the Houston-born and Los Angeles-based rock artist DE’WAYNE announced his third studio album june set to be released July 30th via Fearless Records. Along with the news, the title track “june” was released and it’s available to stream now.
- Without Willow – Autumn 2025 Irish Tour
- Sept 12th – The Sound House, Co DublinWith special guests Charles James and The RiseSept 13th – Roisin Dubh, Co GalwaySept 17th – Bridge of Song, Co MayoSept 18th – Poppy Lane Sessions, Kinvara, Co GalwayWith special guests Charles James and The RiseSept 20th – Pot Duggans, Co ClareSept 21st – Finn’s Folk Club, Co TipperaryOct 4th – Glen Arts Centre, Co LeitrimWith special guest Shauna McDaidOct 15th – Mini Mouth Piece, Co Donegal
While accessing the duality of humanity and harnessing the divine femininity through music DE’WAYNE is back with no shortage of soul, sex, sweat, and style. June – both the song and the character – is the heartbeat of this album.
“I wrote June because I had to—it poured out of me. I was heavily inspired by Talking Heads and Prince, but I wanted this to reach everybody; young or old, whatever your background, we all know what it’s like to fall for someone who flips your world upside down. For the fans, I hope this shows that I’ve truly found my voice. I want them to feel my heart in this one—and maybe see a little of themselves in it too,” shares DE’WAYNE.
These songs are DE’WAYNE expressing his love, admiration and yearning for her and the title track is an anthem to strut to. It’s bold, powerful and undeniably for “june,” as it celebrates the feminine power and divine force she represents to him.
“This is my epic rock love album. I gave everything—blood, sweat, tears, love, sex, spirituality, and truth. Every song was a surrender, and June is the light guiding it all. I wanted to reframe vulnerability as a superpower, not a weakness, and use this record to show my evolution—not just as an artist, but as a human being. I believe this will stand as one of the most powerful rock albums of the year!”
The energy of African dance meets the spirit of Afrobeats music in I Believe In Myself, a new children’s album from award-winning dancer, choreographer, songwriter, and educator Funmilayo Chesney. Presented under the moniker “FUSHA Kids” and drawn from Funmilayo’s decades of teaching and performing with her NYC-based African dance ensemble, FUSHA Dance, I Believe In Myself is set for release this Friday, May 16, 2025.
The songs on I Believe In Myself interweave elements of traditional African music with the production style of contemporary Afrobeats, while also drawing inspiration from samba, salsa, hip hop, reggae, calypso and soca. Using a call-and-response approach in her FUSHA Kids songwriting, Funmilayo encourages children to affirm their identities through their voices and their bodies.
“My goal is to create a narrative in which kids feel inspired by learning from a powerful Black woman and realize they are also powerful,” says Funmilayo. “A central component of my artistic practice is writing and recording songs to use as teaching tools in my dance classes for both adults and children. Through original songs and traditional African dance and drum, my FUSHA Kids album, I Believe In Myself, enlightens children about historical leaders in racial justice, celebrates the cultural heritage of the African Diaspora, and teaches inclusivity and respect for diverse backgrounds and perspectives.”
Sebu is one half of the voice of Capital Cities, the indie-pop unit behind the infectious multi-platinum anthem “Safe and Sound”, which was nearly impossible to escape back in the summer of 2013. Now in 2025, Sebu is gearing up to release his debut solo album, Many Faces, which features a mélange of disco, trip-hop, indie pop, and much more. Each track provides the perfect bed for Sebu‘s hypnotic vocals to rest, casting sweet feel-good melodies that are bound to live rent free in your head.
Following a landmark year marked by the release of their debut album Left Behind and the emotionally charged single Sink My Teeth, acclaimed Donegal folk duo Without Willow—Karen Kelly and Simon McCafferty—return with their second release of 2025, “The Way Back”, arriving on May 29th.
Evoking a tender sense of nostalgia, the new single reflects on the fading magic of childhood friendships and the enduring pull of connection.
“The song was initially inspired by that moment when, as kids, we play with our friends for the last time without knowing it’s the end of an era,” says vocalist Karen Kelly. “But as time passes, that love has a way of bringing people back together. The Way Back celebrates those friendships that survive time and distance—you just pick up where you left off.”
The release comes at a time of growing momentum for Without Willow, who recently reached the semi-finals of the prestigious International Songwriting Competition with Lay Down Your Troubles. The Nashville-based contest receives over 15,000 entries from more than 150 countries and features high-profile judges including Tom Waits.
To mark this exciting phase in their journey, Without Willow have announced their first-ever Irish headline tour, taking place this autumn with eight dates confirmed across the country. Known for their powerful live presence and heartfelt performances, the duo will bring their emotionally resonant folk sound to audiences throughout Ireland.
Without Willow – Autumn 2025 Irish Tour
Sept 12th – The Sound House, Co Dublin
With special guests Charles James and The RiseSept 13th – Roisin Dubh, Co GalwaySept 17th – Bridge of Song, Co MayoSept 18th – Poppy Lane Sessions, Kinvara, Co Galway
With special guests Charles James and The RiseSept 20th – Pot Duggans, Co ClareSept 21st – Finn’s Folk Club, Co TipperaryOct 4th – Glen Arts Centre, Co Leitrim
With special guest Shauna McDaidOct 15th – Mini Mouth Piece, Co Donegal
Austin rockers Farmer’s Wife are excited to share their new EP, Faint Illusions, available everywhere now. An exploration of what’s real and what’s a figment of our imaginations, the new EP inspects reality in the context of love alongside heavy guitar and bone-chattering whimsy. Both “Seethe” and “Mildew” premiered preceding the EP, showcasing the band’s sonic nods to 90’s shoegaze and grunge on today’s EP. However, these influences don’t fully encapsulate the musical breadth explored in Faint Illusions; Singer and guitarist Molly Masson’s voice combined with darker, grittier themes, gives the EP a multi-dimensional feel and brings the eerie vision of the band to life.
Scottish indie artist Theo Bleak shares her new EP, Bad Luck Is Two Yellow Flowers, available everywhere now via Polymoon. Co-written with close collaborators Mark Johnston, Megan McNally, and Dan Gautreau, the EP captures Theo Bleak’s signature blend of haunting melodies, poetic lyricism, layered instrumentals and emotive vocal delivery, displaying a push and pull between intellect and raw feeling.
“The EP is my imaginings of my friend’s inner life,” Theo Bleak explains. “Each song represents a different facet of our blurry friendship. The title imagery is tied to ideas of superstition, astrology, and the feeling of deep, unwavering longing.”
NYC-based band Pry, the project of Simeon Beardsley and Amara Bush, are excited to share “So Good” from their debut album, Wrapped in Plastic, arriving later this month on May 29, 2025. The new single captures what it’s like going through the motions of life and getting to meet yourself when you come out of the whirlwind of it all. Guitars take twists and turns through a fast-paced world of blunt but emotive vocals, sprinkles of synths, and lyrics that read between the lines of an unfinished poem that Simeon’s grandfather wrote.
“So Good is about being reintroduced to yourself after living in a blur,” say Pry. “It was lightly inspired by an unfinished poem by Simeon’s grandfather called “ten roses” and reading into the lines left blank.”
At just 18 years old, Sienna Melgoza is a triple threat, pop singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress, whose passion for music has shaped her into a multifaceted artist. After signing her first record deal at 13, she honed her craft while developing her artistry in the studio and on stage. Blending pop with personal storytelling, creating music that resonates with listeners on a personal level, Melgoza has quickly made a name for herself. With influences ranging from Ariana Grande to Billie Eilish, she seamlessly mixes genres with her magnetic energy and emotive vocals, earning her praise from notable music outlets, including CLOUT, Conversations About Her, and Global Money World.
The songs on Bandits on the Run’s forthcoming EP, The Shakespeare Tapes, were born out of a joyous collaboration with director Peter Anderson, who tapped the theatrical indie-folk trio to create songs for a production of As You Like It at Carnegie Mellon University.
In this unique production, which also featured songs inspired by the prose from Twelfth Night, actors were cast in roles best suited to their spirits, resulting in an ensemble that looked different from what one might expect from a traditional binaried lens. Inspired by the task of writing songs that broke a mold of being strictly for male or female voices, Bandits on the Run’s Sydney Shepherd (she/her) became the voice of Orlando (the play’s bad-boy protagonist), and Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they) voiced Rosalind, the gender bending heroine of the story.
“The opening and queering of that casting process opened up a whole boundless sonic universe to play with,” Regina Strayhorn states. “The songs ended up a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and we came to describe the sound as ‘Shakespeare Americana.’”
In a twist of fate, as they worked on queering up the material and developing the mold-breaking songs, Bandits on the Run found themselves in Nashville, TN, to record, right when national attention was being called to the state for its government’s attempts to ban the art of drag. “It feels like the songs have an inherent spirit of rebellion in them. They’re a mix of new and old, honoring our artistic ancestors who pushed the limits in their time, and reminding us to push the limits of our own,” says Enscoe. “The Shakespeare Tapes is in honor of love, chaos, dread, exaltation, confusion, identity, and romance beyond traditional gender roles.”
After recently giving birth to her first child, Buffalo’s own return act is The Color Chocolate 2, which will be released on 6.20.25 via Perfect Time Music Group. The album’s first single, “Who’s The Greatest?” features the intricate wordplay of none other than Elzhi. “Who’s The Greatest” is now available.
This builds on her momentum as one of the industry’s top rising talents and multi-hyphenates. Che Noir’s organic rise rose to new levels with the release of The Lotus Child (2024), and her breakout single, “Black Girl,” featuring Rapsody.
The Color Chocolate 2 continues to showcase Che Noir’s lyrical prowess, storytelling ability and dexterity as a producer. “This is a song and beat I wrote and worked on for The Lotus Child, that I fully produced. I didn’t feel it fit the sound for that project, so I archived it until I could find a home for it,” Che explained. “After working on The Color Chocolate 2, I knew it was perfect for this album; it just screams ‘black woman,” and ‘black excellence,’ which correlates with the album title.”
With a rapidly growing fan base and an uncompromising artistic vision, Che Noir continues to push boundaries in Hip-Hop.
Che Noir’s The Color Chocolate 2 will be released on 6.20.25 via Perfect Time Music Group.
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