Humour ‘Learning Greek’
Today marks the release of Humour’s debut album ‘Learning Greek’. The band embrace all their strengths on the 11-track record – and it makes for a bold, ambitious, eccentric and endlessly compelling listen. Full of lithe riffs and throat-stripping intensity, and it’s an album that refuses to sit still – careening through the bludgeoning, paranoia-induced opener ‘Neighbours’ into the riff-heavy toe-tapping ‘Memorial’ to caustic post-punk of ‘I Knew We’d Talk About It One Day’ to even a moment of dream-tinged melancholy on ‘I Only Have Eyes’ featuring Theo Bleak. And while it’s noisy, moody and chaotic at times, the band tackle big issues of identity, existentialism, morals and meaning throughout – leaving us with a hugely accomplished debut that it’s sure to propel them to even bigger stages.
Eriff ‘Dare You’
Eriff is the new project from Stuart Ramage, formerly known from Scottish duo VanIves, and this week he has shared his debut EP ‘Dare You’. On his new material, Ramage strips everything back to its core – each song is raw, emotive and delivered straight from the heart, his diaristic lyrics delivered over lightly picked guitar melodies. With former bandmate Roan Ballantine on production duties, each track is gently elevated with careful layering – whether it’s the yearning strings on ‘Loch’, the close harmonies on ‘Dare You’ or beautifully cathartic and upbeat finale of ‘Every part of you’. There’s a delicate, homespun atmosphere to the collection – imbued with a comforting warmth and gentle intimacy that stays with you long after your first listen.
VLURE, ft. Psweatpants ‘Something Real’
VLURE have teamed up with Glasgow-based rapper Psweatpants on their new single ‘Something Real’. The two artists, who have regularly collaborated on the stage, have finally laid their creative kinship down in the studio with this formidable new track – combining industrial synths, big beat influences trademark live energy to create a classic VLURE anthem, with Hamish Hutcheson, keyboardist Alex Pearson and Psweatpants trading rousing vocals throughout. The band’s eagerly anticipated debut album arrives on 26th September, with a date at Glasgow’s Art School on 14th November firmly in our diaries.
swim school ‘On and On’
With their self-titled debut album on the way later this year (3rd October), Edinburgh’s swim school have dropped another track called ‘On and On’. It’s another huge guitar pop tune from the band, drenched in dreamy guitar tones and centred around a massive earworm chorus. The band say it’s one of their favourites from the new album, and it’s made for a generation who are compelled to scroll endlessly and compare themselves to others.
Lizzie Reid ‘Amy’
Lizzie Reid has shared another new glimpse into her upcoming EP ‘Bodega’, out on 12th September. The gently lilting ‘Amy’ is full of nostalgia and wistful melancholy, a moving ode to the past and her younger years. In her own words, “it’s partly fiction and partly based on an image I have of being a child and watching the ferry come into the pier at the Isle of Bute. Whenever I am close to water of that nature, I often feel a deep connection to the past and drift back to a time that is continuously floating further away.” It’s a poignant track rooted in personal reflection, lifted by her warming vocals and gorgeous harmonies.
Rianne Downey ‘Angel’
Following the announcement of her eagerly anticipated debut album ‘The Consequence of Love’ earlier this year, out on 17th October, Rianne Downey is back with the album’s latest cut “Angel”.
A soaring country anthem carried by a gentle country twang and Rianne’s incredible vocals, “Angel” is a beautifully raw and stripped back number that feels like it’s from a bygone era. Showcasing the singer’s songwriting flair, there’s a quiet determination over its sweet melodies and a newfound confidence in her delivery. “‘Angel’ is one of those songs where I sat back and thought, “Did I just write that?,” Rianne says of the track. “It’s probably the track I’m proudest of. A classic fingerpicked country tune, I wanted it to feel timeless, like it could’ve been written today or in the 1950s.”
She continues, “I think women are taught from a young age that we have to perform or serve to be worthy, and we’re constantly made to feel like we’re not enough. I spent so much of my life believing I had to be useful or accommodating to be “good enough.” This song captures the moment I realised you shouldn’t have to perform for anyone. You don’t need to be “enough” for the right person. Just being is enough. At its core, it’s a song about seeing the light after a long time in the dark. I can be cynical, a bit of a pessimist, but someone came into my life at the right time and it genuinely felt like an angel had been sent to me.”
James Emmanuel ‘Nothing But Love’
‘Nothing But Love’ is the new single from rising soul singer James Emmanuel. A love letter to the Edinburgh, it’s a song rooted in love and gratitude – to the city that gave him a stage, to the people who welcomed him and to the home he never expected to find. A beautifully crafted piece of soul music, it channels his many influences, from his gospel roots in Nigeria to bygone heroes of the past like Marvin Gaye and Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, as well as his own personal journey – one that has been full of twists and turns, heartbreak, joy and catharsis. Most of all, it showcases James’ ability to write with heart and truth. Recently signed to Decca Records, his debut EP ‘A Time To Heal’ arrives on 1st October.
Hen Hoose
Hen Hoose Collective – the forward-thinking, female and non-binary-led songwriting collective – have shared a new single called Wipe Out, out now. It offers the first glimpse of their next chapter: a full-length album crafted together during a writing retreat at Black Bay Recording Studios on the Isle of Lewis, set for release in 2026.
A shimmering, joy-fuelled anthem that captures the power of togetherness and creative release, Wipe Out is an unapologetic blast of positivity – recalling sun-drenched days and the carefree energy of childhood. Underpinning its uplifting sound is a subtle defiance: a refusal to be weighed down by the pressures and pessimism of the world outside.
As Inge Thomson puts it, “Given the complicated, fractured world we’re living in it’s all too easy to get swept up and sucked under. Creating this song gifted us the opportunity to exist in a happy, optimistic space. Written with the sun sparkling on the sea, we were evoking childlike freedom, playful rhythms and the bliss of affinity. The whole process was a joy.”
Plasticine ‘Hopeless in Love’
Plasticine’s polished, guitar-driven sound shines bright on their new rock ballad, “Hopeless in Love.” Lead singer Summer Sky Bain’s surging vocals are full of warmth, while the track continues to build until its cathartic finale. “Hopeless in Love” is a melodic new asset to the band’s memorable discography. The singer says: “It hurts to love someone so much. Maybe that’s why so many of us keep our distance because loving means risking everything. Sometimes it’s loving from far away, waiting for someone who’s never quite there. Sometimes it’s loving someone who doesn’t love you back the way you want. Or loving someone and knowing you’re both broken in your own way. That’s what it means to be hopeless in love.”
Martha May & The Mondays ‘Pearls World’
The Glasgow punk group returned last week with their new EP, “Zeroes and Villains. “Pearls World” is a stand-out track, acting as an anthem fighting against society’s rising transphobia. Lead singer Martha May Mackay offers surly vocals, chaperoned by a heavy, riff-based sound that also contains elements of brighter, jangly guitar pop. The sound only lifts the political theme of “Pearls World” with the closing line, “Thanks Jim, from your sisters girl.” Showcasing a sense of camaraderie, Martha May & The Mondays continue to be a leading voice in the Glasgow punk scene.
Pedalo ‘She’s The Sun’
A leading band in Glasgow’s dream pop genre, Pedalo have returned with “She’s the Sun.” The song is dripping with warm melodies from lead singer Charlotte Stuart, clouded over by the hazy yet glossy guitar sound from Calum Steel. ‘She’s the Sun” stands out lyrically, with a simple yet powerful line, “If all of your friends said she’s the one, would you listen to them?” Repeated throughout the song, it acts as a mantra – like those circling thoughts in your mind. Ultimately, it’s a song brimming with sunny optimism and earworm hooks – perfect for summer.
