Orange Animal's new single Place for Me, is a song that begins in emptiness and slowly fills with something deeper, warmer, and harder to let go of. It feels like sitting alone in a dark auditorium, staring into a low-burning fire. The air is heavy. The silence stretches. And then, without warning, something shifts. The flames rise. The room fills. Voices return. The people you love find their way back in.
What starts as isolation becomes connection. What sits heavy in your chest begins to move.At its core, Place for Me is a question. A vulnerable one. One that lingers long after the music fades.
“My mind falls down to a lonely place - My eyes no more to see your face - If you feel me near to some degree - Will you hold a place for me?”
There’s a raw honesty here. Regret, longing, and the quiet hope that even when things fall apart, something of us remains with the people we love. But this isn’t just about loss. It’s about release. About taking what sits heavy inside and letting it transform into something that makes you stronger, fuller, more open than before.
Nashville artist Zach Seabaugh has shared a new single “Eastern Time” on Cloverdale Records (Evan Honer, Winyah, Sam Burchfield). Glide Magazine premiered the homesick tune, noting “Steel guitar, gorgeous harmonies, and a triumphant piano serve as a perfect complement to Seabaugh’s heartfelt and soulful lyrical tale of pining for home.”
Written on tour somewhere along the West Coast, “Eastern Time” paints a stark picture of a rambling man longing for home. Seabaugh’s soulful vocals glide like honey over a growling electric: Goodbye California / Like the west coast sun / I’m a man-on-the run / She’s living on Eastern Time. As the song unfolds, his ache billows out over impassioned piano, giving way to a howling chorus.
“I’m not one to stay in the same place for too long,” Seabaugh shares. “I enjoy travel, the adventure of it, but I have to recharge my battery for it,” he shares. “No matter where I go, where life takes me, I’ll always go home to Georgia.”
Shooter Jennings - When I'm Stoned ft. Willie Nelson.
Today, Shooter Jennings pays tribute to his longtime friend Jason Boland with a cover of “When I’m Stoned” featuring Willie Nelson. Shooter Jennings explains, “I’ve known Jason Boland for more than half my life. I saw him playing songs in bars. I opened for him the day we got thrown in jail in Baylor County for weed. So naturally, when they asked me to do this project, I enthusiastically agreed and called Willie Nelson to help me out. Boland is a diamond and he’s one of the guys that influenced a lot of what is going on in today’s country music, so it was my pleasure to honor my old friend.”
The cover of “When I’m Stoned” marks the second release in the Hellponies Archives series, named after Boland’s fanbase The Hell Ponies. Late last year, the series began with Flatland Cavalry’s take on “Somewhere Down In Texas” that led Whiskey Riff to proclaim, “While the music [Boland] is creating today is well worth listening to, there is something about the songs on that debut project that proved Boland would be a timeless staple of the red dirt scene. So timeless that new artists are revisiting these tunes and breathing new life into them two decades after their release.”
Last year, Jason Boland & The Stragglers released their Lloyd Maines-produced LP The Last Kings Of Babylon, which garnered widespread acclaim from No Depression, The Tennessean, American Songwriter and Rolling Stone who profiled the “Red Dirt King” in an extensive feature saying, “Nearly every force driving the current renaissance in country music is one that Boland embodies so thoroughly that it cannot be construed in a buzz word.”
Swedish singer-songwriter Winona Oak has shared her delicate yet powerful new single and video ‘Breaking Point’ alongside the announcement of her second album ‘Bloom’ released on 25th September via Nettwerk.
Following recent singles ‘Do You Hate Me Now’, ‘Horses’ and ‘Stay the night’, new album ‘Bloom’ marks a new chapter for Winona Oak and is a testament to survival, showcasing both her emotional and musical growth and devotion to connection. Allowing herself to slowly open up again with honesty and hope after a period of grief and heartbreak, her new record lets the listener into a deeply personal world where beginnings emerge from endings.
Winona released her EP ‘Salt’ last spring, which was a poignant personal documentation of her physical and emotional states. Throughout the last year, she has been working on new music and a more organic progression in her raw and unvarnished sound, whilst still writing candidly about the highs and lows of life; loss and repair, heartbreak and love, resistance and patience. Winona says,
“Like a flower emerging after a long winter, blooming isn’t instant - it’s the result of surviving the darker seasons.Bloom reflects the transformation - the idea that even after pain life still finds ways to grow. It’s a gentle but powerful reminder that healing isn’t about forgetting the past, but about allowing yourself to open again to the light."
My Life As A Moth - The Parade of the Starlet & the Broken Hearted (Album).
My Life As A Moth is the project of a Swedish-born, East London-based artist whose music blends post punk, experimental rock, art pop, industrial textures and alternative guitar music into something immersive, eerie and emotionally charged. The project began during lockdown, at a time when she felt lost and disconnected. Sitting down at a dusty keyboard she had not played in a long time, she found a dead moth between the keys. Struck by how sad and strangely beautiful it looked, she wrote a song called “My Life As A Moth.” That moment became the starting point not just for a track, but for an entire artistic identity.
That instinct to transform difficult feelings into something vivid sits at the heart of her new 12-track album, The Parade of the Starlet & the Broken Hearted. Written during a period of deep personal change and therapy, the record draws on experiences of trauma, manipulation, coercive control and gaslighting, but it is just as much about resilience, clarity and the parts of ourselves that survive. Her writing often takes personal experience and filters it through surrealism, symbolism and world-building, creating songs that feel both deeply intimate and slightly otherworldly.
At the center of the album is the idea of the “starlet” and her “parade of the broken hearted” as figures who carry beauty, integrity and empathy through a harsh and distorted world. The record is rooted in contrast, as the songwriter puts it, the album is inspired by “the rose in the mud, the light in the dark, the growth that comes from hardships, the stars you see above a scrapyard.” There is pain running through these songs, but also strength, mystery and a sense of something bigger than what is happening on the surface.
Maddie Lenhart - Let Him Fly (Live from the Treehouse).
Nashville country artist Maddie Lenhart releases beautiful live cover of Patty Griffin's "Let Him Fly." Maddie Lenhart’s take on “Let Him Fly” feels less like a cover and more like a quiet moment you’ve been invited into. Recorded live in a single take at Treehouse Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, her version strips everything back to its emotional core, honoring the songwriting of Patty Griffin while gently nodding to the familiarity of The Chicks.
The arrangement is airy and weightless – soft acoustic guitar and pedal steel drift underneath without ever pulling focus, giving the song space to fully breathe. At the center is Lenhart’s vocal – genuine, unmistakably her, and delivered with a honeyed ease that feels completely natural. There’s a quiet confidence in her delivery that draws you in.
What stands out most is the restraint. Lenhart doesn’t try to reshape the song in a dramatic way – she trusts it. That trust allows each line to settle exactly where it needs to be, creating a dreamy, suspended feeling that carries throughout. Raised in the heart of Virginia’s countryside, Maddie Lenhart was singing before she could talk and writing songs long before she could put them on paper. Since moving to Nashville, she has written hundreds of songs, earned over 40 independent cuts, and released her debut single “Sober,” which has surpassed 800,000 organic streams. In 2025, she released eight new songs, all landing on Spotify and Apple editorial playlists.
After releasing the internationally acclaimed EP Radios and Buffalos in 2024, multi-talented Indigenous recording artist Liv Wade is set to return with a new five-song collection entitled Fur Queen. Overall, it displays Liv’s wide-ranging musical approach, with the latest single “Carolina” being a dramatic ballad that blends traditional storytelling with soaring modern production.
Liv describes “Carolina” as growing out of recent global political agendas that have taken away the fundamental rights of many individuals. As a queer, two-spirit artist with Metis roots, she has long advocated for diversity, equity, equality and inclusion, and the song plainly gets the message across that she is “free to be myself and not afraid to tell the truth.”
Liv says, “We tried to showcase how cruel and calculated people can be, perpetuating lateral violence against each other, while calling out the cowardliness of individuals behind closed doors and screens, passing judgement without understanding layers of complexity and intersectionality. On the flip side we also wanted to highlight those folks pushing back, celebrating diversity, joining in solidarity, healing in community and not letting others’ insecurities determine their worth.”
Ok Goodnight self-releases their new single “22”. Available on most streaming platforms, the new single contemplates the feelings of betrayal, loneliness, and forgiveness that follow after the bittersweet end of a friendship. Serving as the first single since the release of 2023’s The Fox and The Bird, “22” offers a glimpse into what the next Ok Goodnight record will sound like.
The Boston-based four piece are no strangers to releasing music that leaves a lasting imprint. With an impressive catalog that has amassed millions of streams on digital platforms and a riveting stage presence, Ok Goodnight have turned heads as an act to watch closely. Their new single "22" marks the beginning of a new era for the band, acting as the lead single for their third studio album stop/go coming on June 12th, 2026. With a sonic style and aesthetic indicative of Turnstile, Paramore, or PVRIS, the new single "22" combines heavy guitar riffs with dark, nostalgic synths and carefully integrated samples.
Pairing with the digital release of “22” comes an invigorating visual created by filmmakers Margot Budzyna and Christian Tasiopoulos. Stylized in an atemporal fashion amidst a surreal, dreamlike aesthetic, the new video showcases movers disassembling a room as a metaphor for uncertainty and change.
Greg Dread feat. Don Letts - Serious Dropout (Album).
For this special release on Echo Beach, London Dub legends Greg Dread and Don Letts join forces with Frankfurt Dub collective Serious Dropout. Greg Dread selected highlight tracks from the collective’s timeless catalogue and fuses them into a thrilling seamless mega mix while Don Letts provides vocal shouts, resembling the atmosphere of a live sound system experience. They combined elderly and brand-new material.
Founded Frankfurt in the mid 90s, Serious Dropout is a collective of producers, DJs and musicians with various projects blending Dub Reggae with different forms of Electronic music reflecting their various musical backgrounds ranging from Techno House and leftfield Electronica to Reggae and Dancehall, Breakbeat and Drum`n`Bass.
Greg Dread is a writer, producer, drummer, dj and founding member of leading UK Dub band Dreadzone, operating since 1993. In the 80s, he was a member of Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones, formerly of punk legends The Clash. Don Letts is known for his work as a Grammy-winning filmmaker, creator of legendary music videos and also as an acclaimed Selector since the late 70s, when he helped to form the connection between Reggae and Punk by playing Dub records in The Roxy, London’s first Punk club. He remains a defining voice in British subculture.
Following last year's critically-acclaimed album Sonic, Venice-based band Glazyhaze returns with brand new single 'Do You?'. Building upon their ethereal mix of shoegaze, alternative rock, and dream pop, the track features sweet yet punchy vocals that float above layers of spaced-out guitars and driving bass lines. Distributed worldwide by Hoodooh and Believe Music, the single is now streaming on all platforms.
With a sound that ranges from dark and atmospheric to soft and intimate, Glazyhaze have solidified themselves as a band to watch. Since the release of their debut LP in 2023, they've been named among Europe's Top 15 Emerging Artists in the Music Moves Europe Awards and have toured Europe and the UK extensively, sharing stages with acts like Trentemøller, The Raveonettes, Soft Cult, and Slow Crush. 2025's sophomore LP and follow-up single "Romeo" took the band to new heights, earning praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Clash, BBC, KEXP, and more.
Glazyhaze is a band from Venice, Italy, influenced by shoegaze, dream pop, and alternative sounds, ranging from dark atmospheres to dreamy and ethereal soundscapes. The band consists of Irene (vocals, guitars), Lorenzo (lead guitar), Francesco (drums, programming), and Vsevolod (bass, vocals). Since the release of their debut album Just Fade Away (2023), Glazyhaze have been active across Europe and the UK, performing in major cities and supporting artists such as Trentemøller, Hater, Film School, and many more.
NORDIC DRIFT, Vol.1, (High Coast Frequencies) is a cinematic and ethereal interpretive tribute to Sweden’s High Coast in Ångermansland — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape site where the land still rises from the sea after 10,000 years beneath the ice.
A modern songwriting experiment was set aside, until a single question to a producer intern sparked a new production that breathed the very spirit of the Swedish High Coast. Then the remarkable ΔNØVA lent her voice, weaving in hints of alt-pop magic, and suddenly High Coast High held the Nordic genie in its bottle. Forget Rocky Mountain High, Now it is the High Coast High that truly soars.
The album captures the region’s raw beauty, misty fjords, ancient forests and the quiet pull of the Gulf of Bottnia northern sea, blending atmospheric electronica, ambient textures, alt-pop and indiefolk and minimalistic songwriting. Each artist offers a unique reflection of nature’s rhythm, from waves and wind to the stillness of stone. A musical journey and a cinematic postcard from the North.
Larissa Grelli welcomes spring with the soulful pop track “Tomorrow.” This is the young artist’s second single. Toward the end of last year, she tentatively released her first track worldwide and received a lot of positive feedback. A new voice from the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland Larissa Grelli is both a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
There's more to come! Not only because her latest follow-up, “Tomorrow,” features a melody that instantly sticks in your head, but also because the melancholic song conveys a message that will resonate deeply with many listeners.
Larissa Grelli explains: “Tomorrow is about perseverance in difficult times—and about realizing that you’re not alone with your feelings. The song is a reminder that every day can be a fresh start, and that hope is often closer than you think. A year ago, I didn’t really know where life would take me. After many reflective hours and with a good dose of hope, this song came into being.”
Less than three years’ ago the twin sister duo kicked off their music careers, whilst still at school, when they came 2nd place out of over 22,000 entries in the Liverpool International Songwriting Competition (Road to Nashville – 2022) and played the iconic Exit/In, Nashville. The competition was judged by a distinguished judging panel of Nashville and international music industry veterans, including Head Judge Jeff Cohen (Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer), Pamela Lewis (PLA Media and formerly part of the original MTV team), Regie Hamm, Tim Wipperman, and Gary Morris (Broadway and Country music legend who sung ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’).
One week after leaving school, and still only 18 years-old, the girls had even persuaded Tors to let them support at their Newcastle gig! Fast forward to 2024, when they first caught the eye of the legendary Jools Holland and opened for him at The City Hall, Newcastle – their home town. In 2025 they were thrilled to be asked back to join his winter tour at four amazing venues: The Royal Albert Hall, O2 Apollo Manchester, Utilita Arena Cardiff and the Bristol Beacon playing in considerably larger capacity venues and a real vote of confidence that he asked them back.
It’s been a pretty impressive progression for the duo, as one of their latest singles, ‘Spine’, (from their third EP ‘Sadness Is My Sanctuary’ got BBC Introducing North East Track Of The Week, and tTwayn has already had three of their videos played on national TV (C4’s Sunday Brunch).
The siblings are regulars on the festival circuit and, amongst others, played Coast Fest and the Treehouse Stage at Hardwick Festival in 2025 and they have supported the likes of Casey McQuillen (American Idol S13/S14), Oliver Pinder and Tors). 2025 also saw them perform at the Mercury Prize Fringe when it came to Newcastle for the first time. There are lots of great things in store for Twayn in 2026 too!
“Nevermind" came together in just a few hours, springing from an improvised bassline, a PS-5 harmonizer pedal, and a playful back-and-forth between voices. Featuring Oliver Marson, the track twists rejection into something wry and immediate - a speak-sung mantra that flips between irony and sincerity. Beneath its wiry groove lies a theme of refusing to please everyone, finding humor in disappointment, and ultimately leaning toward self-acceptance. It's bona fide and tongue-in-cheek, and it’s one of the LP’s most instant songs.
“Oliver came into my studio one day and the song pretty much wrote itself,” shares Nick Hinman, "Rejection is universal, but pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is unique. Anyone can wallow in the fear, but I admire the resilience of those who can take it with a grain of salt. As our boy Nietzche once said, 'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.’"
‘Some of the best songs come together in just one day and that’s exactly how Nick and I wrote Nevermind,” adds Oliver Marson”, "What I liked about this was it felt so natural and it was like a conversation. It was also just really fun, which is what music should be all about. I’ve been leaning more into co-writing because every session teaches me something new and sparks ideas I wouldn’t have found on my own. My musical journey hasn’t been all smooth, though rejection has been a constant teacher. And that’s what this song is really about. Instead of stopping me, it’s pushed me to write more, collaborate more, and trust that every ‘no’ is just making space for the right ‘yes.’
Two weeks out from releasing her new album, Heaven Knows What Time, Vera Ellen shares her new single Thaw, alongside a dreamy cinematic music video by Daniel Fletcher. The single follows the recently released joyous anthem Gayfever and the sophisti-pop Hemi Hemingway duet When It’s Over. All made with the support of NZ on Air. Aotearoa Music Award and Taite Music Prize winning artist Vera Ellen announces her upcoming album ‘Heaven Knows What Time’ – out on vinyl and CD on May 1st via Flying Nun Records.
Three years on from her last full-length project, Ideal Home Noise; which was awarded the prestigious Taite Music Prize for 2023, Vera Ellen has found herself in a whirlwind of unconventionality - learning to embrace the chaos that comes with being a self-sustained artist in today’s constantly driving culture, and finding meaning and joy in community - all themes that inform her new body of work, Heaven Knows What Time.
Stepping away from the heavy inner-world of Ideal Home Noise, Heaven Knows What Time is less about thinking and more about just being — embracing the masks we wear, but also allowing ourselves to take them off and bare it all; the exhausted, the messy, the fear, the adventure, and all of the joy too.
Nashville’s indie Americana artist Carly King has shared the second single from her forthcoming debut ‘Loving you is Easy’ out May 15 on First City Artists (Coco, Alexa Rose). The song gradually builds from gentle piano flourishes and tender imagery (cartwheels in the kitchen / running down the stairs / talk about it later / if we still care) into combustive percussion and howling celebration (Loving you is easy / it’s a life that’s hard / it’s the world that’s breaking / not my heart); it’s a heartwarming, and undeniably alive ode to finding the right person.
Carly King shares: This song is the sound of my heart beating. It’s a love letter, to him, to her, to you, to me. It’s the love song I’ve wanted to write my whole life but never really could until I fell in love with both my fiancé and myself. My music usually works through something heavy or unresolved, and there’s often a heart-wrenching thread running through it. With this song, I faced that head-on and realized love doesn’t always have to be hard—it can be light, it can be easy.
Produced by Shane Travis (Evan Honer) at Cloverdale Records, King’s debut full-length is an earthy and emotionally stirring collection of folk country earworms, driven by King’s distinctly sandy vocals and alight with sparkling pop sensibility RIYL Kacey Musgraves, Madi Diaz, Courtney Marie Andrews. Today’s offering follows lead single, “Three Martinis” praised by The Bluegrass Situation as “lovely and tender… full of memories, nostalgia, and lush with imagery of falling head over heels… wrapped in a cozy and gauzy folk-country package”
Born in New Jersey, King lost her father at age four to the terrorist attacks of September 11th. She grew up with a vivid sense of life's uncertainty, driven by a search for its purpose. On her first full-length, she discovers that meaning in the humblest details of humanity—dusty floors, school buses, bobby pins, weathered boots—penning odes and anthems to the magic of the mundane. In a life where everything precious is fleeting, King holds simplicity as sacred thread: Loving you is easy / It's a life that's hard.
New York–based alternative singer-songwriter Lauren Minear returns with “Bruise (made of glass version),” a stark and emotionally exposed acoustic reimagining of one of the most devastating moments from her latest album, Boxing Day. Stripped to its bare bones, the track magnifies the quiet intensity of the original, allowing the fragility of Minear’s voice and the delicacy of the guitar arrangement to carry the emotional weight.
Recorded live at Studio 42 in Brooklyn, “Bruise (made of glass version)” captures the intimacy and vulnerability that sit at the heart of Minear’s songwriting. The performance preserves the raw immediacy of the moment while subtly reshaping the song’s sonic landscape. Though Minear often performs the track live in a lower key, the team chose to retain the original key for its lyrical prosody, allowing the guitar’s natural register to mirror the emotional fragility of the vocal performance.
“This live acoustic version is especially lethal and difficult for me to perform or listen to,” Minear explains. “It comes from a deep pain that maybe only a song can express. There’s something to that though, because it’s also the song that my listeners respond to the most.”
The title itself carries a subtle nod to Minear’s broader creative universe, referencing a lyric from another song on Boxing Day. Though simple on its surface, “Bruise (made of glass version)” embodies one of Minear’s guiding artistic principles: radical honesty. Her songwriting consistently challenges both herself and her listeners to sit with difficult emotions and find connection within them.
Mama’s Broke, the Nova Scotian duo of Amy Lou Keeler and Lisa Maria share their new single “Heaven,” out now via Free Dirt Records and Forward Music Group, and announce their ‘Analog Tour’ throughout North America. “Heaven” offers the first glimpse of the pairs’ forthcoming album and fans will be able to purchase physical copies exclusively and hear the new material at the upcoming shows.
For more than a decade, Mama’s Broke have been in near-constant motion, bringing their folk-without-borders approach to small clubs, DIY spaces, and everywhere in between. This tradition is continued with their upcoming tour across the US and Canada this spring.
“Heaven,” the new single from Mama's Broke forthcoming album (due later this summer) is about stepping back from the cycles of distraction and urgency, and devoting time to what you love. Says Mama's Broke:
"We’ve been fed the distant promise that, through diligence and quiet perseverance, we will someday reap the rewards of our labor. In reality, we’ve been left with a system collapsing under the weight of its own greed and corruption. The gap between rich and poor has reached unprecedented levels; a minimum wage no longer suffices to keep both the lights on and food on the table, and our air and water are more polluted than ever before."
We are always on the lookout for new music that invites us to explore something a little different, whilst being accessible and enjoyable rather than a test of our patience (I know, it's a getting older thing). Well Chris Pellnat has been featured here before and always well received, so it's a pleasure to explore something a little different, whilst happily enjoying the moment.
Some background: "VRChatの歌" is sung in English and Japanese by SaKy. Why English and Japanese? Because those are the two languages most spoken in VRChat. VRChat is a virtual reality platform where you can explore thousands of immersive worlds created by talented artists, and you meet people from all over the world. This youth-driven ecosystem is evolving organically and has a strong Japanese anime aesthetic.
SaKy is a singer based in Japan who sings in several languages. She is a vocalist, lyricist, and vocal coach. She has been the vocalist for several original soundtracks. Chris Pellnat is an American singer-songwriter who also plays guitar with the Poughkeepsie-based band, The Warp/The Weft.
North London born Natalie Shay writes indie-pop for people who feel everything. A multi-award-winning BRIT School grad and lyrical storyteller, she’s been playing guitar and writing since childhood — soundtracking love, self-discovery and the realities of life in your twenties, blending heartfelt honesty with bright, feel-good energy.
Natalie’s new EP Atmosphere, explores the emotional pull of love, self-awareness and the messy space in between. She describes it as a sonic diary capturing the electric obsession of new love, often tangled up in the chaos of trauma bonds. The title track, “atmosphere,” was written with long-time collaborator and close friend Kaity Rae (Remember Monday, The Shires), circling the question of whether the connection keeping you hooked is real love or simply something in the air. Each song reflects a different chapter, tracing the experiences and lessons that have shaped Natalie’s life since her last release.
Natalie explains, “I bookend eras of my life with bodies of work, so it was important to me that ATMOSPHERE contained all the experiences and lessons since my last EP.” She continues, “I want my music to be the soundtrack to my life as a mid-twenties creative who feels everything deeply. I crave love, but I’ve also been damaged by it.” Written across two years of collaboration and late-night solo sessions, the EP gathers together songs she couldn’t leave behind. “Every song is a confession in a way,” she adds. “I write songs to perform them live. That’s my therapy.”
The Jaws of Brooklyn have shared “Up All Nite,” the next single from their forthcoming EP Unstoppable, which is co-produced with Grammy-winner and Alabama Shakes keyboardist Ben Tanner, out May 15. An effervescent dose of ‘60s girl-group glitter and grit, the playful song tells the story of someone caught between two lovers and simply enjoying the fun while it lasts.
Guitarist Bryan Cohen on the new single: “This was the first song written for this new EP. It’s a combination of The Supremes meets '60s frat-house rock classic - ‘Louie Louie’ with a few twists. The intro is inspired by David Bowie’s ‘Let's Dance,’ while the chorus pays homage to The Rolling Stones classic ‘Get Off Of My Cloud.’ Lyrically, it’s a story of having two lovers – being with one and thinking of the other, and feeling guilty but wanting to have fun. The narrator knows there are consequences but damn… she’s also having fun being in the moment.”
“Up All Nite” follows the bombastic “Lie To Me” and the shimmering call-to-the-dancefloor “Where Are You?”, which also appear on the upcoming EP. Unstoppable finds the Seattle-based group blending Motown melody, Muscle Shoals soul and West Coast rock & roll for their signature melting pot sound, which has earned praise from American Songwriter and Billboard over the years. These songs delve headfirst into love triangles, relationships and ride-or-die friendships, all anchored by frontwoman Gretchen Lemon’s powerhouse presence.
Unstoppable keeps the momentum going after the band’s 2025 album Crush On You, which was released during a whirlwind of change. Following the addition of Lemon as the group’s electric new singer, they felt reenergized and in turn, their show-stopping performances cemented their reputation as a must-see live act — booking festival slots at SXSW and Bumbershoot, as well as packing out shows at venues on both coasts.
Today, the Pacific Northwest artist Mollie Elizabeth, shares “The Mirror”, a song about the violence of self-perception. The “mirror” isn’t just literal, it’s symbolic of consciousness, ego, and the human tendency to scrutinize ourselves. The repeated line “Lord damn the man who made the mirror” reads like a prayer turned protest: a rejection of the invention (or evolution) that forces us to confront ourselves too directly. “The Mirror” is written by Mollie Elizabeth and Lucas Sim, produced by Lucas Sim & Davin Kingston and coming out via Neon Gold Records.
About the track, Mollie Elizabeth says: "The Mirror is a more poetic song of mine, but at the same time I feel as though everyone has experienced this same kind of frustration. Vanity, ego, and reflection seem to swallow us whole these days and at times I wish we never even invented the mirror at all."
Earlier this year, Mollie Elizabeth returned with “Dog Eat Dog” (+ visualizer) that deepens her distinctive sonic and visual universe, weaving eerie, quirky, and subtly dark textures into her signature femme, classic sound. Mollie Elizabeth adds, “‘Dog Eat Dog” is centered around the concept that all humans are, unfortunately, natural born predators. In my nature, and I think in many others, all I really want to do is cultivate peace and love, but in reality, this world is not peaceful. There are people who will take advantage of you if you do not accept that whether you like it or not, we live in a dog eat dog world.”
Nameless Friends - The Quiet Part, Loudly (Album).
With their album The Quiet Part, Loudly released today April 15, 2026, Toronto rock collective Nameless Friends continue to build momentum with the release of their third single, “Clara,” which dropped February 25. Expanding on the foundation laid by their 2023 debut Blasphemy, the new record finds the band sharpening both their sound and their message—blending gravity with irreverence as they confront injustice, identity, and the realities of modern Canada.
It also marks their first collaboration with renowned engineer Nyles Spencer, known for his work with The Tragically Hip, Broken Social Scene, and Alvvays. Drawing from the band’s experiences touring across the country, The Quiet Part, Loudly delivers an unflinching look at systemic oppression and personal transformation while still pulsing with the raw, joyful energy that defines the group. “This album is a love letter with constructive criticism to our home country,” says frontperson Number One. “If you didn’t care about improving the relationship, you wouldn’t bother giving the criticism.”
Across the album, Nameless Friends push their genre-blurring instincts even further, weaving heartland rock, folk, punk, and protest traditions into a sound that feels both urgent and celebratory. The songs wrestle with themes like the erosion of human rights, generational trauma, and the legacy of colonial violence, yet the band is determined to keep the music alive with movement and possibility. “I refuse to make joyless, preachy music,” Number One explains.
“That’s not going to be effective at anything.” Spencer’s production helps capture the band’s restless spirit, balancing raw spontaneity with careful craft—whether in prairie-gothic stompers, plaintive folk ballads, or sprawling protest anthems that draw inspiration from artists like Neil Young and Kendrick Lamar. Since the release of Blasphemy, the London, Ontario–formed band—featuring Number One alongside Number Three, Number Five, and Number Seven, with touring member Number Six—has built a reputation for explosive live shows and fearless songwriting, selling out rooms like Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern while amplifying issues from climate collapse to trans rights. With The Quiet Part, Loudly, they’re doubling down on that mission—loudly, unapologetically, and with plenty of glitter.
MOMO. is a London-based Brazilian multi-instrumentalist whose music moves across borders. With roots in Brazil but a life lived in Angola, the US, Spain, Portugal, and now the UK, MOMO. crafts a sound that transcends place. His upcoming album, Tum Tum Tum, sung in Portuguese and English, is built around the idea of continuity and forward momentum featuring guest appearances from bossa nova and Brazilian legend Marcos Valle and Smoke City's Nina Miranda.
Recorded live in South London with his tight-knit band including long-standing collaborators and UK jazz trombonist Rosie Turton, Tum Tum Tum is a free flowing, warm, expansive and fully assured album, his 8th to date and exudes a playfulness, a sense of someone who is truly in their element and at peace when writing and recording.
Lead track “Egum Eô” is a wonderfully Brazilian opening and sets the scene perfectly with MOMO.’s vocal sounding much like the album’s title ‘Tum Tum Tum’, pushing the positivity sky high in unison with a gorgeous horn hook. The broken groove slowly rolls in like a curling surf-perfect wave before the band all join the jam leaving the listener joyfully entranced.
The artist shares, “Egum Eô feels like an invocation. In Candomblé, Egum refers to ancestral spirits, and the phrase appeared naturally while we were playing, following the Afro-Brazilian pulse of the drums.” The visualiser for “Egum Eô” was developed by Raíssa Pardini in collaboration with Conor Lumsden, with Pardini also creating the album artwork.
Known for their dark, melodic, and emotionally charged sound, Montreal, CA-based The City Gates have established themselves on the international alternative scene with two albums, Age of Resilience (Icy Cold Records / Velouria Recordz), and Forever Orbiter (Northern Light Records). The City Gates have been featured on several top album charts across the globe, and in outlets such as Post-Punk.com, Sonic Seducer, Orkus, and Sanctuary.cz.
Their latest single "Capitol Hill" blends driving post-punk rhythms with hazy shoegaze textures and distant, echoing vocals. The track introduces their third LP, Chimera, arriving on May 15 via Icy Cold Records and Velouria Recordz, a dark and expansive record that pushes their sound further into cold, atmospheric territory. The new album will include their stellar tracks "Lapidation", and "La douleur (des mortels)."
The City Gates present the music video for “Capitol Hill,” a stark, brutalist exploration of an urban landscape in moody black-and-white. The clip moves through the geometry of the city, with snow-cloaked sidewalks, blurred trains, corridors and revolving doors, passing bodies, and overexposed close-ups of faces. It all hints at fading warmth and social disorientation, echoing the song’s overarching themes of isolation.
Manchester-based artist Emily Mercer returns with her kaleidoscopic new single ‘Flatlining’, released April 15th; a lush, propulsive track that captures the frustration of feeling stuck in your own patterns, and the quiet determination to break free. Blending indie, folk, alternative pop and jazz-tinged sensibilities, ‘Flatlining’, produced by Rhys Jiang, sees Mercer at her most emotionally direct, the track contrasting its upbeat musicality with a deeply introspective core.
“Flatlining was born out of frustration at feeling stagnant and stuck in life, going round in circles, getting in my own way and knowing I can be better than I allow myself to be,” Mercer explains. “It’s about feeling trapped by your own mind, falling into the same patterns over and over - but ultimately it’s a call to action. It’s that moment of realising you’ve been waiting for life to happen, and deciding to fight against the apathy.”
Originally from the Suffolk coast and now based in Manchester, Mercer has spent years crafting her distinct voice, one that blends classic piano songwriting with lo-fi textures, rich arrangements and quietly disarming lyricism. Her work explores mental health, self-sabotage and what she describes as “a messy humanity,” delivered with dry humour and emotional clarity.
Her music draws comparisons to artists such as Fiona Apple, Mitski and Weyes Blood with a vocal reminiscent of Tracey Thorn in early Everything But The Girl. She effortlessly pairs confessional songwriting with rich, genre-fluid soundscapes.
Scottish-raised singer-songwriter Alex Amor has signed to New York independent label VERO Music and today shares new single 'Meet On The Moon' - a celestial meditation on grief and feminine mysticism - ahead of upcoming performances at Liverpool Sound City and The Great Escape. Co-produced by Alex Amor and Karma Kid (Jessie Ware, Jalen Ngonda), 'Meet On The Moon' was written during a month-long creative reset back home in Glasgow, marking a turning point in Amor’s artistic direction.
Opening the door to a more expansive sonic palette - built around shimmering guitars, soft-focus synths and hypnotic melodies - 'Meet On The Moon' unfolds in a hazy, slow-burning alt-pop space reminiscent of Cigarettes After Sex, with shades of Samia’s pop introspection and the melodic sensibility of Clairo’s 'Sling' era.
At its core, the song is a tribute to a close friend Amor lost, imagining her watching back from the moon, as she explains: "I wrote 'Meet On The Moon' a few years ago, at a time when I was aching to create something different, to step into a new sonic world entirely. I went back to Glasgow for a month, put fate in my own hands, and started producing myself. It felt like reclaiming something. Meet On The Moon was the second song I wrote there.
The song is about a friend who completely embodied the mystical, magical woman archetype I sing about in the lyrics. A few months before I wrote it, she passed away. I found myself thinking about her magnetism - the magnitude of her spirit, the force of her nature - and how, in some strange way, Earth felt too small to contain her. For many reasons, this song had to come first in this body of work. It’s an homage to the divine feminine, which the moon - in her glowing, milky fullness - has always symbolised. Women are cyclically tied to the lunar rhythm, and that beautiful, elusive pull of the moon became the heartbeat of the song’s ephemeral sound.”
Toronto dream pop artist Ark Identity (Noah Mroueh) returns with “Closer,” a dreamy, euphoric indie-synthwave track that captures the feeling of standing on the edge of something bigger. Blending nostalgic production with deeply personal songwriting, the single reflects the emotional highs and restless momentum that come with chasing creative ambition and believing that your dreams are just within reach.
Inspired by his journey as a musician, “Closer” explores the moment when progress becomes tangible; when you feel yourself approaching a new chapter, yet realize that every step forward only reveals another horizon beyond it. The title itself reflects that sensation of being on the brink of something transformative, whether it’s a creative breakthrough, a personal evolution, or the quiet realization that the pursuit of a dream is a journey without a clear finish line.
This song marks a milestone for the Ark Identity project. It’s his first fully self-produced release, with every instrument performed by the artist. During production, he was experimenting with vocal ideas when his girlfriend walked into his DIY studio and started adding melodies. That spontaneous moment helped shape the song and they finished writing it together.
“One of my favourite lines is ‘Coming home from Hollywood leaves me wanting more.’ That lyric captures the song’s essence, the feeling of chasing something bigger and realizing no matter how close you get, there’s always another level you want to reach,” Noah explains, “I hope listeners connect to the message and are inspired to pursue their own dreams and passions.”
