May 4, 2026
Maisy Owen • Dark on a Sunny Day • 2026
“There’s more to her than crystalline acoustic picking, her darkly poetic songs stand out from the throng. The sparse, melancholic purity of “On My Way Down” and “Letters” and the surging folk-rock of the title track are a testament to her versatility.” – UNCUT
Apr 30, 2026
knitting • Here Comes • 2026
“While their debut leaned into a hazy, grungy cohesion, this record expands their sound — introducing more experimentation with texture, synths, and structure while keeping that introspective core intact.” — EXCLAIM
“Souvenir sees knitting expand on the slacker rock sound established on Some Kind of Heaven with more depth, having drawn inspiration from the diversity of Montreal's DIY scene.”
— THE LINE OF BEST FIT
“We named knitting a Band To Watch back in 2024, coinciding with the release of their excellent debut full-length Some Kind Of Heaven. Today the Montreal indie rockers have announced its follow-up Souvenir, which they're teasing with the brooding, lightly grungy lead single ‘I Want To Remember Everything.’”
— STEREOGUM
Nina Winder-Lind • “This is Our Life” • 2026
Brighton-based, Swedish songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nina Winder-Lind, best known as a member of the electrifying “Hagstone rock” band The New Eves, releases a new solo single and video, “This is Our Life,” today via Transgressive. Blending folk-pop warmth with an upbeat, driving pulse, the song showcases Winder-Lind’s magnetic vocal vibrato and instinct for melody. It balances intimacy with exuberance, capturing a sense of joy and immediacy that runs through much of her work.
Apr 28, 2026
ifitbeyourwill Podcast #173 • Should
Marc Ostermeier and Tanya Maus of the cult shoegaze duo Should stop by for their first ever podcast interview to celebrate the deluxe reissue of Feed Like Fishes, out now via Numero Group.
From basement 8-tracks in early 90s Austin to a new generation of fans discovering their music on Instagram — Should's story is one worth hearing. Marc breaks down his obsessive approach to crafting atmospheric sound, Tanya reflects on finding her voice in unexpected places, and both drop a tantalizing hint about new music.
Thirty years later, Should still sounds like nothing else.
Available on Bandcamp. Go give it a listen.
Apr 25, 2026
Magic Castles • Hey Alright • 2026
Magic Castles are back with new album ‘Realized’, a set of lush psych-rock reveries from Minneapolis songwriter Jason Edmonds, blending late-60s folk-rock warmth with shoegaze shimmer. Newly signed to Fuzz Club, ‘Realized’ takes Magic Castles’ music to a newfound level of clarity, whilst still retaining that same, long-harboured analogue warmth only made possible through an array of vintage amps, guitars and transistor organs. Released April 24th 2026, ‘Realized’ consists of nine dreamlike, melody-led trips that unfold in waves. Equal parts hazy nostalgia and widescreen modern psychedelia, centring dreamy, heavily-layered arrangements and floating vocal harmonies.
Apr 23, 2026
Lowertown • Worst Friend • 2026
“a band on the cusp of greatness.” - NME
“One cannot help but get goosebumps” - The Line Of Best Fit
“Luscious lo-fi indie bops” - DIY
“we are predicting big things for the pair” -The Forty-Five
“The latest in a generation of artists determined not to be defined by genre”
- Notion
The songwriting partnership of Olivia Osby and Avsha Weinberg, the last few years saw the prolific pair teetering on the brink. From constant touring and a separation from their label to creative frustrations and an unhealthy attachment to one another, their artistic partnership and, more importantly, their friendship were on shaky ground—especially since these experiences were coloured by the disorienting intensity of their late teens and early 20s. It became clear that the two had to revisit their roots.
Gently Tender (mem. Palma Violets) • "Wild In The Uplands” • 2026
South London six-piece Gently Tender today shared their new single "Wild In The Uplands," the second single from their forthcoming EP This Was Once Fields, due out May 22nd via TODO Records. "Wild in the Uplands" captures the unruly spirit of the freedom of being in nature and the thrill of exploring in wild places. The band explains: "'Wild in the Uplands is a song about escape from city to country. It’s about not having respect for fences and private land, roaming free and getting into mischief. Out of all the illegal activities a person can partake in, trespassing is one of the most exhilarating!" "Wild In The Uplands" follows lead single "A Mound A Field," which garnered support from DIY Magazine, CLASH, Dork, and more.
Apr 21, 2026
ifitbeyourwill Podcast #172 • Common Holly
More than a decade into Common Holly, Brigitte Naggar still writes the way she did as a teenager — quietly, in her bedroom, not quite ready to let anyone hear. On this episode, Chris sits down with the Montreal songwriter to talk about Anything Glass (June 2025) and its companion EP They Will Draw Halos Around Our Heads (February), two records that feel like siblings.
Brigitte talks about going back to the piano for the first time since she was a kid, letting poems turn into songs without forcing them, and her long run with producer Devon Bate (Jean-Michel Blais, Jeremy Dutcher) — a collaborator so unshowy you stay with him for ten years because he just gets it. She's warm on Montreal too: friendships that go back fifteen years, monthly jams with Ada Lea and Cedric Noel, and the quiet reset Common Holly and the rest of the city's scene went through after the pandemic.
Also: why the slow songs landed hardest this time, a Left of the Dial date in Rotterdam, and some loose hints at what comes next — maybe an all-vocal record, maybe something built around cello. Nothing rushed. Whatever feels right.
Apr 19, 2026
Harry Jordan • This Beautiful Life • 2026
First coming to attention as co-frontman of cult indie band Eades - with whom he has received acclaim from The Guardian, NME, FADER, BBC 6 Music and more - Harry has since made strides as an in demand producer and engineer since founding his residential Bam Bam Studios with acts like The Big Moon, Keo, Sam Tompkins, Brown Horse, Our Girl, Bleech 9:3, Opal Mag and more passing through its doors. Instagram
Sister Ray Davie • Big Ships (Live Guitar Armada Version) • 2026
Holy Island Baby plays around with the original tracks in fascinating ways. Pye Corner Audio has made new shapes out of both ‘Aidan’ and ‘Morning Bell’; the former with a harder, Suicide-style approach, the latter elevating the almost ambient nature of the original.
“This version of ‘Aidan’ found new space, new depths, new melodies and new rhythms,” enthuses Adam. “While the mix of ‘Morning Bell’ carries the song into a whole new, mythic place.
“The EP adds extra layers to the original album. We’re aware that it’s a short record, so having some additional tracks to dive into feels like a way to extend your stay in that space as a listener. There is more down the rabbit hole. Genre collapses a bit, too, which is great.”
“This version of ‘Aidan’ found new space, new depths, new melodies and new rhythms,” enthuses Adam. “While the mix of ‘Morning Bell’ carries the song into a whole new, mythic place.
“The EP adds extra layers to the original album. We’re aware that it’s a short record, so having some additional tracks to dive into feels like a way to extend your stay in that space as a listener. There is more down the rabbit hole. Genre collapses a bit, too, which is great.”
BLACK MARKET HEART • What Happens in the Dark • 2026
Taking cues from the feedback haze of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the cold pulse of Joy Division, Black Market Heart thrive in that tight space between distortion and melody. Tina’s basslines grind and move with purpose, Medina’s drums hit with stripped-down force, and Robinson’s guitar cuts sharp and bright through the fog. It’s music designed for low lights, empty overpasses, and that stretch of road where the city opens up and you can almost pretend you’re alone. Recorded in just two days at Kitten Robot Studios with Los Angeles underground mainstay Paul Roessler, known for his work with The Screamers and 45 Grave, What Happens in the Dark captures the band in a live-wire state. Minimal takes. No studio gloss. Just volume, tape, and instinct. The vocals, often submerged in earlier recordings, are more exposed this time. Brugnoletti’s added harmonies bring a heavier presence, giving the songs weight without sanding down their edge.
Apr 16, 2026
SOME FEAR • “DIA” • 2026
With their sophomore album, Word Eater, Some Fear moves toward a more deliberate and polished production style. While their previous work established their lo fi foundations, this record explores greater sonic density and a shift toward a higher fidelity sound.
MAD HONEY • “MOSHFEGHIAN” • 2026
Mad Honey announced their new record last month with “Reaching” and “Marie’s Song,” permeating the band’s sound with their growth and friendship. Stereogum shared the news, praising the new songs by saying, “‘Reaching’ is a soft and detached chug… 'Marie's Song' is the one that really convinced me to post this one. It's a soft, longing slowcore lullaby with some absolutely shattering vocals from bandleader Tuff Sutcliffe.”
Apr 14, 2026
ifitbeyourwill Podcast #171 • The Leaf Library
The Leaf Library Have Been Right This Whole Time
Six years is a long time to believe in something. Matt, the engine behind The Leaf Library, will tell you it requires a specific kind of delusion — the ability to convince yourself, and eventually everyone around you, that the record you're making is worth the time, the money, and the slow erosion of certainty. After the Rain, Strange Seeds is proof that the delusion held.
The band's fourth album landed on Fika Records this past March, and it sounds like exactly what it is: decades of instinct refined into something weightless. Dream pop that leans pastoral, folk textures dissolving into lo-fi haze, Kate's vocals sitting just above the mix like something half-remembered. It's the kind of record that doesn't announce itself — it accumulates.
In this conversation, Matt traces the long road here: a Stereolab ad in Reading, a John Peel spin, a DIY infrastructure that taught him more about music than any lesson could. He talks about the band's finally-settled lineup, the collaborative friendship with Kate that stretches back to 1996, and a forthcoming project built around drones traded with Japanese artist Teriyuki Kurohara. He's thoughtful, self-deprecating, and quietly certain that this one cut through for a reason.
He's right. Go listen.
the-leaf-library-the-ivy-house
Apr 12, 2026
Sungaze • I'm No Longer Afraid of Heights • 2026
Helmed by songwriters Ian Hilvert and Ivory Snow, Sungaze examine nostalgia without rose-colored glasses on their fullest exploration of Midwest emo, shoegaze, and alt-rock to date. "I'm No Longer Afraid of Heights" opens with slide guitar floating atop acoustic guitar and a steady drum beat, immediately invoking those long summer days of childhood when the world felt full of possibility, before the first chorus quietly shifts the emotional weight from comfort toward resigned hopelessness, even as Snow's vocal delivery barely changes.
A poignant bridge confronts time's indifference head-on, propelling the song away from resignation and toward something more urgent. The music video, shot over three days in the small Ohio town that inspired the song, uses water, movement, and live performance as parallel paths toward release, with a dual ending cutting between Snow floating serenely in a childhood river spot in office attire, and crowd-surfing at a Sungaze show in a white lace dress.
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