Kalia Storer’s vocal is the undeniable centrepiece, floating effortlessly above layers of fuzzy guitars with a dreamy softness that perfectly complements the band’s shoegaze leanings. Rather than erupting into towering walls of sound, Crush remains beautifully restrained, allowing its shimmering textures and hypnotic melodies to gradually draw the listener deeper into its world. It’s a subtle approach that makes the song all the more absorbing.

The accompanying video captures that same dreamlike quality with muted colours and quietly surreal imagery, wearing its Mulholland Drive influence proudly while carving out an identity of its own. Cinematic and wonderfully off-kilter, it feels like the visual equivalent of the song’s hazy atmosphere, with Storer bringing an effortlessly magnetic presence throughout. ‘Crush’ is another captivating glimpse into Growing Pains’ richly immersive sound, proving that sometimes the most powerful songs are the ones that never feel the need to shout.

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The music video draws from real memory while remaining intentionally symbolic. Set in a small Ohio town along the banks of the Little Miami, it contrasts warm childhood imagery with adult routine and loss, using water, movement, and live performance as parallel paths toward release. Its dual ending cuts between vocalist Ivory Snow in office attire, floating serenely in a childhood river spot, and Snow in a white lace dress, surfing the crowd at a Sungaze show.

Says Snow of the music video, “It was important to us to film the video in the real life settings that inspired it. We filmed over the course of three days. Day one was mostly spent working with our kid actors, and filming the office-attire scenes. Day two was filming the outdoor performance and narrator scenes which involved sneaking into a gravel pit yard and walking the streets of the small town where I grew up. The corner store in the video is the very same that is mentioned in the first verse. The third day was the live show, which was shot at Madison Live in Covington, KY, across the river from Cincinnati. To get the slow motion effect, we had to perform the song at 2x speed, which made for a humorous experience. I think we were all thankful that we play relatively slow music.”

To prepare the audience participants for their scene on Day 3, a last minute showing was arranged. Snow continues, “Before filming kicked off, we set up a projector and screened a preview of the video for the audience, ending with the river scene right before the first live show shot. The room was dead silent for a few seconds after the preview ended, before erupting into applause. A few people were wiping their eyes. Screening the video in that way felt a bit more vulnerable than expected and it was gratifying to see it received so well.”

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‘Ruining The Moment’ is a raw and restless grunge anthem that captures the chaos of losing yourself when you need to hold it together. Channelling the spirit of 90s icons like Nirvana, Hole, and Soundgarden, the track fuses tortured vocals with eerie, slow-burn guitars, like Courtney Love crashing a Coach Party rehearsal. Laced with guilt, shame, and inner frustration, it’s a gut-punching dive into the silent panic behind a composed exterior. As the tension builds, the song explodes in a chorus that screams what can’t be said out loud; a soundtrack for anyone who’s ever felt like a stranger in their own skin.

Diving deeper about ‘Ruining The Moment’, Hannah explains: “A few years back, I played a gig thinking it’d be good fun, until I completely lost control. I felt like a stranger in my own body, holding in a panic attack through the whole set. The second I got off stage, I broke down. It felt like I’d ruined everything, especially in front of a crowd of people I’d never met. I wrote ‘Ruining The Moment’ to scream about how your own mind can turn on you when you need it most. I looked calm, but inside I was falling apart. I hope this song reaches the people who know that feeling too well.”

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Clarion is discovering their voice in real time, and the most recent outcome of their efforts is Blue Fairy, their new EP out March 27. Its title track is out today, and it’s a loud, restless anthem that finds a band mid-transformation. Throughout, ‘Blue Fairy’ tells a story almost entirely through sound, slowly building until its cathartic breaking point. “It’s an homage to ‘Confess’ by Fennel,” Anthony explains.

Saya and Anthony take influence from the in-your-face ethos and approach of bands like Fennel, Sonic Youth, HUM, Julie, Black Flag, and even Paramore. The result is anything but polished––Blue Fairy is a harsh and abrasive mix of shoegaze, post-punk, and noise-forward rock that sets Clarion apart.

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New single ‘Death On Our Side’ is no different, lamenting the woes of a generation of people with no pension plan other than to die before they need to rely on one.

Following ‘When We Gonna Run?’, released in November 2025, just 18 months after the band’s second album, Imploding, the new single continues to seamlessly meld punk and shoegaze. It’s gritty and Mancunian, and at the same time a fragile commentary on the realities of life in modern Britain.

In fields where strange static crackles / you and I climb the pylons

Small lives are plundered / and underfunded

But we got death on our side

This is the second in a series of single releases recorded at Nave Studios, a former church in deepest Leeds, with producer Matt Peel (Eagulls/Dream Wife/Bodega). “We’ve long been fans of Matt’s work, so it was great to work together finally. The studio is so cool, and Matt’s references from Radiohead to Smashing Pumpkins align perfectly with the songs we’ve been writing”, says Kel.

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This fall, they return with oscilón, a 6-song EP, out September 19. A sonic vessel for cosmic, euphoric love, this record transcends the local and touches something universal. Released by cult Vancouver label Kingfisher Bluez—captivated after witnessing an intimate, deconstructed performance by the band—soon to be available digitally and on vinyl.

Now, they release new single ‘Surreal’ as a preview of the new EP: “An ascending journey with a pop skeleton and post-rock lungs. ‘Surreal’ is all movement, climax after climax, resolving only in the outro’s sensual calm. A set-closer. A slow burn into transcendence,” say bloom effect.

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The past few years off the road have given Slow Crush space to breathe and create since the release of their two critically acclaimed albums, Aurora and Hush, which have sold over several tens of thousands physical copies. When the time came to head into the studio, vocalist / bassist Isa Holliday, drummer Frederik Meeuwis, guitarists Jelle Ronsmans and Nic Placlé decamped to The Ranch in Southampton, U.K., to work with producer Lewis Johns with no expectations in mind, aside from a metamorphosis.

Thirst’s ten tracks are a thematic cascade of noise that echoes the end and bursts into new life. The riffs are heavier, the vocals are dreamier and more emotional than ever. Isa broke new ground in her vulnerability when while in the recording booth. There were several songs she couldn’t record without dissolving into tears – her deepest excavation of feelings yet.

Thirst’s overarching theme is what Isa describes as “the romance of being with a loved one”. Although being away from someone close for long periods might strain that bond at times, the return can feel glorious, the connection sparkling new again for a while. Slow Crush set out to capture the feeling of being tethered yet feeling weightless, absorbed in the surreal beauty of the quiet moments with someone.

Isa explains, “We want people to let themselves go and feel embraced by the music, so that they can experience it in 4D. That’s what we hear a lot from people who come to see us live, or people who’ve listened to our previous albums, is that we take them to another dimension. I think that’s something that we miss in this day and age with everything that’s going on in the world, making us very aware of everything outside, but not allowing us to just be in the moment as much as you should. We want to let people take a moment for themselves and let the music take them wherever they would like to go.”

Thirst sees its release August 29 via Pure Noise Records, their first for the label. Slow Crush are set for a headlining Fall run which kicks off on the East Coast in early September and covers both coasts, the midwest and more.

Thirst:

1. Thirst
2. Covet
3. Cherry
4. Leap
5. Hollow
6. Haven
7. While You Dream Vividly
8. Bloodmoon
9. Ógilt
10. Hlýtt

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Starting the year as she means to go on with her distinctive new sound, ‘Who I Am’ delves into the psyche of a delusional, narcissistic man trapped in a false reality. Gritty, hazy, and dark, the track explores his inability to see his own flaws, instead blaming his past lovers for not understanding him. With furious choruses, honest vocals, brooding gothic melodies, and conflicted lyrics, this alt-rock anthem paints a haunting portrayal of self-deception and a fractured identity.

Diving deeper about ‘Who I Am’, Hannah explains: “I’ve always been drawn to expressing my own thoughts on paper, but this time, I felt urged to explore someone else’s. I wanted to craft a story about the classic narcissist; someone blind to their own negativities. To capture the intensity and toxicity of such a character, I made the music as raw and aggressive as possible, making sure it matched the unsettling nature of their delusional personality.”

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A tranquil soundscape, new single ‘Blissfully Miles Away’ serves an important purpose of embracing new beginnings and manifesting dreams into reality. With huge choruses, powerful basslines, and piercing vocals, this transcendent anthem showcases Hannah’s grittiest sound yet as she explores and evolves into new post-rock territories.

Speaking on the story behind ‘Blissfully Miles Away’, Hannah tells us: “When lockdown hit in 2020, I discovered ‘The Secret’, a philosophy rooted in the belief that you are what you attract and that your thoughts can shape your life’s circumstances. Each night, I would sit under the stars, reflect on my past, write down my ambitions, and speak them into the universe. I found solace in my solitude, embracing a newfound love for self-discovery and manifesting the future I had always dreamed of, leaving the past behind.”

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Ammo of SIlent Mass confides, “I wrote the song while reading W.B. Yeats who was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Yeats wrote a play entitled ‘The Land of Heart’s Desire’ about unfulfilled aspirations and how they can inadvertently affect those around you. This led me to consider the consequences of avoidant behaviors in my own life and uncover the source of my escapism.”

Silent Mass is like chilling in a misty vale, listening to Enya while sipping red wine. Reminiscent of The Cranberries, Chelsea Wolfe, Beach House & Cranes. They have opened for True Widow and play New Colossus Fest Mar ‘24. ‘Land of Heart’s Desire’ is the first single off of their forthcoming album set to be released on the Summer Solstice.

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