Hello world,
Your latest FP Picks update is here with a host of great new tunes as always. Hear trx from Dog Race, Dutch Mustard, MJ Lenderman & lots more. If you like what you hear please follow and share this playlist, it helps us keep doing our thing by getting the algorithms on our side. Also please support the artists featured in any way you can!
Until next week
Helen (Futureproof) x
Lutalo – The Bed
Vermont-based singer-songwriter Lutalo has shared upbeat new single The Bed, taken from debut album The Academy. It’s a bright folk-rock song with a funky beat which feels far larger than its relatively short runtime suggests, a band joining the acoustic rhythm and Lutalo’s vocals possessing some of that Dylan-esque swagger in the refrain. Lutalo says: “The Bed is about being educated about American propaganda and war mongering at a young age from my father. The Bed is referencing how as citizens of the country we have no choice but participate whether directly or indirectly with the dealings of our state, and to be indoctrinated into this mindset that supports its current standing.” The album delves into Lutalo‘s past, inviting the audience along for the ride.
about-faces – Heaven Sent
Leeds based indie-rock outfit about-faces have shared heartfelt new single Heaven Sent which blends emotive lyrics with captivating melodies to showcase the band’s raw talent and authenticity. More guitar-focused, Heaven Sent takes inspiration from U2 and Bruce Springsteen. As the song flows and builds up to an anthemic chorus, frontman Sennen Ludman shows an element of vulnerability in his voice. As he sings about what’s close to his heart, Danielle’s harmonies add a light, ethereal touch. Sennen said: “Heaven Sent is a reflective song from my experience with grief, forgiveness and appreciation. I remember playing the opening guitar riff and just started playing with different melodies…I think the song was the perfect starting point for this band, it shows the vulnerability this band is becoming known for, wrapped in melody, I like that combination.”
Delights – I Think You Should Know
Manchester’s indie outfit Delights have shared exhilarating new single I Think You Should Know, from their upcoming debut album If Heaven Looks A Little Like This. The band state: “Lyrically, the song centres around ideas of curiosity, innocence and mystique. It also underlines the explorative nature of where we are as a band, from a writing perspective, but from a personal perspective too.” On the album, produced by Michael Smith (Wolf Alice), Delights are stepping into an electrifying new world of sound. “When we started out, we were just a typical indie band,” guitarist Ben Squires says. “We’ve tried to break away from that a little bit to not just be straight indie.” With blends of funk, soul, disco, psychedelia, classic rock, and stadium-sized indie-pop, they’re certainly achieving it! Great stuff!
Connor Adams – White Knuckles
Connor Adams has dropped anthemic new single White Knuckles. Crafted in Adams’ home studio, this indie-pop gem draws heavy inspiration from iconic bands The Cranberries and Pixies, delivering a nostalgic yet fresh listening experience. Blending soulful vocals with jangly guitars and atmospheric production, White Knuckles captures the raw emotion and unique sound that fans of Connor Adams have come to love. Adams told Babystep Mag: “The inspiration behind it was deeply rooted in the indie scene of the late 90s. What really reignited my passion for that era was stumbling upon Royel Otis‘s viral TikTok cover of The Cranberries‘ Linger. It struck a chord with me and got me reminiscing about that sound and time.” This infectious indie belter grabs you right from the first note – great songwriting too!
Lissy Taylor – Your Girl
Stoke-on-Trent indie artist Lissy Taylor has dropped upbeat new single Your Girl. Taylor reveals: “I wrote Your Girl after a breakup. I wanted to capture the feeling of liberation and empowerment that comes with being single. It’s about realizing your potential and not limiting yourself.” An empowering punch of feminine energy, the track celebrates the confidence boost of being single on a flirty, summery indie-pop bop. Built around a tight backdrop of bright guitar tones, punching drums and grounding bass, Taylor’s silky, smokey and effortlessly charismatic lead vocals glide above the instrumental backdrop to create an uplifting, mood boosting tone tinted with a sultry and catchy edge. What a catchy ear-worm – nicely done!
Home Counties – Exactly As It Seems
Home Counties have shared their new album Exactly As It Seems and how different it is! The arrival of vocalist and keys player Lois Kelly has not just transformed the band from a five-piece to a six-piece, but she’s also taken them on an adventure into new sonic directions, one that adds elements of 00s dance-pop and shades of LCD Soundsystem and Confidence Man to their post-punk/art-rock sound. Helping them to navigate this tricky fusion is their guitarist Conor Kearney, whose production work holds everything together well. Title track Exactly As It Seems is reminiscent of The Chemical Brothers with experimental auto-tuned vocals and memorable lines like “Together, merged like Unilever with the rage of Ronnie Pickering – it’s triggering.”
Dutch Mustard – Loser
Dutch Mustard (aka Sarah-Jayne Riedel SJ) recently shared vulnerable new single Loser, co-written and co-produced with Bill Ryder-Jones. SJ stated: “Loser is about making peace with heartbreak. We move on by accepting our feelings and understanding that not everyone speaks the truth. This doesn’t mean we stop being truthful, just more careful with who we trust.” Bill Ryder-Jones stated: “I love working with SJ….she’s fucking hard to keep up with like. She has this knack of coming up with great ideas when I’m still admiring the last one.” Dutch Mustard blends ethereal dream-pop and 90s alt-rock with timeless shoegaze touches and we’re loving this heartfelt track with poignant lyrics and haunting vocals.
PAVÉ – nineteenfifty
With the sparse, unsettling guitar intro and the mysterious voice proclaiming “Now listen big shot, they’ll tell you what time you get up in the morning and what time you go to bed at night,” nineteenfifty really grabs you. The unrelenting rhythm section is juxtaposed with the haunting keys and vocals and ethereal guitar passages to create a sound which is heavy and haunting, dreamlike yet unsettling. The song title is a reference to the advent of McCarthyism in the USA and ‘delves into the shift from physical battles on war fronts to mental battles fought through ideology and ways of living.’ Guitarist Kevin expands; ‘The song speaks to the realization that, even after mentally escaping a constrained world, one remains physically and financially tied to it. Breaking free from this system is nearly impossible, as it shapes our ideologies and values from a young age.’
Man/Woman/Chainsaw – Ode To Clio
London based indie five-piece Man/Woman/Chainsaw have shared electrifying new single Ode To Clio, from their upcoming debut EP Eazy Peazy. The band say of the track: “It took us a year to write and it’s a nonsensical collage of people and relationships we’ve encountered throughout that time – moving from serene to tumultuous, all held together by Clio’s overarching violin melody. We think it’s the centerpiece of the EP, it encapsulates the range of the sound palette we work with.” The EP brings cinematic arrangements, mauled by moments of cacophony and the band’s Billy Ward says of their writing process, “we thrive on the thin line between pretty and noisy, often trying to jump between the two – it’s that chaos that excites us.” Crank it up loud for this absolute belter!
MJ Lenderman – Joker Lips
North Carolina-based singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman has shared new single Joker Lips, taken from upcoming album Manning Fireworks. It’s a heartfelt song about feeling pushed out by everyone else and Lenderman provides a look at a renewed sincerity in his work, as he deadpans “Please don’t laugh / Only half of what I said was a joke.” Maybe you hear a tremble in his voice? That’s the frown behind the mask, finally slipping from Lenderman’s face. The video for Joker Lips, directed by Ben Turok, features Lenderman and The Wind performing in an overgrown field clung to the side of a mountain in Western North Carolina as plants seemingly envelop the band. Loving this poignant, sincere track – great songwriting.
You can check out the whole playlist here. Please follow the socials below for our weekly updates and share about the place!
