Icarus Phoenix • Pedantic Myopia • 2025

 

“sweeping emotional powerhouse...it's the sincerity in the lyricism that just keeps you coming back”     - Nathan Lankford/Austin Town Hall

“thematically rich and melodically captivating”                                                                                                        - Mike Mineo/Obscure Sound

"epic piece of art that will instantly capture your heart and soul in all of the right ways"                                        - Langen Goldstien/Girl at the Rock Shows

Website

Run Remedy • Kerosene • 2025

Kerosene recounts the tragic loss of Koob’s first “puppy love”, Lily, when the pair were involved in a tragic car accident during her teenage years. Raised in a strict Evangelical Christian household, with two preacher parents, Koob spent her adolescence lost and closeted, struggling to understand her identity within the confines of a conservative community. On Kerosene, she reflects on how the tragedy reshaped her life and pushed her toward self-discovery and a broader world beyond the confines of her upbringing.

 

On her new single, Koob shared:

 

“Losing Lily so young is a big part of what gave me the courage to really live. It was a face-slap way to learn how short and precious life is. Kerosene is about that bright flame of being young, filled with the promise of life. It’s about the destruction and terror of that day, as well as the brightness and life that come afterward.I don't know if I ever would have been brave enough to leave the comfort of my world or risk being my true self without that experience.

I have a tattoo for Lily now. We used to talk about what we wanted to get, and after her death, when I finally got my cliché violin back tattoo, I got hers on my hand too—so I wouldn't ever forget that lesson.”

Instagram

Flora Hibberd • Lucky You • 2025

Along with the album comes a lyric video for release day focus track, "Lucky You." Made by band member Victor Claass with font hand-drawn by Flora Hibberd herself, the video collages fascinating archival footage and scientific diagrams of plant growth cycles. About it Claass says:

 

Watching the video for Lucky You is supposed to feel like flipping through a book about mosses and lichens. These soft and fragile organic forms appear in the lyrics, which reveal themselves across the screen until they crowd each other out and saturate. The effect is an instability, a sense of disturbance, reflecting the song, holding all its tension until the last.

https://www.florahibberd.com/

SOFIA HÄRDIG • PALE FIRE • 2025

"The Swede oscillates between Post-punk, goth-rock, Placebo and Nick Cave. Her singing has the same kind  of absolute urgency that Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine once has."

ROLLING STONE

 

”The Swedish-born polymath has never been on more rumbustious form.”,

CRACK 

 

”She fathoms and conjures up the dark sides of the soul, love, sex. Exciting!"

VISIONS

'Pale Fire' showcases Härdig's signature sound, which draws influence from alternative rock, post-punk, and New Wave, while maintaining her distinct artistic voice. The track is part of a larger body of work that represents what Härdig describes as "the tip of the iceberg of a long cycle of lyrics, often a novel/short story that I have built in solitude." Anchored by brooding piano work and haunting chord progressions, 'Pale Fire' unleashes the full force of Härdig's commanding vocals while highlighting her masterful touch as both producer and songwriter. The single is accompanied by striking visuals created in collaboration with a close friend and photographer Jessica Nettelblatt, who was so moved by the demo that she immediately envisioned the cover art, listening to the track on repeat during the photoshoot. For fans of Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, and Anna Calvi, 'Pale Fire' further cements Sofia Härdig's position as one of Sweden's most compelling alternative artists.

Blondshell • T&A • 2025

https://www.blondshellmusic.com/

“There’s a Rolling Stones song on Tattoo You called ‘Little T&A’ and at one point in the song, he says ‘tits and ass,’ so I’m borrowing that,” Teitelbaum said. “I think in music, it’s easy to see things as either more sexualized or more romantic, and I wanted this to be both. I see it as a love story — maybe not the most fairy tale love story — but I wanted it to feel like a really narrative song, where one thing leads to another and then you end up somewhere you didn’t expect. Normally that’s not how I write, but I wanted a song like that.” stereo

Samia • Bovine Excision • 2025

https://samia.ffm.to/bovineexcision

PANIK FLOWER • alkaline • 2025

“Trying to boil down this new female-fronted five piece means first contemplating Leopold’s voice, powerful in its ability to go low, then break into a calm, breathy rush reminiscent of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan — dark and vulnerable all at once. Then there’s the band as a whole — a wall of surfy and washed-out guitar, driving bass lines and dynamic drums that squanders and builds momentum in tight, catchy turns, steering the audience from a place of silent awe to a mass communal headbang.”

Website

The Convenience • I Got Exactly What I Wanted • 2025

https://lnk.to/like-cartoon-vampires

If you hadn’t been paying close attention, it may have seemed that the band’s Duncan Troast and Nick Corson have been taking it easy since 2021’s Accelerator, but the two have been busy backing Video Age and Hovvdy on tour and honing a refreshing new sound. Across thirteen vivid, angular tracks, The Convenience explores an invigorating sound that's just a tad psychedelic on the new record

Avery Friedman • "Flowers Fell” • 2024

“The opening melody for “Flowers Fell” came to me on a headphone-less walk home one night down Greene Avenue in Brooklyn. I had noticed that the flowers that once lined the branches had been replaced by leaves -- seemingly in the blink of an eye. I was briefly disappointed until I considered that the petals had made way for something more sustainable – and equally full of life.  The song became a meditation on the concept of place – how things of our surroundings like ‘sidewalks,’ and ‘balconies’ and ‘trees,’ can act as fixed backdrops upon which we measure our personal evolutions (and the evolutions of our relationships) across the span of many seasons.” – Avery Friedman 

https://linktr.ee/averyfriedman

“Having frequented bills with artists such as Sister. and Dead Gowns for the past year, Avery Friedman has consistently left an impression on those that have caught her sets, oftentimes performing solo, creating a space in which her vivid imagery and tender melodies greet new ears with welcome and understanding. Produced by James Chrisman (Sister.) and with contributions from Felix Walworth (Told Slant, Florist), “Flowers Fell” plays to the in-between moments as Friedman defines new beginnings.” – The Ugly Hug

girlpuppy • Windows • 2025

https://girlpuppymusic.com/

In the peak season for being wistful and nostalgic and sad but ultimately hopeful, Becca Harvey — the Atlanta, GA-based musician behind girlpuppy — is kicking off the new year with an outside-looking-in approach that's far subtler; more in the vein of driving by an ex's house out of muscle memory, scanning the darkness for light-soaked material proof. exclaim!

ZZZAHARA • IN YOUR HEAD • 2025

https://www.instagram.com/zzzahara.wav

Spiral Your Way Out finds zzzahara in the aftermath of a relationship spent trying to fit someone else’s mold, being jerked around by indecision, and then hitting “emotional rock bottom.” Made in a three-month burst that let all their pent-up frustrations loose, Spiral Your Way Out is in part a work of self-reclamation. It marks another sonic evolution as much as an emotional one. zzzahara’s songs have always come wrapped in a warm glow that reflects how they were written – namely at home in their bedroom. That glow remains on Spiral Your Way Out, but it also packs an ambitious streak and a gutsy punch. Taking a more collaborative approach than usual, zzzahara worked with a range of producers including Jorge Elbrecht (Japanese Breakfast, No Joy, Sky Ferreira), Sarah Tudzin (boygenius, Cloud Nothings, The Armed), former Ducktails guitarist Alex Craig (Jelani Aryeh, re6ce) and Halsey tour drummer Franco Reid, who helped harness their intimate style of writing and blow it up into something more panoptic.

Zack Keim • Battery Lane • 2025

zackkeimmusic.com

Sophmore Album by Zack Keim out on Evan Westfall of CAAMP's label Super Sport Records. Keim’s music glimmers with a retro-twinged pop sheen and a bright folk-driven optimism. Feat contributions from Matt Costa, Jordan Clark (The Frights), Evan Westfall (Caamp), and mastered in Nashville, TN by Pete Lyman (Tyler Childers, Weezer, John Prine).

Red Sleeping Beauty • Late Nights • 2025

”Another indie pop gem in electronic guise", one of the albums of the month - HELSINGBORGS DAGBLAD

“Mini-masterpiece”, “Everything is perfectly formed and immaculately conceived” - LOUDER THAN WAR

“All very elegant, refined but always engaging.“ - INDIE FOR BUNNIES

“Experts at constructing this sort of agile Euro-pop” - DAGGER ‘ZINE

“It's absolutely as superb as you'd hoped it would be“ - A PESSIMIST IS NEVER DISAPPOINTED

Happy New Year

 

ifitbeyourwill Podcast 2024

 These are some of the amazing artists that join me on ifitbeyourwill Podcast in 2024… A playlist of a few of the artist featured. If you missed any or wanna catch up on the show check out all the episodes https://ifitbeyourwill.buzzsprout.com In 2025 we’ll start the engine up again with a new slew of amazing artists. Thanks for listening ❤️ 

best of 2024 • Hurray for the Riff Raff • Buffalo

Linktreelinktr.ee/hurrayfortheriffraff

Following a performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Hurray for the Riff Raff has released an official music video for their song “Buffalo.” One of many highlights from The Past Is Still Alive, the 2024 Nonesuch album that Pitchfork just declared one of The Best of the Decade So Far, “Buffalo” is a love song about survival, patience, miracles, and memories of real people and places that bandleader Alynda Segarra (they/them) experienced during trips to New Mexico. In the video, directed by The Past Is Still Alive collaborator Jeff Perlman, Segarra takes over the Field Museum in their brand new home of Chicago, roams alongside a herd of wild buffalo, and shines a light on extinct and endangered species. none

best of 2024 • Shining Bird • No Silver Lining

https://linktr.ee/SHININGBIRD

best of 2024 • Devarrow • Likewise

http://www.devarrow.com/

Check out ‘Likewise’, the memorable new single written, produced, and performed by songwriter Graham Ereaux, also known as Devarrow.  Blending folk and indie influences, Devarrow has created a hugely compelling song, featuring a gorgeous melody and a sense of sonic urgency in the performance.  When writing songs for his new album, Ereaux discovered this amongst old demos and breathed new life into it.  He took the infectious, energetic outro, which stuck in his mind, and rewrote it as a dynamic chorus.  The end result is breathless and hugely likeable. AMUK

best of 2024 • hey, nothing • Maine (Live in Maine)

The group describes the message behind “Maine” as “an apology to those hurt by your distance but an acknowledgement of the pain you experience without it.”

Rough at the edges, the song is brutally honest and packed with experience — something that couldn’t be created from imagination alone. With lyrics like “I can’t wait not to go home, so far away from everything I know,” Tyler Mabry and Harlow Phillips use their pain to create a safe haven for themselves and everyone who’s felt the crippling guilt of leaving home and feeling better off because of it. luna

Finale • ifitbeyourwill S04E29 • Ellis Jones of Trust Fund

Thanks for listening to Season 4… Back in 2025 xox

Please Follow the Show

Ellis Jones from Sheffield takes us on an emotional journey through the years, from strumming his first guitar at the age of five to forming Trust Fund in 2010. His story unfolds with tales of childhood bands and teenage recording sessions, eventually leading to Trust Fund's recognition in the mid-2010s. Ellis opens up about his creative process and the influence of Bandcamp during the height of his musical releases, offering heartfelt insights into how evolving personal interests have always been at the heart of Trust Fund's unique sound.

A new chapter in music-making begins in Bristol, where shifting priorities in our mid-30s have shaped a practical and heartfelt duo with my partner and bandmate, CD. We find inspiration in lyrical ideas that give birth to melodies, exploring how those creative sparks evoke emotional responses both for us as creators and for our audience. Balancing the quest for perfection with the permanence of music releases becomes a shared challenge, as we navigate the repetitive yet rewarding process of mixing and finalizing tracks.

The pandemic years have brought about a surprising transformation for many artists, including one musician who traded electric for classical guitar, crafting an introspective and courageous new record. The themes shift to a more observant tone, with raw, voice-and-guitar compositions that leave nowhere to hide. As the narrative unfolds, we confront the challenge of staying emotionally connected amidst professional demands, reflecting on personal milestones and relationships that might blur into the background. Join us for an episode that encourages reflection on balancing life's demands with heartfelt connections.

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trustfund.fun

We thought it was all over. When Ellis Jones drew a curtain around his career as Trust Fund, it felt like the end of a particularly bittersweet long-distance relationship. That was in 2018, and Ellis had just dropped Bringing the Backline, the quintessential Trust Fund album: full of wry humour, heartache, energetic punk-pop hooks and glittering moments of indie-folk prettiness (it also gave us Carson McCullers, which, in this household at least, will always be one of the greatest pop songs ever written). That Jones had chosen to leave on such a high seemed like a statement of finality, an exclamation mark at the terminus of a convoluted, messy, beautiful sentence. KLOF