Mar 19, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E14 • Olivia Nowadays


Olivia Nowadays, the talented musicians Kent Carson and Evan King, recently joined  ifitbeyourwill Podcast for an engaging conversation about their musical journey. The podcast delved into their inspirations, creative process, and the stories behind their captivating songs. Listeners were treated to insights into Olivia Nowadays unique approach to music-making and how they navigates the ever-evolving music industry. Their passion for storytelling through music shone brightly during the podcast as they shared anecdotes and experiences that have shaped their artistry. Enjoy 🎙️







TSDEATTOTP is Olivia at our most maximalist, merging sparkling instrumentation, candid field recordings, and frequent experimentation into sonically dense songs that evoke a sense of melancholy and wonder. The soaring shoegaze track “Be Right Back” recalls the abrupt loss of a loved one, opening with a poignant field recording of Merlin the lonely parrot muttering to himself in a room. A swirl of uncanny voices coaxed from a glitchy machine learning model features on “New Philosophy”, which paints a wry art-pop portrait of a listless urbanite inspecting a past iteration of himself. The hazy, stuttery slowcore of “First Trauma” reflects on generational wounds and anhedonia, bearing a message from the past to a grown child: “making choices makes you.” Woven through each of the album’s eleven songs is a distinct sense of someone approaching the border of their understanding, in hesitation of what they may find on the other side.

Mar 17, 2024

Dent May • "Coasting On Fumes (feat. Jordana)” • 2024



I think this album might be the purest power pop collection Dent has made, and one that really captures his talents as a pop songwriter in a classic mold. He's never flashy or gimmicky, but I think has truly emerged as a master of the form, and this record encapsulates that nicely.



 "One of indie-music's most tasteful songwriters."
NPR
 
"Dent May shine[s] a light on efficacy of simplicity in the face of the complexities of modern life."
Pitchfork
 
"Remarkable...May doesn’t have any easy answers, but the pop hooks lure us in, inviting us to suss out these universal ambiguities right alongside him."
Bandcamp 
 
"Absolutely dazzling."
Stereogum

BMX Bandits • Hop Skip Jump (For Your Love) • 2024




BMX Bandits were formed in the Scottish ex industrial town of Bellshill in 1985 by Duglas T Stewart and Sean Dickson. When Sean left to concentrate on his other band The Soup Dragons so began BMX Bandits, not as a conventional band of the same 4 or 5 faces but as an ever growing extended musical family which has included members of The Vaselines, The Pastels, The Pearlfishers and Teenage Fanclub over the years.

Mal Not Bad • No Worries • 2024



Back in November we teased a new release from Mal Not Bad (AKA LA’s Mal Hauser) with the single ‘AP’. A track which “display[ed] a newfound depth within the [project’s] sound,” as we put it, “leaning further into electronic sensibilities while simultaneously interrogating the impact of technology, resulting in a nuanced exploration of the human experience within the digital present.” The album, This Is Your New Life, will be the debut full-length from Mal Not Bad and continues this style, expanding the sonic palette introduced with previous EP Continuous Short Feature Film with a mix of sampled and live instruments and probing to the heart of the contemporary moment.

Mar 14, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E13 • Strawberry Runners


The music of singer songwriter Emi Night, aka Strawberry Runners is characterized by its dreamy and introspective melodies, often accompanied by gleeful guitar work and grounded vocals. Their lyrics delve into themes of self-discovery, love, and navigating the complexities of human relationships. With a unique blend of indie pop and folk influences, Strawberry Runners creates a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshing. Check out their latest self-titled record and if you’re in the UK a tour is happening as this is published. Enjoy 🎙️ 



Mar 13, 2024

King Hannah • Big Swimmer • 2024



Joh Chase • Gone • 2024




Chase’s musical journey has been a winding but steady evolution. While they were raised Evangelical and originally wrote songs that grappled with leaving the church, Chase found revelations in introspective songwriting. “My brain is completely filled with the music I was raised on: Elton John, The Cranberries, Bonnie Raitt, and the Mamas and the Papas,” they say. “I will always think of my music through that template while trying to find a place for myself in the world and pushing the boundaries of that.” 

Mar 12, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E12 • Jad Fair


Jad Fair's music is characterized by its raw, unfiltered energy and unconventional song structures. His distinctive vocal style, marked by childlike wonder and spontaneity, adds a unique charm to his compositions. With his band, Half Japanese, Fair has been a pioneering figure in the indie and lo-fi music scene, inspiring generations of musicians with his fearless approach to creativity. Jad just released two epic records, 100 Songs (A Master Class In Songwriting) and  Film Music clocking in with 250 new glimpses into the music of a legend. Enjoy 🎙️ 






Jad is a stunning study in contrast, with enough eerie ghouls to fill up the Shudder Channel and enough plaintive love songs to fill up the Hallmark Channel. There’s truly something for all tastes here and now you can soak it all up in one place. 

Mar 10, 2024

Jad Fair • 100 songs & Film Music! • 2024






Can an indie/punk legend create his most epic work a half century into his career? As productive as Guided By Voices and Buckethead are, neither could match Half Japanese leader Jad Fair’s quest to release100 albums in 2021 during his COVID downtime- he actually topped that goal with a whopping 160 albums then. Now he’s whittled them down to a 100-song, double album set that’s a cornucopia of words/songs/sounds. The brief, juicy nuggets of songs were crafted by Jad alone, composing the sounds via the GarageBand computer program, supplemented by his recitals and booming vocal percussion.

Mar 8, 2024

ifitbeyourwill Podcast promo S03 E12 • Jad Fair


Coming Next Tuesday March 12th • Jad Fair

Frog Unplugged and Unhinged: Live at the Canary Club Trailer • 2023




Recorded at a sold-out show in Manhattan’s Canary Club this past December, the film is their first since the award-winning Kings of Blah documentary, and it captures Frog playing acoustically for the very first time. “Unplugged and Unhinged” also offers the first official recordings of their expanded lineup as band leader Daniel Bateman (Guitar/Vocals) and his brother Steve Bateman (Drums) are joined by returning co-founder Tom White(who has traded the drum kit for bass).

Call Me Spinster • "Burn the Boxes” • 2024


Call Me Spinster on the new single: “‘Burn the Boxes’ is all about tearing down and re-defining terms - of relationships, of our contract with societal institutions. It felt fitting to rip apart and reuse cardboard boxes to make something colorful, haphazard and beautiful - a reminder that change takes the creative, destructive and playful mind of a child.” 


Mar 7, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E11 • Kilgour





Kilgour's ability to craft grungegaze landscapes and evoke deep emotions makes them a band to watch in the indie music scene. With their latest record "How To Put Your Hat On” set to drop, they are poised to further solidify their place in the shoegaze layered with a grungy edge, offering listeners an unforgettable musical journey.  Fionn Crossan joined me from Edinburgh to chat about his musical journey, the launch show and the making “How To Put Your Hat On” Enjoy 🎙️ 





Mar 6, 2024

Songs About Food • 2024


Mar 5, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E10 • American Analog Set




The music of American Analog Set is a captivating blend of indie rock, dream pop, and synth undertones. With their latest record, "For Forever," they continue to mesmerize listeners with their lush soundscapes and hypnotic melodies. The album effortlessly transports listeners to a dreamy sonic landscape, filled with shimmering guitars, ethereal synths, and intricate rhythms. Each track is a sonic journey, inviting listeners to get lost in the band's signature atmospheric sound. Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Kenny joined me from his Texas home to share his incredible musical timeline, and be sure to catch the first track of For Forever at the end of our chat. Enjoy 🎙️ 



Lo-fi, low budget, and low key, The American Analog Set’s suite of hypnotic, neo-psychedelic, Texas sloth-kraut LPs appeared briefly on Austin’s Emperor Jones label and slunk quietly into the sprawling indie underground as the old millennium crested. Gathered here are The Fun Of Watching Fireworks, From Our Living Room To Yours, and The Golden Band albums, garnished with period b-sides, outtakes, and demos. Remastered from the original analog tapes, this early-career spanning 5xLP box includes lyrics, photos, and ephemera from the before times. 



Mar 4, 2024

BETS • Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes Cover) • 2024


First she transforms the Femmes' biggest splash into a shoegazey spectacle, putting the jaunty sounds of "Blister In The Sun" into slow motion, and re-contextualizing Gordan Gano's original lyrics of addiction and rejection into a somber, gentle, ballad reminiscent of Mazzy Star. The heavily manipulated footage for this video fades in between black and white and color, tracking the woman's longing gaze out of a backseat car-window, staring out at the city lights in a state of solitude. Says Bets, "Music + car + windows down, that feeling. Made in Tokyo. Where anything you want at night you can find."


“Lust in the streets, music to our ears.” 
- NOISEY

“Drift away with BETS’ dreamy new music video”
NYLON

"It’s an album outfitted for the young urbanite just taking things day by day, hitting the inevitable rough patches but also strongly shining at times. BETS, it seems, is poised to be doing more of the latter in the near future."
Paste

“BETS’ voice mesmerizes as it lulls us into a full dream state with her, as the gentle, warm, optimistic melodies wash over us.”

Popmatters

"The producer’s light electronic touches allow the bicoastal artist’s ballads to breathe, lending verisimilitude to whatever issues BETS is tackling."

Buzzbands.la

Mar 3, 2024

YOU SAID STRANGE • My Own God • 2024



In the tradition of classic indie rock, the band breaks new ground with their latest release, a simple yet highly melodic single that explores the idea of trust, tackling the complex themes of betrayal and disillusionment, demystifying the heroes in whom we have placed our trust but who have ultimately disappointed us. Let's be our own God!

"Occasionally, we come across a band that feels like we’ve known them forever. Their music seems to have a deja vu effect, mirroring our past follies, fun-seeking behaviors, and bittersweet relationships. You Said Strange, a Giverny, France-based quartet is just that, a band new in statute but at home in the back pocket of all your recent ebbs and happy errors, an indie band that, well is properly, that."
Ones To Watch

"If you want a new band to fall in love with, this is it. You Said Strange’s latest LP, Thousand Shadows Vol. 2, is brilliant and versatile."
SPILL Magazine

"A fresh spoonful of indie pop glory"
V13

"Led by intense yet melodic pop-tinged instrumentation, the track strikes an intricate balance between the tenderness and danger of handing over the reins of our lives to someone else."
EARMILK

moving mirrors • Never Going Back Now • 2024


“It's not a conventional heartbreak song but also not an overly uplifting one, so it was a cool challenge to try and capture the specific emotions of the lyrics within the style and balance of the instrumentation itself as well,” the band said of ‘Never Going Back Now’. “The inclusion of the backing vocals in the track choruses, for example, make things more rhythmic in contrast to the verses which sound a bit more melancholic thanks to the guitars, so it was a creative challenge in the studio to try and get this balance just right but actually a really enjoyable process.”

click for IG



continuing to cement themselves as one of the more exciting names on the rise.

Mystic Sons

 

An eclectic and kaleidoscopic outfit, channelling everything from indie vibes to dreamy vocals, passing through experimental stylings.

Mesmerised

Mar 1, 2024