Tina Sandwich ‘dandelion (wishing)’
Tina Sandwich is kicking off an exciting new era with the release of her new single ‘dandelion (wishing)’. Known for combining the raw energy of punk with the shimmer of power-pop, the band take on a whole new lease of life on this track, embracing the loose, vital energy of slacker/college rock. Recorded with Gianluca Bernacchi, the song came to life after a live tracking session – and you can here it in its punchy drums, rocking guitars and impassioned vocal performance. Brimming with an infectious, raw energy and warming nostalgia, it’s finds the singer reflecting on the cyclical nature of things – balancing the youthful optimism with the shadowy undercurrents. Most of all, it sounds like an artist finding her lane and truly flourishing in it.
She says: ” When I was writing this, I’d been thinking a lot about cycles and patterns. I’d always felt sorry for the dandelion – plucky wee things, with magic built in. Breathing new life, sending wishes on the wind. But so often ripped up and discarded as weeds. My mind was on seeds, my first job, the village I grew up in. Strangeness lurking under the surface, blue velvet style. Those first corner-of-your-eye, shadow glances at the world’s darkness. Unease, escape, regret, and the topic I return to most often: home.”
Curiosity Shop ‘Crows’
Edinburgh alt-folk group Curiosity Shop have expertly played the long game – building a reputation around the city with their live shows, showcasing a sound that feels both timeless and refreshing. Now they’ve shared their debut single ‘Crows’, a track that came to life in theri very formative stages as a band. Opening with a gorgeous acapella section, it’s full of warm, honeyed harmonies and gentle, comforting acoustic melodies.
They say: ‘Crows’ is a really important song to us, not least because it was one of the first Ruairidh and Sonny wrote together, but it was also one of the first we played as a group. Since we started playing gigs it has been hard to pull it from the no.1 spot on our setlist, the accapella start also serves as our pre-show warm up routine (followed by a series of all important hugs). Naturally, this song felt right as our first release.’
Basht ‘Keira Knightley’
Dublin outfit Basht play TRNSMT this weekend on the BBC Introducing stage, but before then – they’ve shared new track ‘Keira Knightley’. Following on from the brilliant ‘Poor Advice’, it’s a dark, atmospheric and charged slice of post-punk that delves into heartbreak. They say: “This song is about the desperate lengths people go to in an effort to save a relationship. “I’ll call you daily / hold you tightly / ring your bell like Keira Knightley” [a reference to the movie Love Actually]. It’s about a relationship I had that started off being incredibly exciting and loving but then slowly devolved into jealousy, desperation and resentment”
Hound ‘Big Time’
Glasgow slacker-rock outfit Hound (led by Shetland songwriter Zack Manson of Former Champ) are back with ‘Big Time’, out now via Hand of God.Channelling the warm, fuzzy nostalgia of Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., and the youthful energy of Westside Cowboy, ‘Big Time’ tells the story of the band’s first joint trip to Shetland where island hospitality was tinged with bittersweet memories. It comes from their upcoming album ‘Another Lifetime in a Different Country’ – a record that sees them trace their journey from and back again, reconciling their relationship with their hometown with a lyrical specificity and universal resonance.
Holly Head ‘I’ve Had Want’
Known for their visceral, political punk, Holly Head are back with a new tracck ‘I’ve Had Want’. This time, they take a more melodic approach, adding lighter sonic shades to the political weight – without losing any of the intensity. It feels like a collective show of defiant optimism – at times euphoric and swelling with belief. They say: “It can take a heavy toll on your mental health to process all the negative emotions we feel about the inequality and suffering we see around the world.Our anger shouldn’t be repressed though, and we still feel we must continue to tackle the same issues we’ve talked about in the past. The music is different on this track, but it’s still about wealth inequality, racial hate and animal rights to name a few but, this time, it’s through a wider range of emotions than solely anger.”
Makeshift Art Bar ‘Discipline’
Two months after releasing ‘Chocolate’, Belfast band Makeshift Art Bar have shared a new song called ‘Discipline’. Blending a heady mix of post-rock, grunge and electronica, the track is full of smouldering intensity.’Discipline’ is an illustration of the effects of propaganda on an individual within the military-industrial complex,” said the band. “Exposure to this truth is necessary, igniting a flame of moral destruction within this individual, having abandoned his true morals and becoming a cog in the machine of war’.
