Flatwaves • Tell Me Secrets • 2025

Philadelphia’s Flatwaves is back with its unique amalgam of ’90s shoegaze haze, which is mixed with the raw energy of rock ‘n’ roll, and the psychedelic swirl of fuzzed-out garage rock. The band’s latest, delivers searing guitars and a driving rhythm section, which is sure to leave the listener with impressions of scorched earth and Lynch-ian dream sequences.

https://flatwavesband.com/

Spoils System • Hall of Forgotten Names • 2025

The New York band Spoils System was formed in 2021 by Dan Coutant (vocals, guitar, keys), Sean Hansen (guitar, background vocals), David Fateman (bass) and Mark Frankel (drums). Notably, Dan and Sean have roots in the indie/emo outfit Joshua (Doghouse Records) in the early 2000’s. Tours included The Get Up Kids, At the Drive-In, The Stereo, Jets To Brazil, Shift and many more

Dear Boy • Kelly Green • 2025

“Dear Boy have positioned themselves as a band worth indulging your youthful abandon with.”

NYLON

 

“Their work feels evergreen. It’s bittersweet and unabashedly nostalgic”

SPIN

 

"Dear Boy's melodic indie rock has seen them become a driving force in LA’s underground music scene, drawing primarily on late 70's / early 80's post-punk and early 90's britpop, laced with their contemporary perspective, and powered by evocative, wistful lyrics."

WONDERLAND

Dear Boy return with “Kelly Green”, a euphoric shoegaze anthem from their upcoming LP on Last Gang. LA haze meets ‘90s Britpop nostalgia in a swirling, heartfelt deep breath before everything changes. For fans of Slowdive, Pulp, Smashing Pumpkins—and records made with heart, not hard drives.

WEBSITE 

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. 

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

DIIV • Return of Youth • 2025

https://found.ee/FrogInBoilingWater

"Return Of Youth" was written before our son was born, a projection, zooming in until the larger existential dilemmas were out of frame. Where "Fender On The Freeway" found peace in the patterns of a gigantic macro, this one finds it in a mundane and simple micro. I imagined seeing myself through the eyes of my child, a rebirth of sorts, laced with fear and insecurity, discovering beauty and serenity together in the simplest places.

MOVIELAND • "Just A Second” • 2025

https://ffm.to/justasecond

Originally formed in 1991, MOVIELAND made their mark with immersive guitar textures, hypnotic rhythms, and melancholic melodies—traits that remain front and center on Now & Then. With nods to shoegaze pioneers like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, MOVIELAND’s sound continues to evolve without losing its emotional core. “It’s been fun playing a few shows mixing in the old and new tunes,” Boyd reflects. “Trying to do it solo has made me rethink how to recreate those layers with just guitar and voice. But we did a show in my hometown [Edmonton] with a full band, and it kinda knocked it out of the park. I hope I can get out and play more of this—both solo and with a band. Plus, I’ve got 15 more songs ready to go… so let’s see!”

Hiding Places, trust blinks., Tombstone Poetry Split x3 • 2025

Website 

"Very rarely do you find a band that, while new in the scheme of time, simultaneously sparks a feeling of fond and reverted sense of comfort; the kind you get when returning to the bands that were accomplices through milestones and memories."
-Post Trash

“Since forming, the band has cultivated and perfected a unique blend of hushed folk melodies along with the crushing subtlety of Elephant 6 style production […] taking a cult classic poise amongst the most taught folk knots and rock n’ roll softies alike.”
-Ugly Hug

ifitbeyourwill S05E08 • Fionn Montague of Bedrooms

Direct Link to MP3

Fionn Montague from the Dublin-based band Bedrooms takes us on a journey through their musical evolution culminating in their 2024 album "Perfectly Still." The conversation opens with memories of childhood weekends filled with disco, soul, and ballads—musical foundations that unconsciously shaped his approach to songwriting and melody.

Meeting vocalist Dev in high school (coincidentally the same school where U2 formed), the pair began crafting songs influenced by melody-focused artists like The Smiths, R.E.M., and U2. What began as punk-infused indie rock gradually transformed into something more atmospheric and distinct. A formative summer in Seattle exposed them to the Pacific Northwest's rich musical landscape, planting seeds for what would become their signature sound.

The turning point came through collaboration with producer Bill Ryder-Jones on their 2021 EP "Afterglow." This partnership allowed Bedrooms to consciously shape their sonic identity—creating space for Dev's unique vocals while incorporating elements of shoegaze and folk influences from artists like Duster, Galaxy 500, Big Thief, and Slow Pulp.

Without label support, Bedrooms self-funded "Perfectly Still," prioritizing artistic fulfillment over commercial considerations. For Finn, success manifests in creating music he genuinely enjoys and receiving authentic appreciation from listeners. The sold-out album release show at Dublin's historic Wheelans venue proved particularly meaningful, with fans traveling specifically to see them perform.

Looking ahead, the band hopes to release their album on vinyl while continuing to explore new sonic territories. As Finn notes with a laugh, "Every artist wants to have their David Bowie Berlin phase where it's like I'm going to go completely obscure and do something totally different."

Discover the beautiful, atmospheric world of Bedrooms on Bandcamp and immerse yourself in their meticulously crafted soundscapes that bridge nostalgic influences with contemporary indie sensibilities.

https://www.instagram.com/bedroomsband/

“If you’re gearing up for the upcoming Summer of Love. the bittersweet Irish dream-pop guitars of Bedrooms offer a perfect soundtrack to all the doomed crushes you’re about to have.”

Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone

“If heady guitars and a dose of atmospherics are what you want to soundtracking these current rather reflective days, then Dublin’s Bedrooms have exactly the track for you.”

DIY

“We’re hearing elements of slowcore group Codeine, the snowdrift charm of Galaxie 500, and even the DIY songsmithery of Alex G, all distilled into something potent and unique.”

Clash

SHOPFIRES • You Can't Live Without Me • 2025

Instagram

 

Pale Blue Eyes • New Place • 2025

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.

Darksoft • Rationalism • 2025

Darksoft is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and producer who creates dreamy indie rock sounds. Darksoft songs blend dream pop and shoegaze elements, using lush melodic progressions, 80s/90s alternative rock undertones, and deftly executed vocals. Lyrically, he weaves through clichés, platitudes, and aphorisms that explore universal truths and philosophical themes, giving his music an introspective and existential edge. Darksoft is a solo recording project often supported by a full band for live shows.

Darksoft began the new year by dropping a new single “Devil’s In The Details”, the first from his forthcoming seventh album Rationalism, slated for release on February 21st. Now he returns with a second single “After All“, released via Spirit Goth Records. Once again, he serves up an enchanting and dreamy slice of ear candy, filled with crystalline jangly guitars and assertive but gentle percussion. His captivating vocals beautifully express a sad resignation as he croons the lyrics touching on feelings of loss and regret over a romantic relationship’s that ended: “After all we’ve been through, thought that we’d be close. But all is said, said and done. And you’re so far away.” Given its first two tracks, Rationalism promises to be another superb album. Koyal

ifitbeyourwill S05E04 • Alan D Boyd of Movieland

From punk rock venues in Edmonton to London art galleries, Alan D Boyd's creative journey spans decades and continents while remaining true to his Canadian roots. The musician, filmmaker, and sonic explorer shares the winding path that led him to form Movieland in early 90s Vancouver—a band whose unreleased recordings have found surprising new life through 604 Records' Decades imprint.

Boyd vividly recalls his formative years in Edmonton's vibrant music scene, where venues like Spartan's Men's Hall hosted legendary punk acts alongside local heroes. These experiences shaped his DIY ethos as he moved through various musical projects before landing in Vancouver's fragmented but fertile creative community. There, working at the 24-hour Benny's Bagels, he connected with kindred spirits influenced by everything from Stone Roses and De La Soul to the emerging sounds of Dinosaur Jr and Nirvana.

The analog era of music production comes alive as Boyd describes crafting Movieland songs on his trusty Tascam 488 eight-track recorder, challenging conventional studio wisdom by deliberately pushing guitars louder than vocals. These recordings, preserved on deteriorating cassettes and ADATs, have been meticulously restored using AI technology—resulting in music that sounds so contemporary that listeners question whether it's new or from decades past.

Beyond Movieland, Boyd explores his parallel project Little Sparta, which merges post-punk aesthetics with folk sensibilities and cinematic landscapes. His collaborative approach extends to filmmaking, with documentaries about UK session musicians and the late artist Bill Fay currently in development.

Don't miss Movieland's upcoming single release on March 28th, with Boyd returning to Canadian stages in Vancouver and Edmonton this spring—a homecoming that bridges his past and present creative worlds.

Vancouver’s Movieland is a cult shoegaze trio from the early '90s, blending melancholic melodies with lush, textured soundscapes. Their early recordings are being re-issued as Then & Now (2024) with new music to follow in Now & Then (2025) on 604 Records.

MOVIELAND live:

March 27th Vancouver The Red Gate - Evening

March 29th Vancouver 604 Decades Launch - Daytime 

April 5th Edmonton Cask & Barrel - Daytime 

MOVIELAND releases: 

March 29th SINGLE C’Mon Let’s Go

MOVIELAND • Then & Now • 2024

Vancouver’s Movieland is a cult shoegaze trio from the early '90s, blending melancholic melodies with lush, textured soundscapes. Their early recordings are being re-issued as Then & Now (2024) with new music to follow in Now & Then (2025) on 604 Records.

Steel Wool • Fading • 2025

Instagram

"Instead of burying anxieties behind the haze, Steel Wool sit theirs right over its surface." - rcmndedlisten

"...the Los Angeles-based outfit’s debut single sees them subtly pushing the boundaries of shoegaze…" - Joy of Violent Movement

"...reverberates with slow, plodding, buzzy stadium guitars and huge, brooding crooner vocals." - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Ducks Ltd. • Full Performance (Live on KEXP) • 2024

https://www.ducksltd.co/

http://KEXP.ORG presents Ducks Ltd. performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded July 18, 2024.

Movieland • Icarus • 2024

Vancouver’s Movieland is a cult shoegaze trio from the early '90s, blending melancholic melodies with lush, textured soundscapes. Their early recordings are being re-issued as Then & Now (2024) with new music to follow in Now & Then (2025) on 604 Records

ifitbeyourwill S04E22 • SJ Riedel of Dutch Mustard

SJ Riedel from Dutch Mustard takes us on an emotional and musical journey that began at eight years old, all sparked by the iconic film "School of Rock." Her story is a testament to passion and perseverance, from diligently saving up for her first guitar to mastering classical compositions in the Netherlands. After moving to the UK, SJ's transition to rock music marked the beginning of a new chapter, where early songwriting and an unforgettable school talent show win set the stage for her burgeoning career.

In our conversation, SJ opens up about the pivotal shift from band member to solo artist. After forgoing traditional college in favor of a sound engineering apprenticeship in London, she discovered a new world of creative possibilities. The isolation of the COVID lockdown, though challenging, offered her a unique opportunity for self-reflection and musical innovation, resulting in 20 demos and a debut EP. SJ's narrative highlights how this time of solitude was a catalyst for finding her authentic voice and artistic identity.

Listeners will be inspired by SJ's resilience as she navigates the music industry, embracing authenticity and collaboration with artists like Steve Milbourne and Gang of Youths' guitarist. Her story of overcoming personal struggles and the serendipitous connections that shaped her career is truly uplifting. With upcoming live performances, recording sessions, and new music releases on the horizon, SJ embodies the power of positive energy and creative collaboration. Join us for an episode filled with heartfelt stories, exciting plans, and the unwavering passion that fuels SJ's musical journey.

 Direct MP3 DL

Dutch Mustard blends ethereal dream-pop, 90s alt-rock, and shoegaze, creating a unique sound of abstract drones, psych- infused guitar lines, and SJ’s versatile vocals—ranging from delicate whispers to powerful bursts. Her music layers atmospheric textures with raw emotion, offering a captivating, genre-defying sound that's both dreamy and dynamic.

D U T C H M U S T A R D 

Slow Salvation • 'The Ghost of Last Christmas’ • 2024

ifitbeyourwill S04E19 • TW Walsh

TW Walsh, a talented musician and audio engineer, takes us on a nostalgic journey through his musical upbringing. Growing up amidst the eclectic sounds of classic rock and new wave, thanks to his father's diverse taste, Walsh reveals how pivotal moments like watching Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same" shaped his passion for music. This episode promises to uncover the profound influence that early exposure to the cultural shifts of the 60s, 70s, and the emergence of 80s pop and hip-hop had on his creative path, culminating in his latest album, "Wilderness."

Listeners are invited to explore Walsh's transition from a passionate drummer to a solo artist with a unique voice in the alt-country and alt-rock scenes. We discuss the crucial turning points in his career, from the DIY music era to receiving unexpected recognition from peers, leading to a solo record deal in Seattle. This episode highlights Walsh's authentic sound and the personal nature of his early recordings, including his 1999 album, "How We Spend Our Days," reflecting on the dynamic evolution of his musical journey.

Technological advancements in music production form a backdrop to Walsh's creative process. Equipped with engineering and computer science skills, Walsh embraces digital audio workstations to transform his songwriting practice. As he shares insights on navigating audience feedback while maintaining personal artistic integrity, listeners are encouraged to appreciate the diverse artistic outlets that keep creativity flowing. Discover standout tracks like "Hypnotized" from his new record and hear how Walsh envisions future creative ventures across multiple mediums, ensuring that his artistic journey is ever-evolving.

 

Download Link

https://twwalsh.com/

“I believe in TW Walsh and I am not afraid to die!” That’s David Bazan’s proclamation on his song “Bands With Managers” on Pedro the Lion’s album Achilles Heel, put out in 2004, about the same time that TW Walsh stopped playing with the band and David Bazan first retired the moniker. He’s an audio engineer who has worked with thousands of artists, including Benjamin Gibbard, Sufjan Stevens, and of course, David Bazan. And his latest surprise album, Wilderness, share some of Gibbard’s and Death Cab For Cutie’s latest guitar flavors. read more….