For the first time since her early beginnings, Josienne Clarke is flying solo. No label, no musical partner, no producer. Clarke is in complete control of her songwriting, arranging, producing, release schedule and musical direction. A Small Unknowable Thing, Clarke's second solo album will be released on August 13th via her own label, Corduroy Punk Records. Today she has shared the first taste of her new album and new sound in the form of defiant new single. 'Sit out' is frustration and defiance in sonic form. “All you stand for / Makes me want to sit out” she sings over thick, driving guitars and an almost Beastie Boys-esque drum beat. The heaviest moment on the album, ‘Sit Out’ sees Clarke fully let rip.
Despite writing a plethora of critically acclaimed songs, winning a BBC Folk Award, opening for Robert Plant on his European tour, playing prominent slots on some of the UK’s biggest festivals and even taking a leading role in The National Theatre’s revival of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good (after being personally chosen by Cerys Matthews no less), Clarke felt daily self-doubt as a result of an industry that variously gas-lit, put-down, questioned and othered. It’s an experience the vast majority of women making music today can identify with. A Small Unknowable Thing is, at least in part, about recognising there are still existing structures to keep women in their place – but it’s also about having the courage to break those structures down too.
“I realised that I had to be so explicit in explaining how much I’d done in order to get credit for it,” Clarke explains. “I started saying ‘No, actually, I did all of this, can we put my name on this thing?’ It’s really resisted – it’s as if I’m being an arrogant megalomaniac for wanting the credit for stuff that I did. Now, I just do it all by myself. If there isn’t another name on it, then there can’t be a misappropriation.”
After leaving her label, musical partnership and home (Clarke moved to a small village on the outskirts of Glasgow with her husband), she started afresh. Gradually, as she slowly began to write and record once more, the album’s narrative arc emerged and Clarke found herself again. “It’s an empowered narrative, not a weak and vulnerable one,” Clarke says of the album. “It was a conscious decision to walk away from my career as it was and there’s a positive message on this record: there’s a lot of reclaiming the narrative.”
From Niloo talks about Funny Face - I wrote it in 2018 and was originally hoping to release it with a band I had been playing with at the time, LOOELLE. But the song felt so personal to me and didn’t fit that project’s dreamfolk repertoire. I finally recorded it in February of 2020 at the beautiful Risque Disque studio, in collaboration with my friends Shilo Preshyon of Cartoon Lizard, Jen Yakamovich of Troll Dolly and Billy Young of Isness.
The sound of Funny Face is on the surface upbeat and vibrant with its driving beat, warm synth and catchy melody. Yet, the warping tape echo sounds and distortions throughout the track maintain an underlying sense of dreamlike darkness. In a similar vein, the lyrics of the song are about stumbling through your own path in life without taking yourself too seriously. It is about honouring your mistakes and shortcomings and striving for happiness rather than perfection in a world that’s far from perfect.
In keeping with this theme, the imperfect but inevitable timing of the pandemic forced us to get creative in making the music video. I teamed up with filmmaker Ali Calladine, who shot the video as a single person director and crew. The majority of the video was shot in the neighborhood of Fernwood, Victoria and features friends and community members in their respective ‘bubbles’. The visuals of the video capture the vibrancy and drive of the music, while the action follows the main character, who searches the neighborhood in hopes of finding the source of this strange music.
Recorded just prior to lockdown, multi instrumentalist 17 year old (then 16) Rhys Evan with fellow guitarist Josh Craig recorded in our Mid Wales studio.
Hailstones is an introduction to Rhys Evan, a beautify crafted song on the struggles of young life. A long song for a single we know, but we felt it best to leave it as it is. We have a trimmed version for radio plays only, that just bring the track in on the vocal missing the lengthy intro. We felt it best not to edit the main body of the song...although we tried!
Rhys is still studying at school in Aberystwyth and he is still developing as an artist. Currently he is finding musicians to perform live, but as everyone know, schools are in chaos with constant assessments due to Covid, so these are difficult times.
We hope you find time to listen to this great track and hope a space might open up for Rhys to get onto the airwaves with his very first recording. This release will closely be followed up by his second single , “Arcade Running” with his debut EP “Tiny House EP 1” for June 2021
First on board is The Guardian and NME writer Fergal Kinney, who has written an introduction to Rhys Evan on this his first release. We hope you find him just as interesting and hope we can all help Rhys go from a bedroom artist in rural Mid Wales to hopefully someone more widely known on the national stage.
The band’s new stand alone single that follows up last year's acclaimed album Play & Rewind, “When We Were Young” takes the band in more upbeat and pop direction. Written by singer Claire Cuny while visiting her partner Monte Weber’s family, it captures the vitality and nostalgia of reflecting on the past in the presence of family. The instrumentation features a thumbing energetic synth bass and an afro-rock drum beat that the band had been jamming to that summer.
In Claire's words, "The song started out as a sad, slow guitar ballad I wrote while visiting Monte’s family one summer. When we brought the idea back to Brooklyn, Monte transformed the song into the more uptempo, energetic tune it is now. We changed nearly everything about the tune apart from the key and the lyrics.
The song was sped up, with a thumping energetic synth bass, and a beat which was a loose transcription of the opening measures of a Lafayette Afro Rock tune from the 1970’s that we had been jamming out to that summer. Monte’s new direction inspired me to sing more rhythmically than my original version and even inspired a simple but heart-felt guitar riff that opens the song and is looped throughout. It’s been a rough year, we hope this song makes you smile... even if you hadn’t felt good for a while."
Carmanah new song 'Best Interests' is a soulful and expansive rocker that slowly lets it's musical hooks dig in deep. === From Swansea, Wales Eleri Angharad has shared 'Blank Walls' where her beautiful vocals are notable on this singer-songwriter piece. === Our second feature this year for Reliant Tom comes in the form of 'The Sky Is Falling' which has some post rock vibes as it builds in intensity and refinement. === from NIIKA we have her brand new song 'The Cage' along with a very fine animated video, the track itself is centered around some mesmerizing vocals and a sophisticated musical backdrop.
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Carmanah - Best Interests.
Like the rainforests from which their name derives, the steady beat of the west coast can be found within the sound of Carmanah. From muddy blues-funk to light soaring melodies, Carmanah creates music that curves and tumbles through valleys and over peaks guiding the listener on a celebratory sonic journey.
Recognizing Carmanah’s passion for their home and the ways it influences their music, renown producer Gus Van Go (The Arkells, Sam Roberts, Wintersleep) coined the term “West Coast Soul” to describe their unique sound. The band’s first album, Speak in Rhythms produced two #1 CBC Music tracks, the effervescent ‘Roots’ and shimmering, brooding ‘Nightmare’, setting the tone for this new west coast sound.
With one album behind them and one ahead, Carmanah is crafting a musical niche of their very own, a vintage blend of the intuitive and the technical; a blend that lies somewhere among roots, rock and blues — all seamlessly woven together by Laura Mina Mitic’s soulfully luminous vocals.
Iris, their forthcoming album is a natural evolution and a moody counterpoint to their debut. Recorded between the wild forests of B.C. and the concrete high rises of Brooklyn, Iris is a heartfelt offering, a tapestry of thoughtful stories for our time. Undulating rhythms and bountiful instrumentation create a rich sonic backdrop for driving melodies and potent lyricism. The first track ‘Mountain Woman’ shows rousing vocals layered atop of propulsive rhythms, a joyful assertion of feminine energy and natural power. Lead single ‘As I See You’ is one of the gentler songs on the album, a sultry composition that speaks of friendship and holding up the people you love while valuing what they love in you. It’s a track that carries a compassionate message; “By embracing those who love us, within ourselves we can find a sense of home and belonging in our own skin”, says Mitic, “By caring for the environment around us, we also care for ourselves.”
Swansea based singer/songwriter Eleri Angharad will release her much anticipated new single 'Blank Walls' on Friday, April 17. The track has been written solely by Eleri Angharad and was produced and recorded by Lee House at Fieldgate Studio.
2019 saw Eleri burst onto the country scene with the release of her debut album 'Earthbound' which has since racked up thousands of Spotify streams – an impressive feat for an independent artist coming out of Wales. The title-track was even A-Listed on BBC Radio Wales showcasing the support she has across the nation.
Last year also saw the Swansea artist touring the globe on a headline tour playing intimate shows across Europe and even played Glastonbury Festival. 2019 was a huge breakout year for the artist who delivers a mix of country, and pop sonic sounds throughout her musical output.
The European support and radio play signals that 2020 is going to be a big year for Eleri Angharad who shares 'Blank Walls' this April. Speaking about the track, the Welsh performer says: “ Blank Walls tells the story of a fragile, chaotic relationship. A series of fragmented moments you're constantly trying to string together into something solid"
'Blank Walls' delivers a Kacey Musgraves esque production overlayed by the hauntingly beautiful vocal of Eleri Angharad which evokes Clare Bowen's sweet style. The track is a country gem that will delight her loyal fan-base whilst also inviting new listeners to discover her eclectic and unique sonic blend.
Brooklyn-based experimental art-rock duo, Reliant Tom shares new song "The Sky is Falling" which MXDWN calls, "methodical," and "mesmerizing." The song plays upon themes heard in the lead single "Nevermind the Garbage" and carries dark, cathartic undertones. Singer Claire Cuny took inspiration from the tragic passing of her father who died suddenly in 2018 on the day of the band's last album release no less. Accompanying the track is a music video the band shot while in quarantine. Reliant Tom's new album 'Play & Rewind' is out May 8th via Diversion Records.
Tracing their origins to a chance meeting at a DIY show in Brooklyn in 2015, the Brooklyn-based post-rock electronic band and experimental performance art Reliant Tom is centered around its core creative duo, Western Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn-based composer Monte Weber and Dallas, TX-born, Brooklyn-based choreographer and vocalist Claire Cuny. The duo’s collaboration is a seamless synthesis of their individual talents and interests – sound design, wearable technology, modern dance, and hook-driven, yet genre-defying songwriting.
“Reliant Tom gives me the outlet to explore both pulse driven works while maintaining the other musical elements which I find fascinating - timbre, aleatoric processes, and interactive technologies,” Weber explains. Adds Cuny, “Our ultimate goal with Reliant Tom is to be a multi-media performance experience that straddles the line between pop and experimental music - and philosophizing about what that even means, and is that even possible as ‘experimental pop’?”
Thematically, the duo’s two previous releases, 2016’s self-released, self-titled EP and 2018’s critically applauded, full-length debut effort Bad Orange, touch upon the pitfalls of digital communication and the generally blasé nature of modern social interaction – through the guise of avant-pop and avant-punk-influenced musical devices and arrangements featuring electric guitar, vocals, a hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit, synthesizers, and Weber’s Kontrol Instrument, which he developed while studying at the Paris-based Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music as a way to make electronic music more tactile and immersive in its performance.
Slated for a May 8th, 2020 release through Chicago-based Diversion Records, Reliant Tom’s sophomore effort Play & Rewind is a decidedly bold and self-assured step forward: Cuny’s sultry and expressive vocals while being prominently placed front and center, effortlessly glide over lush yet spacious arrangements of shimmering acoustic
From NIIKA we have the gorgeous new video for "The Cage," animated by Derek Barber, AKA Perhapsy.
Here's a quote from NIIKA on the song & video: I started writing The Cage while sitting on an enormous face of granite in Yosemite National Park, and feeling the vastness of that place. Now we're all stuck inside, keenly aware of our confines, and the incredible weight of this crisis. I suppose now this song becomes an offering of hope, and a reminder of the beautiful, terrifying sense of smallness we can experience when we're immersed in nature.
A reminder of life, space, the passage of infinite moments, blood pumping through tired legs on a hike, yelling into open air on a mountain or in a crowded bar, joy. The animation was conceived and created entirely by Derek "Perhapsy" Barber- I don't think there's been a better time to engage with a bit of genius whimsy.
Rex are an Amsterdam based trio and they have just released 'Palaces' a beautiful track with hints of Nick Cave however the trio add so much more. ===Amaroun already has a reputation for creating music that is hard to categorise, not that it matters 'Talk' is just one very individual song and it's wonderful. === They describe themselves as a mountain rock band and somehow Whitacre give that description credence as new song 'Prodigal' amply demonstrates. ===Mats Wawa have a new album out called 'Rock Omelette' which comprises of ten tracks, described by their promo as a mixture of "AOR, slacker soul or just classic rock" it's all of that pulled together by the bands consistent catchy and highly melodic sound. === The Mowgli's are back with 'Weight On Me' and again the band are on top form with a colourful video accompanying this hook filled song. === Reliant Tom share 'Nevermind The Garbage' a song that opens gently and gradually adds musical layers and power and packs plenty of atmosphere and emotion. === We get to share the third song and video fromThe Claudettes just ahead of their new album 'High Times in the Dark', this time we have '24/5' which is a fiesty little rocker to say the least.
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Rex - Palaces.
Amsterdam-based trio Rex explore the darker side of life with style, sexuality and a touch of melancholy – combining post punk, new wave and even elements of Spanish rhythms. This month, they are set to release upcoming track ‘Palaces’.
Despite sharing the same influential interests from the likes of The Bad Seeds, Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen, the bands idiosyncratic sound stems from their own musical backgrounds. Frontman, and guitarist Jonathan Rex was born with flamenco in his blood, while Drummer Nout Kooij was raised as a die-hard punk, and Bass player Sara Elzinga was introduced to blues music before she could walk.
With Jonathan’s powerful vocals wrapped elegantly over heavy electric strings and a throbbing drumbeat, ‘Palaces’ dwells upon love and death and the overwhelming emotions that comes along with it. Discussing the song, Rex says: “The song embraces the sorrow of loss, and powerless felt when you lose someone close to you. It raises the questions of how to continue on with life and survive without them.”
Having gained cult status in their native city, the three-piece have also seen action in European cities such as London, Berlin, Spain, whilst touring and at festivals. This year will see Rex on the rising scale, as they welcome the release of their debut EP this spring.
Amaroun has a reputation for creating strong melodies with simple beats accompanied by scrupulous lyrical honesty. As a self- proclaimed emo kid of the noughties and a lover of many genres from Gospel to Grime & Hip Hop to Reggae, Amaroun is not easily categorised.
With a driving hunger to release music, and prolific writing prowess, Amaroun (aka Jay Brown) is releasing music each month throughout 2020. January saw the self-produced and genre bending track ‘Perish’ with the honey-like ‘Rosey’ following four weeks later. Now, March 27th will see the release of 'Talk', Amaroun's third record this year and first full studio recording. 'Talk', co-written with Charles Watson (Slowclub) and produced by Charlie Andrew (Alt J/ Matt Corby/ Maricka Hackman) is a song about the moment communication breaks down between two people –– “Whenever I sing this song it takes me back to those moments and makes me realise how important talking is to keep your connection alive” she says. “I have no regrets, I learnt
so much about what I wanted from these experiences and use them to inform my own self growth and how I approach the beautiful connections with people I have today”
Whitacre, the self-described “mountain rock” band hailing from Denver, CO., has premiered the new single, “Prodigal,” with Billboard. The single will appear on their new album, Seasons, to be released April 17th, 2020. Recorded at Third & James in Denver, produced by Joe Richmond (Tennis, Churchill) and mixed by Yuuki Matthews (The Shins), Seasons marks the first time the band recorded in a big space and they found creative freedom to experiment with new ideas, marking an evolution from their last EP, 2018’s Within The Mountains’ Shadows.
Fusing elements of Americana, folk, and rock with punk tinges, Whitacre has become one of Denver’s fastest rising bands, selling out shows with Mt. Joy, Wild Child and Birdtalker, playing legendary venues such as Red Rocks and The Bluebird Theater, and amassing half a million streams on Spotify. With the release of their debut full-length album, Seasons, on the horizon, the four-piece, made up of Paul Whitacre on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Chase Perry on banjo, Mark Cunningham on drums and Joe Fishel on bass, are poised to break out nation-wide.
“At the risk of sounding a bit cliche, ‘Prodigal’ was a monumental song for the band. It was the first time we really collaborated on the writing process - every member contributed to the lyrics, the story, the melody, etc. It was a special moment to let others into the creative process for the first time, and it really set the tone for how we've written songs ever since,” frontman Paul Whitacre explains. “Every member of this band has a story of running away from 'home.' We've all lived through a time that we were doing the exact opposite of what we knew we were supposed to be doing. ‘Prodigal’ touches on the presence of hope and redemption, regardless of how low you are in life.”
A metaphor for the different phases of life, Seasons helped the band process the concept of there being something to use and learn from in each season and experience. The message of the album goes along with the band’s mission: “We have a burning desire to tell a story that isn’t often told in the music industry today. One of redemption and restoration. We want to reassure the broken-hearted that there is hope, we want to show the invisible that we see them and that they matter. We believe that doesn’t only happen in lyrics but in a melody as well. We believe in the power of music and that it is used to soften and heal hearts.”
Mats Mentzen Wang’s aka Mats Wawa is releasing new album Rock Omelette, the follow-up to 2018’s EP Scuzz. The young songwriter was unwittingly booked to a handful of showcase festivals in 2015, based on a few bedroom demos. And that’s how Mats Wawa was born – he needed a band. Now, four years later, Wang has matured, and so have his musical tastes.
Call it AOR, slacker soul or just classic rock – let the listener decide. Whatever you call it, the album is chock full of tunes. From a short rock opera about French & Moland (two Norwegian mercenaries imprisoned in DR Congo), via the song “Canned Heat” which sounds like…and to the first single “Sparkly Eyes”, some of the most beautiful blue eyed soul you’ll hear this year, with strings imported from 70’s Philadelphia.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this record has become an eclectic collection of songs, as the following influences are named: Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection, Laura Nyro, Lee Hazlewood, The Byrds and Jessica Pratt. Maybe that’s what Rock Omelette means. Still, the innocent naiveté that’s been Mats Wawa’s calling card, permeates the entire album, fronted by Wang’s characteristic voice which keeps it all cohesive.
All of life is a journey and the best journeys are those taken with friends. For the 5 members of The Mowgli’s that road has seen their friendship tested and rebuilt numerous times. From their earliest Venice, California days as a 10+ revolving cast of characters to their current line-up, the core members have evolved from playing midnight warehouse parties to the stages of the largest festivals.
While there have been many highlights - appearances on late night TV shows, incredibly rewarding collaborations with charities and electrifying performances in legendary venues among them - there have also been tests: Losing band members, battling with the stress of constant touring and maintaining their friendship, trying to remain both grounded and optimistic when things go amazingly well and when they don’t. But there have been benefits of creating deep bonds and close relationships, not least the marriage of singers Katie Jayne Earl and Josh Hogan in 2017. “Being in a touring band is hard work,” says Katie, “but inspiring. It only works because people care about the band and we have a core who support us, people who have both been there since the beginning and joined along the way. Those supporters keep us motivated.”
Their latest single "Weight On Me" is a mid-tempo mashup featuring hints of psychedelia, Jazz & rock n roll. The song talks about the pressures of keeping up with everyday life and taking on the weight of the world around you while keeping your head on your shoulders. It is the latest addition to their catalog of releases that are undeniably infectious and wholeheartedly relatable.
For The Mowgli’s, as for any band, this whole experience is a journey - and not always an easy one. It tests your self-belief, your stamina, your relationships and your mental and emotional health. “Since this band started we’ve been through a lot of changes: gained members, lost members, been shuffled around labels and learned a lot about the music industry,” says Andy. “Now it feels like we’re really independent again, refocused on curating our live show, more in touch with the business of being this band.” He adds “Our sound has evolved but we always circle back to the basic themes: love, feeling good, excited for life no matter what the day delivers.”
Brooklyn-based experimental art-rock duo, Reliant Tom shares new single "Nevermind the Garbage" and announces a new forthcoming album 'Play & Rewind' out May 8th, 2020 via Diversion Records. We've partnered with Black Book Magazine to bring you the vulnerable and visceral new song. Singer Claire Cuny took inspiration from the tragic passing of her father who died suddenly in 2018 on the day of the band's last album release no less. Claire explains, "The song is about learning to return to a semi-normal routine by learning to manage the grief..."
Tracing their origins to a chance meeting at a DIY show in Brooklyn in 2015, the Brooklyn-based post-rock electronic band and experimental performance art Reliant Tom is centered around its core creative duo, Western Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn-based composer Monte Weber and Dallas, TX-born, Brooklyn-based choreographer and vocalist Claire Cuny. The duo’s collaboration is a seamless synthesis of their individual talents and interests – sound design, wearable technology, modern dance, and hook-driven, yet genre-defying songwriting.
“Reliant Tom gives me the outlet to explore both pulse driven works while maintaining the other musical elements which I find fascinating - timbre, aleatoric processes, and interactive technologies,” Weber explains. Adds Cuny, “Our ultimate goal with Reliant Tom is to be a multi-media performance experience that straddles the line between pop and experimental music - and philosophizing about what that even means, and is that even possible as ‘experimental pop’?”
Thematically, the duo’s two previous releases, 2016’s self-released, self-titled EP and 2018’s critically applauded, full-length debut effort Bad Orange, touch upon the pitfalls of digital communication and the generally blasé nature of modern social interaction – through the guise of avant-pop and avant-punk-influenced musical devices and arrangements featuring electric guitar, vocals, a hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit, synthesizers, and Weber’s Kontrol Instrument, which he developed while studying at the Paris-based Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music as a way to make electronic music more tactile and immersive in its performance.
Slated for a May 8th, 2020 release through Chicago-based Diversion Records, Reliant Tom’s sophomore effort Play & Rewind is a decidedly bold and self-assured step forward: Cuny’s sultry and expressive vocals while being prominently placed front and center, effortlessly glide over lush yet spacious arrangements of shimmering acoustic guitars, atmospheric electronics and twinkling keys with the material possessing a cinematic air that recalls Dummy-era Portishead, Tales of Us-era Goldfrapp, Radiohead circa OK Computer and others. And while continuing to be tech-heavy in their means of sonic production, their thematic exploration of communication and interaction in the digital age takes a back seat. This time taking a more human approach, the material may arguably be the most mature yet accessible, most emotionally honest and vulnerable of their growing catalog.
The Claudettes new album is due out out on April 3 and is entitled "High Times in the Dark".
The band have already shared two songs from the new album, namely 'Bad Babe, Losin' Touch' and 'Declined'.
The latest song ahead of the album is 24/5 and as was the case with the last two songs, it's accompanied by a new music video.
As we have previously mentioned Johnny Iguana the bands piano player and songwriter commented "I believe it's definitely our best yet". It's produced by Ted Hutt (Violent Femmes, The Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero) and will be released on Forty Below Records.
