ifitbeyourwill S05E23 • Pale Blue Eyes

Ever wondered how a great band finds its voice? Sheffield's dream pop trio Pale Blue Eyes offers a fascinating glimpse into the alchemy of friendship, creativity, and musical evolution that shapes extraordinary music.

Fresh off their spring UK tour, Matt and Lucy describe how their most recent performances felt like "one big party" with their best mates, culminating in their biggest London show to date at Islington Assembly Hall. This camaraderie extends beyond the stage; it's the foundation of their creative process.

Their origin story reads like indie music serendipity—a photographer named Aubrey, originally there just to document a studio session, stepped in when a bassist didn't show up. Despite never hearing the songs before, he immediately connected with the material. Six months of rehearsals without gigs or even a band name followed, until they had unwittingly created an album's worth of material right before lockdown hit.

The pandemic, while devastating for live music, became an unexpected catalyst. Their first single "went nuts on Bandcamp," offering what Lucy calls "a beacon" during difficult times. Three albums later, their approach to songwriting continues to evolve deliberately. Matt collects phrases, experiences, and observations in notebooks that later become songs, while the band consciously experiments with different creative approaches to avoid falling into patterns.

What makes Pale Blue Eyes special is their ego-free collaboration. Where many bands falter when "someone thinks that they're it," this trio thrives on their differences. Lucy and Matt bonded over shared loves like Broken Social Scene, while Aubrey brings entirely different influences from disco, soul, and jazz backgrounds. This fusion creates their distinctive dream pop sound that blends shoegaze and synth elements into something uniquely captivating.

Listen in as we explore how three friends from Sheffield crafted one of the UK's most exciting musical projects, and discover why their latest album "New Place" feels like their most honest work yet. Are you ready to discover your new favourite band? 

https://www.paleblueeyes.co.uk/

The third album from Pale Blue Eyes is called New Place – invocation of fresh horizons; swapping creamy Devon for the synth central of Sheffield. The album arrives on the back of extensive and emotional transit. For PBE, 2024 started with a wonderful tour of 12 European countries with Slowdive. Over 12,000 kilometres. Snow and deep cold in Norway and Poland. Drought-stricken landscapes in France and Spain. On and on, joyously so. The year’s end brought more movement for the married couple at the core of Pale Blue Eyes, singer and guitarist Matt Board and drummer and synth queen Lucy Board. Sadly, family tragedy catalysed a move from South Devon to South Yorkshire. 

Lammping feat. Bloodshot Bill • Never Never • 2025

Toronto’s shape-shifting psych project LAMMPING will release Never Never - the first in a four-part album series - on June 27 via We Are Busy Bodies. Lammping started as a heavy psych band, but things shifted when producer Mikhail Galkin returned to the kind of hip-hop production he was doing in his teens. Remixing records for Badge Époque Ensemble and Uh Huh under the Lammping name cracked the project wide open-what began as a one-off stylistic swerve became a long-term permission to make anything, in any genre. Now, whether it’s boom-bap, fuzzed-out folk, beat tape interludes, or full psych freakouts, it all fits. This upcoming cycle is their most ambitious yet: four LPs released over 12-18 months, each one exploring a different corner of their increasingly unpredictable universe.

ifitbeyourwill S05E22 • WOMB

Sibling trio Womb takes us behind the scenes of their dreamy shoegaze sound and shared creative journey. From their childhood musical foundations to the evolution of their distinctive sound, this conversation reveals the beautiful simplicity of creating art with family.

Haz and Georgette (GiGi) share the remarkable story of their musical heritage, tracing back to a great-great-grandfather who holds a world record for distance-walking while playing the fiddle. This musical DNA flourished when the family relocated from Illinois to Wellington, New Zealand, immersing the teenage siblings in a vibrant DIY music scene that would shape their artistic sensibilities.

What began as Cello's solo project organically expanded to include her siblings, with visual artist Georgette courageously picking up drumsticks despite minimal experience. "I did always fantasize about being a musician when I was little," Georgette reveals, recalling childhood dreams of becoming "Alanis Morissette in leather." This natural progression highlights the intuitive understanding that makes their collaboration special—no formal discussions about musical direction needed, just a shared wavelength that produces their cohesive sound.

The band's creative process reveals beautiful insights into collaborative artmaking. Their innovative "self-imposed residencies" carve out dedicated space for creation away from day jobs and distractions, blending structured music-making with time to connect in nature. This approach has yielded three distinctive yet connected albums, including their latest release "One is Always Heading Somewhere."

Looking ahead, the band hints at exciting developments: Cello's upcoming residency in Spanish cave structures, potential string quartet collaborations, and film scoring projects. After completing what they consider a trilogy of albums, they stand at the threshold of a new artistic chapter, ready to explore fresh sonic territories while maintaining the sibling bond that gives their music its emotional depth.

Listen for an intimate glimpse into how family connections create artistic magic, and how three siblings from New Zealand crafted one of indie music's most distinctive voices.

 

linktr.ee

Womb’s third album, One is Always Heading Somewhere, is a palpable attempt to create just such playlist from scratch – a whole album to serve this sort of purpose, one of reflection, introspection, sadness but perhaps also some release, catharsis, hope and repair.

This is a collection of twelve songs each occupying the same dreamy, floaty and slowly rippling soundscape, apparently made from layer upon layer of synthesisers, plucked acoustic guitars, slowly revolving percussion and Cello Forrester’s reverb-drenched and almost angel-like voice. It’s cinematic, ethereal, melancholic – and clearly a refined and now highly tuned version of their sound now developed over three albums. Music NZ

Darren Hayman and his Electric Guitars • Amazing Things • 2025

 Darren Hayman has made an album about death and grief titled Amazing Things, which isn’t morose, slow, or quiet. Instead, it is packed with joyful, melodic guitars and some of Darren’s prettiest tunes. It is sometimes very sad, but also heartfelt, loving, and rewarding.

Darren recorded the album almost entirely solo, except for one song written with his childhood friend Andy Field. Darren is using the name Darren Hayman and his Electric Guitars for this project to reflect the making of the record.

“Apart from drums, bass, and vocals, the only instruments on the record are electric guitars,” explains Darren. “This is both an homage to my friend’s music taste and another one of the rules or limitations I need to make records. Despite the electric guitar being my main instrument, I often run scared from it and feel that records need many other instruments to create texture. This time, I had to take time and care and find out what guitars can be.”

http://hefnet.com/

JULII SHARP • "Pirate in the Room” • 2025

https://www.instagram.com/onlyloversrecords

In 2023, Julii Sharp and her “Toucan” EP left us ecstatic, in the cottony serenity of her soothing, weightless ballads. So there were high hopes for this debut album, “Burning Line”. And the first listen belies all expectations.

Between these two albums, the earth burned. Julii Sharp's life, and that of her musicians, was marked by a series of painful events and put on hold. The music, too, inevitably lay fallow. For a year, everything came to a standstill: rehearsals, writing, concerts... We had to wait, not for the pain to pass, but for it to transform, to make its journey. And when everyone was ready, the band got down to business, united as never before around the same objective, that of rekindling the embers on a field of ashes that was still hot. And so “Burning Line” exploded...

Death Culture at Sea Playlist • 2025

https://www.matthewgallaway.com/

Matthew Gallaway invites listeners into the haunting, dream-lit world of Death Culture at Sea, a project born from restless imagination and sly nostalgia. In one early post, the reflection begins:

“A young boy wanders into the woods of Harlem and witnesses the abduction of his sister by a glowing creature. Forty years later…” 

That unfolding tale of memory, myth, and the surreal sets the tone for the music—introspective yet cinematic. The tracks are intimate confessions, like “Star‑Crossed Lullaby,” which Gallaway shared in December of 2022, layering gentle vocals over propulsive, echoing guitars—thankfully available alongside his Saturnine material 

Fast‑forward to November 2024, and Death Culture at Sea reveals a newer side: “Free Ride on Me” carries a bold, mythic intensity, even as Gallaway ties it back to his novelistic sensibilities (he’s also behind The Metropolis Case and a forthcoming Orpheus‑inspired novel) thegayrecluse.com

The result is a sonic landscape that feels both deeply personal and mysteriously expansive. Each track—a lullaby, a reverie, a folklore fragment—makes Death Culture at Sea an invitation: step into Gallaway’s storytelling waters, where memory, myth, and melody swirl together in beautifully disquieting waves.

ifitbeyourwill S05E21 • Hallelujah The Hills

What happens when a band decides to record not just one album, but a complete 52-song deck of cards? Ryan Walsh of Hallelujah the Hills takes us deep into his most ambitious creative undertaking yet.

"DECK" represents what Walsh calls "revenge creativity" – a defiant response to the pandemic that halted their momentum following their acclaimed 2019 album "I'm You." Rather than producing a standard follow-up, Walsh finally brought to life an idea he'd contemplated for two decades: creating a complete musical deck of cards with four distinct "suits" (albums) each containing thirteen songs.

The concept is brilliantly executed – Diamonds features polished, radio-friendly tracks; Clubs delivers faster, punkier "bangers"; Hearts showcases emotionally vulnerable material; while Spades explores experimental territory. Beyond the musical organization, Walsh designed custom artwork for each song, available as an actual playable card deck that fans can purchase alongside the music.

Most fascinating is how the project reimagines listener engagement in the streaming era. Walsh encourages fans to "shuffle the deck" by randomly selecting 13 songs to create unique playlists that statistically no one else will ever duplicate. This transforms passive consumption into something participatory and personal, giving listeners agency in how they experience this massive body of work.

The album features notable collaborations including Cassie Berman (Silver Jews) and Jeremy Gaudet (Kiwi Jr), reflecting Walsh's collaborative songwriting approach. As Hallelujah the Hills celebrates its 20th anniversary in November 2025, "DECK" stands as both an artistic milestone and a defiant statement against disposable music culture: "You work on something for two years. It gets attention for 48 hours and then everyone's on the next thing... we made this in defiance of that idea."

Listen to "DECK" when it releases this June and catch Hallelujah the Hills on tour across the Northeast as they share this extraordinary musical achievement with the world.

 

https://www.hallelujahthehills.com/

For 20 years, Boston’s Hallelujah The Hills have made full-blast rock ‘n’ roll that manages to be literate without ever losing its sense of humor. So it’s appropriate that the band is celebrating with its biggest and most eye-popping concept record to date: a four-LP set of 52 songs called “DECK".

WBUR, March 11, 2025 for DECK

Marble Sounds • Core Memory • 2025

marblesounds.com

Pieter Van Dessel is not one to stand still when it comes to music: the driving force behind Marble Sounds keeps challenging himself, exploring new horizons on every album. After the more melancholic eponymous fifth album, synths and drums take centre stage for a pure and almost electronic pop sound on sixth effort ‘Core Memory'

Blondshell • The SoCal Sound Session • 2025

Between recording the songs, Blondshell sat down with Julie Slater and Jason Friday to discuss the recording of the album, her creative process, and finding traction as her performer. During the interview, Blondshell explains that much of If You Asked for a Picture was written at home – literally in her room- with demo tracks captured on her phone. Emphasizing this point, she explains how that mind space is so important, “ It has to feel really everyday for me to feel comfortable,” she shared. “If there’s too much ceremony around it, it stops feeling natural.” socal

Rapt • Natural Light • 2025

I got some news on you from a friend

You're in Charlotte again

Teaching Spanish at high school

He said you're going by Joy

You cut your hair like a boy

And you don't talk to your old friends

I found a picture from before our fight

We're in natural light

And you're sitting on my lap

Like everything is alright

I've walked around with you on my mind

The way things were at the time

You know I've changed so much since then

I've thought on the things that we said

And what if we'd had a kid

I guess they'd be 15 now

I found a picture from before our fight

We're in natural light

And you're sitting on my lap

Like everything's alright

credits

released June 6, 2025

Written by Owen Ashworth (Casiotone For The Painfully Alone)

ifitbeyourwill S05E20 • Nick Bendzsa

Nick Bendzsa sits down with us to peel back the layers of his musical metamorphosis from synth-pop architect to folk-trap innovator. The Newfoundland native, now based in Montreal, candidly reveals how his sound has evolved alongside his personal journey.

Growing up with a music professor father who specialized in experimental and improvised compositions, Nick absorbed the spirit of musical freedom from an early age. While his teenage years found him playing bass in a blues band and performing for crowds of 2,000 at just 17, his true artistic voice was still developing. Nick reflects on how these formative experiences shaped his approach to music-making: "I think it was very much like being around him and going to his concerts and picking up this spirit of freedom through music and the joy of creation."

The conversation delves into the fascinating transition from his previous project Hello—characterized by densely layered electronic soundscapes—to his current solo work under his own name. This shift wasn't just stylistic but represented a deeper change in creative philosophy. "I'm not trying to add frivolous stuff," Nick explains. "I want to just communicate a bit more directly." His self-described "trap folk" sound merges fingerpicked guitars with trap beats and ambient textures, creating something uniquely authentic that flows from genuine emotional experiences rather than genre conventions.

Particularly illuminating is Nick's discussion of how producing for other artists has informed his own work, teaching him to consider what elements truly serve the emotional core of a song. This perspective has helped him embrace minimalism and authenticity over the pressure to create attention-grabbing pop songs in today's saturated music landscape. With his album "Very Soft Glow" set to release on May 24th, Nick Bendzsa invites us to witness the next chapter in his evolving musical story—one that promises to continue blurring boundaries while remaining firmly rooted in emotional truth.

Subscribe to hear more conversations with boundary-pushing indie artists who are redefining genres and creating deeply personal music on their own terms.

 

Mo Lowda & the Humble • Canary • 2025

Website

"..a splash of jangle rock..['Canary'] has a carefree yet grounded energy. Surf-pop-inspired riffs give it a familiar but fresh feel, perfect for fans of alt-folk with a summery edge."

"Smoldering and emotive, gentle and driving..a refreshing breath of indie rock-laden fresh air that soothes the senses and warms the soul."

“'The Painter'” offers up a casual swagger disguised as a smooth groove, an intrepid mix of ’70s AM gold with the crystalline echo of 2010’s indie”

Frog • SAX-A-MA-PHONE (Live on KEXP) • 2025

https://frog.band/

ifitbeyourwill S05E19 • Super XX Man

When does a musical project truly end? Scott Garred of Super XX Man thought he had written the final chapter when he crafted an obituary for his 30-year-old band. Yet somehow, what began as a nostalgic blog post excavating old flyers and cassettes transformed into an unexpected resurrection.

The creative spark reignited when longtime collaborator Allie Wesley reached out after seeing Scott's posts. "It'd be so fun to do something together again," she wrote, not knowing those words would breathe new life into a project Scott had considered complete. That simple connection opened the floodgates to what Scott describes as "the community that was Super XX Man." Soon, songs that had been sitting in limbo found their way to Portland producer Adam Seltzer, forming the foundation of "Rusted Hues" - the first Super XX Man album in a decade.

Throughout our conversation, Scott shares fascinating insights into his creative process, describing how he immerses himself in music daily as both a music therapist and a perpetual student of the craft. "I play music every day," he explains, detailing how creativity generates more creativity once he begins recording. We journey back to his formative musical moments, from the friend who taught him two simple guitar chords that "changed my musical life right then and there" to his first experiences with home recording on a four-track that made songwriting feel accessible.

Most movingly, Scott reflects on what performing means after three decades of making music. "I don't think it's bravery," he says about sharing deeply personal songs. "It's a privilege to be able to go play a show and stand in front of one person, two people, a thousand people." Whether playing in a church basement in Wisconsin or to hundreds in Japan, the feeling remains the same: "When I'm really singing, and it's resonating in my own heart - there's nothing like it." Join us for this intimate look at musical resurrection, creative persistence, and finding renewed purpose in artistic community.

https://superxxman.net/home

“The music of Super XX Man is often introspective and deeply personal. It's sometimes playful, bittersweet and dreamy, but Garred's songs are also heartfelt and reflective. ” - Bob Boilen

RxHx • Star FKD • 2025

https://www.instagram.com/rxhx_vancouver

RxHx, the new solo project from Bruce Wilson, releases its haunting debut single “Star FKD” on May 23 across all streaming platforms. A bleakly beautiful dispatch from the edge of spiritual disintegration, “Star FKD” blends dissociative synth-punk, post-existential pop, and nocturnal new wave into one gripping sonic diagnosis.

ifitbeyourwill S05E18 • Delivery

Garage punk with heart and soul? Australian band Delivery proves it's not only possible—it's transformative.

When Rebecca Allen and James Lynch first connected romantically eight years ago, they weren't immediately thinking musical collaboration. Despite James gifting Rebecca her first bass guitar and both gravitating toward punk sounds, they maintained separate musical journeys until COVID lockdowns created the perfect environment for creative fusion.

"We were at home where you couldn't go out with nothing to do," explains James, "and somehow the idea of 'should we try and make some songs together' happened." That spontaneous decision launched what would become Delivery—a five-piece powerhouse featuring three guitars and four vocalists across their catalog.

Their latest album "Force Majeure" showcases a band that understands the delicate balance between intensity and accessibility. Songs like "Digging Holes" deliver raw garage punk energy while tracks like "New Alphabet" reveal a more melodic, Pavement-inspired sensibility. This thoughtful approach to sonic dynamics creates what host Chris describes as a "soothing" quality unusual for the genre—a testament to the band's mature songwriting approach.

What truly defines Delivery is their commitment to genuine collaboration. "We definitely wanted it to be a band, not like a duo project," James emphasizes. This democratic ethos allows each member to contribute ideas freely, resulting in music that feels both cohesive and delightfully unpredictable. Whether workshopping riffs together in rehearsal or meticulously layering guitars in the studio, the process maintains an "anything goes" attitude that keeps their sound fresh.

The band's live performances capture this collaborative spirit perfectly—high-energy affairs where, as Rebecca puts it, "we have a lot of fun on stage playing together, and that feeds into the crowd too." This authentic connection with audiences has helped Delivery build an expanding international following.

From bedroom recordings to world tours, Delivery represents what happens when musical community prioritizes genuine expression over rigid formulas. As they continue crafting new material for 2025, their journey stands as inspiration for anyone seeking to create art that balances power with nuance, intensity with melody, and individual expression with collective joy.

 

https://heavenlyrecordings.com/artist/delivery/

Force Majeure - rarely does a title so aptly describe the contents - opens with the controlled explosion of recent single Digging The Hole. The track is three and a half minutes of precise forward motion that's heavy enough to do serious damage, brilliantly breaking down into a percussive middle eight before one final burst of fireworks that feels powerful enough that it could propel the listener through a brick wall.

Super XX Man • Rusted Hues • 2025

 

Super XX Man marks 30 years with Rusted Hues, their 19th album, co-produced by Adam Selzer (Peter Buck, M. Ward). Founder Scott Garred reunited with former bandmates, blending home and studio recordings. NPR’s All Songs Considered once featured the band, with host Bob Boilen saying, “If we’re going to choose 10 songs every week, let it be Super XX Man,” and later inviting them for a Tiny Desk Concert. The album explores themes of decay and renewal, with standout tracks like “Rusted Hues” and “Hold On to Me,” showcasing heartfelt lyrics and lush arrangements.

ifitbeyourwill S05E17 • liz uninvited

Meet liz uninvited, an emerging voice in Toronto's indie folk scene whose journey from classical pianist to DIY songwriter reveals the beautiful alchemy that happens when traditional training meets raw creative necessity.

Our conversation uncovers how Liz's 12-year classical piano background initially hindered rather than helped her songwriting ambitions. The structured nature of classical training left little room for improvisation—until inspiration struck through the music of Elliott Smith and Alex G. What's particularly striking is how Liz found permission to create through Alex G's "subjectively good" vocals. "His voice is not the best, but it matches what he makes," she explains, illuminating the moment she realized authenticity could transcend conventional notions of musical "goodness."

When Liz describes her creative process, you'll feel the urgency that drives her art. Songs emerge from "pressure internally" that demands release, with lyrics serving as the essential connective tissue binding her musical ideas. As a self-described "sensitive person," uncomfortable situations often become the catalyst for her most authentic work. Yet before discovering songwriting, she felt emotionally "stuck," unable to translate her feelings even through her visual art practice. Music became the unexpected but perfect medium for expression.

We also explore the practical side of breaking into Toronto's music scene—from finding band members through Reddit and Band Mix to preparing for first live performances. Liz shares candid insights about the challenges of ADHD and how deadlines ultimately force her creative focus. Her definition of success is refreshingly genuine: creating meaningful connections with listeners who see themselves in her music.

Discover Liz's music on Spotify, YouTube, or Bandcamp, and follow her journey as she brings her intimate, lyrically-rich songs to stages across Toronto and beyond. If you connect with artists who transform personal struggle into universal emotion, Liz Uninvited's music will feel like a conversation you've been waiting to have.

Blondshell • Event of a Fire (live at 3voor12 Radio) • 2025

“Event of a Fire” showcases Blondshell at her most cinematic, building from a hushed, intimate guitar arpeggio into a slow-burning epic culminating in a powerful howl. The track, born from tour-induced burnout and inspired by a real 4 a.m. hotel fire evacuation near Boston, layers piercing vocal harmonies over its evolving instrumentation. The accompanying music video, directed by Émile Moutaud and starring French actress Ghjuvanna Benedetti, delves into the internal struggles of a diver, juxtaposing the mundane aspects of her daily life with the weight of her inner turmoil. iinag

www.blondshellmusic.com

M Ross Perkins • What's the Matter, M Ross? • 2025

Composed, performed, and recorded completely by Perkins in his Dayton, OH studio, What’s the Matter… is both the most stripped down and expansive within his tryptic of albums. The headphone symphonies move with a deliberate, composed sophistication while the lyrics explore fresh territory, turning the camera away from the “butterscotch revue” and pointing it into a mirror. "The touchstones of psych pop remain: flourishes of Nilsson are still here, but so are Gram Parsons and Jonathan Richman. If you want to assign geography to What’s the Matter, M Ross?, the album is equal parts Laurel Canyon and Big Pink, more Woodstock the town than the festival. Perkins is a self-contained (late-period) Teenage Fanclub with George Harrison’s spiritual sense of inner wanderlust.

mrossperkins.com