Oakland, California - based post-punk band, False Figure has just unveiled their new full-length album, Incarnate. The themes across Incarnate remain familiar to the band's legacy. Ranging from lamenting toxic interpersonal dynamics in "Favorite Game", finding sobering respite within the chaos of an unsalvageable world in "Original Sin", to a more immediate and explosive call to action in "Say Nothing". There's an undeniable flow to the songs on the record that don't leave you lingering in the same feeling for too long.
Incarnate is an example of what modern post-punk could sound like while not being pinned to one particular repetitious theme. The tracks serve as a cathartic release for listeners, drawing from lived experiences that are universally shared. It is the intention of the band to speak to the inner world of its audience and connect in a meaningful way. Incarnate is available on LP and on all major digital platforms worldwide courtesy of the band’s label, Cruel Subordination Records.
Matilda Schyborger creates intimate indie pop shaped by jazz influences and honest storytelling. Blending the warmth in her vocals with the quiet strength of her lyrics, her music helps to find meaning in the ordinary and beauty in everyday moments.
Her EP ‘She’ll Be Fine’ is out now, led by the single ‘Nellie’. Recorded mostly live at Music A Matic Studios in Gothenburg and produced by Klara Goliger, the release captures an organic, close-knit sound that mirrors its themes of female friendship and emotional clarity.
Across the EP, Matilda explores loyalty, vulnerability, and the quiet resilience of standing beside the people you love. ====================================================
Photo - Calli Westra
Hiding Places - One Hand.
Today, Brooklyn-based indie rockers Hiding Places release their latest single "One Hand," alongside a dramatic, DIY-style official music video featuring vocalist Audrey Keelin. A gentler tune than their previous singles, "One Hand" opens with a repetitive acoustic guitar, which breaks only for a moment into heavy riffage between verses and what may be considered a chorus. The acoustic influence harkens back to the band's earlier songs that expound their folk influences, like Merce Lemon and villagerrr.
"One Hand” is a meditation on how we can be so hard on ourselves in the face of keeping up long-distance relationships and friendships. It is hard to give grace to oneself when, for example, taking “too long to call for some reason.” This song is very hypnotic to play live and cuts into heavier, more intense, distorted moments at seemingly random times.
In recording, we separated the main riff into three parts (Left, Right, and Center) and played it with three acoustic guitars, Nicholas, Michael and I each being responsible for playing one section of the riff, recording live in stereo. If listening in headphones, the achieved effect is a riff that dances spatially around the listeners head, increasing the hypnotic experience," songwriter and vocalist Audrey Keelin says.
JP Soars & Anne Harris will release their highly anticipated collaborative album, Gypsy Blue Revue, on May 29, 2026, via Forty Below Records. The first single, “Viper,” is available now, with additional singles to follow. For more than two decades, JP Soars has built his reputation the way roots music was meant to be built — onstage, night after night. A fiery guitarist, soulful vocalist, and inventive songwriter, Soars blends American blues with rock & roll, Latin grooves, country, and gypsy jazz, guided not by genre but by feel.
That musical vision comes into sharp focus on Gypsy Blue Revue, a collaboration with acclaimed Chicago-based violinist, vocalist, and songwriter Anne Harris. The partnership began in 2019 after the two artists crossed paths on the festival circuit and joined forces at the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas. The chemistry was immediate, and what began as a one-off performance quickly evolved into a powerful creative union rooted in Southern soul, roadhouse blues, rock, and eclectic folk influences.
The album was recorded live at a rural Ohio studio without click tracks or overdubs, capturing the immediacy and chemistry that define their performances. “We approached it exactly like a show,” says Soars. “All in one room, playing together. We just wanted it to sound like us.” The record also features Soars’ longtime bandmates: drummer Chris Peet and bassist Cleveland Frederick.
Swiss quartet Lone Assembly present their debut album, “Knots & Chains”: hymns of pain, alienation, and sorrow, certainly, but also of hope, strength, and courage. Cloaked in a gothic aesthetic, the record is a new wave/synth-pop exploration of control in all its forms: control exerted by others, cultivated within ourselves, and imposed by the places we inhabit.
When Lone Assembly released “That Never Happened” in early 2024, a debut EP paying tribute to a lost loved one, the band quickly became more than just a group of friends making music: it became a space for healing, a place of closeness, a necessity. And while this urgency was evident in the band's first songs, it is even more apparent on their debut album.
“Knots & Chains” leans heavily into chiaroscuro, casting shifting light across songs born of profound darkness. Here, the band uses each track as a means to examine control in its various forms. First, there is the control that others exert, as in the unsuccessful attempts of the narrator of “You're Pulling at the Same Strings” to understand the evil that dwells within the other: “I've been wondering where your ache breathes, in mazes you design?” Then there is the control we exert over ourselves, as in the captivating “The Pain Keeper” and “My Life's Solid.” And finally, there is the control of places that also transcend us, as in “The City Works Like This,” where the city acts like a living organism, absorbing, rejecting, distorting.
While the topics addressed by the band are dark, glimmers of hope emerge here and there, in the form of a vital need for air, as is the case with the banger “In the Open.” “The album takes shape like a cycle, moving from suffocation to openness, from closed spaces to greater, albeit fragile, breathing space,” explains Raphaël Bressler (vocals).
New to Beehive Candy and so glad we have been introduced to them, Susannah Sail are a four-piece from Cornwall (UK), comprising Rosie Gardner (vocals, trumpet), Morgan Doughty (guitar), George Offenbach (bass) and Taylor Daley (drums, percussion). They draw from a broad range of influences across soul, jazz, alternative-indie and beyond, and sing songs of introspection, optimism and love. The band's debut album "Are You Alright?" is due for release in June 2026 and will be released on vinyl by Cornish label "Kroustpop!"
Here's Rosie's comments on Running "The feeling of being invisible, not being seen by the one person you truly love, They are running from all there fears, this is from them not loving themselves, you don't blame them, you feel sorry for them, you can feel glimpses of what there going through, Love isn't always enough."
On recording material in Chile, Morgan Doughty notes: "The trip to Chile was insane! The Chilean hospitality was unmatched, we met so many creatives through our producer/friend Pau who were incredibly friendly, talented and hard-working (and a lot of them seemed to be big names in Chile which felt like we were hanging out with real rockstars!), and the scenery was so mind-blowing that it was a real fertile environment for us to be creative ourselves and work on the album. The studio we recorded in in Valdivia was full of incredible gear, operated by two masters of their craft (Pau and Robert) so we were able to craft the sounds exactly as we wanted them for the two new tunes. The steaks were juicy, the mountain air was fresh and we were full of gratitude every day."
Ghost punk and goth garage band Hauntees’ debut takes you on a road trip through the desert. The Helsinki-based ghost punk and goth garage band Hauntees released their debut album Shadows Forming today. Dark and brooding, the record plays like the soundtrack to a road trip across a desert. Along the way, you stop at smoky saloons and pass abandoned gravestones. The sound carries the bitter dust and shimmering heat of sun-scorched sand dunes.
Seasoned with melancholy and minimalism, the songs on Shadows Forming range from cinematic instrumental music (Phantom Road) to stripped-down spellbinding blues (Spell) and ‘80s synth-tinged dance punk (Self-Defense). The album also features a hauntingly peculiar Misfits cover (London Dungeon).
Hauntees’ debut album is a powerful entrance — this band is here to stay. “Hauntees is not a hobby, a job, or a voluntary choice for us. It’s something we simply have to do,” the band states without a trace of sarcasm. “The album sounds perfect, even though we were a bit nervous about it,” the band explains. “It was recorded and mixed multiple times in different locations by Ville-Matti Koskiniemi and Miikka Sipilä. As a final touch, we had it mastered by American engineer Taylor Deupree, whose work ties the whole album together beautifully despite the diversity of songs, arrangements, and moods.”
Houston’s Spain Colored Orange returned with their first single titled “April Fools,” from their forthcoming six-song EP, Confiding in Ghosts (Diverse Chorus Records). The EP sees a vinyl release in late April and is sure to tickle the sensibilities of Elliott Smith, Wilco, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Sparklehorse fans. Confiding in Ghosts is a collection of meticulously composed songs that are melodically uplifting, while telling a story of grief and loss lyrically. “April Fools” hit digital streaming platforms over the weekend.
Band frontman Gilbert Alfaro has this to say about “April Fools”: “I quoted Black Flag on “April Fools”….’it’s not my imagination, I’ve got a gun on my back,’ but that’s probably not a good idea. I was paying homage to Black Flag when I used it, I always loved that line and it worked perfectly in that song because of how I felt at the time.”
Spain Colored Orange is an indie rock band from Texas, known for blending a wide range of styles including indie rock, psychedelic rock, jazz, ‘70s-era sounds, and experimental arrangements into a distinctive, energetic sound. Started by Alfaro in 2000, SCO initially made a mark on the indie rock world with the 2005 release of their EP Hopelessly Incapable of Standing in the Way on Lucid Records, which won Houston Press Music Awards Album of the Year.
“What do you all talk about when I leave the room?” Iron Out, the new release from folk songwriter Marnie Glum, explores anxieties with a stubborn playfulness, offering a much-needed burst of light after an unflinchingly cold winter. The soundscape juxtaposes juvenile synths with plodding basslines, dry drums and complex, steadfast guitar, perhaps making this youthful track (contradictorily) Glum’s most mature work yet.
Iron Out is accompanied by a stunning music video featuring a beautifully designed array of characters. Directed by Lizzie Farrell and filmed by George Hall, this video brings the song’s heart to the fore. As Marnie says, “it is an ode to awkwardness, to not quite fitting in or getting it right”.
“Tell me, would you stick around if I told you that I wanted you to? // Not that I want you to” Predominantly recorded in London with Snowpoet’s Chris Hyson, this is the sound of an artist coming into her own. “I can’t help but be influenced by my surroundings. Recording my first EP Since I Was Small in Norway resulted in big, sweeping, atmospheric sounds... this time, recording in small rooms with brilliant musicians, I knew it would be tighter and more careful. This song is about little details and dancing around the obvious, so small nuances and moments matter. Chris did an amazing job of bringing that feeling to the forefront.”
The latest single from the brightest new stars in the Daptone universe – R&B trio The Womack Sisters (BG, Zeimani, and Kucha Womack) release “You Went Away Too Long” today. The song opens with a dark herald of horns, orchestral chimes, and percussion groove, before shifting to the tender first verse: a melancholy longing of women who haven’t been able to forget.
the latest single from the brightest new stars in the Daptone Universe: BG, Zeimani, and Kucha, also known as The Womack Sisters. An ominous organ ostinato leads into a dark herald of horns, orchestral chimes, and percussion.
The groove shifts and the Womack Sisters enter the first verse of “You Went Away Too Long”. But real love and longing is not so simple. The mood turns when they launch into a haunting unison chorus dripping with the confidence of three women who refuse to wait too long for their due.
Rising Wigan (UK) based indie-rock quartet Montello return with the breezy new single ‘Suit & Tie’. Formed in late 2023, the band have quickly built momentum with appearances at The Great Escape, Isle of Wight Festival, Tramlines, and Sound City in summer 2025, all achieved in just over a year and a half of the band being together.
Working with producer Luke Owens, the new single ‘Suit & Te’ both captures the fluorescent, youthful flare of the band's live sound while displaying mature, memorable songwriting. Built around jangling guitar tones, tight drums and grounding bass, the track captures a bubbling indie accessibility comparable to The Vaccines, whilst bringing an undertone of The Stone Roses.
Speaking about the track, the band explain: "Suit & Tie is a song dedicated to the struggle of creative minds around the world. Since starting this band we've seen the peaks and troughs of the music industry, and we all share a burning desire to keep Montello moving forward - none of us want to quit our passion despite the amount of artists and venues struggling in the current climate, none of us want to sit behind a desk instead of doing what we really love, none of us want to die in a suit and a tie."
Following several successful single releases with over 400 airplays on Swiss and international indie radio stations, singer-songwriter Sarah Villiger just released her debut EP Next Corner on February 27, 2026. At the same time, the final EP single With You will be released – a stripped-back, spacious neo-soul/electronic pop track about closeness and the reflection on a simple yet profound question: what if someone is no longer there?
With Next Corner, Sarah Villiger presents her first cohesive body of work, further refining her musical identity. Lyrically, the songs move between deep pain, creative struggle, and an underlying sense of optimism – the will to keep going, to encourage oneself and others, and to reach out for hope.
Sonically, the EP is defined by a clear and distinctive signature: deep beats, analog and digital synthesizers, spaciousness, and deliberate contrasts. Sarah Villiger’s warm, soulful, floating voice takes center stage, meeting both minimalist arrangements and more densely layered instrumental sections. Songs such as Reflection and With You are intentionally minimal, while Next Corner and Word serve as more energetic counterparts with fuller instrumentation. Retro elements – drum machines, vinyl crackles, synthesizers, or Motown bells – merge with modern electronic textures to create a warm, organic sound.
The songs began as sketches in Sarah’s home studio, with melodies and harmonies mostly developed on the piano. In collaboration with producer Manuel Halter, they were further shaped in the studio. Analog synth takes were deliberately left unquantized to preserve a sense of human imperfection. The EP is complemented by instrumental contributions from Andreas Allenbach (guitar, trumpet) and Matthias Meusel (drums), whose personal interpretations and spontaneous recordings add their own distinctive character to the sound.
Nashville-based up-and-comer Amelia Day shares her new single "Love Me / Love Me Not," an emotional whiplash of a song fueled by toxic love cycles and electric guitar. Her first release of 2026, the track follows Day's 2025 singles "False Prophet" feat. Sydnee Conley, "Margie" and "Lady Los Angeles."
Amelia Day on the new single: "This song is inspired by the emotional whiplash of a past relationship, stuck in the limbo of loves me, loves me not. It explores the toxicity of love-bombing and withdrawal, ultimately leading to self-realization and rebirth - a kind of spiritual awakening. It is for anyone who's lived through push-pull heartbreak, coming out stronger on the other side."
Amelia Day is a musical jack-of-all-trades. Standing at the intersection of folk, rock, and pop, she blends heartfelt storytelling, raw delivery, and unforgettable melodies into music that feels both fresh and familiar — like rediscovering an old favorite.
Born and raised in the small town of Sumner, Washington, Day has been making music since she could walk and writing original songs since middle school. In college, she overcame paralyzing stage fright and began performing publicly. Starting with farmers markets and local restaurants, she developed the confidence and following that would lead to sold-out shows in Seattle, Boston and D.C., as well as festival appearances.
Melina Malone is a Dublin-born Irish-Greek artist redefining the landscape of Irish Soul and R&B. Known for her powerhouse vocals, emotional depth and commanding live presence, she has emerged as one of Ireland’s most compelling contemporary voices. Blending neo-soul, jazz and classic R&B influences, Melina’s artistry is rooted in honesty, musicality and a fearless commitment to authenticity.
Her debut album Aphrodite (October 2023) introduced her as a distinctive force. The record, inspired by artists such as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and female R&B girl groups like SWV and Brownstone fused sultry melodies with raw lyricism and earned widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 review from Hot Press. The project positioned her at the forefront of a new wave of Irish R&B, while drawing international attention for its rich musicianship and unapologetic vulnerability.
Since then, Melina has solidified her reputation as one of Ireland’s strongest live performers. She has opened for Grammy-winning jazz legend Gregory Porter, performed alongside Macy Gray and Morcheeba, and in 2024 delivered a landmark performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, showcasing her versatility and vocal command.
Now, 2026 begins with the release of her new single “Lola,” the second single from her forthcoming sophomore album 'Don't Trust a Gemini.' Bold, rhythm-driven and vocally expansive, “Lola” marks another step in Melina’s artistic evolution. Leaning further into live instrumentation and improvisational phrasing, the track reflects her deepening love for jazz traditions and vocal freedom, while maintaining the soulful storytelling that defines her. It serves as both a continuation of her sonic refinement and a preview of the more improvised, jazz-led direction shaping her next body of work.
After a year spent traversing the country - both as an opening act and as headliners - NYC's Bandits on the Run show no sign of slowing down in 2026. In addition to an upcoming run supporting Alan Doyle, the indie-pop-folk group have recently announced upcoming performances at Kerrville Folk Festival and Sisters Folk Fest, and have dropped the new single, “Woods Alone at Night,” last Friday. This new single continues to demonstrate the continuing musical evolution of Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd and Regina Strayhorn
“Woods Alone at Night,” Enscoe explains, “was written for the dark night of the soul, for the moment in every journey you feel the loneliest: all options blocked, all escape routes exhausted, all solutions tried and failed. Sometimes you're lost, the only company the echoes of your own hapless yelps. We all know those moments — lots of us are feeling it now in this current moment of creeping authoritarianism and oligarchic totality.”
Born from a chance encounter busking on the subway, Bandits on the Run defy convention with an impressive trade-off of lead vocals and instruments, marrying acoustic, electric, and bass guitar sounds with cello, accordion, suitcases-turned-kickdrums, and (if you're lucky) sometimes even a megaphone.
The new visualizer and single "Treat Me Like Gold" from award-winning Portland based singer/songwriter and musician Kathryn Grimm has just been released. The blues rock track "is a playful song about someone who knows their worth advising a less than appreciative partner to hurry up and realize what they’ve got," shares the artist.
Kathryn Grimm has collaborated with the likes of Jeff Buckley (backed her up in her original band “Group Therapy”), Michael Bolton and more. LA Times praised Kathryn stating that she "pummels crowds into a blissful heap”.
Kathryn stays busy with her many projects including “The Kathryn Grimm Band” (KGB), “The Jazz Rockets”, “Hippie Love Slave”, “Babes In Portland”; and hosts a quarterly Blues/Jazz Jam. She also offers her skills as a player backing up select artists on guitar, bass, piano, vocals (“Mekong River Band”) and as a writer (several of her songs are featured in playwright Alan Alexander III’s award winning “Homeless, The Musical”). Academically she holds degrees at The Guitar Institute (Hollywood CA) and Cal State, L.A. (BA / MA - Jazz Studies / Commercial Music).
Swedish band Primula steps into a new chapter ahead of their upcoming EP ‘Nothing New’. Recorded live and guided by a willingness to go against the grain, the track showcases the matured sound the band have grown into. Rather than following conventional three-minute structures and predictable choruses, Primula embraces tension and space that many musicians shy away from. The result is far from run-of-the-mill indie as their tracks shift seamlessly between fragility and power, driven by Ella’s striking and unconventional vocals.
‘Cobblestone’ is about the uncomfortable yet reassuring realization that you are not the center of the world, but rather one small part of something much larger. It reflects the inner shift that often comes during periods of change and growing up. Times like this make identity feel less certain and allow new perspectives to begin to take shape. The title itself acts as a metaphor: a single cobblestone may appear ordinary, but without each stone, the road would not exist.
“‘Cobblestone’ is about the difficult yet comforting realization that you’re just a small piece in a much bigger world. There’s a freedom in not having to be so significant on your own. Even if you feel insignificant by yourself, you’re still an essential part of making something whole.”
M. John Henry, Scottish songwriter and singer in the bands De Rosa (Chemikal Underground, Rock Action Records) and Whin (duo with Robert Dallas Gray of Life Without Buildings) has released the single 'Evelyn' from his new solo album, M. John Henry - 'Early Songs, Of Late' (out now). The single is out now on Gargleblast Records. The new LP is a collection of stripped back recordings made in 2025 which revisit music from the time of my debut album with De Rosa in the mid 2000s. It includes reworked and reimagined versions of songs from 'Mend' (2006), as well as some contemporaneous unreleased songs, recorded here for the first time.
Ex-De Rosa frontman and Bellshill's shadier pop songsmith M. John Henry turns to his back catalogue with new album -‘Early Songs, Of Late’ (out now) - a beautiful collection of reworked and newly performed versions of classic songs and unreleased material. 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of 'Mend' – De Rosa's 2006 debut - which put Henry's songwriting on the map for its deep connection to his post-industrial homeland.
A three decade career later and we find Henry seeking alternative paths through what were once jagged, indie-folk cuts and arriving in darkly pastoral territory. “The kind of parochial majesty you might encounter if Pixies reworked The Go-Betweens' 'Before Hollywood' for a documentary about the social history of Lanarkshire...”, MOJO magazine wrote of 'Mend'. Swap in Bert Jansch and Mark Eitzel and you might be heading in Henry's direction on 'Early Songs, Of Late'.
Beached Out is a Peterborough, Ontario–based indie rock duo made up of Anne and Jeff Parker. Formed through a long-running creative partnership, the band blends fuzzed-out, ’90s-leaning indie rock with concise, narrative-driven songwriting. Their work explores memory, relationships, and the tension between ambition and everyday life. Their first full-length album, Average Weekends, spans eleven tracks that move between hook-driven guitar songs, reflective moments, and character-focused storytelling. Written and recorded over eight months, the album is fully collaborative, with Jeff and Anne sharing vocals and songwriting equally.
Their third single Variable Rate has been released this weekend and is yet another beautiful example of what to anticipate when the album is released. We are also told regarding the album: The record opens with the deceptively bright “Variable Rate,” followed by the moody churn of “Falling for Sure,” which explores miscommunication and emotional distance. “Hands in Reverse” shifts toward connection, while “1000 Trees” draws on the eerie calm of an ice storm. The surf-tinged title track (a nod to Canadian icons Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet) reflects a search for balance in a hectic world.
Elsewhere, the album leans into character studies and memory-driven vignettes, from the washed-up wrestler tale of “Half Nelson” to the bittersweet nostalgia of “Supervillain.” The record ultimately balances regret and contentment, landing on intimacy and hope.
The new album from Michigan indie pop all-stars The Legal Matters. The band's fourth full-length record (and their first for BSR) Lost At Sea has seen worldwide release on Vinyl, CD and Streaming from yesterday February 27. Already previewed by the indie hit single “Everybody Knows” with “The Message” soon to follow, the album is a triumph of sharp hooks, songwriting and performances even by the high standards set by the band on their acclaimed previous albums.
It's become traditional to refer to The Legal Matters as a “midwestern power pop supergroup,” but they've long since transcended that label. It's true that when the band formed in 2013, Keith Klingensmith, Andy Reed and Chris Richards were already key players on the Michigan scene, with a combined pedigree encompassing beloved bands like The Phenomenal Cats, An American Underdog, and Richards' ongoing solo career with The Subtractions.
But they've undeniably become a force of their own, and more than the sum of their parts, over the course of releasing three of the most celebrated indie pop albums of recent decades: their self-titled 2014 debut, 2016's Conrad (one of the few albums by emerging artists to be backed by reissue powerhouse Omnivore Recordings) and 2021's Chapter Three. All three garnered critical praise and berths on Year's Best Albums list across the indie pop world from Popdose and MusicTAP to the UK's I Don't Hear A Single and beyond, and the list of classic artists artists referenced in those glowing notices – Big Star, Badfinger, Teenage Fanclub, Fountains Of Wayne, Crowded House – does provide some idea of what to expect. What sets The Legal Matters apart, though, is the magic of their chemistry as songwriters, harmonizing vocalists and players.
When he’s not on stage with the band Wintershome or working as a ski instructor (and until October 2025 serving fresh trout at the “Gault&Millau” awarded “Chalet Alm”), Martial Chanton dedicates himself to his own music. Under the name Marcello di Luna, he creates enchanting, atmospheric indie folk infused with the spirit of lo-fi and driven by grand melodies. Equally expansive are the sonic landscapes that unfold in his new single “Hanalei Bay.”
Marcello di Luna’s most important instrument is the acoustic guitar — and, of course, his voice. He sings about closeness, about doubt, and about what it means to be human. “Hanalei Bay” (released yesterday February 27) also reflects the striking contrast and the unexpected similarities between the mountains of Valais, where he grew up, and the ocean.
Following the critically acclaimed release of ‘Asphodels’ in 2025, The Veils quickly return with a bold and invigorated new album titled ‘Fragile World’, out 19 June on V2 Records. The first single ‘Lungs’ is released this weekend. Arriving just over a year after their last release, ‘Fragile World’ marks a striking shift in tone and energy for the band. Recorded live to tape in New Zealand by Paddy Hill, with production by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins, The Chills, Folk Bitch Trio), ‘Fragile World’, captures The Veils in an urgent and instinctive mode.
As can be heard on the first single ‘Lungs’ of which frontman Finn Andrews says: “I make each album, generally, as a kind of atonement for the last. Asphodels was so quiet and introspective, I think I just wanted to make something strident and full of life for a goddamn change. I wrote the lyric for this years ago, while I still lived in London and I still smoked fags.” The album’s title is both a reflection of the present moment - a time in which many institutions appear to be crumbling before our eyes - and a metaphor for the act of creation itself. The process of making music, Andrews notes, is a delicate and fragile undertaking where thousands of small decisions gradually coalesce into a finished whole.
The new single from French outfit Scorie "Room Full of Gangsters," is released this week. This new track heralds the release of the band's first 5-track EP, "Gallodrome," arriving on April 24th via Géographie. Room Full Of Gangsters, like an epic Western Spaghetti, tells the advent of an end, and glorifies human vice in order to ridicule it. This track is first and foremost a tale of self-awareness, through some sort of Death Row, where redemption does not exist. It’s the story of a monster whose epiphany occurs only when he ends up surrounded by his peers.
This Purgatory’s waiting room, orchestrated by a burning crescendo, where trumpets rub against screams and punkish dirt, explores the classic theme of the last day of a condemned man, who fights his true nature to finally accept who he is, a preacher thirsting for decadence, a shabby, sweat-smelling Tony Montana, a lost sheep dreaming of being the Big Bad Wolf.
Scorie is a beef bourguignon where the red wine has been replaced by two bottles of cognac. It’s a sunset drive with one wheel missing. It’s a tank top in the dead of winter and a 100% polyester turtleneck in the middle of a heatwave. After more than a year of meticulous distillation, the band is set to release their first 5-tracks EP “Gallodrome” on Géographie.
Last year brought profound change for Nashville-based roots rocker Ben Chapman. Within ten months, he learned that his then girlfriend fellow singer-songwriter Meg McRee — was pregnant, they married in the spring, and welcomed their first child in September. It’s no surprise, then, that the phrase “Everything’s Different” were the words that defined their 2025. Now, today Chapman is officially entering a new era and releasing his first single of the new year titled “Everything’s Different” via Soundly Music. Written by Chapman, McRee and Bryan Simpson the homespun track finds Chapman reflecting on the passage of time over an ageless Southern rock sonic landscape with jangling keys, resonant organ and Chapman’s signature fluid guitar playing.
It was also recently announced that Chapman is featured in the 2026 music documentary Ten Year Town, which follows nine Nashville singer/songwriters across a pivotal stretch of their lives. The film celebrated its world premiere earlier this month at the Belcourt Theatre, and tonight Chapman will put on his first Peach Jam show of 2026 at the Basement East featuring other artists from the film including Brit Taylor, Gabe Lee, Chris Canterbury and more.
“In a way this song was kind of a self fulfilling prophecy,” Chapman explains. “When we wrote it, the hurricane that was approaching my life hadn’t hit just yet, but just a few short months later we were expecting a baby and getting married. Even though 2025 changed everything, sometimes I still feel like the same kid trying to navigate it all. I love the way a song can grow in meaning long after the day it’s written, and this one definitely has.”
On a day off from tour in Phoenix, AZ, a curious stranger gestured toward Eric Gabriel from across the street. Following the direction of her finger, Gabriel saw the roadrunner perched on a curb. Remarking that they are always in motion, the binocular-clad woman said, “It must be your lucky day.”
Fittingly, the NYC native's sophomore effort 'Lucky Day Roadrunner' is about the odd and meaningful connections found by taking a minute to look around or follow the directions of a friendly stranger. And it was a lucky day. Not just because he had never seen a roadrunner before, but also because the stranger shared her excitement, creating a collective experience and a new meaning in Gabriel's solitary, otherwise aimless walk in an unknown city.
Compared to his first solo record, Samara (2025), the album feels a bit looser, a bit less serious, and welcomes more roughness around the edges. Full of twists and turns, dive bars and long drives, Lucky Day Roadrunner presents a cohort of characters who feel as down on their luck as they do certain their luck is about to change. After all, we often feel luckiest when we escape near tragedy, or something bad almost happens: When a car almost crashes in “Blinded by the Light” or when the boy changes his wish over a birthday candle before "blowing it" on “Looking Back.” The songs weave in and out of truth and fantasy, childhood memories and present moments, vulnerability and a humorous deflections — all together presenting a collection of magnetic stories filled with light-hearted cynicism and bittersweet nostalgia.
For her latest act, White conjures a curious baroque-pop composition that is as engaging as it is enigmatic. Reminiscent of complex, non-linear outings of Laurie Andersen, Agnes Obel, or Aldous Harding “Blueprint” finds White's gossamer vocal enveloped by dancing string arrangements by neoclassical minimalist composer Brent Arnold.
A song that asks as many questions as it ever gives answers, “Blueprint” deconstructs urban settings familiar to all of us and unravels their existential mechanics, line by line. “How much do you think it weighs? Is it possible to learn from within the maze?” she wonders here. The single is accompanied by an official video, which is directed by Mark Benjamin. Layered, gliding and hypnotic, it lulls the viewer into a thoughtful reverie.
“Blueprint” is taken from Simone White’s forthcoming album ‘Letter To The Last Generation’, available on CD + Digitally on 1st May 2026 (via Ghost Palace / Cargo). Something of a lost album, ‘Letter To The Last Generation’ has floated around the internet for some years. Lost in the twilight period of those first few weeks of the pandemic as the world readjusted to a new era, the album received an extremely limited vinyl release, before disappearing into the ether. With the majority of its tracks written and recorded in the weeks before White made a major move from LA to NYC, ‘Letter to the Last Generation’ feels like a collage from an artist in a restless, transitory state.
Magan-djin/Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Lottie McLeod who has quickly built a reputation for atmospheres and lyrics that connect and resonate deeply, tapping into art's ability to comfort and even quietly heal wounds this week shares 'Important To You', a song that dives into the complexity of "setting boundaries for your own preservation", especially when both parties are struggling.
Released following the recent announcement of her signing to ABC Music, joining labelmates Emily Wurramara, Playlunch, Flynn Gurry and more, 'Important To You' and its bayside black-and-white visualiser is the first new music from Lottie since her critically beloved debut EP Bug (2025) and live performance for triple j's 50th birthday. With the single marking a maturation in sound and perspective for the young artist, 'Important To You' is out now via ABC Music.
On 'Important To You', Lottie McLeod's initially soft but assured vocals carry grief, regret and determination across low-slung guitar and a bed of plaintive, stare-out-over-the-sea indie/alt-folk instrumentation that builds with fuzzed-out guitar, McLeod's increasingly resolute voice and splashy drums to a spontaneous scream of release in the track's dense, noisy outro.
Led by goth siren Layla Reyna, darkwave / goth rock quartet Licorice Chamber from Tacoma, Washington, have just released their new Remnants EP (24 February 2026), ahead of a string of US West Coast live dates. Remnants is Licorice Chamber’s third EP since forming in 2021, and the first to feature new drummer Cory Sorrentino in place of the drum machine: joining guitarist Marc Jones (also a former member of Strap On Halo), and bassist Joe Fox. Discussing the themes explored by the new three-song Remnants EP, Layla Reyna says:
“The EP title Remnants suggests aftermath, what survives destruction. Rather than romanticizing despair, the songs feel like they’re exploring what’s left when illusions fall away. ‘Heavy’ explores the invisible weight of self-condemnation and the lasting impact of what we carry in silence.
With ‘Never the Same’, I was thinking about that moment when you realize there’s no going back and that something changes you permanently. Its origin is a dream I had that tasted like falling — the idea behind my first EP, and what ultimately convinced me to start Licorice Chamber. ‘Feign’ explores the armor we wear. The ways we perform strength when we’re actually unraveling.”
'Wanna See You’ (out Friday, February 27), the second single from The Great Emu War Casualties upcoming debut album, ‘Public Sweetheart No.1' (out Friday, March 27), is a slice of everyday happiness in the band's otherwise cathartic and emotional repertoire.
Following on from their earlier single this year ‘Donut’, ‘Wanna See You’ is proof that the band can write a happy song - if they choose to. Their previous three EPs sing to broken hearts, existential reflections, and candid commentary on life, but as the band moves into album territory, ‘Wanna See You’ breaks up that anxiety and reminds us that life can still be ok. Joe Jackson shares:
“Wanna See You is proof that I can write a happier song and just choose not to 95% of the time. It’s actually not that happy is it? It’s a simple song about the fact that I wanna see you every time you call and sometimes that’s all you need.”
Even for their ‘happy song’, The Great Emu War Casualties have demonstrated their skill in contrast, combining the light and the dark through their bleak but evocative imagery, and bright, spirited musicality. Continuing with their sharp and observant lyricism, ‘Wanna See You’ explores that feeling of wanting to see someone when they call.
