Lucia & The Best Boys and Lauren Mayberry ‘Lonely Girl’
Lucia & The Best Boys are officially back with a new single called ‘Lonely Girl’, featuring none other than CHVRCHES Lauren Mayberry. It marks the group’s first release in three years since the release of their debut album ‘Burning Castles’ in 2023 and it sounds huge – full of big melodies, guitars and keyboards, with Mayberry seamlessly jumping on for the second verse. Lyrically, it ties into Lucia Fairfull’s rural upbringing, exploring feelings of being an outsider, and searching for belonging. It’s a brilliant collaboration from two of Scotland’s most formidable talents.
“Lonely Girl is a song about finding a sense of belonging in both people and place,” explains Lucia. “I grew up in a small rural village in Scotland and as a teen who wanted to make music, I felt isolated in many ways and felt like I needed to reach far beyond my every-day surroundings for inspiration. But by the passing of time, strengthening my connection with the land and finding those rare friendships that really uplift, nurture and allow you to be yourself, I have never felt more at home.”
“When we started to record the song with Yves it became very apparent that Lauren’s voice belonged on this song, not only because it felt like a dreamy pairing but because I knew that if anyone was going to understand the meaning of this song that is so deep routed in where I come from, it would be Lauren.”
“It feels like Lucia and I really should have crossed paths before now but somehow it didn’t happen until the end of last year,” says Lauren. “We were introduced by our mutual friend Yves – an incredible person and the producer she’s been working with. He mentioned having been in Glasgow working with a Scottish artist which made my ears perk up and I was happy to learn that it was Lucia & The Best Boys, because I love her, and could see his approach really working with her style. It’s been so exciting to watch her get recognition in the Scottish and wider British music scene in the last few years. Lucia has such a singular vision and really knows what she wants to create, and that’s a really inspiring energy to be around. Plus for once I didn’t have to alter my accent to blend in with another singer – our celtic vowel sounds were perfectly aligned.”
Lizzie Reid ‘Sweet Relief’
Lizzie Reid is ushering in an exciting new era with the release of her new single ‘Sweet Relief’, set to feature on a new EP titled ‘Undoing’, due out 17th April. The new single sees her shift towards a darker, louder sound – one defined by snarling guitars, thundering drums and ghostly synths. And while it’s a departure from the intimate folk sounds of ‘Cubicle’ and last year’s ‘Bodega’, it retains those stunning crooning vocals and personal, introspective lyrics that she’s long been known for. With Hamish Hawk lending some deep vocal harmonies to the mix, the track explores her struggles with mental health cycles and the urgent desire to find solace in the midst of internal panic. Always unafraid to broach life’s difficult moments or challenging emotions, she once again bares all through her music – inviting the listener to share in these moments of catharsis.
She says: Sweet Relief’ speaks of my experience dealing with the full throws of obsession, rumination, depression, and panic. The way I desperately attempted to comfort myself only brought momentary relief from the storm. The cycle is brutal, exhausting and incredibly sneaky. The more I searched for solutions, the murkier the waters became, making it near impossible for light to come into the frame. The temptation and urgency to “fix myself” is a voice that appears to want to help, but in fact was keeping me in the cycle of darkness to relief to darkness again.”
Sister Madds ‘Table Manners’
Sister Madds are kicking off the year with a punchy new single called ‘Table Manners’. Produced by Jamie Holmes, it’s an acerbic takedown of selfish, ill-mannered characters — packed with their now-signature sharp, quick-witted lyrics that paint a vivid, unflinching picture of bare-faced greed. Driven by razor-sharp guitars and a rhythm section that barely lets up for breath, it’s a track full of energy, bite and attitude. It will feature on their new EP, out 27th February — the very same night they headline King Tut’s.
Brontës ‘Wouldn’t Be Me’
Glasgow band Brontës have shared a catchy new track called ‘Wouldn’t Be Me’. Released in time for Valentines Day, it’s a punchy take on disliking a friend’s boyfriend, knowing they deserve someone better. A bouncy indie track set against pulsing rhythms and catchy guitar licks, it’s a bright, infectious return that’s set to feature on their upcoming self-titled debut album – out on 21st April 2026 via Last Night From Glasgow.
Saint Sappho ‘Shoulder To Shoulder’
Saint Sappho are back with the second single from their upcoming debut album ‘Between The Lines’. The band, known for their hazy, 90s-indebted blend of grunge, shoegaze and trip-hop, explore themes of emotional distance on the single, detailing the quiet unravelling of human connection when two people drift apart. Opening with a Stones Roses-inspired drumbeat, Zoe Young’s vocal floats effortlessly over the soaring instrumental, gradually becoming more forceful as the track progresses – with searing guitar solos adding to the tension of the piece. Following on from the release of ‘Cracks’ last year, it’s a raw, immersive insight into the upcoming debut record – watch this space.
CUZINO ‘Spin’
This week, we were delighted to see Glasgow-based producer CUZINO land in our inbox with his self-titled debut EP. Released at the tail end of the year, the EP is a striking introduction for those not yet acquainted – blending elements of electronic, house, UK garage and pop to create something fresh, colourful and hugely infectious. With shades of Peggo Gou, Jame xx and Ross From Friends throughout, it features three vocal leads from Nwanneka, aka PLatainchipps, which adds a poppy edge to his clean, crisp productions. ‘Spin’ and ‘Dark Edge’ are two real highlights; the former is bright, lively and freeing while the latter is a slow-burner, gradually evolving into a big club-ready electro-pop banger. An artist sure to lure you the dancefloor, you can catch him at Kelburn Garden Party this summer or supporting Pleasure Trail in April.
FCUKERS ‘Beatback’
Following the announcement of a UK tour this May, which will feature a stop at Glasgow’s SWG3 on the 20th, FCUKERS have shared a new single called ‘Beatback’. Set to appear on their upcoming debut album, out on 27th March, the band blend slinky electronics, minimalist beats and soft, seductive vocals on the track, with another chorus that lingers on the ear.
casual smart ‘she’s my love’
Emerging from Cardiff’s burgeoning indie scene, casual smart have shared a twinkling new love song called ‘she’s my love’. Imbued with a sense of youthful abandon and optimism, it’s a gorgeous profession of love – adorned with bright saxophne lines and warm flourishes of harmonica. A moment of striking authenticity, it sits on the sunnier side of their catalogue so far, full of feeling and honesty. The band have been announced for The Great Escape later this year.
Book of Churches The Quiet Was A Heron’
Book of Churches, the solo project from alt-country band Divorce’s co-vocalist and guitarist Felix Mackenzie-Barrow, has shared a new single called ‘The Quiet Was A Heron’. Set to feature on his debut album of the same name, out on 6th March, the songs were crafted on tour with Divorce – written in what he describes in an “incredibly DIY” and “kind of naive” process. Each song was written in one day, recorded the next, and left largely untouched until the album was handed over to Richie Kennedy (Interpol, The Last Dinner Party) for mixing. Charting lost love, dread, grief and anger, ‘Book of Churches’ was about breaking some of his own creative rules, trusting his own singular voice, and committing to “the raw contents of my brain.” The result is a timeless minimalism in the tradition of folk singer-songwriters like Nick Drake and Fionn Regan, or Leonard Cohen.
Felix comments on the new single: “The Quiet Was A Heron arrived at the end of summer, in 2024. I watched a heron fly at dusk above the noise and chaos of a festival in the Brecon Beacons and wondered how it perceived us from up there. It was a fleeting, almost out-of-body experience. It led me back to a memory of the family dog digging up the bones of a heron buried many years before in a black binbag in my parents’ garden. It is an angry song, angry that we as a species render so many gentle, beautiful, irreplaceable lives so unliveable.”
Villanelle ‘Placebo’
Following on from tracks like ‘Hinge’ in 2025, Villanelle have shared details of their debut EP ‘Measly Means’ on 6th May. The up and comers have now shared a new track called ‘Placebo’ – a grungy, pulsing rocker, packed with distortion, heavy riffs and wiry lead vocals from Gene Gallagher. Speaking about the single, Gallagher explains: “‘Placebo’ is about heightened visualisations of post-session anxiety.”
