchored by frontwoman Gretchen Lemon’s powerhouse presence.

Unstoppable keeps the momentum going after the band’s 2025 album Crush On You, which was released during a whirlwind of change. Following the addition of Lemon as the group’s electric new singer, they felt reenergized and in turn, their show-stopping performances cemented their reputation as a must-see live act — booking festival slots at SXSW and Bumbershoot, as well as packing out shows at venues on both coasts.

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Photo - Sophia Schrank

Mollie Elizabeth - The Mirror.

Today, the Pacific Northwest artist Mollie Elizabeth, shares “The Mirror”, a song about the violence of self-perception. The “mirror” isn’t just literal, it’s symbolic of consciousness, ego, and the human tendency to scrutinize ourselves. The repeated line “Lord damn the man who made the mirror” reads like a prayer turned protest: a rejection of the invention (or evolution) that forces us to confront ourselves too directly. “The Mirror” is written by Mollie Elizabeth and Lucas Sim, produced by Lucas Sim & Davin Kingston and coming out via Neon Gold Records.

About the track, Mollie Elizabeth says: "The Mirror is a more poetic song of mine, but at the same time I feel as though everyone has experienced this same kind of frustration. Vanity, ego, and reflection seem to swallow us whole these days and at times I wish we never even invented the mirror at all."

Earlier this year, Mollie Elizabeth returned with  “Dog Eat Dog” (+ visualizer)  that deepens her distinctive sonic and visual universe, weaving eerie, quirky, and subtly dark textures into her signature femme, classic sound. Mollie Elizabeth adds, “‘Dog Eat Dog” is centered around the concept that all humans are, unfortunately, natural born predators. In my nature, and I think in many others, all I really want to do is cultivate peace and love, but in reality, this world is not peaceful. There are people who will take advantage of you if you do not accept that whether you like it or not, we live in a dog eat dog world.”

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Nameless Friends - MOMO. - The City Gates - Emily Mercer - Alex Amor - Ark Identity

Nameless Friends - The Quiet Part, Loudly (Album).

With their album The Quiet Part, Loudly released today April 15, 2026, Toronto rock collective Nameless Friends continue to build momentum with the release of their third single, “Clara,” which dropped February 25. Expanding on the foundation laid by their 2023 debut Blasphemy, the new record finds the band sharpening both their sound and their message—blending gravity with irreverence as they confront injustice, identity, and the realities of modern Canada. 

It also marks their first collaboration with renowned engineer Nyles Spencer, known for his work with The Tragically Hip, Broken Social Scene, and Alvvays. Drawing from the band’s experiences touring across the country, The Quiet Part, Loudly delivers an unflinching look at systemic oppression and personal transformation while still pulsing with the raw, joyful energy that defines the group. “This album is a love letter with constructive criticism to our home country,” says frontperson Number One. “If you didn’t care about improving the relationship, you wouldn’t bother giving the criticism.”

Across the album, Nameless Friends push their genre-blurring instincts even further, weaving heartland rock, folk, punk, and protest traditions into a sound that feels both urgent and celebratory. The songs wrestle with themes like the erosion of human rights, generational trauma, and the legacy of colonial violence, yet the band is determined to keep the music alive with movement and possibility. “I refuse to make joyless, preachy music,” Number One explains. 

“That’s not going to be effective at anything.” Spencer’s production helps capture the band’s restless spirit, balancing raw spontaneity with careful craft—whether in prairie-gothic stompers, plaintive folk ballads, or sprawling protest anthems that draw inspiration from artists like Neil Young and Kendrick Lamar. Since the release of Blasphemy, the London, Ontario–formed band—featuring Number One alongside Number Three, Number Five, and Number Seven, with touring member Number Six—has built a reputation for explosive live shows and fearless songwriting, selling out rooms like Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern while amplifying issues from climate collapse to trans rights. With The Quiet Part, Loudly, they’re doubling down on that mission—loudly, unapologetically, and with plenty of glitter.

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Photo - Sophia Poole

MOMO. - Egum Eô.

MOMO. is a London-based Brazilian multi-instrumentalist whose music moves across borders. With roots in Brazil but a life lived in Angola, the US, Spain, Portugal, and now the UK, MOMO. crafts a sound that transcends place. His upcoming album, Tum Tum Tum, sung in Portuguese and English, is built around the idea of continuity and forward momentum featuring guest appearances from bossa nova and Brazilian legend Marcos Valle and Smoke City's Nina Miranda.
 
Recorded live in South London with his tight-knit band including long-standing collaborators and UK jazz trombonist Rosie Turton, Tum Tum Tum is a free flowing, warm, expansive and fully assured album, his 8th to date and exudes a playfulness, a sense of someone who is truly in their element and at peace when writing and recording.
 
Lead track “Egum Eô” is a wonderfully Brazilian opening and sets the scene perfectly with MOMO.’s vocal sounding much like the album’s title ‘Tum Tum Tum’, pushing the positivity sky high in unison with a gorgeous horn hook. The broken groove slowly rolls in like a curling surf-perfect wave before the band all join the jam leaving the listener joyfully entranced.

The artist shares, “Egum Eô feels like an invocation. In Candomblé, Egum refers to ancestral spirits, and the phrase appeared naturally while we were playing, following the Afro-Brazilian pulse of the drums.” The visualiser for “Egum Eô” was developed by Raíssa Pardini in collaboration with Conor Lumsden, with Pardini also creating the album artwork.

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The City Gates - Capitol Hill.

Known for their dark, melodic, and emotionally charged sound, Montreal, CA-based The City Gates have established themselves on the international alternative scene with two albums, Age of Resilience (Icy Cold Records / Velouria Recordz), and Forever Orbiter (Northern Light Records). The City Gates have been featured on several top album charts across the globe, and in outlets such as Post-Punk.com, Sonic Seducer, Orkus, and Sanctuary.cz.

Their latest single "Capitol Hill" blends driving post-punk rhythms with hazy shoegaze textures and distant, echoing vocals. The track introduces their third LP, Chimera, arriving on May 15 via Icy Cold Records and Velouria Recordz, a dark and expansive record that pushes their sound further into cold, atmospheric territory. The new album will include their stellar tracks "Lapidation", and "La douleur (des mortels)."

The City Gates present the music video for “Capitol Hill,” a stark, brutalist exploration of an urban landscape in moody black-and-white. The clip moves through the geometry of the city, with snow-cloaked sidewalks, blurred trains, corridors and revolving doors, passing bodies, and overexposed close-ups of faces. It all hints at fading warmth and social disorientation, echoing the song’s overarching themes of isolation.

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Photo - Philippa Oliver

Emily Mercer - Flatlining.

Manchester-based artist Emily Mercer returns with her kaleidoscopic new single ‘Flatlining’, released April 15th; a lush, propulsive track that captures the frustration of feeling stuck in your own patterns, and the quiet determination to break free. Blending indie, folk, alternative pop and jazz-tinged sensibilities, ‘Flatlining’, produced by Rhys Jiang, sees Mercer at her most emotionally direct, the track contrasting its upbeat musicality with a deeply introspective core.

“Flatlining was born out of frustration at feeling stagnant and stuck in life, going round in circles, getting in my own way and knowing I can be better than I allow myself to be,” Mercer explains. “It’s about feeling trapped by your own mind, falling into the same patterns over and over - but ultimately it’s a call to action. It’s that moment of realising you’ve been waiting for life to happen, and deciding to fight against the apathy.”

Originally from the Suffolk coast and now based in Manchester, Mercer has spent years crafting her distinct voice, one that blends classic piano songwriting with lo-fi textures, rich arrangements and quietly disarming lyricism. Her work explores mental health, self-sabotage and what she describes as “a messy humanity,” delivered with dry humour and emotional clarity.

Her music draws comparisons to artists such as Fiona Apple, Mitski and Weyes Blood with a vocal reminiscent of Tracey Thorn in early Everything But The Girl. She effortlessly pairs confessional songwriting with rich, genre-fluid soundscapes.

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Photo - Lewis Vorn

Alex Amor - Meet On The Moon.

Scottish-raised singer-songwriter Alex Amor has signed to New York independent label VERO Music and today shares new single 'Meet On The Moon' - a celestial meditation on grief and feminine mysticism - ahead of upcoming performances at Liverpool Sound City and The Great Escape. Co-produced by Alex Amor and Karma Kid (Jessie Ware, Jalen Ngonda), 'Meet On The Moon' was written during a month-long creative reset back home in Glasgow, marking a turning point in Amor’s artistic direction.

Opening the door to a more expansive sonic palette - built around shimmering guitars, soft-focus synths and hypnotic melodies - 'Meet On The Moon' unfolds in a hazy, slow-burning alt-pop space reminiscent of Cigarettes After Sex, with shades of Samia’s pop introspection and the melodic sensibility of Clairo’s 'Sling' era.

At its core, the song is a tribute to a close friend Amor lost, imagining her watching back from the moon, as she explains: "I wrote 'Meet On The Moon' a few years ago, at a time when I was aching to create something different, to step into a new sonic world entirely. I went back to Glasgow for a month, put fate in my own hands, and started producing myself. It felt like reclaiming something. Meet On The Moon was the second song I wrote there.

The song is about a friend who completely embodied the mystical, magical woman archetype I sing about in the lyrics. A few months before I wrote it, she passed away. I found myself thinking about her magnetism - the magnitude of her spirit, the force of her nature - and how, in some strange way, Earth felt too small to contain her. For many reasons, this song had to come first in this body of work. It’s an homage to the divine feminine, which the moon - in her glowing, milky fullness - has always symbolised. Women are cyclically tied to the lunar rhythm, and that beautiful, elusive pull of the moon became the heartbeat of the song’s ephemeral sound.”

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Ark Identity - Closer.

Toronto dream pop artist Ark Identity (Noah Mroueh) returns with “Closer,” a dreamy, euphoric indie-synthwave track that captures the feeling of standing on the edge of something bigger. Blending nostalgic production with deeply personal songwriting, the single reflects the emotional highs and restless momentum that come with chasing creative ambition and believing that your dreams are just within reach.

Inspired by his journey as a musician, “Closer” explores the moment when progress becomes tangible; when you feel yourself approaching a new chapter, yet realize that every step forward only reveals another horizon beyond it. The title itself reflects that sensation of being on the brink of something transformative, whether it’s a creative breakthrough, a personal evolution, or the quiet realization that the pursuit of a dream is a journey without a clear finish line.

This song marks a milestone for the Ark Identity project. It’s his first fully self-produced release, with every instrument performed by the artist. During production, he was experimenting with vocal ideas when his girlfriend walked into his DIY studio and started adding melodies. That spontaneous moment helped shape the song and they finished writing it together.

“One of my favourite lines is ‘Coming home from Hollywood leaves me wanting more.’ That lyric captures the song’s essence, the feeling of chasing something bigger and realizing no matter how close you get, there’s always another level you want to reach,” Noah explains, “I hope listeners connect to the message and are inspired to pursue their own dreams and passions.”

ARK IDENTITY · Closer

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CASTLEBEAT - Anna Young - Noble Hops - Hello Cosmos - Dogviolet

CASTLEBEAT - My Love.

Indie dream pop artist CASTLEBEAT has announced the release of his latest album CASTLEBEAT II, set for release on June 26th, 2026 via Spirit Goth Records. Following the release of "This Takes Time," he now drops the second offering from the collection, "My Love," out now. "My Love" is CASTLEBEAT at his most hypnotic — minimal, synth-laced dream-pop with an almost 80s edge, bittersweet and melancholy in all the right ways. The track reads like fragments from a diary and a photograph you can't stop revisiting, building quietly until the chorus arrives with an understated devastation. 

As Hwang puts it: "'My Love' reads like fragments from a diary and a photo you can't stop revisiting, while the chorus hits with a quiet crash: 'I hit the floor and it's breaking my heart.' Minimal, hypnotic dream-pop with a repeatable hook designed for late-night listening, breakup playlists, and introspective indie pop."

The single serves as a further introduction to CASTLEBEAT II, a decade-spanning love letter to the project's 2016 self-titled debut. Ten years after that breakthrough release captured the hearts of the underground indie scene, Josh Hwang — the half-Korean, half-Spanish songwriter behind CASTLEBEAT — has crafted an album that looks both backward and forward.

"This album is a 10-year anniversary ode to my 2016 debut," explains Hwang. "Some of the songs started as ideas from that era that I never finished at the time. Other songs were written more recently, but I intentionally limited myself to the kinds of sounds and choices I would've made back then – just with a more dialed-in approach I've developed over the years."

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Anna Young - We Found Love.

We Found Love is a powerful blend of contemporary pop and soulful storytelling, exploring the raw, unfiltered journey of connection and rediscovery. With soaring vocals, polished production, and a memorable hook, the track delivers both vulnerability and strength — marking a defining moment in Anna’s artistic evolution.

Anna Young is an emerging singer-songwriter, born in Bristol, but now residing with her family in Wales. Which she calls home. Young is known for her distinctive voice and heartfelt lyricism, drawing inspiration from real-life experiences and modern relationships. 

Anna has built a growing reputation for crafting songs that resonate deeply with listeners. Her sound sits at the intersection of pop, R&B, and indie influences. With previous releases gaining traction across streaming platforms and social media, Anna continues to establish herself as an artist to watch.

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Noble Hops - Music Man.

Western PA based American rock and roll band Noble Hops release their first single of 2026, titled “Music Man.” Based on a fictional mystery musician whose inspiration was drawn from real world experiences and musical lore of old, the song tells a story of a man who travels the land, with his guitar in his hand.

“You think about the old legends of those who went down to the crossroads and sell their souls for rock and roll. Well, the Music Man didn’t do that, nor did he find fame or fortune.” says Utah Burgess, who wrote the song. “But he was the real deal, a man with principle, a man with a story”.

The band once again recorded with Jazz Byers at Rattle Clack Studio in Pittsburgh PA. Recording of the song actually started back in January of 2024, but initial tracks were scrapped and the band started over with the song in December of that same year.

“When we recorded “Music Man”, we were trying to capture what it feels like to fight for something you love, in this case music.” said Byers. “Even when it doesn’t love you back sometimes”.

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Hello Cosmos - Love Is Waiting.

Hello Cosmos are back with the heartfelt new single: “Love Is Waiting”, taken from the new ‘Old Friends Know’ EP. The final track recorded as part of their critically acclaimed 'Come Out Tonight' album session at Greenmount Studios in Leeds, working with producers Rob Slater (Westside Cowboy) and Jamie Lockhart.

Ben Robinson walks us through its arrival: “An ode to the realities of true love being forgotten in the everyday and how it's always waiting for us if we go out into the world to find nature or people to share our lives with. Angela Chan features with some stunning violin fx and analogue tape machines were experimentally used to give some texture and hiss to the piano and guitar parts.

I’ve never sang in such a soft range before, When Rob & Jamie just kept saying ‘sing quieter, no quieter.. no even quieter’ I checked it wasn't an April fools as it felt so odd given my usual style of vocals. I loved the result so much we’ve recorded a full record in the same vein which should be out later in the year”

The new track arrives as part of a new EP showcasing the softer side of the Hello Cosmos universe. A single version of the epic album closing track ‘Old Friends Know’ is accompanied by a remix by their old friends Lost Colours which takes the track into new territory with low fi electronica worthy of a play at any afterparty around 2am. Joe Thompson reshapes ‘Awake and Bake’ into a stunning piece of electric wizardry with new synths and vibes under his Modsync monica.

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Dogviolet - Daisy Crowns.

London-based ethereal-grunge four piece, Dogviolet return with their latest single, 'Daisy Crowns' (Today April 14th), a song about feeling nostalgia for the frivolous joy of youth and feeling weighed down by the demands and pressures of adulthood. Having built a reputation for their blend of 80s goth, 90s grunge, shoegaze, and alternative rock, drawing comparisons to the likes of Warpaint, The Cranberries, and Siouxsie & The Banshees, the quartet have been building momentum opening for the likes of L.A. Witch, Heartworms, Desperate Journalist, The Wedding Present, wych elm, Whitelands and GENN. 

Produced by the band’s own Ella Patenall, recorded and mixed alongside Tom Hill (GENN, Pollyanna, Knuckledust, I Feel Fine), the new single ‘Daisy Crowns’ highlights the band’s feel for musical beauty and poignant lyricism, capturing a haunting sense of emotion over an understated, restrained and considered instrumental backdrop. Bringing together the band’s shoegaze tendencies, a theatrical flourish through Naz’s vocal delivery and an emotional depth comparable to that of Daughter.

Speaking about the single, Naz explained: “I wrote Daisy Crowns in one evening in summer 2024 whilst caring for a loved one who was experiencing a mental health crisis. The song is about feeling burnt out and wanting to return to simpler times. I can’t go back to being a child with no responsibilities, so the chorus is me asking for help from those close to me, which is something I struggle with. I love performing Daisy Crowns live as it’s so beautiful when the audience sings with us – it embodies that feeling of being taken care of in hard times.”

Ella adds: “Daisy Crowns is the most delicate and vulnerable track we’ve recorded so far, so it was important to me that the production mirrored that fragility from the first note. We layered the main riff with a cathedral reverb against a drier take, which makes it sound so huge and atmospheric. By the final chorus – with synths, e-bow, stacked guitars and group vocals – it feels expansive but never loses its tenderness. The classical guitar at the end is one of my favourite moments on the track.”

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Man At Sea - Lily Meola - The Meadowlark Lemons - Beaker - Waterpistol

Man At Sea - Pale Fire Catch Me (Album).

Man At Sea's debut album “Pale Fire Catch Me” dropped one month ago, and has been turning many a head to date. Off the back of this release, we have the new lead single and video from the project “In Love With Your Being”. It's been described as "A beautifully written piece of art, with his soaring voice and reflective throughout" and Beehive Candy just has to agree, so much so we feel impelled to include the album as well.

The new studio album “Pale Fire Catch Me” by Man at Sea is a striking first full-length statement that pitches classic songwriting craft within a modern, searching landscape. The album leans into a classic sensibility not unfamiliar to fans of Rufus Wainwright and Father John Misty: understated arrangements led by strong melodies, and an emphasis on song craft that recalls the enduring legacy of classic songwriters from the sixties and seventies.

Pale Fire Catch Me explores themes of doubt, whether in love or life as well as themes of devotion, or lack of in an increasingly secular world. Across eleven songs, Man at Sea wrestles openly with modern disillusionment and isolation — not offering answers so much as honest questions, held together by rich arrangements and deeply expressive vocals.

11 tracks reveal a songwriter coming into his own, displaying a highly tuned sense of song craft by a songwriter drawn to melody and emotional depth over trend-driven production. Pale Fire Catch Me is the sound of an artist standing at the edge of a renewed belief in something— perhaps just in himself. Together, these tracks establish Pale Fire Catch Me as an album built on classic songwriting values — melody, narrative lyricism, and emotional intelligence — while staying unmistakably rooted in the contemporary.


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Photo - Bailey Roberts

Lily Meola - You and I.

Maui-born, emerging country force Lily Meola just released her new single “You and I.” The track is the latest peek at her anticipated debut album Lucky to Be, which is due out this summer through Nettwerk Music Group. Over a bed of vintage-twanged guitar and sweeping pedal steel, Meola sings “I got lucky enough to find, you and I” as she reflects on the serendipitous nature of love and the simple odds of existence - a common theme that can be heard throughout the album.

“While writing the songs that became Lucky to Be, I came across this statistic that said the chances of you being born are one in 400 trillion. That stopped me in my tracks,” Meola says. “It made me realize the chances of simply being alive are so slim. And despite all the good and bad things I’ve had thrown my way, I’m lucky to be experiencing it. We all are.”

On Lucky to Be, Meola celebrates all the universal dots that had to be connected to make her the person that she is: a Hawaii native, a beloved daughter, a protégé of Willie Nelson, a mentee of Jackson Brown and Grammy-winning producer Bob Rock, and a stunning rising vocalist praised by the likes of Whiskey Riff as “one of the most promising names in country music.” The odds of encountering someone like Meola are themselves fantastical. She is a true bohemian artist, a woman shaped by the verdant, ancient nature in which she was raised on Maui and the eclectic people, from her free-spirited mom to a country music legend, who surrounded her. She is both a hippie and a fashion plate; she has a pet deer named “Doenut.” All of those facets inform Lucky to Be, an album of smart indie-country with a discernible Western flair.

“You can’t get any further west than Hawaii,” Meola says. “Country music is extremely popular in Hawaii and always has been. We have such a huge ranching scene here, and everyone knows the paniolo, the Hawaiian cowboys.”

Lily Meola · You and I

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The Meadowlark Lemons - The Meadowlark Lemons (Album).

The Meadowlark Lemons are a gritty funk, soul and jazz ensemble etched out of the streets and sounds of Chicago, Illinois. The quintet is made up of highly skilled music scene veterans who have come together to create an exciting music based on their common love of songs steeped in soulful grooves and rich in improvisation. The Lemons came to life in 2021 in a monthly residency at the world renowned roadside juke joint, Fitzgerald’s, and they have since shaped one of the top live shows in the city. 

A true collection of virtuosos, they draw inspiration from The Meters, Stuff, The Crusaders and Booker T and the MG’s. Classic bands that understood the balance between groove, melody and improvisation  was the secret to an undeniably uplifting musical experience. The Lemons have taken the teachings of these great bands and built on top of their foundation with a tantalizing set of originals and rare covers based around the groove and the joy and the Hammond B3 Organ.

As individuals, a short list of artists the Lemons have performed and recorded with include: Dr. John, Jerry Butler, Jennifer Holiday, Tom Morello, Keb’ Mo’, Raul Midon, Duncan Sheik, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Chris Pierce, Yolanda Adams, Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers.

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Beaker - 50 Men.

“50 Men” is a tribute to Gisele Pelicot. She profoundly changed the narrative around shame and sexual violence, with her awe-inspiring response, when she waived her right to anonymity in the trial against her ex-husband and 51 other perpetrators. “Shame should change sides”. It’s the band’s first single in 27 years, produced and mixed by esteemed producer Sam Williams (Supergrass, Plan B) at Temple Sound Studios throwing you back to the peak of the riot girl era of L7, Hole and the Breeders while still sounding edgy, fierce and current.

The track starts in a bare, understated fashion, with gently picked notes and a soft, lounge tinged jazz vocal gliding effortlessly over the song’s darkness. As “50 Men” unfolds, it gradually opens up with sharp, brooding guitars, and layers of haunting, choir-like vocals drifting in and out. By the end, everything gathers into a weighty, immersive swell. Vocals rich, visceral and intense; a pulsating ferocious anthem to inspire a whole new generation of girls.

The all-female group garnered a loyal following during the exciting days of the late-90s Oxford rock scene, making waves with their debut single ‘Backgarden’ as part of the Shifty Disco Singles Club in 1997 and with their double A-side ‘Monster’/ ‘Plastic’ on Fierce Panda in 1998. This sparked an extensive UK tour and an Oxford Radio 1 Sound City appearance in 1997.

Despite not having performed together since 1999, band members Sam Batlle (singer), Teresa Ward (guitar), Clare Howard-Saunders (drums) were brought together by the tragic death of bassist Kim Parsons in 2023 a quarter-century after they split. The mutual support they provided to each other in a time of sadness rekindled social and musical relationships, and inevitably led to talk of getting the old band together with the addition of new bassist Hayley Wright and backing vocalist Emma Hunter. Already there have been sold out shows and a rapturously received slot at Truck Festival and this April sees not only the single release but also a Radio 4 documentary on the band called "Band of Mothers" with an interview with Steve Lamacq and a feature on BBC Breakfast.

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Photo by Waterpistol

Waterpistol - She Flies.

Recently awarded BBC Horizons’ 2026 Launchpad Fund in partnership with BBC Cymru Wales and Arts Council Wales, Waterpistol are pleased to share their new single “She Flies”. Recorded independently, “She Flies” follows previously-released single “Felin”, alongside a live session for BBC Radio Wales with Huw Stephens, and news that the band will be performing at this year’s FOCUS Wales as a spotlight artist for God Is In The TV Zine. 

The release of “She Flies” comes with news of the band’s debut EP release, Hey Harry, which is due this summer, featuring “She Flies” and previous single “Felin.” Of the new release, songwriter Harry Watton said: “As any good poet would say, it’s about a lot of things and nothing at all.”

Formed from the remnants of various put-to-bed creative projects, Waterpistol played their debut show together in April 2023 as support for CVC’s sold-out hometown show. Festival season followed in quick succession, and soon enough the band had racked up several noteworthy live appearances (FOCUS Wales, Green Man, Sŵn Festival and In It Together Festival), all within their first active year as a band.

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