swim school ‘swim school’
It’s been a big year for Scottish debut albums, and Edinburgh’s swim school are the latest of an exciting bunch. The indie trio first caught our eye in 2021 with early releases like ’sway’ and ‘making sense of it all’ – standing out with their fuzzy, anthemic indie tunes and bright dream-pop hooks. Since then, they’ve gone from strength to strength, performing up and down the country and bolstering their sound with each release. No surprise then that their debut album lives up to all this early potential and more – it’s darker, heavier and more daring than their earlier material, but it still feels distictively swim school. The modern indie influences like Wolf Alice are still there, but there’s also threads of The Cure and Smashing Pumpkins in the album’s flurry of hazy guitars, powerful basslines and dynamic drums. Alice Johnson’s alluring vocals, quite Ellie Rowsell-esque, pave the way over the immersive instrumentals – at times dark, gritty and anthemic and at others open and spacious for her ethereal voice to shine. An immersive snd compelling listen, it oscillates between the big pop hooks and anthemics of ‘Heaven’, ‘Alone With You’ and ‘On & On’, to the more considered moments like the spooky and seductive ‘Green Eyes (Want It All) and the moody and grungy ‘Always On My Mind’, the latter of which veers off into a gripping outro with layers distorted guitars and vocals coming together in a cacophony of sound. Elsewere, ‘Crimson Red’ is a poignant reflection on a toxic relationship that comes to life with a gritty, thrashing chorus while the closer ‘Am I Good Enough Now’ climbs to a musical and emotional climax – making one final lasting impression on the listener.
LeisureLand ‘Freddie Krueger’
Paisley five-piece LeisureLand have shared a new appropriately titled single called ‘Freddie Krueger’ in time for Halloween. Usually known for their bright, upbeat indie tunes, this new track shows a more emotive side to the outfit – using the character of Freddie Krueger to represent how someone can haunt your mind. Perhaps one of the more underrated vocalists on the scene, Adam Dolan is soulful and heartfelt over a more melancholic, progressively heavier instrumental. They say: “We decided to have a character represent our song in this instance. We chose Freddy Krueger to personify the way someone can haunt your dreams. It’s a lot heavier and perhaps deeper than anything we’ve written before.”
The band share their debut EP ‘Tangerine Dreams’ next month ahead of a headline show at King Tuts on 21st November.
The Twilight Sad ‘Waiting For The Phone Call’
The Twilight Sad are back with their firs new single in six years, and it features none other than number fan Robert Smith of The Cure. ‘Waiting For The Phone Call’ is a storm of emotion, born from grief and self-reflection. Opening with bouncy synths, it soon explodes into guitar-heavy catharsis – and while Smith never makes his presence too obvious, his guitar work tunes into the haunting pulse of the song. As is The Twilight Sad way, it’s a track that packs an almighty emotional punch.
James Graham said: “WAITING FOR THE PHONE CALL is about grief, love, and mental illness. These things took over my life and I became ill. I lost the person most important to me in one of the cruellest ways. I’ve always used writing as a method of processing and coping with my emotions. My emotions became a problem and I couldn’t control them. Writing music with Andy… especially the past seven years had been both the escape and the opportunity to process and try and make sense of life. We’ve all been waiting on a phone call that can change our lives at some point. This unfortunately focuses on a phone call that you never want to have.”
The Cribs ‘A Point Too Hard To Make’
The Cribs release their first new album in five years on 9th January 2026 – but before then, they’ve given us another glimpse with new single ‘A Point Too Hard To Make’. New record ‘Selling a Vibe’, which will feature lead single ‘Summer Seizures’, is all about rediscovering what’s important about their relationship and this new track sums it up perfectly – featuring those trademark call-and-response vocals and dual guitars. A track about reflecting on the past while still looking forward, Gary Jarman says, it’s about “all that 2000’s damage, basically. Small-town romantics – years spent longing for connection, escape, excitement – given in abundance, for an entire decade. What do you do when the party is over? Where does it leave you? We will let you know if/when we get there. We’ve still got each other though. That’s what this one is about, a bit of a kitchen-sinker, really.”
Fletchr Fletchr ‘Limitations’
Fresh from their thrilling display at TENEMENT TRAIL earlier this month, Fletchr Fletchr have shared a moving single called ‘Limitations’ – set to feature on their debut EP ‘We All Feel The Same’ slated for release on 28th November. Marking their most dynamic and expansive track to date, ‘Limitations’ strikes that perfect balance between the tender and intimate, and loud and raucous. Still rooted in those compelling vocal harmonies, it’s brimming with passion and emotion – told from the perspective from someone struggling to let go, longing for feeling amidst the mundane but who ultimately finds strength and resilience. It’s a track that seizes your attention and we can’t wait for the EP.
Vocalist Rohan Fletcher explains: “You can find yourself looking for excuses in relationships when sometimes it’s best to accept that good things come to an end. When looking back on the relationship, you realise where the problems were, and how for a time you were seeing through rose tinted glasses. We wrote this song through a break up, and it was the song that really started Fletchr Fletchr for what it is now.”
Hot Stamp ‘Better Taste’
Following the release of their debut single ‘Josephine’, Hot Stamp are back with ‘Better Tase’. Compprised of sisters Jasmine and Poppy, the new song is a caustic break-up track that shows their knack for punchy hooks and catchy guitar-driven melodies, full of attitude and charisma.
They say: “‘Better Taste’ tells the story of seeing your ex downgrade to the point that it reflects badly on you. You’re not heartbroken, you’re embarrassed to have ever been the predecessor. The rose-tinted glasses are off, and all that’s left to do is hypothetically destroy all the evidence. Make ex boyfriends cool again… or at least salvageable.”
“It was fun to write a breakup song that isn’t all ‘woe is me’, because in this case, woe is very much not me. It’s more about the power of hindsight, and realising that everything you once believed about someone doesn’t really hold up. Better Taste blames it on his new girlfriend, but honestly, he was probably never as cool as I made him out to be.”
Linzi Clark ‘Crazy’
Paisley singer-songwriter Linzi Clark has emerged from her home studio with a stunning cover of ‘Crazy’, originally performed by Patsy Cline and written by Willie Nelson. In the midst of working on her second album with prolific producer and songwriter Bovine, the pair decided to dive into their shared love of old-school country ballads for the release – not straying too far from the simplicity of its original composition, while adding their own haunting stamp to it. Transporting the listener to a bygone era, it retains the smooth and sultry feel of its original, while allowing space for Clark’s gorgeous vocals to shine.
She says: “I grew up listening to this song, my mum used to play it all the time and would sing it to me and my sister. Back then, I didn’t fully appreciate just how perfect it is. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve fallen more and more in love with it and always knew I wanted to record my own version one day. Since we’re in the middle of working on the next record, I thought now would be the perfect time to release something and stay creative, even though I’m not quite ready to share the new material yet. We also had a lot of fun creating a music video as a tribute to iconic ‘crazy’ women in film, which felt like the perfect match for the song’s haunting production — and for spooky season too.”
Ben Walker ‘Punchline’
Rising singer-songwriter Ben Walker is back with another huge tune called ‘Punchline’. Known for crafting big guitar-driven anthems, full of hooks and relatable lyrics, the new track sees him continue in this rich vein of form – with the help of The Big Day’s Ryan Hunter and producer Jamie Holmes who are both featured in the credits. Beyond the punchy choruses and upbeat melodies, it’s an emotive track about embracing your vulnerabilities and letting go. He says” ‘This one’s important. It’s about saying how you actually feel, even it’s messy or heavy.”
Madra Salach ‘I Was Just A Boy’
Fresh from their performance at TENEMENT TRAIL, Irish outfit Madra Salach have shared a new single called ‘I Was Just A Boy’ – set to feature on their upcoming debut EP ‘It’s a Hell of An Age’, out on 26th January. A stirring, atmospheric return, frontman Paul Banks is gripping from the outset, filled with anguish and fiery intent against a swirl of acoustic guitar and mandolin – before the track gradually unfurls into something more intense as the rest of the band join the ensemble. Showcasing their excellent knack for songwriting, it’s a simple folk track at its core, but it’s their ability to manipulate and form these traditional influences that really shines through. Running in at seven minutes in length, it gathers in intensity and whirls towards a loud, cathartic finale with an amalgamation of synths and different embellishments.
They say: “The song came from Adam, it was originally just the riff and I remember saying that it would work well as a brief instrumental track. We started playing around with it as a full band, and suddenly we had this 7 minute track on our hands. I centred the lyrics around my adolescence, the tumultuous nature of it. We had fun experimenting with pedals for some unique sounds on the outro, it’s a bit of a diversion from the more straightforward folk writing on our first single.
Pale Waves ‘Zombie’
TENEMENT TRAIL 2025 headliners Pale Waves have shared a powerful cover of ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries. The Manchester band first put their spin on the protest song at Reading Festival earlier this year, where it gained a huge reaction, and it’s now a staple of their live shows. Sharing their cover of the song, Pale Waves said: “We love The Cranberries and I admire Dolores [O’Riordan] so deeply. There’s no-one like Dolores and this song is so powerful. It’s an honour.”
