Wy - The Storm Petrels - The Phoenix Foundation
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| Photo - Lamia Karic |
Wy are a band strongest at their most vulnerable. The Malmö indie duo, Ebba and Michel Gustafsson Ågren, have showcased their musical skills across two albums, 2017’s Okay and 2019’s Softie which gained them recognition from KEXP, Line of Best Fit, NBHAP, Tonspion, CLASH and more as well as tours in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. But what makes them stand out as a band is the raw, brutal emotion they capture in their music.
A Wy song at their best sounds like opening it all up, and letting the feelings flow where they will, letting the pain, anger, fear, hope and love steer the song. Those emotions are spun into the band’s skyscaping, cinematic sound, and turned into music that has a force behind it, a power that hits you, even when it's at its softest. And that power that illuminates the band’s songs is more present than ever on their new album Marriage which is out on May 7th, Dream House is the first single.
Marriage is the first record since signing to Rama Lama Records (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) and the sound of Wy moving forward and backwards at once. Leaving the more produced style of last album Softie behind, it turns to the simpler sound of their earlier work for music that’s rawer and sharper. On both the indie-rock and the pop songs of this album, there’s less between the listener and the heart of the song - this is music that’s very direct, both in theme and sound, with melodies that hit cleanly and leave nothing even trying to hide. It’s the work of a band that have grown into themselves and what they do, and making the strongest songs of their career.
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The Storm Petrels are a four piece indie pop band who came together in 2020 to bring some joy to these dark days.
The brainchild of songwriter and producer Pip Dusalle, they herald from both sides of the Atlantic and bring influences from as far afield as Belly, the Breeders, and Abba! The band have just released their first EP - Seasons - with a song for each season.
It begins with the upbeat optimism of Spring, moving on to the jangly guitars and catchy melodies of Summer, then the sweet lyrical nostalgia of Autumn.
The EP finishes with Winter - an intense ballad about love, loss and loyalty. Their music comes from the heart with the aim of lifting and inspiring during these challenging days.
The band contacted us directly and I have to say this really is a superb collection of songs. I'm all for upbeat, positive and heartfelt music, The Storm Petrels are all of that, along with being original and notably creative.
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| Photo - Ebony Lamb |
New Zealand sextet, The Phoenix Foundation have shared "Beside Yourself" featuring fellow NZ talent, Fazerdaze (out via Memphis Industries).
The band returned late last year with their sixth album, Friend Ship, which secured some positie reviews at MOJO, Uncut, PopMatters, American Songwriter, KEXP and more – it featured some neat collabs with Tiny Ruins, Nadia Reid, Anita Clark and the NZ Symphony Orchestra becoming something of a celebration of the NZ music scene, really hammering home the sense of community that exists.
This new single acts as a continuation from that release, enlisting another NZ talent in the form of Fazerdaze (who released her Pitchfork-tipped debut album, Morningside in 2017). Adding somewhat to this NZ feel of the recent record, the band have collaborated at length with Taika Waititi previously, scoring the acclaimed soundtrack for Hunt For The Wilderpeople as well as providing tracks for Boy, Eagle versus Shark and What We Do In the Shadows – in October, the band were in conversation with Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame.
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