The debut single from Manchester’s very own, Hannah Ashcroft is a tale of two halves. The first half of ‘Landfire’ possesses a country-western like cool to it. The slinky bassline plus Ashcroft’s aloof vocal give off a Texan desert vibe as if a cowboy has just cantered past, leaving a sky filled with circling dust […]
Not only did 2019 see Claire Cronin release her beautifully sinister record ‘Big Dread Moon’, it also saw the goth-folk musician rescue two schipperkes – Bunny and Mira. Below, Cronin writes about how they came into her life and how life has changed since her family grew by two: The Story of Bunny and Mira […]
At 14 I certainly did not have the presence of mind to realise how much I’d lucked out with my parents. Rather, I was beset by a sense of rebellion, convinced that every telling off was an outrageous injustice rather than a simple attempt to put me on the right path. Eve Owen, however, was […]
Following the release of her sumptuous record ‘Sap Season’, Wished Bone (Ashley Rhodus) tells us about five current tracks she’s loving right now. Check out Wished Bone’s ‘Five Right Now’ selections below: Planet Jackpot – Strouds Run When I first saw Planet Jackpot perform in Athens,OH I was sort of blown away with the extreme raw […]
“What if I have got more love than I know what to do with?” Inge Chiles aka ings asks on ‘Kiss Your Heroes’. And the Seattle-based artist does appear to possess a deeper reservoir of love than most; for herself, for her friends, for her community, for humans at large. Indeed, ings even taps this […]
‘I feel seen’ would be an adequate, Twitter-friendly response to Pet Crow’s new single ‘What We Doin’?’ The Derby punks ask, ‘What are we doing?’ – a question that the band and listener alike can’t possibly respond to with a logical answer. Like, seriously what are we doing? Why are we on this planet? Why have […]
‘Here In The Dark’, the second single from Aoife Nessa Frances’ forthcoming debut album ‘Land of No Junction’, is as catchy as it is ambitious. Stretching across five-and-a-half minutes, ‘Here In The Dark’ is centred around an infectious, forthright chorus. The instrumentation that surrounds the chorus, however, reveal Frances’ experimental leanings; psychedelic flourishes are at […]
“I hate the change of the seasons” Zoe Graham declares on new single ‘Gradual Move’. It’s little wonder Graham is pained by such overt change; in the last 12 months, the Scottish songwriter has lost her dog and fled the family nest for the first time. “The total shift happened gradually over the six months from September […]
Capitalising on the success of this year’s ‘From Here’ EP, London’s Winnie Raeder is back with ‘She’, a gorgeous, sensory ballad that washes over you like waves of warm water. Supported by tender tugs of the guitar, Raeder’s voice is soulful and husky, her words largely ambiguous and open to interpretation – “If I could […]
In our ‘album of the week‘ review, we said that Friendship’s second full-length ‘Dreamin’ “was more restrained instrumentally than ‘Shock Out of Season’ yet no less affecting. Any effects, any adornment, that could divert attention from the core of each song have been ditched. Though smaller in scale the songs are more affecting than ever; […]
It’s often claimed that music journalists are just failed musicians. London’s Lottie Brazier, former music journalist (Guardian, Pitchfork, The Wire etc) and now budding songwriter, puts fire to that frankly ridiculous cliche with ‘Washing Machine’ – a debut single that proves her aptitude for both. Co-produced by William Doyle, ‘Washing Machine’ is loosely inspired by […]
Last October I ordered LISA/LIZA’s ‘Momentary Glance’ on vinyl. An Orindal Records sampler CD felt like a bonus, when I found it at the bottom of the package. The only CD player I own is in my car – a red convertible smart car, I know. I still remember audibly saying, “What’s this?”, when the […]
Manchester-based songwriter Patchwork Guilt completes a trilogy of 2019 singles with ‘My Home’. According to Phoenix Mundy (Patchwork Guilt), each song has ‘followed the culmination of a life chapter dictated by self-discovery, often painful with the facing of certain harsh truths about self-destructive behaviours and patterns’. ‘My Home’ is the most jazzy of the three […]
After releasing ‘Beings’ back in 2015, long-term favourites Lanterns on the Lake return today with new single ‘Every Atom’ and news of a forthcoming record ‘Spook The Herd’ (21 February). ‘Every Atom’ is everything we expected and more. Hazel Wilde has always been capable of summing up feelings you could never illiterate yourself. She once […]
There’s a sense of loss on Neev’s second ever single ‘Across The Glass.’ A love letter to her hometown of Glasgow written from her adopted home of London, she reminisces on times that are consigned to youth. “The fairylights above our heads / made our words taste so sweet” she sings, the memory creating a […]
Just days ahead of her debut full-length ‘Trophy’, an irresistible collection of indie pop anthems, Kate Davis tells us about five current tracks she’s enjoying RIGHT NOW: Black Midi – Ducter This band is wild. The music appeals to my inner muso nerd but also the faux punk. They go hard and I really wanna […]
Americana extraordinaries Party of The Sun released their debut LP ‘Trekker’ last Wednesday (30 October). ‘Drifters’ – its standout track – is reminiscent of leaving the house on a fresh Winter morning, the air entirely still, no car engines sounding, your breath appearing like a column of smoke. It’s a fleeting moment of quietude that […]
Office Culture sound like they hold a weekly residency at the coolest cocktail bar in town. The persona worn by frontman and figurehead, Winston Cook-Wilson is one of espresso martinis, stained velvet blazers and sunglasses indoors. You can imagine him reclining on top of a piano, head flung back, eyes looking at the ceiling as […]
It’s ironic that Brigitte Nagar (Common Holly) sings “You’re like a snake in the middle of a regular day / There was that time / I just tried to catch it / But it slithered away” on “Joshua Snakes”. As ‘When I Say to You Black Lightning’ sounds as if it were born in the […]
For the fifth edition of ‘My Pet’, Tilly Scantlebury, the brain behind Lazy Day – one of the catchiest indie bands around – tells us about her loyal Labrador Stanley, and the instrumental role pets have played in her life: “My big brother was really into dogs as a kid, I think ‘dog’ was his […]
Welcome to October 2019 – 15 songs. Our 15 favourite tracks from October. Enjoy listening and reading the accompanying descriptions. If you’re in a real rush, skip to the bottom for the Spotify playlist. We promise we won’t cry. Basement Revolver – Have I Been Deceived Canada’s Basement Revolver released new EP ‘Wax and Digital’ on Friday […]
The Innocence Mission’s ‘Green Bus’ was arguably 2018’s best song; the resulting album ‘Sun On The Square’ was pretty flawless too. The Pennsylvania trio have just announced a prompt follow-up, ‘See You Tomorrow’ which comes out January 17. And if lead single ‘On Your Side’ is anything to go by, it’s set to be as […]
Emily Yacina’s backing vocals were a stand-out feature of Yohuna’s magnificent record, ‘Mirroring’. Yacina is a fast friend of Johanne Swanson (Yohuna) and the two seemingly share a friend in Eric Littmann – he produced ‘Mirroring’ and Yacina’s forthcoming record, ‘Remember The Silver’ (December 06). Lead single ‘Gleaming’ is more a feeling than a song. […]
After being hand-picked by Big Thief’s Buck Meek to support the band on their European tour, Crake return to Manchester to play our first 2020 showcase on Saturday, February 8th! The Leeds quartet released single ‘Glycerin’ to praise from The Skinny, Gold Flake Paint and For The Rabbits earlier this year, later giving the song […]
I count myself so lucky to live with my partner – someone who likes the kitchen as tidy as I do, if not tidier. I’ve shared flats with friends in the past who have not shared my appreciation for a clean kitchen – mould has grown on the worktop, plates have piled higher than the […]
Canada’s Basement Revolver released new EP ‘Wax and Digital’ on Friday (25 October), following up their debut full-length ‘Heavy Eyes’. Its standout moment is ‘Have I Been Deceived’, a shimmering, lush track with a deceptively dark subject matter. ‘Have I Been Deceived’s bright glimmer makes it easy to miss Chrisy Hurn’s (singer/guitarist) bleak words. Under […]
