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THIS WEEK’S CHILL HOUSE BOPS

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Stockholm brings feminist techno-house energy; Toronto answers with smooth R&B-laced groove pop. Three artists, very good reasons the dancefloor does not need to choose a lane.

FREDRYD – Girls Run The Dancefloor

FREDRYD delivers an excellent piece of high-energy techno-house with “Girls Run The Dancefloor”: a hard, pumping track built for stages and the people who own them.

“Girls Run The Dancefloor” is a tech-house track with a banger of a beat designed to hit at the point where the crowd stops thinking and starts moving. FREDRYD structures the build well, leans on some pretty tasty samples, and rides that off beat hi hat in style. The track draws explicit lineage from Beyonce’s “Run the World” and from Fred again’s production approach in its technical DNA, and those two poles sit further apart than you might expect, which is precisely what makes this track so compelling. Interestingly, it’s a record about professional dancers: people who work hard and have fun simultaneously, and the production mirrors that duality really well.

Fred Ryden operates as FREDRYD out of Stockholm, where he works across EDM, house, progressive house, and indie electronic, building his music on Bandlab since the beginning. His 2024 debut album “Love Is What We Need” established his presence in electronic music; and things have only grown since then. Signed here to Late Hours Records, this is a real banger and we can’t wait for more.

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Ekelle – (Turn Me) Loose

Ekelle makes “(Turn Me) Loose” a gorgeous post-breakup R&B house anthem: warm, rhythmically assured, and built around the very specific joy of finally choosing yourself.

“(Turn Me) Loose” sits at the precise moment when heartbreak tips into relief. The production blends smooth R&B textures with an alt-pop sensibility and a warm, rhythmic groove that keeps the track feeling celebratory rather than bitter. Ekelle’s vocals carry both the emotional weight and the confidence the lyric really needs: this is a song about reclaiming joy through community, written and delivered by someone who sounds like she means it. It sits in the same conversation as Doechii and SZA, comfortable in the space between modern R&B and alt-pop without being fully claimed by either.

Ekelle is a Toronto rapper, singer, and songwriter who coined her own genre descriptor, Hood Pop, to describe the territory she actually works in: popular music with a street edge, where hip-hop, pop, and R&B overlap on her own terms. Her 2023 single “Flo” landed on Complex’s Best Canadian Tracks of the Week, earned Spotify editorial placement, and received radio play. Excitingly, “(Turn Me) Loose” arrives while she works toward her next album, and it makes a compelling case for what that record might sound like. A great single.

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PlanG – Quite Some Feelin’

PlanG’s “Quite Some Feelin'” is a brilliant melodic rock anthem: a song about the joy of performing that actually delivers the same joy to the listerner

“Quite Some Feelin'” started life years ago as an acoustic guitar sketch and was eventually developed into a full-band production at FrenchQuarter Studios in Cork City. The track is built around electric and acoustic lead guitar work that gives the verses room to breathe before the final chorus opens up with Sam Guisinger’s vocal soaring over Lang’s, a genuinely transformative moment in an arrangement that really earns it. The production, expertly handled by German producer George Micansky, keeps the instruments blending wonderfully, and it’s got a kind of Dire Straits vibe to the whole thing. Which, as a big DS fan, is pretty big praise. It’s a fun concept too; about the particular electricity of playing music you love to a room full of people who are with you.

PlanG is the project of Padraic Lang from Midleton, County Cork, and “Quite Some Feelin'” brings together a Cork-based team assembled across several studio sessions. Vocalist Sam Guisinger is American-born but Cork-based; producer George Micansky is German and also Cork-based; Lang himself was born in Dublin. The songwriting draws from a wide range of reference points, from The Eagles and Paul Simon through to Irish artists including Paul Brady and Lisa Hannigan. It’s a beautiful, melodic stunner and I’ll be keeping an eye on what this lot do next.

ELTUS – Can’t Own Me

ELTUS delivers a banging piece of vocal-driven tech-house – all heavy low-end pressure against a crystal-clear message of self-ownership,

“Can’t Own Me” is a tech-house track that puts its message first and its beat a very close second. A relentless club groove and powerful low-end pressure drive it forward, but Askella’s vocal keeps this emotional and crystal clear. Basically, the whole thing lands as a statement rather than just a banger. It’s got driving rhythm against vulnerable humanity, club energy against personal philosophy, and that tension is exactly what gives it its charge. Proper vocal-driven electronic music with attitude.

ELTUS is a Paris-based producer making emotional electronic music built to actually make people feel something, blending bass house, progressive house and EDM into a mix of positivity, energy and impact. “Can’t Own Me” sprang from a transformative moment he witnessed while travelling through the East, a woman’s quiet refusal to be defined by another’s control, which became the emotional spark for the whole release. It’s music with real intent behind it, and a line drawn firmly around one’s own soul. A cracking single, and we can’t wait to hear more.

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Tugen – Sonho Sem Fim

“Sonho Sem Fim” is a superb piece of organic Brazilian house from Tugen, sun-warm bossa and samba soul melting into a deep, groove-led electronic pulse.

Tugen’s new single is house music with the soul of Brazil running right through it. “Sonho Sem Fim” blends deep, organic house production with the warmth and groove of Brazilian music, drawing on Jorge Ben and Tim Maia and folding in bossa nova and samba textures over live-feeling instrumentation. It’s the sound of an artist who has stopped chasing trends and found something genuinely his own, and you can feel that ease in every bar. It’s also produced like dream. But it’s the sophisticated, sun-warm and effortlessly groovy vibes that make this one glide along like the best sunset of summer 2026. Lovely, timeless stuff.

Tugen is a São Paulo-based DJ and producer who has been immersed in music since childhood, first picking up drums at five. After years exploring a broad musical spectrum, he’s now reinventing his artistic identity and consolidating a signature sound, sophisticated house infused with live instruments, organic textures and Brazilian influences. “Sonho Sem Fim” is the second single from a forthcoming three-track EP, continuing the story begun with “Sol”, the debut release on his own Alterego Records. A confident new chapter driven by originality over trends, and we can’t wait to hear the rest. A great track.

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THIS WEEK’S SYNTH POP BOPS

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This week’s synth pop swings from sweaty club euphoria to widescreen retro cool. Driving rhythms, big hooks and a real sense of fun run through both, tracks that know exactly what they want to make you feel and go straight for it.

Sin Circuit – Just One More Huff

“Just One More Huff” is a stunning shot of future-house euphoria from Sin Circuit, a tongue-in-cheek club anthem that goes hard and never lets up.

This is a track built to fill a floor and make you grin while it does. Banging future-house production and high-energy rhythms power a big, big tune that feels like a celebration of nightlife and confidence. It’s the kind of song that knows exactly how that silly and serious can actually mix to good effect, without ever taking itself too heavily. Musically there’s a real 90s influence which I like, and the result is hard, euphoric and infectious. Designed for the club but pitched as a year-round anthem, it channels pure dancefloor abandon into something you can throw yourself. And one more huff never does any harm, does it?

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. “Just One More Huff” arrived during Pride season but is designed as a celebration of self-expression and community. It’s a big ol’ banger and if you like your EDM loud and colourful, this is the tune for you.

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Signate – Another Day In Paradise

Signate serve up a gorgeous synth-pop reworking of “Another Day In Paradise”, a cover that honours Phil Collins while making the song genuinely their own.

Signate’s new single is a brave one, taking on a Phil Collins classic is no small ask. But they definitely pull it off. The duo lean into a warm, retro synth-pop palette with a yacht-rock sheen, keeping the aching heart of the original while dressing it in their own electronic textures. It’s all shimmering and summery, respectful without being a karaoke job, and that balance is harder than it looks. The social conscience of the lyric still lands hard all these years on, and honestly it gave me goosebumps. A lovely, considered reimagining.

Signate is the collaborative project of Augusta, Georgia artists Scott and JR, two longtime friends whose partnership spans over two decades. They started in rock before JR discovered FruityLoops and cracked open a whole new electronic dimension, a shift they liken to Damon Albarn moving from Blur to Gorillaz. This cover sat unfinished for over ten years until Scott rediscovered it during a quieter, fatherhood-filled stretch. Glad he did, this one was worth the wait, and we’d love to hear more.

Strange Trigger – Sometimes

“Sometimes” is a superb piece of haunted indie-industrial synth pop from Strange Trigger, handmade textures and tape-saturated atmosphere rewarding every repeat listen.

Strange Trigger’s new single lives in the shadows between genres. “Sometimes” occupies that elusive space where indie pop, synth pop and industrial music meet, built at home from a carefully curated mix of vintage and modern synthesizers. The production flows organically between piano, MIDI-controlled synths and drum machines, and the result feels deliberately handmade, slightly tape-saturated and genuinely haunted. It’s the kind of track that demands attention, every listen surfacing another buried synth line or subtle choice you missed the first time. Layered, emotionally weighted and quietly compelling, it really does reward the patience.

Strange Trigger is an indie-industrial-pop project creating music entirely with hardware synthesizers and voice synthesizers, a setup that gives everything that distinctive handmade, machine-warm character. There’s a real commitment to craft here, a refusal to smooth away the textures that most producers would tidy up, and it’s exactly that unpolished intent that makes the sound so absorbing. “Sometimes” is a confident showcase of that vision, and it marks Strange Trigger out as a project well worth keeping an ear on. Intriguing, atmospheric stuff, more of this please.

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THIS WEEK’S ELECTRONIC BOPS

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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.

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Hidden Sector – Harmonic Surrender

“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.

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THIS WEEK’S ROCK BOPS

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This week’s rock hits hard and means it. Big riffs, real defiance and a streak of mischief run right through, songs that trade empty bombast for grit and character. Loud, alive and built to be felt in a room rather than just heard.

Pray Silence – Kill Room

Pray Silence serve up an excellent slice of anthemic alt-rock, all huge riffs and sardonic bite aimed straight at the heart.

This is rock built to hit on three fronts at once. Huge guitar riffs drive it forward while anthemic choruses open it up, and biting, sardonic lyrics keep it sharp between the swings. It really is a great mix. There’s a kind of propulsive, intricate quality to the writing that feels a little 90s alt-rock lineage. Nothing feels padded: the heaviness has purpose, the hooks are muscular, and the whole thing carries the confident charge of a band who know exactly the impact they want. The vocal is the standout of course, isn’t it lovely to hear rock which doesn’t have that standard rock vocal? Yes, is the answer, and Pray Silence do it in style.

Pray Silence are Edinburgh newcomers, the project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marky Wildtype alongside Sam Siggs, frontman of garage punk band The Head Henchmen, both wanting to get back to something heavier. The band coalesced slowly over several years rather than arriving fully formed, gradually gathering strength in the dark. “Kill Room” is their second single, building on debut Dragon of Chaos, and lands squarely for fans of Biffy Clyro, Arcane Roots, Black Peaks and Jamie Lenman. They’ve definitely got a new fan over here at BOPS, cos this one’s great.

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Reetoxa – Bottle

“Bottle” is a superb piece of 90s-rooted alt-rock from Reetoxa, a thirty-year-old song that sounds exactly the way it was always meant to.

This is a song that has waited three decades to detonate. And explode it does. The best riff we’ve heard in a while, a whole bunch of vintage 90s alt-rock grit, and the whole thing really does comes alive. There’s a lovely raw teenage edge here, with a touch of restless defiance and youthful rebellion. And the chorus? That’s a winner. And it wouldn’t sound out of place on the radio, this one.

Reetoxa is a Melbourne band fronted by Jason McKee, who wrote “Bottle” back in 1995 at just fifteen, the fifth song he ever penned, and deliberately set it aside for a hypothetical second album. It stayed in the drawer for thirty years until McKee met producer Simon Moro and finally began releasing his catalogue. Moro became invested enough to master the track himself, while James Ryan reworked McKee’s original guitar ideas into the finished sonic explosion, closing a loop three decades in the making. We’re glad they did, because the result are genuinely great. More of this please, Jason!

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The Colinizers – Gravitational Bull

“Gravitational Bull” is a lovely bit of art-rock mischief from The Colinizers, sharp social commentary smuggled inside an unstoppable hook.

This is rock that treats life as a carnival worth enjoying. An unstoppable groove of a beat and razor-sharp guitar riffs drive the track forward. There’s knowing winks and contemporary pop sensibilities, and the playful surface with real bite is the combo we’re enjoying. The flow is good, musically it’s confident, colourful and a little unhinged in the best way. The sound of a group who clearly relish blurring the line between a serious idea and an outright good time.

The Colinizers are a Philadelphia band whose ambitions stretch well past a single: this track sits inside a trilogy of animated videos, alongside a Sympathy for the Devil cover and a festive cut, all built to support their forthcoming novel Crackpot Jackpot. Recorded at Fat-Finger Studios in their hometown and considered their lyrically strongest work yet, it arrives as they finish their sixth album Bigger Whole. Theirs is a sprawling multimedia universe, a band treating music as one thread in a much larger story. Check it out below, you will definitely not regret it. A great single.

LY@TT – Song for Pete Ham

“Song for Pete Ham” is a beautiful tribute from LY@TT, honouring the Badfinger great with a stunning pop rock single that genuinely soars

This is a tribute done with real love and real care. LY@TT honour the late Pete Ham of Badfinger, and everything about it feels like a labour of devotion. The slide guitar deliberately echoes the signature texture of “Day After Day”, and the lyrics are peppered with nods to Ham’s classics. Vocally, it’s a duet between Paul R Johnson and DC Williams, with Kleidi Buroz’s backing vocals lifting the whole thing in style, and Rick Skinner’s guitar work is lovely. And here’s a fun detail: Ed Booth nailed the drums in a single first take, so perfect no one wanted a second. A lovely cast, but it’s the keen melodic approach that’s the standout. It’s a beautifully moving, respectful piece.

LY@TT, pronounced “Late”, hail from Charlottesville, Virginia, and comprise Rick, Paul, D.C. and Ed, seasoned musicians who first started playing together back in 1988 in Lynchburg, Virginia. After reuniting in 2024, the band have been crafting new music at Studio 607 in Ivy, Virginia, under the guidance of their mentor and producer Tim Ryan. Their sound is a blend of heartfelt lyrics, soulful melodies and a real touch of nostalgia, and here it’s all in service of a fellow songwriter they clearly cherish. It’s brilliantly done. More of this, please LY@TT.

Take Back The Sun – Modern Treason

Take Back The Sun deliver a standout brand of prog-tinged hard rock, all big riffs and melodic keys aimed squarely at the state of things.

This is hard rock with something to say and the muscle to say it. Take Back The Sun come out swinging on “Modern Treason”, a song about political turmoil that never lets the message dull the impact. Big riffs drive the whole thing along, but it’s the fantastic lyrical themes woven through that really catches the ear, giving the whole thing a proggy edge that lifts it above standard hard rock. There’s a punk bite in the delivery too, and the balance of heaviness and hook is spot on. It’s angry in all the right way, urgent without being preachy, and it hits hard. Cracking stuff.

Take Back The Sun are a rock band from southern Wisconsin who have been performing and writing together since 2021. They deal in a hard rock sound shot through with prog and punk influences, and that melodic keyboard running through many of their songs is the thing that really defines them. This is a band with a clear identity and a clear mission, wanting simply to reach as many ears as they can, and on this evidence they deserve to. Give them a spin, you won’t regret it. We’re 100% on board.

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THIS WEEK’S R&B BOPS

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This week’s R&B moves between the head and the heart. Songs about drawing a hard line, aching over what slipped away, protecting your peace and chasing a spark: warm vocals and cinematic production carrying real emotional weight, the kind that lingers.

Keesha Blair – Access Declined

“Access Declined” is a gorgeous piece of cinematic soul-pop from Keesha Blair, a song that makes protecting your peace sound like an absolute dream

Keesha Blair’s latest single is a boundary drawn in velvet. Atmospheric, widescreen production frames a vocal that stays composed and stunning. And the whole track carries a kind of calm vibe of a decision already made. The concept is the sacred moment when inner peace stops being negotiable, holding love and self-protection in the same hand without letting either cancel the other out. It’s strong, and the song really does it justice. And the soul pop arrangement gives it the beating heart it needs.

Keesha Blair is a Woodbridge-based songwriter, music creator and custom music director working under the banner Divine Purpose Music, where healing, empowerment and emotional restoration sit at the centre of everything she makes. Her focus lands on songwriting, concept and creative direction, building message-led songs for listeners doing deep inner work and finding their way back to their own voice. “Access Declined” distills that mission into one clear statement about self-worth and the compassion it takes to hold a line. A stunning single, more of this please Keesha.

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Leon Prince – Sexy Cami Set

“Sexy Cami Set” is a lovely slice of polished contemporary R&B from Leon Prince, a confident opening statement with a classic soul heart.

Leon Prince’s new single is R&B that leads with charm. Polished, contemporary production sits on a foundation of classic soul. And the track moves with an easy confidence, exploring attraction and the emotional push and pull of a new connection. It’s very sultry this one, carrying a cinematic, story-first quality that builds a world rather than chasing a hook. It’s warm and assured throughout, playing like the opening chapter of something larger. An artist introducing his voice and taking his time to make it land.

Leon Prince is an independent international R&B and pop artist whose music blends contemporary R&B with classic soul and a cinematic, storytelling streak. Inspired by true events, his songs move through love, attraction, heartbreak, redemption and second chances, delivered with polished production and emotionally driven performances. “Sexy Cami Set” is the opening chapter of his debut project True Stories, an interconnected set of songs built around a voice that aims to bridge modern R&B with timeless soul. More of this please, Leon.

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ANTXNXO – BURNING

ANTXNXO’s latest single is an excellent, dark alternative R&B stunner, a haunting meditation on transformation that pulls you deep inside

This is R&B soaked in shadow. Stacked harmonies build rich, layered soundscapes. It brings to mind some of the atmospheric darkness of The Weeknd, and the whole track invites you in beautifully. Conceptually, it captures the visceral idea of metamorphosis, the burning away of an old self to emerge as someone new. Damn, I’d love to do that sometimes. The excellent production leans into that unease with a crisp sound and impressive sound world. The run time is short – this zinger makes it point and heads off home. It’s great.

ANTXNXO is a London-based artist who writes and co-produces alongside Erim Ahmet, keeping complete creative control over a sound built on stacked harmonies and dark, cinematic atmosphere. “BURNING” is the entry point to his debut album ONLY THE DARKNESS CAN SAVE ME NOW, released the same day, a cohesive exploration of finding salvation in darkness. This is brilliantly ambitious new stuff, exactly what London needs right now, and I’ll be keeping an eye on ANTXNXO.

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Golden Fez – IS THIS LOVE?

Golden Fez serves up a gorgeous slice of nocturnal trap-soul, a moody, immersive cut built for late-night overthinking.

This is R&B that thrives in the grey areas. Hypnotic beats and all dark/moody vibes, it’s got that cinematic atmosphere that really works. It talks about the emotional back-and-forth of a situationship. Will it be uncomplicated or will it be a rollercoaster? We’ve been there mate, and this single captures it brilliantly. The production is intimate, contemporary and there’s space for the song at the heart of it to breathe. Honestly if you’re into trap soul that’s immersive, introspective and gripping, then look no further than Golden Fez this summer.

The artist is from London, working in trap soul, dark pop and dark R&B, blending moody atmospheres with introspective storytelling and citing The Weeknd, PLAZA and Majid Jordan. His sound aims for the meeting point of cinematic and intimate, pitched squarely at late-night listening. “IS THIS LOVE?” marks a notable step in his development, mixing a dab of R&B warmth into his own nocturnal palette, and the results are nothing short of stunning. An essential track this month.

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THIS WEEK’S ROCK BOPS

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This week’s rock spans the full spread, from a teenager announcing himself with dirty blues riffs to seasoned bands chasing euphoria, defiance and a bit of sunshine. Loud, honest and built for the stage, every one of these swings for the back row.

Queens Fool – Bourboncy

“Bourboncy” is one of the most singable country-rock heartbreak anthems you’ll hear this week from Queens Fool, a barroom lament built for shouting back.

This is heartbreak you can raise a glass to. Built around a clever barroom hook, “Bourboncy” turns a relationship falling apart into a roots-rock singalong, following a narrator stranded on a barstool where the only therapy on offer comes from the bartender. I’ve been there mate. The production is warm and cinematic, melodic hooks doing the heavy lifting while the lyrics wring wry humour from last-call regret. It balances hurt against a chorus built for crowds, a kind of rare drinking song that feels really genuine and fun. Best of all, the breakdown before the last chorus is great.

Queens Fool is the artist project of Leonard Bernstein, a Napa, California songwriter working in melodic rock, Americana and country rock with a taste for cinematic emotional themes. His catalogue is built around reflective lyrics and modern full-band production, returning again and again to love, memory, resilience and personal transformation. “Bourboncy” sits right in that wheelhouse, a story-driven heartbreak song that leans on character and hook. It’s a fantastic single, and we hope there’s more coming.

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Luca Cruz – Walls Fall Down

“Walls Fall Down” is a stunning debut from Luca Cruz, a blues-rock statement so assured it is genuinely hard to believe it comes from a 16-year-old.

This is a track that arrives swinging. Dirty, overdriven guitars ride in with a heavy groove while the vocal carries a weathered conviction that has no business sounding this lived-in. The whole thing pushes forward with bags of urgency, and I love the heady mix. It’s clear that there’s blues DNA in the tone and phrasing, but nothing here reads as throwback: the energy is modern and full-throttle, the hook defiant. ‘Play it loud and dirty, til the walls fall down’ really captures the vibe perfercely.

Luca Cruz is a 16-year-old guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer from Perth, Western Australia, who wrote, performed and self-produced this entire debut. He was guided in the studio by respected Australian blues guitarist Michael Vdelli, and raised on a wide spread of guitar music, from The Jeff Healey Band and Gary Moore to the heavier attack of Metallica and Pantera. That creative independence at his age is the real story here, an artist arriving with a distinctive voice, and this absolute banger already under his belt. A great track.

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Sandra Vriese – Spotlight!

“Spotlight!” is a superb, high-energy rock-pop anthem from Sandra Vriese, a euphoric shot of nostalgia with soul harmonies and real bite.

This one is built to get a party started, and it knows it. Soul harmonies and unexpected rhythmic accents drive an infectious rock-pop rush. There’s a pinch of Pink’s brash confidence and the swagger of a classic En Vogue intro. There’s party vibes, a wistful streak and a longing for the carefree Friday nights of youth before adult weight settled in. Damn, I know the feeling, Sandra. Anyway, before I get teary-eyed, it’s bags of fun this one, celebrating and thriving in the spotlight while missing the freedom of the past. And what a guitar solo.

Sandra Vriese is a hands-on artist from Hummelo in the Netherlands who writes, records and even masters her own material, chasing a sound that stays authentically hers at every stage. In 2024 she assembled a full band on guitar, bass and drums to bring power and energy to her compositions, drawing on the positivity of Pink and the bold soul of En Vogue. This one’s huge, and we can’t wait to see what Sandra does next.

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Delta Fire – Love Stops First

Delta Fire serve up “Love Stops First” – a brilliant, high-powered rock track and sound of a Glasgow band baring their teeth

This is rock with the amps pushed hard. High-powered and muscular, “Love Stops First” rips forward on blistering guitar work and a heavy, driving low end, the band clearly relishing the chance to let loose. There’s a classic rock and roll backbone here, with a smidge of 90s grunge in there too, but it all feels very current through it’s immediacy. The riffs are strong, the bluesy vocals great, and the whole thing sets your heart ablaze. Would be fun to see live too.

Delta Fire are a four-piece alt-rock band forged in Glasgow. “Love Stops First” is the third single from their upcoming album, currently slated for Spring 2027. These lads can definitely rock, some tasty guitar solos, heavy bass riffs and introspective lyricism. There’s plenty of fire in this, and we’re very excited to hear more from these lads. A great single.

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Mick J. Clark – Anuther Sunny Hulliday

“Anuther Sunny Hulliday” is a gorgeous, unashamedly feel-good summer singalong from Mick J. Clark, an essential summer track for 2026

Mick J Clark’s new single is a holiday captured start to finish in one song. An impressive feat, and it walks through every beat of the getaway, from pre-trip anticipation to poolside bliss. And then to the bittersweet flight home. This could be awful, but it’s delivered in a crisp, knowing and beautifully produced way that it really works. Vocally, there’s a touch of Costello and it’s meticulously produced for something so light-hearted. This is feel-good music with genuine substance under the sunshine, built purely to lift the mood.

Mick J. Clark is a prolific Croydon artist who writes the songs, music and lyrics for his releases and plays a hands-on role in producing them, drawing creative inspiration from his passion for football. “Anuther Sunny Hulliday” comes from his album Notes Two, and sits within a busy catalogue that includes the EP I Want It More Than You. His whole approach is built on making accessible, joyful music that works for all ages. It’s worked a treat here, so check out this beauty below.

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THIS WEEK’S INDIE ROCK BOPS

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This week’s indie rock rewards the curious. These are songs that sidestep the obvious, built on friction, texture and a restless streak of invention. Nothing here goes for the easy hook, and every one of them lingers longer because of it.

Fierce Friend – Put You Right

“Put You Right” is an wonderful slice of tense, caustic alt-indie rock from Fierce Friend, the sound of modern communication overload captured into a song

Fierce Friend’s lastest banger runs on friction. A driving guitar riff and sharp synth textures lock together under dry, caustic wit, and the whole track simmers with the tension of a disagreement curdling into something uglier. It captures the atmosphere of modern life rather than lecturing about it. Accusations, certainty hardening into delusion, communication breaking down in real time. Damn, we know the feeling. It’s restless, slightly overloaded and I love it; a song that captures the heated instant.

Fierce Friend is the solo project of Brighton DIY songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Alan Grice, a fixture of the city’s indie and art-pop scene. His debut album Lies That Comfort You earned BBC 6 Music airplay and a “great sophistipop record” nod from Stuart Maconie. “Put You Right” is the second single from the harsher, faster Blood Red Hills & The Uncanny Valley, due 26 October. It’s a stunning track, and we’re very excited for the album. Keep an eye on this lad.

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Sean MacLeod – I’ve Seen You Around

“I’ve Seen You Around” is a stunning, genuinely original track from Sean MacLeod, where an ancient lyre and pure Pythagorean tuning meet modern indie pop.

This is a lovely pop song that has a taste of the otherworldly. There’s not many songs we get in our magical musical postbag that blending the ancient tone of the lyre with modern computer production, and tuned the whole thing to the old Pythagorean system. The result has a serene quality that really standouts out, and definitely catches the ear. It’s not all experimentation, there’s a proper pop melody here – as you’d expect from Sean MacLeod – so it never tips into mere curiosity: it is genuinely lovely as well a bit strange.

Sean T MacLeod is an Irish songwriter and a founding member of the Dublin band Cisco, who recorded with U2’s one-time producer Paul Barrett and won critical acclaim at home before going solo. We’re lucky enough to have interviewed him, and have been following his work for a little while now. He cites the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Motown alongside folk, classical and avant-garde leanings, and tends to wrap philosophical, even spiritual lyrics in catchy structures. There’s an experimental sixth album on the way. And we cannot wait.

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Highroad No. 28 – With (No) Clarity

“With (No) Clarity” is a stunning slab of atmospheric alt-rock from Highroad No. 28, a two-decade project returning darker and more powerful than ever.

Highroad No. 28’s new single is brooding, cinematic alt-rock done properly. Cinematic guitars and dark, rolling bass lines wrap around emotionally charged vocals, and the whole thing wrestles openly with uncertainty and that feeling of coming out the other side of a hard stretch. There’s real weight here, the sound of a band who’ve lived a bit and aren’t pretending otherwise. And the chord changes into the chorus? Fantastic. It builds and broods without ever tipping into melodrama, and honestly it’s the kind of song that sounds even bigger with the lights dimmed a little. A powerful, hard-won return.

Highroad No. 28 is an Australian project first formed way back in 1998, and their story is one of sheer endurance. After a run of EPs and albums through the 2000s, they went into a long hibernation from 2012 to 2024 before roaring back with the acclaimed album The Will to Endure. This single, recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne and mixed by James Taplin, comes as they prepare for their first live shows in well over a decade. Welcome back, lads, we’re glad you endured, cos this one’s great.

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Upon Waking – Faded

“Faded” is a gorgeous piece of atmospheric dream-rock from Upon Waking, all shoegaze haze and beautiful melancholic melody built for headphones and rainy days.

Upon Waking’s “Faded” drifts in on a cloud of reverb and quiet melancholy. It sits in that lovely space between shoegaze, dream rock and indie electronic, guitars washing over a melody that kind of aches rather than reaching for a big shouty peak. There’s a restless, textured quality underneath the haze, the kind of new order-esque zinger that soundtracks a half-remembered dreams. I put this on with a coffee and lost a good ten minutes staring out the window, which is exactly what music like this is for. Beautifully done.

Upon Waking began in late 2024 in Brighton, where Matt turned restless ideas into songs that grew well beyond their origins. He started out in punk rock bands, where raw energy and DIY spirit shaped his early sound, before the project expanded from a solo experiment into a full band. That evolution shows: this is alternative pop that thrives on mood, texture and a genuine sense of discovery. A promising start, and we’ll be keeping an ear out for what comes next. Check it out here.

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Tiebreak – You Can’t Bring That In Here, Our Drummer Has a Peanut Allergy

Tiebreak deliver a brilliant slice of melodic indie rock with the best song title we’ve had in the postbag all year, tape-warm and full of charm.

Tiebreak’s new single wins us over before a note even plays, with a title that long you can’t help but grin. Happily the song lives up to the cheek. Recorded to tape at Tilehouse Studios, it’s melodic indie rock with a proper analogue warmth, all jangle and bounce and unpolished heart. There’s a scrappy, unsigned honesty running through it that no amount of studio gloss could buy, and that’s exactly why it works. It’s the sound of a band having a laugh and meaning it. Vocally it has a touch of Clap your hands say yeah, which I love. A genuine indie charmer.

Tiebreak are an unsigned British band out of Northampton and Milton Keynes, cheerfully hunting for audiences and gig opportunities, which is exactly the kind of underdog we love to champion. This is the second single from their album 16-23, recorded at Tilehouse Studios on tape for that authentic sound and due 24 July. It’s early days for these lads, but there’s bags of personality here, so do them a favour and give it a spin. We reckon it’s well worth your time. A brilliant indie single this summer.

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THIS WEEK’S POP BOPS

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This week’s pop hides sharp minds behind bright surfaces. Warm, melodic and easy on the ear, but with real wit and feeling working away underneath. These are songs that go down smooth and then quietly give you something to think about.

Ferdinand Rennie – You Wrote Hallelujah

“You Wrote Hallelujah” is a brilliant, thoughtful pop song from Ferdinand Rennie, a rare single that brilliantly captures songwriting itself as its subject.

This is a song about songs. Rather than another love lyric, “You Wrote Hallelujah” turns its attention to where writers draw their material, weaving together the stories behind two famous works and the guilt and faith tangled up in them. Built on a strong vocal and an arrangement that gives the words room to breathe, it ends up in a wonderful, emotional track. It turns out as reflective without ever turning dry, and if you like a great track with a big vocal, this is definitely your track.

Ferdinand Rennie is an Austrian-born singer based on the west coast of Scotland, with a career spanning three decades. He has appeared on Austrian and German television, taken leading roles in musicals including Les Misérables and Jesus Christ Superstar, sung in Monte Carlo before Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, and performed on Britain’s Got Talent in 2022. An impressive musical CV, but it’s this single which is the genuine standout. Check it out below, you won’t regret it.

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Stefan B. Pieksma – Rationalize This

Stefan B. Pieksma serves up a gorgeous piece of 60s-scented psychedelic pop with a wickedly sharp mind underneath.

This is a song that grins while it skewers you. A warm analogue soundscape does the heavy lifting, harpsichord, a bouncy bassline, lush vocal harmonies and spinning tape loops all conjuring the golden age of psychedelic pop. The melody is very infectious, but the lyrics turn a cold eye on human self-deception. Those mental gymnastics people perform to justify questionable decisions, from petty workplace delusions to outright moral cop-outs. I love the concept, and the contrast between the message and the sweet sound really works.

Stefan B. Pieksma records from the subarctic town of Boden in northern Sweden under the genre-defying art project Pieces of Pix. His background is anything but typical: a Swedish Armed Forces officer and former Balkan peacekeeper in the early 1990s, he channels decades of observing global conflict and human nature into biting satirical songwriting. Not your typical route into making bangers, but whatever works, and they feel sharpened by that worldly perspective. A compelling single.

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Sef Fah – Escondida Do Sol

“Escondida Do Sol” is a stunning Portuguese-language reverie from Sef Fah, a warm, unhurried tribute to seventies Brazilian song at its most tender.

Sef Fah’s new single is a song built for slow evenings. Sung in Portuguese, it draws directly on the spirit of seventies Brazilian music. I love the warm, gentle vibes, and it’s very easy to groove along to. But there’s a bittersweet idea at its heart, that love is the sun, and with it the loss and darkness that follow when the light goes. It’s a lovely concept, and the mood honours it beautifully without ever turning heavy. Lounge-soft and quietly romantic, it feels like a track made to drift out of an open window at dusk.

Sef Fah is a London-based songwriter whose whole project is a stand against the homogenisation of music, writing across multiple languages and drawing on cultures spanning Europe, Asia and the Arabic world. Its great to hear that ambition in the music, and interesting that “Escondida Do Sol” began life as a French composition before becoming this Portuguese release. A songwriter who dreams openly of one day working with Seu Jorge, Sef Fah treats linguistic diversity as central to the work rather than a novelty. It’s a fantastic, smooth single and you should definitely check it out below.

Kelesha Martin – Fly My Way

Kelesha Martin’s new single “Fly My Way” is lovely dose of cinematic orchestral pop that soars sky high

This is pop with a composer’s hand behind it. Melodic violin, background vocals and a flute kept delicately below the lead build slowly toward a powerful outro. There’s skill in the arrangement here, and I love the kind of timeless pop quality to this which almost has a soundtrack-ready quality. The standout is definitely Martin’s vocal; gently floating upon the musical foundation, and swelling with a patient, uplifting momentum that earns its emotional payoff by the time it lifts off.

Kelesha Martin is a musician and songwriter from Galt, California, with a Minor in Music and years of experience as a classroom teacher, music educator and choir director. She grew up in Oakland studying flute under renowned flutist Elena Duran, and “Fly My Way” began twenty years ago as a song called Butterfly. It was recorded at Studio 132 in Oakland with arranger Peter Xiong, violinist Darcy Lynn Ford and producer B.Z. Lewis, closing a two-decade creative loop back in the city where she first learned her instrument. An impressive story, but the best thing here is the song itself, it’s genuinely beautiful and we’re excited to hear more this year.

Deptford Sound Collective – Broke

Broke” is a brilliant modern protest song from Deptford Sound Collective, channelling 1960s solidarity into an urgent, big-hearted anthem for the overworked.

This is pop with a picket sign in its hand. The track speaks directly to the millions working two or three jobs and still struggling to get by. I know the feeling lads, and this one skillfully turns that plight into a rallying cry rather than a lament. Musically it reaches for the spirit of 60s protest songs, a bold statement of love over hate that really lands. There’s a whole bounce to the whole thing though, keeping things anthemic and communal so the message lands as hope rather than despair. An important message, and musically it really lands.

Deptford Sound Collective are a London group made up of diverse musicians, artists and community activists from Deptford in South East London. The string of singles we’ve heard from them this year has been impressive, and only seems to be gathering momentum. It’s music rooted in solidarity, championing those facing challenges to their civil liberties and building songs designed to gather the crowd. We need more music in this ilk these days. Let’s hope Deptford Sound Collective keep this run of form going into the second half of the year, because this one’s great.

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Gamal turns expectation on its head with “A Ring For Kiki”

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Gamal has already built a name as a wildly versatile producer, with over 25 million streams and a sound that moves freely through R&B, pop, hip-hop, rap, indie and alternative spaces. Now stepping out with his debut single “A Ring For Kiki”, he brings that same curiosity into something more personal and direct. With years of creative work already behind him and support from names like Billboard and Complex, Gamal is shaping a lane of his own, one built on vulnerability, connection and a refusal to be boxed in.

We were super pleased when we got to send a few questions his way…

“A Ring For Kiki” feels wonderfully stripped back and intimate. What made you decide that this story should focus on the guitar?

The reason, like many artistic decisions is subconscious and unconscious at all once. Growing up every guitar hero of mine had an instrumental song, “the song” that was secretly a fan favorite, “Dee” by Randy Rhodes, “Eruption” by Eddie Van Halen, “Lenny” by Stevie Ray Vaughn and the list goes on. I’ve always wanted that – a song that leaves a trace of voice on the instrument in ways words can’t. 


Last year I got engaged and something in me changed, knowing I have my person for life, it gave me the confidence to put out myself as myself for once.

The only question was – what? 

“A Ring for Kiki” started as a riff I would play late at night, something I would always come back to – it calmed me down, it sounded like what our first date felt like. I showed the song to my best friend Alex in passing. He heard it and instantly said “This should be your first song”. At first it sounded strange – and then it made perfect sense, a return to form, not image to uphold, no vocals to perfect, just me and my guitar – how it all started. My fiancé always wanted me to write a song for her – well I’ll do her one better haha.

You’ve built a reputation as a producer working across so many genres. Was it refreshing to step away from big production and let simplicity do the talking?

Yes, very much. I’m always in search for the “feeling”.

When you can close your eyes and your thoughts get replaced with sounds. It was refreshing have one singular track in the logic session and making that fill the room.

Your music often explores relationships and personal growth. Is this song drawn from a real moment, or did the idea come from somewhere else?

Many real moments and some I imagine. Growth comes in waves, I try to document all of the waves in sound.

Playing the guitar has always been a safe place for me and I trust it in a very primitive way.

That riff always brought me back to a beautiful place – so I hope it can do the same from someone else. That’s all I can ask for .

People know you for your versatility, but this track shows a much quieter side. Do you think this is the direction fans can expect more of, or are you going with the flow?

At this point I’ve accepted the fact that part of my versatility is my indecision on genre’s I like and if I have anything to say in them. In a world where AI and loops allow a producer to be anything – it’s more important than ever to have conviction in your decisions – it’s arguably the only thing a computer can’t do for us.

This song was a decision, in music, perception and love.

At a young age, you’ve already achieved so much as a producer and artist. When you look ahead, what kind of musician do you hope people see you as in five years’ time?

That is debatable but thank you haha. I hope people see me / or my music as a quiet room in a loud party.

The room where you take a second to gather yourself, get away from the noise and think / feel … or not think / feel. 



I hope young musicians and producers get inspired to pick up an instrument and learn to express themselves with it. There is an entire world of expression in your hands if you do. I hope this song can be “the song” for me.

Well, we’re really excited to follow Gamal’s progress.

Check him out on Instagram below.

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THIS WEEK’S INDIE POP BOPS

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This week’s indie pop is all bright surfaces with something going on underneath. Big hooks carry songs about sudden romance, quiet domestic devotion, harder truths dressed up to dance, and a straight shot of disco joy. Pop that knows happiness is a craft.

De Fans – Nights Machine

“Nights Machine” is a gorgeous disco-pop rush from De Fans, a feel-good dancefloor filler ready for your next Friday night, with all the retro magic intact.

De Fans latest banger is built for movement. Infectious rhythms and bright melodic hooks drive a track that pulls classic dancefloor energy into crisp modern production, the kind of song that warms up a room within seconds. Strong female vocals ride the groove while a nostalgic glow hangs over everything, all glitterball shimmer and forward momentum. It never overthinks its mission, which is simply to make you move, and that easy confidence is exactly why it works. Pure uplift, designed to send a little retro joy, and we’re 100% here for it.

De Fans is a Germany-based disco-pop project created and produced by däh De, working out of Bonn. The project lives at the meeting point of classic disco, synth-pop and feel-good dance music, building each release around catchy melodies and uplifting dancefloor vibes. “Nights Machine” has already drawn warm responses from international curators, and it fits a clear creative mission: keeping the spirit of timeless disco alive while dressing it in a contemporary sheen. It’s on our party playlist, and we hope there’s more disco bangers like this coming soon. A great single.

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Seb Turner-Moore – Spin, Stop, GO!

“Spin, Stop, GO!” is a gorgeous shot of summer indie-pop from Seb Turner-Moore, bright and alive enough to lift every playlist it lands on.

Seb Turner-Moore’s latest banger is the sound of a song trying to make you grin. It is bright, energetic and warm, the kind of melodic indie-pop that captures the giddy rush of a sudden spark between two people. The hooks land fast and the production keeps everything bouncy, never letting the energy dip below a sprint. Musically, this is crisply produced indie pop that’s got a lovely open-hearted and joyful vibe that’s very, very difficult to resist.

Seb Turner-Moore is an indie-pop songwriter originally from the south east of England who has since lived in London and now Switzerland, folding each move into his writing. Across a decade of producing and writing he has picked up multiple BBC Introducing plays, and we’re not surprised at all. This single opens a new chapter centred on romance and attraction, and we’re definitely along for the ride. A brilliant pop moment this June.

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The domi – Tiny Light

The domi serve up brilliant, warm-hearted indie-pop in ‘Tiny Light’, the kind of uplifting but compelling indie that you need this year

The dom’s latest single genuinely glows. Warm guitars and a memorable melody carry a clear message of resilience and hope, and the song sits in that lovely space between indie pop, dream pop and melodic pop rock without ever feeling caught between them. There is a lift to the whole arrangement, a sense of something brightening as it goes, that makes the hopeful sentiment land as earned rather than easy. There’s a great groove here, and I love the vocals, the sort of track built to soundtrack the moment things finally start looking up.

The domi is the project of independent French artist, songwriter and producer Dominique Lemaire, based just outside Paris in Arcueil. He writes, plays and produces everything himself, drawing on Metronomy, Phoenix and Tame Impala for that blend of guitar warmth and melodic precision. He keeps his instrumentals available for sync, which fits the cinematic, mood-led quality of his writing. “Tiny Light” fits into our world beautifully, and it’s a great single. More of this please, Dominique.

Remik Erikson – Nacho

“Nacho” is a gorgeous, genuinely charming oddball of a love song from Remik Erikson, proof that devotion can sound this warm and this fun.

Remik Erikson’s new single is a love song with an unlikely muse. Built from the small domestic moment of watching his wife make nachos, the track turns ordinary devotion into something warm, playful and surprisingly tender. Erikson keeps the production light, by his own account careful not to overspice it, and that restraint lets the affection do the talking. It is the rare song that finds real feeling in the mundane, taking a kitchen scene most people would overlook and making it sound romantic.

Remik Erikson is a Windsor-based artist who started writing music for his own wedding song, and that origin runs right through his work: he builds songs from genuine lived moments rather than abstractions. Working from his basement studio, he favours a raw, honest approach over polish, finding melody in everyday life and the people in it. “Nacho” is a perfect distillation of that, an artist turning the most domestic of evenings into a song with real heart. It’s bags of fun, so check it out below.

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