If the Pop Kids Unite, They Won't Be Divided • 2026

indiepop has always been about the little things.

A melody that stays in your head all day.

A guitar that sounds better because it isn't perfect.

A handmade sleeve. A tiny label. A song recorded in a bedroom.

A record passed from one friend to another.

But perhaps most of all, indiepop has always been intimate.

This compilation brings together songs from different corners of the indiepop world, connected by the same spirit: melody, independence, friendship, intimacy, and the simple joy of making and sharing music.

There are no rules about what indiepop should sound like. It can be jangly, noisy, sweet or melancholic. What matters is the feeling the sense that these songs were made because someone had something they wanted to say, sing, or share.

And maybe that's why the pop kids have always found each other.

Dummy • Full Spectrum Dominance • 2026

 

Dummy — the Los Angeles-based band of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, Joe Trainor, and Lance Umble — announce the new album, do you love the color of the sky?, out October 16th with lead single/video “Full Spectrum Dominance” and a fall North American tour. With do you love the color of the sky? Dummy crafts the perfect anti-zeitgeist record, freezing you into their incorporeal moment of time, freed from the rat race and trendiness, embracing insularity to the point that it somehow becomes the future. Listen to "Full Spectrum Dominance" & pre-save here, pre-order on vinyl, CD, cassette here! 

Forget Them Wendy • Apple Pie • 2026

Forget Them Wendy are an indie pop/grunge duo
made up of Newcastle-based songwriter Laura
James, and Edinburgh-born producer and guitarist
Oliver Price, now living in London. The band take
their name from a line in J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan:
“Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with
me where you'll never, never have to worry about
grown up things again.” Shaped by their shared love
of 90s records from bands including The
Cranberries, Smashing Pumpkins and The
Breeders, the pair combine indie pop melodies with
grunge influences and playful, self-aware
songwriting.

Their latest single, “Apple Pie”, sees Forget Them
Wendy showing a softer side, with acoustic guitar
taking centre stage. Written in the height of summer,
the track is inspired by those hazy, lazy days that
seem to stretch on forever. Laura sings, “‘Life’s an
apple pie, let it float on by’”, a line she admits she
doesn’t really know the meaning of, but somehow
knows is important.

Carl Krausnick • Captivating • 2026

Memphis-based artist Carl Krausnick continues to carve out a distinct lane for himself as a solo artist with "Important Questions," a track that opens on quiet reflection and closes in a swell of distortion. The song begins with a lean, twangy guitar figure and a vocal that feels almost conversational, then gradually stacks layer upon layer until it arrives at a genuinely rousing finish, the kind of slow-burn build that rewards patience.

https://www.instagram.com/carlkrausnickmusic/

The Male Pattern • I’m a Soldier • 2026

linktr.ee

 

“I Was Shot in the Heart! tells the story of an unnamed suburban dad as he navigates his acrimonious divorce, spends too much time watching TV and on the computer, gets addicted to pills, loses his job as a mortgage broker, shoots and kills a small-time drug dealer, finds God, and commits suicide by cop at a 24/7 Stop and Shop in White Plains, NY.

On "I'm a Soldier," our guy reveals himself to be an internet-addled right-wing divorced guy steals valor from veterans, imagining that his struggles against lib-friends-and-loved ones online transfer some veteran-status to him. There is nothing funnier than someone who feels that they are constantly wronged and victimized but aren’t, who imagines persecutors and foes everywhere but they’re only in his head. It’s also the most common type of person that exists in America. Failing to steal veteran valor, he poses as a security guard at a restaurant, and faces embarrassment. He heals himself with food.

For years, I’ve wanted to write about the feeling of watching a sizzling plate of fajitas leave a restaurant kitchen, the way the restaurant falls to a hush for a moment as the patrons listen to the sound of the meat frying on the platter, people across the restaurant regretting their order as the tray makes its way to the diner. Some stories are too fine, too real for art. This outro was the closest I got.” – Will Schwartz / The Male Pattern

attic abasement • Moonlight Passes On • 2026

After a decade since their last record, Attic Abasement returns with their fourth studio album, Moonlight Passes On, out August 14, 2026 via Father/Daughter Records. The Rochester, NY recording project, led by singer/songwriter Mike Rheinheimer and joined by a rotating cast of local musicians, has existed as an outlet to work through Rheinheimer’s doubt and low-grade existential anxiety. While 2016’s Dream News was captured in a live, full band setting, Moonlight Passes On emerged from years of introspection; a practice of solitude. “I had a handful of songs sitting on the shelf for years but had just been inspired over the course of a few nights in my basement in early 2023,” explains Rheinheimer.

Hello Shark • "In Hell” • 2026

Since emerging from Vermont's DIY underground in the mid-2000s, Lincoln Halloran has built a body of work distinguished by its startling intimacy. Across a string of beloved records, his songs have occupied a rare space, full of details drawn from lived experience and transformed into something larger. His writing has always been less concerned with resolution than observation: half-remembered encounters and emotional afterimages that remain long after a moment has passed. "In Hell" embodies that gift. Written as an attempt to create a more overtly pop-minded, jangle-driven song, the track glides forward on bright guitar lines and an understated melodic ease. 

https://helloshark.lnk.to/inhell

That night outside the Dolphin I was having so much trouble walking light skipped my legs they went too soon I loved watching you laughing outside, holding your friend crying cuz your moving home are you still? How your eyes still look like heaven for how long they have been open and i saw you walk in you split the room are you still in hell? or are you still?

The Flip Phones • Tumbleweed • 2026

theflipphones.com

 

Spinning Adrift is about the search for meaning and finding a sense of place in an increasingly complex world. “It’s a Sign,” inspired by the Happy Foot/Sad Foot sign in Los Angeles that gained popularity as a means to predict how one’s day would go, is an upbeat song that explores whether our best-laid plans could be upended based on luck or superstition

Ok Cowgirl • Rock N Roll Ruined My Life • 2026

 

"'Prepared to Lose' plays like the type of Carolina-set rock music Wednesday has been blazing new trails within, only with catchier hooks in lieu of heavy feedback." 

- FLOOD Magazine

"Ok Cowgirl are officially full steam ahead."

-The Line of Best Fit

"'It Wasn’t You, It Was A Feeling' is a proper introduction to the next chapter of Ok Cowgirl, one that is already promising an artistic evolution from an already singular band."

-Glide Magazine

https://www.okcowgirlband.com/

Ok Cowgirl, the Brooklyn based indie-rock band led by Leah Lavigne, today have shared their new single "Rock N Roll Ruined My Life." The track is the final single from from their Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Indigo De Souza, Wednesday) produced LP Rhinestone Cowgirl, due out August 21st via Easy Does It Records. It follows LP singles "Cruise The Town," "God Made A Farmer" and "Prepared To Lose," which have garnered praise from Brooklyn Vegan, FLOOD Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, The Luna Collective, RIFF Magazine, and more.

ifitbeyourwill Podcast #193 • Amelia Day

Amelia Day’s EGO TRIP is country music with the safety rails ripped off—part heartbreak, part self-interrogation, and part refusal to play by somebody else’s rules. Amelia isn’t interested in sanding down the messy edges: the songs move between country, indie rock, and pop while wrestling with identity, desire, ego, and what it means to be seen. On this episode of If It Be Your Will, we get into the emotional wreckage behind EGO TRIP, reclaiming country as a queer space, and the strange freedom that comes from making music on your own terms. It’s sharp, vulnerable, and unapologetically Amelia.

https://www.ameliadaymusic.com/

Amelia Day is a musical jack-of-all-trades. Standing at the intersection of folk, rock, and pop, Day blends heartfelt storytelling, raw delivery, and unforgettable melodies into music that feels both fresh and familiar — like rediscovering an old favorite. A self-described writer before anything else, her perceptive lyricism extends far beyond her 23 years, with lines reminiscent of songwriting greats like Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. As the Spokesman-Review notes, Day has a signature style that features “wordplay, double-meanings and rhythmic variations,” with themes ranging from journeying into adulthood to climate change. Many of Day’s songs are also shaped by her intimate relationships, where her queerness and candor take center stage. 

SOM SOM • safe space • 2026

welcome to 'safe space', an EP contemplating loss, moss and acceptance. a collection of lo-fi but lush songs about coming to terms with yourself and reclaiming your voice through making peace with your circumstances and submitting yourself to the unknown.

 

THE MALE PATTERN • The Television Watcher • 2026

"We meet our guy doing what he does best: watching TV while thinking about TV. I wanted to write a song that was about watching TV, that was told through TV and movie plots that ultimately reveal things about who the character was. The character does nothing in the story, he’s a kind of cipher. The content of the song is told through stupid TV and movie plots, and ultimately, this storytelling reveals the kind of person this character is. What he wants, dreams of, what he regrets, all told and shown through the episode of law and order he remembers best and his musings on Oscar glory of years past.” – Will Schwartz / The Male Pattern

Josaleigh Pollett • If I Let It Quiet • 2026

"Breathtaking...A boundless collection of folk-tinged electronic pop." – KEXP

"One of the most exciting indie releases of the year so far." – Paste Magazine

"Rich, electronic textures act as sonic diversions to Josaleigh's questions about life. A tender triumph." – NPR Music

 “Josaleigh Pollett’s third album, In The Garden, By The Weeds felt like a breakout moment of sorts for the Salt Lake City based musician. It would seem their musical evolution continues on If I Let It Quiet, a fantastic record that embraces gorgeous art pop (leaning on the pop end to fantastic results) and soft focus synth experimentation. Due out on July 24th via Audio Antihero (Frog, Avery Friedman, Tiberius) and Lavender Vinyl, the avant-pop album is deeply focused despite the production being split between Utah and Japan. Perhaps it’s in that freedom to step into the unknown that lets the album breathe the way it does, moving in plumes of smoke and a dreamy (but never “gazy”) disconnected bliss that’s plucked, strummed, and programmed into being. At the core of it all is Pollett’s beautiful voice which has never sounded better, their words given emotional strength from a dynamic melodic range that’s spellbinding throughout.” – Post-Trash

Graham Hunt • "Getting Older” • 2026

grahamhunt.lnk.to/A-P

American Pyramid finds Hunt pushing himself out of his comfort zones, eschewing the homespun, computer-oriented explorations of his previous work and instead entering Minneapolis’ legendary Pachyderm Studio with a eight-piece band to try and capture a different side of his boundless creativity. "Getting Older" follows "Riverboat Blues," “Waiting For You To Come Home” (which drew attention from the likes of Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, and more) and where those previous singles leaned into Hunt's off-kilter production and intricate arrangements, this latest tune goes right for the hooks. It's an infectious cut of Westerberg-ian guitar pop that's sure to be stuck in your head after one chorus.

ifitbeyourwill Podcast #192 • Monster Rally

For more than a decade, Monster Rally has occupied a curious corner of contemporary music, where faded postcards, forgotten library records, and golden-age hip-hop production dissolve into richly imagined landscapes. On Echoes of the Emerald Sands, Ted Feighan opens that world to other voices for the first time, inviting collaborators including LEISURE, TV Girl, Sessa, Jordana, Mei Semones, and even the timeless presence of Henry Mancini into his meticulously assembled sonic atlas. The result is less a departure than an expansion—a record that blurs collage, memory, and fantasy while asking how place can be conjured from sound alone. We explore the art of sampling, world-building, and the strange beauty of music that seems to exist outside of time.

http://monster-rally.com/

Venturing into uncharted territory, the upcoming record will be Monster Rally’s first that isn’t purely instrumental. He recruited not just one or two guest vocalists, but a whole fleet of artists and industry friends to sing over his recordings. The list of collaborators includes TV Girl, Jordana, Toledo, Mei Semones, X-Cetra, Leisure, Sessa, Nella, Miles Michaud (Allah-Las), Benét, Jordann, Munya and more. Ditching the tropical, sample-based plunderphonics of his past work, he decided to record everything from scratch in his Cleveland home studio — resulting in some of the liveliest, most vivid music in Monster Rally history. kale

Case Oats • Full Session | Paste • 2026

https://www.pastemagazine.com

The Male Pattern • I Was Shot in the Heart! • 2026

“I Was Shot in the Heart! tells the story of an unnamed suburban dad as he navigates his acrimonious divorce, spends too much time watching TV and on the computer, gets addicted to pills, loses his job as a mortgage broker, shoots and kills a small-time drug dealer, finds God, and commits suicide by cop at a 24/7 Stop and Shop in White Plains, NY. The songs are character-driven and satirical. I drew on the work of Terry Allen and Randy Newman, while combining disparate influences like the narrative craft of a Bruce Springsteen ballad and the prurience and silliness of Ween.

ifitbeyourwill Podcast #191 • Mull Historical Society

Some artists write songs. Colin MacIntyre seems to collect entire lives. For more than 25 years, the man behind Mull Historical Society has turned grief, small-town stories, oddball observations, and big melodies into one of Scotland's most distinctive catalogues. Along the way he's become an award-winning novelist, playwright, and the kind of creative who somehow makes writing a musical seem like a perfectly reasonable side project. His latest album, In My Mind There's a Photograph, takes memories shared by some of the world's best writers and transforms them into songs that are funny, moving, and deeply human. We talk about memory, storytelling, growing up on Mull, and why the best songs often begin with someone else's story.

http://mullhistoricalsociety.com/

http://www.colinmacintyre.com/

Building on from the critical success of In My Mind There’s A Room, Mull Historical Society take an interesting approach to this new album; combining lyrical contributions from world-leading authors (including Irvine Welsh, Ali Smith and Louise Welsh) with the lush musical creations of MacIntyre to produce 12 songs of interesting textures and emotional leaps. Standout Charing Cross Canyon is a pop perfect, Prefab Sprout-esque tune for 2026 and Wish We’d Taen Mair, with minimal electro over spoken words, showcase the range of ideas and sounds. With a new book out this year, and a musical in pre-production, MacIntyre really is on a creative high. Excellent. NARC

Teenage Fanclub • Day In The Sun • 2026

Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley have been making music together in Teenage Fanclub for 37 years, and while some parts of being in a band have gotten easier with time, the simplest things can still trip them up. According to Blake, “It’s difficult when it comes to, y’know, coming up with a name for an album. Especially after you’ve made 12 of them.”

The Goods • Summer's Almost Gone • 2026

INSTAGRAM

Oakland, California power pop outfit The Goods return July 22 with “Summer's Almost Gone,” the first single from their upcoming LP Goodbye Summertime, due September 16 on Dandy Boy Records. Less than a year after releasing their debut full-length Don't Spoil the Fun, songwriter Rob Good pushes the project into new territory, folding Beatles-esque psychedelia, jangling folk rock, sunny indie pop, and the melodic punch of classic power pop into something far bigger than what came before. For fans of The Lemon Twigs, Teenage Fanclub, Matthew Sweet, Young Guv, and The Apples In Stereo, “Summer's Almost Gone” is the first glimpse of an album written during a period of dramatic personal change and creative obsession.