HMS Morris return here for a third time this year with today's single release 'Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol'. It's a richly layered electronic song with gorgeous vocal reprises between a solid rhythmic soundtrack. === As this is Rue Snider's eight appearance on Beehive Candy, I thinks it's only fair to say we like his music and today's new release 'David Bowie's Clothes' helps explain our fascination with Rue's ever evolving and refined material. === Spunsugar are another band who are making their third appearance here this year with their new single 'Belladonna' where they give Shoegaze some pop sensibilities with striking results.
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HMS Morris - Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol.
Following the release of two pre-covid singles ‘Babanod’ and ‘Poetry’, HMS Morris are back with the third in the series, ‘Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol', which translates as ‘International Students’. The single is released today September 16th.
HMS Morris HQ is nestled on the edge of one of the most multicultural streets in Cardiff, City Road. It’s a noisy, colourful cosmopolitan crush of restaurants, shisha bars and barbers, which have recently been invaded by posh student accommodation projects. But while this may have been the initial impetus behind ‘Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol’, by the time it had solidified into a definite sound and feel it was no longer a rant about fancy student halls.
Rather it had become an assertion that the world be a better place if we were all International Students. In the context of this summer’s global race-relations reckoning, there is a general moral imperative for us all to become students of the international: to watch the news as if it’s our own story, to actually take it in, to learn and adapt our behaviour. We should be prepared to immerse ourselves in other cultures, just like the international students of City Rd do.
David Bowie’s Clothes is the first single from Rue Snider’s fourth full length album Puzzle Pieces, releasing winter 2020/21. It’s a song about the beginning of healing. Rather than pine for a lost love the lyric reflects on the disappointment of being unable to share in another person’s joy. The touring David Bowie exhibit that ended its run at the Brooklyn Museum in 2018 was a powerful, overwhelming, transformative exhibition that serves not only as the impetus for this track but as a metaphor for obstacles to detachment.
“I’ve written a lot about being sad and I’ve used songs to catalogue many of my emotions through the characters I sing about. This song is about a real person and a real situation. When this relationship ended I started going to therapy after a period of deep depression and I was able to address a lot of my unhealthy behavior. It took a while to realize how much my actions contributed to the dissolution of that coupling and this song is one of the many attempts to write about that and take responsibility.”
Before the pandemic Rue toured America extensively playing bars and coffee shops in thirty-seven states, and built a loyal fan base one show at a time. Almost all of those shows were solo and performed on an acoustic guitar played through a Fender Blues Jr.
Rue’s first three records as well as his five EPs, and multiple singles are primarily full band affairs capturing different permutations of indie rock. The forthcoming Puzzle Pieces is a piano based album influenced by artists like Joni Mitchell, Father John Misty and Lana Del Rey. Puzzle Pieces was made in Nashville with Jon Estes engineering and producing. It was mixed by Phil Joly and mastered by Philip Shaw Bova.
Spunsugar, a gothgaze trio from Malmo, Sweden, have just dropped this new single ‘Belladonna’. Following on from the release of their breakthrough debut EP ‘Mouth Full Of You’ last year, a collection that cemented them as one of the finest emerging shoegaze outfits of the moment as well as garnering support from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6Music, Swedish trio Spunsugar now return to announce their highly-anticipated debut album ‘Drive-Through Chapel’, out on the 2nd October via Adrian Recordings.
Two out of three members of the trio Spunsugar, Cordelia Moreau and Elin Ramstedt, befriended one another in a small town outsider clique at age thirteen. Their individual music tastes, Cordelia’s twee-pop, jangle and grunge and Elin’s metal, hardcore and post-rock blended into a mutual love for shoegaze, noise rock and dream pop. At age fifteen they started a four piece band, Elin on lead vocals and rhythm guitar and Cordelia on drums. They discovered that they thrived when writing music together. But even when the band split up, they continued to write songs.
Fast forward to post upper secondary school. After months of hardly speaking to each other, they both ended up in Malmö. After not writing music together for five years they recorded two lo-fi songs in Cordelia’s student apartment and it was as if no time had passed. They looked for a rehearsal space and within weeks they recorded a demo. But they wanted a real live bass player. Cordelia had recently bonded with a university classmate over guitars and they decided to send him a copy of the demo and asked if he would like to come play with them. Felix Sjöström became an intrinsic part of the project immediately. With his influence, their sound became more distinguished, all of them bringing different inspirations to the songs. Now they all have prominent roles within the band but they are also, fundamentally, friends.
Spunsugar are works at a faster paced than a lot of their shoegaze peers and accompanied by electronic drums. They are more often compared to Curve, Swervedriver or Ringo Deathstarr rather than the likes of Cocteau Twins or Slowdive. Although heavy on effects, nothing is hidden within the music, including the lyrics. The lyrics are heavy with pop cultural references, stemming from Cordelia’s love for obscure genre films. Often driven by riffs rather than soundscapes, they focus equally on having a prominent bass as well as prominent guitars.
me&you have released 'S.O.L' today and its a natural Americana song where folk and country come together beautifully, the dual vocals enriching the track even further. === Singer songwriter Arielle Silver shares her brand new song 'What Really Matters' where the poignant lyrics are passionately delivered on this powerful Indie folk piece. === Today Carroll release their third album 'Leap and the Net Appears' which is streaming in full below, we have already shared the song 'Fern' from the collection, and I have to say the album has lived up to the promise that track hinted at. === From Sydney, Australia we haveCasual Fan and their latest song entitled 'Flight', it's a gently paced alt rocker with gorgeous vocals and background harmonies and some refined musicianship. === Reckless Kelly share 'North American Jackpot' which is a timeless country rocker with just a hint or two of Southern rock vibes. === From London we have Lial and the song 'Embers' which is released today, it's an electro pop song with plenty of feeling and emotion. === Rue Snider makes his seventh appearance on Beehive Candy with today's release 'Oklahoma' a gentler ballad that is both melodic and quite personal sounding.
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me&you - S.O.L.
me&you, formed of siblings Karlee and Connor Hormell, are an Americana duo from Sacramento, CA. Their new single, "S.O.L." is a country-folk slow burner about bad timing in a relationship. The single will be released Friday, February 28, ahead of their debut as official showcasing artists at SXSW 2020.
About me&you: "My brother and I always tell each other: all we have is me and you," explains Karlee with regards to their band name. The siblings have been playing music together since they were kids, but the band really came to fruition when they went on a month-long campervan trip in the backcountry of New Zealand and ultimately wrote their debut EP, Chasing Trails.
Since then, the duo has shared the stage with Dwight Yoakam, Barns Courtney, John Paul White (Civil Wars), Bastille, and others and has been sponsored by Patagonia, REI, SC Vans, and Visit Sacramento.
In November 2018, there was a shooting at the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks, CA. The next day, the Woolsey and Hill fires broke out, burning over 96K acres of Southern California. People who were still wrapping their heads around losing 13 of their neighbors in the shooting were now having to pack up whatever they could to evacuate the fires that were rapidly heading their way. One of these nearby residents was Americana singer, Arielle Silver.
After these tragic events, Silver began to think about what really matters most when you are facing a tragedy and from that, her latest single was born. "What Really Matters" is released today Friday, February 28.
Arielle Silver crafts songs that are luminous, literate, and alive. A Thousand Tiny Torches, the singer-songwriter’s new Indie Folk Americana collection, is a testament to her renewal of inspiration, the rekindling of dreams, and the redemptive power and connective compassion that defines her artistry.
Her rich, expressive alto voice frames expansive melodies that echo the American heartland. Now based in Los Angeles, Arielle knows this geography well. A performing itinerary transported her from Club Passim in her adopted hometown of Boston to venues including Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta and Nashville’s 12th & Porter, plus stops to the Southwest, as she steered a vegetable oil-fueled vehicle across Texas to Abilene, Odessa and Austin.
Leap and the Net Appears (out February 28th 2020 on Shattered Orb Records) is the third album by the Philadelphia band Carroll. The album takes the band’s outrospective sonic palate to glistening new heights and some of the murkiest depths of their career. Recorded in the band’s subterranean bunker in Philadelphia and at Berlin Studios in New Jersey, the record captures the first moments of a hibernating bear blinking into the sunshine after months in its den. On songs like first single “Fern” and album opener “2 Have U,” we see a band with one foot firmly planted in the void while cautiously approaching the light.
After years on the road and stints opening for the likes of Dr. Dog, Whitney, and Jessica Pratt, the four members of Carroll are learning to stay in place. “I tried fixing the holes inside / then I covered the door in your color,” sings frontman Brian Hurlow on “Nona.” Home improvement and domesticity butt up against inner turmoil in songs about unsettled settling. “This one has been a crazy year of tearing the yard apart,” Hurlow reflects on the sublime album closer "Bemy."
Underneath Hurlow’s plaintive delivery swirl the dense psychedelic landscapes the band is known for. The propulsive, liquid bass lines of Charles McClung are a second narrator throughout the course of the album and Max Kulicke continues to create microclimates and sonic storms with his atmospheric guitar. The record’s tasteful and varied synthesizers seem to bubble up from beneath the understated beats of drummer Charlie Rudoy, while the tender saxophone work by free jazz explorer Gabriel Garcia polishes off what are the most enveloping grooves of the band’s career.
The first lines of "Fern" are an apt metaphor for Carroll's newest record: "I'm a fern with the leaves curled up / in the light I extend and unravel." As you spend time with Leap and the Net Appears, the album unfurls, blooms, and blossoms around you
Casual Fan is a musical collective from Sydney, started when songwriter Nathan moved from his home town of Newcastle to Sydney’s Inner West and pulled together some new friends to take his folk songs in a different direction. The result is a dynamic mix of subdued interludes and frenzied refrains, with Nathan’s resonant vocals and intricate guitar work providing a unique through line for the listener.
“Flight” is the first single from Casual Fan’s forthcoming debut album “I’ve Dreamt About These Days”. Recorded with Mark Myers (The Middle East, The Starry Field), it’s a song about being stuck between where you are and where you think you should be.
Listen as rich guitar tones and yearning vocals soar over unique rhythms to create a song that’s nostalgic like the Australian summer — like it’s 38 degrees and you’re packed into your friend’s ’97 Nissan Pulsar on your way to the beach in late February.
The Austin, TX-based country rock band Reckless Kelly released “North American Jackpot,” the first single and title track from their upcoming album American Jackpot (out May 22 alongside their album American Girls). The song will be available everywhere tomorrow but you can hear it now on Taste of Country.
“Writing ‘North American Jackpot’ I kept hitting a wall with the verses and the theme,” says Willy Braun, who co-founded Reckless Kelly with his older brother Cody Braun and drummer Jay Nazz in 1996. “Trouble was, I kept going back to my first idea, a story about my grandparents, which wasn’t really going anywhere, but I couldn’t get away from it. I thought, I’d have to scrap this one till it made sense… the problem was, I’d already started writing the rest of the album and was close to being finished, but the title track, 'North American Jackpot’ wasn’t close to being completed, and far from the cornerstone it needed to be. I called Jeff Crosby, songwriter extraordinaire from the Gem State asking for help. The next day he sent a nearly perfect first verse that got me out of the rut and on the right track. I wrote a second verse almost immediately and we polished it up in Boise a couple weeks later. I had my cornerstone.”
For nearly 25 years, Reckless Kelly has graced the musical landscape with a high-powered form of Americana, equally rooted in raw passion, refined musicianship, and gritty authenticity. With the dual release of two new albums—American Jackpot and American Girls—the Idaho-bred band presents a beautifully detailed portrait of their beloved country, turning their nuanced songwriting to its many glories and tragedies. “North American Jackpot” appears on American Jackpot, throughout which Reckless Kelly joyously examines what they most cherish about their homeland, exalting everything from the thrill of mule-riding through the Grand Canyon to the country’s singular potential as a cultural melting pot. At the same time, the band never shies away from calling out forces that threaten America’s character. To that end, the album is bookended by two piano-driven tracks with lyrics lifted from the Emma Lazarus poem inscribed at the Statue of Liberty: the full-hearted and hopeful “North American Jackpot,” and “Goodbye Colorado #3” (a quietly impassioned response to anti-immigrant rhetoric).
For American Jackpot and American Girls, the band called upon friends and fellow musicians Bukka Allen, Jeff Crosby, Charlie Sexton, Gary Clark Jr., Rosie Flores, Shawn Sahm, Muzzie Braun, Suzy Bogguss, Wade Bowen and many more to join their recording sessions. Although Reckless Kelly initially intended to make just one album, the project took on a life of its own once they headed into the studio. “I wanted to produce this one by myself, just to try that out, and I made sure to book plenty of studio time to get it done right,” says Willy. “We ended up moving along really fast, so I pulled out a few more songs and figured we’d end up using them down the road. Before we knew it, we had enough material for two really good records.”
Lial is a London artist making a haunting and melancholy strand of electronic-pop, laced with a hypnotic and sensual vocal which has been likened to a mix of Kylie and Billie Ray Martin. On 28th February, she releases brand new single Embers ahead of the release of her second EP, Made To Break, which follows in Summer 2020.
Lial sites artists such as Låpsley, Sia, and Lana Del Rey as influences, with her sound encompassing echoes of each. Lial’s enveloping minimal arrangements recall Låpsley’s dark, brooding alt-pop but coupled with Sia’s glistening pop-sensibility. There’s also a touch of Del Rey’s sultry heartsick delivery, weighted by the subject matter of Lial’s songs. New single Embers is about the struggle of removing oneself from a destructive situation which is simultaneously addictive. The song’s darker undertones are laced with a wistful edge which Lial describes as “the recognition there is something good that could have been, even as you try to draw a line under it all.”
After performing live as a professional singer at big sports events including England Rugby matches, Lial began working on her own music. In 2019 she shared her debut Heart Scars EP, self-released and unpromoted, it organically accumulated over 68k Spotify plays, UK and international blog posts for its lead title-track, and fans in a wide range of places. Lial found music from the EP shared and championed on social media by fellow songstress Pixie Lott and actresses Lily James, Michelle Dockery and Jo Froggatt (among many others).
Embers is released as a digital single on 28 February. It is written by Lial alongside co-writer and producer Gregor McWilliam and mastered by John Davies. Lial’s Made to Break EP follows in Summer 2020.
Brooklyn based Rue Snider today releases his new song Oklahoma. Rue tells us "It's a ballad about a sex worker. It's quieter than the stuff I've been putting out lately".
Singer songwriter Rue Snider combines 80s alt sonics with a lyrical style reminiscent of 60s rock revolutionaries. His sound and ideals are both a reflection of and a reaction to growing up during the 1980s in a small town.
The tone of his hometown and it’s conservative foundation spawned Rue’s progressive values and belief in social justice. His home filled with records by Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, and Air Supply, and his elementary school music teacher father propelled his love for music and interest in performance. Investments were made in lessons on piano, cello, trumpet, and eventually voice, which were met with the same embrace any free spirited young person attaches to something they are forced to do.
Tayla Young has a new single 'With The Fire' which opens in a gentle, beautiful manner and then gradually builds in power without overdoing it and allowing her vocals to shine right through.
We have a fabulous song from Gran Noir entitled 'On And On'. The driving beat and melodic vocals are accompanied by a fresh new video, this is just so catchy.
Damone share the single 'Moon and Stars' which is a bright and smooth alt pop / rock piece with melodic vocals and harmonies.
Rue Snider has been featured on Beehive Candy a few times and the new video and song 'Chelsea' sees his music take on a more fuzzy rock feel, with a dramatic vibe.
From Plaza we have their new song 'See'. The pace is slow, the music and harmonies conjure an atmospheric feel, and the distinct lead vocals really do add character.
Desert Sparrow share a story line video for 'Karma', the song itself is a mixture of indie folk and sixties pop sensibilities, it's very catchy to.
Jennah Barry has released 'The Real Moon' a pristine singer songwriter affair where her refined vocals are supported by a superb musical backdrop.
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Tayla Young - With The Fire.
Few songwriters can take you on a journey quite like Townsville’s Tayla Young, shining bright with the release of her captivating new single ‘With The Fire’.
Delicate and carefully crafted, ‘With The Fire’ builds steadily from it's stripped back, folk driven intro, to it's fully engrossing, dreamy indie rock finale. Citing Julia Stone and Paul Kelly as key influences in her writing style, it’s no surprise her narrative is vivid and vibrant. Minimalist guitars and drums make way for Tayla’s entrancing vocals, her wholly relatable tone and storytelling making it impossible to turn away.
"Fireplaces are something you would never find where I’m from and when I wrote the song I was desperate for the exact opposite of where I was," Tayla explains, "'With the Fire’ is about being in a long distance relationship and missing the person you love and their family. There’s a bit of self reflection in there as well as to why I left and my struggle with being back in my hometown with my own family."
It's been a big few months for Tayla - her debut single ‘Southbound’, originally recorded in 2016 and posted as an online live-sung video recording, quickly received over 200,000 views, later skyrocketing up to #16 on the triple j Unearthed Roots charts when she officially released it in April this year. Shortly followed by ‘Crime Of Comparison’, an entirely acoustically performed track, the single has cracked over 500,000 streams on Spotify thus far, having been added to their huge global ‘Alone Again’ and 'Stations: Heartbreak' editorial playlists.
With just a handful of releases, Tayla has shown off her adept talents masterfully and managed to pronounce herself as one of North Queensland’s rising songwriters. With plenty more up her sleeve, it’s time to get amongst her exciting narrative!
Half-Swiss, half-German band, Gran Noir follow on from their successful album ‘Electronic Eyes’ (boasting a Spotify Rock Rotation takeover with almost 1 million streams, and airplay across the world), with new single ‘On And On’.
Formed in 2011 in Bejing the band, made up of Pascal, Matt, Rey, Nils and Phil, cast a blend of alternative indie rock, punk and bittersweet melodies as they present their latest release. 2019 has so far been a rather turbulent year for the band; forged plans were suddenly thwarted by fate. «Shit happens, life happens…», and then they asked themselves: «What is this really about? Making music, without stress.» And that's what they did.
The band worked in the Alterna Recording Studios in Basel with an old friend and companion, Philippe Laffer (Supernova, Zhivago), an expert on buttons and controls (Crimer, Kaufmann, One.Sentence.Superviser, Panda Lux) to venture into new territory.
Despite the sombre theme of ‘On And On’, more than a spark of hope shimmers in wonderfully arranged guitar, violin and vocals. ‘On And On’ keeps its promise: Gran Noir didn't let themselves be pulled down, didn't give up, persevered, set the focus anew and have emerged stronger from this pivotal year.
The accompanying music video was produced with love by the band, with the Swiss World Cup downhiller Annina Bruehwiler and Mario Hickethier. The remote Black Forest hut from childhood is a place of remembrance of an old friendship that was torn from this world far too early, every crack in the wood panelling is permeated by long evenings and shared history. The unique pictures of the Julier Pass in Graubünden show that the deep connection with life is a constant outdoor adventure.
The band felt how something so valuable can quickly disappear. With resolve to live in the present moment they recommend this maxim with ‘On And On’.
Damone is an alternative / pop / rock band from Boston MA. During their successful career, the band released 3 full length studio albums, most notable being Out Here All Night on Island/Def-Jam, and toured internationally in the 2000s. The band worked continuously to achieve ample musical accreditation in a short amount of time before disbanding in 2008.
Now, after more than a decade the surviving members are making an emotionally charged comeback with heartfelt new music and a captivating live show.
Currently sharing their glorious new single "Moon and Stars," the band is back and better than ever. With swirling melodies and harmonious vocals, Damone proves quickly once again that they have staying power.
Rue tells us - I made this video for "Chelsea" over the weekend with footage I shot at Zion, Arches, and Grand Canyon National Parks, as well as footage from Manhattan. I tried to incorporate the ghostliness of Phoebe Bridgers's lyric (ghost of Nancy Spungen speakng to Sid Viscious - my interpretation ) into the visual style. I really attached to the line "I won't be home." The video changes tone at the bridge in step with the music.
The electric guitar at the start of Chelsea comes in like a thunderstorm on the heels of my last synth heavy single Make Me Feel. The song’s different sections are in fact constructed to mirror the parts of a tropical storm. The notes for Phil Joly, mixer extraordinaire, began “This song should sound like a hurricane.” The desire to capture the violence of nature comes from Phoebe Bridgers’s excellent lyric. Chelsea is a cover of her folk ballad. Musically it’s opposite end of the spectrum but the energy and Shakespearean attempt to mirror the human condition are drawn from her words.
Chelsea temporarily abandons the 80s sound I’ve been chasing and finds inspiration from a mixtape of 70s rock n roll as well as 90s grunge. It’s a loud and audacious goodbye song that is perfect for the end of summer.
Implementing a new string to their sound can be a tricky procedure for a band, but Plaza have nailed it on new single ‘See’. By no means an extreme departure from the icy tones of their self-coined ‘post indie’, it nonetheless brings in new influences, and slows the pace right down. Tentative calls to Frank Ocean arrive alongside traditional key touchstones in Foals, DIIV or Wolf Alice.
It’s not a sudden change, with the evolution happening in public through live shows, as songwriter and Brad Lennard elaborates:
“‘See’ has been in the inventory for a while now. It’s a chilled song, played on keys, so a change in style for us. You move on from your favourite band or artist and start exploring new avenues, a lot of tunes that I write now are this kind of vibe, which is a new direction - having the opportunity to write music like this with us all in a band is class.
See is probably my favourite song we have written, it’s about staying true to yourself.” It’s the second cut from upcoming sophomore EP, ‘Wernotplaza II’ EP dropping via Clue Records (Crushed Beaks, Van Houten, Avalanche Party, TRASH) on November 29th.
The EP is the most open Plaza have been to date. It’s easy for bands to write obliquely, wavering around heavy points reticent to tackle them head on – which is more than understandable, as so much artistic inspiration comes from a deeply personal well. This time around however, explosive Hartlepool post-indie quartet Plaza refuse to compromise in expressing their truth.
Whilst this sounds disconsolate in sentiment, in listening to the tracks you can hear the release and catharsis it offers, generating an emotive layer to the spacious grunge-meets-dream-pop style the four-piece have carefully cultivated over the last few years. Spiky guitars and a sprinkling of electronics, driven forward by a skittish beat, provide the layer for Lennard’s confessional vocals.
The quartet have built up a cult live following across the UK, also drawing attention from Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart at BBC Radio 1, alongside John Kennedy at Radio X – with the likes of DIY, DORK, The Line of Best Fit, Clash and Wonderland singing their praises too.
Desert Sparrow is Kylie Adams and Dave Carreno, respectively hailing from the beaches of Sydney, Australia and Dana Point, CA. Blending their eclectic love for ‘60s rock n’ roll, folk, spaghetti westerns, and surf rock, Desert Sparrow spin narratives out of the solitude, hardship and perseverance on the desert roads and coastlines of California.
Before meeting each other, Adams began as a pianist, but quietly fell in love with singing after being raised on Stevie Nicks songs. After losing a bet years later to a friend and singing karaoke to a packed restaurant, Adams realized her calling as a singer/songwriter. Meanwhile, Carreno was similarly a late bloomer, buying a guitar at 21 after seeing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club perform.
After meeting at a Coachella party back in 2011, Kylie and Dave began playing together in earnest at friends’ parties. At a particularly fateful performance at Kylie’s dad’s birthday party, the mother of celebrated Australian duo Angus & Julia Stone encouraged the duo to begin writing and performing their own songs more. Since then, Desert Sparrow have relocated to Los Angeles, assembling a backing band and putting out two EPs along with a handful of singles, including “Karma.”
Jennah Barry, who, having recently signed to Halifax, NS-based label Forward Music Group (Sarah Pagé, Paper Beat Scissors) is looking to today sharing her new single ’The Real Moon’ which comes produced by Colin Nealis (Andy Shauf, Aidan Knight, plays in Foxwarren).
'The Real Moon' captures Barry's compelling way with lyricism and solicitous outlook on the world, finding a musical footing somewhere along the paths carved out by Harry Nilsson, Burt Bacharach, and Emmylou Harris. The vintage analogue synth, gentle acoustic guitar, flourishes of horn and overall feel of 'The Real Moon' are contrasted by the track's contemporary narrative.
"I was spending most of my time alone when I wrote 'The Real Moon,'" says Jennah. "The song is about the very modern problem of seeing too much of the world without actually leaving your house. It’s about experiencing the fragility of reality."
This new cut highlights Jennah's first foray of 2019 following 2018 single 'Roller Disco' (playlisted at New Music Friday, Outliers, Indie All-Stars) - before this, she first built audiences across Canada and Europe with her 2012 debut album Young Men (tipped by CBC, Exclaim, HypeMachine) before having to halt her career in music with emergency vocal surgery.
Hobby Club serve up a bright indie pop song with some fabulous vocals and a crisp musical backdrop. Rue Snider has impressed us in recent years, his ideas and musical creations are always met with keen anticipation. London alt rockers Heavy Heart mix melodic vocals with some natural rock vibes. From Italy Amycanbe have a distinctive sound, with plenty of detail in the musical arrangement and soft enticing vocals gliding above. Last today we have our second track share from Lily & Madeline ahead of next months album release and it's another beautifully crafted and hook laden song.
Hobby Club - For Maurice.
London based indie-pop duo Hobby Club release their debut single ‘For Maurice’ from their first EP ‘Video Days’ released 8th March on Manchester tastemaker label Heist or Hit (Her’s, Pizzagirl).
Beth Truscott and Joe Rose’s sound is as unique as their vision of the world – sharing an unusual eye condition they only discovered after meeting each other. Inspired by Arthur Russell, The Beach Boys and Kate Bush, the duo craft a lyrical domesticity that evokes harbours and mills towns, polyester and chip wrappers, bus tickets and slate grey skies.
‘For Maurice’ is Hobby Club’s anthem for leaving home, named after a local celebrity in Joe’s hometown Barrow, the “brash and absurd, yet sensitive and creative” Maurice G. Flitcroft, who “at all times was striving for something more than his humble origins would allow by studying art and literature and becoming the self-professed best at anything he put his mind to.”
The track becomes the duo’s rebellion of limited small-town life: “Like my own Dad,” Joe describes, “Maurice begrudgingly worked in the shipyard but never let the narrow opinions of others corrode his delusions of grandeur.” Subverting this tradition, Joe now uses an abandoned canteen in the shipyard to record the jangle-pop of Hobby Club, proving “that no matter how absurd your goal is, you can just tell yourself you’re the best and that everybody else is wrong”.
Rue Snider - Tripping On a Raft With Girls/Go Back To Carolina.
Go Back To Carolina is a brand new track by Brooklyn, NY based singer songwriter Rue Snider that has an indelible hook punctuated by biting electric guitars and organ reminiscent of the louder side of early alt country favorites like Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, and Vigilantes of Love. The lyrics address the concept of psychological triggering, which in this story comes in the form of an Avett Brothers song.
“'Go Back To Carolina' is an attempt to illustrate the idea of psychological triggers in a funny, sort of profane way that most people will be able to understand even if they haven't been introduced to the concept before. Once I started to grasp the role that my past plays in my current life and began to have compassion for myself for some of my triggered responses, and once I started to really identify what those triggers were, I was able to begin the process of rooting them out."
Tripping On a Raft With Girls celebrates the need for community that feels built into human DNA. It details a psychedelic experience that the narrator undertakes with a group of friends. The lyrics are his inner monologue. It features Jon Estes on guzheng.
Both songs have lyrics that make a stab at humor and are a bit absurd but dig into serious topics. They fit together sonically as they're both loud rock songs and lyrically as they both take place inside of someone's brain.
London alt-rockers Heavy Heart share deeply emotional new cut Bed Bug, the first of three tracks mixed and co-produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Gabe Wax (The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, Soccer Mommy).
Starting out as a bedroom project in a tiny South London flat, the quartet have since capitalised on their early promise with widespread praise throughout the online community (NME, The Line Of Best Fit) and across the airwaves (BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Radio X), with their introspective and intimate soundscapes earning plenty of fanfare.
Touching on profoundly relatable themes of love, loss and finding happiness, Bed Bug showcases elements of Alvvays and Wild Nothing nestled deep within their sound, coupling luscious melodies and cascading guitars with a vivacious blend of dreamy, atmospheric noise.
Detailing their upcoming single, the band stated: “Bed Bug is a nocturnal love song exploring obsession and lethargy, sex, blood and dirty sheets. It’s about staying in bed all day and staying awake all night, feeling your skin crawl and your nerves itch. It’s also about the beauty and agony of loving someone to the point of self-destruction; picking the wounds open again just to feel the way it felt the first time”.
Born and based in Cervia, Italy, Amycanbe was formed by Mattia and Marco until 2005 when they decided to add Francesca and Paolo to the lineup, and this the quartet Amycanbe was born. Amycanbe has had some slight lineup changes throughout the years, but they currently consist of Francesca Amati (vocals), Mattia Mercuriali (bass, guitars, keys), Marco Trinchillo (drums, keys) and Mattia "Matta" Dallara (keys). With 3 albums and several EP’s behind their name, their 2011 album ‘Mountain Whales’ garnered significant success with their hit ‘Buffalos’ gaining a lot of traction from fans and critics alike.
Inspired by legendary acts across the genre spectrum such as Nina Simone, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Portishead, Aphex Twin, and David Bowie, it is clear that Amycanbe prefers to surround themselves with only the best influences. With dream pop being rooted in elements of alternative and psychedelic rock ‘n roll with a blend of pop, it’s evident that any fans of The xx, The Naked and Famous, or The Cocteau Twins will enjoy Amycanbe’s music as part of their collection.
‘White Slide’ reimagines the ethereal song with hard hitting bass while the wobble in the bassline ensures a groove between each bar. Francesca’s tender voice is only complemented by the intricate, yet subtle production elements that can be heard throughout. ‘White Slide’ demands multiple listens as the undiscovered concaves of this track are revealed to the listener upon every repeated listen. A stellar track that aims (and succeeds) in transporting the listener to a cosmic realm where Amycanbe controls every facet of this musical plane. True performers by nature, this live version is a testament to their electrifying performances.
US sister duo Lily & Madeleine are pleased to share their new single "Analog Love", which is taken from their forthcoming album Canterbury Girls - out on 22 Feb via New West. The album was recorded in Nashville and produced by Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, the team behind Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour. Although the bulk of the album's songs are burdened by personal angst and the weight of expectations, "Analog Love" is a sweet romantic plea.
As Lily and Madeleine explain: "We wrote "Analog Love" with our dear friend, songwriter Lucie Silvas. The song is an attempt to capture the feeling of an uncomplicated and reassuring romantic relationship. Being on tour a lot of the time, nearly all relationships we have become long distance at some point. Communicating over the internet is a great way to continue to share your love, but after a while, its monotony makes you wish you could just be face to face with the person, communicating without any distractions. In the studio we wanted the song to feel whimsical and nostalgic with lap steel, acoustic guitar, and soft, tender vocals. We don't write many love songs, but "Analog Love" was written so easily with Lucie, and captures a special feeling of uncomplicated love."
Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz explore the conventions of 21st century womanhood on the ten-track Canterbury Girls, named after Canterbury Park, located in the duo’s hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. The songs were all written or co-written by the sisters, which, despite the album's poppy veneer, boasts some of Lily & Madeline's densest and most intense lyrics to date.
Background - San Francisco's Fine Points release their sophomore full-length, 'Take Shape.' Since releasing their debut album, Hover, in 2015, Fine Points have continued to lay the brickwork of their narco-pop stylings.
After landing tours with hazy contemporaries such as White Fence, The Warlocks, and The Fresh & Onlys, the band returned to California to work on demos for their sophomore offering.
Somewhere along the way producer Jason Carmer reached out to the band and they recorded the tracks heard on Take Shape at Carmer's Berkeley studio. FACEBOOK.
Performance Dates: July 17 - Olympia, WA @ Le Voyeur Cafe July 18 - Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern July 19 - Portland, OR @ White Owl Social Club July 20 - Berkeley, CA @ The Starry Plough July 21 - Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door July 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ HiHat
'Ready & Able' opens in a mild, unassuming manner, where melodic vocals and music gradually develops in layers. The song grows into a refined pop with a dash of rock track, the understated feeling giving way to a more expansive sound and the hooks do indeed dig in deep.
Background - As the release of Oslo-based Frøkedal’s much anticipated second album ‘How We Made It’ draws closer (set for release August 31st via Propeller Recordings), she’s sharing new single ‘David’ - a spirited, folk-tinged indie rock song, that lyrically appears to focus around the general notion of, “hope”.
"Love and hope keeps knocking on your door / Where do you think it is? / Upstairs, in the street, by the window / Maybe you will open up the door” Anne Lise Frøkedal delicately sings in David’s chorus refrain - to a backdrop of bustling drums and cleverly finger-picked guitar lines.
"This song was close to not happening - several times.” Frøkedal explains. "After the final recording session I realised that I missed it’s hopeful optimism in between the other songs. I needed David to shine a little light on the album.”
Speaking a little more on how the song came together, she said: "There was no more studio time booked, and no time to wait around, so I took the train out to drummer Olaf’s place, a small old house on the top of a hill. His drums are sat on a riser in the middle of his living room with a great view of the valley below. We were chatting, playing and having a great time – until the recording system broke down completely. We tried again the next day, I went back out there heavily loaded with my own more or less portable equipment. We played the song many times, it was fun and easy. Later that week I visited an old friend’s studio (Bjarne, drummer in Harrys Gym) and did the piano there. And my sister did the bass. I ended up spending a lot of time with people I really appreciate doing this track - and that fits the song very well." TWITTER.
As this is our fourth feature this year alone for Frøkedal, clearly there is is something about her music that resonates in a powerful way.'David' goes someway to explaining why. Her individual style is so often catchy and natural, as is the thoughtful, creative and sensitive musical production. Put simply she can write a fine song and then make it something gorgeous and special.
Background - Brooklyn indie rocker and songwriter Rue Snider releases “Run Away With You,” the fifth single from his highly anticipated new album City Living. “Run Away With You” showcases Rue's 80s inspired sound and signature wide-ranging melody.
Of the track, Rue explains, “Humans collect emotional baggage like a hoarder in a rent controlled apartment. What if we could leave it all behind and run away with someone? What if we could find a beach and start over, hard reset, go emotionally back to one? The fantasy of emotional amnesia is real. The idea of sharing it with someone can be intoxicating. "Run Away With You” lives inside that fantasy. It longs for an emotional clean slate even if it’s only for a short time. This song is also the doorway to City Living as a record. It’s the guest at the party who says, “one more drink! don’t worry about tomorrow!” It’s the voice that makes driving to the ocean at 4:30 in morning with two bottles of whiskey and a car full of intoxicated strangers make sense. It’s the Siren beckoning to move closer to the shore.”
“Run Away With You” follows four warmly received singles: “Vamonos,” "Experiment In Love,” "Hot Summer Nights,” and “Don’t Lose Heart.” Of "Hot Summer Nights," Spill Magazine raved, “Rue Snider creates something magnificent."
Heavily influenced by 80s rock from Cyndi Lauper to The Smiths to R.E.M., Rue's new album City Living presents New York City as a catalyst for finding peace in the present even when circumstances are destructive and demand change. It’s a loose chronicle of his move to Manhattan in the mid aughts and an examination of the thoughts and choices that occur while living in transition: geographically, emotionally, spiritually, politically, and socially. City Living is upbeat musically with lyrics that reflect real human experiences, from falling in love at Coney Island, to wandering Brooklyn heartbroken, to standing up to injustice. WEBSITE.
Another artist who has gained our attention this year with some highly creative music is Rue Snider, an artist who is totally upfront about his musical influences and their impact on his own creativity. With the resulting output becoming songs such as 'Run Away With You' what is there to complain about, a driving and engaging indie rocker, with intelligent lyrics, it adds even more variety to the forthcoming album.
Background - "Storm Coming" is Jamie Lynn Vessels' new blues-rock album, released last month. Jamie Lynn Vessels is a soulful rock and blues artist with her roots in songwriting. Likened to Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow, this six-foot tall rocker will captivate the audience and command the stage as a solo act or with her full band. She has embraced New Orleans as her musical hometown, and the city has done her the same, affording her the opportunity to add grit and soul to her style and music.
No matter where JLV travels and plays, there is something undeniable about her songs and musical appeal... whatever your taste, Jamie's voice and presence will capture you. Her music is soulful, bluesy, filled with intricate lyrics and beautiful stories, and delivers a stunningly intoxicating ride of rock 'n' roll.
Jamie has had the opportunity to play with local celebrities at Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, and the Mahalia Jackson Theatre. Jamie has opened for Dilana, Roxie Watson, Grayson Capps, and others. She has played around the country and has regular solo and full band shows in and around the Crescent City.
Jamie’s first full-length album “Home” and EP were released in 2013. Her new all-original sophomore album was released April 19th, 2018, featuring Cranston Clements (Cyril Neville, Boz Scaggs, Irma Thomas, Twangorama), David Brouillette (Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue, Vivaz!, Kyper, Dick Deluxe, Voodoo Grove), Sam Shahin (Naughty Professor), and other New Orleans locals as guest musicians, engineers, and artists. Blues-rock and songwriting are just the beginning. Jamie's live performances and her raw, soulful sound have evolved since her start in live music in 2012. It's not just a concert -- It's an experience. WEBSITE.
With fourteen tracks 'Storm Coming' is packed full of some refined blues rock material. The moods and momentum vary along the way, sometimes full on with rock energy, other times more restrained and sensitive. 'Dear Love' is a more blues ballad orientated piece, which helps showcase Jamie Lynn Vessels vocals well, however expect a whole load more in terms of variety and you can be sure the musicianship is consistently high in calibre.
Background - Scottish Fiction Records are proud to present oil & water; the second single from Glasgow indie four piece wojtek the bear's forthcoming album a talent for being unreasonable.
Following on from the success of their maiden EP, wojtek the bear tucked themselves away to work with in-demand producer Chris McCrory (Catholic Action) to record a talent for being unreasonable at Shady Lane Studios in late 2017.
oil & water deftly mixes pointed percussion with gentle instrumentation as lead single Tam Killean calmly broods that "one's too many, but a hundred's never enough." Of the lyrics, Killean describes the track as being a song about addiction, be that to something or someone. "I think we all have those low-level addictions that we probably don't even realise are there so it's about sort of being aware of what you're doing whilst also feeling like you can't actually, or maybe don't want to, stop it."
oil & water is out now digitally via Scottish Fiction Records. A talent for being unreasonable will be released on limited edition blue vinyl and digitally on 25th May 2018 via Scottish Fiction Records. TWITTER. Upcoming Shows: Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh – Thursday 24th May King Tut's Glasgow – Friday 25th May Drummonds, Aberdeen – Saturday 26th May Droughy Cobber, Elgin – Friday 1st June Mad Hatters, Inverness – Saturday 2nd June Head of Steam, Newcastle – Friday 20th July West Riding Refreshment Rooms, Leeds – Saturday 21st July
You have to go back to June 2016 for Beehive Candy's only other feature for wojtek the bear, that said as soon as we received the new song 'oil & water,' I remembered them and had a feeling, it would be a good one. Last time around we had a "breezy indie pop" piece, the new song is a little more towards alt rock, that said the melodic vibes are there and the hooks gently dig in deep.
Background - Timeless and genre-bending singer songwriter Rue Snider releases "Experiment In Love", the second single off of his forthcoming record, City Living. The track follows the sucess of the first single off of the album, "Vamonos."
Of "Experiment in Love" Rue valiantly proclaims, "Experiment In Love is one of several songs on my forthcoming record City Living that deal with heartbreak, loss, and obsession. The record is a snap shot of life in New York in the mid 2000s and that picture would be incomplete without presenting a good bit of sadness. New York City is a magical place that affords boundless opportunity but very often everyone is moving so fast that fundamental human needs get ignored or pushed aside. It can wreak havoc on one's emotions and mind. Heartbreak and loss are part of the experience of being alive and they are especially part of the experience of living in New York where ambition often trumps love."
Heavily influenced by the sounds of the 80s, from Cyndi Lauper to R.E.M, Rue's new album City Living presents an aural experience of the downtown Manhattan scene in the mid-2000s brought to living color in 2018. Rue's lyrics are informed more often that not by his personal life experiences. Broken Window, released in 2016, speaks of his journey to sobriety - a time defined by a hunger for consciousness and by dramatic emotional battles. City Living now serves as the musical prequel to Broken Window. A more upbeat record, City Living is colored by the sometimes blissful ignorance of living life unintentionally before waking up to an awareness of the reckoning and difficult choices that are ahead. WEBSITE.
We featured the first single 'Vamonos' just a month ago, and hot on it's heels is the second single 'Experiment In Love'. Rue Snider crafts some excellent music, his attention to detail is equally matched by his interpretation of human experiences, and turned out as engaging and honest musical journeys. Fresh and always intriguing, his genre sliding music is proving to be very addictive.
Background - Brooklyn-based singer songwriter Rue Snider releases the official music video for "Vamonos" - the debut single off of his upcoming album City Living. Combining 80s alt sounds with a lyrical style reminiscent of 60s rock revolutionaries, "Vamonos" sets the scene for his album release later this summer.
Of the "Vamonos" video, Rue explains: "The song lyric is incredibly earnest. I wanted to create something visual that represented the emotion of the song but went in an extreme direction to lighten it up and make the viewer laugh rather than cry. We went super DIY and tried to make everything in the video obviously move in that direction. My thought was what if we play up the ridiculousness and overwhelming nature of a breakup by making the story of the video a bit silly. Everybody has a friend who felt like they were dying while breaking up with someone who was never the right fit to begin with. What if we repositioned that terrible fit to be a fun-loving, pink stuffed bear? It's the inability to let go of something that is obviously not right for you."
Heavily influenced by the sounds of the 80s, from Cyndi Lauper to R.E.M, Rue's new album City Living presents an aural experience of the downtown Manhattan scene in the mid-2000s brought to living color in 2018. The record, produced by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Langhorne Slim, Hurry For The Riff Raff), was influenced by a formative time in Rue's life when he moved to New York in 2005, and found himself in an environment, surrounded by the sensory overload of Manhattan's Lower East Side. City Living captures this period -- a musical snapshot in time.
Rue's lyrics are informed more often that not by his personal life experiences. Broken Window, released in 2016, speaks of his journey to sobriety - a time defined by a hunger for consciousness and by dramatic emotional battles. City Living now serves as the musical prequel to Broken Window. A more upbeat record, City Living is colored by the sometimes blissful ignorance of living life unintentionally before waking up to an awareness of the reckoning and difficult choices that are ahead. WEBSITE.
We have featured Rue Snider just once before back in late September 2016, and I was very impressed by his music back then. Now we have 'Vamonos' a beautiful, gentle and catchy song that simply charms itself into your presence.
Background - With a past in bands like Vaken and My Sound Of Silence, Therese Lithner was an active part of Umeå's flourishing music scene in the early 2010's. To begin writing songs for a solo project wasn't an obvious choice or any direct plan but fell more like a coincidence. It was during a session in the rehearsal room, when it suddenly was as the 90s shined through and old childhood idols got free play. With reverb on vocals and guitar, Therese began improvising material, wrote three songs on pure inspiration and recorded them on her mobile phone. Somehow they felt different and the idea of a solo project began to take shape. After Therese moved down to Stockholm, she started playing with Andreas Sandberg (Magic Potion) in a rehearsal space south of the city. Together with co-producer Linus Johansson (Folkvang, Earthquake, Nightcraft, Old Amica, etc.), the work started with the material that now has resulted in an EP, set for release this spring via Lazy Octopus Records. First single 'Drown' is out on February 2nd. The song is a journey through a relationship, it's about the feeling of first wanting to hug the breath out of everything thats beautiful and then let it fall apart. FACEBOOK.
'Drown' is an atmospheric rocker with a rhythmic and addictive feel to it. The vocals gently glide above the soundtrack adding a level of emotion and intrigue, collectively they harmonise beautifully, this is hard to resist playing again.
Background - Good music seems instantaneous: a decisive rush of expression and dopamine. Hamilton, Ontario's Ellevator captures that direct hit of immediacy, with a closer listen revealing the meticulous design of their muscular pop songs. Front woman Nabi Sue Bersche delivers raw lyricism with quiet power. Her nimble melodies anchor the electric hooks and cinematic timbres Ellevator has refined on countless stages. Their striking debut EP - recorded in Hamilton with Michael Keire (Arkells, The Dirty Nil, Wildlife).
Brick by brick, Ellevator has built a reputation as a band to watch and is poised to break new ground in 2018. "Voices" is the third track from the band's debut EP, out on Arts & Crafts April 20th.
Nabi Sue Bersche's thoughts on the song: "I always had a pretty firm idea of what the Love Of My Life would be like. I had them mapped out completely, down to the rusty old pickup truck and the 5 o’clock shadow. But then they weren't any of those things. They were late nights on the phone and making out in my parent’s hatchback, they were unexpected and ill-advised and all sorts of tears. But I knew from the start that they were my future. So I guess Voices is a love song." FACEBOOK. Tour Dates: 04.12 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix 04.13 London, ON @ Rum Runners 04.14 Ottawa, ON @ The 27 Club 04.17 Albany, NY @ The Hollow 04.18 New York, NY @ Pianos (showroom) 04.19 Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java 04.20 Boston, MA @ Cafe 939 04.21 Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount 04.22 Quebec City, QC @ Palais Montcalm 04.24 Waterloo, ON @ Maxwell’s 04.26 Hamilton, ON @ Club Absinthe 05.11 Toronto, ON @ CMW - Lee’s Palace (Paradigm & Indie88 Presents) 06.03 Toronto, ON @ Field Trip Festival 06.22 Ottawa, ON @ Dragon Boat Festival 06.23 Hamilton, ON @ Tim Hortons Field (The Rally presented by Arkells) 08.19 Elora, ON @ River Fest Elora.
Alt rock song 'Voices' has plenty of power and energy alongside the gorgeous vocals that ensure a melodic vibe is present throughout. Add into it, the bus load of hooks, and the EP becomes a tantalising prospect.
Background from Grog - “The video for Guiding Light has an extra resonance due to the timing, circumstances and location of its creation. It was shot against blackened and ash covered landscapes in the aftermath of the Sand Fire, named after the Sand Canyon area where I live, east of LA’s Santa Clarita Valley. It consumed thousands of acres and came within two miles of my house, directly after the day I received news of Al’s passing. You could say my whole world had turned to ash.
Previously, I’d spent a week in London visiting Al in intensive care. My mind was filled with dark visions of the destructive nature of sepsis and the harsh, cruel way in which nature often devastates and yet continues to give birth to new life, new beginnings. When the Sand Fire was finally under control I had an overwhelming urge to shoot something; maybe it was about the effort to create something, to try to let something out, or just to feel the ash and dirt on my skin.
It wasn’t until I returned from my second trip to the UK for Al’s funeral that I shot the rest of the scenic footage and the areas I explored still resonated strongly with my emotional state. No matter how massive your loss, how heavy your heart, every challenge is an opportunity to rise to your light, to take the unique familiar goodness that you miss so much and recognise it in others, and in yourself. It’s still there in your heart.
Change is the very nature of all things, and though I detest what has happened, I will be changed by Al’s death, and I must guide that change towards positivity and growth.” Guiding Light - Release: 14 October 2016. Website here.
'Guiding Light' is the second song we have featured by Grog and she continues to impress, even with a more sombre and deeper piece like this. It's a reflective and serious track, which considers the sudden passing of her close friend and Die So Fluid drummer Al Fletcher.
Background - Folk-punk/Americana singer songwriter Rue Snider will release his second solo album, Broken Window, October 7, 2016. Three singles preceded the album; “Blackout,” “Blue Skies and Telephone Poles,” and “Stories.” “Stories,” a fan favourite, was a featured new release on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter homepage.
Broken Window was written in the midst of Rue’s transition from being a full time drinker to living as a sober person. The album moves from nihilism to hope over the course of its 36 hook-filled minutes. The songs’ instrumentation including jangly electric guitars, fiddle, and organ help to offset some of the darker lyrical content. Light overcoming dark is central to the album’s theme both in subject matter and tone.
"I try to be transparent in songs about a lot of the dark corners and trying moments in my life in an effort to encourage people to move past fear,” says Rue. “This record gets into a lot of the grittiness of alcoholism and becoming sober. The songs take a serious look at death and embracing the fact that life is finite as inspiration to live better."
Rue Snider has toured America extensively for three years in support of his debut full length album Leaving To Returning and single releases, The New New Colossus and Never Met A Girl I Didn’t Love. He has made appearances at SXSW and Folk Alliance International, and shared the stage with Tom Maxwell (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Tropic of Pisces, Superhuman Happiness, Benjamin Scheuer ("The Lion"), Blue Healer, Donna Missal, and Walter Salas-Humara (the Silos). He is currently on the road in support of Broken Window. Website here.
Rue Snider has distinct and engaging vocals as 'Stories' demonstrates. Not surprising the track is something of a story, which has an Americana feel running throughout. It's typical of the overall quality of the three singles released so far, and the forthcoming album. It's definitely worth checking all his material out.
Background - “Dallas Love Field” follows Henry’s previous two singles, the endearing “Real Peach” and its ethereal follow-up, “Through A Glass”, both of which just eclipsed a combined one million streams on Spotify in the past month alone… not bad for a brand-new songwriter!
The stand-out debut called The Rains EP, is coming out on October 14th through the UK label, Akira Records. The songs that comprise the The Rains show a central interest in exploring inner worlds, observing their treasures and holding none in contempt. He was also perhaps predisposed to songwriting, having come from a long line of poets and songwriters… his distant grandfather was the 14th century English poet John Gower (friend to Chaucer and Richard II) and his great-great-great-great grandfather was George Frederick Root, the most popular songwriter of the Civil War era. Facebook here.
Live dates: 10/01 - Portland, ME - Waking Windows Festival 10/04 - Burlington, VT - Signal Kitchen (w/ Vetiver) 11/01 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall (Communion Presents)
We featured 'Real Peach' from the EP back in mid August and described 'The Rains' EP from which 'Dallas Love Field' also comes as follows. Comprising of five beautiful songs, thoughtful words sung with tenderness are accompanied by an understated and predominately acoustic soundtrack. Melodic through and through, and with delicate harmonies, the EP really is something quite special.
Background and obviously very private message from Red - Dear Mike , I am driven by love. I am inspired by the emotionally authentic - the passionate, the bold, the determined - and the flawed. I grew up listening to stars like Aretha Franklin, Dinah Washington, Al Green & Tina Turner. Inspired by their work, every song I write I aim to be true.
'Damn' is about the power play between two people. The magnetism, the seduction… It’s about desire and heartbreak, about someone who has a hold on you.
We all have that one that got away and this is our soundtrack, my love letter to you. x Red.
I mean, how can I resist with a message like that! Actually 'Damn' is one very good song and well worth a feature in it's own right. A powerful pop song with Red's vocals and the potent musical soundtrack both challenging and complementing each other, it is a grand song through and through. Facebook here.
Background - Off the back of a breakthrough 2016, Robbie Miller's musical evolution continues to grow with his upcoming second EP Closer To Home (out 28 October), to be supported by a tri-state launch tour announced today.
This past year has been quite the journey for Robbie Miller, with his singles ‘The Pain’ and 'Road' both picked up for rotation on triple j, national support tours alongside Josh Pyke and Dustin Tebbutt, a gig with Michael Franti and a stellar Bigsound showcase. Capping off an already impressive year, Miller is packing up to hit the pavement once more in support of his second EP, the weight of his growing accolades behind him and an endlessly promising future ahead.
Miller's follow-up to debut EP The Faster The Blood Slows is an atmospheric and emotionally immersive experience. Closer To Home isn't just headphone music at its finest – it bares all with close, poignant moments, dramatic highs and all that falls in between. So effortlessly does Miller intimately blend all these sonic shades does he bring his uniquely raw voice to the stage, a vocal strength of which has been described “to make your knees weak”.
Miller's sound has undeniably changed since the world first met him. Recorded in various locations from a Kyogle country cabin to a Melbourne studio with Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy, Alex Lahey, Ali Barter), Closer To Home is the dawning of a new era for Miller. His melding of alternative electronic sensibilities with his folk origins is flawless, further proving himself as a talent to watch. Closer To Home (EP) is released on Friday October 28, with a launch tour across three states beginning in Brisbane. Facebook here.
'Road' is the first of five really fine songs on the forthcoming 'Closer To Home' EP. Robbie has an engaging and melodic voice, that works so well with the smooth and sensitively crafted electronic background.
