Hello world,
Here’s your latest FP Picks update .. loads of great new music as always inc trx from Antony Szmierek, Doves, Alexandra Leaving & 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
Pem – ellipsis
Bristol based singer-songwriter Pem (aka Emily Perry) has shared stunning new single ellipsis and states: “It’s called ellipsis because of those three dots at the end of the sentence that leave things unresolved. Ellipses aka grand miscommunications and aversions to concrete endings”. Produced by Ali Chant, who has also worked with Dry Cleaning, Aldous Harding, and Yard Act, the song, with its poignant lyrics and beautiful vocal, is left open-ended to emphasize uncertainty. What a beguiling track – we’re loving this one!
Amyl and The Sniffers – Big Dreams
Aussie band Amyl and The Sniffers have dropped new single Big Dreams, taken from their forthcoming album Cartoon Darkness. A much slower track, the trademark raucous rock’n’roll makes way for a much softer vibe with a great accompanying video of them roaring through the desert on motorcycles. “I am writing this before Big Dreams comes out, and I am actually a bit nervous that it’s a single, because it’s so different from a lot of people’s expectations of us,” says singer Amy Taylor. “This song was written because a lot of people in my life are struggling financially, and it’s really hard to make your dreams come true when you’re trying to get by day-to-day.” We’re loving this different sound from the band – captivating with touching lyrics.
Somebody’s Child – Time Of My Life
Somebody’s Child have dropped profound new single Time Of My Life, taken from their upcoming album When Youth Fades Away. Led by Dubliner Cian Godfrey, the track delivers a refreshing sincerity, exploring the transition from boyhood to adulthood, and the overwhelming emotions that come with it. Cian explains: “We’ve always wanted to write a two-chord song, and this finally came out without force.” The two-chord structure fittingly represents the choice between childhood and adulthood, and the moment we accept growth to leave youth behind; a moment you just can’t force either, it comes naturally. Energetic, infectious and something we all have to accept! Great stuff.
SPRINTS – Feast
Dublin based garage-punk outfit SPRINTS recently shared another belter in thunderous new single Feast. The band said of this religion-inspired track: “Pulling from our love of grunge and gothic, Feast is named as such because it explores the idea of gluttony, consumption and desire, particularly when it comes to sexuality and romance … In Ireland a lot of our first conscious experience of storytelling happens to be religious, due in most parts to the interlinking of our Catholic Church and state, particularly in education.” The single’s ferocious chorus contains the lines: “She chewed up like dinner/ How does it seem/ It’s not all what it seems.” Captivating lyrics on this powerful anthem – SPRINTS never disappoint, fantastic!
Twin City – Simple Melody
Bristol based four piece Twin City have been described as one of the most exciting newcomers to Rock & Roll and they’ve shared new single Simple Melody. The band state: “Simple Melody is about the power of music and how the right song(s) can bring us all together in spite of our differences. Inspiration for this tune were artists such as Lennon, Marley and Richard Ashcroft. With the world the way it is currently, we need a bit of positivity and togetherness in music. Music can heal the world.” With its reverbing, snarling guitars and thrashing drums from the start, this is a massive tune full of bluster. No wonder their second ever gig was as main support to The Lathums in front of a 1000 strong sold out crowd! Banging!!
Alexandra Leaving – My Sunshine
Topping off a year of fervent releases before the winter festivities are upon us, West Midlands’ latest export Alexandra Leaving comes with My Sunshine – a bright and uplifting offering that layers up the guitars in a masterful way thanks to her continued working relationship with Wolf Alice producer Michael Smith. With flecks of Grace Slick poking through in the vocal delivery, the mix of big guitars and arresting lyrics are accompanied by the longest of snare rolls into the chorus which holds the tension perfectly. To top it all off, the simplicity in the chorus melody makes for a highly accessible sound & so you have another great record from this One to Watch in 2025 artist – nice one Alex!
Father John Misty – She Cleans Up
Singer-songwriter Father John Misty has dropped infectious new single She Cleans Up, taken from his upcoming album Mahashmashana. His distorted vocals are backed by an infectious electric guitar part and swaggering upbeat drums as he delivers the refrain: “Cleaning up/ Cleaning up/ Clean up/ She cleans up. Paste commented: “Feeling a little bit like a FJM-ified marriage between Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and Viagra Boys’ “Punk Rock Loser,” or maybe just like Spoon at their funkiest, “She Cleans Up” is an amalgamation of rock homages and head-banging bass parts…a thoroughly weird and thoroughly enjoyable track that just begs to be blasted while speeding down a highway in some sick-ass shades.” Lyrics in a class of their own as always – a great track.
Porridge Radio – God Of Everything Else
Indie-rock outfit Porridge Radio recently shared raw new single God Of Everything Else, taken from new album Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me. Singer Dana Margolin explained: “After a horrible relationship I felt like a piece of shit on someone’s shoe, like I was so unimportant and completely drained of any power I once had. Lying to myself in order to get that power back. You did this to me, but I’m the god of everything else. Fuck you. A song about dissociating constantly and being in pain constantly, wandering the streets for hours with nowhere to be, never stopping to face the void, always running from it.” Heart-wrenching lyrics on this impassioned, powerful track. The album is a coming-of-age moment inspired by burnout, the music industry, heartbreak, and band leader Margolin’s own increasing immersion in her craft as an artist.
Doves – Renegade
Doves have shared commanding new single Renegade, taken from their forthcoming album Constellations For The Lonely. Described by drummer Andy Williams as ‘Blade Runner set in our home city’ (Manchester), there is a cinematic and – at times – dystopian quality to the song as it moves from an intro with an industrial edge to a more atmospheric piece that recalls their Some Cities era. This is all surrounding Jimi Goodwin asking ‘are you living in a dream?’ and warning if you walk out of the city while it’s all boiling point, ‘you’re walking out forever’. Melancholic and emotive lyrics draw you in on this powerful new track – great to see one of Manchester’s finest back.
Antony Szmierek – The Great Pyramid of Stockport
Spoken-word artist Antony Szmierek has said he was inspired to write a song about one of Greater Manchester’s most enigmatic pieces of architecture because he was “obsessed with it”. New single The Great Pyramid of Stockport was inspired by the former Co-op building, which has stood by the M60 in the town since the early 1990s. Szmierek states: “That big blue pyramid serves as a reminder that human beings never really change – even if our pyramids are now by the side of motorways and full of office space.” What an uplifting track with its infectious chorus and fantastic lyrics – love it! Debut album Service Station At The End Of The Universe is out early next year and he must win a prize for great song/album names!
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