Kate Prendergast - Dani Ivory - Leo Brazil - Birds Flying Backwards

Kate Prendergast - Glass and Glue.

Kate Prendergast is a young, rising Irish multi-instrumentalist with a gift for crafting deeply evocative songs, blending indie folk, blues, country and alternative rock. Her music is a raw and soulful mix of personal reflection and sharp storytelling, shaped by influences ranging from Bob Dylan to Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Kingfishr.

She burst onto the scene in 2024 with her debut single ‘Past Letters’, quickly followed by Undergrowth, Lavender Country, Ignition, and Retold Tale produced in collaboration with producer Declan Legge at Big Space Studios under the Stray Dog records label. Her songs have become staples on Irish, UK and International radio, resonating with listeners for their emotional depth and rich sonic textures. Whether performing solo or with a band, Kate captivates audiences with her haunting voice and magnetic stage presence.

Selected as a showcase artist for Your Roots are Showing – Ireland’s Folk Conference 2026, nominated by Radio Wigwam for Best Folk and Acoustic Act 2026 and with two new songs ‘Glass and Glue’ and ‘Perfect Plans’ to be released in early 2026, Kate continues to carve out her place in the music world – fearless, introspective, and impossible to ignore.

Kate Prendergast · Glass and Glue

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Dani Ivory - Get Through.

Dani Ivory returns with “Get Through,” a raw, heartfelt anthem about choosing your partner even when love feels complicated, heavy, and far from perfect. The song captures a deeply specific yet universally understood emotion: standing beside the person you love as they struggle, knowing there’s only so much you can do, yet refusing to walk away anyway. Tinged with neo-soul, country and Americana influences, Ivory delivers another hit in a new landscape.

Ivory’s vocal lands with emotional weight from the very first lines, setting the tone with unfiltered honesty: “I really want to write a love song, but I can’t seem to get it right, I really want to tell you I miss you, but you’re drunk out of your mind.”

It’s a devastatingly real opening. There’s no attempt to soften the edges or romanticize the situation — she simply tells the truth. From there, the song deepens as Ivory makes clear that her love isn’t conditional or convenient: “There’s no other way around it, we can’t hop, skip, or go backward, we looked our whole damn lives and found it…”

One of the most powerful moments comes when Ivory turns the lens inward, acknowledging her own flaws and contradictions with striking vulnerability: “And I wish I was stronger not to enable you, but I’m human too, I’m no better than you, I still choose you, so you can meet me halfway and we can get through.”

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Leo Brazil - Unsinkable Sam.

Leo Brazil has been creating his own music since he was a child singing into a tape machine. Drawing on a love of classic pop, rock and roll and soul, Leo writes thoughtful songs with a lyrical focus and a confident musical individuality. Running a label out his home studio brewing up a unique and colourful evolution of sound, 2026 sees two album releases; the introspective wonky folk solo album Alone and the bombastically heavy psych-rock of the dinosaur inspired band Bone Wars. Leo plays keyboards, drums and violin but live he sticks to guitars and banjo to conjure up emotive ballads alongside rousing ear worms and foot stomping guitar freak outs.

'Unsinkable Sam' is the new release by Leo Brazil from album ‘Alone’ Out Now. Unsinkable Sam is a dreamy piece of folk rock with an alternative woozy psychedelic edge that explores dreams, memories and trauma through a naval tale from the second world war and stands as a tribute to animals caught up in humans' struggles and conflicts.

Unsinkable Sam was a cat aboard the battleship Bismarck during world war 2. After the ship was sunk he was picked up clinging to a piece of wreckage by HMS Cossack. He repeated the experience shortly afterwards when Cossack was torpedoed and then a final time when he was rescued from the sinking of Ark Royal. After his third sinking he retired to the navy base in Belfast.

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Birds Flying Backwards - If I Ever Needed Someone.

London-based six-piece Birds Flying Backwards return with ‘If I Ever Needed Someone’ (Today Feb 23rd), the fourth and final single from their forthcoming debut album Lovebirds, released March 11th via Real Love Recording Co. Building a reputation for their blend of alt-country, indie-folk and psychedelic-rock, Birds Flying Backwards are already firmly established as one to watch. The new single ‘If I Ever Needed Someone’ leans into the more folk and Americana side of the band's sound bringing an organic, earthy warmth through a layered acoustic guitar, banjo, piano, bass and drums. 

Warm, worn-in sounding picked strings and the dual Joe and India’s radiant harmonies give the song a reflective yet quietly confident feel which is central to the overarching feel of the album. Speaking about the single, the band explain: “‘If I Ever Needed Someone’ is about finding yourself after heartbreak, and the resoluteness and self-assuredness that it takes to move on. Taking cues from Cut Worms, Daniel Romano and Wilco, it shifts the record from loss towards resolve - the moment when the dust finally settles.” 

The track was mixed by Joe Wyatt at Abbey Road Studios, whose credits include The Smile and The Beatles Anthologies, and mastered by Timothy Stollenwork, known for his work with Kevin Morby, Drugdealer, John Andrews and The Yawns, and Arthur Russell, further enhancing the band’s warm, organic sound.

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Marketplace - Frank Rabeyrolles - Tedeschi Trucks Band - Death By Love

Photo - Megan Wyrill

Marketplace - Play Nice! 

Hartlepool (England) rising five-piece Marketplace return with the razor sharp new single ‘Play Nice!’ (just out 20th February 2026). Releasing ahead of anticipated slots at New Colossus Festival (New York) and SXSW (Texas) this March, the band are riding a wave of critical acclaim into what is set to be a big 2026. 

Produced by Chad Rodgers (Cape Cub, Finn Forster, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Llovers, Loren Heat), ‘Play Nice!’ sees Marketplace deliver their bright, hook-laden alt-pop meets indie sound in all its glory. Bright guitar tones, subtle synths, driving drums and grounding bass create a buoyant breezy backdrop for the melodic and charismatic lead vocals. Equal parts cathartic and cutting, the track channels pent-up frustration into a punchy, guitar-driven diss track.

Vocalist Evie Rhodes explains: ““Play Nice! was born from being thrown into the kind of situation which I had not been in since secondary school, and the frustration of feeling like I was long past the point of dealing with interpersonal issues in that sort of immature, psychological, mean-girl way. In its most basic form, it is a diss track, which was something I would never have expected I’d do. It kind of demonstrates how checked out I’d become with the situation, in that it’s basically years of frustrations boiling up to the surface that I wished I’d been able to express at the time.”

MARKETPLACE · Play Nice!

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Frank Rabeyrolles - Slow (Album).

Released this weekend we have the new album 'Slow' released on the French label Too Good To Be true. We often expect change from a musician who has a reputation for being prolific. It's in the interstices, in the sound, the arrangement and the writing that we will have to listen with this new album entirely produced and mixed by Frank Rabeyrolles We also find our traveling companions Romain Delorme on bass, Sébastien Pasquet on drums and some appearances from Rémi Saboul. 

In our last feature about Frank on Beehive Candy we had this to say: Ultimately, little is known about Frank Rabeyrolles. A discreet and unclassifiable figure on the French music scene, he first gained attention in 2004 with Life Behind the Window, the debut album from his project Double U. His dreamy, hybrid music, oscillating between pop, electronic, and songwriting, astonishes and seduces. He has been featured in Les Inrockuptibles and Libération and was named Album of the Month by Trax.

A prolific and insatiable artist, Frank Rabeyrolles has released a solid succession of albums first under Double U and then Franklin on various labels such as Sonar Kollektiv, Nocturne, Karat, and Plug Research, Wool Recordings His creative approach over the years, and now decades, could be seen as a yearning for artistic ritual driven by passion, but also as an existential necessity.. 

At the end of 2011, Frank Rabeyrolles decided to release a new album under his real name, and with it, a desire to reveal himself a little more. Between Experimental Pop, Lo-Fi Folk, and Ambient, Frank has never wanted or needed to choose. In early 2024, Frank Rabeyrolles returned to solitary work in the home studio, cultivating a gentle schizophrenia between tenderness, sonic roundness, echoes, spleen, and hope. The album "In Conversations" was released in February 2025 on Araki Records. After two albums recorded in a trio/quartet format, this new album marks a return to a certain pop bricolage and organic work created around layers of guitars. 

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Photo - Chapman Baehler

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Who Am I.

Tedeschi Trucks Band (TTB), the GRAMMY Award-winning band led by the dynamic wife and husband duo of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, has released their new single “Who Am I,” the latest offering from their new studio album, Future Soul, out March 20th via Fantasy Records. Written by Tedeschi and Trucks along with two of the band’s key songwriters Mike Mattison and Gabe Dixon, “Who Am I” harkens back slightly to TTB’s hit “Midnight in Harlem” while also being its own beast.

“‘Who Am I’ feels a little bit like a dream to me,” shares Trucks. “The riff came naturally to me one of the mornings that we were all writing together up at our farm in Georgia. Susan immediately came up with the opening vocal melody and lyric and Gabe really took it to a beautiful place from there. It feels biographical and a bit surreal at the same time. I always love when a song can put you in between worlds.”

Known for its world-class musicianship, Tedeschi Trucks Band is Susan Tedeschi (guitar, vocals), Derek Trucks (guitar), Mike Mattison (guitar, vocals), Gabe Dixon (keys, vocals), Brandon Boone (bass), Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell (drums, percussion), Isaac Eady (drums, percussion), Mark Rivers (vocals, percussion), Alecia Chakour (vocals, percussion), Kebbi Williams (saxophone), Emmanuel Echem (trumpet) and Elizabeth Lea (trombone).

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Death By Love - 444 (Album).

Enigmatic, transatlantic gothic/industrial duo, Death By Love has announced the release of their full-length debut: a concept album called 444.

444 includes 11 tracks exploring themes of mysticism, identity, spiritual tension, and emotional rebirth. 444 is more than a record. It is a ritual of survival, transformation, and paradox wrapped in atmospheric electronics, heavy, hypnotic rhythms, and Middle Eastern-influenced vocal lines and instrumentation. 444 plunges listeners deep into shadow and transcendence. The album is a collision of goth, industrial, trip hop, and heavy  Middle-Eastern influences, a soundscape that feels at once ancient and futuristic. 444 is not casual listening; it is an immersive, genre-bending dark odyssey.

The journey began in October 2024, when Inga and Peter converged in Warsaw, Poland, to record the first tracks: “Strong Inside” and “Temros.” Both songs were captured alongside cinematic music videos. “Strong Inside” emerged as the first single on the American label, Distortion Productions— setting the tone for what would become an ambitious 11-track cycle.

Crafted over the course of an entire year of transatlantic collaboration, 444 came to life through relentless back-and-forth file exchanges, a painstaking process that mirrors the album’s themes of endurance, distance, and connection. From the brooding trip hop of “Cosmic Power” to the industrial weight of “I Don’t”, and the spectral intimacy of “Sellenno”, the record moves between extremes - despair and transcendence, fragility and force.

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Margaux Regan - Ally Row - Romanie - J.MYSTERY - Anna Smyrk - Winona Oak

Margaux Regan - After Thought (EP).

With almost a year of successful singles under her belt, rising singer-songwriter Margaux Regan released her debut EP After Thought on February 20th.
 
Written almost entirely by Margaux herself mostly composed on her bedroom floor the four-track collection captures the quiet chaos of growing up: the overthinking, heartbreak, self-doubt, and small moments of clarity in between. After Thought maps the transition between nineteen and twenty-one, blending organic instrumentation with contemporary pop sensibilities and country-tinged storytelling. The process wasn't always easy. Halfway through writing, Margaux developed vocal cord issues that forced her to re-evaluate her relationship with music. When she returned, she wanted to be more open, more playful, and less afraid of imperfection.

"The title mirrors my inner world and the way I process my experiences," says Margaux. "These songs are the thoughts that linger after everything else has been said.” Among the EP's deeply personal tracks, "Sob Story" stands out as an emotionally raw ballad that navigates the conflicting emotions of anger and grief that accompany heartbreak. Inspired by the confessional songwriting of artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, the track showcases Margaux's country-soaked approach to heartbreak, with her vocals effortlessly floating above acoustic instrumentation that feels both intimate and devastating.

"I wrote this with my friend Daniel Haughey, who helped get the words out of me when I couldn't myself," explains Margaux. "After experiencing the kind of love where denial made you ignore the red flags, I wanted people to relate to the emotion rather than just the words. The bridge is almost a furious but devastating word vomit that makes the song just that much more devastating."

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Ally Row - Numb to the Touch.

Gippsland duo, Ally Row, release the final radio single “Numb to the Touch” (via Red Rebel Music / MGM Distribution) from their hit album, “Something More”, on Friday 20th February. The song is a stunning slice of melancholy perfection with both Alice and Rowan taking the reins on lead vocals. The gorgeous melody wax and wanes with lush, layered vocal harmonies, eery electric banjo and strings played ever so beautifully by Robyn Blann - proving they are more than energetic crowd pleasers.

Alice confides, “this song is all about acknowledging my own flaws and reminding myself that relationships take work because they contain two imperfect individuals. But sparks have to fly if you want to start a fire, right?” Rowan says, “when our faults aren’t recognised and accounted for, we start trying to be someone were not. this can be physically and mentally draining. We all just want to be loved for who we are.”

Ally Row kicked off 2026 with a successful stint at the Tamworth Country Music Festival that featured a stellar opening spot for Melody Moko that left people raving. Just hours after walking the red carpet at the 2026 Golden Guitar Awards and running on a few hours’ sleep, they were back in the car driving to Melbourne to perform at the 2026 Australian Open Tennis in Melbourne. Then off to Tasmania to support Shaun Kirk before heading back to Victoria to support Alex Lloyd.

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Romanie - Falling / It’s Not That Funny (Album).

Romanie reveals her impressive second album ‘It’s Not That Funny’ along with an exceptional music video for focus single ‘Falling.’ Arriving as a bold new chapter, ‘It’s Not That Funny’ takes shape as a deeply personal project. Through pure-vocals, tender lyricism and Romanie’s infectious charm, the album transforms powerful reflections into relatable and profound morsels of endlessly playable indie-pop. 

The duality of playful charm and hard-hitting vulnerability is immediate from the album’s title alone: “‘It’s Not That Funny’, which relates to trying to convince your therapist you’re funny and that anything that’s ever happened to you ‘wasn’t all that bad’,”. Romanie explained further; “I think that growing up in Belgium, we’re always told to keep a brave face and to keep going no matter what – which is great for endurance and resilience; but sometimes as humans, we just want to be soft. As women in society I feel like we always have to strive for perfection; but I think that with this album I wanted to seek out the imperfections; uncover what’s behind the jokes.” Over the eleven track body of work, Romanie displays her dedication to artistic honesty and social justice, never shying away from the complex and difficult topics. 

The album's focus single ‘Falling’ is a stand out moment that erupts into catharsis. Sharing more, she shared: “Initially, Falling was written about falling for the wrong people; but after recording it I felt like it was more of an omen of my own breaking down. Falling is the most fun to play live and the music video was shot at my 30th birthday party -I had to pay for a venue hire and was super broke at the time so Young Ha Kim [director] and I joked that we should shoot a music video to be able to claim it on tax. I had convinced all my friends to dress up in a wedding dress, kind of as a joke but everyone pulled up looking absolutely stunning. It’s really a representation of what the album means to me: no matter how rough life gets, my friends are there to hear me sob and pull me through hard moments as much as I want to be there for them.”


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J.MYSTERY - Change.

J.MYSTERY is a singer-songwriter from Portugal. He is an enigmatic artist who defies categorization, seamlessly blending various musical influences to create a captivating and ethereal sound. With a unique approach to songwriting and an unmistakable presence, J.MYSTERY takes listeners on a journey through mystery and introspection. His sound weaves alternative rock, electronic, and atmospheric pop elements, resulting in a beautiful and profoundly reflective sonic landscape.

The enigmatic persona of J.MYSTERY is reflected not only in his music but also in his stage presence and visual aesthetics. His captivating performances create an otherworldly atmosphere that envelops the audience. J.MYSTERY is carving a unique path in the music industry, challenging traditions and pushing the boundaries of sonic exploration. As he explains, “Music was always something deeply personal for me, something I loved rather than something I imagined as a career.”

His brand new single, “Change,” marks one of the most emotionally ambitious moments in his catalogue to date. Written and recorded in Portugal, the song began in his home studio before being developed alongside longtime collaborator and producer Francisco Reis, who has worked with him since day one. Expanding the process further, “Change” became his most collaborative project so far, featuring a string quartet and cinematic arrangements by Nikolai Gimaletdinov and IAN, giving the track a sense of scale while retaining its intimacy. Reflecting on the process, J.MYSTERY describes it as “one of the most beautiful pieces I’ve created to date.”

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Photo - Michelle Hunder

Anna Smyrk - Line by Line.

Leading the way for her debut album, Anna Smyrk returns with gorgeous new single ‘Line by Line.’ Written in the bathroom of an airplane, Line by Line is quietly introspective. It beckons a glimmer of light after darkness and serves as a reminder to take things as they come, one step at a time. Sharing more, Anna said: “I was flying home after a tour around Germany, feeling exhausted and really missing my dad, who had passed away a few months earlier. I watched a sad movie on the plane, then the chorus came into my head while the credits were rolling in the dark. I locked myself in the bathroom for a few minutes, singing quietly into my phone, and that was the seed of the song.”

Line by Line is the final teaser to arrive ahead of Anna’s debut album ‘Spectacular Denial’ which will be out on the 20th of March via Community Music. Shaped by her deeply personal journey with grief and her exploration of the many forms denial can take, the new album sonically sits in a rich space between indie, alt-pop, and folk, drawing inspiration from Blondie, Phoebe Bridgers, Garbage, Angie McMahon and Hozier. Listeners can anticipate a beautifully compelling body of work which looks to be an impressive milestone in Anna’s rise as an indie-pop artist to watch. 

Ahead of her upcoming debut album, Anna has already road tested her unreleased tracks during the recent Community Garden Tour around Australia. Her honest and reflective songwriting and approach to grief has been quietly resonating with audiences. “People have come to talk after the shows about their own losses,” says Anna. “It’s like we can share a little moment of solidarity’.

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Winona Oak - Stay the night.

Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak continues to showcase her new era with her candid new single ‘Stay the night’ out now via Nettwerk. Winona released her EP ‘Salt’ this spring, which was a poignant personal documentation of her physical and emotional states. Throughout this year, she has been working on new music and a progression in her raw and unvarnished sound, whilst still writing about the highs and lows of life; loss and repair, heartbreak and love, resistance and patience. 
 
With her new single ‘Stay the night’, Winona unveils a more organic approach by collaborating with renown Swedish producers Martin Stilling and TF, embracing live instrumentation and an emotive sonic palette to deliver a cinematic, deep and personal track. The intimately delicate filmed video by Studio Förgätmigej visually displays Winona being pulled between both strength and fragility.   
 
Winona says, “’Stay the Night’ captures the magnetic pull of desire — the moment you allow yourself to fall again, even while carrying old bruises. With aching honesty, the song explores the tension between surrender and self-protection.” ‘Stay the night is the next instalment in a new chapter for Winona Oak and she will be announcing further new music soon. 

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Joe Pernice ft. Aimee Mann - Bea Elmy Martin - The Foot & Leg Clinic - The Green Apple Sea - Fur Blossom - Chloe Violette - St.Arnaud

 Photo - Colleen Nichollson

Joe Pernice - Deep Into the Dawn (ft. Aimee Mann).

Joe Pernice of the Pernice Brothers and Scud Mountain Boys will release his debut solo studio album Sunny, I Was Wrong on April 3, 2026 via New West Records. The 11-song set was produced by Pernice and features Aimee Mann, Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub. Rodney Crowell, Jimmy Webb, and includes liner notes written by Warren Zanes (author of Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska). Pernice is also joined by Jim Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies, Mike Belitsky of The Sadies, Mike Evin, and Mike McKenzie as his backing band across the album. Sunny, I Was Wrong follows the 2024 Pernice Brothers album Who Will You Believe. 

This week, Pernice shared the album highlight “Deep Into the Dawn (ft. Aimee Mann).” He says, “Of all of the recordings I have ever made, this is my favorite. The musicians played beautifully and what can I say about Aimee Mann’s singing? As I was writing the song I had her voice in mind. I’ve said a lot already about her greatness as a songwriter, musician and performer. She’s a legit hero of mine. Obviously, I was pretty stoked when she agreed to sing with me. And she sang perfectly. I’m so pleased with how the song turned out. I’m almost able to listen to it as if it were not mine. Almost.” Pernice previously shared the album’s first single, “The Black and the Blue” as well. 
  
For the past 30 years, Joe Pernice has crafted a remarkable catalog that boldly reinterprets and recasts classic American pop. First with the alt-country legends Scud Mountain Boys and then with the indie-pop mainstays Pernice Brothers, he has etched bittersweet stories out of songs that echo Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, and Paul Williams. Instead of the Pernice Brothers moniker, he emerges as a solo artist with Sunny, I Was Wrong, his first studio album under his own name (after two solo efforts home-recorded and self-released during the pandemic in 2020: Richard and the Barry Manilow tribute Could It Be Magic).  “It was always just me and other people, but in this case there’s almost none of those other people. My brother Bob sings one vocal and Patrick Berkery plays one drum track. They’re the only two left who I was playing with regularly. It felt like it was time to move on.”

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Bea Elmy Martin - Anouk.

Bea Elmy Martin is quietly carving out a vital space within the UK alternative landscape. London born and bred, her music is defined by emotional precision, blending ethereal vocals, orchestral intimacy and brooding electronics. Raised on the sounds of classic soul artists like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway, Bea developed an early understanding of melody and feeling, using songwriting as a way to process life, love and loss from a young age. She describes songwriting as her journal, a way of breaking overwhelming emotions into something tangible and manageable, allowing moments of beauty, pain and connection to surface gently rather than being forced.

After the release of her 2021 debut single “Blue Escape”, which earned early BBC tastemaker support from Jack Saunders and Lauren Laverne, Bea began a slow, intentional creative journey alongside her producer Dominick J Goldsmith (HÆLOS). That collaboration led to Under The Yew (Vol. 1), released in May 2025, a luminous, grief-to-beauty infused meditation on loss and renewal. Rather than chasing momentum, Bea allowed the work to unfold over time, sustaining its emotional thread through subsequent singles “Lost” and “Born To Fly” from Under The Yew (Vol. 2), before returning in January 2026 with “Unscarred" a track that continued her exploration of transformation and inner strength.

Her new single “Anouk”, offers one of her most intimate moments yet. Written about her best friend, whom she met at university, the song evolved slowly as their relationship changed and deepened over time. “Anouk is a song I wrote about my best friend,” Bea explains. “While recording it, we were living on opposite sides of London, which was challenging at times, but we made it work. Because the song is about someone I love very deeply, every session I felt a push to make it sound more and more ethereal because she is so special to me.” The track became one she revisited more than any other, its structure and feeling shifting alongside the friendship itself. “In a way, the song moved alongside our friendship as it grew and changed. Going back into a song multiple times doesn’t mean you lack intention. Sometimes it’s exactly what a song needs.”

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The Foot & Leg Clinic - Where did all the fruit go?

Glasgow wonk-rockers The Foot & Leg Clinic (fka The Wife Guys of Reddit) return with Sit Down for Rock and Roll (released March 13th via Bingo Records), a raucous, restless and unexpectedly tender debut album led by the urgent new single ‘Where did all the fruit go?’. The Foot & Leg Clinic — Niamh R MacPhail, Arion Xenos, Angus Fernie and Elise Atkinson arrive at this album following what MacPhail describes as “a bit of a shiter the past couple years.” Written and recorded across illness, close bereavements, and a year-long break from live shows, Sit Down for Rock and Roll is the sound of a band forced to slow down and discovering they benefit from it.

With a new name and a deliberately slower creative process, the album marks a clear turning point for the band, grappling with adaptation — personal, societal, and bodily using humour, surreal imagery, and sharp hook. “We were kind of forced to work at a slower pace,” says MacPhail, “but probably for the better of the final product.” Xenos agrees: “It still feels eclectic, but it’s a little bit more focused. We definitely thought about this as an album project when working on it, as opposed to other things before.”

The lead single ‘Where did all the fruit go?’ distills generational unease into a deceptively simple question: “I’ve got nothing to show”. Breathless, hook-heavy and charged with live energy, it’s one of the band’s most immediate and relatable songs to date, pairing jangling urgency with a chorus that lingers long after the last note. “It’s about getting to a point in your life where you thought you’d have a bit more to show for it,” says MacPhail. “To find that you don't.”

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The Green Apple Sea - dark kid (Album).

The theme running through the episodes on the album "Dark Kid" is Stefan Prange's not always easy childhood and adolescence. The fact that his stepfather nicknamed his father "Satan" only seems a bit strange in retrospect. The fact that his stepbrothers chained him to a stair railing with a bicycle lock when no one else felt like watching him might seem a bit cruel in hindsight. But for 10-year-old Prange, it was nothing out of the ordinary. When he tells these stories and sings lines like "I wasn't afraid to die, I was just waiting to die," it's meant with the same pragmatic naiveté with which the protagonist, "Dark Kid," accepts his surroundings.

"Dark Kid" isn't about making the audience feel childhood trauma or depression. It's about transforming sadness into melancholy, bitterness into a shrug, anger into an outstretched hand. The resulting folk songs are so smooth and gentle, so utterly timeless. The term "indie" is only used because The Green Apple Sea have always played in small clubs, stoically carrying on. They were one of the first bands to make this distinctly American music here in Germany. Long before the hype and long after.

The album titled "Dark Kid" doesn't try to impose itself, but Prange can sing the songs on it hundreds of times without ever growing tired of them. The stories hidden within can be told countless times. As a listener, you can hear the songs a hundred times, discovering small, loving details and finding new meaning in individual lyrics. (We know this because we already have.) The tracks on "Dark Kid" are episodic, like a new season of a TV series. But if "Dark Kid" is a season of "The Green Apple Sea," then the series is rather old-fashioned. One in which the heroine sends a demon back to hell in every single episode. One in which she ends up holding a hand, or strolling in a sunset, or—best of all—laughing with her friends. The Green Apple Sea distills all the album's stories down to a single sentence in the final song. It's a quote from Terence McKenna: "Oh, I know this now. It's all about love. Making someone else's life a little bit better." Freeze frame, end credits.

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Fur Blossom - Goldsmith.

Coming back out of the haze, Melbourne’s Fur Blossom are fronting the evolution revolution with their latest single ‘Goldsmith’, out Friday, February 20. In 2025, Fur Blossom released their debut EP ‘The She Said Sun EP’, a kaleidoscopic exploration of psychedelic rock. Following up with a regional Victorian tour, the four-piece band have taken to the scene with an unrelenting ferocity. This year will see the band make their festival debut, first at Mordi Festival (Melbourne), then in Tasmania this March at Good Gumnuts Festival, before heading up the East Coast in support of their new single ‘Goldsmith’.

Combining classic elements from the pioneers of the 60s and 70s, and the sleek modernness of the 21st century, ‘Goldsmith’ is a zeitgeist in its own right. Musically, it evokes the time and spirit of an era from the past, but lyrically speaks to the ageless conundrum of changing yourself for someone else, or someone from your past.  

An articulated and undulating guitar riff immediately sets the tone for the slow burn of the extended introduction. The subtle fade in of each instrument creates a false sense of security, and before you know it, you are sucked into a sonic vortex. The crisp and contemplative vocal performance from Craig Tees rises above the instrumentation, before fading back in the chorus, creating depth and dimension to allow every part of the arrangement to speak and demand attention. 

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Photo - Emily Dynes

Chloe Violette - Colourfast.

‘Colourfast’ is made to last. A musical narrative of resilience and reflection, ‘Colourfast’ by Chloe Violette is set for release on Friday, February 20. An artist unafraid to champion topics such as mental health, grief, and claiming space, Chloe blends atmospheric soundscapes with captivating honesty in an indie pop and folk style on her upcoming album.
 
Originally shaped between inner-city Melbourne (Naarm) and regional Victoria on Brataualung Country, ‘Colourfast’ traces Chloe’s shift from city life to small-town living. Swapping the No. 11 tram to West Preston for long V/Line journeys, the now Gippsland-based artist captures a recalibration of pace, place, and identity through songs balancing heartache and hope.
 
‘Colourfast’ is an album born out of lockdown, reflecting Chloe’s inner and outer worlds at a time when motivation felt fragile. It explores themes of monotony, heaviness, and hope, tracing a contrasting emotional journey alongside the sweet, simple moments of humanity.
 
Traces of optimism emerge in the title track ‘Colourfast’, which centres on endurance and forward movement. The lyrics chart a story of graduated resilience, while the music weaves folky acoustic guitars, buttery piano, steadfast rhythms, and subtle harmonies.

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St.Arnaud - Midwest Superstardom. 

St.Arnaud, the indie pop project of Ian St.Arnaud, is set to release "Midwest Superstardom," another insight into their upcoming album, St.Arnaud, due out April 10th, 2026 via Cordova Bay Records. The single arrives February 20th alongside two additional tracks, "Blue Paper" and the already-released "Love You! (For Real)."

The title track chronicles the slow-motion fade of a road warrior who's equal parts delusional and self-aware, chasing the sunset of a forgettable career with a grin still plastered on their face. Built on swaggering, country-soaked instrumentation that explodes into full-throated Americana anthemics, "Midwest Superstardom" asks the question every gigging musician secretly contemplates: "What if the best we can hope for is to be the local touring band? Is that so bad? Are we making it?"

Ian expands on the core concept: "This was an old idea that grew quickly in the fertile soil of a band under pressure in the studio. The question of 'what if the best we can hope for as musicians is to be the local touring band?' wasn't a tough sell of an idea for anyone in the room to reckon with." While maintaining St.Arnaud's signature indie sensibility, the track is part honky-tonk heartbreak, part arena-rock bombast—all delivered with a knowing wink. Ian recalls the creative breakthrough: "After a brief, but very loud, jam of us putting on our best Alberta country band impression, we discovered a little bit of Meatloaf that we tried to lean into."

St.Arnaud · Midwest Superstardom

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Shorehaven - Marty Kolls - The Deslondes - Piner

Shorehaven - Oh Baby!

Can work and pleasure coexist? ‘Oh, Baby!’ traces the tension between two artists whose relationship is strained in a creative partnership, seeing cracks emerge when love and professionalism collide. Shorehaven shares the explosive single, complete with a vibrant music video, on Thursday, February 19.

Shorehaven are a Boorloo/Perth-based female-fronted indie pop-punk band, fusing the warmth of Australian indie rock with the punch and nostalgia of early 2000s pop punk. With a sound that captures youthful nostalgia while remaining modern and exciting, they’ve shared stages with Teenage Joans (Creamfest), Sly Withers (Leavers), Rum Jungle, Pacific Avenue (Pollen Fest), Dear Sunday, Drax Project, and more, earning a reputation for high-energy, fun live shows.

A song born out of a frustrating rehearsal, ‘Oh, Baby!’ marks a subtle shift in Shorehaven’s sonic direction. Produced by Matthew Templeman, it moves away from their earlier indie-rock leanings and embraces a more direct pop-punk palette, built on thick and juicy guitar tones, a tight rhythm section, and wry, tongue-in-cheek lyricism. The result is an upbeat, anthemic offering that feels immediate and assured, without losing the band’s melodic core. Hannah Gill (vocalist) explains:

“We really focused on not taking ourselves too seriously with this song, really leaning into the cliches [of pop rock and emo] and allowing the vision to develop with Matt’s guidance”. The release is accompanied by a colourful music video filmed over three consecutive days, featuring a lively cast of extras. Scenes move between a backyard wedding and a punk-rock performance, with a visual nod to Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’. The band describes the shoot as one of the most memorable experiences to date.

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Marty Kolls - Drive.

Following years of writing, teaching, and performing music rooted in connection and self-reflection, London, Ontario–based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marty Kolls shares "Drive," a hypnotic, consistent pop single that captures the quiet momentum of moving forward through uncertainty. Optimistic yet grounded, the track reflects on awareness, contemplation, and the importance of continuing on even when the road ahead isn’t fully visible.

Inspired by both time spent behind the wheel and her work as a songwriting instructor, "Drive" grew out of a lesson Marty taught her students. Beginning with a steady, driving rhythm, the song came together as she paired it with lyrics written during another class exercise. "I started with the driving rhythm, and it fit well with lyrics I had already written," she explains. "I put myself to the test of writing all of the assignments along with my students. It was a great source of inspiration to be presenting for them at the same time as they presented to me."

What sets "Drive" apart is its rhythmic foundation, where the piano line mirrors the physical sensation of a car in motion. The consistency of the arrangement reinforces the song's message, allowing space for reflection without ever losing forward momentum. "The rhythm of the piano feels like the movement of the car as it’s driving," Marty shares.

As the song unfolds, its final section becomes an invitation rather than a conclusion. Designed as a call-back moment, the outro encourages listeners to sing along, blurring the line between performer and audience. "I want the audience to sing along to the chorus so I can sing the extra lines over top," she says. "I want them to feel like they are a part of the song."

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Photo - Selwynn Figg

The Deslondes - Lawdy Mama.

The Deslondes return with Don’t Let It Die Vol. 1 May 22, 2026 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 the Kernel. “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 friend's 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.” 

“‘Lawdy Mama’ is a song by Edgar Blanchard who played lead guitar in bands all over New Orleans while leading his own band Gondoliers immediately after serving in World War II. He recorded it with a few of the members in 57/58 and it would be his only single recorded on the Chess record label and remain unreleased for over 20 years. I found it on a New Orleans R&B compilation of Chess singles I had picked up somewhere and it was waiting patiently to explode as the very last track with the most ripping one-note guitar solos I have ever heard. Back when the band used to tour without GPS or cell phones, I put it on a mix CD and it stayed in one of our many, many binders of CDs for years and that is how it became a Deslondes family favorite.” 

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Piner - Odelia.

Canadian artist Piner announces the release of her new single, “Odelia,” a powerful pop/rock track rooted in folk storytelling that confronts gender inequality, inherited expectations, and the radical act of self-trust. 

“Odelia” was inspired by Piner’s reflections on the rollback of gender equality, particularly in light of recent policies emerging from the United States. Rather than giving power to the person who causes “Odelia” harm, Piner turns inward, crafting a narrative that emphasizes self-worth and empowerment.
 
“This song doesn’t give power to the person who wronged Odelia,” says Piner. “It’s about putting that energy back into yourself, choosing to believe in your own value, and ultimately allowing yourself to walk away.”
 
Musically, “Odelia” blends folk-rooted lyricism with pop and rock sensibilities, “folk at the roots, rock and pop at the branches.” While the song contains moments of rage, hurt, and vengeance, particularly in its bridge, it ultimately prioritizes reflection over fear, offering clarity instead of collapse.

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