#fiona-lee

[biodan-ole]

I've been putting off posting concert pictures for a while, so here's the best of the last 2 I went to

1st picture: Calum Bowie

2-4: James Marriott

5: Fiona-Lee

6-8: Seb Lowe

[newmusickarl]

Top 10 EPs of 2025

As we have seen, 2025 has been a huge year for new albums with The Amazons’ cinematic fourth album 21st Century Fiction named as my Album of the Year just a week or so ago. However, as many great longplayers as we received over the last 12 months, there was an equal abundance of great shortplayers too.

So, I’ve looked back over the last 12 months and picked out my ten favourites of the year from the longlist of 35 EPs which I spun in 2025. As always, I’ve gone for an eclectic selection that pulls from various genres - so, depending on your taste, hopefully you’ll find something to enjoy on this list.

First, the honourable mentions:

Chapter & Verse: At Fiction Studios by The Amazons

Close To The Flame by Bleach Lab

Everybody Scream (Chamber Version) by Florence + The Machine

KAWALA Collection by KAWALA

KELLY by Kelly Lee Owens

The Machine Starts To Sing by Porridge Radio

A Brief Intermission In the Flattening of Time by Spanish Love Songs

10. Lekkerland by Casey Lowery

They say musicians need a little bit of luck to succeed, and Chesterfield singer-songwriter Casey Lowery might just be the unluckiest musician on the planet right now.

Having been dropped from his label and lost the rights to his name (he was previously “Casey Lowry”), he managed to crowdfund this 2025 EP off the back of his big social media following. In fact, he managed to sell so many copies, it would have been a charting album – except he forgot to record the delivery addresses of those that had ordered, with only fulfilled orders counting towards the chart. Doh!

While it may not have charted though, this is still a project that deserves your attention. From the upbeat surf-pop of Caroline and Day Wave-featuring Blue Corduroys, the hilariously self-aware Kebab Tune and emotional poetry of Low Mood Season, Casey demonstrates why he’s a talent still worth the investment.

9. Back By Popular Demand by Spielmann

Making my best EPs of the Year list for the second year running, it’s the Sheffield Springsteen: Spielmann, the music persona of Ben Lewis.

While Back By Popular Demand is pretty much more of the same earworm hooks and wry lyricism that he gave us on Fifteen Minutes With Spielmann and A Better Man, it doesn’t make it any less fun the third time around. Whether that’s the soaring guitars and singalong chorus of Over It, the regretful and highly relatable Got To Go To Work, the Brexit-bashing Blue Passport or the doom-laden finale Kids On The TV, it’s another all killer, no filler collection. As if the music wasn’t good enough, I highly recommend checking out the accompanying music videos too for both Over It and Got To Go To Work (also below).

Across his three EPs, Spielmann has given us an album’s worth of great material. So much so, all the songs will be collected on vinyl in January for his Greatest Hits… so far collection. So if you like what you hear and want to support this independent artist, you can pre-order the vinyl here.

8. DoGooder by Bored Marsh

Another artist making back-to-back appearances on my Best EPs list, Nottingham rock outfit Bored Marsh have built on the foundations of the sound they forged on 2024’s Idiot, with 2025 release DoGooder successfully upping the ante.

Opening on the ominous, drone-like synths of Plastic Bag, the listener is then dropped into the dark, spiralling guitars of To Have & To Hold, with frontman Joe Need sounding more confident amidst a whirlpool of grungey riffs. Tonight! continues in the same vein, before arguably the band’s best song to date: The World In Your View. A defiant anthem for these brutal, politically-divided times, the track is built on a throbbing bassline and an anger-fuelled chorus, taking fierce aim at faux patriotism, self-serving media and growing class divide. The EP then climaxes on the intricate title track, which sees the band journey through a myriad of rock styles including dreamy shoegaze and more thunderous grunge.

With DoGooder, Bored Marsh continue their ascent, sounding even more accomplished than they did just a year or so ago. Another enthralling listen, Bored Marsh continue to fly the flag for Nottingham’s thriving rock scene and you can support them by buying their Particles vinyl release here, which includes both their Idiot and DoGooder EPs.

7. No Seperation by MSPAINT

This felt like a hallmark year for hardcore music, with Turnstile’s NEVER ENOUGH making them the genre’s biggest crossover success for years, while other heavy bands like Militarie Gun, Sleep Token and Spiritbox also enjoyed commercial and critical success in 2025. However away from the limelight there was also plenty of interesting things happening, like this EP from Mississippi rockers MSPAINT, a fantastic 15-minute listen that I repeatedly returned to throughout the year.

From the pulverising synths and enraged cries from vocalist DeeDee on Drift and Wildfire, to the scintillating sonics on Surveillance and the title track, No Separation is a blistering, energised and utterly enthralling listen. The band then save the best moment for last with Angel, which sees vocalist DeeDee yell out the refrain “But I’m staying present / this is just today” over more synth-drenched, electronic explosions.

If you couldn’t get enough of NEVER ENOUGH in 2025, be sure to check out this MSPAINT EP over the festive break. Polished yet visceral, tender yet ferocious – it’s a fascinating shortplayer.

6. The Closest We'll Get by Nell Mescal

While her brother Paul continues to rule the acting world, receiving a Golden Globe nomination recently for his performance in 2025’s Hamnet, Nell Mescal proved this year that he’s not the only talented one in the family.

Having already impressed with her earlier EPs and singles, on this 6-track collection Mescal’s songwriting abilities really begin to shine. A near-faultless project, it opens on the devastating, stark balladry of Middle Man, Mescal’s hushed vocals echoing over minimal piano keys and a soft sprinkling of synths. It’s an engrossing start, which is then followed by the catchy melody of the folky title track. The songs only get better from there, with the string-tinged break-up anthem Carried Away, the country-pop groove of See You Again and acoustic lament Lose You Altogether, all beautifully arranged and tugging on the heartstrings. Sweet Relief then offers just that, closing the project out with more strings and soaring sentimentality.

As mentioned, this is an EP that is pretty much perfect from start to finish, with each song as strong as the last with it all tying together into a cohesive and emotionally resonant, 24-minute listen. As an artist who keeps going from strength to strength, I can’t wait to see what Nell Mescal delivers on her debut album when it finally arrives.

5. King of Terrors by PRESIDENT

In a year where masked entities took over the metal world, emerging from the shadows came PRESIDENT. While the identity of the band remains a badly kept secret at this point (we know it’s you Charlie Simpson), you can’t argue that the theatrics only help add to the buzz surrounding them. However, strip all those gimmicks away, and the music is still pretty darn great.

Named after a bible passage, King of Terrors is a metalcore mini-epic, with the band making a clear statement of intent with this jaw-dropping, Deftones-inspired opening address. Both In The Name of the Father and Fearless remain two of the defining singles from the metal genre this year, with their anthemic choruses and Simpson’s, er I mean The President’s, impassioned vocal cries. However as great as those two singles are the more sonically interesting cuts are arguably elsewhere, such as the pulsating electronica of RAGE, the avalanche of screams and riffs on Dionysus or the meditative, heartfelt conclusion of Conclave.

As someone who managed to get in the tent for the band’s first-ever live performance at Download festival this summer, where this EP was played in full, it will always be one of the year’s defining projects for me for that reason, as well as the fact I have played this a bunch since its release. Watching that performance you knew you were witnessing the start of something special, with PRESIDENT surely set to follow Sleep Token as Britain’s next big metal export. Whatever their next move is, I already can’t wait to see it manifest.

4. Siren by KEO

One of the year’s breakout bands, indie-grunge quartet KEO are on the fast track to superstardom. Led by brothers Finn and Conor Keogh, the band managed to have a huge sell-out UK tour this past Autumn with many of the venues having to be upgraded due to demand. Not only that, but I also witnessed them playing to relatively small turnouts at Dot to Dot and Splendour festival earlier in the year, only to then see them play to a packed-out room at Live At Leeds in November, with everyone in the crowd singing their songs back to them.

Off the back of their rapidly growing fandom alone, this debut EP had to be on this list - however the music on Siren also justifies the early hype surrounding KEO. Generating moody, guitar-driven anthems, their sound channels early Smashing Pumpkins, Stereophonics and The Bends-era Radiohead, with more than a few similarities to their contemporaries in Wunderhorse too. Songs like Hands, Thorn and I Lied, Amber already feel like rock classics that have been around for years, while more acoustic-driven tracks Stolen Cars and Kind, If You Will showcase their versatility and softer side.

2025 was a huge year for KEO, but I have a sneaky suspicion that 2026 could be even bigger for them. My advice – get familiar now before they blow up any further.

3. People Pleaser by Soda Blonde

Dublin indie outfit Soda Blonde may have just released the live album of the year this December with Dream Big (Live with the National Symphony Orchestra), but they also delivered one of my EPs of the year back in May too with People Pleaser.

Compiling anthemic singles People Pleaser, The Saddest Thing and The Queen of Mercy, the strength of those three tracks alone would probably be enough to earn a spot here. However, add in the atmospheric Words and dramatic Live And Let Down, and what you have is a flawless five-track collection steered by frontwoman Faye O’Rourke’s passionately powerful vocal performances.

Enchanting and endlessly replayable, Soda Blonde continue to add to their already impressive discography with not a single miss yet. Having been a fan of the band for some years now, finally getting to see them live in Nottingham around the time of this EP’s release only further solidified it as one of my favourites of the last 12 months.

2. Clothed In The Sun by Child of Prague

For me, the beauty of an EP is often discovery – the first snackable compilation from a new band that introduces them to the world and begins your love of their music. Encapsulating that perfectly is Clothed In The Sun by young Irish outfit, Child of Prague.

Having discovered the band by digging through this year’s Live At Leeds In The City line-up, I was immediately captivated by the band’s sound presented on this shortplayer. Blending elements of traditional Irish folk with Midwest emo and chamber pop, their sound is warmly familiar while also feeling unique and refreshingly original. Think Black Country, New Road meets American Football and you won’t be far off the magic that they conjure up here.

Opening on short intro track Taking, the project comes alive with Grey Hairs, a song that swirls with beautifully melancholic guitars, triumphant brass horns and Jack McDonnell’s passionate vocals. If that doesn’t have you hooked then Basking Sharks surely will, with Jack McDonnell’s vocals channelling a young Ben Gibbard over some hypnotic scuzzy riffs. Then after minimal lo-fi cut Burning, the project concludes on the majestic, dancing guitars of Skin, with Amelia Durac taking on lead vocal duties and further showcasing the band’s dynamic sound.

By the time Clothed In The Sun is over, I have no doubt you’ll be left eager to hear more from this band. Easily one of my favourite discoveries of the year, as bands from Ireland continue to take over the music world, I predict big things are on the horizon for Child of Prague. As a starting point, you couldn’t ask for anything better than this EP.

1. Nothing Compares To Nineteen by Fiona-Lee

And finally, here we are at my favourite EP of the year and it’s this fantastic debut release from singer-songwriter and budding young rock star, Fiona-Lee.

Hailing from the small town of Howden in East Yorkshire, I’m not ashamed to admit that Fiona-Lee almost brought me to tears the first time I saw her perform live. Her incredibly raw talent and the immense vulnerability of her music literally stopped me in my tracks, as she sung about her battles with anxiety, depression, grief and manipulative men. She may only be 24-years old, but Fiona-Lee has already experienced a lot inside and outside of the music industry, having been playing music since her early teens. All of that is laid bare on this honest and beautifully composed first collection, proving that Fiona-Lee is the real deal and a true superstar-in-the-making.

Whether it’s singing about her difficult late-teen years on the opening title track, the heartbreaking cry for help on Mother, dealing with loss on Through It All and When I Wake Up I’m Sad, delivering an ode to her mother on Lavender or struggling with self-confidence on To Make Me Feel Good, Fiona-Lee crafts relatable anthems that frequently move you and make you want to sing your heart out.

One for fans of Sam Fender and Another Sky, if you’re in need of some therapy after a traumatic and overwhelming 2025, then book an appointment with Fiona-Lee via this EP. While there were a lot of great shortplayers this year, there were few as accomplished and that fit the mood of the last 12 months quite like Nothing Compares To Nineteen. For that reason, it is my EP of the Year for 2025.

You can read my interview with Fiona-Lee for CLASH magazine here

Stay tuned for more 2025 year-end lists – including my favourite gigs and songs of the year!

[musicblogwales]

Fiona-Lee sensational debut single 'Mother' Out Now

Indie newcomer Fiona-Lee announces her signing to Gravity/EMI Records and shares impassioned debut single ‘Mother’, out today (May 2nd).

Growing up in Howden, East Yorkshire, Fiona-Lee was always drawn to music that evoked strong rallying feelings; raised on her parents’ live albums of Bruce Springsteen, Genesis and Pink Floyd, the musician spent much of her youth working on her songwriting, discovering the likes of Jeff Buckley, Alanis Morissette, PJ Harvey and Patti Smith, whose appetite for social commentary very much intersects with her own.

Eager to begin her career in music, Fiona-Lee’s initial move to London was meant to kickstart this process, however the origins of ‘Mother’ and its subject matter instead detail the traumatic experience she faced:

“The song’s about a difficult situation I was in a few years ago, where I’d moved to London and was living in the basement of my then manager’s office. I wanted to leave and stop working with him because he wasn’t a nice guy, but felt totally stuck because it was like he owned me and I knew how badly he’d react if I left. It starts out very vulnerable as a cry for help, then as it goes on it becomes angrier and more empowered, basically how I felt as the situation developed and I managed to leave. So it’s essentially about being a young woman that’s being controlled and taken advantage of by a 50 year old dude in the music industry. This shit happens all the time - especially to young women - so I feel really strongly about discussing the subject matter of this song, which is ultimately men abusing their power.”

Tackling themes of vulnerability, shame and grief in her music, Fiona-Lee’s powerful songwriting and anthemic overtones has already earned her support slots with acts including Coach Party, Girl Scout and Swim School, giving her the opportunity to benefit from the friendship, wisdom and cautionary tales of other female artists. With a whole host of festival shows lined up in the coming months (including TRNSMT and The Great Escape), as well as further new music, ‘Mother’ certainly lays down a firm marker for what is to come from the thrilling songwriter.

Mixed by Alan Moulder (The Last Dinner Party, Wet Leg), Fiona-Lee’s ‘Mother’ is out now via Gravity/EMI Records and available on all digital platforms. 

Fiona-Lee Online Facebook / X / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok Live Dates 11th May - The Road to The Great Escape, Glasgow 16th May - The Great Escape, Brighton 18th May - Get Together Festival, Sheffield 25th May - A Stone’s Throw Festival, Newcastle 8th June - Golden Touch Festival, Portsmouth 12th July - TRNSMT, Glasgow 2nd August - Kendal Calling, Lake District 10th August - Boardmasters, Cornwall

[icouldntfindquiet]

Rob via Fiona’s IG, 4 March 2023.

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – new episode out now!

With a sadly absent Mama Mañana Records’ founder Kiley Larsen, myself and 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, ultimately naming one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion. It’s another eclectic selection of albums, as we cover some of the biggest and best releases from February.

For our January episode, it was global superstar The Weeknd who shockingly emerged victorious in a tightly contested month, earning our first award for 2025 with his epic final album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. Now in our second episode of the year, the albums vying for the February 2025 Album of the Month title are:

Erotica Veronica by Miya Folick

Sinister Grift by Panda Bear

End of the Middle by Richard Dawson

People Watching by Sam Fender

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory by Sharon Van Etten (Poll winner, thanks for voting!)

Just like January, it’s another tight vote with divided opinions, so hit the links below or click play above to see which album emerged victorious!

A reminder also that if you want to listen to any previous episodes, simply follow the links below and be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and YouTube for more news and polls relating to the podcast.

Listen on Spotify here

Watch, like and subscribe to our YouTube channel here

Vote for the fifth album to join our April line-up here

Album & EP Recommendations

MAYHEM by Lady Gaga

Back in 2009, I was lucky enough to see pop icon Lady Gaga perform at Glastonbury. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was witnessing (excuse the deliberate pun) a star being born. You see hers is an influence that can still be felt on the mainstream pop acts of today, be it the dance-pop of Charli XCX or the theatrical flair of Chappell Roan. Now with her career having detoured everywhere, from more Rock and Country-inspired records to even a shift into TV and Hollywood, Lady Gaga is back – and she’s returning to (excuse another deliberate pun) the sound that brought her to the dance – pop.

MAYHEM is very much the return of vintage Gaga, from the artistic music videos all the way through to the club-inspired, earworm anthems. You’ll likely already have consumed singles ‘Disease’, ‘Die With A Smile’ and ‘Abracadabra’ either consciously or subconsciously into your psyche by now, but it is some of the deep cuts that end up having the biggest replay value here. ‘Perfect Celebrity’ is the kind of addictive powerhouse track that would’ve slotted in perfectly on Gaga’s debut The Fame Monster, while ‘Zombieboy’ is the kind of Gwen Stefani and Nile Rodgers crossover that only Gaga could cook up. ‘Don’t Call Tonight’ then brings some 80s shimmer with shades of both Kavinsky and Daft Punk, before ‘Blade of Glass’ serves up a soaring Bonnie Tyler-style power ballad.

A wild rollercoaster ride through various shades of pop music, MAYHEM is an album that certainly lives up to its name. Never a dull experience and bringing her career full circle, it proves Lady Gaga can still do it better than anyone.

Listen here

Night Life by The Horrors

Also making a welcome return after some time away, albeit at the other end of the spectrum to Gaga, are industrial goth rockers The Horrors. With their last full-length project ending with ‘Something To Remember Me By’ and longtime keyboardist Tom Furse leaving the band, I had pretty much made peace with the fact that The Horrors may have ceased to exist. Thankfully, the band have finally returned with new music and they are sounding as great as ever on moody sixth album, Night Life.

I’ll admit the pre-release singles didn’t do much for me in isolation, which left me going into this one with fairly mild expectations. However, I needn’t have doubted them as Faris Badawan & co. have forged a dark and atmospheric audio experience that ranks alongside their best work. The shimmering synths of recent single ‘Ariel’ are an immediate highlight, while other singles like ‘The Silence That Remains’, ‘Trial By Fire’ and ‘Lotus Eater’ have more impact within the context of the whole. However it is the final stretch where this album really comes alive, with the synth-driven rock of ‘More Than Life’ recalling their Primary Colours prime before triumphant closing anthem, ‘LA Runaway’.

Mixing electronica, shoegaze and industrial as well as they have ever done, this is a mighty return from the Southend goth rockers that already feels like one of my favourites of the year so far.

Listen here

Microtonic by bdrmm

Then if you’re looking for something in a similar vein to The Horrors, I’m also loving Microtonic, the evolutionary third album from Kingston shoegazers bdrmm.

With their last release I Don’t Know seeing them add more electronic elements to their traditional shoegaze sound, Microtonic feels more like a full transition into crafters of lush, synth-driven soundscapes. Opening on a snappy collaboration with Working Men’s Club, the album doesn’t let up from there, navigating majestically through blissful highlights like ‘John On The Ceiling’, ‘Snares’ and ‘Clarkycat’, before eventually drifting into the ambient haze of ‘The Noose’.

While the greater shift away from shoegaze will put off some longtime fans, for me personally this is my favourite bdrmm project yet. An almost full of auditory delights, made for strapping on a pair of headphones and allowing yourself to get fully immersed in the wonderful vibrations.

Listen here

Service Station At The End Of The Universe by Antony Szmierek

Poetic and powerful, Mancunian spoken-word raver Antony Szmierek finally released his much-anticipated debut album back at the end of February and it’s a life-affirming record that only gets better with each new spin.

The magic of Antony’s music is not just in the euphoric beats or his clever turn of phrase, it’s in the way he’s able to find the beauty in the everyday. Whether that’s a piece of confetti falling from a club ceiling (‘Rafters’), a commercial office building turned Indian restaurant (‘The Great Pyramid of Stockport’), a Yoga Class (‘Yoga Teacher’) or even motorway graffiti (‘Angie’s Wedding’). The stories told across the record are full of joy and optimism, with Antony’s observational prose transforming the mundane into the magical. Add-in a backdrop of inspired synth-driven grooves that will make you want to dance and it’s a combination that will make you want to return to Antony’s perspective of the world again and again.

As far as debut albums go, this one is right up there with the year’s best so far. One for fans of The Streets, if you want uplifting stories you can move to then look no further.

Listen here

The Machine Starts To Sing EP by Porridge Radio

From a debut to a final outing now, as the Brighton rockers led by Dana Margolin sadly announced that this new EP will unfortunately be their last.

As a final shortplayer offering for fans, it delivers everything that has been great about Porridge Radio over their outstanding last three records. From ominous opener ‘Machine Starts To Sing’ to the shuffling acoustics of ‘OK’, to Dana’s signature anguished vocals on ‘Don’t Want To Dance’ and the defiant, lo-fi resignation of ‘I’ve Got A Feeling (Stay Lucky)’, it’s a bittersweet triumph.

Listen here

KOKO by The Lottery Winners

“Influenced by charismatic frontman Thom Rylance receiving an ADHD diagnosis during the early stages of the album creation process, ‘KOKO’ finds the quartet lyrically reflective and seeking to provide some reassurance to all those in need of a little pick-me-up. With the band set to support Robbie Williams on his stadium tour this summer too, the record feels built for the masses, with each track brimming with assured confidence and earworm melodies.”

Listen to the album here

Read my full review for CLASH magazine here

Watch the 5-9 interview with Thom Rylance on the making of KOKO here

Nothing Compares To Nineteen EP by Fiona-Lee

“However, ‘Mother’ isn’t the only frank, emotionally charged moment on ‘Nothing Compares To Nineteen’. Across six soaring tracks, Fiona is refreshingly open about her battles with anxiety, depression, grief and self-confidence, all feelings we each can experience but often don’t know how to put into words. While her musical inspiration and eloquent lyricism often comes from painful memories and experiences, it is at the same time a rewarding process.”

Listen to the EP here

Read my full Next Wave interview with Fiona-Lee for CLASH magazine here

Also well worth checking out:

Lust For Life by Courting

The Sky, The Earth & All Between by Architects

Tell Dem It’s Sunny by Greentea Peng

Out Of A Dream by The Slow Readers Club

Constellations For The Lonely by Doves

Blindness by The Murder Capital

Atmospherics by Hands Like Houses

Festival Season by Saint Jhn

Blood On The Silver Screen by SASAMI

Tsunami Sea by Spiritbox

Song Recommendations

Relationships by HAIM

The sisters are back!

While the title and release date for their new album has yet to be revealed, the HAIM sisters have returned with an excellent new single, with many suspecting it to be the first taste of the much-anticipated follow-up to 2020’s Women In Music Pt. III. Instantly catchy with an infectious R&B-style groove, the track offers an apathetic look at romantic entanglements and arrives complete with a cinematic video directed by Camille Summers Valli.

Watch the video here

Running/Planning by CMAT

One of the biggest breakout stars of the last few years, Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson’s first two albums already feel like instant classics. Now her third album EURO-COUNTRY is due to drop in August and that’s not just the name of the record but also an insight into what to expect from the album’s contents too. Lead single ‘Running/Planning’ is CMAT unveiling her new brand of country music, a heartfelt and string-laden epic that culminates in some hair-raisingly passionate vocals from CMAT herself. Sensational!

Watch the video here

Flood by Little Simz featuring Obongjayar & Moonchild Sanelly

Rapper Little Simz has also been on an incredible album run in recent times, also delivering three certified classics in Grey Area, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert and NO THANK YOU on her last three outings. However, we’ll soon find out if she can make it four-in-a-row with new album Lotus due to drop in early May. The tribal rhythms and seismic bass of ‘Flood’ is the first taste of the forthcoming project, a collaboration with Nigerian singer Obongjayar and South African musician Moonchild Sanelly that suggests Simz’s visionary artistry isn’t slowing down any time soon.

Watch the video here

Emergence by Sleep Token

Anonymous metal outfit Sleep Token have had a meteoric rise over the last couple of years, with 2023 album Take Me Back To Eden catapulting them to the top of festival bills and enabling them to sell out arenas nationwide. ‘Emergence’ feels a fitting first single then for their upcoming project Even In Arcadia, due for release in early May, just one month before their heavily debated headline booking at Download Festival. If this awesome new single is anything to go by though, it should be a suitably epic and genre-defying live experience.

Listen here

Statue In The Square by Kae Tempest

Their first new music in two years, immensely talented spoken word rapper, poet, novelist and playwright Kae Tempest returned this month with dazzling new single ‘Statue In The Square’. Brilliantly bold, it’s a song about courage and community that sees Kae weave intricately woven bars, spinning them from their lips at rapid, jaw-dropping speed. As mind-blowing as ever from one of the country’s most original creatives.

Watch the video here

The Test by Billy Nomates

Punk singer-songwriter Tor Maries has already dropped a new project in 2025, with her OST for Mary & The Hyenas boasting more than a couple of highlights. However, ‘The Test’ is the first track to be taken from upcoming third studio album Metalhorse, the follow-up to 2023’s brilliant CACTI. The first song written for the project, it’s a typically strong start to the new era from Maries, a determined anthem about persevering in the face of adversity.

Listen here

Bonnet of Pins by Matt Berninger

After releasing two albums in 2023 with his bandmates in The National after a supposed spout of writer’s block, it seems Matt Berninger has got his creative groove back. Now his second solo album Get Sunk is due out at the end of May and first single ‘Bonnet of Pins’ is a belter. While it doesn’t stray too far from The National’s formula, it’s an anthem that more than matches the exceptionally high standard of his day job, thanks to some scintillating guitars, triumphant horns, gorgeous vocal harmonies and Matt’s signature tongue-in-cheek lyricism.

Listen here

Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend by The Waterboys featuring Fiona Apple

Shaping up to be one of the most ambitious projects of the year, legendary Gaelic rockers The Waterboys are set to release their new 25-track odyssey in April - Life, Death and Dennis Hopper. As the title suggests, it’s an album that will examine the last 75 years of human existence and pop culture through the lens of actor Dennis Hopper’s life. With a few superstar collaborations lined up too, ‘Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend’ is one of the first to be revealed, a beautifully tender song written by Mike Scott but performed by American singer-songwriter, Fiona Apple.

Watch the lyric video here

spit it out / follow your direction by Low Island

Add this to the longlist of exciting releases dropping in May, DIY Oxford outfit Low Island are set to return with their first new album in three years, titled bird. Working with one of their musical heroes in Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear on the project, the band have released two quite contrasting teaser singles so far. Lead single ‘spit it out’ is a rage-fuelled, Radiohead-inspired rock track built on thunderous guitars, while ‘follow your direction’ is a heartfelt, minimalist electro-ballad that sees Carlos Posada’s vocals beautifully shimmer through the distortion. With both singles showcasing the band’s ever-present versatility and eclectism, I personally can’t wait for this one.

Listen to spit it out here

Listen to follow your direction here

East Alameda St. by Free Range Buddhas

You guessed it – another album also dropping in May! This time it’s Hatched, the sophomore effort from Santa Fe outfit Free Range Buddhas. Released on the always consistent Mama Mañana Records, this final single before the album release might just be the best cut off the project yet, bringing together a beautiful love letter to their New Mexico hometown that sees frontwoman Francesca Jozette’s vocals soar over some warm bluesy guitars.

Listen here

Double Blind by Tinvis

What’s that, you want another sonic gem from Mama Mañana Records?! Well you’re in luck, as Californian musician Joel Daniel - AKA Tinvís – just released his fantastic debut single, ‘Double Blind’. One for fans of The War of Drugs, it sees Daniel working with accomplished session players Max Hart (Tegan & Sara, We Are Scientists) and Eric Gardner (Dot Hacker, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Morello) to deliver a stirring heartland rock ballad, brimming with subtle strings, emotive piano chords and Daniel’s own passionate vocals. With album Texnia expected this summer, I personally can’t wait to hear more!

Who Wants To Live Forever by Mickey Callisto

Ending as I always do on a cover, this month’s choice comes from Sunderland-born, superstar-in-the-making, Mickey Callisto. Discovering him through Dot To Dot festival a couple of years back, Mickey’s incredible talent for performing is as raw and obvious as it gets. Beginning his musical life performing in Queen tribute acts, he channels the showmanship and voice of Freddie Mercury into his own original music – with his brilliant debut EP Homospace named one of my top shortplayers for 2023. While it may have taken a few years, I’m pleased to say Mickey is finally getting noticed thanks to a sublime, goosebump-inducing performance on this year’s season of Britain’s Got Talent. Covering Queen’s iconic single ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’ and knocking it out of the park in the process, it is simply a star-making moment that demands to be seen.

Watch Mickey’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent here

And if you want a bonus cover for this month – check out Fontaines D.C. mashing up Bring Me The Horizon’s Can You Feel My Heart with Nirvana’s Heart-Shaped Box for Triple J’s Like A Version here.

Also well worth checking out:

The Giver by Chappell Roan

Lucy by ABSOLUTE & Joe Goddard featuring Lucy Fizz

I HEART YOU by Confidence Man & Eliza Rose

Confession by Girl In Red

Skin by Marika Hackman featuring Laura Marling

The Queen of Mercy by Soda Blonde

Heathen by Deafheaven

Time Will Tell (Maybe) by Share

Jungle Child by ROB.GREEN

The Cross by Dusty 4 Track

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2025 tracks through my Best of 2025 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the Best of 2025 playlist to your library here

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Rob via Fiona’s IG story, 1 March 2023

Interview

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Rob via Fiona’s IG story, 5 March 2023.

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Rob via Fiona’s IG story, 20 March 2023.