New Music Updates: From Hot Water Music's new album to Mega Cats debut
New Music Updates is a column that keeps abreast of all the news from the music industry that often flies under the radar. Keep up-to-date with the underground and independent scene and find your next favorite band or singer-songwriter right here.
Americana hero Tim Easton to release new album in May
Americana Roots Rock and Folk Poet Tim Easton will release his new album 'Find Your Way' on May 17 via Black mesa records. He will also be embarking on a tour of the US and overseas.
Now, Easton’s lens is fixed on a particular one of his homes away from home, the birthplace of his mother and many of his dearest friends. 'Find Your Way', was recorded, mixed and mastered in Canada with an all-Canadian crew of studio musicians: Geoff Hicks (Colin James, Barney Bentall), Jeremy Holmes (Steve Dawson), Jeanne Tolmie, Ryland Moranz and Tyler Lieb (both play with Leeroy Stagger).
Roger Weeks opens up on why it 'Feels Like Treason'
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Roger Weeks has dropped his new single 'Feels Like Treason' on If This Then Records. Of the song Roger says, “'Feels Like Treason' is the opposite of a love song – it’s a song about that cold moment when you realize a breakup is inevitable. This song isn’t about finding a resolution or breaking up; it’s about still being in love and feeling trapped in a relationship that you know is doomed. To me that feeling feels like a barren yet sparkling, snowy winter New England night and the creation of 'Feels Like Treason' was heavily inspired by that image.”
Fears releases ode to New York City
Dublin-born and London-based artiste Fears (Constance Keane) has dropped her new single titled '11249', and its accompanying video, from her highly anticipated album 'Affinity' out March 22 via TULLE. Featuring Jemima Coulter and Ailbhe Reddy, '11249' was written in February of last year when Constance was in New York, inspired by the city's skyline.
Written and recorded between London, New York, and Dublin, affinity is a "melancholy and at times playful exploration of the relationship between Fears’ physical surroundings and the work she creates".
L.A.B. set to put New Zealand front-and-center with new album
New Zealand band L.A.B. is set to release the album 'L.A.B. VI' out on February 23 via Easy Star Records/Loop. L.A.B has achieved multiple chart-topping singles, 17 multi-Platinum singles, 11 Gold singles and over 500 million streams across all DSPs. The band also recently took home Best Single at the 2023 Rolling Stone Awards in New Zealand for their track 'Take It Away', an award voted on by the global Rolling Stone editors and select music journalists.
After recording and releasing their first five albums in a five-year span, 'L.A.B VI' arrives after an almost two year-long period of writing, recording, tweaking and finessing what is their "strongest album to date".
Recorded with frequent collaborator Lee Prebble at Wellington's Surgery Studios, the album was written over the course of the last two years while the band has been touring across the globe, performing in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the UK and Europe.
Hauser set to play Royal Albert Hall, backed by the Royal Philharmonic
Making his solo debut in 2020 with the release of ‘Classic’ followed by ‘The Player’ in 2022, Hauser has amassed over a billion audio streams and four billion video views globally. The Croatian musician played to a sold-out O2 Arena in November 2023.
Now, Hauser premiers his ‘Classic II’ album plus some ‘Classic’ favourites with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall on May 9. He will be joined by special guests Caroline Campbell, Lara Fabian, Aida Garifullina, and conductor Robert Ziegler. This will be his only UK show and his only performance with a full orchestra in 2024. Tickets go on sale on Friday February 16.
Frank Turner enlists Henry Rollins as dates for Lost Evenings are released
Frank Turner’s award-winning festival, Lost Evenings, is heading to Canada for the first time from September 19–22 for its seventh installment. The four-day festival will take place at the brand new Theatre at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto and the main supports for the event have been announced.
Providing direct support to Frank’s Acoustic Duo set on Thursday, September 19 is the punk rock veteran Henry Rollins with his legendary spoken word performance. Then on Friday, September 20, Canadian garage punk band Nobro will support Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls playing songs from the 'First Five' albums.
Supporting Saturday, September 21 on the Hard Core night featuring songs from the new album 'Undefeated' is Ontario’s very own The Dirty Nil, and finally helping to close the festival on Sunday, September 22 ahead of Turner’s Greatest Hits night is the Bedouin Soundclash.
Weekend tickets for the event are now slmost sold out. The remaining four-day passes are available to purchase here.
Enigmatic and short-lived Torn Boys' '1983' gets release date
Independent record label Independent Project Records (IPR) has announced that '1983', the first-ever release from the Torn Boys, is set to be released on April 12. The single and video for the track 'May Day' is already out.
Torn Boys has been, until now, a hermetically-sealed early 80s post-punk quartet out of Stockton, California featuring Jeffrey Clark, Kelly Foley, Duncan Atkinson and a 19 year-old Grant-Lee Phillips.
The comprehensive archival 10-track set of rare, unreleased studio and live tracks documents the short but eventful life of Torn Boys, a group comprising future members of Shiva Burlesque, Gary Young’s Hospital and Grant Lee Buffalo.
Formed in 1982 by Clark (vocals, electric guitar) and Foley (vocals, acoustic guitar) and disbanded by late 1983, the Torn Boys lived out their one-and-a-half summers fusing dreamscape lyricism with ultra-80s synth rhythms and Fripp-meets-Carl-Perkins electric guitar textures, leaving behind a scant recorded legacy before dissolving.
Mega Cat has some 'Good Newts' for fans
Seattle-based band Mega Cat will release their self-titled debut album on Share It Music on February 16. Mega Cat is a new instrumental collaboration by Aaron Benson (drums, percussion, guitar), Kim West (piano and synthesizer) and Ryan Devlin (bass and guitar). For live performances, the band is joined by Dave Dederer (Presidents of the United States of America) on guitar and Jacob Whinihan (La Fonda) on percussion. Ryan and Kim both play in the Seattle-based band Smokey Brights.
Mega Cat has also released 'Good Newts' the latest pre-release single from their upcoming album. The track follows singles 'Rat Fight' and 'Celebrate With Port!' and is available on all streaming platforms now for any playlist shares.
JupiterReign drops 'In a Rush' ahead of debut album
JupiterReign, also known as Thaydra Gray, has released a brand new single, 'In A Rush'. that captures the excitement and spontaneity that often accompanies romantic connections.
This song is the standalone single to her debut album, 'Jupiter's Dreams', which will be released this fall 2024. This project is a sonic fusion, where soft R&B melodies, rhythmic hip-hop beats, and infectious Afrobeat rhythms converge to create an immersive musical experience. It will also feature some talented artists from Halifax, and Montreal.
MGMT to host much-anticipated live listening party for new album
MGMT will host a live listening party for their much-anticipated new album 'Loss of Life' at the historic Neuehouse Hollywood on February 22. This exclusive event will air live on streaming platform Veeps, uniting MGMT fans worldwide as they get to listen to the album in full prior to release the next day.
After the album play, MGMT’s Andrew Van Wyngarden and Ben Goldwasser will discuss the new album with Tom Scharpling, renowned comedian and co-director of MGMT’s 'Bubblegum Dog' music video. Veeps All Access subscribers can tune in for free; otherwise tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime live listening event are available for $5.99 at veeps.com, with all proceeds benefiting The Loveland Foundation, an organization that is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.
The Suicide Disease drops their latest single, 'Constellations'
The grunge rock band The Suicide Disease have dropped their latest single, 'Constellations' just in time for Valentine's Day. The ballad released under Zodhiac Records was produced by Ricky Armellino of Ice Nine Kills and KJ Strock (Machine Gun Kelly, Crown The Empire, We Came as Romans).
Written as a love letter to loved ones lost, the group’s lead singer Jay Francis said: “This was a sad song for me to write. The first line really says it all, ‘take my stars away with daylight's arc’. As we try to communicate to those that are no longer with us in the stars at night time it’s inevitable that daylight will return - then reality sets in and we must come face-to-face with the fact that they are no longer with us.”
Wizkid releases cover of Bob Marley's 'One Love'
Marking the fourth track from the EP 'Bob Marley: One Love (Music Inspired by the Film)', Nigeria’s Afrobeats superstar Wizkid has dropped his interpretation of the iconic Marley anthem, 'One Love', available at all platforms. The song will also be included on the deluxe album version of 'Bob Marley: One Love (Music Inspired by the Film)', arriving on February 16. "It’s a blessing to be able to cover this record,” said Wizkid, “One Love’ is such an iconic record.”
In conjunction with the opening of the highly anticipated new film 'Bob Marley: One Love', the 7-track EP was released via Tuff Gong/Island Records. The EP features contemporary covers of essential compositions from the Jamaican reggae icon as interpreted by Kacey Musgraves (her acoustic rendition of 'Three Little Birds' was released in January), Wizkid, Leon Bridges, Jessie Reyez, Bloody Civilian, and Skip Marley, grandson of Bob Marley.
Lovecolor releases new single 'Hearts on Fire'
Lovecolor, the new musical project of Ryan Carnes (Desperate Housewives, Cupid for Christmas, Doctor Who) and singer-songwriter Vanessa Silberman has released their new single 'Hearts on Fire' on all digital platforms. 'Hearts on Fire' is Lovecolor's fourth single, since the duo formed in November 2022.
On the song, the band's Vanessa Silberman says, "'Hearts on Fire' started as a demo that happened really quickly -- maybe over a weekend -- and turned into an entire song really fast. Then, later, we embellished it and built upon the initial track. Lyrically and emotionally, the song is just about getting everything that is inside out, in a very therapeutic way. The song is very much about feeling so sure about someone, like you just know you’re gonna be with someone and you just need them in your life."
Shaé Universe drops 'Love's Letter'
Recently named a 2024 Pandora Artist to Watch and fresh off a career-defining performance on 'Colors', breakout UK R&B sensation Shaé Universe marked Valentine’s Day with the release of her new project 'Love’s Letter' available to stream on all platforms via The Orchard.
Speaking on the project, Shaé Universe said, “In a time where life has felt increasingly heavy, 'Love's Letter’ is here to help us process all the layers from a place of love; the changes, the uncertainty, the distance, the isolation, the frustrations, the cycles and the growth. This one’s for the people who are ready to face themselves and return to love.”
Chief State drops single 'Living Out A Lie' ahead of EP
Vancouver, BC pop punk trailblazers, Chief State, have announced the date for the release of their latest project -- a 5-song acoustic EP. Set to release via Mutant League Records in April, 'The Acoustic EP' invites listeners to rediscover Chief State's catalog through a captivating and intimate lens. The first single 'Living Out A Lie' will be released on February 21.
Of the EP's first single and video, 'Living Out A Lie', front man Fraser Simpson says, "As the name suggests, this song is about the feeling of your life being a lie, self-doubt, faking it until you make it, imposter syndrome. Something I constantly struggle with. I’ve made a lot of choices to get where I am today and often I’m not sure if I’m actually being true to myself. The song also speaks directly about doubt in previous relationships, whether my heart was actually in it.
"The video, created by the brilliant Lindsey Blane, really tied this idea together and we deliberately ended it before knowing the answer to the guy’s proposal. I think we’re all a little glossy on the surface, we show what we want to show but once it comes down to a life changing choice, like shown in the video, the truth will come out."
Lily Meola drops 'Over the Moon' ahead of debut album
Maui-born singer, songwriter Lily Meola has released 'Over The Moon'. "This song is about what it was like for me to be depressed while having a partner who
doesn’t understand what that feels like; feeling unloved when you need love the most is surely difficult. Writing this and getting to sing it live has been such a great way to express these emotions I kept so bottled up," said Lily.
Over the past few months, Lily released the reimagined version of '(Don’t Quit Your) Daydream', a captivating take on her original breakout single 'Daydream', and breakup anthem 'Without You', all leading up to her upcoming debut album.
Hot Water Music announces date for new album 'Vows'
Equal Vision Records and punk legends Hot Water Music have announced the May 10 release of 'Vows', the long-standing, influential punk outfit’s brand new album. Helmed by veteran producer Brian McTernan, 'Vows' features high-profile guest appearances from the likes of Daniel Fang and Brendan Yates of Turnstile, Thrice, Dallas Green of City and Colour and Alexisonfire, The Interrupters, and Popeye Vogelsang of Calling Hours and melodic hardcore greats Farside.
Leading the collection is the album opener 'Menace' and blistering 'Burn Forever', two towering tracks that right out of the gate illustrate the power that the members of Hot Water Music — Chuck Ragan (vocals/guitar), Chris Wollard (vocals/guitar), Chris Cresswell (vocals/guitar), Jason Black (bass) and George Rebelo (drums) – put forth across this intense and musically daring 12-song showcase.
Hot Water Music also announced its 30th anniversary headline tour of North America that will kick off on Friday, May 3 in Cincinnati, OH and extend across 30 markets, culminating in a performance at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC on Saturday, June 29. Support on the tour will be provided by Quicksand, Off With Their Heads, Tim Barry and more on select dates.
Hot Water Music will be making the following appearances on its 30th anniversary North American tour. Dates below.
MAY
03 — Cincinnati, OH — Bogart’s *
04 — Columbus, OH — Newport Music Hall *
05 — Detroit, MI — St. Andrews Hall *
07 — Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Hall *
08 — Buffalo, NY — Town Ballroom *
09 — Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts *
10 — Boston, MA — Royale *
11 — Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount #
12 — Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. *
13 — Washington, DC — The Howard *
14 — Richmond, VA — The National *
15 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade (Heaven) *
17 — Dallas, TX — South Side Music Hall *
18 — San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger *
19 – Austin, TX – Mohawk *
JUNE
13 — Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom ^
14 — Cleveland, OH — House of Blues ^
15 — Chicago, IL — Concord Music Hall ^
16 — St. Louis, MO — Delmar Hall ^
17 — Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall ^
18 — Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre ^
20 — Mesa, AZ — Nile Theater ^
21 — San Diego, CA — House of Blues ^
22 — Santa Ana, CA — Observatory ^
23 — Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco ^
24 — San Francisco, CA — Great American Music Hall ^
25 — Sacramento, CA — Ace of Spades ^
27 — Portland, OR — Revolution Hall ^
28 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox ^
29 — Vancouver, BC — Commodore Ballroom ^
* — with Quicksand, Off With Their Heads
# — with Quicksand, Modern Life Is War, The Ergs
^ — with Quicksand, Tim Barry
Dynamic indie rock band Spyres has announced that they will be performing as an official artist at this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival. The annual Festival, taking place March 11-16 in Austin, Texas, is known for bringing together the best in up-and-coming artists from around the world.
On their upcoming SXSW appearance, Spyres shares: “We're super excited to play at the iconic SXSW this year, alongside so many other great artists we're eager to check out. This marks our first international performance outside of the UK, and we still can't believe we've been given this opportunity. But we're going to grab it with both hands and show everyone what we've got.”