[song] Sivu – Overtime Lover

Photo by Em Marcovecchio

With his new album Wild Horse Running arriving on June 9 via Square Leg Records, Sivu, aka British songwriter James Page, shares another taster from it — a soothing and deeply personal song “Overtime Lover”, framed with introspective lyrics and skilfully crafted instrumentation.

Elaborating more on the creation of a single and its inspiration, Page said:

“Overtime Lover is the oldest song from the new record and actually took shape just before I went on tour. I then road tested it extensively whilst on a beautiful tour with Fenne Lily, Paul Thomas Saunders and Siv Jakobsen. Paul was incredibly complimentary of the track and we always flirted with the idea of collaborating on something as I have always loved his production. Fast forward 3 years, I left the track with Paul and he created a magical landscape for the song to sit in which I adored from the moment I heard it.

The song is based around this idea of how much of ourselves we have to give to someone else when you are in relationship – and sometimes you crave just to keep a little bit of yourself just for you. It’s lyrically quite blunt but this was an important process for my head and was imperative I got it out. I had no aspirations lyrically to dress it up, and probably from the whole album this song cuts the deepest”.

Listen below and pre-order the record here.

[song] Ugly – The Wheel

Photo by Nicole Estella Ibáñez

Kickstart your week with something special — dive into a spectacular audio adventure that is the new piece from London’s Ugly, “The Wheel”.

This 7+ minute descent into the unknown is impossible to pigeonhole in any genre or style and it hits really hard. The song shows the amazing growth of the group, who now are fully ready to embark on a journey of their own. It is very exciting to hear what they got in store for us next.

Speaking about the single, guitarist/Vocalist Samuel Goater explains: “The Wheel is a song that shows-off the band’s lineup, boasting the best it can offer and playing in favour of many of the singers’ choral background. Painting a sinister cultish image tied to nature and the elements, ‘The wheel’ explores themes which the band explore in a number of songs in their current live show”.

Listen below.

[song] Nation of Language – Stumbling Still

Nation of Language performing live at Locomotiv Club, Bologna’22

Brooklyn-based synth pop trio Nation of Language will release their third album Strange Disciple on September 15 via [PIAS] Recordings.

They have already shared two singles from the project, and today we get a third. “Stumbling Still” is another stellar synth number that showcases the band’s ability to craft memorable pop songs with emotional depth and musical sophistication.

Listen below and pre-order the LP here.

[song] Big Bliss – Tether

Photo by Kevin Condon

With their new album Vital Return arriving on August 18 via Good Eye Records, Brooklyn-based trio Big Bliss is sharing another preview of what to expect (after “A Seat at the Table”) — an irresistible post-punk gem “Tether”, packed with melodic guitars and captivating storytelling.

Elaborating on the new track, inspired by serious events with a lyricism that ruminates on anxiety, grief, addiction, recovery, devotion, and heartache, Tim Race from the band has shared the following statement:

“Addiction and subsequent snapshots of early sobriety are central themes of this record. While most of those instances are from my perspective as a recovering addict, “Tether” is the flip side; it’s the push and pull struggle between an addict and a person that loves them.

I’ve learned one of the most harmful things an addict/alcoholic can do is to disintegrate in front of the people who care about them. I’ve been on both sides of the coin. In these situations, love breeds fear, which breeds frustration; helplessness breeds rage, and then rage breeds contempt. We try everything: we try boundaries, begging, or bargaining, but eventually we learn that the only person who can save an addict is themselves. There is no language to convince someone to get better. There is no ace-in-the-hole consequence one can enact.

Hopefully, the afflicted people in our lives that we are so intrinsically tied to are as lucky as I have been and find a route to recovery. The painful truth is that if they don’t, eventually we may have to learn to let go – we may need to loose the tether between us so that both of us aren’t pulled under. That is a deeply tragic notion, but there is also a complicated catharsis in knowing and accepting that a situation like this is out of our control”.

Listen below and pre-order the record here.

[song] Human Resources – Unverifiable Religious Experience Blues

Photo by Lawrence Dutton

Post-office, post-post-punk or post-whatever really (choose what you like best), London outfit Human Resources arrived with a boom in the form of their debut single “Unverifiable Religious Experience Blues”.

Describing themselves on LinkedIn as “A South London startup focusing on performance driven management solutions”, they are clearly determined about what they do and how they present it, but what is most important — they sound awesome as well. The song holds a surreal social commentary and is brimming with raw energy and immersive lyrics.

Check it out below.