featuring @asitisofficial @cjsolar @rachelbochner @seetreesband @itsminoe @fundidofundido @gundersongarett @brookeleemusic @izzaroze @tapwaterlucy
Trans-Atlantic pop rock quartet As It Is has today released their highly anticipated fifth studio album, available now via FLG Records. The Self-Titled record features recent releases “Ruin My Life (feat. Murray Macleod)”, “Do You Remember?”, “Live, Laugh, Love, Los Angeles”, “Marilyn”, and “Lose Your Way & Find Yourself”, as well as latest single “I’m So Alive!”, which features guest vocals from UK vocal group espera (Sleep Token) and a saxophone solo from Justin Klunk (The Midnight).
Purchase As It Is now here.
Reflecting on the album, front man Patrick Walters shares:
“It would probably take me hours, if not days, to fully express what this record means to us. When the band fell apart – slowly, painfully, and unceremoniously – and each of us exited the project one by one, we had little choice but to make peace with the near certain eventuality that this band had no future. There was no closure or chance to celebrate everything that this project meant to us, to all of us – the band, the team, and the fans.
We wanted it to end differently, but thankfully, it never really ended at all. Because if being in this band has taught us anything, it’s that, in the jaws of hopelessness and hurt, you have two choices – turn the aching into art or let it eat you alive. Which is how, one song at a time, we wrote an album that helped heal, reunite, and reclaim our future as a band.
In many ways, this feels like our second debut album. We’re not the same people we were before the band’s hiatus, for better or for worse, but our bond has never been stronger, and our future has never felt brighter. We never thought we would get to write and record another album together, and we couldn’t be any more proud, grateful, and overjoyed to be sharing these songs with the world today. We hope that this, our first album together in eight years, was worth the wait.
This is As It Is.
ΛIIV”
CJ Solar and The Old Souls, Nashville singer-songwriter CJ Solar’s exciting new artistic endeavor, today releases “Done Did It,” a fast-paced swampy barroom anthem laden with the swagger of a backwoods juke joint and the soul of Louisiana. Blending bayou-born rhythms, bluesy Rock guitars and smoky harmonica, the track gets an extra shot of credibility with a standout second verse from Songwriters Hall of Fame member Jeffrey Steele, whose legendary pen and unmistakable delivery elevate the song’s cool factor. Written by Solar, Dustin Kines and Steele, “Done Did It” captures the irresistible pull of a good time gone too far… even after deciding to turn over a new leaf. Temptation wins yet again.
Brooklyn-based artist Rachel Bochner has built a reputation for sharp, emotionally charged indie-pop that cuts straight to the core. Since her debut, she’s carved out a space defined by candid lyricism and an unflinching willingness to explore the messier edges of love, identity, and self-discovery.
“Say That You Don’t” explores the guilt that can follow the end of a relationship, even when leaving feels like the right decision. It’s about still caring for someone you’ve hurt and wishing you could take that pain away.
Bochner shares, “In the wake of my break up, I was consumed by guilt. Staying was not an option, but leaving came with the price of hurting someone I still cared so deeply for – who still cared so deeply for me. I couldn’t help but indulge myself with the inherently selfish fantasy of “Say That You Don’t.” If I could snap my fingers and make all the hurt and lingering love they feel disappear… would it alleviate my guilt? If they looked me in the eyes and told me they barely even thought about me after I left… that they are better off now without me… could I sleep a little better at night?”
The single offers a glimpse into Bochner’s upcoming album, a body of work rooted in the aftermath of a long-term relationship and the complex process of self-redefinition that followed. The wider record navigates themes of grief, identity, and acceptance, shaped by the end of that relationship and the unraveling that followed. As a queer artist, Bochner’s experience sits at the center of that shift, disentangling years of love, guilt, and self-realization. “I didn’t realize I was queer until my mid 20s. Despite my best efforts, the life I’d spent years building no longer felt like home–it became a hand-built prison” she says. “Accepting that meant facing I had no choice but to leave it behind,” a turning point that shapes the entire record that orbits her queer identity’s entanglement with insurmountable guilt, revelatory grief, and the start of complex acceptance.
Indie-rock band seeTrees returns with their latest song “Break in the Light,” an introspective, Americana-tinged anthem that wrestles with the question of what we leave behind for future generations. Its message sits between humility and sanguinity, capturing the quiet frustration of feeling powerless in the face of larger problems, while still reaching toward a more sustainable and compassionate future. “Break in the Light” is available on all major streaming platforms now.
“Break in the Light” takes off with upbeat, danceable energy, instantly establishing a lighthearted and joyful feel that carries through from the very first moment. Opening with dreamlike piano chords and propulsive drum and guitar patterns, the track immediately evokes a lively, feel-good tone. Merging Americana and cinematic rock, “‘Break in the Light’ addresses the question of whether or not we’re leaving things better off than we found them for the next generation,” songwriter Drew Lawrence shares. With lyrics like “I get a little bit restless / Thinking about you / And what we’re leaving behind” and “I feel a little defenseless / Like there’s nothing I can do,” Lawrence captures the apprehension of contemplating what’s to come and how there is a certain responsibility owed to the next generations. Through earnest lyricism and a breezy, rhythmic soundscape, the song explores the balance between vulnerability and the awareness that our descendants will inherit the decisions made by us. Bringing additional depth to the track’s rich sonic landscape, “Break in the Light” features guitar work from Jason Abraham Roberts, known for his collaborations with Spoon and Norah Jones, alongside bass from Aaron Michael Stern (Gary Clark Jr., Curtis Harding, and Laura Jean Anderson).
Nova Scotia-born singer-songwriter MINOE
reveals her powerfully authentic new single Shell
Honest and relatable, Shell sees MINOE confront her harsh inner critic. Amplified by body dysmorphia and the damaging expectations that society places on women and their bodies, the song offers a chance to examine the way we speak to ourselves.
Stripped back piano accompanies MINOE’s effortless vocals as she hands control over to her inner critic. In doing so, she exposes the disappointment we often feel for ourselves as we grow up, and how we often hold ourselves to an unrealistic standard of beauty, youth and success.
Sharing more MINOE explained: ‘To me, this song is really just allowing my darkest inner dialogue to exist outside of myself. I hope getting these words out banishes them! I don’t agree with ageism or body shaming. I think being mean or judgmental toward other people is low vibrational, so why do I do it to myself?
Shell expresses a lot of nasty things I’ve said to myself, but saying them out loud helped me realize that I don’t actually feel THAT hateful toward myself, and it helped me be kinder to myself!
I hope that if any listeners have thought any of those things about themselves, they can use this song as a safe place to feel those feelings and hopefully move on after a good cry.’
Following lead single “1986”, SPEARMINT are back with the sumptuous follow-up track ‘Stop Singing Baker Street’. Both tracks will feature on the London band’s ambitious new concept album ‘Chase Me’ – out Friday 24th July 2026.
STREAM “STOP SINGING BAKER STREET” ON ALL SERVICES HERE
Released on Friday 17th July, ‘Stop Singing Baker Street’ is a classic Spearmint pop song that tells a story of loving someone, but being perpetually irritated by one thing they do, in this case singing ‘Baker Street’…
How much Rafferty is too much Rafferty? Of course, the punchline is that they wouldn’t change it for the world.
The limited edition vinyl version includes exclusive b-side ‘Out of the Sunshine’, a reflection of the British unease of living with our colonial past.
Spearmint have been making great records since debut ‘A Week Away’ in 1999 (‘Sweeping The Nation’, ‘A Trip Into Space’, ‘We’re Going Out’). Still the same line-up: Shirley Lee (singing, guitar), Simon Calnan (singing, keyboards), James Parsons (guitar) and Ronan Larvor (drums). This will be their eleventh album proper and the 65th release on their own hitBACK label.
Re-united with producer Rhodri Marsden (Scritti Politti, Cardiacs), the ‘Chase Me’ album tells a story of success, disillusionment, disconnection, peril, and resurrection. Anchored by three chases across a city at night, book-ended by two out-of-body experiences, and working towards a suite of uplifting love songs, it’s a thriller, it’s a horror, it’s an allegory. Song-writer Shirley explains “The story would make a good movie I think… but we don’t know how to do that, so we did this.”
After a decade spent shaping New York’s underground dance community, Brooklyn duo Fundido release their new Melt EP today via DJ Tennis’ Life and Death. Arriving on the heels of a Coachella debut and their recent release on James Murphy’s DFA Records, the four-track collection (including remixes from Papa Nugs and Retromigration) marks another chapter in a breakout year for Latane Hughes and Billy Scher.
A natural extension of the duo’s decade behind the decks, Melt captures the sound that has defined Fundido’s sets since they first emerged from Williamsburg institution Baby’s All Right in 2016. “Siren Tiger” unfolds from brooding grooves into a soaring piano-led release, while the title track pairs an enduring piano motif with vocals from Emma Dufaux, transforming an accidental loop discovered during one of the duo’s New York boat parties into its emotional centerpiece.
Over the past ten years, Latane Hughes and Billy Scher have become pillars of New York’s underground, co-founding the Earth Beat collective, holding residencies at Good Room, playing renowned institutions like Making Time, the Lot Radio, Sunday Sunday, Hot Mass, A Club Called Rhonda, Bar Part Time, and more. The duo curated the Paradise Tempo compilation on Universal Cave, with the sold-out vinyl edition recognized as one of Resident Advisor’s “Picks of the Week.” Their recent transition into original music has quickly gained momentum, following January’s “Drops of Time” and this spring’s DFA release “Get A Grip.” Their music has seen support from Erol Alkan and DJ Harvey to Avalon Emerson and Luke Alessi.
Edmonton singer-songwriter and visual artist Garett Gunderson invites listeners to surrender to love’s natural pull on “Gravity,” the second single from his forthcoming album, Anywhere Anytime, due out August 21.
Warm, playful, and effortlessly romantic, “Gravity” blends a laid-back, tropical Jack Johnson vibe with a modern summer groove. The track features warm vocals and acoustic guitar, along with bubbly electric guitar and carefree percussion. Feel your feet in the sand and the tropical ocean air as this love song takes you on a romantic, sunny vacation.
“‘Gravity’ is a song about the irresistible pull of love,” says Gunderson. “We want love, we dream of love – and when it’s really there, you know it through and through. When I met the love of my life, I wasn’t even looking for love. But love found me, and pulled me in.”
BROOKE LEE
“Driver Drive”
• Brooke Lee keeps her foot on the gas with her latest release, “Driver Drive.” It’s a late-night, backseat kind of story, flirty and a little reckless, about chasing one last moment with someone you just met.
• “This song takes what we created on Desert Darling—those vibey, layered tracks that make you want to move, that roll-the-windows-down, keep-driving feeling—and brings it into a more everyday version of that freedom. I always want to celebrate the in-between moments too. I’ve had so many nights where the bar’s closing and I’m just not ready for it to end—the dancing, the laughing, flirting with the cutie next to me. ‘Driver Drive’ is about what happens after… that moment where you just wanna keep the night going as long as you can. It’s fun, flirty, a little reckless, and just feels like summer.” – Brooke Lee
IZZA
A Night at the Ballet: Act I
• Izza releases her highly anticipated sophomore EP, A Night at the Ballet: Act I, with “blood on my shoes” focus track. The song is a fierce, confrontational anthem that draws a hard line between two paths: climbing the ladder on your own terms, scraping and clawing for a hard-won success, versus leaning on a man to get there.
• The album arrives alongside an official music video for “blood on my shoes,” directed by acclaimed director Nas Bogado (Royal & The Serpent, G Flip). Izza was also recently featured on the cover of RYM Magazine, and will appear on The Roundtable podcast.
• Izza’s recent release, “Prima Ballerina,” generated multiple viral moments, accumulating over 8 million views across TikTok and Instagram.
Rising Nashville-based artist Carver Jones explodes back onto the scene with a
brand-new single “GOOD TIME”, due for release on Friday 17th July.
Elegant yet passionately driven, “GOOD TIME” is an energetic blend of funk, blues
and indie-rock textures that embody the Nashville artist’s refusal to be put into a
box. It bursts into life with a sense of urgency that carries through the record, from
the exhilarating opening statement to its commanding close. The muted strum of
the acoustic guitar establishes a driving pulse that anchors the track’s momentum,
while punchy drums propel it forward with infectious energy. Blues-inspired electric
guitar fills weave between Carver’s velvet-rich vocals with elegance and finesse,
creating a musical synergy that deepen the passionate immediacy reflected in the
lyrical motif: “have a good time while you’re in it, but baby don’t move too fast /
haven’t felt this way in a minute, so get up off your ass” which in turn summarises
the wider theme of the record: the conflict between wanting to slow down and
appreciate the present moment, and acting fast to make the most of something
before it’s gone.
Produced by Gloria Kaiyi (Khantrast, Sweaterbeats, INJI), “GOOD TIME” displays a
polished yet organic production where instrumental layers support one another in
sonic harmony, mirroring the band’s unmistakable chemistry on stage and further
highlighting Carver Jones’ as a strikingly talented guitarist with the band to match –
collectively emerging as a highly-skilled, musical ensemble firmly on the rise.
London-based artist and producer Tapwaterlucy returns with ‘Whore of Babylon’, a dark and direct electro-pop single that challenges and reimagines one of religion’s most infamous female figures as a symbol of resistance, autonomy and self-determination.
‘Whore of Babylon’ is available now on your streaming service of choice via APOLLO Distribution.
‘Whore of Babylon’ is a battle cry inspired by the Whore of Babylon from the Book of Revelation. Traditionally, she is a symbol of the apocalypse, depicted as a lustful woman and the mother of harlots, representing all that is wrong with the world. However, Tapwaterlucy reclaims her as an empowering figure, using her story to challenge corrupt religious power and reclaim agency over our own bodies.
Whether addressing abortion rights, sex worker rights, or trans rights, Tapwaterlucy writes about the importance of bodily autonomy and how, when religious power falls into the wrong hands, that autonomy can be taken away as a form of control. Built around pulsing electronic production, haunting vocals and an undercurrent of defiance, ‘Whore of Babylon’ explores themes of religion, bodily autonomy, power, and feminism. This striking use of story-telling is a timely and hard-hitting statement in the face of an increasingly far-right and fascist political climate.
Some songs are made for a moment. Others become part of the memories. With “My Boo,” rising R&B singer-songwriter Jalen Chords delivers the kind of feel-good record that instantly transports listeners back to an era when love songs dominated the airwaves and every summer had its soundtrack.
Available today alongside its official music video, “My Boo” is the kind of feel-good R&B record that instantly feels familiar. Blending smooth vocals, glossy production, an infectious chorus, and a standout bridge, Jalen Chords delivers a complete song that recalls the carefree spirit of Y2K pop-R&B while feeling right at home in today’s landscape. It’s the kind of record that’s made to be dedicated to someone special, rolled down the windows to, and played on repeat long after summer ends.
Directed with the same playful energy as the song itself, the official music video was filmed in Miami and follows Jalen as he chases the attention of his love interest through colorful streets, sun-drenched locations, and carefree moments that capture the excitement of young love. The visual perfectly complements the song’s nostalgic charm while introducing audiences to Jalen‘s effortless charisma on screen.
Electronic pop artist LEX VISCERA unveils his debut album ‘ANACHRONISM’, a visual record depicting a relationship with time through the lens of a narrator detached from reality and logical perception.
‘ANACHRONISM’ is available now on your streaming service of choice via APOLLO Distribution.
Listen to ‘ANACHRONISM’ below:
Full of mania, grief, and anemoia, ‘ANACHRONISM’ is a volatile depiction of a relationship with time, and the deranged, desperate attempt to break up with it rather than accept its inevitability. The project , woven with a plethora of pop-adjacent alternative production choices, is steeped in a narrative language that at times feels so targeted that the line between time being an abstraction rather than an abusive significant other becomes unclear.
Musically, ‘ANACHRONISM’ sits at the intersection of electronic pop, alternative and trap-pop, pairing immediate melodies with abrasive textures, distorted electronics and cinematic production. Every track occupies its own sonic space while remaining tied together by a carefully constructed emotional arc.
New York-based, Toronto-born indie-folk singer-songwriter Nate Daviau unveils his debut EP, The Apology, via DOOGOOD. Spanning seven intimate tracks, led by focus track ‘Indigo Pablo’, the project traces a journey through addiction, recovery, love and self-reflection, pairing heartfelt lyricism with warm, inviting instrumentation. Rich in honesty and emotional nuance, The Apology shines a light on the contradictions of the human experience, embracing both its darkest moments and its quiet triumphs.
MALUGI has released his new single “Right Thing,” featuring UK singer-songwriter Paige Cavell. The highly anticipated new track also marks MALUGI’s debut on Ninja Tune via its Technicolour imprint.
On “Right Thing,” Paige Cavell’s lyrics trace the feeling of discovering a love that feels certain, of finally finding “something true” and knowing “our love is real.” MALUGI amplifies that sense of optimism with uplifting, heavy-hitting production that transforms personal emotion into a collective release through the dancefloor-uniting, peak-time energy MALUGI is known for.
At the heart of MALUGI’s work is a deep belief in dance music’s power to create connection. His music is designed to pull people out of their heads and into the moment, creating spaces where they can drop the cool, let go of the ego and feel part of something bigger than themselves. That spirit has helped make MALUGI one of dance music’s fastest-rising names, with a reputation for joyful, communal sets and an approach that is as sincere as it is high-impact. “Right Thing” continues that mission, turning big feelings into a record made for shared release on the dancefloor.
“Right Thing” arrives as MALUGI continues his biggest summer to date, with performances at Parklife, Sónar, Hideout, Tomorrowland, Awakenings and David Guetta’s UNVRS in Ibiza, ahead of a major support slot for Sammy Virji’s headline show at London’s Finsbury Park this August.
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