After being introduced by a friend in 2023, Amara Bush and Simeon Beardsley hit the ground running. Bush had been learning bass and guitar during the pandemic and had songs written that she was ready to play, while Beardsley had been in DIY bands in New Mexico for nearly 15 years and was eager to start a project in New York. The duo began sharing demos and would meet to rehearse them with only the support of drum loops on their computer. Not long after, they recruited members for a full band and polished enough material for a live set. They have since solidified themselves as a powerful live act in Brooklyn’s vibrant music scene. Pry are easily distinguished by their wall of sound guitars and bass, out front synthesizer, groove-centered but explosive drumming, and catchy vocal melodies, with a tendency for broad dynamic shifts reflecting their variety of influences, which range from 90’s alternative rock and shoegaze to modern indie and pop.
Staci Gruber is a transformative Boston-based artist whose exceptional musical talents, storied songwriting, and emotional depth resonate deeply with her listeners. Her work seamlessly intertwines personal experiences with the emotional stories of others, creating a profound musical connection that explores themes of isolation, loneliness, and hope.
Music has been an intrinsic part of Staci’s life from an early age. What began as a shy, introspective passion—singing privately in her closet—quickly blossomed into a powerful voice when she performed her first solo, “12 Days of Christmas,” in elementary school. It was then that Staci discovered her true voice and has never looked back.
Throughout her childhood, Staci spent summers at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, which further solidified her deep love for music. Staci’s journey took a unique and ambitious turn when she became the first person to transition from the classical voice program to the jazz studies department in a pioneering five-year dual-degree program at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music. This distinctive educational background has shaped her multifaceted artistry and honed her versatility as both a performer and a songwriter. Her diverse musical influences range from Anne Murray to Barbra Streisand, Karen Carpenter, KD Lang, Billie Eilish, Pink Nancy Wilson, John Coltrane and more, seeping various genres into her own unique musical melting pot. This led to her becoming a lead vocalist in a popular GB band that performed an eclectic range of musical styles and tastes.
While her musical career flourished as a vocalist, Staci also achieved distinction in a completely separate field as a renowned Harvard Medical School professor and pioneering neuroscientist at McLean Hospital. In her groundbreaking work on cannabis, she focuses on understanding the long term impact of cannabinoids across a wide range of conditions. Staci’s research has been a game-changer, generating real-world data that has influenced clinical trials and provided critical insights into the potential benefits of cannabis for various medical conditions.
Staci Gruber’s single, “No One Is Alone”, is a heartfelt reflection of the human experiences she encounters daily, both in her scientific work and personal life. Inspired by the isolation and loneliness that so many people feel in our current world, the song delivers a unifying message of the importance of connection and togetherness. Staci shares, “Every day, I meet people who feel absolutely alone in their experiences—disconnected or left behind. No One Is Alone is a reminder that even in our most solitary moments, we can find solace in one another, in places, in pets, or in any form of companionship. It’s a call to remember that we each have something valuable to contribute, especially in times of distress.” For her powerful debut, Staci teamed up with prolific writer and arranger Michael Orland (American Idol) and producer Avli Avliav (Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Ray J), resulting in an evocative and uplifting pop-rock anthem. “No One Is Alone” features a striking sonic tapestry filled with soulful vocals, vibrant textures, and cathartic melodies over breezy, carefree rhythms. The song showcases Staci’s extraordinary ability to channel raw vulnerability into something profoundly moving, delivering a song that stirs both hearts and souls alike.
Minneapolis band she’s green are excited to share their new single, “Figurines,” via Photo Finish Records, arriving alongside a poignant official music video. “Figurines” embodies a dreamy introspection of that past, pairing Zofia Smith’s ethereal vocals with the band’s lush, organic instrumentation. True to she’s green’s signature style, the track begins in a mellow haze before erupting into vibrant, full-bodied release.
Liverpudlian indie-pop rising star Tilly Louise is back with a bang. Her brand new single Rosie marks her first release of the year and the third installment from her eagerly anticipated upcoming EP, Where The Hell Have You Been?, set to drop later this year.
Rosie is out now on your streaming service of choice, via APOLLO Distribution.
Singapore-born, New York-based artist Kyle Waves has established himself as a notable new arrival within the Asian and queer communities of his generation. Kyle is influenced by the works of both Eastern and Western artists such as Lexie Liu, Troye Sivan, NewJeans, and Tinashe, and has delivered a variety of synth-heavy and vocal forward tracks in the pop, R&B, and house genres.
In his music, Kyle explores the multiple and often complicated sides of love, loss, and friendship that many can resonate with. Paired with over a decade of singing and dance training, he is able to deliver strong choreographed routines to align with his up-tempo tracks and a variety of music video concepts that have helped to further highlight the narrative that unfolds through his lyricism and production.
Kyle’s music has been featured on the OutLoud Radio Show, received multiple entries on the aBreak48 Radio Chart, and has been spun on 987FM in Singapore. Kyle’s music also served as the basis for “Going to the Top,” a play presented at The Tampa International Fringe Festival.
As the renaissance of 90s shoegaze continues, Austin’s Farmer’s Wife tread moodily around its boundaries. Combining elements of dirge, psych, scatterings of 80’s pop and heavy doses of grunge, their music recalls the best of that era – the early records from Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Jane’s Addiction, and Slowdive.
Singer and guitarist Molly Masson’s voice is beguilingly wistful, delivering lyrics that blend art-house horror with fantastical romance, cocooned in a fairytale nightfall. Musically, drummer Jaelyn Valero and bassist Jacob Masson match that unease with brooding rhythm, and guitarists Jude Hill and Derek Ivy alternate lush melodies with walls of tension and gloom. The overall effect is intricate and unnerving, the feeling of sitting in peaceful sunlight with a dark forest of untold terrors surrounding you. These off-kilter dreams are perfectly captured on songs such as “Shoe Goo” and “Swarm” or the beautiful melancholy of “Pool Song.”
Their new EP, Faint Illusions, takes things to a grittier place musically, but with the same familiar themes winding throughout the songs. Decomposing, fading, withering – imagery blending gothic finality with romantic despair. “Tangled up in silk again. Cover me in your mildew….The fruit it rots and falls onto me,” sings Molly on “Mildew,” once again turning decay into ardor.
Repeatedly, the band weaves the most delicate lyrical webs through a storm of instrumental lament. “Walking down the sunset, stars are in the street. One pocket full of posies, one pocket full of meat,” sets the ghoulish tone for “The Ballet” – a song that starts in whimsical twilight before spiraling into a fever dream of night and chaos. The final track, “Discount Roses” sees a simple tale of falling in love swallowed by metaphors of alien abduction and a nod to a paradise of the afterlife – coming full circle on the arc of love’s birth and death.
As with all their music, the allegories blend into the storytelling, which is sometimes intensely personal and at others wholly voyeuristic. That push-pull of intimacy and distance is central to both their recordings and live show, leaving you constantly off-balance but always enraptured.
Virginia Beach-born artist Verna Margaret bridges the gap between modern country and its traditional roots, blending classic instrumentation with sincere, selfless storytelling. Her love for music began early—she wrote her first song at age three, inspired by a baby bird leaving its nest. By eight, she was captivated by the world of country music, finding comfort in watching CMT and absorbing everything she could about the genre. From ages 14 to 22, Verna Margaret honed her craft as part of a rock band, gaining invaluable experience and shaping her artistic voice. In 2016, she moved to Los Angeles and has since reconnected with her roots, writing and developing her sound, and chasing the dreams that first formed in front of a TV screen. Verna Margaret draws lyrical inspiration from songwriting legends like John Prine and Lucinda Williams, channels the musical spirit of Jerry Jeff Walker and Emmylou Harris, and evokes the timeless vocals of Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt. These influences have helped her forge a sound that’s both personal and universal, deeply emotional yet refreshingly individual. Often retreating to Joshua Tree to write, she embraces her genre-spanning background while staying true to herself, resisting the urge to conform. Beyond redefining the sound of country, Verna Margaret uses her platform to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and speak out on issues of social justice, including the dismantling of racist systems. In doing so, she not only claims her place in the evolving country music landscape but also proves that authenticity and activism can go hand in hand.
Garnering praise from V Magazine, Rollacoaster, Lyrical Lemonade, and more, August Royals quickly started making a name for himself in 2021. August was selected as part of Pigeons & Planes’ highly coveted “Best New Artists,” he was heralded as “the rare kind of talent who’s positioned to strike the difficult balance between artistry and accessibility.” August signed with RCA Records for the release of his debut single “Blue Football” gaining nods and critical acclaim.
In 2022 August Royals released his debut EP, Inhaler, a nine-track, multi-genre reflection of his own experiences and struggles. Departing from RCA, August decided to pause and spend time developing who he wanted to be as an artist. After working alongside artists such as Kevin Abstract of Brockhampton, Ryan Beatty, and Dominic Fike, August was ready to reevaluate his own taste and self-discovery as an artist.
After a year quietly spent offline and in the studio, August Royals has returned, coming into 2025 with a handful of songs that are his self-proclaimed “best to date and most authentic” with his first single “American Spirit” boasting a unique vocal performance that still maintains pop accessibility for new listeners. Now coming in strong with a carefully finessed fresh take on pop, is “Skintight Crazy”, an upbeat track that captures his take on how the love of today can be the confusion and hurt of tomorrow. With this second independent release, it seems like August Royals is finally ready to reach new heights.
One of the most exciting post-punk bands emerging across London right now, sounds mint flips the script and unleashes their explosive new heater “Zombies” –
released via EQT Recordings. Laced with raw, intricate lyricism and sleek soundwaves produced by Slim Typical, sounds mint continues to flaunt blazing authority, potent symbolism and keen observations across “Zombies”. Comprised of Kelvin Bueno (frontman), Rudy Albarn (drummer), Robbie Carter (lead guitarist) and Layla Narramore (bassist), the London four-piece takes centre stage with an intimate yet frantic illustration of modern youth culture; weighted by isolation and escapism, broken societal systems, the confusion of adolescence and adulthood, and the destructive pull of lust and nocturnal influences to create a melting pot for internal exploration. Steering dizzily into self-reflection, the band delivers a true statement of intent, spotlighting the diverse stories being told across the UK while inspiring a generation lost in the chaos – a universal angst that ultimately carves its own path towards solace. Speaking on the track, Kelvin explains: “The whole thing felt like a bit of a stream of consciousness. It’s hard to reimagine the exact process, we just knew that when it was all said and done, the song was written and the story was told. Ended up being quite a haunting story through the eyes of a few characters akin to the destitute and disillusioned of this country. The instrumental ends up being quite a fitting bed for the bleakness and deepness of it all.”
Canadian producer Rezz is gifting fans with a long sought-after original ‘Contorted’ out now via HypnoVizion.
With ‘Contorted’, Rezz is reflecting on her artistic evolution over the last decade. Initially a SoundCloud-only release, ‘Contorted’ surges with the midtempo pulse that carved Rezz’s early signature and has since cultivated a cult-like fanbase. Widely recognized for its spiraling melodies, eerie textures and bone-rattling low-end, ‘Contorted’ has been reimagined with upgraded sound design that sharpens its original edge without losing its raw essence.
“This is a remake of an old song that only all the OG fans would know existed! This was a staple in my sets and never got a full release. This version is revamped and soooo much sharper! This song is part of a bigger future project but I wanted to give this to the fans asap.” – Rezz
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
