Rosellas - Beautiful Lonely

Image Credit: Maggie Malyszko, courtesy of Futureproof Promotions

Manchester’s Rosellas released ‘Beautiful Lonely’ last Friday via First Run Records. It’s their lead single from their upcoming EP ‘Shadow Dancing’.

Since the influx of singer-songwriters into the alternative scene over the past decade, the number of lost-soul types writing songs about being lost and searching for something has skyrocketed.

Forlorn? No. Pointless? Yes.

Step forward the Rosellas. They’ve flipped the searching soul genre on its head with racing guitars that create a perpetuating indie euphoria. Their sense of searching is more akin to a quest for glory, no matter the regularity of failure.

As they build their cohesive sound, a coming-of-age spirit emerges, where every day is a new chance to try. The lyrical introduction of “mirror, mirror on the wall” joyously affirms their fairytale spirit.

There will be those who, question whether this band, any band can have a happy ever after in such trying times. They, of course, miss the point in rock n roll. It’s always the journey that matters, not the destination. Upon this indie epic, Rosellas have become utterly undeniable!

The Institutes - The Mountain Song

Artwork courtesy of the band.

The Institutes have released ‘The Mountain Song’, the second single from their upcoming second album. It was produced by Pastel and The Enemy cohort Matt Terry.

Last time out on ‘Trick of the Light’, bridged the gap from their debut album toward a new sound somewhere between Wunderhorse and Ride. With the pleasantries out of the way, ‘The Mountain Song’ arrives with a bombast and directness previously unheard from The Institutes.

Second Coming’ era John Squire licks open proceedings, but there is no time for six-minute solos here. They dive headstrong into the emotive side of Doves and Soundtrack of Our Lives and the heavier shoegaze of Swervedriver and Ride. This melting pot serves up a single charged with a sense of destiny.

Despite this, it’s a song tinged with sadness. As frontman Kane .roars  “there’s nobody there”, the overriding sense that life is futile pervades the song. An emptiness follows the protagonist as he declares, “falling down from the mountain / landed straight into the sea, yeah / there's nobody there to catch me”. Such is the urgency of the guitars and basslines, images of the forlorn getting up and trying again, and again, and again win through.

‘Mountain Song’ is in many ways the perfect discourse for a band. Being lost, creatively isolated, yet returning to the well time and time again to seek out the magic and live out a dream. The Institutes have added great drama to this tale, landing you a film's inciting moment and a hero’s quest for glory.

Hard-Fi - They Ain’t Your Friends

Hard-Fi are back tomorrow with their new single ‘They Ain’t Your Friends’.

Direct and venomous grooves launch the Staines band back into action alongside their archetypal dub flourishes. Sonically, the track is rooted in two old demos which Archer left open on his laptop one day, only to find later that his ten-year-old son had stitched them together. From there they developed the joyous chaos and presumably, tense legal discussions over PRS payments.

Archer, famed for his social comment lyrics, has come out all guns blazing as skewering the shallow and vapid corners of the industry he once placed faith in. As he snaps out “the big shot looter fingering his prize”, images of cultural predators consuming for ill-got gains emerge vividly. He goes on to lament the modern world’s addiction to social media and cocaine, “fake friends on Facebook, fake friends on your phone / fake friends in the bathroom”.

Although the music industry was always polluted with sharks, there was still a sense of meritocracy. Bands knew that you could dance with the devil and win. Archer’s perceptive polemic lays bare how this dream has faded and leaving a vacuum filled by content-chasing, unengaged, ill-informed gatekeepers.

Make no mistakes, Hard-Fi are back!

All The Young - Another Way

Artwork courtesy of the band.

All The Young are set to release their new single ‘Another Way’ on Friday 6th March. The single was produced by Gareth Nuttall (The K’s / Frank Turner).

Rock ‘n’ roll bands write songs about carnage and chaos, grow up (a bit), and sonically peter out. They don’t up the sonic mayhem and write about addiction, let alone land you in the heart of its consuming power.

Not All The Young.

Spiritually, Oasis and BRMC have always been in the bands' soul, but sonically, this feels like the first time they’ve leaned into their work to enhance theirs. The spite and venom of Liam Gallagher linger throughout Ryan Dooley’s vocal, as the hypnotic ‘Columbia’ is given a punk makeover at points. The devilment at play on BRMC's second album, ‘Take Them On, On Your Own’ presides over the guitars here too.

The sound is a visceral reflection of the life they once embraced and now reckon with. It may only be February, but it’s hard to imagine a more devastating opening line landing this year.

“I think I know you well / the push and pull, the ring of the bells / is there a better time / I think I better know your name”

Frontman Ryan Dooley’s ability to shift from a man out of control to one of peace is masterful. The verses are beset with bravado and a man on the edge, whereas the chorus vocal hits a euphoria as our protagonist begins to change his ways.

Embrace - Road To Nowhere

Image Credit: Simon Walker

At the end of January, West Yorkshire’s finest anthem makers Embrace returned with their new single ‘Road To Nowhere’.  It kicks off their thirtieth anniversary year as a band, and the run up to their ninth studio album ‘Avalanche’, due for release June 12th via Cooking Vinyl.

Launching like a lost classic from their ‘Out of Nothing’ era, frontman Danny McNamara declares, “You say you're scared to leave me / But it hurts too much to say.” Sonically righteous yet lyrically toxic, Embrace once again proves that destructive relationship confessions set against euphoric melodies remain one of pop music’s most powerful contrasts.

When it seemed they had reached their limit, lead guitarist Richie McNamara turned to synths for fresh inspiration on ‘Refugees’, reimagining not just their sound but the very scope of what Embrace could be. In its closing moments here, he unleashes a fevered surge of sound that both disrupts and elevates their signature gospel-tinged anthems.

They go further than musical evolution: brother Danny unfurls a journey through and beyond, and these guitars serve as the tipping point as an old life fades and a new, more positive one emerges. With every note, what was once guttural rage steps aside, allowing the hearts and minds to recalibrate and move forward.

With age, so often comes a clamming up of creativity, of openness to new ideas, but not Embrace. They’re more porous to love than ever, allowing wave upon wave of sonic euphoria to flood the senses.

Thirty years of joy never stopped them dreaming.

Mansfield - Too Much To Handle

Image Credit: Jesper Ludvigsen

Danish outfit are back with their new single ‘Too Much To Handle’ on Friday, 20th February. Recorded at Black Tornado Studio in Copenhagen, it was produced by Morten Bue and will be released via DME Records.

In 2024, Mansfield came of age on their second record, ‘For All The Right Reasons’. It was an album of fine melody and great storytelling, and here, they have picked up where they left off. Mathias Havelund’s guitars adopt the pop precision of Lightning Seeds but with an added darkness. That darkness, being life distractions, the fog and mire of everyday life, eating away at the most valuable commodity you can never fully possess in middle age, time.

Frontman Christian Sage’s vocals sit somewhere between Broudie’s bubble-gum optimism and the dramatic realism of Jake Shillingford of My Life Story. The bright hopes and dreams of pop are grounded by the weight of adult reality, creating a tension that gives ‘Too Much To Handle’ its emotional pull.

On February 27th, Mansfield will open for UK cult heroes All The Young and, on this showing, are not to be missed.

The Rogues – New York

Artwork courtesy of Songbird PR

Newport five-piece The Rogues recently released their latest single, ‘New York’. It follows last November’s acclaimed single ‘Oh Gena’.

Last time out on ‘Oh Gena’, the band were in a playful mood, toying with the blues and infectious indie hooks. This time out, they’re sonically enshrined in romance on this ode to breaking free of from the mundane.

Frontman and lead guitarist Andrew Flannelly channels the romance of Cherry Ghost and the warmth of Richard Hawley on this moonlit desire for change. Stripped back, yet wholly enriching, his vocals and guitars meander from the cuteness of The Zutons and the embracing outsiderdom of The Stands.

With new bands, you want, no, need to see something in their early days to keep you hooked. With every single from The Rogues that comes, there’s a sprinkling more charm and style. ‘New York’ points to an enchanting elegance that could yet unveil a ‘Coles Corner’ or ‘Thirst For Romance’, which frankly, is more than enough for us.

Frances Murray - Adults

Essex artist Frances Murray (formerly Blab), who now resides in Brighton, is set to release her new single ‘Adults’. The single is taken from the upcoming debut album ‘Dreamer’, due for release on 10th April.

Adults, like a great episode of The Simpsons from seasons 1 to 9, move between serious and playful with consummate ease. Her guitars nestle somewhere between Pavement’s slacker indie and Kurt Vile’s laissez-faire daydreams. They lay the perfect platform for Murray to ponder her quarter-life crisis.

Turning 25, the milestone that’s never given the poignant recognition it deserves. The dawning realisation that you should have it figured all out by now, I (“am I ever going to know, what the f**k is going on”) collides with an ever-growing sense of isolation and doom of your thirties coming without you ever making an impact. Murray captures this with great poise and wit:

“Seaside, gentrified / Am I just washed up / Trying not to give up / Mortgages, taxes, icloud storage / Current affairs, kitchen appliances, trying not to listen to your neighbours arguing”

Murray, a long-time friend and collaborator with Get Cape Wear Cape Fly!, has eloquently, amusingly, and melodically distilled the magic of his masterpiece, ‘The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager’. Every generation needs a poetical polemicist; Murray is shaping up well to be this one's.

Speakface - That’s My Luck

Cardiff’s Speakface have released their first single of the year, ‘That’s My Luck’. Recorded at Rat Trap Studio in Cardiff, it was produced by Tom Rees.

Much like The Strokes' first two albums, Speakface accelerates out of the blocks but hits cruise control soon after. The mid-tempo allows their brand of hazy grunge to grip you in it’s intoxication.

On previous records, Frontman Jarvis Morgan slides from a Julian Casablancas–style drawl into a guttural snarl straight out of ‘In Utero’ era Cobain. His descent from cool and calm to rabid and unhinged lays the perfect platform for lead guitarist Hayden Lewis. His deranged guitars in the closing stages and a layer of warped majesty to proceedings.

‘That’s My Luck’ captures the brilliance and depravity of Portman’s performance in Black Swan. The realisation that grace and genius are one thing, but untameable hellish rock n roll is another oozes from this single.

The Others - Met You In A Bar

Image courtesy of the band

London’s 00s pioneers The Others returned recently with their new single ‘Met You In A Bar’. It’s the lead single from their upcoming sixth studio album ‘When In Doubt’.

Their first official single in fourteen years serves as a bridge from their first two albums to their later eight-piece renaissance. The guitars and drums fire with the punk-rock roar of the Buzzcocks, whilst the Hammond organ lures in mod instincts of The Charlatans and the rabid early power of The Stranglers.

Frontman Dominic Masters' vocals remain as potent, spitting disdain and hurling venom as he regales a toxic relationship. His vocals and the aggressive Steve Diggle fuzz in the verses eventually give way to a Mark Collins-esque solo (The Charlatans) that melts away the bitterness.

Where once they would have kept their feet on the throat and gone out in a blaze of intense glory, now, a divine musicianship is elevating their ability to cause riots. 2026 is shaping up to be their year on this showing.

The Others · Met You In A Bar (Single Edit)

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming gig:

Marseille - Out of the Blue

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

On November 28th, Derby’s Marseille released ‘Out of the Blue’ via their own label Echo Bass Records. The producer was Wolf Alice cohort Michael Smith.

On this ode to catharsis, Marseille find their sweet spot between The Verve and Oasis once more. The intro signifies the wrath and mounting grief in a toxic relationship that frontman Will Brown endured. To music lovers of a certain age, it screams words like history, forever, and destiny. It evokes, rightly or wrongly, the ambition of bands to conquer the world. It’s heavy, it will drain the soul, but it will leave you a better person for it.

Lead guitarist Joe Labrum’s playing is the answer to the question, what if Noel Gallagher merged with Nick McCabe? The intense introspective power of The Verve and the ability to soar and escape of Oasis unite to give the Derbyshire outfit one of their finest moments to date.

2025 has proven, through The Bracknall and Pastel, that there is a want and need for bands like Marseille to exist. With any luck, 2026 will see their debut album and significant rewards for them.

Maze - Ziggy

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

At the start of September, London’s Maze released ‘Ziggy’, the second single from their upcoming second album.

In 2022, Maze emerged as everyone's favourite elder statesmen with their album ‘Chaos Interrupted’. It was a heartfelt ode to the music they loved, a fine project for mates to embark on. On ‘Ziggy’, there feels like a shift, a confidence has stirred in the wake of the debut. Frontman Gary Davis toys with cadence, switching from sumptuous pop vocals to defiant with a joyous ease.

Sonically indebted to the Roses’ paisley era, ‘Ziggy’ trips along with John Squire’s early romanticism until the solo, where they capture the magic of the C86 movement alongside the hazy hedonism of Northside.

The newfound belief in themselves will extend to a massive gig at the Scala with Peter Azzopardi. Do your duty and help them sell it out!

Click the image below for tickets:

The Utopiates - Lost My Groove

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

On November 19th, London’s The Utopiates released ‘Lost My Groove’ via V2 Records. It saw the band once again step into Leeds studio The Nave with Andy Hawkins (Pigeon Detectives, Maximo Park).

So often dubbed the groove machine, they’re a band embossed with positivity and levity. This time out, they’re awash with paranoia and fear. Frontman Popplewell delivers a Skint & Demoralised-style vocal, but with added spite!

That said, the bassline still earns its moniker with its abrasive hooks. Fromer singles from the upcoming second album ‘Evanescent’ and ‘Reputation’ tapped into the slick debauchery of 00s NYC and New Young Pony Club. Here, homage is in the bin as they chart a course that sounds truly theirs, with their harsh basslines teetering on the edge of euphoria in the chorus.

Album number two is due out early next year, and on the run of singles in 2025, it is shaping up to be a beauty.

All The Young - Something More

As the year winds down, we’re using the last days of 2025 to revisit our favourite singles from autumn and winter that we didn’t get to review but couldn’t leave behind.

Image & Artwork courtesy of the band

Kicking things off are Stoke’s finest, All The Young, with their late November release ‘Something More’. Written by frontman Ryan Dooley, the single was produced by The K’s and Frank Turner cohort Gareth Nuttall.

Their last two offerings have witnessed the band mining personal anguish to inform their storytelling. ‘Demons’ examined the lived painful experiences of guitarist Thomas Crompton in a former band, whilst ‘Bad Blood’ sought to move on from the torment.

‘Something More’ follows in their footsteps as they embrace self-reflection. Monkey after monkey is pulled off their backs before the realisation that it’s them they need to step back from. The opening acoustic chords are straddled with Compton’s racing electric licks to signify that now is the time to acknowledge the journey they have been on and the good place they now reside in.

For a long time, ATY have been sonically free. Now, the shackles have come off matters of the heart and mind. The prospects of the third album being completely unrestrained are truly mouth-watering. 2026 might be the year they return to rock ‘n’ roll throne!

The Rogues – Oh Gena

Newport outfit The Rogues have returned with their new single ‘Oh Gena’. Written by frontman Andrew Flannelly, it was recorded in Newport, with producer Richard Jackson in the summer of 2025. 

*banner image credit: Tom Damsell

Despite the showmanship on display from lead guitarist Alex Ainsworth his playing has a universality to it which renders it accessible to the masses. Something frontman Flannelly latches on to with his soulful indie vocal. He wraps himself around the licks with a grace that enriches the soul and allows us mere mortals to peer into their world.

Ainsworth’s hook playfully nods to Bo Diddey’s classic ‘Hey Mona’, which provides a platform for him to unfurl a flourish of Britpop, enthused with joy. Everything about his playing screams, “Come and love this band”.

It’s not the best single of the year, but it’s the perfect counterpoint to their previous work in 2025, which is. Uplifting and embracing, The Rogues have shown a craftsmanship that continues to cast their indie net wider.

Masi Masi – The Café

‘The Café’ is the fourth single from Bradford singer-songwriter Masi Masi. It’s taken from his upcoming debut album ’51 51’, which is due for release in April ’26.

In a crowded market, Masi’s distinct vocal and willingness to stroll rather than sprint sets him apart as a songwriter. He meanders from lost to found, from quaint to defiant with a grace that seasoned pros would pay good money for.

*image courtesy of CDP Radio PR

Don’t mistake his casual cadence for timidity, though. This is the sound of a soul being laid bare. It’s the essence of youth trying to find its way via the tenderness of Graham Coxon. His higher notes are nothing short of ethereal magic. What begins as stripped back soars in its climax to concretely prove that Masi is a supreme talent to be reckoned with.

Click the image below for tickets to Masi Masi’s upcoming shows:

JW Paris - Anything

London-based JW Paris recently released their latest single ‘Anything’ via Blaggers Records.

*banner image credit: Taylor Conboy

Artwork credit: Daniel Collins. Courtesy of Vanadian Avenue

With Blur’s ‘Tracey Jacks’ emblazoned across their hearts, JW Paris takes a wry look at modern life in London. Soaked in Camden’s past, they point to a broader, far more dystopian present in this anarchy-driven moment of guitar joy.

London may not sprawl endlessly, but it remains disorienting enough for anyone to lose their footing. The protagonist here edges close to being overwhelmed by the city’s intensity, searching for meaning and a sense of cultural or political quiet, only to find the opposite.

Musically, the track draws on the razor-edged guitar work of Elastica and the melodic sensibility of ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. Danny Collins and Aaron Forde deliver verse vocals with a controlled, cunning quality reminiscent of Louise Wener’s ‘Bedhead’-era performances. The chorus then opens out into a rush of art-rock euphoria straight from the mid-’90s playbook, anchoring the song firmly within its influences while keeping its own voice intact.

Time and time again, JW Paris proves they’re nothing short of remarkable. Soon, the world will catch up!

The Ariston – Fiction

The Ariston returned with their latest single ‘Fiction’ on the 7th November. Released via Right Track Records and Universal Music Operations, it coincided with their biggest gig of the year at London’s 229 for This Feeling.

Fiction cover art credit: Charlie Wright and Ethan Muscat 

*banner image courtesy of This Feeling.

Angelic licks and a vocal searching for meaning open this single to a world of potential. It allows a brooding intensity, the kind that comes alive in the shadows. The sound of youth in the throes of a social life that’s barely in control.

When frontman Luca Slade and bassist Will Parsonson catch fire here, they bring latter-day Foals’ driving ambition to the fore. They land the sonic explosion with enough poignancy to leave a mark. Still, you can’t shake the feeling they’re just one killer hook or soaring solo away from landing a true knockout blow. It’s the kind of moment Foals spent years chasing, yet The Ariston already seem on the brink of capturing it.

Bold, ambitious yet shy and uncertain, they have put down a marker now that, if they never fall below, will see their small sold-out venues rapidly rise to the academy stages and beyond!

The Institutes - Trick the Light

Coventry outfit The Institutes are back with the first single from their second album, which is due in 2026. ‘Trick the Light’ was recorded at Vada Studios with Matt Terry (The Enemy) producing.

During lockdown, The Institutes emerged like a ray of hope. Single after single, their euphoric singles fought their way through the heavy fog descending upon us all. After a couple of years of great gigs, the band amicably parted ways with their ethereal singer, Reid Currie.

Fans left hollow, the band left spinning. Could they ever come back? Even with the announcement of ‘Trick of the Light’, there was a sense that it would never be the same.

Step forward ‘Trick of the Light’!

The jangle of The Byrds caresses the finesse of their debut album on this ode to hiding pain and burying torment. Where the debut offered a glimpse of hope, they are now offering a new way. One of togetherness, one that’s been damaged but dug the fingernails in the dirt and clung on to their beliefs.

The new vocals hit an enriching sweet spot as they wrap themselves around the effortless guitars. Everyone should be left in no doubt that the band are back and is ready to guide us all back to the promised land once again.

The Slates - Understand the Groove

The Slates have released their new single ‘Understand the Groove’ via This Feeling and Canvas Music. The single was written by the band, produced by Peter Redshaw, and mixed and mastered by James Kenosha.

*banner image credit: Oliver Roberts.

Artwork courtesy of Fear PR

To date, The Slates have been crashing through gates with chaotic indie, searching for the knockout anthem. This time out, they step back into a world of ‘Fools Gold’ and Ride with groove-laden licks and funked-up basslines.

There’s a musicality to them here which proves they’re not just indie fodder. There’s a deftness of touch, a slickness to play which can cut through the post-punk dirge of the guitar scene. Frontman Louis Barnes’ vocal refrains from his archetypal 100mph, steps into an ethereal pocket, only occasionally snarling to add poignancy to said moments. Between Barnes and Joe Briggs, the guitars stride to the front of the stage, bearing a hook destined for radio airwaves!

If you’re going to stray onto John Squire and Andy Bell’s patch, then there best be a solo, right? The percussion and jagged bass of Jude Wales lead The Slates into the majesty of ‘Fools Gold’ and ‘One Love’. Powerful, but short, they get in and get out in indie’s finest heist of the year.

Click the link below for tickets to their upcoming tour: