Karen Jonas - Said The Whale - Seafoam Green

Karen Jonas - Summer's Hard for Love.

On August 20, 2021, Karen Jonas will release Summer Songs, a four-song EP, along with “Gumballs,” a collection of poems. Known for her stellar songwriting, sultry vocals, and compelling stage presence, Jonas hearkens back to her song crafting heroes Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, with a sonic nod to modern greats like Gillian Welch and Jason Isbell.

Karen is a two-time Wammie Award winner for Best Country Artist, a Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest Winner, and Dale Watson’s Ameripolitan award nominee. Her long-time collaboration with dazzling guitarist Tim Bray, joined by bassist/vocalist Seth Morrissey and drummer Seth Brown, has produced five full-length records, beginning with 2014’s internationally-acclaimed Oklahoma Lottery. Her much-lauded 2020 LP The Southwest Sky and Other Dreams is a gutting but “warmly nostalgic” (American Songwriter) masterpiece - proof of her ability to weave creative depth into everyday stories. Covered by everyone from Rolling Stone Germany to Country Music People UK to American Songwriter, Jonas’ investment in artistic excellence continues to pay off with her upcoming release Summer Songs.

The EP is a collection of three Jonas-penned songs and a show-stopping update of Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.” “Thunder on the Battery” paints a picture of a fierce thunderstorm with swooping pedal steel and bluesy guitar, while “Summer’s Hard for Love” sounds like sipping a glass of bourbon and watching the fireflies with gentle cross-stick and lush harmonies. “Summer Moon” is a sweet acoustic love song, tracked live in the studio.

Jonas reflects on how writing her vastly personal autobiographical collection of poems, “Gumballs” allowed her to find a more vulnerable place to embrace these gems from her old songwriting notebooks. “I began to hear flashes of these songs as I was writing my poetry collection, songs I started writing years ago. I reconnected with them and spent a lot of time reprocessing and editing,” she explains. “I was able to update them to my current songwriting sensibilities while maintaining the sweet vulnerability of the inspiration for these summer-themed tunes.”

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Said The Whale - 99 to the Moon.

Following on the heels of successful singles "Honey Lungs," "Everything She Touches is Gold to Me" and "Show Me Everything," Vancouver indie act Said The Whale are now sharing "99 to the Moon" with listeners. The band have also announced that their seventh full-length album, Dandelion, will be released on October 22nd.

Said The Whale have earned their place in the Canadian music pantheon. They’ve won a JUNO Award, topped the alternative radio chart, and amassed a devoted base of fans who affectionately describe themselves as “SaidHeads” — all the while maintaining their resolute independent spirit. Now, more than a decade into their career, the Vancouver group are opening their most ambitious chapter yet.

Throughout 2020, lockdowns meant that the band members were at home, away from the relentless touring cycle that had defined most of their 14-year career. Singer-songwriters Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester, plus keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown and bassist Lincoln Hotchen, threw themselves fully into working on new material with producer Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat) at his Tugboat Place Studio, resulting in the most towering, maximalist music of their careers.

“Steve is an incredibly detail-oriented producer,” says Tyler. “We would work until four or five in the morning. Then sleep at his house and work the next day until late into the night. It was exhausting, but each song came to life in such an amazing way with so many layers.”

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Seafoam Green - Swimming In The Paint.

Seafoam Green’s sophomore album ‘Martin’s Garden’ was released in June to huge critical acclaim including 8/10 from Classic Rock Magazine and a glowing 4-star review from MOJO who described it as ‘a near faultless album’.

Produced by Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Tyler Greenwell, the album is a colourful melting pot of Americana, rock, folk and psychedelia with Seafoam Green’s and own musical identity, by way of their Irish & Liverpool roots, fully stamped over it. The album is available to now on CD, vinyl or download.

Seafoam Green’s next single from the album, is perhaps the most eclectic and exciting yet. ‘Swimming In The Paint’ is an instantly loveable quirky slice of psychedelic pop driven by a groovy organ with the distinctive swirling fun machine keyboard/clav sounds of Spencer Pope colliding beautifully with the band’s vocal harmonies. It’s a pure retro throwback that never sounded so fresh.

On the new single the band said, “’Swimming in the Paint’ narrates the daily ups and downs of our human experience through a kaleidoscope of colour. We all have different associations towards certain shades and this is an attempt at articulating some of our own. We ponder the strive towards ‘uniqueness’ and the ’perfect’ scenario."

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Hipbone Slim and the Kneetremblers - No Thee No Ess - Paul Holden - Buffalo Nichols - Little Galaxies - The Connells

Hipbone Slim and the Kneetremblers - Tremblin' (Album).

Over the last 20 years Hipbone Slim and the Kneetremblers have established themselves as a foremost force in the worlds of rock n roll, garage, beat, surf and all in between. They have recorded 13 highly acclaimed albums and a whole load of 45s on labels such as Voodoo Rhythm, Beast, FOLC, and Dirty Water. Not to mention various other related side-lines and pseudonym releases!

The Kneetremblers are fronted by Hipbone Slim aka Sir Bald on guitar, vocals and song-writing duties. He is ably assisted by Bash Brand on hitting things. Bruce’s musical CV is extensive and includes Thee Milkshakes, Headcoats, Holly Golightly, Masonics, Wreckless Eric and two albums with Link Wray.

On this release Baldie and Bruce are joined by Gez Gerrard or Cheeseman or Sleepy Matt Radford on slapping things. You’ll also hear Spencer 'The Colonel' Evoy (frontman of MFC Chicken) on saxophone and Slim Cyder on piano on several tracks. Many of these particular tunes were originally released on vinyl under the semi alter ego ‘Hipbone Slim and the Crowntoppers'. Thanks also to various other pals from Sir Bald Diddley and his Ripcurls and/or The Nine Ton Peanut Smugglers (Kid Wig, Johnny and Barry Temptations) for all your efforts in trying to make these recordings a little more listenable!

This splendid nay resplendent double CD package brings together no less than 40 tracks by the ultra-prolific, greatly under-rated, hardest working band in rock n roll show business.

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No Thee No Ess - Dimmer Switch.

Cardiff Psych Rock phenomena 'No Thee No Ess' are poised to release their 2nd single from anticipated new 'Dimmer Switch' Album out via Surk Recordings this September.

'Dimmer Switch'' is the 2nd single to emerge from the new LP and will be released on Friday 27th August, and 'Dimmer Switch' Album will be released on Friday 17th September 2021.

No Thee No Ess is a collaboration between Paul Battenbough (The Cosmic Array, King of Despair) and Andy Fung (Derrero, Cymbient). The two musical and visual artists first met whilst working in the kitchen of a Cardiff arts centre and bonded through a shared love of The Beach Boys, Neil Young, and West Coast psychedelia.

The partnership creates spontaneously, conceiving songs and ideas in the studio and then recording straight away to preserve their freshness and immediacy. The eighth No Thee No Ess album, 'Dimmer switch' was recorded with musician/producer Frank Naughton at his legendary Cardiff studio, ‘Ty Drwg.’

Naughton contributes additional instrumentation, bringing new lysergic colours to songs like “kaleidoscopic” and "Chorus.” The result is among no thee no ess’ most adventurous works to date, rich with experimental energy while retaining their characteristic blissed out vision. Dimmer switch will be released by Surk Recordings on vinyl, CD, streaming, and digital download in August 2021.

No Thee No Ess · Dimmer Switch

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Paul Holden - Help Me Anytime You Want.

Hailing from Liverpool, hugely gifted singer/songwriter Paul Holden is back with his new single ‘Help Me Anytime You Want’.

Coming from strong roots previously fronting band ‘The Talkabouts’, and having performed with The Pretenders, China Crisis, and The Bluetones, Paul’s solo career took off amidst covering ‘Imagine’ at Liverpool’s M&S Arena to 10,000 people as part of ‘The Number One Project’ for charity.

Paul exceeds his reputation in the new single with a contemporary synth based sound, whilst sitting perfectly alongside his hauntingly beautiful melodies, and dulcet tones.

The mystique surrounding Paul’s musical journey has always been prevalent, due to the fact that he suffers from a rare muscle condition called ‘Nemaline Myopathy’ that has resulted in him being in a wheelchair.

Un-phased, Paul Holden has returned with this spellbinding single, also ahead of his new EP ‘Say It To The Sun’ which is out on Thursday 19th August.

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Photo - Dustin Cohen

Buffalo Nichols - Lost & Lonesome.

Buffalo Nichols, Fat Possum’s first solo blues signing in nearly 20 years, has announced the release of his self-titled debut album, due on 15th October. The Austin, TX-based guitarist, songwriter and vocalist has also shared lead single 'Lost & Lonesome, a tender, aching ballad. “‘Lost & Lonesome’ was inspired by years of traveling alone, wandering city streets looking for a place to call home maybe for a night, maybe forever,” explains Carl “Buffalo” Nichols.

“It takes you back to those moments in life when you must leave home either physically or figuratively — going somewhere unfamiliar and on your own. The soundtrack to a wandering soul. An ode to loneliness. When you see a wandering soul, all you can do is wonder how they got there. This song gives a glimpse into the mind of that traveler looking for a friend and a place to call home.”

Since his earliest infatuations with guitar, Buffalo Nichols has asked himself the same question: How can I bring the blues of the past into the future? After cutting his teeth between a Baptist church and bars in Milwaukee, it was a globetrotting trip through West Africa and Europe during a creative down period that began to reveal the answer.

“Part of my intent, making myself more comfortable with this release, is putting more Black stories into the genres of folk and blues,” Nichols explains. “Listening to this record, I want more Black people to hear themselves in this music that is truly theirs.” That desire is embodied in his self-titled debut album, composed largely of demos and studio sessions recorded between Wisconsin and Texas.

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Little Galaxies - Waking Sea.

Venice Beach rock quartet, Little Galaxies is back with the music video for their reflective single "Waking Sea." Directed by Sara Alessandrini, the video showcases the track's hopeful message set to a summer beach backdrop. 

“This is a song about finding peace in the wreckage. It was inspired by a car accident and my awakening in the years to follow as I healed from injuries and learned to accept my fate by surrendering to the pain to heal and transcend from it,” explains lead singer Jeanna Fournier. 

Little Galaxies was founded by Fournier and Amir Eshraghi, who recruited Andreas Sandnes on bass and Lucas Crouch on drums. The ensemble experiments with their own unique sonic dreamscape, drawing influences from psychedelic rock, dream pop, and folk.

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Photo - Bryan Regan

The Connells - Steadman's Wake.

Raleigh-based band The Connells shared “Steadman’s Wake,” the title track of their upcoming album, due September 24 via Black Park/Missing Piece Records. The song is currently streaming on Stereogum which writes, “the track will surely appeal to fans of the Connells’ fellow Southern jangle-rockers R.E.M., and you might hear some Drive By Truckers in the sauce when they launch into the chorus..." In addition to releasing their first album in 20 years, the band has planned a run of fall US tour dates; tickets are available now.

"I generally find writing lyrics to be the most challenging aspect of songwriting and with ‘Steadman's Wake’ that certainly proved to be the case.” says Mike Connell, “ I set out with the modest ambition of tackling the opioid crisis, the futility of war, and the events in Charlottesville, VA a couple of years ago, all in the context of a four minute pop song (being facetious, obviously). The other guys in the band really liked it, and felt that of all the tunes we were working on it best expressed where we ‘are’ individually and as a band."

Despite the two decades since their last recording, The Connells never quit performing, and Mike Connell never stopped writing songs. Steadman’s Wake features eight new songs and 3 re-recorded versions of previously-released demos which originally appeared on 2001’s Old-School Dropouts CD. This is also the band’s first album to feature two new members, guitarist Mike Ayers and drummer Rob Ladd (who have been in the lineup since 2002 and 2012, respectively), and the band’s first record with Mike Connell taking a prominent role as vocalist.

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Gal Musette - Spencer Callum - Opeongo

Gal Musette - Ghost.

Gal Musette is the nom de plum of Grace Freeman, a musical prodigy who began writing piano based lyrical compositions and performing at open mics in her home city of San Clemente, CA at the age of 10. Her graceful approach to melody-driven indie-folk and French chansons has captured audiences all over Southern California. At age 14, inspired by The Magnetic Fields’ triple album 69 Love Songs, Gal recorded her own collection titled 70 Love Songs, which caught the attention of the band, and won her an opening slot on a few of their Midwestern U.S. tour dates. In more recent years, Gal has opened for several renowned artists such as Macy Gray, Suzanne Vega, Todd Snyder, and Donavon Frankenreiter. While her artist name is taken from bal-musette, the accordion-based, waltz-style French instrumental music, Gal’s primary inspiration is drawn from songwriters including Joni Mitchell, Regina Spektor, Bjork, Cocteau Twins, Burt Bacharach, Irving Berlin and The Cure.

In October 2021, Gal will be releasing her debut album, Backwards Lullaby, featuring a vocal duet with one of her biggest musical inspirations, Rufus Wainwright. The upcoming album explores the pangs of hopeless romances and unrequited love, what it’s like to move beyond idealized love into the acceptance of what is real and constant, as well as the cyclical nature of life and love in relationships.

 “Summertime,” the first single from the EP, was released in June and tells an overwhelmingly nostalgic and bittersweet narrative about short-lived friendships, like romances, that fade with the season’s change. The romantic and warm nature of the song overflows with a joyous indie-folk melody laced with snippets of loss and heartache.

Gal’s newest single, “Ghost,” is rooted in tragedy and carries her listeners through the struggle of being in love with two people at the same time. Heart-wrenching vocals and gentle piano fill this song with raw emotion, painting a vivid portrait of pain, passion, and longing - but also leaving much of the song’s meaning open to unique interpretation. Gal confides “there’s no one meaning to be understood from the lyrics- I would hope that each listener could take something a bit different from them. The “ghost” could be seen as a metaphor for an imaginary friend that stuck around a little overdue- even when you’ve grown up and shouldn’t be clinging to those fantasies anymore.”  Indie-rock band Coma Culture is featured on the song and adds to a harmony full of ecstasy and emotion.

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Photo - Angelina Castillo

Spencer Callum - Seaside.

With an arm’s length list of credits stretching from the likes of Kesha, Dolly Parton and Deer Tick, to Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town, pedal steel savant Spencer Cullum is one of Nashville’s most in-demand session cats. 

That’s in addition to making up half of acclaimed, primarily instrumental space-country duo “Steelism.” Clearly he’s had little trouble fitting in since moving from his native London to Music City by way of Detroit eight years ago, even if it’s mostly meant blending into the background. “I guess I’ve always hidden behind [the instrument],” he deadpans. “I’m always the guy who looks like he’s studying for a test in the background.”

Now, with a debut solo album, Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection, paying homage to the ’60s and ‘70s psych-pop, folk and proto prog heroes of his homeland, this Nashville sideman’s stepping out from the shadows into the spotlight. 

The album is being released September 24th via Full Time Hobby. Along with a supporting cast of fellow Music City stage and studio aces like guitarist Sean Thompson and multi-instrumentalist Luke Reynolds, as well as singing and writing partners like Caitlin Rose, Andrew Combs, Erin Rae, Annie Williams and James “Skyway Man” Wallace — he’s bringing a bit of Britain to Tennessee.

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Opeongo - dreadful sorry clemency.

Opeongo is the moniker of 28-year-old singer-songwriter Keegan Trumpour of Midland, Ontario. After releasing debut LP Miasma in 2019, Opeongo is preparing his sophomore album, we’ll all go with (the-will-o’-the-wisp).

Opeongo returns with a bigger and bolder single “dreadful sorry clemency,” reimagining the protagonist Clementine from the traditional folk tune and Elliott Smith song. “dreadful sorry clemency” encapsulates loss - of mercy, lenience, and forgiveness. 

We can survive a lack of empathy and understanding with a little bit of warmth, compassion and care for one another.

Opeongo · dreadful sorry clemency

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Jessica Pearson and the East Wind - Megan McCormick feat. Amanda Fields - HuDost

Jessica Pearson and the East Wind - Laundry Song.

We are taught to carry and hold onto shame and guilt in our lives; to keep everything bad that happens, all the mistakes we’ve made, to ourselves. To hide ourselves from the world and only show the shiny exterior we’ve created to mask the pain and shame. Jessica Pearson and the East Wind’s new single “Laundry Song” is out today, bringing celtic influences to the surface of the duo’s sound and celebrates traditional sounds of their ancestors and heritage from Ireland and Scotland.

Jessica Pearson is a Canadian born storyteller with a voice like melting honey on a summers eve. Accompanied by Maddy O’Regan on the fiddle, they bring to life tales of the past and express the beauty and heartbreak of the world today.

In 2017 they released their debut EP Grave and Garden Songs to a sold out crowd at LIVE! On Elgin. Playing over 80 shows a year in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, they have been writing songs and collecting stories from all over the world.

Their music blends folk, roots and East Coast bluegrass to create a unique sound of their own. From a cappella tunes sung in the middle of the audience to recollections of growing up in Canada, Jessica Pearson and the East Wind will take you on a journey with their dynamic live shows and entertaining story telling.

Jessica Pearson and the East Wind · Laundry Song

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Megan McCormick - Upside and Backwards feat. Amanda Fields.

Today, the Nashville-based producer, songwriter, and acclaimed guitarist Megan McCormick returns with her first new single of 2021 “Upside Down and Backwards” featuring Amanda Fields. The song was written by the duo and was produced by McCormick, who has continued to expand into production over the last few years. This week, McCormick will perform with Allison Russell at the Newport Folk Festival.

“‘Upside Down and Backwards’ was born from a serendipitous moment when an old-timed Christmas record started skipping,” explains McCormick. “The song began stirring and the next thing I knew my partner and I were on a tangent, recording every part, writing lyrics, and building this song around the record skipping sample I’d recorded on my phone. The whole thing was finished in a day, just from us being totally consumed by what seemed to come from outside ourselves. We acted more like conduits. But, the crux of the song is about awakening to love and how we’re willing to reach so deeply and so far for something.”

Megan McCormick is a Nashville, TN-based guitarist, songwriter, producer, and engineer. She’s performed and toured with Jenny Lewis, Connor Oberst, and Haerts, and has produced music by Ryan Culwell, Aubrie Sellers and Cruz Contreras. McCormick is an in-demand and inventive musician, lending support to a variety of performers and songwriters.

“Upside Down and Backwards” follows her 2020 single “Human Condition.” NPR Music said, “Megan McCormick has been known around town for years for her delicate depth and incisiveness on acoustic and electric guitar alike, which keeps her plenty busy backing other performers. In late March, she ended a half-dozen-year gap in output under her own name with the track ‘Human Condition,’ an electronic pop-R&B dreamscape that surrounds her reedy ruminations in fanciful instrumental counterpoint and insinuated groove.” McCormick has a new album in the final stages of production, with plans to release a flow of new music.

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HuDost - Beat the Drum Harder.

Award-winning music duo HuDost are calling on planet conservation with the release of their pressing new single and mesmerizing new music video, “Beat the Drum Harder.” Led by Montreal, QC artist Moksha Sommer, and Bowling Green, KY artist Jemal Wade Hines, the song is from HuDost’s forthcoming November 2021 album, Anthems of Home.

“The single addresses our disconnection from — and harm of — the planet, and our awakening to the needed return,” the band says. “It is a joyous and celebratory call for us to open our ears and consciousness to the heartbeat of the earth that brings us back to the source.”

For the music video, HuDost was able to partner with esteemed choreographer Rebecca Steinberg and accomplished videographer Sam Boyette. They worked with the WKU Dance Program & WKU Dance Company and involved almost 20 additional dancers. “The creation process was challenging as all preparations were done within the restraints of Covid,” HuDost recalls. “Rehearsals were conducted via zoom, and all preparation was done separately.

“It was only on the day of filming that everyone came together in-person, freshly vaccinated, and delighted to work. That in-person union was a symbolic mirroring of the greater message of the song and video… “Even if we are estranged or isolated from our greater source, the return can and will happen.”

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Ruth Lyon - The Sun Harmonic - Erez Zobary

Ruth Lyon - Fast Food

Ruth Lyon is a singer-songwriter of intense honesty and an impulse to say it how it is. Making a unique brand of ‘baroque-pop’ she bares her soul with courage and conviction - full of stark self-reflection but also a knowing nod to the absurdity of life. She returns to drop her latest single “Fast Food”.

Upbeat and effervescent, “Fast Food” is an irresistible pop gem that draws you in from the get-go with Ruth’s captivating and confident vocal delivery over an incredibly danceable rhythm section. It’s impossible to stay still while listening to Ruth’s lighthearted take on an almost nihilistic sense of timelessness many of us felt over the past year. Supported in the chorus by more captivating melodies and euphoric brass, “Fast Food” will grab a hold of your attention and not let go.

In 2019 Ruth released her first single “I’d Give It All” (under the name Ruth Patterson) which received support from 6 Music, Radio X and Spotify editorial. In 2020 Ruth cemented herself as one of the North East’s most important voices, when Sage Gateshead named her Artist-in-Residence. Over the course of the year, despite being thrown into turmoil by the pandemic, Ruth released two more singles, the evocative “Sink or Swim” and “Somebody Else”, for which she received the PRS Women Make Music award and was named as BBC Introducing in the North East’s Hot Tip 2021.

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The Sun Harmonic - All to Myself.

The Sun Harmonic is a Canadian folk-rock band led by small town songwriter Kaleb Hikele, a prolific recording artist based in Toronto’s east end. Kaleb is releasing a new folk album, Coast to Coast, recorded in five studios across Canada; 

The first folk-pop single “To the Blue” was tracked in Ottawa and Montreal. The second single, folk-punk song “Flying Over Saskatchewan,” was released with a fan favourite pandemic-style Zoom music video. Contrasting love songs, “All to Myself” and “A Song for Her,” will be released throughout the summer before the album drops on streaming services in October 2021.

Kaleb Hikele has created original independent music all from his home studio since 2009, Coast to Coast will be the fifth studio album and 15th studio release as an artist. Before the pandemic, The Sun Harmonic shared a stage with Charlotte Cardin at Winnipeg’s Festival Du Voyageur 2020, showcased by Canada’s Walk of Fame, just before live shows went dark. 

Their latest EP It’s All Okay, Thanks To You brought the infectious single “Sign On The Road” into heavy rotation on satellite radio, now spinning on turntables across Canada.

The Sun Harmonic · All to Myself

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Erez Zobary - To Bloom.

Toronto-based R&B/pop artist Erez Zobary has a timeless voice, in more ways than one. Raised on Stevie Wonder and Amy Winehouse, Erez’s soulful vocals echo the sounds and styles of her youth. Lyrically she is raw and uninhibited, writing openly about universal, yet highly personal, feelings of self-worth, uncertainty, and vulnerability. Combined with her down-to-earth sense of humour and natural charisma, which she displays online and onstage, Erez engages with a growing fanbase who resonate deeply with her message of empowerment, and find joy and connectivity in the community she has fostered.

Over the last five years, Erez has played to audiences around the country, from sold-out shows at venues like Lee’s Palace and the Taste of Danforth festival in Toronto, to packed theatres at TEDxQueensU in Kingston, and the National Music Centre in Calgary, as a participant in the RBC Master in Residence Program with Steven Page. In 2019, Erez was selected by HoneyJam as one of Canada’s up-and-coming female artists.

Erez has released 3 EPs in collaboration with various artists, including Enoch Ncube of Moneyphone (Erez & Enoch Love You, Twenty), and Brahny (Love and Lots of Sleep), to create music that combines her distinctive sense of storytelling with experimental sounds, and diverse genres. In 2019, Erez partnered with frequent musical collaborators Adam Eisen and David Lipson to create her first full-length project, July Clouds, which received national attention for songs like Love Me (CBC Song of the Week) and Before I Knew You (Spotify Fresh Finds).

Now Erez turns inward, at a time of great self-discovery and uncertainty, to create a collection of deeply personal songs. On her upcoming project, Erez draws from the anxieties, challenges, and changes facing her, and many like her, who are searching to understand themselves.

Erez Zobary · To Bloom

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Parliamo - Midnight Vesta - Alice SK - Sylvie

Parliamo - Life On The TV.

Perth, Scotland based 6-piece Parliamo (pronounced Par-Lee-Ammo) have just released a new single "Life On The TV", the second track to be lifted from upcoming EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto', due for release later this year via Modern Sky (The Coral, The Lathums, Abbie Ozard).

Intertwining playful references to Dennis The Menace and The Simpsons' Ralph Wiggum, "Life On The TV" details the youthful anxieties that arise after a heavy night out. Utilising an inspired blend of soaring vocal harmonies, obscure electronic samples and rousing indie-rock instrumentation, Parliamo's new single makes for a truly unique and compelling experience.

Speaking on the release of "Life On The TV", the band said: "It's a song about the crippling fear, something which most people can relate to, that feeling of hopelessness and embarrassment after a night out, as you sit in front of the TV and wither away - with overthinking, Lucozade and Kevin McLoud your only companions."

With a heady live-reputation preceding them, Parliamo have already been hailed as one of Scotland’s most exciting young prospects. Drawing from a plethora of influences from Groove Armada, The Avalanches and Massive Attack to Super Furry Animals, The Beta Band and Primal Scream – their witty social commentary–styled lyricism partnered with a distinctive songwriting approach suggest a band working beyond their years.

Backed by radio in the UK (BBC 6Music, Radio Scotland, Radio X) and in the US (via KEXP), their self-proclaimed brand of ‘underground pop’ is already turning a lot of heads. Citing influence from the likes of John Cooper-Clarke and Mike Skinner through to The Beautiful South and Fatboy Slim,  Parliamo are a true breath of fresh air, and without doubt ones to watch in 2021.

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Midnight Vesta - Long Way Around.

Midnight Vesta presents a sonic buffet of homegrown tunes, smothered in harmony. 

Their blend of Canadiana and Folk Rock offers a soundbite for every generation of the family to enjoy.

Sometimes in life, you may feel like things are taking longer than expected. The Toronto band's new single, “Long Way Around" assures us that it’s okay to take the scenic route - it’s all part of the journey.

MIDNIGHT VESTA · 08 Long Way Around

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Alice SK - Another Girl's Man.

Alice SK's debut single, “Another Girl's Man”, is a track that blends Folk with Indie to tell an age-old tale of love turning sour. Her haunting, soulful voice sounds classic yet modern through the influence of cultural icons, such as Ella Fitzgerald & Joni Mitchell, and present-day acts, like The Strokes, to create something fresh.

The song, produced by Muca (Los Bitchos, L.A. Salami) is taken from Alice SK’s forthcoming EP, “Electric”, which will be out in late 2021. On the collaboration, Alice SK said:

“I’ve been writing for years and it never really crossed my mind to get involved with others on the writing side of things; but when I heard a few of Muca’s other projects and his ideas for the demos that I showed him, I thought it could be a great combination of our two sounds and I’m hoping that that comes across in the tracks too.”

“Another Girl’s Man” is the stream of thoughts of a woman who has been scorned. Meant to reflect how one can turn ‘crazy in love’ and that love then quickly turns to an infatuation, as the song goes on and the woman subject gets more wound up and obsessive in her thoughts to the point where she becomes self-destructive. The track is essentially about romance that can go from sweet to sour in a flash.

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Sylvie - Sylvie.

Sylvie are sharing news of their self-titled debut EP, along with the title track. The latest project from Ben Schwab (Golden Daze, Drugdealer), the EP is inspired by Schwab's father's old cassette tapes, lost jewels from a recent past, and the tracing of a musical lineage. it is out via Terrible Records on October 1st. 

Schwab explains, “This is the cover song from the EP and one of the main sources of inspiration for the project. When I heard “Sylvie” (originally written by Iain Matthews), I was so taken back by the emotionality and softness; there was also something mystical and ethereal about it. It had the perfect open sound to me- the type of song I would hear and get just enough information from while still being able to project my own emotions and interpretation onto it. I think the fact that it was also so unknown made it that much more appealing."

"Me and Mike Collins (Drugdealer) started to call these types of songs that slipped through the cracks from that era "Sylvieʼs”, and that sort of started this whole idea for me. There is a musical lineage that I wanted to tap into and carry on so I named the project “Sylvie” after this song. I played most of the instrumentation on this one, with the help of a few friends and it was sung by my really good friend/collaborator Sam Burton, who is one of the singers in Sylvie.”

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Eve Goodman - Louise Aubrie - Georgia Lines - Wyndow

Eve Goodman - Wave Upon Wave.

'Wave Upon Wave', the latest single by North Wales singer / songwriter Eve Goodman is an exploration of the healing power of the sea. Its lilting, rolling melody is one part ‘Bryter Layter’ Nick Drake, early 70s golden period Sandy Denny and the other Eve’s captivating and unflinching musical honesty. 'Wave Upon Wave'’s emotive heart balances the songs questioning yearning with the need for comfort …… the comfort of being carried along the waves towards an awaiting shore.

Eve explains the origin of the song: "I wrote the vocal parts in one sitting, and never changed them. In fact, the entire vocal recording is the original demo that I created when trying out ideas late one night. I started off with the simple lilting melody of 'wave upon wave upon wave', and loved the way the structure of this sentence means it could go on infinitely. This idea of infinity sparked the next line, 'day upon day upon day'. The sea is vast, infinite, timeless.The song grew from there really, like a wave rolling towards the shore, building strength and power and beauty.” The single was recorded and mixed by Luke Evans at Somewhere Studio and mastered by Katie Tavini.

About the Song: "I wrote the vocal parts in one sitting, and never changed them. In fact, the entire vocal recording is the original demo that I created when trying out ideas late one night. I started off with the simple lilting melody of 'wave upon wave upon wave', and loved the way the structure of this sentence means it could go on infinitely. This idea of infinity sparked the next line, 'day upon day upon day'. The sea is vast, infinite, timeless. The song grew from there really, like a wave rolling towards the shore, building strength and power and beauty.I particularly love the autoharp.

The sounds of the strings as they are played sound like the gentle pull and creaks of the mast, and it feels like you're on a boat. Luke did a beautiful job of building a soundscape for the vocals to float on."

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Louise Aubrie - Ours.

Indie Rock/Pop songstress Louise Aubrie has announced the release of her 5th studio album 'Antonio', due October 15, 2021 on all platforms. 'Antonio' is a truly transatlantic affair; written in New York, recorded in London, and mixed and mastered in Los Angeles.

Louise Aubrie elaborates on the new album's unique inspiration: The title is inspired by a line from the Jacques Brel song 'La Chanson De Jacky': "Même si on m'appelle Antonio" - "My name would be Antonio". It's a brilliant fantastical song about fame being fleeting, and imagining how life might be in the future: being washed up, reflecting on the glory days!! Marc Almond did a brilliant cover of it - one of my favourite songs - and I created a vision of who Antonio might be: an aging European lothario going round the clubs.  A lot of the songs were inspired by that image - I don't know anyone called Antonio in the real world!

Musically, 'Antonio' finds Louise Aubrie in her sleekest form, pumping out hooky, melodic tracks, and cutting straight to the point. No doubt, her kinetic sound is born of a deep connection to the city; Louise splits her time equally between her hometown of London and her adopted town of New York City. The striking cover artwork is an homage to The Pet Shop Boys 'Actually' album cover.

Louise Aubrie recruited several world class collaborators for this album including her mentor Boz Boorer (Morrissey's MD/co-writer). Recorded at Studio 55 and RFL Studios in London, 'Antonio' features Frank Horovitch on guitars, Boz Boorer on guitars, keys and percussion, Andy Woodard on drums and bass, and Roger Joseph Manning Jr on guest keys. It is produced by Andy Woodard, mixed by Ken Sluiter and mastered by Dave Collins in Los Angeles, CA.

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Georgia Lines - Call Me By My Name.

The hypnotic piano driven ballad showcases Lines’ exquisite vocals and emphasizes why she is one of the most mesmerizing voices in the country right now. Written at the end of lockdown in 2020, Tauranga-based Lines teamed up with acclaimed writer and producer Djeisan Suskov (LEISURE, Benee, Paige) to create the understated, yet powerful "Call Me By My Name."

The single is accompanied by a music video that is best described as a visual piece of art and features the directorial debut of Georgia Lines herself. “I loved being a part of the directing process in this video. My inner bossy 12-year-old self came to the surface in the director’s chair.

The song explores human relationships and the challenges we all feel as humans. “It’s about the tension that is felt in every relationship whereas individuals we want to be seen, understood and valued for who we are,” says Lines. “... But knowing that compromise, sacrifice and a willingness to learn and grow is necessary to love another human. “I am so incredibly proud of this one,” Lines continues. “Djeisan [Suskov] is such an incredible writer and producer, and it has been such a privilege working together on ‘Call Me By My Name’.

‘Call Me By My Name’ continues a stellar 2021 for Georgia Lines. The recently released ‘No One Knows’ achieved top 100 radio airplay and saw performances across a range of media outlets in Aotearoa. Lines also embarked on a co-headline tour with LAIIKA and was one of the performers at TUAWAHINE alongside Anika Moa, Annie Crummer, Paige and Tami Neilson. Georgia Lines is a star on the rise with an exquisite voice that promises even more to come. Watch this space!

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Wyndow - Pulling On a String.

Following the success of their first two singles ‘Take My Picture’ and ‘Two Strong Legs’ Wyndow (Laura J Martin and Lavinia Blackwall) return with their eponymous debut album.  The project was ignited by a love of Robert Wyatt and an off-hand idea of collaborating on a version of his song ‘Free Will and Testament’. In a time of weird interludes, the self-examination of the song’s lyrics opened the pathway to themes examined throughout the record, that of being and wanting and the battle between knowledge and knowing. Who am I and do I see myself the way others see me?

What follows is an exploration of the uncertain and the impermanent.  According to Martin, they are “tunes for whacked out worriers lifting weights in the worry gym,” where “feeling uneasy never felt so easy." Reflections flit between two pendulums as each wrote and recorded remotely and exchanged these dog-eared musical postcards to see each others’ responses.  Eschewing the “band in a room” aesthetic out of geographical necessity they focussed on maximising the sonic palette of each song, doing exactly what each piece demanded without thinking about who had to play each instrument.

The songs on Wyndow exist in the space between waking and sleeping, hazy tales that unfurl and engulf the listener in a slightly uncanny sense of familiarity. New single ‘Pulling On A String’ is based on the feeling of walking familiar routes and wishing they took you elsewhere, the duality of holding on to the familiar yet pulling yourself nearer to the beyond and the unknown.

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Vera Ellen - Big Little Lions - Skidders - Girlpuppy

Vera Ellen - I Want 2 B Boy.

Vera Ellen shares a second sensational single, ‘I Want 2 B Boy’, from the upcoming album ‘It’s Your Birthday’ out October 8th via Flying Nun Records.

‘I Want 2 B Boy’ explores the depths of identity — and the incertitude that can arise from opening a can of this particular brand of worms. Sonically, the track makes immaculate use of synthesizers, and scratches our itch for a spirited sing-a-long. Equal parts triumphant and ambivalent, the sonic delivery oscillates between the two, showcasing Vera’s incredible song-writing prowess.

Vera has said on the track, “Ahh.. the multiple layers of feelings you get when you step into yourself. Joy! Pain! More confusion! You spend your life trying to find your footing and often when you do, you just step into another layer of questioning."

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Big Little Lions - Hold On.

Written and produced by Big Little Lions (Helen Austin/Paul Otten) “Hold On is a dramatically, intense song written from the perspective of someone helping to guide and comfort a friend who is experiencing depression.” We have the pleasure of including the lyrics to the song below as Big Little Lions continue to share another gorgeous monthly release this year!

In the dark corner is where I’ll find you
There’s a spark fighting to light the shadows in your soul
Heavy heart crawling towards desire
You’ve been starved
Hungry to find a taste to make you whole
feed the void that you control
oh
Hold on
Hang on tight so you can
Hold on
You’ll have to fight to keep your body off the floor
Only then you’ll find the door
I’ll cover you
While you battle with all your demons
Help you through
The maze of your mind you feel will never end
But I know that you got this
oh

BigLittleLions · Hold On

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Skidders - I Wonder (feat. Andrew James).

Skidders (aka Steve Skidmore) is back with a brand new single taken from the forthcoming studio album Friends & Family Vol.2.

I wrote the song for my wife to appear on volume 2, but rather than wait until it's release, I wanted to publish it earlier, hence the single! But as a love song, and with my vocals, I really could not to it justice - hence the addition of Andrew James' incredible vocals. Together with the bass, mixing and mastering of the amazing Paul Hogg, although a simple song, it is one I am most proud of. I thank Andrew & Paul from the bottom of my heart and I really hope you will like it as much as I do.

Andrew James: Andrew is well know in the Cotswold area of England, and kept everyone sane during the COVID pandemic with his "Stay Sane Sessions" performed live on Facebook and YouTube throughout shutdowns. I was honoured to record guitar for some songs of his songs and Andrew reciprocated with some fab keyboards on Bukechi videos. Check out our cover of Bonnie Raitt's beautiful song I can't make you love me that Andrew lit up with his piano.

Paul Hogg: Paul is an amazing musician, producer, sound engineer and most of all, a lovely friend. Not only these virtues, but he also composes and publishes several genres of music under his name and also that of 'The Ox', the latter being amazing electronica and downtempo music.

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Girlpuppy - Miniature Furniture

Girlpuppy aka Becca Harvey is sharing her new single "Miniature Furniture" through Royal Mountain Records. Written in collaboration with Lunar Vacation and produced by Phoebe Bridgers' co-conspirator Marshall Vore, it's the second track from her debut EP, Swan.

With an opening tour with The Districts already scheduled for October and her first live performance at Chicago’s Riot Fest, girlpuppy's return with "Miniature Furniture" showcases her effortless confessional indie folk, earnestly examining her own emotions and writing beautifully forlorn pop songs that pierce straight through the heart.

Harvey explains, “This song is a culmination of experiences from a summer where I was traveling back and forth to Chicago and Pasadena all whilst coping with a difficult break up. I was having a really tough time dealing with the breakup, but instead of addressing the feelings I was experiencing, I distracted myself with travel and spent time with friends. I often find myself trying to hide from confronting my emotions head on by doing things to keep myself from thinking about how sad I am, so this upbeat song really embodies the fleeting feelings of happiness while also being so depressed.

I associate great memories with this song because I wrote it with two of my friends Grace Repasky and Maggie Geeslin (of Lunar Vacation) and it was such a fun experience. The "miniature furniture" title is a reference to an exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago that I visited during that summer."

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Glass Heart String Choir - Lleuwen - Julia Bardo - Alicia Walter

Glass Heart String Choir - California.

Wrapped in the warmth of cinematic strings, airy siren choirs, and yearning lead vocals, California invites us to pause as we begin reaching out again for the things we love and missed during our collective isolation, and consider how much they, and we, have changed.

Friends-in-arms reveling at the intersection of classical virtuosity, existential poetics, and art-film surrealism, Seattle art-pop duo Glass Heart String Choir weaves golden lyrical threads of haute-art into their achingly beautiful orchestral tapestry.

Always ambitious in their quest to create unique compositions that stand out from other string-heavy chamber-pop, their latest release California is a beautiful art-song reminiscent of Damien Rice or Joanna Newsom.

The song begins in warm orchestral depths, with Williams delivering the song’s hook, “Do you remember?” in delicate yet sanguine tones, setting us up for the tug-of-war between fond recollection, consolation, and sorrow that permeates the compact 2:30 song, floating upon multi-instrumentalist and producer Katie Mosehauer’s elegant violin melodies and choral soundscapes suggestive of contemporary soundtrack composers Yann Tiersen and Jocelyn Pook.

The 100+ string-sections and near-operatic highs of previous releases are replaced with an airy, Enya-esque choir that haunts the piano-driven bridge, and boldly carries the song forward in its latter half, bringing a soft new dimension to the traditional repertoire.

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Lleuwen - Rhosod.

“My roses are fragile, and come with thorns. . . ” Here is a line from 'RHOSOD' (Roses) written, composed, recorded and performed by Lleuwen Steffan in her home in Brittany. Lockdown has been a time of home recordings. She usually composes her songs with guitar, and used most of her lockdown time to learn something she always wanted – the piano. All her gigs were cancelled mid-tour in 2020 so she had the time.

Nothing beats real connection, so when she was given the opportunity to work with producer Erin Costelo, Lleuwen seized the opportunity. What started as a few polite zoom meetings snowballed into long discussions about production, mixing, mastering and talks about the lack of female music producers, or more so, the lack of recognition.

This song is just the beginning of their partnership. Written on piano and using her zipper lighter as percussion, Lleuwen finds joy in the lo-fi. “This is a song you planted in my garden. From my garden to your radio, to your ear and back into essence”, says the song that ends with poet Sion Llewelyn’s translation of the Serenity Prayer. RHOSOD is the first of two songs composed by Lleuwen in partnership with the National Eisteddfod of Wales and National Arts Centre Canada, with Erin as producer.

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Julia Bardo - No Feeling.

Following the release of her recent single Do This To Me, Manchester-via-Italy singer, songwriter and guitarist Julia Bardo has shared new single and video No Feeling, taken from her eagerly awaited debut album Bauhaus, L’Appartamento released on 10th September via Wichita Recordings.

No Feeling is a dreamy alt pop song, which builds with a teasing guitar riff to a soaring melodic chorus of earnest and relatable lyrics about the everyday need to do things you don’t want to do and having ‘no feeling’ for them. The video, directed by Georgie Brown, features Julia role-playing different life tasks interspersed with a neon-tinged glam live performance.

Julia says; “‘No Feeling’ is about doing things just because you exist, not because you want to actually do them. Because we are trapped in a cycle of rules in society; you must have a job, go out, drink, talk to people, be sociable, believe in something, and do what other people do in order to survive in the world. Sometimes even the most mundane tasks seem too much to handle.”

“For the video, I wanted to portray this idea and set the scene in a white, sterile space, showing how these actions can make us feel stuck in an endless loop of time - going through the same motions every day without feelings or emotions, and how that can build and eventually become out of control."

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Alicia Walter - Suit Yourself.

Following on from the release of her highly-praised debut solo single ‘Prelude’ earlier this year, singer and songwriter Alicia Walter, formally known as the lead singer behind the Chicago-based art-rock outfit Oshwa, is now continuing the support for her first solo studio album ‘I Am Alicia’ with the vibrant new offering ‘Suit Yourself’.

Much like what we heard on ‘Prelude’, ‘Suit Yourself’ sees her branch out from behind the confines of her previous outfit to explore a bolder and more multifaceted direction. Accompanied by the stunning Falyn Huang-directed video, we see Alicia show off her fresh and exuberant spirit as she sings and dances around a beautiful, old house in upstate New York.

Speaking about the new release, she said, “Suit Yourself” is a motivational anthem empowering myself to follow my dreams and do what I want to do in life, “cause babe, this ain’t that long of a ride.” I'm asking myself to stop worrying about what everybody else thinks or about what’s “right,” and to show up for myself and chase my wildest dreams —because the universe might just deliver!

“In the video, we see me at home, getting up out of bed and becoming who I want to be. We watch as “pretend” —playing dress-up with different personas and careers, dreaming up what I could be —becomes reality, me stepping into my fullest potential (and, *suitably,* a glam power jumpsuit!).”

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Molly Hanmer & The Midnight Tokers - Piper Butcher - Robert Ellis Orrall

Photo - Dave Clancy

Molly Hanmer & The Midnight Tokers - Sick of Me.

"Sick of Me" is Molly Hanmer's first single in three years and the first offering off the band's sophomore album Get Loose, due out on September 2021. The song comes after the release of Molly's debut album Stuck in a Daydream, released in 2018 with warm recognition from the National press and radio.

Get Loose parts ways from the Americana-themed compositions of its predecessor and dives deeper into Molly's passion for rock, blues, and psychedelic melodies. Lyric-wise, this new record feels more personal and brings awareness to political and social subjects that had an impact in the band when writing and composing the songs. As the title implies, this album is less restrained or unrestrained, hence "Get loose".

The 10 songs included in Molly Hanmer's upcoming album are longing for freedom to shake off the confines of the pandemic as well as our own critic or fears/inhibitions, urging us to break free, physically and emotionally.

"Sick of Me" was chosen as the song to kick off this new album. Musically fun, dynamic and radio-friendly, it could be the soundtrack of any Route 66 road trip; lyric-wise, the song is an acknowledgment of the fact that ultimately we need other people, with the pandemic keeping us isolated from one another. The importance of connecting with another, and aims to be a reminder that “me, myself, and I” can’t be our sole focus.

"Sick of Me" was written in the height of lockdown, at a time when it was impossible not to be real. And what was real for us was this loneliness, this longing to connect with others, which felt both vulnerable and even a bit perverse. There was anger, too, which you can hear as the song kicks off with this relentless immediacy. And "Sick of Me" was also cathartic, a way we could express our feelings, without breaking the furniture. And if you hear a nod to Iggy and the Stooges or the Buzzcocks, well, you wouldn’t be wrong. In sum, "Sick of Me" is an expression of the angst and longing we felt during a profound and painful time in our shared history.

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Piper Butcher - Before The Thunder.

Off the back of her debut single that debuted at #3 on the iTunes Alternative Chart, Newcastle singer-songwriter, Piper Butcher, is back for more with her brand new track, “Before The Thunder”.

Piper is one of the hottest new names to hit the Australian Americana scene and “Before The Thunder” is sure to capitalise on the success of its predecessor.

Piper says, “the song emanates a story of when someone wants something they can’t have and tries to cross the line to make it happen”.

The song brings about different side of Piper showcasing strong melodies and bluesy guitar licks that would make even John Mayer proud. Her versatility shines through and cements a class act that can straddle genres with the best of them.

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Robert Ellis Orrall - Sunshine.

Today, Robert Ellis Orrall shares the summertime-ready single “Sunshine” from his forthcoming album 467 Surf and Gun Club, out August 27 via Infinity Cat imprint Fixation Records. Accompanied by a music video starring power-pop Infinity Cat band Nectar and released on the same day as the label’s 19th birthday, “Sunshine” is every bit as nostalgic as it is catchy-as-hell.

“This song's about making the sunshine, spreading the sunshine, and letting the sun shine on the people you love,” says Orrall. “I'm hoping good times are back in style and our days can get a little bit brighter, no matter what the weather is outside.” He continues, “I asked Nectar - a band I like a lot - to make a video because they share my hopelessly optimistic in-spite-of-reality wish that we will all find a little more sunshine in our lives."

Nectar adds, "We filmed the video on one of the hottest days of the summer, so we were truly fueled by sunshine. The upbeat, good vibes of the song really set the mood and we had a blast!"

Owner of Infinity Cat Records and father to JEFF the Brotherhood’s Jake and Jamin Orrall, Robert Ellis Orrall is a Nashville legend. At the helm of the beloved indie label for almost two decades, he guided Nashville's punk-rock underground and launched the careers of bands like JEFF, Diarrhea Planet, Be Your Own Pet and Daddy Issues out of the now-demolished house at 467 Humphrey Street. But Infinity Cat is not his first success story. By the time he launched the label in 2002, the Massachusetts-native had already enjoyed a milestone-filled career as a major-label artist and behind-the-scenes songwriter, racking up Top 40 hits from the ‘80s through the 2000s and co-producing Taylor Swift's multi-platinum debut album.

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