Mear - Tom Jenkins - Charm Of Finches - Charlotte Rose Benjamin

Photo - Jen Squires

Mear - I'll Love You.

Mear is an indie pop collaboration between singer-songwriter Frances Miller and electronic composer Greg Harrison. Together, their music combines catchy melodies and poignant lyrics with their shared love of experimental music. Their  debut LP Soft Chains was released on Friday. 

"I'll Love You," tells a make-believe story about a breakup during the apocalypse. The song itself is meant to take on a cinematic feel. Miller was inspired by blockbusters like Armageddon and Titanic. The idea of leaving someone you love behind, the idea of heroes, and the sacrifice that people make for others left a weirdly profound impact on her.

We wanted this song to take listeners on an emotional journey. The song has three distinct sections which could be best interpreted as Anticipation, Storm/Conflict, Loss/ Mourning. We also wanted to leave space for the music to tell a story when the lyrics are absent, which allowed us to emphasize the moods of these sections. – Greg Harrison

Soft Chains was self-produced and recorded in Harrison's home studio in Toronto and was a result of the band being able to experiment and explore their sound over the years. There is a prominent theme of personal struggle and growth with mental health. Mear's shared experiences allowed them to pour everything they had to offer into these songs.

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Tom Jenkins - Magic Mushroom Island.

Following his recent signing to Xtra Mile Recordings, ex-Straight Lines frontman Tom Jenkins has unveiled an anthemic new single that veers towards fresh sonic territory. Straying slightly from his acoustic folk-tinged roots, “Magic Mushroom Island” is an exhilarating new cut with larger-than-life instrumentals and an exultant earworm chorus. Building to an electric crescendo with roiling riffs and a colossal guitar breakdown that nods to the legendary works of Led Zeppelin, Jenkins is also joined at the track’s climax by esteemed Motorhead guitarist Phil Campbell.

Where previous single “Back Roads” was a softly simmering country-tinged track that paid homage to Jenkins’ affinity for agriculture, “Magic Mushroom Island” bubbles over with blistering vocals and rip-roaring riffs. Buoyant and broiling in equal measure, the track’s influences are as multifarious as its sound, with everything from cult Leonardo DiCaprio film ‘The Beach’ to hallucinogen-hungry university students and iconic rock artists of old cited as influences.

Speaking on the story behind the single, Tom explains: “When writing the new album I wanted to slightly break the singer-songwriter mould and go against the indie-folk sound of my first album. “Magic Mushroom Island” draws influences from some of my favourite rock bands, such as Fugazi, Silverchair and Manic Street Preachers.

Lyrically, the song is a celebration of strangers in the depth of lockdown. I had not left my farm in the hills of the South Wales Valleys or seen a soul for weeks, until a number of random people started showing up and scouring the fields. Apparently word was getting around a local uni that our fields were rich in Magic Mushrooms and it was quite the hot spot. It reminded me of the film ‘The Beach’ which influenced the title. This random occurrence did bring much joy and laughter with strangers to a somewhat lonely time.”

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Charm Of Finches - River.

Ahead of their first-ever UK headline tour - Charm Of Finches - are releasing a spine-tingling rendition of Joni Mitchell’s classic single: “River”. Nodding to one of the natural world’s most beautiful and life-nurturing features, the release of “River” coincided with this year’s Earth Day.

Adorned with the hymnal vocal harmonies and spacious arrangements that define the duo’s trademark sound, Charm of Finches conjure a breathtaking version that showcases the band’s singular talents, while also paying fitting homage to one of the all time songwriting greats.

Initially recorded as an exclusive for their Patrons last year, the track is now being made available as part of an upcoming acoustic EP entitled ‘Bluest Colour’, which will feature a mixture of covers and alternative versions of previously released tracks. Full release details will be revealed in due course. 

Speaking about the choice of cover, Mabel and Ivy Windred-Wornes say: “We’ve been listening to a lot of the artists from Laurel Canyon and that era for a secret project we are working on. We’ve loved diving into the lyricism of Joni Mitchell, and felt an immediate affinity with the lyrics “I wish I had a river so long, I would teach my feet to fly” - we have had itchy feet to travel with our music since forever, and now, with our UK/Europe tour finally upon us, we get to fly… Our song “Canyon” carries the same longing to leap into the unknown, to get going on an adventure. ”

 

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Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Louis.

Brooklyn-based artist Charlotte Rose Benjamin self-released her debut album Dreamtina. Taking influence from the likes of Liz Phair, Sheryl Crow and Courtney Barnett, Benjamin pairs roaring guitars with blunt and honest lyrics about love and heartache and the blurred line in between. Benjamin has also released a music video for her single “Louis.”

“My straight male friend had this running joke where he would refer to hot neighborhood girls as ‘Tina’s,’” says Benjamin, explaining the inspiration behind the album’s title. “‘Coffeeshop-Tina’ was the cute girl who worked at the coffee shop, a  girl literally riding by on a bike was ‘BLT (Bike Lane Tina).’ ‘Dream-Tina’ obviously meant dream girl,'' she continues. “The ‘Dreamtina’ concept is kind of a study on wanting  to be desirable. I’ve never felt like the cool girl at the party and as far as I’m concerned, romantic love is the most important and exciting thing in the entire  world. I still feel like a teenager in that way.”

For her debut album, Benjamin chose to go without a label, which, she says, “is an amazing amount of work and money, but I made absolutely no compromises and I’m  prouder of it than anything I’ve ever done before.” Self produced alongside her bandmates, Nardo Ochoa, Matti Dunietz and Zoe Zeeman, the album was funded by Benjamin’s day-job working as a model in New York. Under the Radar broke the news of the album in February, premiering the pyromaniac-puppet-show video for her song “Satisfied,” calling the song “an irresistible power pop hook, paired with instantly quotable lyrics.” 

Vanyaland reviewed her single “Slot Machine,” simply calling it “a catchy ass song.” The album’s singles have received praise from Clout Magazine, God Is In The TV, We All Want Someone to Shout For and more. Early singles “deep cut” and “Cumbie’s Parking Lot” were released last year and spent more than 10 weeks featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Indie playlist. Most recently, Benjamin played alongside Japanese Breakfast and Weyes Blood as part of The Unfinished Fest at SXSW.

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Alice Costelloe - Niloo - Album Club - Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Nora Kelly Band

Alice Costelloe - California.

Having played in bands since she was 12 years old, London born musician and songwriter Al (Alice) Costelloe signed to Mute records at just 17 as half of shoegaze two-piece ‘Big Deal’. The band released 3 critically acclaimed albums, garnering enthusiastic support across British radio with multiple singles playlisted at BBC 6 music. Further to this, the inclusion of the duo’s song ‘Dream Machines’ on the soundtrack of blockbuster movie ‘Divergent’ helped deliver them to a wider audience, amassing 70,000 followers online and over 10,000,000 streams.

After years of international touring, supporting the likes of Depeche Mode and The Vaccines and appearing at festivals such as SXSW, NOS Alive and Reading & Leeds, Costelloe disbanded the band after a breakdown within the partnership made continuing impossible. Disillusioned with life on the road, and traumatized by the tumultuous relationship within the project, Costelloe suffered a crisis of confidence in her musical capabilities and was resolved to never write or perform again, taking up a job as a nanny instead. 

However, whilst walking back from a shift one night she chanced upon the members of ‘Superfood’ (Dirty Hit) outside a local bar who convinced her to not give up on music and to play bass with the group as they toured their new album. Encouraged by the band members, as well as her partner ‘VANT’ (Parlophone) who she also began to tour with, Costelloe began to consider creating her own music again and tentatively started work on recording home demos which form the basis of her upcoming singles.

 

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Niloo - All in the Name.

Niloo tells us 'All in the Name' is the sophomore single off of my self-titled EP, and it’s the follow-up to To Feel It Deep.

All in the Name is a mellow dream-pop track about the solitude, reflection and calm one often experiences after the ending of a turbulent relationship. It is about re-discovering yourself after the dust settles, taking stock of the lessons you have learned from past relationships and coming to some clarity about dynamics that you won’t accept in the future. The lyrics, along with the vocals and the musical arrangement of the song, create a mood that is soothing and bittersweet.

This peaceful little track was made in collaboration with the amazing folks at Risque Disque Studios in the summer of 2021. The dynamic percussion was created and tracked by Jen Yakamovich of Troll Dolly; equally melancholy and playful Wurlitzer was dreamed up and performed by Finn Smith; last but certainly not least, bass guitar, co-production and mix was done by Shilo Preshyon of Cartoon Lizard.

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Album Club - Different Hours.

Album Club are a band of creatives that initially gathered to discuss music in The Laurieston, an iconic Glasgow bar in 2019. The group was started by MJ McCarthy who brought friends together to dissect albums, track by track over drinks. This gathering then morphed into something more, and the band was born over lockdown in 2020. Although not all the members were musicians, an album emerged, something beautiful created in defiance of adversity. It is an album of friendship and community crafted by a group of people brought together by a love of music.

Album Club is made up of MJ McCarthy and Adam Scott of Zoey Van Goey, playwright Douglas Maxwell, actress and writer Isobel McArthur, novelist and playwright Cathy Forde, Rhona NicDhughaill of the Gaelic arts company Theatre Gu Leor, journalist Peter Geoghegan and Emma Pollock and Paul Savage of The Delgados. 

The album also borrows backing vocals and contributions from friends around the world. The album was recorded at Chem19 in Glasgow and is set to be released by Last Night From Glasgow on the 13th May 2022. The first single from the album, The Hard Part was released in January and has been played on Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland. Second single, Different Hours is released today 25th March.

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Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Slot Machine.

Brooklyn-based artist Charlotte Rose Benjamin has just released a new single “Slot Machine” from her forthcoming debut album, Dreamtina, which is set for release on April 22. The song pairs jaunty guitar hooks with Benjamin’s stream of conscious, lighthearted lyrics about unrequited love and the “inbetween” feeling of being a millenial/gen Z cusp. The video was shot by Benjamin and frequent collaborator, Hlif Olafsdottir, documenting a leisurely day on a Williamsburg Ferry, a Chinatown Arcade, a Dime’s Square dive bar and their favorite downtown karaoke spot.

Benjamin describes “Slot Machine” as a “Sunday-morning-strolling-through-a-New-England-Beach-town kind of song,” relating it to her hometown of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. “I think there’s a waspy country club vibe that comes to mind when people hear that I’m from Martha’s Vineyard,” explains Benjamin. “That definitely exists, but most people who are privileged enough don’t choose to live there in the off season. I always identified more with the towny girls from the movie Mystic Pizza. I had a wonderful childhood, but living on an island can be incredibly isolating. My music has changed so much since I left, but I think I’ll always have a little bit of a twang in my writing because of where I grew up.” On recording the video, Benjamin says “My best friend Hlif and I got day drunk and took the Williamsburg Ferry into Chinatown with a camcorder and a dream.”

Self produced alongside her bandmates, Nardo Ochoa, Matti Dunietz and Zoe Zeeman, Charlotte Rose Benjamin’s debut album finds her analyzing her identity in correlation to romantic relationships and in comparison to “Dreamtina,” a fictitious namesake for the effortlessly-perfect girl you see and aspire to be. Under the Radar broke the news of the album, premiering the pyromaniac-puppet-show video for her song “Satisfied,” calling the song “an irresistible power pop hook, paired with instantly quotable lyrics.”

Previously released songs, “Cumbie’s Parking Lot” and “Heat Stroke Summer,” were released as an a-side/b-side single last Summer, receiving praise from Clout Magazine, which called out Benjamin’s “acerbic wit and penchant for crafting fun and memorable indie rock tunes.” The Deli named “Heatstroke Summer” its Song of the Summer. Her songs “deep cut” and “Cumbie’s Parking Lot” were featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Indie playlist for more than 10 weeks. Last week, Benjamin performed alongside Japanese Breakfast and Weyes Blood in The Unfinished Fest showcase at the acclaimed SXSW festival.

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Nora Kelly Band - Hymn for Agnostics.

What happens when a break-out post-punk artist runs smack into the big COVID slowdown? A gorgeous album’s worth of alt-country tunes of course. Say howdy to the Nora Kelly Band who now release their debut single, “Hymn for the Agnostics,.”

Pre-pandemic, the Nora Kelly-led band DISHPIT made Exclaim’s ‘Class of 2020 - Best New Band’ list in both Montreal and Toronto, and recorded their debut album DIPSHIT with Steve Albini. But when everything changed, so did Nora. She looked inward, asked hard questions about her relationships, and went to rock’s roots. Out poured tunes about love, independence, and checking into the Purgatory Motel. Last summer she and friends played her songs by railroad tracks that run by her Mile End neighborhood, and people flocked to sing along until the cops chased them off. Words spread, propelling The Nora Kelly Band to play rowdy gigs at Ursa and other Montreal venues.

Discussing “Hymn for the Agnostics”, Nora noted, “When I was 11, I had my first panic attack about my impending mortality. To calm myself I began praying to God every night, although who’s God, I couldn’t have told you. I wasn’t raised religious. In my adulthood the panic attacks have become less frequent, but my need for spiritual understanding has remained. ‘Hymn for Agnostics’ is for those of us who have no religion to lean on but who’s faith in the spiritual is supported in our connections with each other, the planet and ourselves.

I have experienced many moments that led me to feel there is some kind of design. Ghost sightings, the psychic connections between a parent and child or two best friends, DMT and the power to keep fighting when it’s easier to give up, have all played a part in my spirituality. Hopefully this song will play a part in yours.”

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Francine Honey - Anya Hinkle - Commonwealth Choir - Snake - Charlotte Rose Benjamin

Francine Honey has shared two versions of 'I Carry On' the second one includes Robert Gray who co-wrote the song, both are beautiful heartfelt tracks. === From Anya Hinkle we have a new video for 'Road of the Winds' which is a mixture of exquisite country and bluegrass. === Commonwealth Choir have released 'Light' accompanied by a cracking video as the band serve up some energised hook filled indie rock. === Three months after we featured 'Falling' Snake are back with 'Lost Girl' last time we described their song as "one feisty and fabulous rocker" and the new one is just as potent. === Charlotte Rose Benjamin shares 'Autopilot' along with a self made video (due to Covid lockdown) and both are captivating as she continues to gain trans-Atlantic interest.
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Francine Honey - I Carry On.

“I Carry On ” is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to overcome the challenges that life throws our way.  Where does this courage come from?  When the path through is unclear, there are unexpected heroes that appear with help.  Whether it is a partner, a caregiver, a parent, a child, a friend, or one’s faith in something larger than life, this song expresses gratitude to those that light our world and help us through.  There is nothing like seeing the light of love beaming from someone’s eyes when we need it most.

“I Carry On ” is the second single being released in anticipation of her upcoming fifth project entitled 2020 Vision; a chronicle of her life story so far in song, as a double album due out later this year.  It follows the single “Red Sky ” released in Oct 2019 and a full-length Holiday album entitled Take Me To The North Pole released in December 2019.

“I Carry On” was co- written with song writing friend and neighbour, Robert Gray.  Honey says “I have had my share of challenges in life struggling to make ends meet as the sole provider for my two children and somehow I always knew I’d get through them.  Robert and I were outside chatting one day as neighbours do and he told me he was going through a major health challenge with cancer.  We bonded over our mutual feeling about overcoming challenges with the help of a positive attitude, gratitude, love and song writing! We talked about how others have inspired us in the past. We wrote about how people are there for you when you need them and the strength that we as humans find to survive and overcome our challenges.  You just do what you have to do to get through it.”

It took the duo a few months to find the time to sit down to write this song that they had  talked about writing.  When they did finally meet, it came together pretty quickly. In fact, Honey was headed down to Nashville to record her recently released Holiday album, Take Me To The North Pole. She loved the song so much that she asked producer Neilson Hubbard if they could record the song for release in 2020.  So, Honey invited Gray to Nashville to be there if he wanted to see the song being recorded.  After recording the song, Francine asked if Robert wanted to take a stab at singing the song himself in the studio.  Luckily, he agreed and found his way to the vocal booth and sang the song.  It became clear that a duet brings new meaning to the song.  For this reason, there are two versions of “I Carry On ” being released together.  The solo more country version with Honey’s vocals and a duet featuring Robert Gray which adds another dimension to the song.


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Anya Hinkle - Road of the Winds.

Anya Hinkle has released a video for "Road Of The Winds". The song is the first single under her own name, and it captures the raw honesty of her personal songwriting.

Alternating moody verses with a singable chorus, “Road Of The Winds” expresses a longing for motion that defines both an end and a beginning for the song’s narrator.

Throughout, Hinkle’s distinctive voice is framed by a hand-picked group of musicians drawn from the rich musical community around western North Carolina: fiddler Julian Pinnelli, mandolinist Thomas Cassell (Circus No. 9), renowned resonator guitarist Billy Cardine, bass player Johnny Calamari, and harmony singer Mary Lucey. Produced by Jon Weisberger, the single is an auspicious start to the new stage of Hinkle’s career.

About Anya Hinkle - With vivid storytelling, vibrant musicianship and arresting honesty, Anya Hinkle explores the beauty of song craft through the lens of the Appalachian string band tradition. Originally from the mountains of Virginia, Anya’s music is steeped in the tones of folk and bluegrass and seasoned by travels across the world. A founding member of Asheville-based bands Dehlia Low (Rebel Records) and Tellico (Organic Records), Anya will release tracks from her first full-length album under her own name this year on Organic Records.

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Commonwealth Choir - Light.

Philadelphia’s Commonwealth Choir is constantly searching for the space between light & dark... somewhere to crack a smile while the storm rages on.

What began as a folk rock project loosely stemming from the likes of AA Bondy & Rocky Votolato, rough iPhone demos quickly attracted a mountain of influences as the band’s lineup took shape in late 2011. Pop-punk influences like Saves The Day & Brand New collided with formative behemoths such as Elvis Costello & Tom Petty - all while holding the power of simple storytelling above all else.

After relocating from Doylestown, PA to Philadelphia in 2012, the band began connecting with musicians near & far. Attracting the attention of WXPN, the band found success with their first single “Rest” & soon found themselves collaborating with producer Dan Pawlovich (Mosey, Valencia, Illinois, Panic! At The Disco) for their subsequent releases. The following years included countless shows & collaborations (including their short-lived cassette label Philly Tapes Philly). After supporting the release of 2015’s “Palace”, the group slowed their live schedule as they began to explore what was to come next. Multiple lineup changes & countless demos later, they found themselves recording what came to be their upcoming EP No End. No End will be out June 19, 2020 via Know Hope Records.

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Snake - Lost Girl.

Four years after their debut album ”Cradle of Snake” was released Snake is now back and their new single ”Lost Girl”.

Snakes music consists of brilliant and explosive indierock characterized by what happens when Tess De La Cour, Madeleine Frankie and Mia Maria Johansson play together in a room. With strong vocals, screaming guitar and and a steady beat this single is the second glimpse of on album recorded with Stefan Brändström in the Dustward Studio, which will be released in the fall of 2020.

A lot happened for Snake around their debut album - gigs all over the Sweden and in Europe, support gig to Refused and also awarded the "Rock of the Year" award at the Swedish Indie-awards: Manifestgalan. Shortly thereafter, a natural break occurred, which then became a few year break

However, The members have been constantly moving on with other interesting projects - Mia Maria Johansson has released an album with Majvor and earlier this winter a new single with her self-titled solo project, Tess De La Cour has been acclaimed internationally for her dark project Memoria and Madeleine Frankie have, In addition to playing live with Memoria, has released music including Night Terror. Both Tess and Madeleine have also participated in the prestigious Riot Grrrl Sessions.

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Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Autopilot.

NYC singer-songwriter Charlotte Rose Benjamin announces her new single, “Autopilot”, taken from the Neon Gold Records / Moshi Moshi released Party City EP. Stuck in isolation, along with the rest of the world, Charlotte set about making a video for “Autopilot” at home, primarily using PhotoBooth.

It’s latest cut from her sterling debut Party City EP, which has already garnered attention on both sides of the Atlantic with support from CLASH, Huw Stephens and BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Radio X, and Spotify's global New Music Friday.

Charlotte says: "I've always had a hard time controlling my emotional compass and tend to inwardly dwell. I kept having this dream, which I hear is common when living in a tiny New York City apartment, where I discover a whole new room in my home through a door in the closet or someplace unexpected and realize I have so much more space than I ever thought. When I wrote it I was sort of caught between fantasizing about being totally alone, pushing people away and then feeling super lonely and reaching out to anyone I knew who might give me attention. Someone told me to "just go on autopilot" as if there was a switch I could flip somewhere inside me that would make me function normally. I told them I wasn't f***ing flying a plane.

So, making a music video for "Autopilot" alone in a room on Photo Booth during the COVID-19 crisis kinda made sense. I think a lot of people are struggling with feeling desperately lonely right now. Little creative projects like this have been saving me from losing my mind." Charlotte, who starred in the video for Gus Dapperton’s breakout hit “I’m Just Snacking” and counts The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne as a fan, is certainly One To Watch for 2020.

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