This week’s rock spans the full spectrum of catharsis. Bruising, no-compromise heaviness, working-class melancholy and soulful, blues-tinged hope all sit side by side here. Wildly different sounds, but every one of them built on real conviction and a refusal to hold back. Turn them up.
Noya Sol – Sunlight In My Soul
Expressive guitars, an honest vocal and a message of hard-won hope: on “Sunlight In My Soul”, Noya Sol turns blues-tinged rock into something stunning.
Noya Sol’s new single is the sound of someone choosing to carry their own light. “Sunlight In My Soul” drifts in on expressive, blues-inflected guitars and an honest, unguarded vocal. And rather than dwell on heartbreak it reaches steadily for hope after loss. That’s the thing I love about it, it’s a song about healing and moving forward, and it means it. The guitar tones are warm and lived-in, the delivery raw in all the right places, and the whole thing carries a kinda timeless feel. Authentic, emotionally rich and really uplifting. A cracking single.
Noya Sol is an independent singer, songwriter and guitarist from Tel Aviv, blending alternative rock, indie rock and blues into something warm and heartfelt. She takes clear inspiration from the greats, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Bessie Smith among them, and you can hear that lineage in the expressive playing and the emotional directness of her writing. Her music keeps returning to resilience, hope and the search for light through difficult times, and this single distils all of that beautifully. A soulful, authentic voice, and one we’d love to hear more from.
Crushing drums, riffs from the gutter and vocals pushed to the edge: “In Between” is Bite To Break at full throttle, and it’s a superb, no-compromise battering.
Bite To Break do not mess about. “In Between” is a full-throttle collision of slam, hardcore and death metal: crushing drums, vocals shoved to the absolute limit, and riffs filthy enough to turn even the most devoted pop fan into a moshpit monster. The lyrics stare down the torment of being caught between life and death, hope and despair, all isolation, inner decay and a search for meaning, and the sheer weight of the sound mirrors that bleakness to a tee. No messing around, no holding back, no safety net. Just pure, devastating destruction.
Bite To Break are an Austrian outfit from Wiener Neustadt, formed in 2023 and dealing in what they stylise as “grɪndkoːə”, their own phonetic take on grindcore built from slam’s blunt force, hardcore’s rage and death metal’s technical brutality. Their mission statement could not be plainer: no compromises, maximum impact, hits where it hurts. What lifts it above simple noise is the control, the ferocity is tight and deliberate, aimed squarely rather than just sprayed around. If you want raw energy with absolutely nothing held back, these are your lot. More of this please, chaps.
This week’s summer selection is all about feeling good in your own skin. Soulful self-acceptance, sweaty dancefloor euphoria and shimmering retro escapism, songs built to lift the mood and see you through the long, warm evenings. Press play and let them carry you.
Keesha Blair – Peaceful Power
Keesha Blair heals us all with this gorgeous piece of healing neo-soul, an affirming meditation on wholeness and self-acceptance.
“Peaceful Power” is a balm for me this summer. It’s a soulful R&B release about self-acceptance and emotional restoration, embracing the full self without carving the inner world into good or bad, light or dark. It moves through wholeness, ancestral connection and grounded empowerment, and lines like “I love my light, I love my dark” and “what once were scars, now sacred art” sit right at its heart. The message is a great one, that healing isn’t about becoming worthy but remembering the worth that was always there. Calm, affirming and very powerful. It’s beautiful stuff.
Keesha Blair is a Woodbridge-based songwriter, music creator and custom music director whose work centres healing, empowerment, boundaries, truth and emotional restoration. Through her Divine Purpose Music banner, she builds message-led songs and musical experiences for listeners moving through deep inner work and finding their way back to their own voice, clarity and peace. Her focus lands on songwriting, concept and creative direction, and “Peaceful Power” puts that whole, wonderful mission into one banger. I love it.
“Pump It All Away” is a banger of a festival-ready EDM anthem from Sin Circuit, relentless four-on-the-floor energy with the right amount of playful theatricality
“Pump It All Away” is built to detonate a dancefloor. It rides relentless four-on-the-floor beats, massive drops, chant-like vocal hooks and there’s a fair amount of sidechained synths here. It call captures the sensory overload of a packed Pride floor while winking at physical perfection, online validation and instant gratification. Thankfully it carefully walks that line between celebration and satire, and cleverly leaves space for you to take it however you like. I’m taking it as a dancefloor banger, and an empowerment anthem, which make sense to me, cos the energy is unstoppable. Infectious, cheeky and a proper mood-lifter. Great tune.
Sin Circuit is an electronic dance music project built on movement, tension and desire, drawing directly on LGBTQ+ nightlife and dance-club culture. Beyond the euphoria, the project explores bigger themes: transformation, the pursuit of physical perfection, and the rise of digital spaces as new forms of identity and connection. Recorded at home with creative freedom at its core, “Pump It All Away” showcases an artist who’s not afraid to have fun. Bold, confident and a good laugh, we’re on board.
MrGeorge serves up a brilliant single filled with 80s-flavoured synthwave, analogue textures and infectious melodies.
MrGeorge’s new single is a glowing slice of retro escapism. “Wake Up” pairs warm analogue synth textures with a genuinely catchy pop melody, and it wears its 80s influences with loads of affection rather than mere pastiche. There’s a longing threaded under the shimmer, that classic synthwave blend of nostalgia and yearning, and the honest, unaffected vocal keeps it grounded. It’s the kind of track that treats retro not as a passing trend but as a proper attitude, and it sounds all the warmer for it. Shimmering, with shades of a Pet Shop Boys banger, it’s heartfelt and effortlessly evocative. Lovely stuff.
MrGeorge is a German synthwave and 80s-pop artist, a musical alter ego born out of decades of passion and technical curiosity. His journey runs from early amateur projects and years working the technical and hosting side of discotheques through to professional stage work and, finally, the solo MrGeorge project that established his clear retro-modern vision. He now brings that sound world to the stage live with MrGeorge&Band, carried by analogue synths and honest vocals. An artist defined by authenticity over genre lines, we’re happy to have this stunner on the blog. Looking forward to seeing how the live show goes.
This week’s indie folk does what the genre has always done best: turns big feelings and hard questions into something you can hold onto. Compassion, conscience and quiet resilience run through these songs, carried on warm acoustic craft and honest, unhurried storytelling.
Ridge Banks – Searching For Savannah
“Searching For Savannah” is a stunning, deeply moving piece of Americana from Ridge Banks, a compassionate song that puts a human face to a heartbreaking story.
Ridge Banks’ new single carries real weight. “Searching For Savannah” was written to shine a light on migrant children separated from their families after crossing the US border. And crucially it reaches for compassion rather than point-scoring. The aim, in Ridge’s own words, was never to make a political statement but to raise awareness of a humanitarian crisis and remind us that behind every statistic is a human story. Built on his stunningly crisp acoustic sound and intricate fingerstyle work, co-written with Bill Hinks and Cheri Carmody, it’s heartfelt and devastating. A moving, important song, beautifully handled.
Ridge Banks is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, originally from Fenton, Michigan, who blends Americana and country storytelling with folk, blues and rock musicianship. He calls his style “rugged acoustic”, drawing on everyone from Jim Croce and John Denver to Ed Sheeran and Tommy Emmanuel, with a real love of alternate tunings. He left a career in healthcare to pursue music full-time, and has since built an international following, earning International Acoustic Music Awards finalist honours and recently signing with Spectra Music Group. It’s exciting stuff, and we’re pleased to share his work, as a songwriter of real sincerity and craft. We’d love to hear more.
Charlotte Morris – Make America
“Make America” is a superb modern protest anthem from Charlotte Morris, rich acoustic folk that poses hard questions rather than handing out easy answers.
Charlotte Morris’ new single sits squarely in the tradition of American protest folk. “Make America” asks listeners to reconsider what patriotism, compassion and accountability might look like today. And pointedly it poses questions rather than offering easy answers, which are all to easy to lean on in songs. The chorus frames it as a question rather than a declaration, and the concept is skillfully handled. Driven by acoustic guitar and soaring strings, it’s recorded beautifully and Charlotte’s vocal genuinely soars. It’s rooted in frustration but ultimately, as Morris puts it, driven by hope. Whatever your own view, it’s a thoughtful, powerfully written piece of songwriting that knows exactly what it wants to ask.
Charlotte Morris is a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter blending folk and Americana with roots in classical music, musical theatre and the 60s and 70s folk revival. She began on violin at four, taught herself a small orchestra’s worth of instruments, and turned to songwriting at twelve, drawing on Joni Mitchell, Brandi Carlile and The Chicks. She’s toured extensively, shared stages with members of Peter, Paul & Mary, and picked up recognition from the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Competition and the Rose Garden Songwriting Competition. Stirring, sincere and beautifully crafted. Charlotte Morris is proving herself to be a thoughtful, rising voice in modern folk.
“Some Days” is a gorgeous, quirky-in-the-best-way folk-pop bop from Firefly Search Party, a warm tune about catching the wave or taking a rest.
Firefly Search Party’s new single is a proper charmer, and it’s got a lovely backstory to match. They played “Some Days” live for over a year before committing to an arrangement, then asked their bandmates to develop their parts in isolation, added it all up, and went from there. It doesn’t sound thrown together at all, but definitely a lovely whole. And as they put it together, the parts shifted naturally as they connected, kind of like life, and that’s exactly what gives it its quirky, lived-in warmth. It’s a catchy folk-pop bop about deciding whether to catch the wave or take a rest, and there’s real levity and heart in it. Just lovely.
Firefly Search Party describe themselves, wonderfully, as a quirky couple of humans making honest music with their friends in search of connection, light, and something beautiful in their time together. Based in Madison, they trade in a warm, nostalgic folk-pop that’s easy to love and clearly made without ego. And isn’t that just the best type of music sometimes. The vibe of people who value the company and the craft in equal measure. It’s music with a genuinely open heart, and that sincerity is infectious. More of this please, folks.
This week’s summer selection is all warmth, groove and good company. Cookout soul, defiant pride anthems, sun-soaked situationship pop and sophisticated grooves, songs built for long evenings, open windows and the people you want around you. Press play and let it breathe.
Deptford Sound Collective – #KissMyArse The Queer Fight Back
“#KissMyArse The Queer Fight Back” is a superb, defiant pride anthem from our faves, the Deptford Sound Collective, satirical wit and a banging tune turning hate on its head
Deptford Sound Collective’s new single fights back with a grin and a great chorus. Written as a pointed satirical response to a wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, it flips the hate right back with humour, wit and it turns it all into a genuinely banging tune. It’s a bold statement of love over hate for a climate of fear and division. Best of all it channels the spirit of 1960s protest songs into something modern and communal, the kind of track built to gather a crowd rather than a following. There’s real heart under the cheek here, and honestly we’re right behind it. Defiant, joyful and proudly on the right side.
Deptford Sound Collective are one of our fave acts in London right now; a diverse musicians, artists and community activists from Deptford in South East London. Their whole ethos is rooted in global solidarity and standing up for those facing challenges to their civil liberties. Designed to organise and uplift, there’s a clear link back to the protest traditions they so openly admire. This one is a clear distillation of that mission, a band treating music as a tool for empathy and resistance. A great single.
Levon Calloway – Home
“Home” is a brilliant, sophisticated slice of art-pop from Levon Calloway, syncopated grooves and surprising changes recalling the golden age of 70s craft.
Levon Calloway’s new single is a real songwriter’s song. “Home” started life as a syncopated keyboard groove and grew into something genuinely sophisticated. It’s got a whole bunch of surprising breaks and changes that keep you leaning in. Calloway sums it up himself as David Byrne meets Donald Fagen meets Levon Calloway. And that’s the vibe exactly, percussive art-pop flair married to Steely Dan-grade groove and polish. And with that list of references, the sound world has to be great, and thankfully it doesn’t disappoint. Inspired by an Anthony Bourdain episode on Detroit’s creative resilience, it carries real warmth under all that craft. Clever, groovy and unlike much else out there right now. A cracking single.
Levon Calloway is a Los Angeles songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose work defies easy categorisation, handling lead vocals, guitars and keyboards himself. For “Home” he assembled a seriously impressive cast: the legendary Fernando Saunders (Lou Reed, Eric Clapton) contributing fretless bass remotely from Prague, drummer Ricardo “Tiki” Pasillas, multi-instrumentalist Matt DeMerritt on flute and saxes, and Leeann Skoda on backing vocals. It’s music that recalls the golden era of 70s sophistication while keeping a distinctly modern edge, and it marks the start of an exciting new chapter. We really love it, and hope there’s more coming from Calloway.
Dios Mac – On And On (Live On Lenox Theme)
Dios Mac serves up an excellent, warm-hearted pop celebration, capturing the joy of a Harlem cookout and everyone it brings together.
Dios Mac’s new single bottles a whole summer afternoon. “On And On” captures the spirit of a New York cookout, neighbours gathering, families reconnecting, kids playing and music filling the air. It captures that vibe perfectly, turning everyday magic into a warm, feel-good pop celebration. There’s a real generosity to it, a song built around the simple but powerful idea that life’s best moments happen when people come together. It’s easy, communal and genuinely uplifting, the kind of track that makes you want to call everyone you love round. Sunny, big-hearted and impossible not to smile at. Lovely stuff.
Dios Mac is an independent artist and creative visionary redefining what it means to release music, building immersive experiences that connect people through art, culture and community rather than treating songs as standalone moments. He’s carving out his own definition of what it means to be a Harlem artist, through both his sound and his social approach. That community-first spirit runs right through this release, and it’s clearly the work of someone who sees music as something shared. We’re on board, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Mr Mac.
Josh St. Clair explodes with “TITAN”, a stunning 80s-pop bop, all story-driven queer songwriting with an irresistible bassline.
Josh St. Clair’s new single is cheeky, catchy and a lot of fun. “TITAN” takes a wry, unserious look at queer hook-up culture, leaning right into story-driven lyrics with a knowing wink, and pairs them with bright, 80s-inspired pop production. There’s a filthy electric bassline running through it that recalls MJ’s Bad era, and the whole thing struts with real confidence. Whatever your take on the subject, the track absolutely sells the idea that good chemistry is undeniable, and in a summer heatwave it goes down like a tall glass of water. Playful, sharp and thoroughly infectious. A great summer 2026 tune.
Josh St. Clair is a queer singer-songwriter from a small village outside Cambridge who released his debut EP PROJECT H in May 2025. This year he’s back tackling modern queer dating, situationships and heartbreak, with a real sense of theatricality that stems from his successful career in commercial theatre in London’s West End. His last single “I REALLY WANT YOU BUT…” is his most streamed track to date, and this one looks set to build on that momentum. A distinctive, confident voice, that you heard here first. It’s loads of fun.
Nashville Exile’s “Sing Our Song” is a gorgeous slice of heartfelt UK Americana, warm harmonies, standout melodies and a dreamy sound world
Nashville Exile’s new single has one of the loveliest backstories we’ve had in a while. “Sing Our Song” began as a custom wedding song. Written for a florist friend the band affectionately call Flower Girl, whose favourite song happens to be The Weight by The Band. And that shared taste bleeds beautifully into the track. It’s warm, rootsy Americana with rich harmonies and an unhurried, lived-in feel, and although it was written with someone else’s love story in mind, there are clearly threads of the band’s own woven through. The vocal and guitar work is genuinely fantastic in this, and it should be all over the radio. Heartfelt, timeless and genuinely charming.
Nashville Exile are a UK band built on years of collaboration and shared musical heritage, centred on singer-songwriter Matthew Crozer, once guitarist in Universal-signed UnAmerican, who shared stages with The Who and Neil Young. He reunited with his cousin Cat, a trained vocalist, and collaborator Amu Dennett to form the songwriting core, later joined by Rick Kent and Mark Smithurst. The name nods to Todd Snider and the Stones’ Exile on Main Street, and their sound draws on Dylan, Neil Young, John Prine and CCR. This sits on their debut album Hand Drawn, which we’ll be eagerly listening to this weekend. Essential listening this summer.
This week’s indie rock is all grit and conviction. Soulful, bluesy fire on one side, defiant 80s-tinged resilience on the other, these are songs built on real feeling and driving guitars, the kind that hit harder because they mean every word. Turn them up.
Fiona Amaka – Justified
“Justified” is a beauty of a soulful indie-rock single from Fiona Amaka, bluesy vocals and driving guitar carrying a raw story of love and regret.
Fiona Amaka’s new single wears its heart right out in the open. “Justified” digs into love and regret, and it’s the kind of ache that pretty much everyone will recognise. What really makes it land is the intensity, this release deliberately holds onto the emotional atmosphere of her live shows with the Fiona Amaka Band, and you can feel that heat in the recording. Bluesy vocals ride driving rock guitar with a lovely throwback edge, and there’s real conviction in every line. She’s clearly got a great voice, but it’s the restraint and phrasing which makes this one shine. Soulful, honest and genuinely stirring. A cracking single.
Fiona Amaka is a London singer, songwriter and guitarist known for a captivating soulful indie-rock sound that blends bluesy vocals with driving guitar and the odd chill folk-Americana turn. She’s had a prolific run: 2025 singles “No Daylight” and “Cowards and Shadows” tackled betrayal and ghosting head-on, “Honesty (Psalm 139)” added a spiritual thread, and the chirpy “Desert Flower” pulled in plenty of radio play. Her Feb 2026 orchestral-folk “Love that fills my world” drew a whole new audience. Definitely one to watch in 2026.
“Dice Are Rolling…” is a superb, defiant slice of 80s-tinged alt-rock from Israell, a fists in the air anthem about beating the odds and staying resilient.
Israell’s new single is a proper shot of defiance. This is the reworked radio remix of “Dice Are Rolling…”, built out with new vocals and additional instrumentation, and it comes charged with real purpose. The song is all about outplaying the game, beating the odds and being your most resilient self as you chase your own ascent, and that message drives every bar. There’s a classic 80s rock backbone under all this, but a proper alt-rock edge that combines incredibly well. The whole thing carries a stadium-sized sense of determination. It’s bold, sincere and built to lift you up. Brilliant stuff.
Israell is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Montreal, one of those artists genuinely drawn to bigger themes, human rights and spirituality among them, and determined to convey that vision through his art. He developed a passion for songwriting and acting back in the early nineties, studying theatre and voice, working on a number of films and writing many songs across the years. That theatrical background feeds a real sense of drama and conviction here, and it’s clearly music made with a whole lot of heart and purpose. We’re on board with it, and hope there’s more coming this year.
“Only For Tonight” is a brilliant wall of blissful chaos from Oceanless, a Manchester two-piece fusing grunge grit, psych haze and our fave kind of DIY hunger.
Oceanless’ new single hits like a proper racket in the best way. “Only For Tonight” pulls together grunge, garage rock, psych and a touch of hip-hop into what the band aptly call a liquid wall of blissful chaos, and for a two-piece they make a seriously big noise. There’s a raw, unpolished energy running right through it, the sound of a band throwing all their influences in and making it work. It’s loud, hazy and full of attitude, and you can feel the graft behind it. Grimy, hooky and genuinely exciting. A cracking racket.
Oceanless are a hard-working original two-piece formed in Manchester in early 2023, running everything in-house with a purely DIY approach, videos, merch and studio time all organised by the two members themselves. That graft is paying off: they’ve already earned spins from BBC Introducing Manchester and Amazing Radio, played 2000 Trees and Bella Drum festivals, and supported the likes of Tom Meighan. “Only For Tonight” is their second release this year, part of a fresh push to build their audience, and they’re exactly the kind of unsigned grafters we love to champion. More of this please, lads.
Cinematic, synth-swept and big-hearted: this week’s synthwave bop is a soaring anthem about the quiet daily work of loving someone, and it’s well worth turning up.
Matthew Phillips – Battlefield of Love
“Battlefield of Love” is a superb cinematic anthem from Matthew Phillips, soaring melodies and synth-swept production carrying a genuinely uplifting message about choosing love every day.
Matthew Phillips’ new single reaches for the rafters, and gets there. “Battlefield of Love” is a cinematic anthem about choosing the person you love day after day in a world where relationships can feel disposable, and that sincerity is exactly what makes it land. Soaring melodies ride widescreen, synth-swept production, blending alternative rock, pop and electronic textures into something properly uplifting. The message is a lovely one, that the strongest relationships aren’t built on perfection but on choosing each other every single day. And honestly it’s hard not to get swept up in it. Big-hearted, cinematic and genuinely stirring.
Buddy of the blog, Matthew Phillips, is a San Diego artist and two-time San Diego Music Awards Best Pop Artist winner, known for infectious melodies, heartfelt storytelling and dynamic live shows. We were lucky enough to chat to him a few months back , and “Battlefield of Love” excitingly debuted live at the San Diego County Fair on 1 July. Impressively, he’s shared stages with the likes of Jason Mraz and David Cook, and his guitar playing has caught the eye of names like Fender and Taylor Guitars. He’s clearly an artist working with real craft and conviction, and we love his work more and more with each release.
This week’s electronic drifts far from the dancefloor. These are slow, immersive pieces built on texture and space, holding you in the gap between a beat and a breath. Restrained, atmospheric and quietly absorbing, they reward stillness and close attention.
Adam Bokesch – Quietecho (Chill Mix)
“Quietecho (Chill Mix)” is a gorgeously produced ambient reworking from Adam Bokesch, a rare piece of restful music with real emotional depth beneath the calm.
Adam Bokesch’s new sinlge is one to slow your pulse. A reimagining of a standout from his ambient, the chill mix keeps the emotional core intact while introducing softer rhythmic movement. There’s a genuine beauty in the chords and sound world here, and I’m left wishing I could produce like this. It’s a real experience, all atmosphere, meditative textures and suspended, dreamlike space. There’s real craft in how unhurried the single is, and I enjoy some of the more out there percussive textures, which remind me a little of Icelandic band Múm at times.
Adam Bokesch is a Nashville-based composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist whose ambient album Light, Remembered grew out of his own struggles with insomnia, turning sleepless nights into expansive soundscapes. This chill mix is one of three remixes revisiting that record. Across two decades he has scored for film and television and created audio for brands including Microsoft, ESPN, Sony and Tesla, and since 2020 has focused increasingly on wellness-driven music. I’m certainly feeling fulfilled after listening to this, a fantastic single and I’ll be diving into Bokesch’s other stuff this week.
“Harmonic Surrender” is a tasty piece of leftfield electronica from Hidden Sector, a beautiful slow-burn that feels electronic and human in the same breath.
Hidden Sector’s latest banger doesn’t rush you. Built around some lovely synths, bags of texture and a kind of pressured emotional vibe, it’s a beautiful sound world. Melodically it leans into repeated synth motif, building this post club haze feel, but it never gets tedious, opening up in a gradual way to keep you locked in. It’s the percussive elements and synth work that standout for me, a masterclass in careful builds and long releases. Stunning stuff.
Hidden Sector is the electronic project of Tony Samuel, a British artist based in Dubai who draws on electro, Detroit techno and experimental electronica. Influenced by Kraftwerk and Carl Craig, he deliberately sidesteps conventional EDM structures in favour of music built on atmosphere, texture, rhythm and human timing. The result is work that stays wonderfully restrained but never cold, structured but never predictable, an artist far more interested in mood and feel than in chasing a floor-filling formula. Tony’s got himself a new fan over here, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this lad. A great single.
THROES NYC serve up the a beautiful slice of dark electronic trip-hop, all late-night tension, atmosphere and weight
THROES NYC’s new single lives in the small hours. This remix of their very first release digs into that moment when your ego tells you to keep going even as your conscience begs you to stop. And the production wraps that tension in lovely dark saturated shadows. Dark electronic trip-hop textures meet late-night confession, analog warmth against cinematic atmosphere, and it lands somewhere genuinely intimate and explosive at once. The sound world is definitely impressive, and I love that they call their self-invented blend of music ‘Altriphop’. Honestly the label fits, it’s a great headphones record; moody, atmospheric and gripping.
THROES NYC is the creation of multi-instrumentalist and producer Michael Bozzo and vocalist Courtney Leo, two Queens natives who have been making music together since childhood. They spent their teenage years steeped in the New York scene at legendary venues like CBGB’s, Roseland Ballroom and Irving Plaza, and that raw 90s and 00s energy shapes their sound today, moody, experimental and driven entirely by vibe. Blending analog warmth, cinematic textures and emotionally charged vocals, they make music that refuses to sit still. A distinctive, exciting pair, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on them.
Rusty Reid has spent four albums building an impressive name as a wide-ranging indie folk-country-rock singer-songwriter. His fifth flips that restlessness toward other people’s songs. Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters) is a nineteen-track double-album of covers, each one written by a songwriter with ties to Texas, roughly half of them household names and half of them plucked from relative obscurity.
I love the concept, and “Alchemist,” the album’s second single, falls into the latter camp: a song written just five years ago by Zack Kibodeaux of the band Blue Water Highway. Rebuilt with longtime collaborator Rohit Bhusan it turns into something moodier and more ethereal than the original. And we were lucky enough to catch up with Rusty to talk about digging up overlooked “masterworks,” handing his songs over to trusted players, and what he hopes the record surprises people with…
“Alchemist” is a cover rather than one of your own songs. What was it about Zack Kibodeaux’s writing that made you feel, “I have to make this my next single?”
Hi Greg, happy to chat with you. As I was working on the selection process for my album, Lone Stardust (Masterworks of Texas Songwriters), I wanted to be open to discovering new “masterworks” that I had never heard before. Across my attention came this Texas band, Blue Water Highway. Their music was right up the alley of my tastes. “Alchemist” is off their album, Paper Airplanes. They did not release it as a single, but it was the song that most fascinated me. I wondered, “Can I even sing that?” But thought I’d give it a go.
I think Zack will eventually be more widely recognized as the great singer-songwriter he is.
You’ve worked with Rohit Bhusan before, and this track has a really moody, atmospheric feel. What did the two of you want to bring to the song that wasn’t in the original?
The Blue Water Highway version is great, though more grounded in Americana. I was going for something just a tad more ethereal. Our version of “Alchemist” is essentially Rohit’s vision. I gave him some ideas, but basically I’m just singing along with it. I love allowing my players to make a song “theirs,” not just mine. I don’t want to be stuck in my own “sound” or concepts of what a song should sound like. I like to see how better musicians would approach it.
Love that approach. I also really loved the atmosphere you created on “Alchemist.” It feels both intimate and expansive at the same time. Was there a particular moment in the recording where you knew you’d captured exactly the mood you were chasing?
Not exactly. When I relinquish the essential production of a song to one of my trusted musical partners like Rohit or Daniel Ribeiro or Jason Roller or Jed Demlow or Austin Moorhead or Ronan Dempsey or Yatziv Caspi or several others, I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to get back, I just know it’s going to be superb. Because we are on the same wavelength in terms of musicality and tones, it’s just going to mesh.
I rarely have to ask for any revisions. I’m usually knocked out by what they come up with in the process of making my song theirs.
Covers can be tricky because people already have an emotional connection to them. How do you find the balance between respecting the original and making it unmistakably yours?
That’s true. This album of songs by Texas songwriters is about half and half songs you’ve probably heard before and those you haven’t. I didn’t actually plan it that way, it’s how things ended up after I narrowed down to nineteen songs, the finalists that I really wanted to record. And then, strangely enough, the album is also split almost in half with songs that fairly loyally follow the popular arrangements, and those where I take off in a different direction from the original. I just went with gut feeling: “How do I want my version to sound?” I didn’t want to be different just to be different. Sometimes the arrangement of a song is what we actually love most about it, not its component parts of melody and lyrics.
So, for instance, “Only the Lonely,” “Balinese,” “Galveston,” “Faithless Love,” “Neon Moon,” “I Can See Clearly Now,” hew pretty tightly to the original versions. Why mess too much with near perfection? Yet these versions are not carbon-copies. The difference is my voice and our specific instrumental licks, which give these songs a recognizable but separate flavor from their progenitors.
The most radical departure from the most popular versions is probably “True Love Ways,” by Buddy Holly, which Mickey Gilley also later had a big hit with. I’ve never been entirely in love with either version of probably Buddy’s best melody. Buddy’s orchestral approach is too “sweet” for my taste, while Mickey’s is cool, but piano-based. I wanted a stripped-down guitar-oriented version, and Jason Roller just knocked it out of the park. Meanwhile, I thought Kacey Musgrave’s version of “Oh, What a World” was too gimmicky. So it was Jason, again, who calmed it down yet kept the inspiring, almost surreal, vibe for our version.
It’s “Alchemist” is just one stop on a nineteen-song journey. If listeners enjoy this single, what do you hope surprises them most when they hear the full album?
Great question. While some of the songs on my album go back over sixty years, one thing I’ve tried to emphasize, that some reviewers have missed, is that this album is in no way, shape or form a survey of the scope of Texas music. Like Texas itself, there has always been a broad range of songwriting and playing going on in Texas. I’m sampling a tiny slice of the pop-country-rock genres, but not broaching other genres for which Texas is known for: blues (well, there’s “Balinese” on this album), soul, jazz, Latino, big band, western swing, hard rock, punk rock, classical, classic country, the list goes on.
Still, I think listeners will enjoy the variety that is represented on this album, the changes in tone and tempo and temperament, and the emotional roller-coaster ride that we take along the journey. These truly are “masterworks” of songwriting. These are “songwriter’s songwriters.” The four main criteria for the selections were melody, lyrics with gravitas, a compelling theme, and malleability into an interesting soundscape. If your musical tastes lean in those directions, you’ll probably enjoy this album. If you prefer a certain “sameness” in your ear, as is quite prevalent these days, this may not be your cup of tea.
It’s was a real treat to hear about more from Rusty, and his thought process in recording the album. Thanks Rusty! Check out the single to get started, it’s a great track.
This week’s indie folk trades polish for intimacy. Bedroom tape hiss, quiet defiance, a bit of playful myth and some hard-won warmth: songs recorded close to the bone, where the smallest gestures carry the most weight and honesty does the heavy lifting.
Esteban Obando – Montreal (Feeling it All)
“Montreal (Feeling it All)” is a stunning lo-fi folk gem from Esteban Obando, a single-take confession that turns tape hiss into pure feeling.
This is a song that treats its own imperfections as instruments. Cut in one afternoon straight to cassette, it wraps double-tracked vocals in a bath of spring reverb, a faint drum-machine ticking away beneath like a pulse you half-notice. Nothing here is corrected or tidied, and that’s precisely why it lands: the wobble and warmth of the tape carry as much emotion as the melody does. It’s a lovely atmosphere, a little hazy at the edges, aching in the middle, and all together gone too soon.
Esteban Obando is a Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist with Colombian roots and a Montreal upbringing, who writes, plays, records and produces alone. He tracks everything on a 1990s Tascam Portastudio 424, the same four-track deck Elliott Smith used for Roman Candle, deliberately leaning on its limits to keep his own perfectionism in check. I started recording on a Tascam, but I never managed to get it to sound this amazing. A brilliant single, and I’ll definitely be digging into Esteban’s other work. Beautiful stuff.
“Turn Down My Shine” is a brilliant piece of bedroom-pop folk from Nellie Feldmann, a song that proves a whisper can cut deeper than a shout.
Nellie Feldmann’s new single is a takedown delivered barely above a breath. Close-mic’d vocals and spare acoustic instrumentation sit in a soft, tape-warm glow, and the restraint is the vibe here: instead of raising its voice at the narcissist it addresses, the song lowers it, forcing you to lean in. This could have been a rant, but it turns into something far more unsettling and precise. The chorus here is genuinely brilliant, and it’s a gentle surface with a very sharp edge underneath.
Nellie Feldmann is a Brighton-based singer-songwriter and session musician whose work sits where acoustic indie meets the intimate textures of Generation X-inspired bedroom pop. She wrote “Turn Down My Shine” with Tim Howarth, who also produced and mixed it, chasing a delicate, organic sound that keeps the songwriting front and centre. Guided by an intense musical sensitivity, she moves between introspective melody and raw feeling, landing on something that reads as both nostalgic and unmistakably present-day. It’s a banger this one, make no mistake of it.
“Livin Like a Local” is a gorgeous, singalong slice of folk-rock from Liz Nash, warm, witty small-town storytelling with the biggest heart.
Liz Nash’s new single is a sunny, singalong-ready ode to authentic Florida living. Built on a full-band folk-rock sound, it playfully teases out-of-towners while extending a warm, genuine invitation to experience the place like the locals do. And what a vibe it is. There’s real care on show in the instrumentation, a nod to her Paul Simon influences, with Paul Gonzalez on percussion, Oskar Cartaya on bass and John Marsden on electric piano fleshing it out beautifully. It’s the kind of easygoing, good-hearted tune that clearly must work absolutely wonderfully live, apparently the crowds have already rechristened it “Drinkin’ Like a Local.” Sounds good, I’m in.
Liz Nash hails from the quirky little town of Mount Dora, Florida, and is making her way through the music scene one fan at a time. We loved her single “Little Box House”, and this one’s the fourth single from her Florida Songs collection, a set of slice-of-life songs drawn from everyday encounters in her small American town. It was recorded at John’s studio in Orlando with additional tracking in Los Angeles. A lovely, community-minded songwriter, one earlier release even inspired a student-led art project, and this one’s a joy. A charming, warm single that’s a whole lot of fun.
“Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” is a superb, hazy psychedelic-rock trip from Michellar, vintage soundscapes giving voice to an obsession that won’t let go.
Michellar’s new single is an intoxicating slice of psychedelia. Built on swirling, vintage-leaning soundscapes, it gives voice to the kind of uncontrollable, intrusive thoughts that usually stay locked inside. It turnsprivate obsession into something you can actually lose yourself in. It clearly took some work to get right, multiple arrangement edits chasing that perfect psychedelic feel, but the final mix sounds really kind of effortless. A vibe that feels really natural from the very start. Woozy, hypnotic and very, very compelling.
Michellar hails from the vibrant San Francisco music scene, and her story is a genuinely lovely one. She started writing songs at fifteen, then stepped away for a forty-year hiatus, only for the craft to be reignited by a confidence-boosting acceptance into the deYoung Museum Open Call Exhibition in 2023. Since then she’s been unstoppable, releasing an astonishing twenty-two singles in nine months. This track is the first from an upcoming psychedelic album due Spring 2027. Proof it’s never too late, we absolutely love that. Keep going, Michellar, this is great.
“Co-Pilot” is a tension-filled indie-folk banger, delicate questioning colliding with his most ambitious production yet.
James Crowley’s new single captures that giddy, uncertain moment of stepping into new love and not quite knowing what you’re allowed to ask for. It’s great. It pairs delicate, questioning lyricism with his most ambitious music to date, urgent guitar rhythms colliding with subversive but familiar synth textures. Written with Wolf Alice’s Joel Amey, the whole thing thrives on tension, mirroring that push and pull of vulnerability and self-protection. And the chorus? Ooft, that’s great. Urgent, honest and genuinely thrilling.
James Crowley is a London-based songwriter who writes about desire, the relationships that shape us and the messy business of love with a clarity indie folk rarely affords its queer voices. His unfurling vocal harmonies draw on indie and folk traditions while reaching for real pop credibility, sitting comfortably alongside Laura Marling, Big Thief or Bombay Bicycle Club. “Co-Pilot” opens his forthcoming EP Imprint, co-written with Joel Amey and reuniting him with producer Mike Horner after 2024’s BBC Radio 6-championed Play to Win. It’s a banger this one, so we’re fully on board. A distinctive, exciting voice that we’ll be keeping a close eye on.
Radiant, driving and built to turn effort into euphoria: this week’s workout bop is a peak-time house banger made to push you that little bit harder.
Michael Grandel – Eta Carinae
“Eta Carinae” is a superb peak-time house banger from Michael Grandel, all thick driving drums, rave-lift synths and a powerful original vocal built for the floor.
Michael Grandel’s new single is engineered for the exact moment the room goes off. Thick, driving drums and a deep long-tailed kick power it. With the exact type of rave-inspired synths required to send it skyward. Add in a powerful original vocal, and you’ve got a real emotional core to grab onto. Named after a volatile hyper-luminous star system, it’s all about radiance under pressure, turning intensity into pure movement and release. It bridges that 90s house vocal spirit with modern festival-scale production, and honestly it’s exactly the kind of thing I’d want kicking in halfway through a hard session. A proper full-body banger.
Michael Grandel is a Miami-based, NYC-born producer and DJ who blends house, techno and rave-driven club energy with emotional, cinematic songwriting. He comes from a background in software engineering and science, and you can feel that in the work, his artist world draws on movement, physics and the tension between precision and feeling. He produced, mixed and mastered this himself – impressive when the sound world comes across this well – and the vocal topline written specifically for the track. It’s dance music treated as something physical and alive, and it delivers. We’re on board.
