Gallus ‘Just Desserts’ 

Gallus have returned all guns blazing with the release of their new single ‘Just Desserts’. Teaming up with Dead Pony’s Blair Crichton for production, the five-piece lean into their heavier punk influences more than ever on the track – channelling the likes of Limp Bizkit and Beastie Boys in its sledgehammer choruses and roaring vocals. Capturing the visceral energy of their renowned live shows, it sees poke fun at the music industry through the creation of a band called ‘Just Desserts’ – a fictitious outfit who represent all the unlikeable elements of the industry they’ve encountered. It’s a mammoth return featuring one of their most infectious and visceral choruses to date – and it’s all set to feature on a new EP titled ‘Cool to Drive’, out 11th April via Marshall Records. They play Glasgow’s Oran Mor on 18th April as part of their UK and European tour.

“We’re leaning much further into the punk end of the spectrum, and it feels very natural to us,” comments guitarist Eamon Ewins. “The energy in our live performances has always been there, but we feel that with this EP, our music is at its most visceral and raw

“…the lyrics are also written from the first-person perspective of semi-fictional characters. That decision was never conscious but plays to Barry’s strengths as a former actor. The character-driven nature of it makes the EP almost feel like a mini-series.”

Speaking on the new track, vocalist Barry Dolan adds, “The title is taken from a fictitious band Eamon used to tweet about, giving updates about the various reasons they’ve had to pull out of all-day festivals and zine launch parties etc; a kind of aspirational, pretentious post-punk band whose failings were usually caused by their highly middle-class problems.

“As far as our experiences with the song, we wanted to highlight the tediousness of the music industry as one becomes ‘neck deep in their twenties.’ We believe today’s concept of “new sleaze for the 20s” will face trial like the indie-sleaze era of the early 2000s; it’s a perpetual cycle, and we’ve ‘seen it all before, and no one asked for more.’ We wanted to distil all the most unlikable elements of the bands we’ve encountered, the music industry, and ourselves into Just Desserts to poke fun at the whole game.”

Majesty Palm ‘Learning to Swim’ 

Majesty Palm, aka Cameron Robertson and Olivia McCosh, have shared their debut EP ‘Learning To Swim’. The duo are known for their enticing blend of 80s pop influences, disco beats and soaring guitars – and their debut EP lives up to all their early potential, arriving packed full of stellar pop tunes. Luring the listener in with the irresistible ‘Quicksand’, other highlights include the stirring ‘All Dressed Up’ and of course, ‘The Longer I Hold You’, a delectably funky slice of disco-led pop and a call to the dancefloor.

Nikhita ‘Insurance’ 

Following the release of ‘Lake Karachay’ earlier this year, Nikhita has shared another preview of her upcoming EP ‘Solace’, out 4th April. Channelling the likes of Cleo Soul, new song ‘Insurance’ is a soothing, introspective number that blends neo-soul with cosmic R&B soundscapes – her ethereal vocals taking centre stage over the delicate backdrop. Talking about the single, Nikhita says “Insurance is a song I wrote about the bitter story of my first love interest. The song paints my younger self’s journey, coming to terms with the weight a non-exclusive romantic connection can hold, and attempting to let that go. When I wrote the song, I had simply had enough of being treated as less and used as a second choice to fall back on. In this age of dating, there can be much manipulation and lack of commitment, and us romantic women deserve better.”

Fog Bandits ‘VILE’

If you need to dispel any negativity into the ether, take a listen to ‘VILE’ from Fog Bandits – three minutes of bludgeoning riffs and incendiary punk rock. Produced by the increasingly prolific Blair Crichton, it’s a thunderous introduction for those not yet acquainted – a heady concoction of punk, nu-metal and 90s alt-rock distilled into a fast and furious anthem made for huge stages.

Cowboy Hunters ‘Mating Calls’ 

‘Mating Calls’ is the new song from Glasgow punks Cowboy Hunters – a band who deal in big riffs, furious take downs and fiercely direct lyricism. Full of raw punk energy, the band’s new single opens with the deadly line ‘You’re not a peacock, you just have a tiny wee cock / You’re not a baboon, put your arse away’ before taking out their anger with snarling vocals, guttural basslines and menacing rhythms.