Editors' Picks

Lancaster rockers Massive Wagons have been writing killer rock songs and enjoying doing it for over a decade now, nurturing a reputation for high energy shows mixed with a healthy dose of high jinks along the way.

David Bowden, otherwise known as Pink Sweat$, has been gaining momentum at a frightening rate for an artist whose debut album is yet to be released. His upward trajectory has been propelled in large part by his hit song Honesty, which racked up an incredible two million streams on Spotify in less than eight weeks when it was released in 2018, and currently has more than 35 million plays on YouTube.

Anne-Marie and Doja Cat team up for their laid-back, slice-of-life number ‘To Be Young’. The former has built a reputation out of creating playful, charming tunes that encapsulate what it’s like to be a young millennial in this day and age.

Picture the corniest dramatic scene from a romantic movie in your head: the rain’s gently sizzling on the window, all the while the couple on the screen are slow dancing to themselves with a hazing tune playing on a cheap radio. Well, that tune very well might be Someday, Somewhere, Palace’s wonderful, heart-tugging new single.

Matthew Murphy’s debut solo album under his Love Fame Tragedy moniker (taken from a Pablo Picasso exhibition) landed last week, and it’s an interesting mix of sounds and styles from one of the current indie scene’s longest-serving songwriters.

What is the secret recipe to make a summer hit song? If you posed this question to a producer, they would most likely answer with the following: popping electronic drums on an energetic tempo, acoustic guitar coupled with thin Stratocaster chord punches, catchy vocal melodies, heavy compression, all toppled with a variety of production gimmicks finished with a seasoning of synth swoops and plucks. Just thinking on all those, you could probably make your own summer anthem for your thoughts alone, or you could be blackbear and exercise all these in an eccentric new summer anthem, queen of broken hearts.

Zara Larsson’s latest single ‘Love Me Land’ is a sparkling declaration of love. The Swedish singer and songwriter have never shied away from embracing her glamorous, seductive energy, and she does so with aplomb in her latest venture.

Aussie three-piece DMA’s have made a name for themselves as a swaggering indie rock band shaped by the heady heights of the Britpop days. Comprised of Thomas O’Dell (lead vocals), Matthew Mason (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Johnny Took (guitar), their first two albums, 2016’s Hills End and For Now in 2018, both cracked the top ten of the album charts in their homeland, and last year they collected the ultimate lad rock accolade of supporting Liam Gallagher on tour.

Jasmine Rose Wilson, who writes and performs as Baby Rose, has one of those voices that just stops you in your tracks. It’s husky and haunting but with a delicate undertone that has you hanging on her every word; it’s rich enough to fill an arena but intimate enough to feel like she’s singing to you and you alone. And she’s got the songs to go with it.

Fresh-faced and hotly tipped for success, The Academic crashed into the Irish charts when their debut album Tales from the Backseat hit number one back in 2018, propelled in part by smash hit single Bear Claws, and it’s ‘live looper’ music video which went viral and racked up over one million views on YouTube in its first 48 hours.

The three singles that have been released prior to Jacob’s newest offering, He Won’t Hold You, have been absolutely stellar to say the least.

Margo Price is one of the undisputed rising stars of the country scene. Her story – from drug use, a spell in prison and one of homelessness, to the tragic loss of her infant son – means shes endured more than her share of pain, and can walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

There can be few musicians as prolific as Mike Kinsella. In his various guises with bands including Cap’n Jazz, American Football, Joan of Arc, and Owls, the Chicago-born singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has released an astonishing 43 albums since 1995.

At the end of June, Manic Street Preachers frontman James Dean Bradfield released two new singles from his upcoming solo album Even In Exile, which is due for release on August 14.

Emily Burns’ newest single, Curse, is truly a gem in disguise. Upon first listening to the track, one might think that this song rides on the sound Finneas and Billie Eilish have built in the last few years: Emily’s voice is meek and vulnerable, backed by a shy piano and dreamy synth-scapes cradling the composition.

Rodney, CMAT’s newest single, feels like a warm serving of the favorite dish your mom makes for you when you come back home. It always feels like you haven’t had it in a long time, and tastes of memories and nostalgia. 

Loveday is back with a brand-new single, fresh off her last offering “Superficial Life” earning airplay on BBC’s Radio 1.

Pop newcomer Kiara Nelson is back with her second offering since her debut single “Adore You” captivated us all and earned over 1.5 million streams on Spotify. Her new single, “Kisses For Breakfast” is as sweet as it is catchy. It is a track that feels destined to fill dancefloors everywhere, a delicious fusion of pop, soul and R&B. Truly, the ultimate part crowd pleasing combination.

Australian four-piece Spacey Jane have been winning fans in their homeland and beyond over the last couple of years with their own brand of raucous but deeply melodic sounds and a swiftly growing reputation for breathless live shows and knockout festival performances.

Phoebe Bridgers has the world at her feet. With her highly accomplished and lauded debut album Stranger in the Alps already under her belt, and blossoming projects with darlings of the indie world Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus (Boygenius), and Conor Oberst (Better Oblivion Community Center) gathering steam and winning fans, it’s easy to forget that Bridgers is just 25 years old.

Country artist Jason Aldean has warmed our hearts with a beautiful new video for his latest single “Got What I Got.” Giving us a sneak peek into his life behind the music, Aldean shares some very personal moments with his family.

It’s more than 15 years since Ray LaMontagne was catapulted to international fame with his debut album Trouble, a folk rock smash hit that sold more than half a million copies worldwide and made the Nashua-born singer-songwriter a household name, despite his often publicised desire to stay firmly out of the limelight.

Raised in London, with Irish and Egyptian heritage, Shaefri’s music is as worldly and eclectic as you might expect. Her vocals, meanwhile, have a hypnotic, almost otherworldly quality to them, which combine to give her a sound that is truly her own. She has written with a number of artists and producers in the last few years, including Major Lazer, Christine and the Queens, and Daft Punk.

Evanescence are a staple when it comes to early 2000’s emo/rock anthems. Fans of the genre and casual listeners alike all around the world could easily come together in harmony and belt the chorus for the band’s 2003 opus, Bring Me to Life. Everyone knows that song.

David Gilmour is an industry titan. He has a career spanning well over sixty years now, being a part of Pink Floyd and highly regarded as one of the greatest guitar players to ever exist.

Another Sky’s newest single, Fell In Love With The City, is a musical journey.

Jacob Collier is back with his third single for his upcoming multi-album project, Djesse Vol. 3. In the same vein as the previous tracks released from the album, Time Alone With You and In My Bones, this song pulses in electric beauty, which is very jarring when you compared it to his other work from last year’s Djesse Vol 2, such as Feel and It Don’t Matter.

Charlie Puth’s latest single ‘Girlfriend’ is the funky pop earworm his fans have been absolutely itching for. It’s smooth, it’s suave, it’s got a killer bassline reminiscent of Puth’s earlier works — the slow but striking notes on the synth will immediately beguile you from the get-go.

Chloe x Halle’s second venture ‘Ungodly Hour’ will cement them as one of the most stunning acts in R&B at the moment.

Technically, this German metal band are not strictly metalcore, nor are they newcomers. Formed back in 2012 in Ingolstadt, their style has defied simple classification.

Premiered today, Katie Melua returns with her latest track ‘A Love Like That’. The song and video gives a James Bond-esque feel, evoking a strong image and mood backed by an impressive orchestral arrangement.

UK singer songwriter Tom Walker has released a beautiful new single entitled “Wait for You,” written and recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns. As an added bonus, he has also graced us with a stunning video to accompany the track, filmed separately by dancers from all over the world. The song and video together creates a visually stunning and emotive experience, feeling incredibly apt for the current times. 

American country music trio Runaway June have released an upbeat new single, “We Were Rich,” the first with their newest band member, Natalie Stovall.

American metal titans Lamb of God have finally unleashed their first studio album in five years and there is no doubt it has been worth the wait.

American singer songwriter Dylan Scott has warmed hearts and caused huge smiles everywhere with his beautiful new single and the sweet video that came with it. “Nobody” is a deeply personal and touching tribute of love and devotion. As an added bonus, the song is catchy, fun and you cannot help but sing along to the gorgeous lyrics that speak of the immense love he holds for his wife, Blair Robinson.