Edwina van Kuyk - Night Swimming - Victoria Staff - Kyle Morgan - Brook Fox - Scott Fisher - Rachel McCartney

Photo - Joshua Mulholland

Edwina van Kuyk - Here To Stay.

Edwina van Kuyk returns with “Here To Stay,” just arrived (May 22) on all streaming platforms. The song is a stirring new single that expands beyond her signature indie soundscape while remaining unmistakably her own. Blending delicate piano melodies, cinematic strings, gospel- inspired percussion, and a swelling choir, the track unfolds as both an emotional confession and an anthem of hope.

Opening with Van Kuyk’s intimate vocals floating over soft piano and strings, “Here To Stay” gradually builds into a rich, gospel-infused crescendo. Thunderous drums and layered harmonies elevate the track into something both deeply personal and spiritually resonant. Throughout the song, Van Kuyk’s distinctive jazz-flared vocal delivery anchors the emotional weight of the piece, bringing warmth and honesty to every lyric. “My favourite artist growing up was James Morrison, and I loved how he brought elements of gospel music into his songs,” says Van Kuyk. “I've always dreamed of recording with a live choir, and on this track, it became a reality. I feel very lucky to have the students from St. Kevins Community College involved. They really brought my vision to life.

“Here To Stay” explores the instinct to protect oneself from heartbreak. Van Kuyk captures the fear that permanence may not exist at all: “I learned the hard way that hardly anyone stays, Come to realize that leaving is on its way.” The track wrestles with self-sabotage, emotional guardedness, and the exhaustion of expecting abandonment before ultimately arriving at a fragile but transformative hope. By the song’s close, the repeated fear that “nothing’s here to stay” shifts into the possibility that maybe something finally will. “Here To Stay” ultimately reflects the tension between wanting permanence and confronting the reality that nothing really is.

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Photo - Derek Bremner

Night Swimming - Melting, Sometimes Bleeding (EP).

Bath, UK-based five-piece Night Swimming just released their second EP 'Melting, Sometimes Bleeding' via Venn Records (Bob Vylan, Witch Fever, High Vis). The band have also shared two new live recorded videos of EP tracks 'Dark Clouds' and 'Nothing Safe Is Technicolour', shot and recorded at Bam Bam Studios. Expanding from shadowy trip-hop minimalism into surges of crushing melodic shoegaze and intoxicating indie-rock, 'Melting, Sometimes Bleeding' is a confident and spellbinding statement of intent from the Bath outfit.

Produced by longtime collaborator Peter Miles (Orla Gartland, Nina Nesbitt) and mastered by Slowdive’s Simon Scott, the new EP features previously released singles including latest taster 'Nothing Safe Is Technicolour', the hypnotic, rhythmic dream-pop of 'Poison Berry' and the restrained urgency of 'Submarine'. "The EP is a collection of songs exploring themes of identity, de-personalization, stilted connection and loss," says vocalist and lyricist Meg Jones.

Following their 2024 breakout debut EP 'No Place To Land' which cemented them as a vital addition to the country’s new wave of dream-pop acts, Night Swimming have since drawn admirers from some of the genre’s original icons and toured extensively with the likes of Heartworms, bdrmm, Miki Berenyi and Pale Blue Eyes.

Night Swimming · Melting, Sometimes Bleeding

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Victoria Staff - Pink Magnolia (Album).

Toronto’s Victoria Staff unveils her debut album Pink Magnolia alongside its lead single “Take Me Home,” arriving together as a fully realized introduction to her world. Equal parts playful and reflective, the record captures both the thrill of being young and untethered and the quieter, more complex process of figuring out who you are.

Written and recorded alongside producer Will Crann, Pink Magnolia embraces collaboration and imperfection. From spontaneous studio moments to trying ideas with no clear outcome, the process was guided by curiosity rather than precision. “It reminded me why I fell in love with music,” Victoria notes. That sense of freedom runs through the record, giving it a loose, lived-in quality that mirrors its themes of growth and self-acceptance.

Speaking on “Take Me Home,” Victoria explains that she “...wanted to embody the excitement of meeting someone new and that mutual attraction. Dating gets a bad rap, but there’s a lot of fun in a young, single era.” Built around a simple, instantly memorable chorus, the indie pop track leans into spontaneity and connection, offering a snapshot of youth in motion. A song that has already become a live favourite, its singalong energy taps into something immediate and communal.

While “Take Me Home” captures a single, vivid moment, Pink Magnolia expands that lens outward. The album explores the broader emotional landscape of coming into yourself: searching for peace, sitting with uncertainty, and learning to accept where you are. “It’s about hunting for peace, looking for ease, and maybe always having it evade you,” Victoria says. “It’s not really a happy or sad album. It just is.”

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Kyle Morgan - Ghost of a Problem (Album).

A fine nerve runs through Ghost of a Problem, Kyle Morgan’s second solo record after 2022’s Younger at Most Everything (Team Love Records). The album is a car swerving in and out of the passing lane, driver scanning the rearview mirror for the bloody mess he’s certain he has left behind. Hit-and-run or phantom tollbooth? All in the mind, or real as red? It’s an awkward thing about life, that you’ve got to live it in forward while trying to understand it in reverse. Still, dodging traffic on the PA Turnpike amidst a beat-up Elliot Smith record, the sparkling pick-up of the Cactus Blossoms, or the blissful, wide-open lane of an Emmylou Harris album, Ghost manages to gain some perspective.

Basic tracks were laid down in May and June of 2023 under engineer/ producer Ryan Dieringer of Welterweight Sound in New Paltz, NY, performed by the trio of Morgan on guitar and piano, Sean Cronin on bass and Rachel Housle on the drums.  “We did a lot of the arranging together, the four of us, there in the studio, ”Morgan wrote about the initial sessions.

“Some I had more fleshed-out demos for, some we constructed together from the ground up, like with the title track, for instance. It was a really fun process. Less recreation of the demo and more collaborative, more defined by a band playing together, which is what I always want it to feel like.”  The result is a record that feels like a new bough grafted onto an old apple tree, deliberate in its arrangements and production while staying exploratory and organic in the actual playing.

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Brook Fox - Everybody’s in Love (EP).

Blending intimate lyrics with Sam Fenderesque guitar, ‘Everybody's In Love'’ captures the excitement of discovering that any place can feel special when shared with the right person. The EP was built around acoustic instrumentation, and Fox’s distinctive and emotive lyric delivery, the EP explores themes of connection, devotion and finding comfort in companionship. 

It’s an indie rock take on the current state of the world, a kind of social commentary touching on themes like elites, billionaires, and the sense that everything is “in flames.” But I didn’t want it to feel heavy or defeatist. There’s a thread of hope running through it, because that’s what people really need in times like these.

Support for the EP's singles has come from BBC Radio, achieving the BBC Radio Wales Welsh A-List playlist for two consecutive weeks. Further support included, Newport City Radio, Phoenix FM, Bombshell Radio and a string of US Regional plays. 

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Scott Fisher - A Billion Suns (Album).

Scott Fisher returns with his seventh studio album, A Billion Suns. Serving as the follow up to 2023’s Kingdom Of Ego the new record finds Scott at his most confident and unapologetic yet. Available now via all streaming platforms, A Billion Suns balances sophisticated production and raw instrumentation over the span of nine chill, yet emotionally impactful tracks. Following behind a trilogy of introspective jazz-influenced singles including “The Great Unknown”, “Dangerous Game”, and title track “A Billion Suns”, the new album further cements Scott’s role in the indie soul landscape. At its core, the record explores the power of duality and the poise between improvisation and craftsmanship, creating a sonic haven for those overanalyzing their place in this world.

Often critics have accurately compared Scott’s guitar deliveries to those of John Mayer’s, although vocally Fisher bears a more refined and honed in sound, similar to Leon Bridges or Father John Misty. In terms of the album, Fisher is an expert at mashing together various different genres including soul, R & B, rock, and much more — proving that A Billion Suns is one of his richest and most diverse pieces of music thus far.

Featuring an impressive roster of musicians, A Billion Suns was recorded at East West Studios, featuring co-production and bass guitar by Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie, Black Crowes, Sting) and Joey Waronker (Thom Yorke, Beck, Oasis, Roger Waters) on drums. 

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Rachel McCartney - Taming Dragons (Album).

 Rachel McCartney has released her fourth studio album, Taming Dragons, marking her first album release in seventeen years. If you were in the Boston area in the early 2000s, chances are you were aware of McCartney’s burgeoning music career. Even if not, it’s likely that you heard her voice wafting through your local MBTA train/bus station, as she was deeply committed to her morning busking shift, even after late nights of playing shows. After over a decade spent nurturing her nursing career and her family, Rachel McCartney is returning to the stage with a batch of songs and stories that have been quietly incubating, waiting for the right moment to be shared. 

Taming Dragons is produced by multi-instrumentalist/producer Zachariah Hickman (Josh Ritter, Ray LaMontagne, Rose Cousins, Mark Erelli). In addition to Zach’s musical contributions, he assembled a dream-team of session musicians to fill out the rest of the seats: Rich Hinman, Dave Brophy, and James Rohr, along with harmony vocal contributions by Rose Polenzani, Vivian Sessoms, and McCartney’s longtime collaborator, friend and co-writer, Teddy Goldstein. 

At the album release show in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Teddy Goldstein will kick off the evening, celebrating Taming Dragons’ release at Club Passim on May 28, 2026. The event marks a true homecoming, as Passim was a steady haunt of McCartney’s back in the day, and Matt Smith of Club Passim was one of the early champions of her music. The last time McCartney took the Passim stage was the album release of her previous record, New Days Nightly, where she was 7-months pregnant with her now-teenage son. Many of the studio musicians that played on Taming Dragons will be there to bring the songs to life in person, as well as some very special guests.

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sundayclub - Ratoon - Arc Iris - Stranger Still - Ethan Gold - Natii - St. Catherine’s Child

Photo - Evie Maynes

sundayclub - Blue Wave.

sundayclub, the Winnipeg-based, band-to-watch of Courtney Carmichael and Nikki St. Pierre share their second new single, “Blue Wave” an up-tempo, fuzzy, anthemic song, layered with three drum kits and the product of over 170 vocal takes. The track comes from their forthcoming self-titled, debut, sundayclub for release on July 10th, 2026, via Paper Bag Records. “Blue Wave” leans into the complex feeling of “pre-nostalgia”–which happens when you experience nostalgia in real time and feel as though you miss the current moment before it’s even passed. 

It also makes reference to Courtney's first car, a 2009 blue Pontiac Wave (lovingly named “Trudy” after its previous owner) and the memories Courtney and Nikki started to associate with the car itself and with a specific period of time in their lives. The car quickly became a vehicle to explore the space between the past and the present.

“This song reminisces on the early days of a relationship in the midst of inner turmoil and uncertainty over what the future might hold,” Carmichael explains. “It’s about wanting to be a different, better, and more evolved version of yourself despite not being there yet, and seeking escapism in the past as a way to find solace. I felt impossibly restless at the time of writing the song and was just generally tired: tired of feeling like I wasn't progressing, tired of being patient with the record we were making, tired of feeling vulnerable and overlooked. By looking back into the past, I could escape into a feeling of wistfulness to distract myself from how frustrated I was in the present.”

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Stay Focused Photography

Ratoon - Are You Feeling Fine?

South Wales Indie-rockers 'Ratoon' released their brand new digital single 'Are You Feeling Fine?' yesterday (22nd May). Ratoon consists of Eifion Davies (vocals,rhythm guitars), Sam Davies (Lead Guitar), Matti Huxtable (Bass) and Josh Davies (Drums). 

After a string of successful live shows accross the country, and tallying up quite a die-hard and devoted fanbase, Ratoon can look back in glee at the glory of appearing at the Isle of Wight Festival and playing alongside such indie legends as The View & Alfie Templeman. Fans of Ratoon have likened them to a mix of The Royston Club, Safari Gold & The Now.

After the release of Ratoon’s debut EP entilted ‘Butterfly Effect’, which included the songs 'Missing' and 'Out On My Feet', the band have accumilated over 50,000 collective streams. Ratoon have enjoyed support from National Radio Stations 'BBC Radio Wales' and 'BBC Radio Cymru', with support stemming from Adam Walton and Mirain Iwerydd, where they were announced as 'New Band Of The Month.'

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Photo - Hannah Dunsirn

Arc Iris - iTMRW (Album).
 
Arc Iris’ sixth LP, iTMRW , was written as the foundation for a 90-minute multimedia production combining live music, videography, and contemporary dance. The album showcases Arc Iris’ strengths as storytellers and arrangers, moving fluidly between experimental pop, string quartet, and R&B while guiding listeners through the narrative world that anchors the stage production.

iTMRW began as a simple prompt: “Write songs for the year 2080.” What started as an exercise quickly grew into a broader vision of the future. The work satirizes societal trends while mourning losses in human connection, exploring the leaps humanity must make as our minds adapt to accelerating technological change. Ultimately, iTMRW gestures toward a future in which these technologies might serve us—if deployed with care and ethical intent.

Just before committing the album to mastering, WILLOW contributed the final touches in a single, late night recording session, breathing new life into the project with inspired vocal performances across several tracks.

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Photo - Jeff Elliott

Stranger Still - We Might Not Tell Everybody This (Album).

The last time listeners heard from Toronto-based composer and musician Pete Johnston (on record, at least) was on his acclaimed 2025 collaboration with Màiri Morrison & Alasdair Roberts, Remembered In Exile: Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia (Drag City). Johnston was the instigator of this project and performed on bass and organ while crafting arrangements for the seven-piece band and co-producing. 

Johnston's band Stranger Still's may not quite have the firm traditional grounding of this other project but it nonetheless works from a shared perspective of reshaping folk music into something utterly unique.  It's also similarly rooted in Johnston's Nova Scotian upbringing. Stranger Still's new album, We Might Not Tell Everybody This (released yesterday May 22 on CD/DL from All-Set! Editions) is the quartet's third release and continues to trace the writing of beloved autodidact poet Alden Nowlan to produce intricate and angular songs.
 
Reflecting Johnston's love of British Isles folk music, progressive rock as well as his immersion in various creative music forms spanning standards to free improv, the band creates tuneful yet asymmetrical pieces that bring accessibility and eccentricity in equal measure. 

Mim Adams and Randy Helmers are often heard singing together in this work (sometimes joined by Johnston). Johnston—best known as a bassist—is the group's guitar player while bass duties are handled by Rob Clutton, another key figure in Toronto's jazz and improvised music scene.  This new recording's sonic palette is undeniable tinted by its cast of noteworthy. Sarah Frank of the Bombadils (violins) and Johnston's longtime collaborator Andrew Killawee (harmonium), were both previously heard on the Morrison & Roberts recording, while harpist Màiri Chaimbeul has worked with the likes of Darol Anger, Liz Carroll, and Rose Cousins. The contributions of each of these three make this Stranger Still's most rich and varied recording to date, infusing Johnston's songs with newfound warmth and nuance.

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Photo - Travis Keller

Ethan Gold - Earth City 2: Nightfolk (Album).

Ethan Gold returns with Earth City 2: Nightfolk, the second instalment in his Earth City trilogy - an expansive, emotionally charged work exploring nightlife, duality and the search for connection in the modern world.

Where the first chapter focused on solitude, this new release shifts toward human connection, told through a series of nocturnal stories unfolding across a single, imagined night. “This is kind of my nightlife record,” says Gold. “Earth City one was a more of a lonely experience. And this record is about connecting with others.”

Recorded across Glasgow, Nashville, Berlin and Los Angeles, the album reflects Gold’s transient, international life. Its sound moves fluidly between folk instrumentation, art rock and richly layered arrangements, shaped by his instinct to let each song find its own identity. A recurring motif of trains and transit runs throughout the album, acting as a metaphor for movement, longing, and connection. “It’s about connecting and trying to interconnect the world. So it’s both a little bit alienated and about connection.”

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Natii - Jolene.

“Jolene” is not another cover version of the famous Dolly Parton classic. This “Jolene” comes from the pen of the young Zurich-based singer and songwriter Natii – and it impressively demonstrates why her name is one to remember.

With a modern mix of neo-soul, pop, and urban influences, Natii delivers a debut song that sounds contemporary, emotional, and confident all at once. Inspirations from artists such as Amy Winehouse, Olivia Dean, and Jorja Smith subtly resonate throughout – the sound was created during intensive recording sessions in England, where Natii worked with international producers on her musical vision.

Why England in particular? Well, Natii strongly identifies with the sound and atmosphere of British female artists and incorporates this preference into her own music. “Jolene” was produced by Louis Ryan, who has previously worked with artists such as Demi Lovato, Bea Miller, Sabrina Carpenter, and Katy Perry.

Through her positive songs and strong messages, she aims to inspire people and pass on hope and faith, the musician says. “Jolene” impresses with catchy hooks, soulful grooves, and a modern production at an international level. The song marks a strong debut for an artist who captures the spirit of the times while establishing her own distinct style.

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St. Catherine’s Child - Cosmic Dancer / Fly Me To The Moon.

St. Catherine’s Child is the project of Ilana Zsigmond, a transatlantic singer-songwriter rising in the Indie Folk/Americana scene. Born in England and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Ilana’s music is shaped by both continents, blending the poetic storytelling of Americana with the dry wit of her British Sensibilities. 

She recently signed to TRO Essex Music and its label arm Shamus Records, further enriching an iconic catalogue including Woody Guthrie, David Bowie, T. Rex, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, along with breakthrough artists such as Jaden Evans and Flamy Grant. Named after the patron saint of eloquent women, her vocal strength and enchanting songwriting lie at the heart of St. Catherine’s Child. Her 2025 album, This Might Affect You captures Ilana writing at its most honest and raw yet.

Her latest release, a double single covers project features her own irresistible and modern renditions of the classic tracks, "Cosmic Dancer" by T. Rex and "Fly Me To The Moon" by Bart Howard and made famous by Frank Sinatra. 

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CR & The White Lights - Marty Kolls - ADMIN - Kaktus Einarsson - Resa Saffa Park - The Deslondes

Photo - Liz Sadkowski

CR & The White Lights - Tinted Windows. 

"Tinted Windows," is the searing lead track from CR & The White Lights' forthcoming LP, My Old Self. Shot through with the ragged edge and texture of indie rock, this record is proof that honest-to-goodness alt-country is still alive and well — but you don’t need me to tell you that. Just let the epic guitar solo in “Tinted Windows” do the talking. CR Gennone tells us, "The record captures a period of time in my life when I felt un-tethered and reflective, focusing on the memories and things in the past that centered me or brought me some sense of calm in the midst of a difficult time."

Brimming with blistering guitars, shimmering pedal steel, and hard-earned heartbreak, the My Old Self channels the spirit of Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Wilco while carving out a sound entirely its own. The record arrives July 17 via Magic Door Records. 'Til then, we hope you'll soak up "Tinted Windows," and help spread the word. 

Raw, loose, and gritty, New Jersey outfit CR & The White Lights’ My Old Self is a record brimming barroom philosophy and introspection set to a stack of rollicking alt-country rock. One can trace the clear lineage from Neil Young and Crazy Horse through Songs: Ohia’s Magnolia Electric Company to this record. It trades in similar traditions. But these songs are too personal and intuitive to be anything but the work of these particular players. Produced by friend of the band Phil Connor and featuring Liam Bornovski’s pedal steel guitar just about from corner to corner, My Old Self is music born for the jukebox.

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Marty Kolls - Waves.

Building upon years of writing, teaching, and performing music rooted in connection and observation, London, Ontario–based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marty Kolls releases her latest single. “Waves” is a calm and meditative folk-pop single that draws from the natural rhythms of water to explore struggle, surrender, and emotional grounding. Gentle yet resonant, the track reflects on the ebb and flow of life, offering a quiet space for reflection and release.

Inspired by time spent along Lake Huron, “Waves” emerged from Marty’s deep, lifelong connection to water. “Whether observing water from the vastness of the ocean or a ripple in a pond, it has been the root of inspiration for me for much of my life,” she explains. “Its stillness can anchor me while its waves can cleanse me.” That duality sits at the heart of the song, where moments of calm and motion coexist, mirroring the emotional cycles we move through.

The song’s origin was as intuitive as its subject matter. “It came to me at the tail end of my sleep,” Marty shares. “As I was waking up, the chord progression was in my head and I immediately went to the keyboard to record it.” From there, the track unfolded naturally, guided by feeling rather than force.

What sets “Waves” apart is its sense of flow. Layered backing harmonies move like currents beneath the surface, subtly propelling the song forward while maintaining its grounded, reflective tone. During recording, an unexpected vocal “hiccup” shifted the rhythmic phrasing of the harmonies; a moment that producer Simon Larochette encouraged Marty to embrace. “That became our favourite part,” she notes, highlighting the song’s openness to imperfection and instinct.

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Photo - Gannon Padgett

ADMIN - Marathon Times.

Brooklyn-based post-punk act, ADMIN returns with their latest single, ‘Marathon Times,’ from its upcoming Mirrored Construct EP for Abandon Everything Records. The EP sees release June 24. On this song, the band unleashes a menacing, down tempo groove that gradually builds before detonating into a powerful, cathartic finale. Expanding their sonic palette, the band leans into tension, restraint, and release -delivering a track that simmers for minutes before finally catching fire.

“We wanted to explore what happens when you strip everything back, we were interested in that contrast,” says frontperson, Ian Jacobs. “Lyrically, the song traces themes of suppressed emotion and the inevitability of confronting those things. “It’s really a theme about overcoming obstacles or trauma.”

Jacobs continues, “But not in a victimized or supernatural way. Knowing when to face things head on, but also when to let go and walk away, without running. You can’t change the past but it’s also not good to ignore it. In my life, I’ve definitely gotten stuck in that negative space trying to swat things aside and they always come to roost eventually, I just want to make sure I’m never living life on a treadmill. Sometimes all you can do is absorb, try to create something positive out of it and in the end just give it a healthy shrug.”

ADM!N · Marathon Times

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Kaktus Einarsson - Glycerine.

Kaktus Einarsson has announced his new album Factoid Happiness feat. John Grant, RAKEL, Thibault Gomez, and Jessica Winter is due in September with the new single ‘Glycerine’ out now. In a world saturated with misinformation and manufactured ideals of fulfilment, ‘Factoid Happiness’ asks a deceptively simple question; what is it that makes us happy? The third album from Icelandic stalwart Kaktus Einarsson is out on September 18th via One Little Independent Records, and seeks its answers in community, equality, and the quiet resilience of family.

Across ten tracks, Kaktus interrogates the systems that increasingly shape our emotional lives; algorithms, social media, and political polarisation. It explores how modern life dilutes attention, erodes certainty, and turns even our happiness into a commodification. “The title Factoid Happiness actually came first,” he tells us. “The word ‘happiness’ had been sitting in my notebook for a long time, before most of the lyrics were written. A lot of the album grew out of that idea, questioning what happiness even is, and where we’re being told to find it. We’re constantly being sold things as ‘truths’; feelings, knowledge, lifestyles. Algorithms decide what we see, what we believe, even what we think will make us happy. But a lot of that is unproven. It’s a factoid. Something that feels true but isn’t necessarily real.

And it’s not always negative,” he continues. “Love is also a factoid. I can’t prove my partner loves me. I choose to trust it. But the same mechanism can also derail us, especially now that we consume fragments of mass media constantly, out of context, and mistake them for truth.”

Musically, ‘Factoid Happiness’ is rich and varied, moving between intimate piano-led songwriting, warm indie-rock, funk-leaning grooves, disco-inflected rhythms, and electronic textures. It reflects Kaktus’s background as a songwriter who has moved fluidly between underground experimentation and sophisticated pop. The LP also features contributions from John Grant, RAKEL, Thibault Gomez, and Jessica Winter.

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Photo - Henriette Sagjord

Resa Saffa Park - I Can See The World.

Oslo-based singer/songwriter and composer Resa Saffa Park today returns with new single 'I Can See The World' - a smoky, slow-burning piece of alt-pop written about the disorientation and serenity of falling deeply in love - engineered around brushed percussion, spectral piano and delicate guitar arrangements.

Born in Dubai, with her musical upbringing rooted in Liverpool (Resa is a graduate of LIPA), and now based in Oslo - Resa Saffa Park's work pulls from jazz, soul, indie and noir-pop in equal measure - drawing influence from artists as varied as Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, Mitski, Julia Jacklin and Nirvana, while sitting somewhere in the orbit of Tamino, Michelle Gurevich and Portishead.

With traces of jazz phrasing and cinematic trip-hop in its DNA, the song's emotional core remains startlingly direct, as she explains: "I Can See The World is my first ever exclusively 'happy' song. I wrote it about the bliss of meeting my partner. I wrote it about love, the type of love that feels safe, but nothing close to boring. The type of love that can make mundane moments in company with them, into the best days of your life. It felt like I really experienced the world for the first time, walking in the park, noticing nature, and experiencing time in a way I had never done before. I still do, with him."

The single was recorded in Oslo alongside producer Bård Berg, becoming both the first song the pair worked on together for a new body of work and the last one they completed. "Some songs come quickly," she explains, "but others need time to ferment until you crack the code of their potential and direction. This one took a while. The bridge section was the final thing to arrive, and it made the song complete."

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Photograph - Selwyn Figg

The Deslondes - I’m Gone.

The Deslondes will release Don’t Let It Die Vol. 1 tomorrow via New West Records. The 12-track set was recorded on analog tape and features renditions of songs by Swamp Dogg, Shelby Lynne, Johnny Cash, Clifton Chenier, and more. It was produced by the band’s John James Tourville and Ajaï Combelic (Sabine McCalla) at the band’s studio in New Orleans and follows their 2024 studio album Roll It Out which was met with wide critical acclaim. 

The Deslondes didn’t want to simply exalt their heroes and catalog their influences while recording the new covers album. They wanted to also give their friends a boost as well. The poignant and powerful collection includes new interpretations of old songs by artists who’ve guided the band for years, alongside new songs by peers, tourmates, and collaborators including Nick Woods, Pat Reedy, and more. “We have so many friends who are songwriters, and we just love their music so much,” says Tourville. “Riley (Downing) and Dan (Cutler) are always kicking around awesome, inspiring old songs for us to do, but for this album we really wanted to play some friends songs, too.” Downing says “These songs are very much a close part of our lives. They’re all part of our circle, this big organism that keeps influencing itself.” 

Released today ahead of the album we have a real highlight with “I’m Gone.” The song was written by their friend Kiki Cavazos, who also appears in the Joshua Shoemaker-directed video. Riley Downing says “The moment I heard Kate Cavazos' voice, I was instantly captivated and mesmerized. Who was this mysterious woman with the most beautiful omniscient comforting voice? When I first heard the chorus it gave me goosebumps, but in a reassuring way. I hope you take this cover as an introduction to your own journey of discovering her music. Keep your eyes and ears open and you might be able to find her on the road somewhere.

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Kindsight - Aderyn - Fool Nelson - Daisypicker - Mollie Elizabeth - Shadowman

Kindsight - The Head (This Body Deserves).

Kindsight are back with the new single and video “The Head (This Body Deserves)”, the first taste of the band’s third album, set for release in autumn 2026 via Rama Lama Records. Over the last few years, Kindsight have built a growing international following through tours across Europe and festival appearances including Roskilde and SXSW. Their latest album No Shame No Fame received strong reviews and support from KEXP, who described the band as “a band that balances noise and melody with confidence, sounding both familiar and forward-looking.”

Inspired by 90s indie rock, alternative guitar pop, shoegaze and krautrock, Kindsight move between noisy guitar layers and catchy melodic songwriting with an energy that feels both loose and precise at the same time.

“The Head (This Body Deserves)” takes the band’s long and chaotic live show closer and turns it into a compact three minute single. The song deals with mathematics and “the head that pilots the body,” while also telling the story of a prophetic dream where Marlon Brando is reborn as the last son of Ursula von der Leyen and is given one final mission by his dying mother: before turning 18, he must convince every person in the world to give up their dreams, by any means necessary.

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Aderyn - Cross Your Mind.

Aderyn returns with her infectious new single 'Cross Your Mind' which is released today May 20th, the first offering taken from newly announced EP 'Hot Pink!' which is released in June 2026.

Aderyn added this about 'Cross Your Mind' "Sometimes you just know in your gut that someone still thinks about you, whether they like it or not. My favourite lyric in the song is ‘strutting in my thigh high glitter boots’, because that line is so me. I’m always strutting around stage in my diamante boots, so it felt like a little wink to everyone who’s seen me live."
                       
"Aderyn gives me this confidence I don't always have in real life - and writing this song, I really let her take over. I wanted the listener to picture Aderyn just stomping through someone's mind, completely unbothered. That image made me laugh when I wrote it." 'Hot Pink!' is Aderyn's sophomore EP. Detailing the chaotic ups and downs of a break-up, the EP careens through genres and emotional states. Please, the opener, is a moody grunge infused track that sounds like modern day Mazzy Star, and explores one sided devotion through religious comparisons. 

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Photo - Andrew Briggs

Fool Nelson - Bad Dreams (Deluxe EP).

Western Australia trio Fool Nelson continue their debut tour of the UK this week in support of the deluxe edition of their 'Bad Dreams' EP (out today via AWAL) with a show in Newquay this Friday (22 May) and Dot To Dot Festival in Bristol and Nottingham this weekend (23/24 May).

Leading on from two national sold-out tours of their own in Australia, plus multiple BBC Radio 1 spins on Sian Eleri's Future Artists, Alyx Holcombe's Indie Show, and Craig Charles' BBC 6 Music show, the bands EP focal point their new single 'Keepsake' opens with lead singer Tom Broadbent’s signature tender croon over a bed of rustic guitar chords, evoking an intensely personal stream of consciousness.

Balancing unpolished grit with heartfelt lyricism and a huge melodic instinct, 'Keepsake' feels as appropriate for solitary headphone listening as it does for a sweat-soaked mosh pit.  

Speaking on the release of the EP, the band said:"Overall, the EP is about sticking close to the people you love. Often we've found ourselves pushing away those relationships when things are difficult or uncertain, but we're learning to put those things first amidst anxiety, ambition, and uncertainty. For us, the EP definitely serves as a bit of an outlet for our anxieties, but hopefully also serves as a reminder of what's important."

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Daisypicker - Mess Around (US Album Release).

Australian band, Daisypicker, have announced that they are releasing their new LP, "Mess Around", in North American via MPLS LTD.

Daisypicker are a Naarm/Melbourne folk-grunge band formed in 2023. With a sound that blends raw grunge and experimentation, and the emotional depth and softness of folk, they create music that’s gritty, delicate, and fuelled by feeling.

Daisypicker is Nadia Phillips (guitar and vocals), Ezra Demchy (viola), Caleb Green (bass), and Jezabel Furlong (drums). The band recorded and mixed on Djaara Country (so-called Castlemaine) at Sound Recordings with Alex Bennett in 2025. Look for the album to be out in the states on June 5th.

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Photo - Sophia Schrank

Mollie Elizabeth - Run Rabbit.

Today, up-and-coming pop artist Mollie Elizabeth shares “Run Rabbit” a snippet of which has already gone viral on TikTok. The song “Run Rabbit” is written by Mollie Elizabeth and Josh Murty, produced by Josh Murty, and coming out via Neon Gold Records / Futures Music.

About “Run Rabbit”, Mollie Elizabeth says: "Run Rabbit, while a very whimsical song, is actually a darker look into what it was like growing up in an unhealthy household. There’s an indescribable feeling that comes along with the baggage of an imperfect childhood, one that begs the question, if you are excused for your immoral coping mechanisms because of your circumstance, or if it is your fault regardless."

Earlier this year, Mollie Elizabeth returned with “The Mirror”, “Dog Eat Dog” 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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Design by Bureau de Fatigue

Shadowman - Don't Assume.

Shadowman, the new collaborative project from John J Presley, Ben Hillier and Danielle Perry, have announced the release of their self-titled debut album, arriving on 4th September via Nica Records/Republic of Music. Born from a shared creative vision and a desire to make music freely and instinctively, the trio weaves together a rich sonic tapestry, blending crushing guitars with cinematic orchestration, death-march brass with motorik drum machines, layered vocal exchanges and slow-burning post-rock intensity.
 
Following the release of their debut single 'Flowers', which was championed by Iggy Pop and Steve Lamaq on BBC 6Music, today they share 'Don't Assume', the latest preview of their forthcoming album. The new single is accompanied by a video directed by The Thrill Of Losing/Laura-Mary Carter.
 
About the song, Danielle explains: "I've played a Fender Rhodes alongside John J Presley for a while now, and the riff we got for this tune was the one I'd been waiting for.  There's something the bass of a Rhodes provides that just can't be replicated, really. Lord knows I've tried, but every time I went back to my 54-key heavy HEAVY beautiful Rhodes. The tone is so malleable, and it cuts through so well in its own silky way. We always imagined punchy late-night Chicago horns on this in the middle 8, and Pete Wareham just got it right away. There's a glint in the eye with the lyrics on this one... and sadly, since we wrote it, some of the lyrics have become very of this moment on the world stage. Suffice to say... we find war abhorrent and wish for a peaceful, respectful world".

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The Blue Fiddles - Josaleigh Pollett - The Songs of Butler & Cupples - POMELO

The Blue Fiddles - Boundless Desire.

The Blue Fiddles return with "Boundless Desire," a new single that embraces the passion of Southern rock and Americana while carrying the weight and reverence of a sacred hymn. Composed and written by looping artist Victor Vas, the song draws its lyrical foundation from George MacDonald's devotional poem Diary of an Old Soul, translating its meditation on spiritual perseverance into an affirming anthem for all.
 
At its heart, "Boundless Desire" reckons with the enduring struggle MacDonald named more than a century ago, those moments "when I can no more stir my soul to move, and life is but the ashes of a fire." Vas takes that stillness and answers it with sound: the slide of an overdriven guitar, the force of a fiddle built for the leads, and a chorus that is equally at home in the church pew as it is on the back porch.

“The first time I encountered MacDonald's writing, I felt the words he wrote almost 150 years ago hit me straight in the heart.” says Vas. “I immediately imagined his poem as a song, and thought it was so well fit for music and our moment that someone must already have done it. I couldn't find a song that was a match though, so I just had to write it myself.”

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Josaleigh Pollett - The Witness.

Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter Josaleigh Pollett has announced their fourth full-length album, ‘If I Let It Quiet, and West Coast tour with new single, "The Witness." Produced by long-time collaborator Jordan Watko (Crowd Shy), the new record will be released July 24th via Audio Antihero (Frog/ Tiberius/Avery Friedman/CIAO MALZ) and Lavender Vinyl on digital and vinyl.

The work of Pollett and Watko has received a slow burn of recognition over the years. Following Pollett’s warm and rootsy solo debut 'Strangers,' the duo initially found acclaim together in 2020 with the Indie Rock crunch of their ‘No Woman Is the Sea’ album. They reached a broader audience still with 2023’s electronics-infused ‘In the Garden, By the Weeds,’ thanks to support from notable outlets, including awards and end-of-year lists.

Pollett went on to share bills with St. Vincent, Torres, Deep Sea Diver, DeVotchKa, Mini Trees, and Hibou, as well as performing at Kilby Block Party. Additionally, they collaborated with Ekko Astral in 2024 and 2025. Although the continuation of Pollett and Watko's collaboration was never in question, the new album's creation faced new challenges due to Watko's relocation to Japan.

Despite this separation, the pair opted to make their first cross-continent collaboration more ambitious and exploratory than what had come before. The first single from this effort, October's "Radio Player" was praised for its atmosphere, melody, unconventional structure, evocation of VHS horror, and Pollett’s “career-best vocal performance.”

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The Songs of Butler & Cupples - Frequency.

Following the momentum of their first two 2026 releases, The Songs of Butler & Cupples return with ‘Frequency’, a vibrant and genre-fluid new single that further establishes the project’s songwriting-first ethos. Rooted in collaboration, musicianship, and substance over spectacle.

The release continues to position the duo as one of the more creatively ambitious emerging songwriting projects operating outside the constraints of traditional band structures. Conceived as a platform where the song itself remains the central focus, The Songs of Butler & Cupples was formed in response to a modern music landscape often driven more by perception than composition.

Helmed by two experienced industry songwriters, the project allows ideas to dictate direction, unrestricted by genre expectations or commercial formulas. With ‘Frequency’, the pair step into jazz-infused R&B and alternative pop territory, showcasing yet another dimension to their increasingly diverse catalogue.

Thematically, ‘Frequency’ explores the emotional unpredictability of club culture and human connection. Built around the idea that being on the “right frequency” can create euphoric, transcendent experiences, while being out of sync can spiral into something disorientating and surreal, the track embraces both chaos and beauty in equal measure. Drawing comparisons to the unsettling allure of a David Lynch narrative, the single balances tension with warmth, creating an atmosphere that feels hypnotic, immersive, and emotionally charged.

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Photo - Dan Hennessy and Stevie O'Neill

POMELO - Nasty Sauce

POMELO is the duo of Luke Elliott and Wynnm Murphy. Together they make seductive and engaging art-pop that displays evident awareness of its antecedents but feels very much like forward-facing music for today and tomorrow. LORELESS is their debut, which we announced last month. Second single, "Nasty Sauce" is out today. It reminds me a bit of Tirzah, maybe some echoes of Martina Topley-Bird. Like much of the record, it smolders but also, it stuns.

Vulnerable and personal and baked with humanness, LORELESS is an album about being. A genuine trip, and if we are living on a shopping strip mall mode towards oblivion, LORELESS accesses the tangible magic of the mundane. Paying attention to where you are and not where you will be. The album is raw and careful - the kind that pulls a curtain, applies arnica oil, and tenderises a muscle with a kitchen timer on 60 minutes. It’s listening to an open wound, from this life or the last. LORELESS is an honest reckoning with purpose, histories, influences and sad magic that’s cathartic, acknowledged, satisfying.

POMELO is the Amsterdam-based art pop duo of Wynnm Murphy and Luke Elliott. Together they craft a sonic world of sonar on solid ground, where avant-garde electronic techniques meet watery, resonant textures and sexy storytelling. The duo's debut, LORELESS is a hypnotic, kinetic blend of pop, ambient, and electronic music; distinct, otherworldly, and oddly familiar, like an uncanny encounter.

"Unlike earlier projects in our respective careers that often felt like labors of love," the duo says, "this album felt like pure flow. There have never been timelines, goals, marks to make or expectations, and it has come alive on its own."

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