Eleni Drake - Oslo Twins - Parliamo - Michael J. Benjamin

Photo - Georgia Walters.

Eleni Drake - Surf The Sun (Album).

British singer-songwriter Eleni Drake releases her phenomenal new album Surf the Sun via her own Vanilla Sky Recordings. Eleni Drake will celebrate the release of her new album with a headline show at Amazing Grace in London on 18th July.

Throughout the self-produced Surf the Sun, Drake deals in distinctly summery melancholy - hazy, shimmering, golden; reverb guitar murmurs and glints, tightly wound amidst lovely, enticing harmonies - eloquently tracking notions of freedom, healing, painful goodbyes and a future of possibilities. At the core of Surf the Sun is the ultimate discovery of freedom and empowerment. Balancing the curiosity and creativity of Adrianne Lenker, Faye Webster and Julien Baker, with the emotion and grandeur of Lana Del Rey - Drake's songwriting is dream-like and bluesy, precise and propellant.

Originally from London, in 2022 Eleni Drake decided to leave her life in the UK behind and move to Melbourne almost on a whim. She knew only a handful of people on that side of the world, but she was longing for a fresh start in an environment where she could feel more like herself; where she could break bad habits and explore life outside of her comfort zone. But first, there were emotional loose ends to tie up back home. This is the driving force of Surf the Sun; the carousel of emotions as Drake prepared for this giant leap.

Over the past 18 months Eleni Drake has cultivated a dedicated legion of fans, for her velvety, striking voice and her understated yet atmospheric orchestration. Surf the Sun is the sound of the sun’s glow on your face, feeling your spirit reach back for it, breaking through the dirt and sprouting into something better. It’s the sound of riding a wave, euphoric, terrified, spat out somewhere new with a sense of purpose. It’s about needing to be somewhere warmer. “I’m a Leo, the sun rules me, and I’ve always had a deep connection with it,” explains Drake, who references the sun on almost all of the album’s 11 tracks. “[The album] is an ode to the sun.”

“What I hope people understand is that an element of liberation and feeling free runs through the album. Despite some sombre undertones, it was made to inspire,” says Drake. What she’s created is a glorious wave to ride; a sun-drenched reminder that the gloom gives way to summer.

                                                                    

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Oslo Twins - Miss Yesterday.

Bristol born dream-pop outfit Oslo Twins have announced their debut EP 'Back To Nothing' will be released 28th July via Fascination Street Records - a new label founded by producer Ali Chant (Yard Act, Perfume Genius, Aldous Harding, Katy J Pearson) in partnership with Bristol's Factory Studios.

The new EP announcement coincides with the release of its second single, the anthemic "Miss Yesterday", following previous EP taster "Breath" which caught the attention of the likes of So Young Magazine, The Independent, DIY Magazine, Rough Trade and The Line Of Best Fit, and was played on Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour on BBC 6 Music.

A summery ode to optimism after difficult times, "Miss Yesterday" evokes anticipation and warmth with its bright, rich instrumentals, trance-like beat and laid-back, vernacular vocal and lyrical tone. “It’s a song of joyful nostalgia, filled with hope and affection,” says vocalist Claudia Vulliamy, “and perhaps a darker hint of ‘Let’s just run away from everything, there’s nothing but us.”

The single is accompanied by a joyfully surreal animated music video by artist Noriko Okaku, in which Claudia, Eric Davies and drummer Luke Brown take us through Okaku’s fantasy world made up of natural images that move in a Monty-Python-esque flip-book style.

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Parliamo - Matters Like.

Arriving as the band’s grittiest, stickiest offering to-date, it sees Parliamo’s usual bright rhythms and funky basslines, traded-in for howling Suede-esque electric guitars, low-slung hooks and unconventional choruses.

Like a migraine growing under the noon-day sun, “Matters Like” has a burbling, off-kilter intensity quite at odds with the brilliant sunshine that baked the Summer of 2022 in which it was written. Finding nuanced inspiration during those mind-melting times in the Fontaines D.C. track “Roman Holiday” and the spring reverb bass of The Last Shadow Puppets’ second record, the band’s Jack Dailly and Finn Freeburn Morrison began assimilating both into a new track that would mark a moody left-turn for the band.

A song about finding confidence in a new relationship and the overcast feelings that can come hand-in-hand with it, vocalist Jack Dailly explains: “”Matters Like” has a moodier sound than most of our previous output, with its screaming guitars and echoing hi-hats. This mood fits well with the lyrics, as the song touches on feelings of uncertainty and internal conflict. It’s a song about insecurity in a fledgling relationship and the plethora of emotions which come with getting to know more about someone than you might have bargained for.”

Weaving their straight-up songwriting and babbling instrumentals niftily through a heatwave-warped collision of influences, “Matters Like” finds a band pushing the Parliamo sound and enjoying getting a little experimental.

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Michael J. Benjamin - The Same Again.

Rising Dutch singer-songwriter Michael J. Benjamin  has unveiled his latest offering “The Same Again”, taken from a debut EP due this Autumn. A radiant, reflective ballad that sees the young musician pair distinctive Cash-meets-Cohen vocals with his knack for heart-rending storytelling, the new track was produced by Jon McMullen (Wet Leg, Michael Kiwanuka) in London. A song that finds the singer-songwriter rewinding sepia-tinted memories of his past, and pausing for thought on what could have been, Michael J. Benjamin explains of “The Same Again”:

“A girl and I used to walk along these farms on the edge of town, then I left for London and when I came back we broke up. After that I used to come back to these seemingly holy farms to find inspiration and tranquillity; to catch a glimpse of light of the moon and relive old memories. Looking back now, it’s the act of not letting go of the past that drove me to write this song. The farms were like a sanctuary, or a relic of better times. Even today it remains a magical place to me.”

With its trickling acoustic guitars and a pared-back approach to instrumentation, “The Same Again” makes for a wistful country-blues record that feels simultaneously nostalgic and refreshing; true to a style that Benjamin is quickly making his own. Staking his place as an auspicious new artist to watch, Michael J. Benjamin’s soul searching songs express a hard-won sense of authority: embracing the world with an engrossing, truth-seeking style of writing which belies his still-tender years.

Like most other millennials, he grew up with the entire history of music readily available at the click of a mouse. Growing up Michael embraced the heroes of old, immersing himself in the works of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney, before finding more modern realms of influence in the songbooks of Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood and Jack Antonoff.

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Parliamo - Freya Beer - YOVA - La Faute

Parliamo - You’re An Animal.

A funk-laden guitar pop anthem filled with hazy melodies that flutter and float like the last rays of sun dipping behind the horizon on a languid summer day, “You’re An Animal” arrives as the first new music from Parliamo this year.

Taking primary inspiration from the laid-back electronica-infused indie pioneered by the likes of Primal Scream, Super Furry Animals or Blur, with a healthy dose of the dazed guitar-pop rhythms reminiscent of Swim Deep or Peace also detectable amidst its sunny substance matter; “You’re An Animal” finds the band facing up to our fear of failure with a fizzing new release.

As vocalist Jack Dailly explains of the track: “The lyrics [of “You’re An Animal”] centre on projecting your own failures and insecurities onto someone else in an argument: when you really should be having a go at yourself, you deflect the blame and double down. It quickly became an effective live number, with loads of people who had seen us live asking us when it would be released.”

Initially written over two years ago, “You’re An Animal” has been finessed to perfection at live shows and their home studio ever since. The final version was recorded, mixed and produced by Jamie Holmes at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow in 2023.

Parliamo · You're An Animal

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Freya Beer - Fantasy / Galore.

Her first new music of 2023, the “Fantasy” // “Galore” AA-side single arrives as Freya begins to etch out the successor to her acclaimed debut album ‘Beast’. Toying with that which tempts us in both lucid fantasies and shadowy realities, these two bold, dark and exhilarating new tracks find Freya Beer delving into what drives our deepest desires and showcasing two very different sides of her artistic abilities.

“You stretched your pegs out wide, slightly confused my appetite” teases Freya on “Fantasy” as she opens up the floor to a track of rapacious sexually-charged spills and raw garage rock thrills. Told through tactile, tantalising prose and prowling proto-punk riffs, this latest cut finds Freya celebrating the uncensored version of ourselves we become in our wildest daydreams. As Freya elaborates:

“Fantasy is an unfiltered exploration of self-discovery and expressing your thoughts in a fictional world. I wanted to write a song that emotes raw emotion and tells the listener to embrace their feelings in a positive way.”

On the flipside, “Galore” is an altogether more salacious affair that explores what can happen when those fictional pursuits and carnal desires boil over into real world infatuations with uncertain consequences. As Freya explains: “Galore is about people who are infatuated with something, almost bordering on ‘obsession’. The line “I’m your galore, you don’t want anyone else babe” depicts how this obsession is becoming a feeling of escapism and creating a fictional storyline for themselves.”

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YOVA - Feel Your Fear.

Letting loose a runaway freight train of jumpy guitar rhythms and primal percussive rumblings, the new single from the duo of Jova Radevska and Mark Vernon is one intended to heighten the senses and toy with what drives our fears and failings. As Jova explains:

“”Feel Your Fear” is about the human’s fallible nature to form addictions in order to alleviate pain. We can do this with a person too: we can believe that their company will save us from the challenges we are facing and we cling to that, when in fact we haven’t addressed the real cause of those feelings. It is often our insecurity and un-dealt trauma that makes us cling to people/substances, addictions in general.”

Citing ESG, Gang of Four, King Sunny Adé, and early Talking Heads as being amongst the subliminal influences that played into the track, “Feel Your Fear” sees YOVA deftly update their dynamic brand of alternative pop music with hints of garage rock, Afropop and funk to gripping effect.

Produced by Mark Vernon and arranged by Rob Ellis, the track was recorded between Dorset and London and also features Daniel O’Sullivan of Grumbling Fur on bass and features the legendary Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey) on saxophone. Intending to create an unshakeable feeling of restlessness, Jova Radevska’s airy vocals toe a fine line between playful and impending, while its haunting baritone sax, sinuous bass, and meticulously timed blasts of trumpet and organ all play their part in the unsettling fabric of “Feel Your Fear”. As Vernon adds: “The sonic tapestry and rapid tempo of this track is written to convey a sense of heightened urgency: the impending sense of emotional claustrophobia and resulting fear is echoed in the narrative of Jova’s lyrics. A sense of one last rushed midnight dance before emotions inexorably spiral out of control and time literally gets swallowed up before our eyes.”

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La Faute - The Crown.

A hidden gem from the frozen heart of Toronto, Canada, art school dropout and Sony Music Publishing artist La Faute (aka Peggy Messing) is releasing her third single “The Crown” from her upcoming debut Album, “Blue Girl Nice Day”.

La Faute is Messing’s dark, dreamy solo project. A visual artist, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter originally from Winnipeg, Canada, she explores themes of surface vs. depth, longing, betrayal, mourning and desire. Using tenor electric guitar and obsolete hardware samplers, she created her captivating live show and released her debut EP just before the pandemic. She chose to pause performing live due to her health, and returned to focusing on creation, finding workarounds to the problem of isolation. She connected with fellow artists and producers in France, the UK, Canada and the US to create music during this time, most recently with LA-based Topher Mohr who produced her upcoming album.

She received unanimous praise for the first single from the album, ‘Blue Girl Nice Day’, in February 2023, an unsettling, haunting song inspired by the Milgram experiments of the 1960s. The song was accompanied by an eerie video that showed the artist making a bed in a windswept field with looming power lines in the background. Her second Single, “Watercolours” was equally highly praised, and featured a video of Messing night driving in the rain and getting drenched in a cold downpour. She has become increasingly interested in filmmaking, art-directing and shooting music videos for each song herself, inspired by French new wave and film noir aesthetics.

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Favours - Parliamo - The Vaulted Skies - Black Pines

Favours - Escaping.

Favours is made up of Jacq Andrade, Alexander Zen and Mark Andrade. They released their first LP Made to Wait in 2020. Their song “Stowaway” was featured on Netflix and CBC Gem. Recently, Favours built a home recording studio in a former halfway house in Mimico. The studio serves as a practice space and home to Alex, as well as their central creative hub for all music videos and photography projects.

Favours’ EP, Left Behind, was released November 12th 2021 and it features a fresh dream pop, new wave sound inspired by their shared love of the 80’s new wave sound and a DIY post-punk feel. The band collaborated with a strong team for this upcoming EP. 

They enlisted the talents of Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning to play bass on the EP, the engineering chops of Tallies’ Dylan Franklin, who engineered the drums and bass, and the mixing prowess of Alexandre Bonenfont. Previous singles have been featured on NPR, David Dean Burkhart and charted #1 on Canadian College Radio.

Favours · Escaping

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Parliamo - The Parliamo Manifesto (E.P).

Perth, Scotland based 6-piece Parliamo release their eagerly anticipated new EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto' via Modern Sky (The Coral, The Lathums, Abbie Ozard). Drawing from a plethora of influences from The Avalanches and Massive Attack to Super Furry Animals and The Beta Band – Parliamo bring together witty social commentary–styled lyricism with a distinctive songwriting approach very much of their own.

Widely adored by their Scottish contemporaries including Walt Disco, Glasvegas, The Ninth Wave and VLURE, the band have also seen co-signs from The Libertines' Carl Barat, Primal Scream's Simone Butler and Scottish actor Robert Carlyle. They've inarguably backed this support up, quickly rising through the ranks of new Scottish acts with momentous back-to-back sold out at shows at Glasgow's King Tuts and Dundee's Hunter S Thomson.

The band's newly released EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto' is the culmination of over a year's songwriting and is a bold statement of intent from the 6 piece. Employing a charming tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the slightly darker aspects of life which young people face today, the record touches on the complications of religious pressure on "Catholic Guilt", spiraling addiction on "Who Needs a Reason?", mental health on "She’s Only Human" and the awkward beauty of young love on EP opener "Paul & Barry".

The baggy, swaggering sound of the band and the often darkly humorous nature of the lyrics, stands in stark contrast with some of the subject matter, echoing the band’s propensity for laughing in lieu of crying. In a world of such turmoil and uncertainty, ‘The Parliamo Manifesto’ aims to reconcile people with positivity through vibrant, energetic music, whilst providing a relatable commentary on the modern world and the inner workings of the minds of young people. With lyrics sometimes written and delivered in the Scottish vernacular, the record offers a somewhat unique perspective on the simultaneously charming and terrifying nature of modern life.

Parliamo · The Parliamo Manifesto

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The Vaulted Skies - What If I Were The Boy?

James Scott (Guitar, Vocals) talks us through the story of the song… “A long time ago, at a college far, far away, I was paired up on an acting assignment with one of the popular girls. While we were alone in a rehearsal space, she asked me if I wanted her to do something to me, using a phrase I didn’t understand at the time, because I was naive and innocent. I assumed it would involve some kind of physical pain or humiliation - like a wedgie! - so I said no.

I realise now of course, that she was propositioning me. Given that context, I also realise that she said something else that alluded to a very troubled home life. Knowing what I know now, while I still wouldn’t have taken her up on her offer (she was high, as usual), I wish I’d recognised the cry for help underneath it all. I don’t know what happened to her. I can’t find her on social media. Mutual friends
have lost touch with her.

I may be inventing a reality that never came to pass, and she might be perfectly fine; but this song captures the panic I felt when the memory of unwittingly rejecting her advances suddenly came back to me, which haunts me to this day.”

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Black Pines - Chains.

Following on from the enormous response to their breakthrough singles ‘Heaven’s Son’, ‘Power’ and ‘Hope’ last year, as well as their stripped-back collection ‘Isolation Tapes’ in early 2021, Essex-based outfit Black Pines are back once again to deliver their bluesy new release ‘Chains’.

Channeling a bold and atmospheric direction this time around, ‘Chains’ sees the five-piece return in stellar form. With its bold and soaring textures, shimmering hooks, and bouncing aesthetic, they are truly breaking out of their comfort zone on this blistering new effort.

Speaking about the new offering, they said, “This was the first track we created after our debut 3 singles. It marks a somewhat noticeable creative swerve, and a change of attitude when it comes to our songwriting - likely motivated by our Covid-induced isolation. It’s more fun and less forgiving, and pushes Tom’s vocals to new heights.

“Sonically, ‘Chains’ was born from a love of what Nothing But Thieves and Royal Blood had created recently, as well as paying homage to the pitch bending, tone destroying guitars of past players like Tom Morello or Prince!”

Black Pines · Chains

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Parliamo - Late July - Lilly Hiatt - BlackieBlueBird

Parliamo - Echo In My Chamber.

Perth, Scotland based 6-piece Parliamo release their new single "Echo In My Chamber",  lifted from the band's upcoming EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto', out October 7th via Modern Sky (The Coral, The Lathums, Abbie Ozard).

Drawing from a plethora of influences from The Avalanches and Massive Attack to Super Furry Animals and The Beta Band – Parliamo bring together witty social commentary–styled lyricism with a distinctive songwriting approach very much of their own.

New single "Echo In My Chamber" represents the band's most high-reaching moment to date; an armoury of joyous harmonies, crunching indie-rock guitars and a chorus to rival the very best. Speaking on the new track the band said, "Echo In My Chamber is a story of infatuation rather than love, with the lyrics telling of a dichotomy within yourself as you struggle with how you really feel about someone. The chorus is essentially a conversation with oneself, as you grapple to remind yourself not to get too carried away too quickly."

The band's upcoming debut EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto' is the culmination of over a year's songwriting and is a bold statement of intent from the 6 piece. Employing a charming tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the slightly darker aspects of life which young people face today, the record touches on the complications of religious pressure on "Catholic Guilt", spiralling addiction on "Who Needs a Reason?", mental health on "She’s Only Human" and the awkward beauty of young love on EP opener "Paul & Barry".

The baggy, swaggering sound of the band and the often darkly humorous nature of the lyrics, stands in stark contrast with some of the subject matter, echoing the band’s propensity for laughing in lieu of crying. In a world of such turmoil and uncertainty, with ‘The Parliamo Manifesto’ the band are aiming to reconcile people with positivity through vibrant, energetic music, whilst providing a relatable commentary on the modern world and the inner workings of the minds of young people.

Written and delivered in the Scottish vernacular, the record offers a somewhat unique perspective on the simultaneously charming and terrifying nature of modern life.

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Late July - Heartbeat.

Late July, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is described variously as indie pop, orchestral pop, or alternative pop. Simone began writing music and singing at the age of 12 after an accident at school where a TV fell on her head crushing her vocal box.She is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, drums, and piano.

Her debut EP, Side Swept, was released in 2010 and features the guitar, bass, and keyboard work of Adrian Ellis.From that EP, two singles were featured in the web series Out with Dad: "Side Swept" in season 1, episode 4 and "A Well Kept Secret" in season 1, episode 7. Her follow-up EP, Hospital Quiet, was released in 2011. The single "What's Left" was featured in season 2, episode 5  of the web series Out with Dad. 

The single "Truth or Dare" from her third EP, When the Curtain Falls, is on the soundtrack for the film How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town. Her fourth EP, Marathon, was released in 2017.  Throughout 2019 and 2020, she has released a series of singles, including "Confetti",  "Calling to the Moon", and "Cloud and Crown". These singles along with several upcoming release will be included on her fifth EP, Oceania.

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Lilly Hiatt - Lately.

Lilly Hiatt will return with Lately on October 15th via New West Records. The 10-song set was co-produced by Lilly and her drummer Kate Haldrup at Death Ladder in East Nashville, TN. In celebration of “Cassette Week,” the cassette version of the album will be released a week early on Friday, October 8th. Lately is the follow up to Hiatt’s critically acclaimed Walking Proof, which was among the first records released to feel the full wrath of the soon-to-be raging pandemic that would bring the world to its knees. Despite the timing of its release, the long player was named a “Best Album of the Year” by Rolling Stone, No Depression, Magnet Magazine, Slant Magazine and more. 

NPR Music called Lilly “...one of the great 21st Century Southern Rockers,” saying, “...she’s a striving, self-made heroine of country-accented indie rock” while Rolling Stone said “Hiatt proves herself to be Nashville’s indie-rocker-to-watch on this collection of Big Star-worthy jangle anthems and introspective psych-folk.” Rolling Stone Country called the album “...exhilarating…” saying, “At once electrifying and dreamy, the follow-up to Hiatt’s breakout Trinity Lane cements her as a vital voice.” Pitchfork said, “...Walking Proof winds through moments of incandescent joy, gentleness, cathartic noise, and even unease...It’s as if Hiatt has emerged from a dark, uncertain period as a stronger, bolder artist, winding up with an album that encompasses a full spectrum of feeling as it rocks with abandon” while Paste Magazine said in their 8 out of 10 star review, “This is music to liberate yourself to.”

As each day passed following the release of Walking Proof, more events were postponed, moved, and ultimately canceled. The sudden stillness forced Lilly to take a long, deep look inside and despite having a new album just released, she went back to doing what she does best: she picked up the guitar and started to write. What could have been devastating ended up being therapeutic, and Lilly learned how to find fulfillment in quieter places versus the adrenalized life she was used to.

Today, The Boot premiered the video for the album’s title track. Lilly says, "'Lately' is all for you. I'd like to let you in on the strife and hope that came from the last year for me. The song is a dream that can come true, even if that dream changes over time. Dylan Reyes took the dream and turned it into a vivid trip for our video and here it is."

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BlackieBlueBird - The Love We Once Knew.

Copenhagen's dream pop duo BlackieBlueBird releases new single "The Love We Once Knew"

BlackieBlueBird are the vocalist Heidi Lindahl and the composer Nils Lassen; together they create delicate torch songs of reverb and echo that captivate the listener with resonating guitars, wailing harmonicas, maudlin mandolins and a choir of lonely mermaids that sporadically embraces Heidi's golden voice. The echoes of love and longing, hellos and deceiving goodbyes live within her unique and clear vibrato in a feel-good melancholic way.

The duo received great reviews worldwide for their two albums "Ghost River" and "Goodbye in July", led by the delicate and enchanting voice of Heidi Lindahl, where their sound has been compared to Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads" and Enya.

BlackieBlueBird are now back with the new single "The Love We Once Knew" which leverages the dreamy romanticism but preserves the melancholy of their previous works. The pandemic turmoil has led the duo to explore new avenues and enrich their sound with drums – a path that will hopefully lead to more songs for a brand-new album next year.

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Natalie Jane Hill - Kate Ellis - Mike Etten - Ruth Lyon - Vera Ellen - Parliamo

Natalie Jane Hill - Orb Weaver.

“Orb Weaver” is a song about comparing myself to the hidden intricacies that I might find on a walk in the woods. I attach most of my memories to what is visually around during a certain time. Sometimes there is a comfort to the natural world and other times there is a harshness. My experiences can almost mirror them. I’d like to think that nature has a way of telling us exactly what we need to hear.

Taken from the forthcoming "Solely”, the sophomore effort by folk guitarist/singer-songwriter Natalie Jane Hill, it is a record of transition. While the Central Texas native’s stunning debut “Azalea” grew from years spent developing a textural narrative voice and idiosyncratic guitar style in the vibrant Blue Ridge Mountains, “Solely” represents a period of inward growth, and an outward push into an expanded sonic palette.

Following a move back to the Austin area in the fall of 2019, just months ahead of the pandemic, Natalie began an intensive period of reflection, and expanded her song-craft’s foundations from the broader themes of nature into the vulnerable intricacies of self-discovery. Along with this process came an openness to external creative input.

Recorded between October 2020-March 2021 to Tascam 8 track in the Lockhart Texas home of producer Jason Chronis (Voxtrot, Tele Novella), these recordings represent Hill’s first incorporation of other musicians into her arrangements, featuring performances by Mat Davidson (Twain) among several other trusted friends. There is a liberating and careful grace in these collaborations, providing strength and color to the upper branches of each song while preserving space for the health of the roots.

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Kate Ellis – Bluebirds And Rye.

US artist Kate Ellis Bluebirds & Rye released on Friday! This is the second single from her impressive sophomore album ‘Spirals’ due out in early 2022; a collection of songs that came out of a process of soul searching "to quiet the thought storms in my head and find my balance in the world," says Kate.

‘Bluebirds And Rye' follows the critically acclaimed and widely playlisted first single Another Way. Also produced by John Reynolds (Sinead O'Connor, Indigo Girls, Damien Dempsey), it is a sweet, poignant and uplifting folk song about a mother’s loving words of advice for her young daughter. In Kate’s words: "I wrote this for my daughter who, like me, is an emotional girl. 

This is my letter to her telling her I know what she’s going through, and it can feel hard, but everything’s going to be fine in the end. The song is about recognising the patterns in myself that I can see getting passed on, and the pitfalls of certain emotional pathways that I know from experience you want to avoid. I wanted to tell her: just take a breath and find a moment of rest. All there is is love and peace, everything else is in your head. This is what's important so don’t worry about the other stuff; it’s all going to be ok."

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Mike Etten - Drive.

The newest Dull Tools release is the first solo venture from Mike Etten, who you may know from his contributions to PC Worship & to Dougie Poole's recent LPs. Love Wash lands somewhere in between those two projects stylistically, it's a brooding psych-folk LP filled with unconventional arrangement touches, as demonstrated by the rubato swirl of saxophone, synth and acoustic guitar that kicks things off.

Drive was inspired by a late night trip down a country back road, touching dark memories of that ride and wrong turns made in the past. The tune starts with a simple guitar figure that unfolds and winds its way through changes, with a mix of percussion and drum machines bouncing around it. It felt like it lent itself to pedal steel, so I asked Tristan Shepherd (Dougie Poole band) to put down some tremolo-y tracks and a wild fuzzed out solo in the middle that really gave this one its character. 

I improvised a lead synth track that I really like too, it has that first-take spontaneity which I tried to capture whenever I could through the whole recording process. Drive feels full of confusion and hope at the same time, with me trying to move towards a more peaceful station, a more loving vision, and accepting that chaos can always be around the next corner.

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Ruth Lyon - Lemon Tree.

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 “Lemon Tree” on August 25th, in anticipation of her debut EP “Nothing’s Perfect” expected October 22nd.

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 Woman Make Music award and was named as BBC Intro one to watch in 2021.

Ruth is now taking on her mother’s maiden name, Lyon, as she launches the next chapter of her career.  Co-producing with Rhiannon Mair (Laura Marling, LUNA) and Cameron Craig (Amy Winehouse, Katie Melua) Ruth explores her different identities - from the louche rock star, to the bittersweet poet, looking for love and a place in the world. Classically trained but with an eye for the catchy chorus and bright, pop melodies, Ruth sweeps from self-questioning piano ballads and lush string arrangements, to hands-in-the-air indie bangers. With the raw energy of a young disabled person who has constantly had to adapt to life’s twists and turns, her introspective and sometimes droll twist on storytelling brings up questions you never knew you should be asking.

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Vera Ellen - Crack The Whip.

Introducing Vera Ellen’s third single ‘Crack the Whip’. Vera wrote most of this song when she came back to New Zealand from LA at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was feeling a bit of whiplash from moving countries. I was reflecting a lot on the motions of life,  the wheel of fortune and coming to accept that our efforts to control anything are charmingly futile.”

Lyrically, it's a mash up of different points of Vera feeling homesick for New Zealand; when she was missing the nature and culture and people. “I used to work at this pop up called "Wonderworld" on Hollywood Boulevard. No one would ever come in so I would just stand at the counter and look out the window wondering why the hell I came here.”

The accompanying video is made up from home video footage from Wellington Zoo in 1997, and features Vera Ellen, her brother Albert River (who features heavily on the upcoming album, and is also in Vera’s live band), and their Nana. These images are intercut with footage of familiar sights from Vera’s current LA residence; Hollywood and Santa Monica beach.

“My brother and I are very close and we have always had this way of protecting each other. The video kind of turned into a homage to our bond and the deep sadness of being apart.“

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Parliamo - She's Only Human.

Perth, Scotland based 6-piece Parliamo (pronounced Par-Lee-Ammo) today release new single "She's Only Human",  lifted from upcoming EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto', out October 7th via Modern Sky (The Coral, The Lathums, Abbie Ozard).

A bracing indie-rock jammer addressing the fragility of mental health, speaking on the release of the new single, the band said: "She’s Only Human is a testament to confusion in confusing times. It discusses the limitations that those with poor mental health can face when it comes to relationships with others and oneself, and ultimately conveys that it’s okay not to be okay."

The band's upcoming debut EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto' is the culmination of over a year's songwriting and is a bold statement of intent from the 6 piece. Employing a charming tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the slightly darker aspects of life which young people face today, the record touches on the complications of religious pressure on "Catholic Guilt", spiralling addiction on "Who Needs a Reason?", mental health on new single "She’s Only Human" and the awkward beauty of young love on lead single "Paul & Barry".

The baggy, swaggering sound of the band and the often darkly humorous nature of the lyrics, stands in stark contrast with some of the subject matter, echoing the band’s propensity for laughing in lieu of crying. In a world of such turmoil and uncertainty, with ‘The Parliamo Manifesto’ the band are aiming to reconcile people with positivity through vibrant, energetic music, whilst providing a relatable commentary on the modern world and the inner workings of the minds of young people.

Written and delivered in the Scottish vernacular, the record offers a somewhat unique perspective on the simultaneously charming and terrifying nature of modern life.

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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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