Kiss from the Balcony, is a testament to both personal and artistic growth. Created in collaboration with Ben Sloan and Stephen Patota, the record emerged from two week-long studio sessions in Oakland, where the trio transformed sketches and fragments into a fully realized album.

With a background in experimental percussion and sound design, Ben Sloan brings an electronic sound to Kenney’s writing; Stephen Patota provides ingenious guitar melodies throughout and grounds the project in acoustic elements. It sits in Madeline’s discography as a thematic and musical progression that sees her iterate on ideas about love and explore new sonic motifs through her work with Patota and Sloan. Of the collaboration, Kenney says, “Ben and Stephen took the songs to heights they simply never would have reached if they stayed in my basement studio–A New Reality Mind reached the basement’s capacity, and these ideas deserved an expansion unique to a trusting creative relationship.”

This is immediately evident on ‘All I Need,’ as far-ranging a piece of music as Kenney has ever recorded. With an arrangement spacious and imaginative as Kenney’s songwriting is incisive, the track exemplifies the refinement of the new ideas that Kenney folded into her sound on her 2023 LP, and hints at the new heights she’s reaching for on her forthcoming album.

Kenney says of the track: “This was an Imagined Love song – trying to create something perfect and soft and yet realistic; the feeling of falling into someone after a long day, an imagined cheek so soft you could live there. I think a good love song has to include something about feeling like the only ones in the world who “get it”. I like to think of the Kiss from the Balcony as the totally wild and foolhardy desire to love, to blow a kiss to the universe, despite it all.”

Kiss From The Balcony:

1. Scoop
2. Never
3. Breakdown
4. Slap
5. Cue
6. Semitones
7. Paycheck
8. They Go Wide
9. All I Need

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Having broken her three year solo silence with last month’s single ‘Flashlight’, songwriter, lecturer, producer and collective-leader Tamara Schlesinger is back with a second single from her forthcoming new album as MALKA, Anat-omy Of Sight. ‘Matriarch’ is a song detailing personal, yet universal themes already explored on the first cut from the record. ‘Matriarch’ further expands MALKA’s journey into synths and solo production; a sparkling song that as the album opener sets the tone for the rest of Anat-omy Of Sight, MALKA’s sweet and high vocals are centred and layered, sur-rounded by pitter-pat percussion and woozy synths reminiscent of Little Dragon at their most playful. MALKA describes ‘Matriarch’ as being about “that feeling of trying to juggle everything, trying to find that balance in life and wondering whether you have made the right decisions along the way. But it is also about that fierce pride of succeeding with something, especially when you have achieved it alone. Whether that is as a primary carer, the leader of a group or just your own per-sonal achievement.” She adds: “I loved playing around with the production on this one. In fact, I just loved having control over the sound of this whole album, I guess that kinda ties into the chorus lyric ‘I did it all alone’”.

Ezra Williams is excited to release their new single ‘Skin’. ‘Skin’ is the latest release from Ezra’s forthcoming debut album, Supernumeraries, which will be released on June 16 via AWAL. ‘Skin’ opens Supernumeraries with a mesmeric, almost hymnal vocal, as Ezra sings the album’s piercing opening line, “I’ve never felt this type of cold,” over minimal acoustic guitar. The poignant track steadily gathers pace and builds into a full band arrangement, setting the tone for the rest of the album, which sees Ezra explore bolder and more expansive sounds than ever before. The single is accompanied by an intense, gut-wrenching video, inspired by a vivid image that came to Ezra while writing the track. Speaking about the track, Ezra says: “This song is about trying to start dating again after heartbreak, the comparing of new people to past and accidentally falling back into bad habits from previous relationships. Knowing you’re not being treated properly but not caring because you can’t handle being alone.”

From trap-metal to industrial hip-hop to “fairy trap,” as she’s called it — Zheani‘s music is hard to pin down. But that’s just the way she likes it. We haven’t heard from the provocative Australian artist since her 2022 EP, the brilliantly titled I Hate People on the Internet, but that drought has ended with the release of ‘Pathetic Waste,’ a seething, self-immolating cut packed with ASMR-laced melodies and distorted screams. The first taste of her latest project, The Spiritual Meat Grinder, the single arrived accompanied by a startling music video created with longtime collaborator artist Mik Shida. Mixing stunning hand-painted animation with unhinged live action, the clip sees Zheani wielding a “demon sword,” but ultimately, despite her valiant efforts, unable to overcome her dark side. Watch and listen above. “My music is almost always defiant and affirmational,” she commented. “Within it, I’m a warrior, a goddess. I am victorious in my art because I so desperately want to be victorious and for my victories to be loved. My fans see me this way, like an avatar, someone powerful and larger than life. But with ‘Pathetic Waste,’ I try to be more honest about the mundane struggle that my life can often feel like. The pain that my own inadequacy can cause the ones I love. The missed opportunities and squandered relationships. All of this falls in my wake as I drudge forward thinking, ‘What if I’m one of the bad people?'” [via Revolver]

RAYE strikes again with another signature cinematic video, this time for her song ‘Flip A Switch’ featuring Coi Leray. The track is part of RAYE’s debut album My 21st Century Blues which came out earlier this year. The groovy yet heartfelt song needed a video to match and the South-London-hailing star didn’t fail to deliver, using her signature choreography and specific colour grading to turn these visuals into yet another movie. Coi Leray didn’t hold back either and matched the energy perfectly, serving nothing but vibes behind the wheel of the dark bus she is driving in the video. [via GRM Daily]

There comes a time in every relationship when things start to turn routine. It might be routine in activity, communication, or, yes, even arguing (a red flag). That’s the topic KiNG MALA’s new single ‘sunny side up’ confronts, cleverly comparing duking it out with her boyfriend to eating sunny side up eggs every morning. The bubbly, serrated pop song is the latest in the Los Angeles singer’s most recent string of singles, and follows the release of her music video for ‘dirty dishes.’ The track is the epitome of delivering bad news with a huge dose of honey. Over sweet choruses of lalalas and perky guitar riffs, she croons in a sugary falsetto, “I’m sick of sunny side up eggs/ And mediocre makeup sex.” In its equally symbolic visual, directed by Chelsey d’Adesky, she and Kia Farhad play a couple who are chained to their routine — literally. They sit on the couch watching TV and eating breakfast together; the links that used to be unite them as symbols of security have now become a hindrance. She dreams of leaving the room, spitting in his orange juice, maybe eating him like that ominous painting of a lion preying on a deer hanging behind them suggests — all ideas you could also use to break up with your boyfriend. “I worked with a woman-led production company (432 Films) who just completely understood the energy I wanted this video to have,” KiNG MALA tells NYLON of shooting the visual. “Being on set with them was so exciting and inspiring and the video turned out even better than I could have imagined. I feel like they really captured the feeling of being in this endless routine with someone but in a way that felt artistic and funny. It’s a light take on a heavy thing, but that’s really the only way to cope sometimes.” [via NYLON]

Just days ahead of the release of her new album Joy’All, Jenny Lewis shared a new video for her recent single ‘Psychos’, directed by Bobbi Rich. Speaking about the creation of the new album, Lewis has said: “From my home in Nashville in early 2021, I joined a week-long virtual songwriting workshop with a handful of amazing artists, hosted by Beck. The challenge was to write one song every day for seven days, with guidelines from Beck. The guidelines would be prompts like ‘write a song with 1-4-5 chord progression,’ ‘write a song with only cliches,’ or ‘write in free form style.” [via DIY]

Australia’s Taylah Carroll returns with her first new music of 2023, the gorgeous single ‘Sleep On My Side’. Written by Carroll and produced by Tim Harvey, the song is a lush, captivating alt-pop song that carry elements of soul, jazz, pop, country and folk and positively overflows with warmth and all the feels. Carroll’s vocal is a standout, utterly beguiling as she moves through all the emotions from a seductive drawl to a world weary sigh. ‘Sleep On My Side’ looks at the emotionally volatile and messy world of dating, and appreciating the benefits of both being alone and as part of a couple. “I don’t like me much / Neither should you / I’ve kept my bed cold / I prefer the view / When I don’t have to sleep on my side,” she sings. “‘Sleep On My Side’ is about navigating the murky waters of the dating pool for the first time, and as an adult,” Carroll says. “It’s about learning what I liked in both solitude and togetherness. It’s about realising myself again. When I took the song into the studio, I’d only ever played it solo. It was one of those songs that was so exciting to record because I walked out of the studio that night with something completely different. The song grew before me.” Also out is the video for ‘Sleep On My Side’, which Carroll co-directed with Nick Mckk (Julia Jacklin, Spacey Jane, Stella Donnelly). It features Carroll playing the piano and rowing a boat with a gold fish as her only companion. “After recording one of the takes I announced that this was my ‘Cruise Ship Band’ song, so the accompanying video was centred around an imagined 60’s Cruise Ship adventure,” Carroll explains. “Thanks to the clip, I’m now also a proud goldfish mum. The goldfish is supposed to symbolise the little tender part of yourself, that is sometimes hard to connect with, but always important to carry and care for.” [via Women in Pop]

Problem Patterns have announced that they will be releasing their debut album. It is called Blouse Club and will be out later this year via Alcopop! Records. The band has also released a video for their new song ‘Letter of Resignation’. The video was directed, filmed, and edited by Brendan Seamus. [via PunkNews]

Mahalia continues her return with new single ‘Cheat’. The soulful pop queen signalled her comeback with the excellent ‘Terms And Conditions’, which leads into her upcoming album IRL. A work of truth, it lands on July 14 and the latest preview has just gone live. Out now, ‘Cheat’ is a self-described “infectious bop” and it finds Mahalia taking revenge on a man who has wronged her. Joined by JoJo, it’s a statement of female power, with their illustrious vocals fully intertwined. Produced by Spencer Stewart and JD. Reid, the collaboration between Mahalia and her soul sister has been on the cards for some time. “I can’t quite believe this one is real. I have been a fan of JoJo for as long as I can remember so having her on this record really is a dream come true for me,” Mahalia says. “I love watching people come together through hardship and everything about this song represents that. For me, it is a song about strength, power and letting go.” “I loved teaming up with Mahalia on this fully infectious bop,” JoJo states on the collaboration. “Not only can I not get the melodies out of my head… but I’ve BEEN THERE.. and it feels good to be singing with my friend about this very real part of growing up: Realizing that some boys are for the streets and will never change.” Shot in New York and directed by filmmaker Boma Iluma, you can check out the video for ‘Cheat’ now. [via Clash]

Last month, Madeline Kenney announced a new album, A New Reality Mind, with the lead single ‘Superficial Conversation.’ Her follow-up to 2020’s Sucker’s Lunch is out at the end of July, and now she’s sharing another new track from the album, the grooving and multifaceted ‘I Drew A Line.’ “I’ve been thinking a lot about the stories I tell myself to keep plodding along, and how those stories can obfuscate certain realities,” Kenney said in a statement, continuing: “Stories not only set limits but also set us up for the most frightening awakening when life starts to contradict the story. When I went through a breakup I realized that the story I had been living out was much different in the plain light of day than what I had constructed out of fantasy. I think it’s very human to tell stories, and I think it can protect us, but what if we don’t need protection? What purpose does the story serve then?” [via Stereogum]

Alt-pop singer-songwriter Sophie Powers has released her powerful new single, ‘Bathroom Floor’ via Atlantic Records in partnership with TAG Music. The track arrives alongside a music video, which can be seen now below. “You know you’ve hit rock bottom when you’re ‘on the bathroom floor’ and you ‘can’t feel shit,’” says Sophie Powers. “As the chorus of my song states, that’s exactly where I was mentally, and physically while writing it. The track goes into depth about my struggles with self-hatred, depression, body dysmorphia, and escaping a dark hole through seeking validation and distractions from others. The funny thing is, as soon as those distractions and people go away, what’s left? The same spiral of self-hatred-depression-insomnia-body dysmorphia-dark thoughts-anxiety-etc. continues…I never want to encourage or glamourize mental illness, but by simply speaking about it, maybe I can destigmatize the subject, and hopefully help someone else out who’s struggling.” [via Prelude Press]

Jazmin Bean has released a new single, ‘Piggie’. The track follows on from recent debut EP Worldwide Torture, and was produced by John Feldman and Travis Barker. “When I got out of rehab, I looked back at pictures of myself and saw the events that were happening around me at the time,” Jazmin says of the track. “I was three months clean and had lots of realisations about my life. I didn’t want to combat it with a sad song. Instead, I’m poking fun at some of the men I met at the time. ‘Piggie’ is the closest track to the Worldwide Torture era, so I wanted to bridge the gap between the old and new sound. But honestly, what’s coming next… I’m not even ready for.” [via Dork]

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Having established herself as one of Australia’s most important voices and striking songwriters of recent years, Melbourne-based artist Eliza Hull has proven the longevity of her art, and continued evolution. With the release of her new single ‘Running Underwater’, the songwriter and musician embraces a beautiful new chapter of creative and personal expression; the threads of experiences from both sides of her being knitting together beautifully in creating a gorgeous piece of new music. ‘Running Underwater’ saw Hull work with ARIA Award-winning producer Pip Norman (Baker Boy, Missy Higgins) on production, recording the track at BIGBANG Studio. Mixed by Simon Lam (Woodes, Cub Sport) and mastered by Idania Valencia (Sam Smith), ‘Running Underwater’ – in its final form – lets the dynamism of Hull’s vocals and arrangement take prominence, flourishing with each sonic swell. ‘Running Underwater’ is the first song Hull has written about being disabled and living with a condition called ‘Charcot Marie Tooth’. The condition, a degenerative nerve disorder, has affected Hull’s walking for a long time; it was a disability that she kept hidden, specifically in the music industry. In recent years however, Hull has emerged as an accessibility advocate within the industry; her determinism and approach to educating and spurring on change in perspective and structure, when it comes to the way disabled musicians are treated within the industry, has been incredibly influential. ‘Running Underwater’ is a powerful musical representation of Hull’s strength, and an example of the artist coming further into her own.“For a long time I hid my disability, especially in the music industry. This was due to under-representation of disabled musicians and I was constantly shown that disability was a deficit or something that should be feared and hidden. It was such a heavy weight holding onto these beliefs, it was exhausting to constantly hide. This song is about pushing up against society’s view of disability, it’s about letting go of the fear and being authentic and true to myself and showing that it’s ok to be different.“ Working with director Keiran Watson-Bounce, Hull has also produced a moving music video for ‘Running Underwater’, filmed at The Goods Shed in Castlemaine. Featuring the talents of dancer ‘roya the destroya’, the experience allowed Hull to bring the song to life in a beautifully unique way onscreen. And in doing so, has represented disability onscreen in a way not generally seen. “The music video features my very good friend ‘roya the destroya’. She is a brilliant disabled dancer who moves like nobody I know. She actually started busking with an early version of the song and sent me a video of her performing with it. When I watched that video I knew I had to collaborate with her on the official music video. She has a beautiful ability to inhibit what I am feeling in my music and then express that through movement. In the music video she is like my alter-ego, almost like the spirit part of what I am feeling in the lyrics. Keiran Watson-Bonnice is the director of the music video. We have worked together in the past on the ABC Kids TV show And Then Something Changed, which I produced and wrote the music for. We shot the clip in one day, in mostly one take in the Goods Shed on a freezing winter’s day.“

Next month, Christine And The Queens are releasing a new album, PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE, recorded with super-producer Mike Dean. We’ve heard ‘To Be Honest’ and the 070 Shake-featuring ‘True Love’ from it so far, and now Chris is sharing another new one, ‘Tears Can Be So Soft.’ “Tears can be so soft was born out of the marriage of a Marvin Gaye sample that caught my attention, this intoxicating, elegant, almost poised in its melancholy string arrangement,” Chris said in a statement, adding that they wanted to create “this deep sense of almost womb-like, hypnotic space where the voice could soar in its loneliness, [an] interplay between the suffering that motivates tears and the gentle healing effect they can have.” [via Stereogum]

In June, This Is The Kit will release a new album, Careful Of Your Keepers, which follows 2020’s Off Off On and is produced by Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys. We’ve already heard lead single ‘Inside Outside,’ and now they’re back with another album track, ‘More Change,’ which comes with an animated video created by Benjamin Jones. Jones explains of the video: “With this video I wanted to create something that felt homemade, organic and very much alive. Using very simple puppetry with some old coat hangers and some basic stop motion (and some surprisingly willing neighbors who lent me their faces) I’ve tried to create a few characters and scenarios which are connected in some ways, but also reflect the themes I picked up from the music – sadness, compromise, exploring new ground, and finding new ways to help each other move forward.” [via Stereogum]

Water From Your Eyes have released a new single and video ’14’, the latest preview from their forthcoming album and Matador debut Everyone’s Crushed, out May 26. A crescendo of swelling strings, pizzicato and electronic drone moving around a cyclical vocal refrain of “How many is 14?,” the band describe the song as “a quasi-serial inkblot signifying submission to personal demons and the realization that change is both necessary and inevitable.” Watch the widescreen black & white video directed by the band’s Rachel Brown below. On the video, Brown says: “I was largely inspired by Meshes of the Afternoon, Last Year in Marienbad, and Spirited Away, as well as the painting The Triumph of Baccus by Diego Velázquez, a favorite of Nate’s. I wanted to capture the feeling of being haunted by one’s own inner turmoils and the act of letting those conflicts go.”

Late last year, art-pop masterminds Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian announced that they’d joined forces to form a duo called Decisive Pink. Next month, they’ll release their debut album Ticket To Fame. Now, they’ve also shared a joyous piece of spiky weirdness called ‘Dopamine.’ ‘Dopamine’ is a six-minute piece of deadpan art-funk about the emptiness of consumerism. Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian chant the names of products with arch, sarcastic glee as their music mechanistically tics away. In the video, director JJ Stratford films the two of them in theatrical makeup as they work in a warehouse full of boxes. Both musically and visually, ‘Dopamine’ recalls some of the artiest post-punk of the late ’70s and early ’80s. [via Stereogum]

Ashnikko has unveiled the official video for her single ‘WEEDKILLER’, directed by Furmaan and Vasso. It follows the release of her other recent singles ‘You Make Me Sick!’ and ‘Worms’, which will appear on her highly anticipated debut album of the same name, due to arrive imminently via Parlophone Records. “This song is the one that gave birth to the whole album,” stated Ashnikko. “It’s the climax of the record, the epic fight scene in the wasteland. Swords drawn, roots deep into the ground, I have come here to photosynthesise and eliminate the weedkillers. It is a violent fantastical storytelling set in my realm.” [via Dork]

Louise Post – of seminal band Veruca Salt – is sharing the video for her first debut solo track ‘Guilty,’ a perfect reverie of guitar haze. Directed by Meeno and written and produced by Post, the video showcases a married couple’s relationship on the fritz with no one person more guilty than the other in their wrongdoings. About the song, Post reflected, “I wrote this on a Tuesday and recorded it on Thursday, writing most of the lyrics on the drive from my house over to the studio. This song literally poured out of me. I was sleeping when it woke me up and demanded to be written. The first verse and chorus landed as an accusation, but then I realized it was far more interesting, and much more true to life, to have everyone in the song be guilty of something. To have the narrator own up to her own guilt, and then acknowledge the universality of it all. I mean, what would we be without our secrets? The song is ultimately about not taking ourselves so seriously.” [via AntiMusic]

Singapore-born, London-based artist Yeule has released a new single, ‘Sulky Baby’, alongside news of new US and UK headlining shows later this year and their signing with Ninja Tune. ‘Sulky Baby’, which is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by Yeule themselves and Jaxon Whittington, is a melancholic tune that blends 2000s alt-rock and shoegaze. Yeule said of the newly released track via a press statement: “‘Sulky Baby’ was like a 2000s alt-rock shoegaze hybrid tinted in sad satire. I felt like I was talking to a younger version of me, stopping her from crying, looking back at the ways I betrayed and neglected that innocence from myself. I failed to protect her and I felt like I needed to go back in time and fulfil what she was starved of. So that she could return to my side. So that I can smile like a little kid again.” They continued: “The song gives quite vivid descriptions of a depression I felt with almost a burning passion, yet I tried to give it a light-hearted tone. I think romanticizing is not always that bad. It helps to do it sometimes when you’re dealing with a repressed memory. I think it is called an advantaged delusion? Sometimes, that’s the only way I can remember parts of me I don’t want to remember, so that I can lay her to rest and heal. My mother used to tell me as a child, not to sulk all the time. I guess that’s why sulking is so special to me.” [via NME]

Lana Del Rey has released the 10-minute music video for ‘Candy Necklace’ featuring Jon Batiste from her new album Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. The video, directed by Rich Lee and shot in Los Angeles, sees the singer take on the role of numerous Hollywood starlets throughout history like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Short, also known as the The Black Dahlia. The black and white video features behind the scenes shots of Del Rey through the camera finder, in the make-up chair and alongside collaborator Batiste at the piano. “The whole thing about the video — why it was all supposed to be behind the scenes — was because all these women who changed their names and changed their hair, like me,” Del Rey tells the crew at one point in the video. “It’s like they all fell into these different snake holes. So the whole point is like, how do you learn from that and not fall into your own thing?” [via NME]

‘The Most Wanted Person In The United States’ — the recently released 100 gecs track — has finally received the goofy visuals to match its irreverent sonics. The new video finds Laura Les and Dylan Brady masking up to steal packages off of porches, brandish plastic swords at Ring doorbell cameras, kick a life-sized plastic horse, and hold up a convenience store with automatic weapons made of Monster Energy cans, among other misadventures. [via The FADER]

Borderline Toxic have made their long awaited return, releasing latest single ‘Sir Satan’. The band’s desire to explore emotive, personal lyricism paired with a raucous background of scuzzy riffs is exhibited in full. Featuring another flamboyantly crafted video, Borderline Toxic continue to illustrate why their sound has struck a chord with press both at home and abroad. ‘Sir Satan’ delves into themes about our own character, our flaws, our strengths, our relationships and how these individual traits are influenced by both positive and negative experiences that have shaped us. Hypnotic front-woman Kerry Glass delivers the line, “…nothing is A-Ok, said Sir Satan…” with stinging aplomb. Kerry is telling the listener that our demon is always in the back of our mind causing doubt and, ultimately, sabotaging the healthy relationships we create. Kerry’s own personal rebuke to the paternal issues she has faced growing up are laced throughout the song and are cocooned by filthy, face melting guitar riffs, biting drum beats and a grooving baseline.

Sweden’s Hot Breath returns with the new hot single and visually stunning music video ‘Keep On Calling’. The track is a highly energetic rock explosion with powerful vocals and thrilling riffs, of which the band comments: ”’Keep On Calling’ is a song about trying to break free from forbidden duets – even though your body is as tense as a bow-string”.

Ukrainian refugee and pop singer-songwriter Natisa Gogol has shared the video for her latest single entitled ‘Aesthetics’. The disco-infused dance pop anthem is a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, especially those in Russian occupation who are further discriminated against. Natisa confides, the song “is a tale of love that is more powerful than life itself, overcoming injustice, prejudice, and any obstacles it may encounter.” The futuristic video is a dedication to the LGBTQ+ community, portraying a love affair between two women that transcends space and time. ‘Aesthetics’ further highlights many people’s concerns that if Russia occupies Ukraine, the LGBTQ+ population will have their current rights taken away. Natisa’s music delivers a powerful message about holding onto strength and hope, even in the most disastrous and dark of times, as she herself was forced to flee her home in Ukraine to begin a new life.

Toronto–based songstress Sam Casey wears her authenticity like your favourite pair of well–worn jeans. Her unfiltered and unapologetic songs are inspired by the past two years of her life: all the breakups, the makeups, the drugs, the dancing, the crying, the anxiety and the love. Her passive aggressive song, ‘7 Second Superstar,’ was inspired by TikTok fame. It comes off as judgmental because it is. Sam and her co-writers, Julianna Eye and Chloe Kay, felt critical of social media – TikTok in particular – and how it promotes a culture of one hit wonders. “Julianna, Chloe, and I wrote this song over Zoom in 2021 with TikTok reaching its height of popularity and all of us being quite literally forced to participate on the app,” Sam explains. “After a conversation regarding our experiences in the early-2000’s and late 90’s (before social media existed), we decided to try a blink-182 vibe and about 2 hours later we had a song.”

Grace Potter is gearing up to release her fifth studio LP Mother Road via Fantasy Records on August 18. An audacious and heart-pounding map of the soul, Mother Road finds Grace deconstructing her deepest fears and darkest regrets, charting the fallout with brutal honesty and emotional daring. To celebrate the release, Potter has shared the inviting, irresistibly twangy title track. The single comes alongside an endearing Pulp Fiction meets Thelma and Louise styled video. Grace Potter reflected on the meaning of Mother Road, saying, “In Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck called Route 66 the ‘The Mother of all roads…the road of flight.’ As I zeroed out my odometer and started west on my road trip across the US, I hoped that driving the road of flight would give me a bird’s eye view of my life. But it didn’t take long to realize that I was not flying; I was running away. In the solitude, I found myself smashing open the piggy bank of deeply-buried memories. Those gems of my real-life exploits spilled into my creative consciousness and emboldened me to write an album that reaches far beyond what actually happened–launching me down the alternate-reality roads of what could have happened.” [via uDiscoverMusic]

Grammy-nominated Nigerian dance-pop vocalist Kah-Lo releases her new single ‘fund$’ on Epic Records. Spinning a tale of greed and glory, Kah-Lo’s latest single sees her fierce vocals cut with a darker edge. A powerful anthem that flaunts Kah-Lo’s intrinsic ability to seamlessly blend genres at her will, ‘fund$’ commands attention with its shiny synth stabs, punchy basslines, and rhythmic percussion. Kah-Lo’s playfully audacious lyrics add a feminist flare to the track as she sings, “Girls just wanna have funds, can’t have fun if you don’t have funds”. As with all of Kah-Lo’s originals, her vibrant persona shines through on ‘fund$’ as she teases her more rebellious side. ‘fund$’ arrives with an official music video that sees Kah-Lo take a murderous turn to enact revenge on those who have done her wrong. Portraying a femme fatale in this Kill Bill-esque music video, ‘fund$’ is an enticing introduction into Kah-Lo’s villain era. [via Find Your Sounds]

Madeline Kenney has announced her fourth album, A New Reality Mind, arriving July 28 via Carpark Records. Following 2021’s Summer Quarter EP, A New Reality Mind was produced and recorded by Kenney in her basement and processes the abrupt end of a long-term relationship. Along with the album news is a lead single, ‘Superficial Conversation,’ which also has a self-directed video. “‘Superficial Conversation’ is my way of looking back at the ways I shrunk myself or ignored my own needs in favor of the needs and desires of others,” Kenney explains. “While I wish I had acted differently, I want to be kind and forgiving to my past self and be able to grow and move forward with more power and love.” Of the video, Kenney says: “I wanted the video to show a forced transformation, from the inside and out. Jess Bozzo’s choreography really captured what I wanted to evoke; a painful change that becomes a pretty joyous opening with room for desire and play.” [via Stereogum]

Australia’s acclaimed alternative dance trio Haiku Hands have returned with a new single and music video. Claire Nakazawa, Beatrice Lewis and Mie Nakazawa are on fiery form on their new track, titled ‘Nunchucka’. A dancefloor cut with punk energy, the addictive track offers an instant sonic adrenaline rush. “A super charged high energy self affirmation anthem for anyone who wants to wipe off the patriarchal stain of self-loathing,” the band says about their single. “A song to listen to before you go out, when you’re out, and when you get home. Enjoy your life.” The accompanying music video, directed by Triana Hernandez, sees Haiku Hands and a set of mysterious characters matching the rebellious spirit of the track. [via The Brag]

Up next from LA’s resident femme-punk royalty, The Aquadolls, comes ‘Far Far Away,’ the final single before the June 2 release of their album Charmed. A slice of upbeat summer optimism, the song featuring production by Chris Szczech (The Goo Goo Dolls), is a call to arms for anyone looking to ferociously take back their independence. In the single’s official video directed by longtime creative collaborator Jenna Houchin, the band is drenched in a retro malaise as they attempt to bust out of the norm. Lead singer Melissa Brooks said, “’Far Far Away’ is a fairytale twist on the working class, discussing that the only person who can truly save you is yourself. Recorded by Chris Szcech, this up-tempo track features surfy guitar licks reminiscent of early Vampire Weekend and hand claps to ensure that anyone can clap and chant along to this modern self-love fairytale.” Bassist Keilah Nina chimed in saying that this is, “A tune about struggling with work-life balance. The painful reality of getting trapped in the same 9-5 routine and feeling blocked or detached from personal growth, success, and/or love as a result. It’s also a tale of acceptance, sometimes you have to pull yourself out of the dirt, and that’s okay!”

Sarah Kinsley is pleased to share details of a new EP, Ascension, for release next month via Verve Forecast/Decca Records UK. The EP is released on June 9, and previewed with ‘Lovegod’ and accompanying music video. The video is produced by Sarah who also hand-crafted the ‘Lovegod’ character who features throughout the video. The song itself was written, performed, recorded, produced, and mixed by Sarah. Sarah Kinsley on the new track: “’Lovegod’ is the most devious I think I’ve been in my writing, My own ‘lovegod’ is a perfect lover, an answer to a prayer, an antidote for romantic pessimism. Where can one find love these days? Why do we need it? Why do I find myself begging for some spiritual deliverance?”

Berlin-based, Belgium-raised rising pop icon MOLI returns with her dreamy new single ‘It’s Not My Fault’. Produced by JUNGLE’s Tom McFarland, this nostalgic new cut evokes the 80s with its shimmering electro-pop leanings, wavy synths and MOLI’s signature delicate, soulful vocals. Speaking on the single, MOLI said – “‘It’s Not My Fault’ is about coming to the realisation that you need to leave something that is bad for you and finally feeling a glimpse of that sense of freedom you were missing after feeling pulled down and heavy for so long. I personally felt like certain romantic situations I was in really weighed me down. They felt very one sided. Always chasing people, putting them on a pedestal and putting so much of myself and emotions into it only to end up feeling like I was never enough for them. I would feel so vulnerable and susceptible to being taken advantage of. I didn’t feel like being my true self was okay as I was so focused on pleasing the other person. Making it to the other side of that and experiencing healthier relationship dynamics made me feel so much lighter, confident and independent. It is so freeing to be unapologetically me. At the same time, I have been learning to navigate a very male dominated industry. I feel a lot of growth has happened for me over the last few years. I have my own opinions and I am confident in what I do which has made such a big difference if ever I do end up in a room with someone who I do not feel respected by. It is a very liberating feeling to not be so dependent on someone else’s validation, opinion and it’s that sense of freedom and confidence that I hope ‘It’s Not My Fault’ portrays.” The single arrives with a slick and sumptuous video shot by director Marek Partyš and inspired by the drama and hijinks of old films. Transporting viewers back to the 80s, the visual is set in a casino following a host of glamorous con-men manipulate a roulette wheel, before MOLI in her most baddass, empowering performance yet, unexpectedly swoops in and steals the final riches. Speaking on the video, Partys said -“The first time I listened to the song It is not my fault, I got a whiff of the 80s. The mysterious club, the strange characters, the detective, the casino, the smoke, all popped into my mind while listening to the song. It was a fun ride to piece all these elements together into a story where the singer Moli herself plays one of the main roles. And I’m convinced that she did it perfectly. The whole crew deserves a lot of thanks and respect for helping us with the whole production process.”

Sydney Sprague has released ‘smiley face’ via Rude Records. The video, which was done entirely through CGI and a phone app called “in3D”, which takes viewers through an metaverse driven, wild world of Sydney and her band as avatars, complete with dancing and an epic ending of Sydney flying into the sun. “The visual parts of making music can be really stressful for me,” explains Sydney” “… so going into the making of this video the most important thing to me was that everyone involved was having a good time. That’s why I really love this video, because every part of it was us going “what’s the dumbest thing that could happen” and doing that.” “smiley face: dance-y indie pop/rock. I wrote ‘smiley face’ about this dream I had that made me wake myself up because I was laughing really hard out loud, ” she continues.

Turning the page to a new chapter, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs shares a confessional new single entitled ‘Baggage’. Bishop also announces the arrival of her highly anticipated new EP, When Everything Went Dark – out June 23. On the track, Bishop embraces her stark humanity like never before. She adds, “I am not perfect. In fact, I’m quite messy. I could say life is messy, which it is, but part of becoming an adult has been acknowledging the messiness that I have too. ‘Baggage’ is the first song where I stand in the mud and triumphantly stomp my feet in it. I can only hope that others feel empowered to own their version of messy and know that they aren’t alone in it. I have found that when I unabashedly show my imperfections and my wounds I am growing. So, there you have it, that’s my baggage.” Re: the striking accompanying music video for the track, Bishop comments: “I didn’t know how well I could hide my sorrow until I did it. Outwardly I would have fleeting moments of socially acceptable niceties and then the minute I was alone I would dissociate, completely unable to function. How could these two extremities exist in one body? It was and is exhausting. I wanted this music video for ‘Baggage’ to show that our blue circles aka our trauma can be meticulously hidden even if someone appears okay on the outside. I hope that whoever watches knows that they are not alone and that there’s a community of people waiting to be supportive.”

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