On a first, careless, listen, Stockholm four-piece Melby might seem like a charming, fun little jangle-pop band. Pay a little more attention however, and you’ll find their waters run a lot deeper than that. The band (Matilda Wiezell, Are Engen Steinsholm, David Jehrlander and Teo Jernkvist) have all the flash and sparkle of your favourite indie band, but add an ability to touch moods and feelings with a meaning beyond most of their peers. Their guitars, drums and synths rattle, roll and flicker around each other, all held together by the soul-shiver in Wiezell’s vocals, to make immaculate little guitar-pop gems, equally dusted with sadness and sugar.
Melby’s debut album None Of This Makes Me Worry was released in 2019, and took them on tour in Scandinavia, Germany and the UK, as well as earning them slots at prestigious showcase festivals like Norway’s by:Larm and Hamburg’s Reeperbahn. Now after a couple of years of beavering away, they’re back with the follow-up Looks like a map which will be released on October 21st with the new single 'Music Should Feel' available now.
Moving on can be painful, but as with a lot of feelings, Melby have a knack for making it sound pretty. That’s the case with their new single ‘Music Should Feel’, a warm, charming little pop cocktail of music and memory, that doesn’t need to shout or scream to work its way into your heart.
Listening to ‘Music Should Feel’ feels like spending time with an old friend. The song has an elegant swing to it, as it waltzes its way along, made even more cosy by little butterfly wing flutters of saxophone. There’s a little ambiguity in Matilda Wiezell’s vocals, a little sadness, a little comfort, and those gently-bubbling emotions fit in well with the song’s breezy tempo. It’s a song that’s easy to love, one steeped in its own memories, and a good companion to you getting lost in your own.
Wiezell says: “’Music Should Feel’ is a song about love, missing someone, and processing those feelings. Acceptance, a tribute to past experiences, and the hope for new good ones. The song came together over quite a long period, was forgotten for a while, and then was brought back to life, and got its chorus, after a lot of rehearsal and attempts at making a demo”.
A few days in advance of the release of "Modernism", the new full-length from Elena Alice Fossi's dark electro project SPECTRA*Paris, the enigmatic Italian singer is now revealing a final video single: 'Moondrops' is a richly textured electro pop vignete somewhere in the excitingly wild space between The Human League, Visage, Amanda Lear, and Kraftwerk.
Charismatic, enigmatic, and absolutely outstanding, singer Elena Alice Fossi, who is best known for her work with Italian electro-trailblazers KIRLIAN CAMERA, presents "Modernism", the fifth album of her eclectic project SPECTRA*Paris.
"Modernism" is transfiguring electronic music through the prism of Elena’s voice and several collaborations with other musicians into a beautiful kaleidoscope of stylistic colours ranging from EBM, future pop, dark electronic, art pop, and various influences more.
“Way to Me,” Ohio-based songwriter Nick Kizirnis‘ forthcoming single, re-imagines his moody “indie noir” songwriting style with modular synth textures and electronic drums, transforming the song's original Roy Orbison/Twin Peaks vibe into strange yet welcoming territory.
For almost 20 years, guitarist/songwriter Nick Kizirnis has explored songs and styles ranging from Americana to pop, and from rock’n’roll to /experimental. He has worked with Tobin Sprout (Guided by Voices) and The Breeders (last years’ "The Dirt Eaters” single for 4AD). Since releasing his 10th album, The Distance, Kizirnis has seen his music shared across U.S. and Europe, and has now begun releasing a series of singles reimagining his diverse song-writing style.
Kizirnis and co-producer Patrick Himes decided to “re-imagine” “Way to Me” - a song that originally appeared on Kizirnis’ most recent album The Distance - after Kizirnis worked out solo arrangements of those lush break-up songs using loops and ambient guitars. The temptation to see what they could create with a fresh perspective was too great to resist.
On “Way to Me” singer Kate Wakefield’s (Lung) lush, dreamy vocals evoke a fever dream while Mark Patterson (Son Volt) manipulated drums veer from roots rock to electronica and almost back again. Kizirnis’ guitars melt down into a pile of circuits and wires, emerging almost unrecognizable.
Despite the change in sound the song’s story about a message of love across the distance remains intact. As Wakefield sings “You’ll find your way back to me” the song holds on to hope, trust, love and friendship that can endure any separation. “I’m really excited to share this new version of 'Way to Me.'" It’s a song I’m very proud of and it was a great experience to take it to a new place and see what was possible.” Kizirnis says.
The second single - '4 posters' from Cardiff collective Quilty Pleasures taken from the forthcoming album 'Quilty Pleasures' is a tale of two brothers still living in the same room as adults and having the same posters adorning their walls and the occasional tiffs that occur.
The track has a building anthemic feel with a psychedelic edge.
Quilty pleasures is a collaboration based on the concept of bedding and sleep between producer - Frank Naughton and Wayne mcauliffe, Gid Goundrey, Jessica Ball, Paul Battenbough and Andy Fung.
'Quilty Pleasures' the album will be released on Friday 2nd September.
Pixy Jones third and final single from 'Bits n Bobs' entitled 'Hold Your Tongue' is released today Friday 26th August. Taken from anticipated debut album 'Bits n Bobs' released via Strangetown Records on the 16th September.
Previous singles 'I'm Not There' and 'Maureen Dreams No More' have gathered support from Gideon Coe, BBC 6 Music, Adam Walton on BBC Radio Wales, and Pixy Jones was announced as Huw Stephens BBC Radio Wales Artists Of The Week in July. Support for the new releases have come from Music Blogs like Shindig Magazine, Circuit Sweet and Psychedelic Baby Magazine.
El Goodo guitarist and songwriter 'Pixy Jones' has announced that his debut album entitled 'Bits n Bobs' is due for release on 16th of September via Strangetown Records.
Branching away from the familiar El Goodo platform, Welsh psych scene stalwart Pixy Jones has himself compiled a truly remarkable collection of tracks that fluctuate from 60's harmony-rich psych pop, to Alt-Country with ringing tremelo guitar.
Peckham, London based band Black Bordello today release new single "Drones" and announce their new EP 'White Bardo', out March 2022 via Hideous Mink Records (Opus Kink, Fake Turins, Body Horror). With inspirations ranging from PJ Harvey and Björk to Aphex Twin and David Bowie, Black Bordello's carnivalesque blend of art-rock, punk, jazz and Turkish psychedelia is a wholly unique aural experience.
Recently supporting the likes of Goat Girl and L.A. Salami as well as being handpicked by The Libertines to support them on their November UK tour, Black Bordello are a truly captivating live proposition. Regularly appearing on the London underground circuit alongside fellows risers Opus Kink, Blue Bendy, Modern Woman, Malady, Honeyglaze and Robbie & Mona, they have organically garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the country.
The band's self-titled debut album was released in 2020 to a small but fervent wave of acclaim from publications including So Young Magazine ("It takes very little persuasion to fall under Black Bordello’s spell") and Loud And Quiet ("...simply calling Black Bordello's self-titled debut album 'genre-defying' doesn't do it justice. This album is an exercise in world building.")
The band announce their first body of work since their debut album, new EP 'White Bardo' - out next March via tastemaker indie label Hideous Mink Records. The announcement coincides with the release of new single "Drones" along with an accompanying video directed by Lou Smith. Written during lockdown 2020, (somewhat illegally) in a basement underneath a closed pub, "Drones" opens with a theatrical descending bass line, before erupting into a roar of magisterial brass, fizzing synth runs, and frenzied percussion.
Discussing the initial inspiration behind the track, vocalist Sienna Bordello said: "The idea for 'Drones' came about after I watched a documentary about a Drone pilot. He was a gamer who had been headhunted by the US military and recruited into the military workforce. He was given a gaming station with Xbox-like controllers and vintage screens which showed simplistic colours, much like the platform arcade games of the 80s and 90s. He was given missions like ‘cut the grass’, ‘trim the weeds’, ‘tidy this area’. After his service was done, he suffered PTSD when the realisation that he’d been controlling the distribution and attack of drone missiles on civilians sank in. I thought of this as an interesting subject matter for the song, namely because we were in a global pandemic and all life as we knew it had been halted, yet at the same time the UK and US (amongst others) governments had put more money into military than ever before, and had recruited more troops to attack parts of the middle east throughout our so-called ‘international emergency’. I was gobsmacked that they were passing needless military operations whilst the world was distracted by the pandemic. Every person in this situation is a puppet, but who is pulling the strings?"
On March 11, 2022, The Sully Band, voted Best Live Band at the 2020 San Diego Music Awards, will release their debut LP, Let’s Straighten It Out, conceived in the hallowed halls of Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California (formerly A&M Studios). With Let’s Straighten It Out, Sully and his bluesy, nine-piece beast of a band take us on a journey through the ups, downs, and all-arounds of love by way of 10 classic ‘60s and ‘70s soul, blues, and R&B tunes. The album will be released via Belly Up Records, and marketed and distributed by Blue Élan Records.
This labor of love album was recorded in only five jam-packed days, with “mostly-live” versions of carefully curated love-themed songs that made a mark when they were originally released and yet also feel relevant today. Sully’s soulful, heartfelt vocals cut across layers of horns and guitars that take the listener on an emotional arc of joy, disappointment, struggle, and redemption.
Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Head Todd) provided the musical curation that makes up Let’s Straighten It Out. Treasured tunes like Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” and Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” share the tracklist with lesser-known nuggets like “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” by Ray Charles; the title track, first recorded by Latimore in 1974; Shuggie Otis’ “Ice Cold Daydream”; and “I Wish It Would Rain,” first made a hit by The Temptations. Acclaimed San Diego soul singer, Rebecca Jade, shared vocal duties with Sully on Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John) and Jessie Hill’s “When the Battle Is Over,” while on “If You Love Me Like You Say,” the late Albert Collins is evoked by Anthony Cullins, the 20-year-old guitar sensation from Fallbrook, California.
Anchored by Grammy Award-winning slayer of the bass, James East (Eric Clapton, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and many others), The Sully Band is composed of seasoned, accomplished players who hail from diverse locales like Japan, Panama, and the island of Lemon Grove. The horn section features sax-flute-harp-man Tripp Sprague (Kenny Loggins, The Little River Band, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops) and trumpet and flugelhorn player Steve Dillard (The Righteous Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd).
Sully himself is an enigma. He caught the music bug at age six after picking up a nylon-string guitar and playing the first few chords of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” with his dad. In high school, the barrel-chested, all-American football player rocked out to Boston and Foreigner with his buddies, starred in every show-tune-laden musical theatre production through college, and ended each day with James Brown or Stevie Wonder on his Pioneer receiver.
Becoming a parent completely changes one’s perspective. Singer-songwriter Chrissi Poland chronicles her journey through music and motherhood in her upcoming EP Destination Home. Vocalizing the raw balance of being an active touring musician and a new mom to a two-year-old baby girl, Poland speaks her truth about life within her contemporary styled tracks.
Poland’s passion for music was fueled when she was born into her musically inclined family and has only flourished since then. Rooted in Poland’s shift of view when she embarked on motherhood, Destination Home shares how this journey has influenced her music and all aspects of life. The songwriter’s honest mid-tempo EP highlights the universal ups and downs of parenting while striving to achieve one's dream. Hoping to inspire parents across the globe with this intimate project, Poland shares:
“When I began to write the songs for what would become Destination Home, I was a new mother and had just come off of my first tour since my daughter had been born. After growing and carrying this little human, suddenly she was out in the world, and then a handful of months later, I was out in the world, without her. What an unsettling, strange and often at times debilitating feeling, to suddenly be away from her for stretches of time. And so goes the plight of every working mother around the world, no matter what field of work.” Poland continues, “I remember being on a plane with tears streaming down my face as I wrote the words to 'Destination Home,' grappling with feelings of guilt and anxiety, of general unease."
A personal and yet recognizable sentiment, the multifaceted musician aims to let her story be heard while inspiring others to believe in their own dreams as well as in themselves. Poland shares: “The whole EP turned out to not only be a letter of love to my daughter, but to mothers and caregivers. To all the mothers and caregivers everywhere who are forging ahead with their careers and also being loving parents and guardians, I see you! This is for you.”
Atlanta-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Mae Mae will soon announce the release date and track list for her debut EP, Gummy Heart Eyes.
She has released the second single from that record, “Apple Boy” a fizzy pop song with a stylishly groove.
“Apple Boy” joins Mae Mae’s previously released debut single from Gummy Heart Eyes, “Squishy” a song that Consequence called “an easy, playful, sunny ode to a happy afternoon” and lies “somewhere between cutesy and dreamy.”
Crawford Mack has shared a new video for 'Turning' a song that's taken from his recent album '‘Bread & Circuses'. We had the pleasure of featuring three other tracks from this exceptional album and 'Turning' is another example from this talented and highly engaging contemporary artist. ===== Oracle Sisters have shared 'The Dandelion' along with a video for the song. The Parisian trio have something of a timeless feel musically and have developed some atmospheric, melodic and dreamy music with this gorgeous piece. ===== Owen Meany’s Batting Stance was featured a couple of months or so back and his new video for 'Krakow' is a beautiful accompaniment for this moving and sublime song.
Glaswegian songwriter Crawford Mack performs with a sense of purpose and ardour in new video ‘Turning’. An ode to the legacy that people leave through their art, the new track is taken from his recently released debut album ‘Bread & Circuses’.
‘Turning’ exhibits Crawford’s diverse pallet, taking influence from his original jazz background, through to rock and classical, which he holds together with his singer-songwriter soul. Crawford comments “I wrote the track initially about being reminded of a former partner every time I hear certain music, so I flipped the roles and wondered aloud whether it was the same for her.
This track is part of my debut album 'Bread & Circuses'. It was initially inspired from messing around in Nick Drake's CGCFCE guitar tuning and trying to fit in a cello and clarinet line I'd picked up from Mozart Requiem. The guest Clarinet and Bass Clarinet feature is from Gustavo Clayton-Marucci.”
Directed and Animated by Alex Uragallo, the new abstract visual opens with a record spinning, which flourishes into everyday objects; a cleverly crafted metaphor capturing the idea that music evokes nostalgic memories. During the instrumentals of the track, colourful textured motifs created by Giulia Carisi encapsulates psychedelic-like sensations.
Of his new video, Crawford says “I got in touch with Alex Uragallo who is an animator I know from my time at college to ask whether he was interested in making a video that could use everyday objects to explore a theme of being reminded of someone every day when a song plays. Alex suggested collaborating with visual artist Giulia Carisi, to create colourful visual motifs that could be attached to the different instrumental lines, the motifs are inspired by her synesthesia when she hears the track.”
Recorded in Antwerp, the Crawford’s debut full-length ‘Bread and Circuses’ consists of ten tracks in which in his words “hopes will illustrate the conviction of an individual confronting their internal struggles, wrestling them to the ground but all the while waving a white flag of surrender.”
Parisian trio Oracle Sisters have shared ‘The Dandelion’, their new single and first taste of upcoming EP ‘Paris II’. The accompanying video, directed by Celia Marie and lead guitarist Lewis Lazar, is shot on double 8mm and takes the viewer through the personification of Paris. With the band as your beatnik tour guides, the video explores the gothic moods and noire spirit of the city.
Over the past twelve months, Oracle Sisters have built up a loyal and global following, blurring the lines between music and visual arts. Support for their music has come from NME, The Line Of Best Fit, W Magazine, Vanity Fair, Beats1, COLORS, BBC 6 Music, and more. This culminated in the critically acclaimed release of Paris I, mid-way through 2020.
Now, Oracle Sisters turn their attention to its sequel, their next EP ‘Paris II’ (due for release Spring 2021) with ‘The Dandelion’ the first taste of this new music. The track continues Oracle Sisters’ journey as musical auteurs that combine elements of rock, psychedelia, soul & disco into a sound that is truly their own. Speaking on the track, the band say, “the song is inspired by Chet Baker’s singing with a sort of disco back beat behind it”. Oracle Sisters’ influences are broad but also unconventional, and it’s this ability to dip into every musical style that sets them apart from their contemporaries.
With members hailing from across Europe, the band are uninhibited in their influences, finding inspiration within the art, cinema, philosophy, and music of the world over; resulting in a sound that is both sonically sophisticated and warmly familiar. Lyrically, they explore timeless narratives of love, mysticism and spirituality, scattered with intriguing insights into their own personal lives and experiences resulting in songs that are cryptic yet paradoxically familiar.
Oracle Sisters have been working hard in Greece currently finishing off their debut album. Along the road, they’ve also played impromptu shows on the island of Hydra with friends from The Murder Capital & Fontaines D.C – capturing the troubadour spirit of the band.
Operating under the moniker Owen Meany’s Batting Stance, Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Walker is still exploring the expanses of human emotion following the release of his debut LP, Feather Weights.
For Daniel, creating Feather Weights was a pursuit of catharsis – trying to understand his personal experiences. After delivering his self-titled EP and doing rounds of the live circuit, he collated eight thoughtful, singularly voiced stories, all recorded above a fishmonger’s shop in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The latest addition to the Feather Weights narrative is a visual aid for the emotionally charged number, Krakow. The track itself is a reflection of loneliness and absence accompanied with lulling guitar and soft vocals. Written during the final days of an overseas tour in Europe, Daniel contemplates spending Thanksgiving alone, being surrounded by unfamiliar faces and missing important life events all whilst fulfilling his life’s passion.
Directed by Nicole Cecile Holland, the video manifests this separation, following a solitary Daniel traipsing desolate, icy wilderness, whilst constantly being haunted by memories of the people he loves despite his attempts to rid himself of them.
No stranger to telling stories, he explains the inspiration for Krakow: “It was Canadian thanksgiving but, as the lone Canadian in the hostel, was spent navigating language barriers rather than family chatter over the dinner table... During the course of the tour, I also missed out on major life events friends and family celebrated. The crux of the song is how pursuing what you love can take you from who you love.”
Andy Cook new album 'I'll Be Fine' is streaming in full below. This is a highly original album, musically it sits somewhere between indie and alt rock but drifts beyond there, the production is stunning and the musicianship on a par, Andy's vocals add even more distinction and character, this is class to say the very least. === We have another album in full below, this time from Jenny Reynolds and her new collection entitled 'Any Kind Of Angel', where the singer songwriter delivers some beautifully refined Folk and Americana songs. The storytelling lyrics are notable and the genuine nature of the album enticing. === We featured Sandtimer a couple of times last year and they return with 'Different Seas' which is a reinterpretation of an old song of theirs and it's absolutely stunning (why say more). === Having already shared two songs from her new album we now have the full collection as Jess Knight releases 'Best Kind Of Light'. Mixing blues, roots rock and timeless soul, this is everything the two singles promised and a healthy dose of more. === Sun Cutter debut single is 'Daylight Star' and it's a refreshing singer songwriter piece from an artist who has been through something of a personal storm over the last year or so. === If you like dreamy psychedelic pop then Cold Beaches have something special for you in the form of 'Problems and Heartache (I Got Them)'. === Fans of out there song titles should already be pleased with New Fries brand new song 'Arendt / Adler / Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley', lovers of genre spanning and originality should be equally delighted, this is strangely addictive.
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Andy Cook - I'll Be Fine (Album).
As a child, Andy Cook was afraid to sing. After years dodging performances in school music classes, he decided it was time to face his fears. Yet 2017 EP In Space and 2018 follow-up Modern Man still bore traces of that childhood anxiety: vocals surrounded by reverb and delay, melting into swelling banks of guitar. This time around, Cook is determined to recognize his voice for the instrument it really is; putting it front and center on new record I’ll Be Fine.
A former hockey player from the Midwest, Cook found new worlds opening up to him as he toured his first records across the country. It was a stop in New York, folded into a tiny Brooklyn bedroom, that helped to crystallize his voice into something he was finally ready to share. This city of dreams—and of harsh realities—was the catalyst Cook needed to push forward with his own dreams in the midst of seemingly unending uncertainty. Recorded live to tape at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, I’ll Be Fine bristles with a closeness not heard in Cook’s earlier work. With co- production by Matthew Molnar (Sunflower Bean, Friends, Kissing is a Crime) and Jeremy Ylvisaker (Bon Iver, Alpha Consumer, Andrew Bird), Cook is able to anchor a tighter sound with firmer, bolder foundations.
This revamped sound bolsters appropriately direct lyricism, as befitting an artist finding a long-awaited confidence in the stories he chooses to tell. Even the album title I’ll Be Fine faces down the consumerist narratives that bombard us, challenging these ideas of what we should buy, how we should look, who we should like, and how we should talk—instead encouraging us to find a way to be more and more okay with ourselves, however that is.
“Life doesn’t have to be about how many people like your Instagram photo, but it’s hard not to feel devalued when we always feel behind, not good enough,” Cook acknowledges. It’s exactly this pragmatism that makes Cook an artist of note in 2019. His singular narratives have been refined with a close-knit team and released in the self-effacing knowledge that they have to compete for attention with the entire contents of Netflix... and yet Cook still chooses to put them out there. Cook summarizes I’ll Be Fine this way: “These songs are for everyone who’s trying to take our voice from inside and bring it out. It’s scary, but we’ve got to say what we want if we’re going to be heard.”
Native New Englander, Jenny Reynolds, based in Austin, TX, since 2003, is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and storyteller. She performs Americana and folk music finger style on the guitar, and when strumming goes for percussive guitar patterns that make people feel like moving. Jenny grew up in a family that loved music and experienced it together, by listening to albums and going to shows.
At five years old she fell in love with the guitar, and her first one came from Sears. Some of the songs she learned, in the beginning, were “Blossom,” and “St James Infirmary.” Her songs are stories that evoke feelings; and her lyrics expose questions and issues about the human experience. Jenny is releasing her new album, Any Kind of Angel, on Friday, June 19, 2020. As the album unfolds, it is equally tender and powerful. She describes her music, “As a love child from a three-way with James Taylor, John Mayer, and Gillian Welch.”
Any Kind of Angel Jenny’s fourth album was produced by Mark Hallman and André Moran at Congress House Studio, in the heart of Austin. “Mark and André don’t just record what a person can do. They helped me discover what I can do as a guitar player, then they helped me develop that sound, then we recorded it. Hockey great Wayne Gretsky said, “I don’t skate to where the puck is. I skate to where it will be.” Mark and André help me discover where my music will be. This is why I don’t want to record anywhere else. I like what Mark did with Ani DiFranco’s record Dilate (her first studio record), and all of Eliza Gilkyson’s recordings.”
The musicians playing on Any Kind of Angel include Jaimee Harris (harmonies), Scrappy Jud Newcomb (electric and nylon-string guitar), Warren Hood (fiddle), BettySoo (harmonies, mandolin), Oliver Steck (cornet), Jenifer Jackson (harmonies), and Nate Rowe (bass). “Generally the people I like to play and record with are people who listen to others as much as they listen to themselves, much like jazz musicians do. We may not be playing jazz, but we are responding to each other with that kind of attentiveness and creativity.”
Sandtimer have a new single. It’s called ‘Different Seas’ and is a solo piano-led new version of one of their oldest songs, featuring a more reflective and contemplative accompaniment than the upbeat shuffle of the original.
Crafting their arrangements with intricate, interwoven guitars and captivating vocal harmonies, composer Rob Sword and oceanography student Simon Thomas began performing as Sandtimer in 2014, building a small but passionate following on the UK acoustic circuit.
Soon expanding their ensemble to include Rachel Thomas on bass and vocals and Alex Jackson on percussion, as well as embarking on tours to northern Europe and Canada, Sandtimer have found an international audience for their music in the tens of thousands.
After a steady stream of EPs and singles over a period of several years, Sandtimer released their debut full length album, everything is on hold, in 2019. With eleven songs that walk the fine line between hope and despair, and inspired by a wide span of artists and musical styles, everything is on hold reflects the world in its current state- full of chaos, often full of sadness but also, perhaps, full of hope.
Calgary soul-roots singer-songwriter Jess Knights debut full-length record, "Best Kind of Light" is released today.
Commenting on the recently released title track Co-written with Donovan Woods in a Toronto diner over slices of pie, the ballad about a graceful end to a relationship presents Knights’ luminous voice in its rawest form. “I know you’re lonely/I’m lonely, too/But I won’t dare call you/Even though I want to,” she sings, channeling that yearning tug-of-war to go back. It’s a relatable sentiment to anyone that’s left a relationship and chosen instead to move on.
“It’s a choice to move on from any relationship with grace and integrity,” Knights says. “‘Best Kind of Light’ traces a reflection on what was with a recognition of what is, and a choice to remember the good and hopefully learn from the not-so-good.”
Best Kind of Light weaves together Knights’ influences in blues, roots and revivalist soul, and features an array of songsmiths and sidemen, including award-winning producer Joshua Van Tassel, Joey Landreth, R. Grunwald, and others. The lineup adds dimension to Knights’ songs while bringing into focus the moody, dimly lit spectrum of her classically-trained voice. Able to traverse sultry ballads and raise-the-roof-off-the-church soul with ease, this dynamo performer is bound to leave an impression.
Daylight Star is the debut single by Sun Cutter (aka Kevin Pearce), out June 19th on all digital platforms. Taken from the forthcoming eponymous debut, released later in 2020 on Bronzerat Records.
Two years ago Sun Cutter (who is from Colchester, England) suffered a heart attack (on a golf course!), whilst still in his early 30's. As well as having to redress his excessive living, his rehabilitation involved writing and recording the Sun Cutter project.
It is a reflective album of contradistinction; a timeless classic whose vocals, lyrics and craft bring to mind the warmth of Richie Havens, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison and Tim Buckley while displaying - on songs like 'Hold Out’ and ‘Don’t Fail Me Now’ - a more contemporary sound that nonetheless refuses to bow to the whims of fashion.
Co-produced with pal Dean Honer (The Moonlandingz, I Monster, Keeley Forsyth, Eccentronic Research Council). Kevin spent the tail end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 on tour with Turin Brakes before the pandemic cut it short, with cancelled festival appearances such as Bearded Theory and Glastonbury. Touring will resume when... you know....
Cold Beaches - Problems and Heartache (I Got Them).
"Problems and Heartache (I Got Them)" is a dreamy psychedelic pop feel-good music video created and produced by Sophia Nadia (Cold Beaches). The song features dream pop synth chords, reverberated guitars and gentle, crooning vocals. Nadia shows her vulnerability in this track by transporting to a place where the music is intricate, but to the point, as are her feelings.
Cold Beaches is the psychedelic rock n roll brainchild of Sophia Nadia. The project began in 2015 when Nadia moved from the suburbs of Washington DC to Richmond, Virginia. There she met Connor Wood, the late frontman of local Richmond band 3 Legged Dog, and was convinced to start a solo project. Since releasing her debut DIY lo-fi album, Aching, in 2016, Cold Beaches has toured around the continent, with the lineup changing to whatever could work for the band to tour. Consistently described as an “unapologetic do-er”, Nadia’s career dedication has shown more than most. From incessant touring around North America starting at 16 years old to moving to Chicago only a few years later in the fall of 2017, it was evident Nadia did not want to waste any time. When not on the road, you can find Sophia in her home or at the studio, writing and recording her next release; each one further in both garage rock and orchestral composition and heartbreaking honesty than the last.
Drifter is the first energetic, live recorded and thoroughly orchestrated album Cold Beaches has released yet. With honest lyrics ranging from the heartstring-pulling losses of friends and relationships to the optimism of independence and liberation from depression and anxiety, Sophia Nadia sings these 10 tracks with a newly founded voice of empowerment and fervent energy. Capturing the infamous vivacious reputation Cold Beaches has deservedly earned through years of live performances around North America, Drifter forges new ground. It combines the influences of the plain-spoken lyrical integrity of 90’s Pavement and fluctuating modern composition and arrangement. Equipped with an orchestra of instruments and talented local musicians, Drifter’s instrumentals transition effortlessly between hard garage rock (Ty Segal) to indie surf pop (La Femme). With these newly discovered weapons in hand, Nadia steps away from the lofi sound she’s known for and starts her move towards a new era of songwriting and album construction.
It is essential to listen to Drifter right now in the midst of this tidal wave of isolation that the world is feeling, which is right where Cold Beaches’ consistent expression of loneliness has always thrived. It is an album that people from all walks of life can openly interpret and apply their feelings individually, and find that they are in good company. Cold Beaches especially wants to create a space where marginalized people in the music industry can feel understood and important. Feel important, feel confident, and feel understood when you listen to Drifter. Cold Beaches understands what it is like to gain and lose, love and fall out, and lastly, just to be alone.
New Fries are sharing their latest single, the mind-bending, genre-defying, tongue-twisting "Arendt / Adler / Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley", the second single from their new album Is The Idea Of Us. Out on August 7th through Telephone Explosion, it is the band's first new material since 2016's More.
On the new track, the band offered, "Something about the women obscuring their gender and traditional roles (intentionally or otherwise) to do their work without interruption or expectation. Being contrarians, shrill. Seeking truth without taking care of emotions. Often their work is forensic, razor-sharp, and bright with clarity.".
The Toronto-based experimental No-Wave inspired band are one of the best kept secrets in the city, and with their new album they delve deeper into their unconventional, ever-changing sound. They worked closely with Carl Didur (Zacht Automaat, formerly U.S. Girls), resulting in a new direction, focusing more on space and repetition, finding the in-between and reflecting on it, examining that transition. Is The Idea Of Us is anxious in its repetitions and unsure of genre, a reflection of musicians and non-musicians making music together; New Fries insist on doing it differently.
Marin Patenaude returns just four weeks after we shared 'Gone Blind' with another single 'The Build', which is a refined folk piece that's also taken from her beautiful new album 'Sight Unseen'. === Tommaso Varisco shares 'Big Sleep' a folk rock song with the emphasis on rock, the vocals are a little deep in the mix however they remain a gritty focal point.
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Marin Patenaude - The Build.
Marin Patenaude’s confessional folk is deeply honest, inspired by the wildness of nature, the messiness of human connection, and the overwhelming desire to run away from it all. Emotional lyrics paired with softly powerful instrumentals craft stories that explore loving and losing, the fragility of the human condition, and stories of a rural upbringing.
The daughter of musical parents and the younger sister of Juno-award winning Pharis Romero, she was raised on folk and country harmonies. While it was a huge part of her upbringing, Marin didn’t initially look to music as a viable career. From landscaping for the rich to running through the woods with her dog, a backpack, and a surveyors map, scrubbing toilets to training horses, she collected many random and interesting skills and experiences to use as songwriting fodder. When travels through other disciplines and passions didn’t last, she made a record; a heavy collection of songs about heartbreak and displacement. A surprising first release, it’s full of gut punching beauty.
Following the release of her self-titled debut in 2016, Marin extensively toured BC’s festival circuit as a solo act, across Canada with Kenton Loewen as part of Dan Mangan’s house concert series Side Door, through Germany and Switzerland as a duo with Cole Schmidt, and worked as a session harmony singer in Vancouver for artists including Khari Wendell McClelland, Sam Tudor, Real Ponchos, CR Avery, Ora Cogan, The Crackling and many more. She opened for Sarah McLachlan at the 2016 Vancouver International Jazz festival at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, a personal career highlight.
In support of her second album, Marin joined Dallas Green’s Toronto based label Still Records. Sight Unseen was produced at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, mixed by Karl Bareham, and mastered by Jaoa Carvalho. Marin took the reins on production, and enlisted the help of dedicated players she feels very connected to, musically and emotionally. They kept their hearts and the doors open for magical studio surprises, and the finished album reflects that open minded approach to sound.
Sight Unseen shows a louder, grittier side of Marin’s indie folk sensibility. Citing the influence of artists like Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, Sarah McLachlan, and Neil Young, there’s an underlying darkness beneath the clear, free spirited melodies. For Marin, her songs are an extension of self–an opportunity to be as honest and real as she feels, something she has difficulty doing in the so-called real world. It’s big and it’s not always light. Though she’s a bright personality by nature, she often uses her music as a way to process grief. Her vocals are strong and technically trained, and she’s outspoken about the complexities of relationships and the uncertainty of our current political times.
"Big Sleep" is the second single taken from "All the Seasons of the Day" the album that Tommaso Varisco released late 2019 on Seahorse Recordings.
Gradisca Productions helped the musician in turning into images a vision he had through these pandemic times. With all his touring plans halted, and his professional and family life disrupted, Tommaso saw the human race through a macro lens, as ants going through a Big Sleep, while awaiting for the end of the Storm.
The song, a guitar folk rock ballad tinged with americana strumming, is about the desire of giving up with everything to live as an outsider. Tommaso Varisco is a songwriter based in Veneto, Italy, near Chioggia. He released his first album "This Is How I Feel" back in 2006, receiving appreciation from music press.
In 2011 he teamed up with Mike 3rd, guitar player for Ex KGB and Tunatones.
The collaboration gave birth to the album “Always”, which mastering was in charge of Ronan Chris Murphy, well known for his works with King Crimson, Steve Morse and Tony Levin, amongst many others.
"All the Seasons of the Day" is a kind of new start for Varisco, showing a disillusioned approach to life and relationships, but also his aim to discover new and unknown places, travelling in body and spirit, always in search of his musical roots.
Today Slow Soak have released their new E.P Mostly Fine which comprises of five new songs and the band test the boundaries of indie rock with sonic clarity, emotion and creative style. === Yard Arms new single 'Mantra' is impressive, the Bristol-based transatlantic duo mix powerful pop with rock sensibilities and a bus load of passion. === A couple of weeks after we first featured him Roly Witherow is back with 'Lord Franklin' a famous 19th century lament that's given a tasteful and intriguing modern feel. === Marin Patenaude shares 'Gone Blind' which opens as a gentle song that gradually builds into an expansive and atmospheric folk rock piece.
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Slow Soak - Mostly Fine (E.P).
There is something that one may ask all over again: 'How do you feel?' – 'Mostly Fine', was Slow Soak's answer two weeks ago, according to the title of their last single. Now they confirm: 'Mostly Fine'. Because that's the name of their EP, which is released now.
The good thing about it: While Slow Soak managed to sweep away any worries of the listeners for the length of a single, this jolly good state lasts now during the entire EP for at least.
And it will last on after you have listened to it. The guys from Basel have written timeless songs, they don't have to hide behind indie heroes like Ash, Arctic Monkeys or Catfish and the Bottlemen.
No wonder, the list of Slow Soak's lineup reads like a who's who of young Basel's indie scene: Don't Kill The Beast or the (now disbanded) Sheila She Loves You, for example, are two names that are known far beyond the borders.
For 'LTD', the EP's lead track, Slow Soak have turned up the volume of their guitars, bringing back memories of their indie heroes Radiohead.
Yard Arms return with their promisingly melancholic new single ‘Mantra’, described by lyricist and frontman Villeneuve as a ‘triumphant love letter to the anxious’. The track exudes the playful exuberance of Psychedelic Furs and INXS combined with the romantically morose lyricism ala Ben Gibbard or Paul Buchanan. Think John Hughes movies if they were soundtracked by Tim Burton. A pulsating stadium sized emo-anthem to soundtrack your summer time.
Formed in 2018, the Bristol-based transatlantic duo are a jangle-pop powerhouse offering up a taste of late noughties euphoria and heartfelt melancholy. The first year saw them release their hauntingly beautiful debut EP ‘Maiden’, later followed up by their sophomore EP ‘A Glossary of Broken Humans & Beating Hearts’ both of which saw continued support from national radio & press such as BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio and the likes of NME.
They’ve recently played notable shows alongside bands such as Arxx, Sorry, Crooked Colours, Band of Skulls, The Blue Aeroplanes and China Bears, as well as a headline slot at Rough Trade in support of Record Store Day.
Mantra, the hypnotic debut from their upcoming third EP, recorded, mixed and mastered at Stage 2 Studios with Producer Josh Gallop (Phoxjaw) is released today, May 8th.
Having made a name for himself as a successful composer of music for film and television, Roly Witherow has chosen an entirely different direction for the first solo release – traditional folk music. Telling stories through his music comes naturally to Roly and by expanding his universe to include sea shanties, styles from not just around the British Isles but also around the world, as well as the whole gamut of life, love, death and a dash of humour, Ballads and Yarns provides a modern yet classic celebration of the art of folk music.
Ballads and Yarns is preceded by the rollicking sea shanty, Row Bullies Row, recorded most famously by Ewan Maccoll but now updated to feature electric instruments and even Korg synthesiser, with an even keener emphasis on the sleazy and the bawdy, a brilliant and evocative tribute to the crumbling British seaside town! Roly’s latest taster from the album is his suitably cinematic take on the traditional sea shanty/lament, Lord Franklin, most notably interpreted previously by Pentangle. The album is a diverse collection of folk styles, from the lullaby on the plight of Mankind in Paean to Earthly Things and Wedding Song which even features a recording of Devonshire sea shanty collective, The Old Gaffers, from Roly’s wedding day! The reworking of traditional songs on Roly’s debut album are reverential whilst taking them into a more widescreen territory, fitting perfectly alongside his originals which both tug at the heartstrings and nibble at the funny bone!
Hailing from Peckham, London, though currently based in East Portlemouth on the South Devon coast during the lockdown with his heavily pregnant wife, Roly Witherow has composed for television programmes such as BBC’s hit, Who Do You Think You Are? and Channel 4’s On the Edge as well as for films such as 2014’s Gregor; Sex Ed (2017) and Try (2018). Ballads and Yarns was written and recorded in Roly’s own home studio and was mixed by Joao Noronha in Brazil (where his wife hails from). A nod to the past, present and future, Roly Witherow’s 'Ballads and Yarns' is 21st Century folk music in all its glory.
Marin Patenaude’s confessional folk is deeply honest, inspired by the wildness of nature, the messiness of human connection, and the overwhelming desire to run away from it all. Emotional lyrics paired with softly powerful instrumentals craft stories that explore loving and losing, the fragility of the human condition, and stories of a rural upbringing.
The daughter of musical parents and the younger sister of Juno-award winning Pharis Romero, she was raised on folk and country harmonies. While it was a huge part of her upbringing, Marin didn’t initially look to music as a viable career. From landscaping for the rich to running through the woods with her dog, a backpack, and a surveyors map, scrubbing toilets to training horses, she collected many random and interesting skills and experiences to use as songwriting fodder. When travels through other disciplines and passions didn’t last, she made a record; a heavy collection of songs about heartbreak and displacement. A surprising first release, it’s full of gut punching beauty.
Following the release of her self-titled debut in 2016, Marin extensively toured BC’s festival circuit as a solo act, across Canada with Kenton Loewen as part of Dan Mangan’s house concert series Side Door, through Germany and Switzerland as a duo with Cole Schmidt, and worked as a session harmony singer in Vancouver for artists including Khari Wendell McClelland, Sam Tudor, Real Ponchos, CR Avery, Ora Cogan, The Crackling and many more. She opened for Sarah McLachlan at the 2016 Vancouver International Jazz festival at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, a personal career highlight.
In support of her second album, Marin joined Dallas Green’s Toronto based label Still Records. Sight Unseen was produced at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, mixed by Karl Bareham, and mastered by Jaoa Carvalho. Marin took the reins on production, and enlisted the help of dedicated players she feels very connected to, musically and emotionally. They kept their hearts and the doors open for magical studio surprises, and the finished album reflects that open minded approach to sound.
Sight Unseen shows a louder, grittier side of Marin’s indie folk sensibility. Citing the influence of artists like Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Ani Difranco, Sarah McLachlan, and Neil Young, there’s an underlying darkness beneath the clear, free spirited melodies. For Marin, her songs are an extension of self–an opportunity to be as honest and real as she feels, something she has difficulty doing in the so-called real world. It’s big and it’s not always light. Though she’s a bright personality by nature, she often uses her music as a way to process grief. Her vocals are strong and technically trained, and she’s outspoken about the complexities of relationships and the uncertainty of our current political times. The album is out May 29th.
Aminah Hughes has shared 'Tell Me It's Over' accompanied by a video, the song is a refined ballad with soulful overtones and a timeless gospel chorus. === Rizo has a new video for her single 'Hit Of You' the song is gorgeous, the video adding some risque intrigue, but it's the song that works for me. === We featured a couple of songs from the new three part concept album by Cold Reading last year, and from the third part we have 'Tree Diagram' this is a highly imaginative indie rock band. === From EnnieLoud we have a song and video entitled 'The Best I Can Do' a genre defying piece, that's rich yet musically minimalist, the vocals adding passion and emotion.
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Aminah Hughes - Tell Me It's Over.
When Aminah Hughes steps on stage she does more than fill the room with her honeyed voice. She draws her audience into nostalgia, calling us to remember the beauty and rebelliousness of an analogue world. “Inspiring” and “strong” are words that are often passed around at her performances as she embodies the empowerment we are all aching to feel. “An intelligent and vocal woman of extraordinary musical talent -a powerful musical force” (Robert James, GANGgajang/Yothu Yindi), Aminah is unafraid to touch the rawness, giving voice to pain, laying it bare, and finding the light in its grace.
A seasoned performer in Australia and Europe, Aminah has shared stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Declan O’Rourke, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Waterboys fiddler Steve Wickham. She has been featured in US magazines, appeared on Irish TV, RTÉ and BBC Radio and performed with various orchestras both as a flutist and singer. She appeared on eleven albums in Australia and Europe before producing her debut album, Blue Wooden Boat. Recorded in Ireland, USA, Australia, and Germany, the album features special guests Emmanuel, Wickham and Nashville gospel singers, The McCrary Sisters. Mixed in Nashville and mastered in Memphis by Grammy award-winning engineers, the album marked her debut as a producer and launched her independent label, Blue Wolf Records. It has earned her a growing list of accolades including a nomination at the Independent Music Awards in New York.
“A strong, soulful singer” (All About Jazz), her voice appears on a variety of productions, including Australia’s Who Do You Think You Are? and NBCUniversal game, Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock. An award-winning screenwriter and director who also helms her own music videos, Musical Notes Global (New York) cite Aminah as “a true Renaissance woman.”
Grammy-winning artist Rizo (formerly known as Lady Rizo) has returned with a new video for her single “Hit of You”. Rizo’s new video comes as she kicks off a string of west coast dates, where she will be performing her new show “Losing the Lady”.
“Losing the Lady” seductively peels back the layers of Rizo’s alter-ego; and she explores the delight and trappings of our shadow selves through her own songs along with the tunes of Sasha Fierce (Beyoncé), the Thin White Duke (David Bowie), and Camille (Prince). “To those that have seen her perform live, she is a superstar. For those that have not yet had the pleasure, you are missing out on a life altering adventure,” says EARMILK. Rizo’s west coast tour comes after debuting “Losing the Lady” at Joe’s Pub (The Public Theater) in New York for 4 nights.
The New York Times once referred to Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) as “a formidable belter who can sustain phrases and notes even when sprawled on her back on a piano and scissoring her legs.” They’re not alone in that enthusiasm. Rizo has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter on his Songs of Joy & Peace album, which won a Grammy Award.
Lucerne, Switzerland based Indie quintet Cold Reading just released their long-awaited three-part concept album 'ZYT' on January 31st.
Cold Reading are going off the beaten path for the realisation of their second album 'ZYT'. In the form of a concept album, Cold Reading explore the subject of time both musically and lyrically, and try to approach this elusive concept from different perspectives.
The album consists of three EPs - Past Perfect, Present Tense and Future Continuous, dealing with the past, the present and the future, respectively. The album, which is also available as double gatefold vinyl with interchangeable artworks, also contains an audio book, elaborating on the ‘Through the Woods’ song-trilogy, of which one song can be found on each EP.
Sweet without being saccharine, sentimental without being mawkish, ‘The Best I Can’ is a poignant reflection on the twin poles of femininity, and the quiddities of being human and vulnerable. Framed as a series of statements to one’s weaker self, ‘The Best I Can’ is a slow bounce hinged around a minimal and addicting bassline. Written by Cassandra, whose R&B tinged vocal recalls the halcyon days of Lauryn Hill, the song was produced by band member Fabio Rizzoli, aka BeeOff, and recorded and performed by the band at the SAE Institute of London. Beau Vallis (Kelly Rowland, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg) assists Fabio with the mixing and masters it himself.
On ‘The Best I Can’ EnnieLoud have found a style that mixes neo-soul melodics with the ambient soundscaping of artists like Portishead and Goldfrapp, adding technical flourishes used by live DJs - drum and bass filters, synth arpeggiators and samples. The video was directed by Juanmi Cuesta and choreographed and performed by Italian danseuse Colette Gasparini. It follows a young girl as she dances with tireless passion in the immensity of a disused warehouse. ‘The Best I Can’ is a sincere expression of inner-strength, a genre-defying testament to self-definition in the face of very human doubts.
EnnieLoud are a trio of musical innovators from diverse points on the map who coalesced to craft their unique sound in the cultural melting pot of north London’s Wood Green. The plurality of their adoptive neighbourhood is channeled into their music, which crosses cultural and generic boundaries to arrive at a sound which can loosely be defined as ‘alt-soul’. Street-dancing singer/songwriter Cassandra fronts the dexterous trio, which also includes Berlin producer/DJ BeeOff and multi-instrumentalist Ross. Together they have received international acclaim, co-writing ‘My Faults’ with top Italian DJ Vincenzo Callea, before getting remix treatment from Grammy-winning producer Yoad Nevo (Goldfrapp, Sia, Moby).
The single was released in Germany and Italy, where it hit national radio playlists and made waves across Europe in France, the UK, Greece and Russia. The accompanying video won ‘Best Video Clip’ at the New York City International Films Infest Festival and became a finalist at the 2018 Los Angeles Cinefest. Their first official single ‘In My Room’ was released in July last year and hit the blogosphere to much acclaim, receiving coverage in the UK, Mexico, USA, Canada, France, Belgium and Kenya. Receiving its premiere on Clash, ‘In My Room’ went on to be playlisted across Spotify, hitting ten thousand streams in three weeks. It’s early days, but EnnieLoud are quickly proving themselves a vital and beguiling new act on the international circuit.
The Claudettes have a brand new album on the way entitled 'High Times In The Dark' and they have just shared 'Bad Babe, Losin' Touch' as a first taste of what's to come. We last featured the band back in March 2018 and I think fair to say were rather impressed to say the least back then. Well fast forward to now and the eleven new tracks and prepare for an upgrade as the Chicago based band deliver some fabulous material. With a couple of more songs scheduled ahead of the album, we hope to dip back in and tempt you even more! ===Highasakite make their fourth appearance on Beehive Candy with today's release 'Under The Sun' where the Norwegian band deliver a dreamy, emotional and melodic piece. === As duo's go Nancy deliver an expansive and richly layered sound as is born out by 'It's Just You' a lush and engaging song. === Last month we featured 'Migration Of Souls from M. Ward who is back with 'Unreal City' a flowing and imaginative song. === Ava Kaydo mix psychedelic vibes with dream pop on 'Lucid' a beautiful and melodic piece. === We have the debut single by Sunbather called 'Softly Spoken' which is described as warm and woozy, I'd just add it's an excellent song to garner deserved attention.
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The Claudettes - Bad Babe, Losin' Touch.
The Claudettes have a new album coming out on April 3 entitled "High Times in the Dark". The first release from the album is the new song available digitally from today 'Bad Babe, Losin' Touch' which is supported by a video. The band intend to share a couple of more songs ahead of the album release.
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.
The band plan to support the new album with a number of live shows commencing in April.
Critically acclaimed Norwegian outfit Highasakite unveil another slice of intimate pop with ‘Under The Sun’, out now via Propeller Recordings. The new track comes just weeks before the bands fast-approaching-album, ‘The Bare Romantic’ Part 2 will be released on the February 7.
Originally written for a one-off live performance on a Norwegian National TV show raising money for Flyktninghjelpen (The Norwegian Refugee Council), the song has become a fan favourite, with many requests for a recorded version, which the band decided to release this year. The new single is also featured in the end credits of Norwegian movie 'Tunellen', which had its debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Talking about the emotionally charged song the band explains; “at the time the media was filled with news about the Syrian refugees. There was such a contrast in how the public reacted to the images of those people in need. While some people answered with plain hate and rejection, other people put their life on hold to help them out.”
The new mini album sees the involvement of former Jaga Jazzist and Puma’s guitarist Stian Westerhus, traditional and fiddle composer Sarah-Jane Summers, as well as their regular live band members’ Øystein Moen and Kristoffer Bonsaksen, with the latter also sharing production duties with Highasakite’s member Trond Bersu.
Following on last year’s dark and brooding third album ‘Uranium Heart’, the band – whose record-breaking album ‘Silent Treatment’spent over two years on the Norwegian Top 40 chart, whilst their #1 charting successor ‘Camp Echo’ - saw them cementing their status as one the most important names in Norwegian music. Having proved themselves to be a tour de force on the live circuit, Highasakite have become a renowned international live act - topping the bills of legendary festivals including headlining Norway’s five biggest festivals; Glastonbury, Latitude, Roskilde, and Field Day in Australia, alongside sell out tours spanning the UK, US and Australia.
Highasakite have retained their top spot on numerous Nordic charts, with Ingrid Helene Håvik’s alternative approach to pop writing earning multiple Norwegian Grammy Awards and widespread acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, NME, MOJO, The Guardian and Vogue. The same year, the band performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, were handpicked by Conan O’Brien to perform on his eponymous talk show and made their USA television debut on Conan in 2017 to perform their single ‘5 Million Miles’.
‘Under The Sun’ confirms Highasakite as a band firmly writing their own bright future, one that will see them be back in the UK to play an intimate show at The Garage in London on 16th April 2020.
Stick two disillusioned and frustrated artists in a writing session together and that is when, in 2018 Nancy was born.
In the heart of Shabby Road Studios (the North London flat they recorded their home demos in) both members of the band hit upon something they did not know they were looking for.
“ We never intended to be a band, but the songs came so naturally and quickly. We instantly felt a special connection to the music and knew it had created a world of its own ”.
Following the raw, emotive live recordings of their Three birds E.P (2018) a brief hiatus and a handful of TV Synchs in the US, the band began writing back and forth between London and Berlin. Nancy began cutting their teeth in the bars of the Berlin music scene and enlisted the help of producer Noah Booth (Ratboy) for their new single “It’s Just You.”
With a new EP on the horizon, Nancy are ready to take over and pull on the heart strings in 2020.
M. Ward has shared 'Unreal City', the second single from his latest album 'Migration Stories', to be released on 3rd April via Anti Records. Captivating first track, 'Migration Of Souls, was released in December.
A prolific writer, producer and performer, M. Ward has established himself as one of modern American music’s most unique and versatile voices. For his tenth album, he journeyed to Quebec, Canada to work with Arcade Fire’s Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry, producer/mixer Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine) and Teddy Impakt. Together they recorded a collection of 11 songs inspired by stories of human migration. Languid, hazy and often dream-like in narrative, these songs have their origins in pictures from newspaper and television reports, stories told by friends and tales from Ward’s own family history. At Arcade Fire’s Montreal studios the assembled talents recorded what he describes as “11 largely instrumental ballads - a sci-fi fast forward to a more silent night many generations from here to a maybe-era where movement is free again.”
Says Ward of the stories which informed these songs, “Some time went by, the stories wove together and I remember them now closer to characters in a dream of how people could treat each other than any kind of front-page news realism. I think music subconsciously - whether writing or listening - is a filter for me. Helping to process all the bad news into something new to build from. Some records to me are like self-fulfilling prophecies - visualizing change to wish something into being. Those records inspired this one.”
M. Ward’s music has always felt intricate, intimate and otherworldly. With 'Migration Stories' he breathes beautiful life into vignettes of human flight, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy as it reckons with a world that feels more divided than ever before, even as its inhabitants grow more inextricably linked by the day. With a rich, emotive croon - which Uncut Magazine once likened to “honey drizzled onto a dry creekbed” - he conveys a huge depth of emotion, captured in the studio, almost entirely on the very first take.
Soothing and introspective, Yeppoon based trio Ava Kaydo showcase their unique blend of psychedelic dream pop and indie rock with debut single 'Lucid'.
Formed in 2017 and inspired by 'fruit puns and too many beers', Maddy, Ben and Jeremy are ready to take Ava Kaydo out of coastal Central Queensland and spread their track across the indie music scene.
Slow-reverb guitar chords paired with drum progression and hypnotising vocals creating a hazy and aurally blissful soundscape. "We try and achieve a dreamy vibe in all our songs with a groovy beat', and the band have done just that. The track explores the idea of lucid dreaming as a form of escapism from difficult emotions.
"Our single ‘Lucid’ explores the concept of lucid dreaming and how its an escape from shty emotions", explains Maddy Chalk.
Taking notes from Ocean Alley, Tame Impala, Methyl Ethel and DMA’s, Ava Kaydo are a breezy mix of ambient indie rock on the cusp of psychedelia. Amongst creating music, the band are also passionate about keeping the rural Australian music scene alive and have been seen playing alongside names like Kingswood, The Hoodoo Gurus and Tia Gostelow.
Unveiling their intoxicating new indie sound, Brisbane duo Sunbather flourish with the warm and woozy debut single ‘Softly Spoken’.
Using only guitars for their melodic textures, the single drifts seamlessly through a myriad of layered riffs and almost synth-like tones. Paired with upbeat, crisp percussion elements, ‘Softly Spoken’ unfolds into poignant and picturesque indie bliss. Sculpting a dream-like state, singer Sally Latter's vast harmonies transcend, adding a beautiful richness throughout.
Inspired by the painting Twilight Conversation by Ron Hicks, the artwork shows two girls lying on the grass talking to each other, with an ease to their body language that suggests intimacy.
The painting reminds me of the winding conversation that happens between friends, and the value in paying attention. The lyrics to the song explore the small details that make up a life shared, and are a reflection on the need to be gentle with one another,” Sally explains.
Sunbather’s adept sound comes courtesy of ex-OKBADLANDS' Sally Latter on vocals and bass, alongside Mike Todman on guitar, joined by Stu McKenzie (Good Boy, Future Haunts) on drums. With both Sally and Mike's musical background typically in different roles, the idea of Sunbather was to encourage each other in singing and guitar-playing respectively, both out of their comfort zones.
With this the first taste of their upcoming debut EP, 2020 looks to be a busy year for this rising pair. Drift into their first taste of their project, ‘Softly Spoken’ now! 'Softly Spoken' is out everywhere now!
