M. Ward feat. First Aid Kit - Swansea Sound - TAYLR - M. Rider

M. Ward - too young to die (feat. First Aid Kit).

M. Ward is sharing 'too young to die' feat. First Aid Kit today, the final pre-release track from his upcoming album ‘Supernatural Thing’, out this Friday. In the song’s new video, Ward is a security guard working the graveyard shift who starts to see the ladies of First Aid Kit appear in his security camera’s video feed.

"First Aid Kit are sisters from Stockholm, and when they open their mouths, something amazing happens,” Ward said of working with them. “It was a great thrill to go to Stockholm and record a few songs there.  The sound from blood-related harmony singers is impossible to get any other way – The Everly Brothers, The Delmores, The Louvins, The Carters, The Söderbergs - all have the same kind of feeling in their vocals."

In addition to First Aid Kit, the album is filled with guest stars - Shovels & Rope, Scott McMicken, Neko Case, Jim James and others — who enliven the album with surprises. Eight of the album’s ten songs are Ward originals, but there is also an unusual Bowie choice, “I Can’t Give Everything Away” from Blackstar, and a live rendition of Daniel Johnston’s “Story of an Artist.” “Bowie and Johnston are constant sources of inspiration for me, have been for I don’t know how many years,” Ward offered.

‘Supernatural Thing’ is M. Ward’s first new music in three years, but in 2020 M. Ward released two albums. On April's ‘Migration Stories’, Ward was inspired by the immigration journeys he’d heard from friends or read about in newspapers, as well as what his own grandfather had to go through when immigrating to the US from Mexico. For the December album ‘Think of Spring’ he covered classic Billie Holiday tunes, as she is an artist he’s greatly inspired by. “Instead of the small jazz bands or orchestration she relied on, M. Ward pares the songs to just his voice and guitars, making them sound even starker than they once did,” said Rolling Stone.

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Swansea Sound – Keep Your Head On.

The first single taken from the forthcoming LP ‘Twentieth Century’, Keep Your Head On is a duet between Hue (The Pooh Sticks) and Amelia (Talulah Gosh/Heavenly), with a seriously rousing, singalong chorus.

Set in a humble Adult Education class, it’s an anthem for everyone who fears for the Twenty-First Century – a song for anyone who’s struggling to keep their head above the rising tide of digital disinformation and political deceit.

It’s positive and it’s upbeat, despite the odds.  It might remind you a bit of Britpop hit Common People - although, in Keep Your Head On, the woman has a voice, and she’s more interested in education than getting off with her optimistic male counterpart.

Keep Your Head On will be released on all digital platforms and as a very limited lathe-cut 7” single.  Only three copies of the physical single will be made available.  The first will be offered as a raffle prize at Swansea Sound’s gig at The Lexington on 30 June.  The second will be given at random to a customer who pre-orders the album on Bandcamp.  The last copy will be given away at the Twentieth Century album launch gig at Rough Trade East on 9th September.

The new album ‘Twentieth Century’ will be released on 8th September (Vinyl LP, CD, Digital). It features twelve glorious bursts of indiepop agitprop!

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TAYLR - The Blue.

Self-taught Calgary artist TAYLR is no stranger to self reflection and deep internal exploration that bold, technicolor songwriting is born from.  Taking bits and pieces of R&B, jazz, folk, and indie pop, “the thinking person’s songwriter” succeeds in creating hearty melodic recipes.

Their single “The Blue” is a gloomy minimal yet empathetic single inspired by a previous relationship that was bound in deliberate aversion.

“The two of us knew things needed to change and work needed to be done on ourselves and what we had built, but we made a silent agreement to put the blinders on and focus all of that energy into renovating our home. I wanted the song title to be the exact shade of blue that we painted our kitchen cupboards during this escapade but it felt too niche..”

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M. Rider - Little Things.

Croatian electronic-pop singer and producer M.Rider is back with her brand-new single and video for ‘Little Things’. The single is taken from her forthcoming album, due to drop later this year.

‘Little Things’ started off as a sonic adventure on a Prophet 12 synth. From there, M.Rider created a beat on her Roland TR-8  – the usual four-on-the-floor house beat  – which inspired the first version of the song. The single explores ambivalent, evolving feelings underlying in relationships that just aren't meant to last. Illuminating emotions that quietly simmer beneath the surface, the track indicates something is amiss before erupting like a volcano. With hints of New York underground house music, the final version (co-produced with Ant Whiting and featuring synths by Vincent Taurelle (Air) and violin by Lucy Wilkins (Bryan Ferry, Tindersticks)), encompasses a raw and punchy house track edge that has been softened with her signature dreamy, melodic pop sound.

Speaking of the new single, M.Rider said: “It's a song about all the little things that are felt but are often ignored within a relationship. We keep these feelings, this voice of intuition, buried somewhere underneath and we keep going with the story we want to believe in... And these little things, little signs, quietly whisper the truth to us – if only we would listen.”

Joanna Petkiewicz (concept, direction, additional footage) explained the accompanying music video: “The idea for the video came from a format of theatrical monologue (in English ‘soliloquy’, where the audience hears the actors thoughts). Visual inspirations draw upon Flemish baroque portraits that are only bust-length, and where characters stare into space or gaze mischievously or alluringly in a direct manner at a viewer, which makes it feel more like a conversation or exchange. Another big inspiration was also the flower motif, that originally also came from still-life flower paintings from the same era as the portraits. What they have in common is very often the lighting and the blurring of physical context as they often have a very dark background, which allows imagination to add a story. I was also inspired by some of Sally Potter’s Orlando headshots, that follow similar aesthetics and she translated them beautifully into a moving image.

I wanted to retain the lyrical intimacy of the song by slowing it down visually so it contrasts with its dance rhythm. The character is mostly quite still, like in the paintings…Such an effect was achieved thanks to filming and editing by Robin Lochmann, a very talented cinematographer from Ireland. We chose a vintage look which also opposes the atmosphere of a modern electronic pop song.”

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Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - Swansea Sound - Suz Dorahy

Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - A Oes Heddwch / O Fy Nghof.

Sheffield bilingual psych/post-punk four-piece Sister Wives have teamed up with Carmarthenshire’s psych duo Tacsidermi for an exciting musical union. The Double A single 'O Fy Nghof' / 'A Oes Heddwch' will be released on limited edition lathe-cut vinyl on 17th December via Libertino Records, and is out now digitally. Both bands wrote the musical backbone to a song each independently, which was then sent over and Tacsidermi and Sister Wives added lyrics and melody to the other's compositions, a truly collaborative project.

"O Fy Nghof" and "A Oes Heddwch" musically reflect the darker subject matter of depression and the quest for peace as life ebbs away. Listen to the swirling "A Oes Heddwch" and darker "O Fy Nghof." 

Both bands go into detail about the lyrics they provided for each song... Tacsidermi on "A Oes Heddwch": “The song is about facing an armageddon and the panic of not knowing what to do in your final hours. There's no use hiding from the inevitable. There's no use trying to find peace. You must deal with the consequences of your actions.” 

Sister Wives on "O Fy Nghof": “The song is about being in a deep depression and the helplessness which is felt in that moment. This does eventually come to an end - the heaviness lifts. However, this is often cyclical and happens again, over time. This leaves us stuck in a constant cycle, which can be hard to accept.”

Tacsidermi are Gwenllian Anthony from the Welsh Music Prize winning band Adwaith and multi instrumentalist Matthew Kilgariff, who craft sublime, evocative Balearic pop-infused psych. Tacsidermi will be returning to the studio before the new year to finish work on their eagerly anticipated debut EP out in January 2021. Sister Wives are a Sheffield-based female four-piece whose sound encompasses prog-flecked psychedelia and post-punk. They recently played at Green Man, Sensoria, and Sŵn Festivals, with more dates in Sheffield and Manchester this winter. New music is coming soon. 

Libertino · Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - A Oes Heddwch

Libertino · Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - O Fy Nghof

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Swansea Sound - The Pooh Sticks.

Swansea Sound really just can't stop making music videos. They have a new video and single "The Pooh Sticks" off their debut album 'Live at the Rum Puncheon.' The fact that Hue and Amelia who were in The Pooh Sticks singing a song about how great The Pooh Sticks are / were is a bit next level. So enjoy a bit of green screen fun and let Swansea Sound brighten up the next 2 minutes and 30 seconds of your day.

Swansea Sound reunite Hue Williams with Pooh Sticks singing partner Amelia Fletcher (ex-Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (ex-Death In Vegas) provide the noise.

Swansea Sound: a band that came into being during lockdown and decided that fast, loud, political indiepop punk was the answer to being stuck indoors.  Who needs introspection?

Hue Williams is reunited with Pooh Sticks singing partner Amelia Fletcher (ex- Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (Wreckless Eric’s live collaborator) provide the noise.  Swansea Sound are the funny, angry, gleeful and savage past, present and future of indie.  The band has played just one gig in real life – but there will be more in 2022.

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Suz Dorahy - Tell You.

Catherine Britt is excited to announce a brand new signing to her boutique independent label, Beverley Hillbilly Records – welcoming Suz Dorahy to the roster. “Not in my wildest dreams did I think at this point in my life would I be standing here with Catherine Britt being signed to her brand new record label. I’m so very excited for you to hear this new music”, says Suz Dorahy.

The first of an incredible batch of new songs is being unveiled today in the form Suz’s brand new single, “Tell You”. Produced by Catherine Britt, “Tell You”, is a story of betrayal that is laid out simply and strong while revealing much vulnerability. At its core is a sentiment that is instantly relatable and full of stone cold truth.

“It took a mighty blow to crack me to the core”, says Dorahy. “It's that moment of realisation where it turns out some folk are not who you thought they were”. Suz Dorahy is the real deal. An authentic and nuanced singer and songwriter that you need to hear. But that realness didn’t come easily. It had to be earnt, nourished and developed. There were roadblocks all along the highway that needed to be overcome.

Life so often takes a dark turn and nine years ago Dorahy was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and then depression and chronic fatigue. It was a debilitating time and the songwriter locked herself away and used music as a form of escape. “I spent seven years being a recluse and just tapping into my music because it took me to another place away from the darkness of depression and PTSD,” Dorahy explains. “Music was my saviour.”

Then Dorahy bumped into an old friend, Natalie Henry, who offered her the chance to travel to Tamworth and play with her group The Wayward Henrys. The opportunity was inspiration enough to bring Dorahy back into the light. “I honestly will be forever grateful to Nat, she brought me out of depression, made me believe in myself and changed my life,” Dorahy says.

Enter Catherine Britt who fell in love with Dorahy’s new songs and signed her to the new her boutique independent label, Beverley Hillbilly Records. Suz Dorahy has emerged as a singer and songwriter of remarkable strength and presence. In her music you’ll hear the influences of those  artists and styles that have inspired her. Think  Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Lori McKenna, Allison Krauss, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, old school country and western, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe.

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Sweet Crude - Swansea Sound - MF Tomlinson - Eric Bolander

Sweet Crude - La Rêveuse / Under New Moons.

The New Orleans-based six-piece band Sweet Crude announced Dualité: have a new double A-side singles series where the group will release pairs of songs where one is sung in Louisiana French and the other in English. In celebration of Mardi Gras, the band released the first installment today with two brand new songs “La Rêveuse” and “Under New Moons.”

“Tours? Nope. Money? Broke. Launch a blitz of bilingual bangers in 2021 because we can? Putain ouais (hell yeah, and pardon our Louisiana French),” explains singer Sam Craft. “Through confinement and a lack of gigs, we’ve steadily built up a loyal Patreon following with whom we’ve been streaming and chatting on a regular basis. They’ve been inspiring us to keep going and to write like crazy. We show them brand new ideas, they give us feedback, and we are now self-producing and self-recording a whole new body of work for approximately zero dollars. Dualité is the result, or really the start, of this new frontier. The first two tracks to kick things off showcase our French and our English sides. We remain dedicated as ever to creating new avenues to celebrate our Louisiana roots.”

“‘La Rêveuse’ (The Dreamer) is an all-French song and carries the premise that we are all living in someone else's dream. In the song, our dreamer is likened to a little kid playing on the beach, building sandcastles and romping around. Unbeknownst to our baby-god, we are actually all denizens of her temporary sand creations and are at the mercy of all her arbitrary whims. It could kinda explain why everything is so dang weird all the time. Not exactly being conspiracy theorists, we wanted the music to have a certain tongue-in-cheek bounce to it, while maintaining the drama of COVID-induced desperation.”

“Meanwhile, ‘Under New Moons’ is a reality check. On a stream one day, our fans offered us the prompt to write a song about self-care during lockdown. We narrowed that idea down to the moments in life when the best self-care is to disengage from that person (place or thing) that provokes all your worst habits. This moody, minor-key bop takes you on a push-and-pull emotional journey.”

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Swansea Sound - Indies Of The World.

‘Indies of the World’, the new single by SWANSEA SOUND, is a call to arms. Its aim is to revitalise the Global Pop Underground, making it strong enough to vanquish the corporate behemoth. OK, it’s just a limited release 7” single.  But the revolution has to start somewhere.

Hue Williams and Amelia Fletcher of the Pooh Sticks were reunited a few months ago on the first SWANSEA SOUND single, ‘Corporate Indie Band’.  It attracted lots of interest and airplay and sold out in a few hours.  Since then, second single ‘I Sold My Soul on eBay’ has been released as a one-off (on eBay) and played on many radio stations.

‘Indies of the World’ will be released simultaneously on four different Indie Labels of the World.  There’s no need to buy an expensive import: It will not be released on Spotify, Apple Music or other corporate streamers.

‘Indies of the World’ is for record-lovers, indie dancefloors, non-corporate radio shows, and the flourishing online indie DJ/blogging scene. Flipside ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ is a duet in which feckless male Hue is berated by nonplussed female partner Amelia.  It’s like ‘C is the Heavenly Option’ after a lovers’ tiff.

From Rob & Amelia - The song and the video are a celebration of ‘indie’ in its most meaningful sense, i.e. independence from corporate control, with a DIY attitude to playing, recording, releasing records and making videos.

The video was made by Amelia and Rob, using the 7” single sleeve art by Welsh artist Catrin Saran James.  Swansea Sound started during lockdown, so the band are used to sending each other bits of music, ideas for songs and video footage.  It will be a strange and disconcerting moment when they are finally able to meet.

Indies of the World is the first release on new UK label Skep Wax, but it’s also coming out on sister labels Formosa Punk in Japan, HHBTM in the USA and Lavender Sweep in Wales.  It’s available digitally on Bandcamp, but isn’t on Spotify or Apple or any the other corporate streamers because they aren’t sisters, they are ogres.

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MF Tomlinson - Them Apples.

MF Tomlinson, the project of London-based Australian singer-songwriter Michael Tomlinson, today releases new single "Them Apples" – the second track to be heard from Tomlinson's upcoming debut album Strange Time, out April 9th.

Quickly following his debut EP 'Last Days of Rome', Strange Time was written slap-bang in the middle of 2020; Tomlinson, confined to his home, created a stripped-back home studio set up and the songs immediately began to flow.

Central to the album is new single "Them Apples" – a psychedelic seven-minute treatise on modern paranoia and social media addiction, taking in elements of acid-folk, chamber-pop and progressive rock along the way.

The song floats on glistening organ and bluesy guitars as Tomlinson contemplates how “even when we’re really here, half of us hangs in the air.” Guest vocalist Connie Chatwin (Sam Smith, dodie) takes up the choric role, playing the voices of morbid-yet-irresistible headlines, singing sweetly to him about SOS notes found in cheap clothes from Bangladesh, and the Venetians losing their city to rising tides, dragging him deeper into the doomscroll. As the opus descends into a beautiful clutter of flute, sax and noodling guitar that mirror his overwhelmed mind, Chatwin’s mellifluous tones turn into cackles as Tomlinson finds himself powerless to resist the screen, begging “talk to me world, tell me everything.”

At almost 8 minutes long, it's the album's undeniable centrepiece, both stylistically and thematically. Speaking on the themes behind the song, Tomlinson explains: "Originally it was because Viljam (Nybacka, co-writer of the song) asked me, what have you been doing? I said 'I can't remember, I've been so busy'. I thought that was intriguing - the intensity of life rendering each day featureless. Then the pandemic hit and everyday really was the same! I knew then that this was one of those - a song about EVERYTHING all at once, a real rabbit hole."

Adding further context to Connie Chatwin's Greek Chorus-inspired backing vocals, Tomlinson explains: "They are tweets, feeds, stories from phones and various other devices. They are the voices in our heads that only we can hear as we go about our daily lives, inaudible to others outside of our personalised versions of reality on our screens. The meditative chorus lyric is the reason for the season, the compulsion and anxiety to find the answers and validations that we want from the world through the portals that we carry around with us."

The track's video is "a reflection of the hyperreality of 2020" – according to director Tomas Jef. Shot on a digital camera and then processed through analogue video equipment; custom-built video effects machines and redundant BBC Studios-salvaged broadcasting equipment, Jef went on to say: "All this time we spent indoors staring at screens, the whole year was like one blurry memory with a weird sense of time passing slow and fast at the same time. Different scenes in the video suggest the contrasting worlds between imagination and reality."

"Them Apples" also features contributions from guitarist Angus James and clarinet from Joe Connor. Its sound palette is part-inspired by seminal British folk band Trees' second album On The Shore, and Tomlinson's time playing in the On The Shore Band alongside members of Trees, Metronomy and Friendly Fires.

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Eric Bolander - Cold Men.

Eric Bolander has officially released the music video for “Cold Men” -- chronicling the Blackjewel Miners protests in Harlan County, Kentucky in response to owed back pay.

This new single, produced by regular Bolander collaborator Duane Lundy (Sturgill Simpson, Ringo Starr) in Lexington, Kentucky, is a natural transition in Bolander’s catalog as a deeply-emotional protest song in an ever-tumultuous world. While it is based in the realities of a specific event, it serves as a cathartic microcosm of the pain so many have felt in the past year.

Sonically, Bolander’s music gallops through the crossroads of John Moreland and Bruce Springsteen (circa Devils & Dust), from rollicking explorations of struggle and its broken remnants to bitter, cynical prayers.

Bolander’s sensitivity to the human condition stems primarily from humble roots in the small eastern Kentucky town of Garrison, stretching at the edge of the Appalachian foothills and running along the Ohio River Valley. Growing up in a low income household instilled within him a sense of hard work and fighting for what he wanted in life. His mother was a homemaker (whose family had ties to several bluegrass legends) and his father a union carpenter and construction worker, both pivotal forces behind his early development.

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