Australian folk-drenched indie pop sister duo Charm of Finches have shared a new single and video. Called ‘Clean Cut’, the duo confide, “Going away on tour served as the catalyst for a break-up and ‘Clean Cut’ is some self-advice. We stayed with a lovely lady in Oslo, Norway who let us play her gorgeous grand piano and the first part of ‘Clean Cut’ was penned. We created a music video for this song with the help of lots of friends who were willing to dress up as dolls and clowns. This was a huge 22 hour shoot in a warehouse in Melbourne creating the world of a mysterious haunted doll museum.” The track features stunning dark-hued harmonies over spellbinding strings and driving folk pop rhythms.

Indie-pop sensation PEGGY, with her enchanting acoustic guitar melodies and boundless vision for the future of pop music, is gearing up to captivate audiences with her debut EP, Dear Reader, set to release on March 22. The project explores the universal themes of relationships, self-love, mental health, and more. Now, she announces the EP alongside her mesmerizing new single, ‘Flight Risk.’ “When I listen to the songs on the project, it’s like I’m escaping into a sanctuary or a safe place. I get overwhelmed very easily, and the world can be too much. Sonically, I’m creating the world I want to create. I get calm from the music, so I don’t feel so overwhelmed. My world is less of a ‘place’ and more of a feeling,” says PEGGY. We get another sneak peek into PEGGY’s world with ‘Flight Risk’ – the feedback from a pilot’s intercom dissolves into a quirky beat topped off by twinkling piano and her magical voice. “It’s a song about air travel, but it’s all a metaphor for commitment issues and running away from people,” PEGGY explains. She continues , “In society and just in general, I put on this face, and then when my full personality comes out, I’m always afraid it’s going be too much for somebody. If I’m getting too close to somebody in a way that it’s scary, I pull away.” PEGGY draws inspiration for the incredibly creative official music video from the Talking Heads’ ‘And She Was,’ infusing the visuals with a captivating blend of whimsy and nostalgia that pays homage to the iconic band’s groundbreaking style.

FIZZ have shared the cute new video for ‘The Secret To Life’. Created by Lulu Vicedomini, the new clip focusses on the title track of their debut LP, with ‘The Secret To Life’ transformed into an array of circus characters escaping from a fantastical world. Discussing the song, FIZZ recall… “Orla brought a wonky guitar riff to the table which the group tweaked and before long it had morphed into something new entirely – meanwhile Pete Miles (producer, wizard) recorded a loop of the group stomping on the live room floor. From there, it’s all a blur… The creation of this song will forever remain a mystery, even to the band.” [via Clash]

Dance star Kiesza is back with new single ‘Heaven Ain’t Calling’ featuring Sugar Jesus. The star, who had a huge breakthrough hit with ‘Hideaway’, returns to the house-infected pop sound that made her a global star. ‘Heaven Ain’t Calling’ is the first taster from Kiesza’s upcoming new album. The video for the track is described by the star as ‘a futuristic spaghetti western film noir’. On the new single, Kiesza comments, “People step onto the dance floor to be themselves, whether they seek to disconnect or are in search of a deeper connection with others. It unlocks a part of ourselves that often lies dormant in our daily lives. The dance floor offers an escape from a world that tries to funnel people down the same cookie-cutter pathways, even though no one is built for the same path.” She continues, “A friend of mine once said, ‘If none of my friends are going to Heaven, I just want to go where they’re going’. It made me think about the oppression that can come with self-expression and the courage it takes to wake up every day and be completely yourself. In ‘Heaven Ain’t Calling,’ the underlying message I’m conveying is that nothing will stop me from being exactly who and what I was created to be. And if Heaven Ain’t Calling me, I’m going where all the people go!” [via Entertainment Focus]

Giolì & Assia‘s latest release, ‘The Point of Living,’ delves into the existential inquiry: What is the meaning of life? The duo combines electronic beats with introspective lyrics to provoke contemplation on this profound theme. It’s the first release of 2024 from the innovative duo Giolì & Assia. After the stunning song ‘Young Forever’ that came out at the end of last year, Giolì & Assia are back with another powerful track. It shows how raw and personal they are with every release. A soundscape that leans more toward clubs, with resampled voices that sound like sirens. The song features also driving percussion and a mix of synths and orchestral elements. They work together to make the full range of sounds that fans have come to expect from a Giolì & Assia production. Giolì & Assia are passionate writers. The upcoming music video is yet another visual masterpiece that truly shows how creative they are. The music video is a powerful visual interpretation of how fragile life and love are, going deeper into the song’s meaning. “‘The Point of living’ is the second single from our new EP Resurrection” say the duo. “Following the dark yet melodic tones of ‘Young Forever’, the lead single off the EP, this time our lyrical focus was on the existential question – what is the meaning of life? At the same time, we wanted to conjure an electronic, romantic sound that evoked the sublime feeling of the ocean’s wave, from the opening verse, chorus, right up until the drop. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have creating it!” [via The Groove Cartel]

Keaper have been busy in the couple of years since they formed in 2020, already with two EPs to their name and now announcing their new concept album Waking Dream with fuzzy, atmospheric and melodic new single ‘Alone’ featuring a gorgeous semi-animated, semi-stop motion video. A key part of Waking Dream’s story, ‘Alone’ tells a tale through the eyes of the album’s protagonist as she explores a strange new world in her dreams, delivered by vocalist Ameya Ajay’s evocative vocals. “‘Alone’ was the first song we wrote off the album during a little writing retreat in South Australia. It relates to the “transformation” step of the “hero’s journey”, just after the character experiences their lowest point,” explains Ameya. “It’s about daring to be different and authentic, potentially challenging the status quo and coming to terms with standing alone in that space. That’s conveyed in the empowering energy of the music as well. Meanwhile, the striking video shot by Ramsay Waterhouse / Papermoon Projects and edited by Ameya channels the adventurous vibes of the single in a playful manner, featuring light houses, boat journeys and… vampires! After releasing many reflective and meaningful music videos, we wanted to make a fun and silly one. By juxtaposing visual influences such as Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse with a “school play” style set design, we could make it both childlike as well as strange and supernatural,” says Ameya. [via Pilerats]

Do you crave the gothic sounds of ’80s and ’90s post-punk and industrial — and updated with everything we could want in 2024? Do you also wish there could be video that takes it and channels it with the energy and atmosphere of a Gaspar Noe film? Then you need to watch and listen to Vosh‘s video for ‘Perfection.’ The song comes from the band’s stellar album Vessel, which came out last March, and the video allows the band to further expand on the song’s themes. Here is how the band describes the video: “Perfection is impossible within the confines of our human form. We beg and ache and reach for grace but find ourselves flesh, blood, and mortal. We use some special moments to be released from this captivity. In the end, we cannot break free from ourselves. From the visionary Brandon Pierce and fabulous art director Anastasia Bobrova comes ‘Perfection,’ starring the unmatched skill and poise of Charlotte Sartre and our own Josephine Olivia.” [via Decibel Mag]

Gearing up for what promises to be an unforgettable next phase, the alternative sister-trio from Monterrey, Mexico, The Warning, unleash a brand new single and music video entitled ‘S!CK’ via Lava Records/Republic Records. Showcasing their evolution, the single shows a new side of the band, leaning into an evolved yet familiar sound.“Kill the silence. Till it makes me feel, till it makes me feel, till it makes me feel…SICK!” A hypnotic bridge takes hold punctuated by haunting harmonies only for the momentum to pick up with one last blast of energy. The accompanying video mirrors this ebb and flow of the song as it simultaneously captures the band in the throes of a powerhouse performance. On the new track the band said: S!CK: A song about fearing that you never lived out your life and desperately wanting to live it.

Hannah Grae captures the trials and tribulations of navigating a breakup on her new single ‘Better Now You’re Gone’ – a track which arrives alongside the announcement of the breakout star’s second mini album. Nothing Lasts Forever will arrive March 15, and follows her debut mini album Hell Is A Teenage Girl, which arrived in April last year. Speaking to Rock Sound about her previous project, Hannah explained: “I had basically just left school when I wrote that project and I had so many stories and a lot of anger and bitterness to get out. Because I had a pretty tough experience and never really got the chance to get closure or I guess get revenge. And so my way of doing that was writing Hell Is A Teenage Girl.” Nothing Lasts Forever picks up where that project left off, which you can get a sense of via the new single ‘Better Now You’re Gone’ – check out the Lola Webster-directed video for it below. Discussing the inspiration behind the new track, which was co-written and produced by Rob Brinkmann, Hannah says: “‘Better Now You’re Gone’ is about that stage of a breakup where you’re trying to convince yourself that you’re better off without them. The song starts in an extremely convincing way and it’s almost as if I truly believe that I’m better off. But as the song unravels, it becomes a bit clearer that maybe that’s not the case at all. It’s such a fun song and it’s one of my favourites that I’ve ever written. It’s full of denial and regret; my perfect idea of a breakup anthem. It feels so authentic to me and my chaotic mind and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” [via Rock Sound]

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Philadelphia rock quartet Speedy Ortiz recently announced its long-awaited new album entitled Rabbit Rabbit. The band previewed its first record in 5+ years by sharing ‘Scabs’ and ‘You S02,’ and now Speedy Ortiz shares its next single. ‘Plus One’ features jagged-cliff-dwelling riffs and thundering drums, and is accompanied by a campy horror homage from Dylan Mars Greenberg. But while the video is lighthearted, the song finds Dupuis exploring a traumatic childhood experience in her songwriting for the first time. Dupuis on ‘Plus One’: I love touring, but the workaholism it encourages has been a convenient way to repress my feelings. In the pandemic, I found myself ruminating on my estrangement from an abusive family member. I’ve used my songwriting to process other experiences of violence, but had not broached these memories until Rabbit Rabbit. Being able to work on old trauma in therapy and in my writing has helped my boundaries elsewhere, and taught me to move on from exploitative relationships. That’s what ‘Plus One’ is about, and it came out pretty quickly as a sad acoustic waltz. I was sitting on the floor of an empty living room, mid-move, and the bare surroundings added a liminal starkness, though some of the imagery is inspired by scenes from West Philly that summer. When I went back to do pre-production, Texan post-hardcore was in my head, so I tried to channel At the Drive-In and Trail of Dead, bands that inspired me as a teen. We made the video with director Dylan Mars Greenberg, whose campiness and B-movie expertise was a perfect fit for the band’s also very campy videography. We’ve done a ton of horror homages but had never paid tribute to an old school monster movie. Dylan’s pet bunny Voodoo was a perfect Godzilla-sized star—a cuddly rabbit who’s mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.”

On Friday, Sweeping Promises released their astonishing new album, Good Living Is Coming For You, on Feel It Records in North America and Sub Pop for the rest of the world. Following the previous single releases of ‘Eraser’ and ‘You Shatter’ comes the arresting new video for the album’s title track, ‘Good Living Is Coming for You.’ Sweeping Promises’ Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug on the new video: “For this video, we collaborated with one of our closest friends, experimental filmmaker Jessica Bardsley (Life Without Dreams, Goodbye Thelma). Drawing from the glamorous and bloodthirsty aesthetic of ‘70s and ‘80s horror films (Daughters of Darkness, The Hunger, The Lair of the White Worm, Dream Demon), the visual companion to ‘Good Living Is Coming for You’ channels the song’s unshakable feeling of discontent and encroaching domestic doom through the confines of a DIY horror flick as seen by some nameless sleepless soul on late-night cable, the line between movie and infomercial blurred to infernal effect.”

Indie-pop sensation Holly Humberstone is back with ‘Antichrist’ and ‘Room Service’, and has finally announced her long awaited debut record, Paint My Bedroom Black, which will be arriving on October 13. ‘Antichrist’ is a shimmering slice of electro-pop that is as smooth and polished as a diamond. “Am I the antichrist? How do I sleep at night?” She opens the song, straight to the point. The production on this track is really fantastic, with pounding drumbeats and swirls of synths. It’s a melodic, sprawling track, filled with sadness, yet doesn’t really make the listener feel too sad, more empathetic. Speaking on the writing of the song, Humberstone said: “’Antichrist’ is about a breakup I went through a couple of years ago. I genuinely cared about this person and wanted so badly to make it work, but I knew something wasn’t right and my heart wasn’t in it. I knew that I was inevitably going to have to hurt the person I wanted so much to love. At the time I wrote the song, I remember feeling like I was constantly letting those around me down. I basically felt like the worst person in the world.” [via When the Horn Blows]

FIZZ have shared a new video and details of a new tour. The band – dodie, Orla Gartland, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown – have released a new clip for their debut single ‘High In Brighton’, which features on their imminent first album The Secret To Life, due for release on September 15 via Decca Records. [via Dork]

RENE has released the music video for her anarchic track ‘Rule The World’, taken from her recently released EP Slipped Through My Fingers. The Singapore-based musician worked together with director Lenne Chai and director of photography Danvisuals to create the campy, queer, action-packed video. “I wrote ‘Rule The World’ in a time when I felt stuck in a monotonous and unfulfilling routine. The song is based off the idea that there’s something better out there for everyone in this position, an inkling that could very well manifest if you take agency of your own life,” shares RENE. “When I wrote the song, I pictured a car driving out of a city, making a grand escape. Lenne and I toyed with a couple of insane ideas (one involving me performing the song at the back of a moving lorry smack in the middle of Singapore) and eventually landed on the craziest one of all – getting a bunch of beautiful people across Singapore and Los Angeles to work together on our campiest video idea yet. Of course it had to involve our queer love interests on the back of a motorcycle driving off into a fake sunset.” On the inspiration behind the music video, Los Angeles-based photographer and director Lenne Chai (W Magazine, Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter) adds, “We were inspired by D.E.B.S., a queer American action-comedy film about a spy-in-training who falls in love with the villain. To give it a local flavour, we referenced the visual language of Asian femme fatale films from the 80s/90s — complete with smoke, harsh lighting and crash zooms. We also studied episodes of Mediacorp’s 90s cop show Triple Nine to see how they framed Singapore as the backdrop for over-the-top action sequences.” Depicting a queer love story with a happy ending was an essential part of the music video for RENE and Lenne, both of whom grew up in a space where many LGBTQ+ characters in the media are often presented with negative connotations. “Most queer stories I saw growing up often ended in tragedy, so I thoroughly enjoyed crafting a queer music video that‘s unabashedly joyful, campy, and action packed,” explains Lenne. RENE continues, “D.E.B.S. was an instant favourite for us because it did that exact thing – it turned the tragic narrative on its head and gave us a cheesy, fun, and unapologetically queer rom-com action flick that was so rare at the time. We hope our music video does for other people what movies like D.E.B.S. did for us.” With local sponsors Sandbox Training Ground (choreographed the action sequences), smol (fed the hungry cast and crew), Camera Rental Centre (equipment sponsor), Closet Children (accessories sponsor) and incredible location partners Studio Min Max and Club Hell contributing to this project, the video was made possible through the efforts of a community invested in uplifting local independent creatives. The team consisted of creatives based all over the world, including animation director Danica Tan, graphic designer Sunny Chuang, editor Ian Alexander Ng and colorist Weiyi Ang. “It’s always great working with passionate and such talented people. I loved the concept when Lenne pitched it to me. I’m always super keen on making stuff with fellow Singaporean artists, and creating more gr8 content for our local music scene ,” shares cinematographer Danvisuals (Nathan Hartono, Forests, Benjamin Kheng and Bea Lorenzo, Soph T.).

Toronto-based indie-rock outfit Housewife shares the music video for their new single, ‘King of Wands’. Housewife’s self-directed ‘King of Wands’ video celebrates the inherent power of women’s intuition, spirituality, and solidarity – the things that keep women safe and thriving in the face of patriarchy. “Getting to direct ‘King of Wands’ was such a cool experience! I had only experienced my first proper video shoot the day before, so it was kind of crazy to go straight into directing one the next day, but it ended up being a lot of fun,” Brighid Fry (aka Housewife) says of their directorial debut. “Because this song has a political message, I knew I wanted to be very specific in the making of the video to ensure that it went along with the song in that regard. I was definitely nervous seeing as I’ve never done any directing, but the rest of the crew were super patient and supportive.”

Vancouver pop artist Haley Blais signed with Arts & Crafts this spring and released a new single — and now she’s announced her first album for the label. Her sophomore LP is called Wisecrack, and it’s due out September 15, with the single ‘Baby Teeth’ out now. ‘Baby Teeth’ comes with a CGI-heavy video directed by Shea Oracheski. The album reportedly delves into dark, introspective territory. Blais asked in a statement about Wisecrack, “Am I a good person or not? Are we all doing okay? Am I a good daughter? Sister? Partner? Friend?”

Olivia Rodrigo has released her epic new single ‘Vampire’, much to the delight of fans. The 20-year-old singer also recently announced the release date of her highly-anticipated second album GUTS. Taking to Twitter, Olivia said: “vampire song and video out now. I made it with my very talented wonderful friend @TheDanielNigro last winter and created the video with the incredible Petra Collins. writing this song helped me sort through lots of feelings of regret, anger, and heartache. it’s one of my favourite songs on the album and it felt very cathartic to finish. im so happy it’s in your hands now and I hope it helps you deal with any bloodsuckers in your life. all my thanks 4ever.” (sic) The official music video for ‘Vampire’ has also been released, which was shot in downtown LA at night. [via Planet Radio]

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