Hello world,
Here’s your latest FP Picks update .. loads of great new music as always inc trx from Sophie May, The Linda Lindas, China Bears & many 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
Shelf Lives – Where Did I Go?
London based post-punk duo Shelf Lives have dropped new single Where Did I Go?, taken from their upcoming EP No Idea and it speaks of the mind-numbing and infuriating social media cycle we are faced with daily. The band state: “We’ve noticed there is a spinning wheel of trying to “find yourself” that people repeatedly jump on regardless of continuously getting re-consumed in media shitstorms, social echo chamber conversations, and algorithms that feel unavoidable. By the time you figure out you’ve jumped headfirst down the rabbit hole and have to start over again, you’re angry. “Where Did I Go?” is that place of seeing red before coming out of it just in time to willingly get back on the wheel.” We feel your frustration – a frenzied belter for sure!
The Linda Lindas – All In My Head
Los Angeles rock/punk outfit The Linda Lindas have shared dynamic new single All In My Head from their forthcoming album No Obligation. The band’s Lucia de la Garza said of the track: “It has the most indie vibes we’ve leaned into so far because it was written on an acoustic guitar. Recording it was really fun, full of lots of dancing in the studio. I wrote All In My Head, from the perspective of a book character, which kinda brought us out of our comfort zone. It felt like a break from reality, which we don’t usually find ourselves writing about.” A press release teases the group experimenting with post-punk, garage rock, power-pop, new wave, and rock en español on the upcoming LP – can’t wait! What an infectious toe-tapper this track is!
GIRLBAND! – Heartbreak Town
GIRLBAND! pay homage to their Nottingham roots on infectious new single Heartbreak Town, with its punchy riffs and sentimental lyricism. A last minute addition to the line-up of this year’s Glastonbury festival, the Nottingham-based band deliver music carried by infectious melodic lines and indie rock inflections. Vocalist Georgie states: “Heartbreak Town is written about a town called Mansfield where I grew up. The lyrics are very much about always being rooted in the town you grew up in and how your heart always belongs there, even though the town has lost many of the things that were there when I was young and so much sadness I saw there growing up, it will still always be my home town. And it’s very much inspired by family and friends and people of Mansfield that keep the fire alive there.”
MJ Lenderman – She’s Leaving You
North Carolina based MJ Lenderman‘s new single She’s Leaving You is taken from his upcoming album Manning Fireworks and it blurs the line between alt-country and ’90s slacker indie while threading classic rock and pop culture references into the lyrics. “You can put your clothes back on, she’s leaving you/ No time to apologize for the things you do,” Jake Lenderman sings, before alluding to some standard-issue midlife crisis coping mechanisms: “Go rent a Ferrari/ And sing the blues/ Believe that Clapton was the second coming.” Lenderman has become loved for his ability to capture and communicate emotion in a raw and frank manner – amongst his blend of poignant phrases and nonsensical metaphors, you will always find something to relate to.
Heartworms – Jacked
South London songwriter Heartworms recently shared new single Jacked and describes the song as “a darkness or entity which you are running away from… but it is really you that holds it.” The track comes complete with a music video by long-time collaborator and creative Gilbert Trejo, who adds: “To me, Jacked is the soundtrack to a paranoid fever dream. There’s a movement and energy to the song that Jojo and I knew we needed to convey when we were writing the video. We wanted her in flight, but she had to be alone in the world, so I went through and scratched everyone else’s face off of the film emulsion with a safety pin. That feeling of loneliness and the unknown. Scary and hilarious.” A slice of furious, desperate post-punk – we’re lovin’ it!
China Bears – Gracie
Indie four piece China Bears recently shared melodic new single Gracie, taken from their debut album Participation Trophy. Vocalist Ivan states: “Gracie was written out of appreciation to all my friends and loved ones who have helped prop me up at times when I’ve needed someone to lean on. Everyone is an infinite amount of things. During times of loss, fear, depression, and doubts, it’s easy to fixate on that, but Gracie sings that sometimes all we need is a friend’s perspective to pull us out of our own holes. I really hope everyone can picture their Gracie when listening to this song, as I know my world would be a lot darker without mine.” A beautiful track with poignant, emotive lyrics – just lovely.
Night Swimming – Let That Be Enough
Bath/Bristol-based dream-pop risers Night Swimming have announced their debut EP No Place To Land and they recently dropped mesmerizing new single Let That Be Enough. Recorded live to tape, industrial rhythms are set against a colourful, atmospheric soundscape, with the band noting the influence of Beach House and Slowdive’s live shows for their “combination of sensory elements” and the resulting “deepening of emotional response”. Vocalist Meg Jones said: “Let That Be Enough is about moving on from past experiences, as well as learning to trust yourself and accepting the choices that you’ve made.” It features propulsive and thumping percussion, shimmering and reverb soaked guitars and a rousingly cathartic and anthemic chorus serving as a lush and cinematic bed for Meg Jones’ bewitchingly ethereal delivery. What a banger!
Vacant Weekend – The Windowsill
Manchester based indie outfit Vacant Weekend recently shared infectious new single The Windowsill from their EP Something To Fill The Silence. They explain “I think inside us there was a youthful naivety in the belief that our problems wouldn’t follow us – that they only existed in a certain place, at a certain time in our lives. Eventually the song took on another meaning about self-acceptance, ego death and experiencing life for as finite as it is.” The track combines elements of disco, Motown, and ‘00s indie rock to create an idiosyncratic melting pot. Building upon their signature guitar work, it places twanging riffs and irresistible grooves at the forefront, underpinned by writhing drum rolls and pulsating tones.
Barny Fletcher – Scotch of St. James
London based Barny Fletcher has shared upbeat new single Scotch of St. James, a tribute to London’s iconic venue where music legends like Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles once performed. The track is infused with feel-good summer energy and catchy lyrics that capture the essence of a carefree night out. He says: “I blagged my way into the Scotch of Saint James on a Saturday night. Before long, I was two feet from Virgil Abloh DJ-ing alongside Peggy Gou. I think it must have been Fashion Week because a lot of those type of characters were floating around town. I remember seeing Hailey Bieber, Winnie Harlow and Jourdan Dunn all huddled around the decks; all these supermodels shoulder to shoulder in a tiny low-lit club. It was cool.” What a playful, uplifting summer anthem – groovy!
Sophie May – Brian Cox
Sophie May recently dropped catchy new single Brian Cox, which naturally features its namesake, and together they ponder the universe and the foreboding weight of the infinite cosmos. The track is taken from new EP Deep Sea Creatures due out next week. She states: “I felt both awe inspired and completely terrified…Amazingly through creating this track I somehow managed to get the chance to meet him…Getting to meet him and incorporate his voice into the track felt like an incredible full circle moment where (no pun intended) the stars had aligned.” Great songwriting and stunning vocals on this infectious track – love the additional words from the space-man himself!
You can check out the whole playlist here. Please follow the socials below for our weekly updates and share about the place!
