Following on from last month's debut single Song By A Stranger, Divorce's co-vocalist and guitarist Felix Mackenzie-Barrow has returned this week sharing the latest effort under his solo project, Book of Churches. Following suit, The Quiet Was A Heron is another tender offering, stripped back and delivered expertly. Felix comments on the new single: "The Quiet Was A Heron arrived at the end of summer, in 2024. I watched a heron fly at dusk above the noise and chaos of a festival in the Brecon Beacons and wondered how it perceived us from up there. It was a fleeting, almost out-of-body experience. It led me back to a memory of the family dog digging up the bones of a heron buried many years before in a black binbag in my parents’ garden. It is an angry song, angry that we as a species render so many gentle, beautiful, irreplaceable lives so unliveable." Take a listen below.
NYC-based electronic punk outfit Lip Critic have returned today to announce their brand new album Theft World, released May 1st through Partisan Records. Accompanying the news is their chest rattling single, Legs In A Snare. Described as a "A love song twisted into a horror story" the track's convulsing bass lines and punchy vocals give an exciting taster of what's to come. "Theft World is an ode to the power and pervasiveness of stealing," says the band of the album. "It’s about taking something ugly and using it to make something cute. It’s about eating an absurd world and falling in love with it as you digest." Take a listen to Legs In A Snare below with the Colter Fellows directed clip.
Tour Dates: Feb 19th | Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Feb 21st | Chicago, IL - Music Frozen Dancing May 25th | Troy, NY - No Fun % & May 26th | Boston, MA - The Rockwell % & May 27th | Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa % & May 28th | Toronto, ON - The Garrison % & May 29th | Detroit, MI - The Sanctuary % & May 30th | Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen % & June 2nd | Denver, CO - Hi-Dive % & June 4th | Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court % & June 5th | Reno, NV - Holland Project % & June 7th | Seattle, WA - Barboza % & June 8th | Vancouver, BC - Wise Hall % & June 9th | Portland, OR - Polaris Hall % & June 11th | Sacramento, CA - Cafe Colonial % & June 12th | San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill % & June 13th | Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon % & June 14th | Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar % & June 17th | Austin, TX - 29th Street Ballroom % & June 18th | Dallas, TX - Dada % & June 19th | Hattiesburg, MS - Fat Cat % & June 20th | Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Altar) % & June 21st | Durham, NC - Pinhook % & June 23rd | Pittsburgh, PA - Little Giant @ Bottlerocket Social Hall % & June 24th | Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA % &
Cardiff risers casual smart have today unveiled their starry-eyed new single She’s My Love. Arriving in time for Valentine’s Day, the track pairs heartfelt lyrics with gentle, warming touches, wrapping its skippy melodies and laid-back beat in an easy, romantic glow. Speaking more about the track, vocalist Emily Beal says: "As artists we tend to get caught up trying to make metaphors for lyrics but with our new track we tried to be as sincere as possible as a no holds barred declaration of love. It’s the feeling of knowing someone and not knowing that you could know someone in that way, or that you could be known like that. With the awesome sax and upbeat drums we hope we can light up that feeling in anyone who listens." Championed by Huw Stephens, selling out Clwb and playing stages across Sŵn Festival and Green Man, the band set their sights ahead of their UK tour kicking off this month, with a summer schedule steadily filling with festival appearances (The Great Escape, Wanderlust). Take a listen to the new single below, with a full run of dates beneath.
casual smart are: Peter Martin - Piano/Vox, Brooke Thomas - Guitar/Bass/ Vox, Emily Beal - Guitar/Bass/Vox, Rowan Phillips - Saxophone, Oliver Goddard - Drums
Upcoming Live shows: 24 FEB // Brighton, Green Door Store 26 FEB // London, Old Blue Last (Great Escape 20th Anniversary with Blue Bendy) 27 FEB // Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach 28 FEB // Manchester, YES Basement (Mood Swings) 3 MAR // Bristol, The Louisiana 8 MAR // Leeds, Brudenell Social Club 14-15 MAY // Brighton, The Great Escape 23 MAY // Southampton, Wanderlust Festival
Ahead of the weekend, South London sibling duo PUNCHBAG returned with a new single and the announcement of a new EP set for release 10th April via Mute. Heading up the latest news is the cathartic I Am Obsessed. "It's about being completely obsessed with something or someone, but not in a cute way, more in a 'your whole body is under attack' kinda way. It's sort of disordered, chaotic, overwhelming," Clara explains. Speaking more on their upcoming second EP, the band said: "If our first EP was a selfie, these new songs are like zooming in and thinking, 'fucking hell my pores look huge'. This EP is turning up the contrast on everyday life, rinsing the disgusting dish towel so far that all the gunk comes out. It’s pushing PUNCHBAG’s sonic world even further, into a grander landscape, and dramatising the everyday more than ever before." Take a listen to I Am Obsessedbelow.
Westside Cowboy - Bristol's Exchange, February 2026
Arriving to an already packed out room, there's no doubting the hype that surrounds Manchester's Westside Cowboy. From winning Glastonbury's emerging talent competition last year, the recent release of their So Much Country ‘Till We Get There EP and an upcoming opening slot for Geese, it's safe to say it's been a whirlwind 12 months - and they show no sign of slowing.
Melting frantic chaos and intimacy in equal measure, the band wasted no time in creating an impressive atmosphere as they walked on to Jackie Wilson's (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.
Moments before, their lead guitar was passed overhead through the audience from the sound booth, crowd-surfing its way back to the front of the stage to cheers and laughter. A sign of just how busy the room was, and a perfect snapshot of the night ahead.
They opened with a loose confidence, slipping into a cover of Santo & Johnny's Midnight Cowboy with an easy warmth before tearing into fan favourites like Alright Alright Alright, which sounded bigger and more buoyant than ever in the live setting. Drunk Surfer landed with a raw, scrappy edge, its momentum feeding off the tightly packed room, while Pinup Boys showcased how sharply their songs translate on stage, hooks hitting harder with every chorus as Aoife Anson O’Connell lead out a blinding ostinato outro.
Between tracks, the band kept things light, joking about having poorly timed their pre-show dinner and half-warning that it might make a return appearance. Thankfully, the front row escaped!
When the set shifted into more delicate territory, the atmosphere changed completely. Songs like Slowly I’m Sure drew the room into near silence - so quiet you could hear your own breath. It was a rare kind of respect, one earned rather than requested, and it gave those songs a fragile, and almost suspended quality. Certainly one of the more respectful crowds I've been amongst in recent years. Top marks Bristol!
Sadly all good things must come to an end, and with such a short and snappy set, the band rounded up in 50 minutes, leaving Bristol's Exchange wrung out, in the best possible way. Stood front centre, they gathered together, drum and guitar in hand, for a blissful closing moment with In the Morning.
By the time they reached the final notes, Westside Cowboy showed they can stretch a room to its limits and pull it back into silence at will, all without the weight of an album behind them. And on this strength alone, they’ve made it clear that rooms like this won’t hold them for long.
This week sees emerging duo Witch Post return with their brilliant new single Worry Angel. Released alongside the announcement of their new EP Butterfly, due March 20th on Partisan Records, the track finds the pair delving deeper into their emotionally charged grunge sound with striking clarity. Speaking on the story behind their new EP - their first to be released on Partisan Records in the company of Geese, Blondshell and PJ Harvey - the band share: “Butterfly is the spring thaw after Beast. Country fair rides, angels and pixies, talismans, an impulsive fling in a small town, coyotes, fawns - we wanted to contrast the wintry rock of Beast and take listeners on a sonic road trip of different perspectives and in-between places.” Take a listen to the latest single below.
Butterfly Tracklist
Changeling
Worry Angel
Witching Hour
Twin Fawn
Country Sour
Tilt-A-Whirl
Something To Give
Chicago based outfit Friko have today shared their brilliant new single Seven Degrees. Taken from the band's forthcoming freshly announced second album, Something Worth Waiting For, out April 24th via ATO Records, the track gives us an exciting teaser for what lays ahead. “On our first record we were much more involved in the technical aspect of everything, but this time John made it clear that he wanted us to just come in and do our thing,” says Minzenberger. “I think that allowed us to let go in a way that we never had before, and because of that we captured something very raw.” Take a listen to the first offering below.
Friko - Something Worth Waiting For // ATO Records - 24/04/26
1. Guess
2. Still Around
3. Choo Choo
4. Alice
5. Certainty
6. Hot Air Balloon
7. Seven Degrees
8. Something Worth Waiting For
9. Dear Bicycle
Ahead of his fifth studio album, ‘Julia’, out February 13th 2026 via One Little Independent Records, Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir recently shared Against The Current. Speaking about the record, he explained, "This was kind of the first time I was writing lyrics totally on my own. It was scary. I’m still trying to find myself within that. But I tried to open myself up and I learned a lot through that process, and it was definitely therapeutic for me." Take a listen to the latest offering below ahead of the album's release, along with a run of upcoming UK tour dates.
Live Dates 14 April Leeds Brudenell Social Club 15 April Newcastle – The Cluny 16 April Manchester Band On The Wall 17 April Glasgow Room 2 19 April Birmingham – The Castle & Falcon 20 April Bristol Thekla 22 April London – Islington Assembly Hall
Following its premiere on Steve Lamacq’s 6 Music show, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have today shared their brand-new single Sunburned In London. Whilst its namesake might seem an almost impossibility under our grey skies, the Australian outfit bring their own heat driven by meticulously layered guitar rhythms and sharp musical detail. "As a band, we have always made songs about cities," explains Tom Russo discussing the track's genesis. "I was thinking about sensory overload and relentless beauty, and the creeping feeling in the streets that the party’s winding up and the lights are about to come on.” The single is released alongside a beautiful live video shot at Melbourne's Northcote Theatre, with the band joined by Stella Donnelly, Sophie Ozard and Julia Wallace on backing vocals and keys. Take a listen/watch below.
Rolling Blackouts C.F. also announce a special show at the Northcote Theatre for February 17th, 2026. Tickets for the show go on presale via the Rolling Blackouts C.F. mailing list Feb 5th at 10am AEDT and on general sale Feb 6th at 12pm AEDT at just $10 per ticket.
Empire of the Sun have announced a run of UK dates set to take place this summer. The Australian duo of Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore will bring their vibrant live set to the UK as part of their Ask That God tour which sees them take in cities across Europe, kicking off on May 31 in Oslo’s Unity Arena. Tickets are on sale now.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN - ASK THAT GOD UK 2026 June 23 - TK Maxx Presents Depot Live at Cardiff Castle - Cardiff, United Kingdom June 26 - Alexandra Palace - London, United Kingdom June 27 - Alexandra Palace - London, United Kingdom June 28 - TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall - Halifax, United Kingdom
