Enola Gay Announce New ‘Casement’ EP, Shares New Single, ‘Leeches’

Belfast-based noise punks Enola Gay have announced their ‘Casement’ EP, set for release September 1st via Modern Sky (Crawlers, Malady), and have shared venomous new track ‘Leeches’, out today (May 25th).

Politically charged once more yet on a global scale, Enola stick their heads above the parapets of the modern times nightmare; taking shots at those profiting off of our degrading position in society. Demanding answers as to why indisposed terminology such as ‘cost of living’ has been normalised whilst millions were wasted on fraud, errors and monument refurbishment.

Detailing their newest release, the follow-up to EP lead single ‘PTS.DUP’, the band explained: “As we lost loved ones who died alone during the pandemic, these inept meat martinets continued and will continue to get away with everything. When their designated spare-dick spearheads are such embarrassments that their actions are brushed off as typical occurrences; you can’t embarrass them more than they embarrass themselves. We watch governmental slapstick playouts daily and still end up the punchline.

This is for the recycled hypocrites elected every round who ma ke it mockingly abundant that we are not their priority. We are their poverty porn. Twisting the knife in us, they spend the millions they haven’t lost yet on monument refurbishment in the midst of an energy crisis. People have suffered this cost of living crisis for years. Only now is it newsworthy with people in the upper echelon also beginning to feel it. Ironically, making the dissociation gap between real people and the likes of Parliament greater than ever”.

Check out the single, ‘Leeches’ via your preferred service.

Listen To Lazy Queens Recent EP, ‘Growing Pains’ & Single, ‘I See You’

Norway-based punks Lazy Queen have released their scorching new EP “Growing Pains” via Swedish label, Icons Creating Evil Art. They celebrate this breakthrough release with new single “I See You”.

A feisty yet empathy driven track, “I See You” was the first song finished on “Growing Pains” and details the human experience of behavioural pattern forming, set to a tremendous punk-esque soundscape.

“Being blind and falling victim to our own behavioural patterns and shortcomings, both big and small, just seems to be such a universal part of being human.” Henrik details, explaining “It’s both something I’d experience myself, but also see happen to friends, and people around me. And as it often is, it’s so much easier to meet others’ shortcomings with empathy and understanding, versus allowing yourself that same grace. This change of perspective, and how my reactions, feelings and responses would change depending on the situation became the inspiration for the song.”

During the period in which Growing Pains was written I also came to know the true nature of someone in my close circle, and so I and we had to learn what behaviour we can accept and what we can’t. Just cause you’re trying to practise more empathy doesn’t mean you can let people step all over you. So it also becomes about setting healthy boundaries, whether or not the person in question is also a victim of their own patterns. Sometimes you just want to throw your hands up and shout: why the fuck do we keep falling into these same pitfalls time and time again.”

“Growing Pains” arrives with not one, but two new singles – “Dumb MF” is a tongue-in-cheek ode to egocentric self-destruction.

Concerned with self-reflection, growth and accountability, and backed up by passionate and refreshing songwriting, “Growing Pains” is a 6 track taster of what is still to come from Lazy Queen. Recorded in Taakeheimen Lydriket, the new EP was co-produced by Morten Øby and Henrik Gracía Søberg. Having been a big part of the production on previous releases Get Home or Die Trying, and especially A Human Reaction, this is the first official producer credit for García Søberg on a Lazy Queen record.  

Scowl Release New Ep, ‘Psychic Dance Routine

Sant Cruz, CA band Scowl have recently released their highly-anticipated EP, Psychic Dance Routine, out today on Flatspot Records. On Psychic Dance Routine, Scowl push the boundaries of their sound and artistic presence, ranging from hardcore to alternative rock with moments of pop and indie. As the band puts it, “it’s like Negative Approach meets The Breeders.” 

As Moss states; “I chose to revolve the main theme around performance. This is both literal and figurative, as the band has been on tour practically all of 2022. My perspective of being consumed as the version of myself that is ‘performing’ has shifted dramatically, while simultaneously grappling with the experience of being a feminine artist in a world that doesn’t always take you seriously.” 

With Psychic Dance Routine Scowl has exemplified their ethos of being true to themselves through creating innovative song structures and personable lyrics. Their ability to be genre fluid intersects with their up for anything attitude. It’s all just part of the plan for the ever-evolving band that is Scowl.

The band just wrapped up a sold out tour across the United States and Canada with Show Me The Body, Jesus Piece, Zulu, and TRiPP JONES. They are currently in New York for EP release shows at Rough Trade NYC and Flatspot World, and will then set to the desert to perform at Coachella. Showing absolutely no signs of slowing down, the band has a UK tour set to start in late April, will head to Australia for the first time in late May for shows with Speed and Sunami, a California tour with Circle Jerks in July, and festival performances across the globe. Appearances include Reading and Leeds, Sick New World, Back On The Map, Outbreak, Sonic Blast, Furnace Fest, and more.

Check out the UK dates below.

April 2023

26th – Sheffield, UK @ Yellow Arch w/ Pest Control

27th – Southampton, UK @ Joiners w/ Pest Control

28th – London, UK @ The Dome w/ Pest Control

29th – Brighton, UK @ One Church w/ Out of Love

30th – Bristol, UK @ The Exchange w/ Out of Love

May 2023

1st – Leeds, UK @ Key Club w/ Out of Love

2nd – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo w/ Out of Love

3rd – Nottingham, UK @ Bodega w/ Out of Love

Check out the EP, ‘Psychic Dance Routine’ via your preferred service.

Chalk Announce Debut EP, ‘Conditions’

With their UK debut fast approaching, as a part of The First Fifty acts selected for this year’s iconic The Great Escape festival, Belfast post-punk/electronic trio Chalk announce debut EP ‘Conditions’, set for release May 5th, and share brand new single ‘Asking’.

Intensifying their perilous ascent, ‘Asking’ continues the band’s arching cinematic themes. Basking in the hardstyle/electronic influences of Death Grips and delivered via a monotone, malicious vocals performance that has callbacks to the likes of The Murder Capital, ‘Asking’ builds its malevolent maelstrom on a bed of created sounds and distorted and buzzing acoustics. With frequent collaborator Chris Ryan (NewDad, Enola Gay, Just Mustard) once again on production duties, the alternative edge is shaped to a razor on the newest from Chalk.

Speaking ahead of its release, Ross Cullen of Chalk stated: “It’s a reaction to feelings of ours that look at the past and a longing for others who aren’t in your life anymore. How we grow as people and those we leave behind as a result. We wanted “Asking” to follow the recollection of someone whose memories are fading when trying to remember about someone in the past”.

Check out the single, ‘Asking’ below.

Derek Sanders Announces New EP, ‘The Heavy Box’

Derek Sanders, frontman of emo/pop-punk quintet Mayday Parade, has announced his upcoming EP The Heavy Box out 14th April via Rise Records.

The five-track EP is Sanders’ second solo release following My Rock and Roll Heart (2020), which was comprised of five stripped-back covers.

“Slowly over the last few years I have poured as much love and energy as I could into these songs,” shares Sanders. “Thank you to everyone who helped make ‘The Heavy Box’ something real and available for those who find it worth their time. These songs mean so much to me, I hope you enjoy them.”

Alongside the announcement, Sanders shares “Howell Canyon.” A track that he explains is “about dealing with the sadness that comes from an important chapter in my life ending. The song takes a look back but also forward towards a more hopeful future.”

Check out ‘Howell Canyon’ below.

Aussie Alt-Punks Dust Announce Debut EP ‘et cetera etc’

Fast-rising Australian alt-punk outfit dust have announced their debut EP et cetera, etc out March 29 via Kanine Records, with the drop of their latest single ‘Ward 52’.  

Speaking to the single, vocalist Justin Teale shares, “I wrote the lyrics to Ward 52 over 6 months while washing dishes at my parent’s café. Processing a year of health complications, I tried to encapsulate different stages and experiences during my treatment and the idea of mortality and sickness. It was my first time detailing a personal experience through lyrics, I had the melody and a rough structure floating in my head whilst working and would think about encounters and situations and make lyrics in my head.” 

Check out the single, ‘Ward 52’ below.

dust are set to tour the UK this April supporting Hockey Dad. Have a look at where they’ll be playing below.

17 Apr – Craufurd Arms – Milton Keynes
18 Apr – Sunflower Lounge – Birmingham
19 Apr – Yellow Arch – Sheffield
20 Apr – Cluny 2 – Newcastle
21 Apr – King Tuts – Glasgow
22 Apr – Band On The Wall  – Manchester
24 Apr – Bodega – Nottingham
25 Apr – Voodoo Daddy’s – Norwich
26 Apr – Joiners – Southampton
27 Apr – The Fleece – Bristol
28 Apr – Lafayette – London

Natalie Shay Releases New MILK EP

Natalie Shay has released her new EP, ‘Milk’.

The North London Indie-Pop artist, with indie synth pop leanings and ferocious guitar playing, references range from Haim and Taylor Swift to Little Comets. Her relatable lyrics touch on love, self-discovery and the everyday experiences of a twenty-something.  

Combining her youthful and charismatic aura with her classical training and time spent at the prestigious BRIT School, Shay has finessed the ability to produce undeniably catchy music, whilst maintaining musical maturity. Soaring back into the scene with her highly anticipated EP MILK, Shay’s dynamic abilities continue to flourish. Inspired by the theme of growth, MILK makes reference to the lyrics “Milk Teeth” in “Good Girl Behaviour”. Shay confides, “Every track is about growth or new beginnings or reflecting on myself, in particular, heaven and outgrow. I always write from the heart and from my own experiences and stories. My whole aim with lyricism is to connect with others who are in that frame of mind now or have been there in the past to relate.” 

Each track on MILK explores different key feelings and experiences sensed when writing during the lockdown. She continues, “I hope I can inspire other girls, in particular, to get into songwriting as so many female singer/ songwriters inspired me to do so and it’s saved, changed and made my life.” Collaborating with different creatives across all five tracks, there’s an overarching warmth to MILK. Shay’s melodious abilities soar with catharsis, as she strives to capture key moments of her life through her music. At her core, she’s a remarkable storyteller, one that continues to break boundaries and trailblaze into her own realm of indie pop from the soul. 

Check out the music video for ‘Heaven’ below

Listen to the EP, ‘MILK’ below.

All Ears Avow Announce ‘Feel The Push’ EP, Release Title Track

Swindon’s All Ears Avow have recently released a soaring melodic single for which they are swiftly becoming known. ‘Feel The Push’ is, ultimately, about depression but offers a message of hope. As vocalist and guitarist Claire Sutton says: “It’s written as a sort of message to anyone suffering, from the perspective of having come through it to the other side and offering this message of hope. That even though someone is in pain and finding it hard right now they will get through it and into the light. The song is full of angst and pain both musically and lyrically, but ends with this almost euphoric sense of making it out alive.”

The track will combine with previously released ‘Be That Nothing’, ‘L.O.V.E.’, ‘Asleep At The Wheel’ and several brand new compositions to comprise a new EP, also titled ‘Feel The Push’. The collection will be self released by the band on 21 October. 

Sutton says: “This EP has been the biggest labour of love for us and something we’ve been working on for the last two years, mostly throughout lockdowns like so many other artists at the moment. The main thing that glues this EP together is the message and lyrical journey, which is a reflection of what everyone has been through since 2020. The last two years have been absolutely mental for society. There’s been the pandemic, riots, toilet roll shortages, catastrophic wild fires, Russia invading Ukraine, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone’s either been desperately trying to keep themselves afloat or they’ve been in complete denial that the public hysteria we’ve been experiencing so much of is of our own making. And that’s what this EP is about. We decided to name the EP ‘Feel The Push’ after the closing track, because it encompasses the message that when life or the world gives you a nudge or a push, you shouldn’t ignore it. In other words, when everything is going catastrophically wrong maybe we should look at it.”

Check out ‘Feel the Push’ below.

Sobriquet Announce New EP, ‘Apotheosis’

Sheffield-based five-piece Sobriquet have announced their new EP ‘Apotheosis’, set for release on 2nd September (self-release), and released black metal inspired single ‘Divine’ alongside an intense music video.

“As the caterpillar becomes the butterfly, so too does the maggot sprout wings and take flight. Divine is a song about metamorphosis, a person’s journey of transformation into the ideal self, not knowing or caring how they may be perceived along the way. If we are indeed born in filth and sin, why not revel in all its grotesque glory?” says vocalist Ludovico Fahey of the new track ‘Divine’.

The accompanying music video, directed by guitarist Tom Green-Morgan, draws on modern art styles such as pointillism and cubism to try and convey the energy of the song through a stream of small fragments, pieced together to create a greater whole. To tie the whole thing together, an old CRT television was used to create texture and mess up the image.

Check out the video for ‘Divine’ below.

Sobriquet will perform at the following

24/07 – Tramlines Fringe, Sheffield
01/10 – Louis Marchesi, Norwich
02/10 – Little Buildings, Newcastle
18/11 – The Shed, Leicester

Fairweather Release Deluge EP Out Now Via Equal Vision Records, Share Video For ‘No Safe Corners’

Post-rock band Fairweather have released their new EP, Deluge, through Equal Vision Records. Recorded at guitarist Ben Green’s Washington D.C. studio, Ivakota, and partially at vocalist Jay Littleton’s studio in Houston, Deluge is Fairweather’s first new music since their self-titled album in 2014.

The band has also shared a short film for the track “No Safe Corners.” The stunning black-and-white video was made in collaboration with visual artists Raul Zahir De Leon, Jonathan Howard, and Marissa Long to interpret the lyrics of the song. Sonically, the track revolves around a strange and dissonant guitar lead that leans on a sense of lingering with no real end. Thematically that is the panic of not feeling safe or able to find shelter or solace.

On the emotional story behind writing “No Safe Corners”, Tsouras explains:

“My mother died a year ago this week after battling dementia for over a decade.  In the beginning, she was constantly fighting. She would struggle to hold onto any part of herself that was familiar, while at the same time being confronted with something that was unfamiliar and terrifying. She thought if she could just try harder and pretend nothing was happening, then it would go away. But in her case, it wasn’t self preservation.  What she was really trying to hold onto was the weight she carried for the rest of us, and was afraid she couldn’t protect us anymore if this overcame her, or that we wouldn’t trust her if we found out she couldn’t keep up. She didn’t want to let go of our burdens she carried for us.

The lyrics are a conversation. They are what I imagine her to be saying to herself in those early days of the disease.  This is a time when she still had some sense of control and autonomy but could tell things were changing. It’s the idea that you know something is wrong, but you can’t tell what it is and you’re terrified you’ll be letting everyone down if they find out. Nothing is familiar. No safe corners.”

Orders for Deluge can be made via Equal Vision Records

Opus Kink Announce Debut EP, ‘Till The Stream Runs Dry’, Share Third Cut, ‘Dog Stay Down’

Brighton sextet Opus Kink announce the arrival of debut EP ‘‘Til The Stream Runs Dry’, set for release June 17th via Nice Swan Records (Sports Team, Pip Blom, FUR, English Teacher), and share raucous third cut ‘Dog Stay Down’.

Partnering up with the cult indie label for their first extended release, the enigmatic collective – comprised of Angus Rogers, Sam Abbo, Fin Abbo, Jed Morgans, Jazz Pope & Jack Banjo Courtney – lend a blend a dizzying array of influences in their ever-evolving enigmatic style, producing an experimental patchwork of explosive material that’s consistently earned widespread plaudits since bursting onto the scene.

With EP lead singles ‘I Love You, Baby’ and ‘The Unrepentant Soldier’ attracting praise from all corners of the press landscape (NME, DIY, So Young, Dork, Clash, Gigwise), not to mention countless BBC 6 Music (Steve Lamacq, Lauran Laverne) spins, the six-piece are clearly primed for a busy summer. Having already ticked off live dates alongside label-mates Malady and Mandrake Handshake, in addition to a sold-out headliner at London’s legendary 100 Club last month, the band have a slew of festival appearances lined up at the likes of Latitude and The Great Escape in the months to come, as well as shows with FEET and Bull.

Speaking ahead of their third EP reveal, Opus Kink stated: “‘Dog Stay Down’ is a song about bad love, love for anything doomed and unhealthy, situation, substance or personage, and is dedicated to those who always return to the scene of the crime”.

Check out ‘Dog Stay Down’ below.

Watch Opus Kink at the following:
13/05 – The Great Escape, Brighton
25/05 – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells with FEET & Bull
26/05 – Esquires Bedford – with FEET & Bull
27/05 – Elsewhere, Margate – with FEET & Bull
03/06 – Future Yard, Birkenhead 
04/06 – Sonic Waves Festival, Birmingham 
05/06 – Clwb ifor bach, Cardiff – with FEET & Bull
08/06 – Scala, London – with FEET & Bull
09/06 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – with FEET & Bull
10/06 – Bootleg Social, Blackpool – with FEET & Bull

Creature Announce The Final Chapter Of The Trilogy With EP, ‘Haunt’

Following their acclaimed ‘HEX’ and ‘HOUND’ EPs, Birmingham based alternative act CREATURE announce the final chapter in the trilogy, ‘HAUNT’. The EP is set for release on the 10th of June 2022 via Grey Ghost Records. The announcement comes with the release of the lead single ‘All’ out now on all digital platforms.

CREATURE’s politically-charged new single is packed with groove-laden metallic riffs and punk rock attitude. Accompanied by a disturbing and psychedelic video, ‘All’ sees the band tackling inequality, war and the fragility of society as we know it.  

Speaking on their latest single, vocalist/guitarist James Thompson comments: “The state of inequality in the world inspired me to write ‘All’. We were more than a decade into austerity in the UK at the time of my writing it, and yet the Government was still spending ridiculous sums on War and conflict. It’s taken something as serious as an ongoing pandemic for us to see how fragile a society we truly are.”

Thompson adds “I’m angry, but the message of the song is a positive one. We are all in this together. We all have value to add to this planet, we can prosper if we organise and help each other. This is very much how we see CREATURE as a band, it’s not about us and them with our fans – we are all part of the movement. This is an important ethic to us. There is no divide.” 

Check out the Cover Art, Tracklisting and Pre-Order options below.

1. All
2. Grey Ghosts
3. Creeping
4. Lines

Pre-order options are available via the following link.