Robin James Hurt has always been a master of stitching stories into sound, and with “Hey Mary (Play a Song for Me)” he’s turned his gaze toward one of Dublin’s unsung heroes—the kind of street legend who makes Grafton Street more than just a shopping thoroughfare, but a living, breathing stage. Máire Begley’s name might not be familiar to everyone outside of Ireland, but if you’ve ever walked past Bewley’s Café and felt the air lift with her music, you know exactly why Hurt felt compelled to capture her spirit in song.

Ryan Harley’s From a Window EP feels like one of those late-night listens where you press play just to sample a track, and before you know it, the whole record has washed over you like a tide you didn’t realise you were standing in. It’s understated, intimate, and quietly daring—music that sneaks up on you rather than announcing itself with a bang.

Karen Salicath Jamali has always made music that feels like it comes from somewhere beyond the ordinary, and “Angel Gabriel’s Light” is another shining example of her gift. This isn’t just a piano piece—it feels like a transmission, something received rather than written, flowing through her hands as if the instrument itself were speaking.

Every once in a while, a debut comes along that doesn’t just introduce a new artist—it feels like an open diary being passed into your hands. That’s the case with Lily Galin’s “What’s Your Story,” her first original single and a track that doesn’t waste a moment in showing listeners exactly who she is.

If last year’s GUITARWORKS felt like John Beckmann’s first steps into a strange and resonant new landscape, GUITARWORKS II feels like he’s dug deeper into the soil, brushed off the dust, and started mapping out the ruins. The Mortal Prophets’ new release is less an “album” in the conventional sense and more like a series of sonic postcards from places most people have forgotten about—or never even knew existed.

Some albums arrive like fireworks — loud, fast, and gone in a flash. But Adagio Grooves, the latest from composer/producer/musical shapeshifter Peter Xifaras, doesn’t play that game. Instead, it drifts in like dusk on a summer night, setting its own tempo: slow, spacious, and deeply human.

If you’ve ever been on the road long enough to feel both free and completely wrecked at the same time, Moss Henry’s new single “Potholes” is going to hit you right in the chest. This is a road song, sure—but it’s also a love song, a homesick prayer, and a wry bit of storytelling wrapped up in under four minutes.

“Is Love Enough” is less a track you listen to and more one you get pulled into — hypnotic, strange, and strangely comforting. The collaboration between TANOKI and Farah Elle feels like it wasn’t forced into existence, but rather stumbled into being, like two rivers finally crossing paths.

Some songs hit you with hooks, some with production wizardry, and some with sheer attitude. But every now and then, you come across a track that stops you dead in your tracks because of how real it feels. That’s what Lüme’s debut single Survivor does. It doesn’t scream for attention. It whispers, aches, swells, and finally erupts into something so emotionally charged that it feels like you’ve stumbled into somebody’s private diary—except instead of reading it, you’re listening to it unravel in cinematic dream-pop form.

We spoke to LÜME about her journey so far.

Some albums arrive like a collection of songs. Others hit like a declaration, a manifesto, a lived-in philosophy wrapped in music. Mark Masguro’s “B-Emo: To be Emotional is not a Suggestion It is the Lifestyle” belongs to the latter camp. It’s not just an album—it’s a full-bodied statement about identity, emotion, and the alchemy of past and present sounds. From his Zürich base, Masguro has pieced together an expansive, self-produced project that is at once nostalgic, cinematic, and pulse-racing.

We spoke to Mark about his journey so far.

Australia has always had a reputation for birthing uncompromising rock bands that thrive on raw energy and fearless storytelling. Melbourne’s Veiled Arch proudly carry that torch, but they’re doing it with a fresh twist—melding heavy rock with metal, punk, groove, and a healthy dose of theatricality. “The Blacksmith Part I,” is a sonic saga, a mythological hammer strike that rattles the bones and sets the stage for something bigger than your average heavy rock single.

If you’ve been following Re:O for a while, you’ll know they’re no strangers to blending styles, moods, and cultural influences into something uniquely theirs. But with their ninth single, “Crimson Desire”, they’ve taken a step further down a heavier, darker path—one that trades some of their signature Japanese-inspired synth flourishes for raw, teeth-baring guitar riffs and an almost vampiric sense of hunger. And I mean that literally—the song’s central metaphor leans fully into imagery of vampirism, but not in a cheesy Halloween way. This is the bloodlust of ambition, the kind that keeps you chasing higher peaks even when you’ve sacrificed nearly everything to get where you are.

There’s a certain kind of record that doesn’t just play in the background—it changes the background. It shifts the air in the room, slows your breathing, and makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a softer world. Clarelynn Rose’s Offerings: Guitar Meditations is exactly that kind of record. Released on August 8, 2015, it’s a collection of deeply intimate, acoustic guitar pieces designed to be more than music—they’re invitations to stillness.

Some songs feel like they were written in a cramped bedroom at 2 a.m., spilling out from a notebook full of feelings you weren’t sure you’d ever share. Others feel like they were made for sweaty summer nights, car windows down, and the volume just shy of blowing your speakers. “Concrete Wave”—the latest single from Nebraska-born William Griffey’s solo project EverWill—manages to be both at the same time.

There’s something about certain songs that feel less like they were written and more like they were remembered — as if they’ve always existed somewhere in the background, just waiting for someone to bring them into the world. Just With You, the latest release from Bristol-based pop-rock outfit Chandra, falls neatly into that category.

Jonny Thorns isn’t here to brood, overcomplicate, or make you feel like life’s a puzzle you’ll never solve. Quite the opposite—his upcoming single “What We Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Us” is a breezy, rock-tinged invitation to stop overthinking, lean into the moment, and take life as it comes. It’s got the swagger of classic rock, the warmth of jangly guitars, and a message that lands right in the sweet spot of mental well-being and feel-good escapism.

We spoke to Jonny about the track and his journey so far.

Hovercraft’s “The Promised Land” is living, breathing proof that great songwriting can time-travel, shapeshift, and come out sounding fresher than ever.

We spoke to God & Nasty from Hovercraft about their journey so far.

Blake Cake’s “Drunk Candy” is exactly what it sounds like—sweet, intoxicating, and a little bit dangerous. The rising DJ and producer has crafted a deep house banger that’s as glossy and stylish as a neon-lit rooftop bar but with the raw, underground grit of a 3 a.m. warehouse rave. It’s the latest chapter in her genre-fluid journey, where UK garage shuffles, house grooves, and the occasional drum & bass punch meet in an effortlessly cool package.

Heron’s “Paradigm” is the kind of track that makes you feel like you’re straddling two timelines: one foot in a ’60s jazz lounge, the other in a futuristic, neon-soaked cityscape. True to his reputation for tearing up genre boundaries and stitching them back together into something entirely his own, the UK artist, songwriter, and producer has delivered an uptempo, synth-heavy, psychedelic-pop gem that somehow manages to be both introspective and ready for the dance floor.

If Milan is known for style, then Nik & Blu are here to prove that it’s not just about fashion—it’s about sound, too. The Italian duo’s upcoming single “When The Night Is Over” (dropped August 8, 2025) is a sparkling, high-energy blend of jazz flair, dance floor urgency, and storytelling charm that feels like it could have been plucked from a late-night Parisian cabaret and dropped straight into a chic modern club. It’s a bold first single from their forthcoming debut album, and it wastes no time showing off exactly what Nik & Blu are capable of.