Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 65
June 25, 2025
LAUFEY PREMIERES "LOVER GIRL" - sold out dates at MSG, Crypto.com arena and more!
Credit: Emma Summerton “Otherworldly artist”—TIME“she is a musical tour de force”—Los Angeles Times“A celebration of modern girlhood, Laufey brings jazz to a new generation”—Vanity FairJune 25, 2025—Today, GRAMMY®-winning Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Laufey is premiering “Lover Girl,” the latest single from her highly anticipated forthcoming album A Matter of Time. Of the song, Laufey explains, “The hardest part of loving someone is being away from them. This is that story.” Listen to / share “Lover Girl” HERE. A Matter of Time is coming August 22 via Vingolf Recordings / AWAL. Moreover, Laufey’s recently announced “A Matter of Time Tour,” in partnership with AEG Presents, sold over 250K tickets, including two sold out Madison Square Garden dates in New York City, two sold out Crypto.com Arena dates in Los Angeles, plus second nights added in Toronto and San Francisco and a dozen other instantly sold out arena shows. The tour kicks off in September and sees Laufey bringing her enchanting and theatrical live show to her largest North American venues to date. See below for details. As Laufey began to craft A Matter of Time, she felt freer than ever. “Every new album for me is a blank book of stories to write,” she says, and it’s true. An artist who pours her life experiences into her work, she infused 2022’s Everything I Know About Love with coming-of-age tales revolving around leaving home, and for 2023’s GRAMMY®-winning Bewitched she dove headlong into young love. Brought to life with sweeping orchestral arrangements, interwoven strains of bossa nova and jazz, and Laufey’s honeyed alto, those albums cemented Laufey as a star who can make sounds from bygone eras feel timeless.Now on A Matter of Time, Laufey further crystalizes her singular sound—one still rooted in her beloved influences, but which forgoes any strict standards or rules. “I’m constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage.” For this album she continues to do so while also noting, “I just wanted to let my heart wander.” To that end, she teamed with a pair of co-producers, one comforting and familiar—Spencer Stewart who worked with Laufey on her first two albums —and one new to her but deeply attuned to artists looking to open up: Aaron Dessner (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran). Feeling sonically unrestrained gave Laufey the space to share new sides of herself while exploring sometimes heavier themes. “People expect a pretty façade of girly clothes, fantastical stories, and romantic music,” she says. “This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror.” A Matter of Time finds Laufey at her most daring—and also playful—as she captures the experience of “real love” in its many forms and what it means to observe as it strips you down to your most vulnerable and anxious.Laufey (pronounced lay-vay) has captivated a generation with virtuosic songs of love and self-discovery by manifesting her vision of jazz-and classical-infused pop music. She has become a bridge for the older music she adores, from Chet Baker to Carole King to Ravel, by offering her bold interpretation to a younger crop of listeners who have become deeply connected over time. This was all by design — Laufey’s self-assigned raison d’être — and it worked, allowing her to bring to life the whimsical universe known as “Laufey Land.”Raised between Reykjavik and Washington, D.C., she learned piano and cello as a child, later studying at Berklee College of Music. There, she wrote her debut EP, 2021’s Typical of Me, whose striking single “Street by Street” debuted at No. 1 on Icelandic Radio—the first of many achievements that have grown to include 5 billion global streams, a social media audience of 25 million, the biggest jazz LP debut in Spotify history and an album in Billboard’s Top 20 (both for Bewitched), a growing pile of Platinum plaques, a Forbes 30 Under 30 designation, and being named one of TIME’s 2025 Women of the Year. She’s sold out the Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall, and London’s Royal Albert Hall; performed backed by the LA Phil, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the China Philharmonic Orchestra; shared the stage with the likes of Jon Batiste and Raye; and collaborated on records with artists ranging from Beabadoobee to Norah Jones. This spring, Laufey announced The Laufey Foundation, with the primary mission of supporting young musicians with the resources they need, especially through youth orchestras, to reach their full potential. $1 of each ticket sold on the “A Matter of Time Tour’ will go towards The Laufey Foundation.A Matter of Time is available for pre-order here.LAUFEY LIVEJuly 30—Virginia Arts Festival at Chartway Arena—Norfolk, VA*July 31—Virginia Arts Festival at Chartway Arena—Norfolk, VA*August 2—Chautauqua Institution—Chautauqua, NY† SOLD OUTAugust 3—Chautauqua Institution—Chautauqua, NY†August 7—Blossom Music Center—Cuyahoga Falls, OH‡August 9—Saratoga Performing Arts Center—Saratoga Springs, NY§September 15—Kia Center—Orlando, FL** SOLD OUTSeptember 16—State Farm Arena—Atlanta, GA**September 18—Dickies Arena—Fort Worth, TX** SOLD OUTSeptember 20—Toyota Center—Houston, TX**September 21—Moody Center—Austin, TX**September 23—Desert Diamond Arena—Phoenix, AZ**September 24—Pechanga Arena—San Diego, CA** SOLD OUTSeptember 26—Crypto.com Arena—Los Angeles, CA** SOLD OUTSeptember 27—Crypto.com Arena—Los Angeles, CA** SOLD OUTSeptember 29—Oakland Arena—Oakland, CA** NEW DATE September 30—Chase Center—San Francisco, CA** SOLD OUTOctober 2—Rogers Arena—Vancouver, BC**October 4—Climate Pledge Arena—Seattle, WA** SOLD OUTOctober 6—Delta Center—Salt Lake City, UT**October 8—Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Morrison, CO** SOLD OUTOctober 10—United Center—Chicago, IL** SOLD OUTOctober 11—Target Center—Minneapolis, MN**October 13—Bridgestone Arena—Nashville, TN**October 15—Madison Square Garden—New York, NY** SOLD OUTOctober 16—Madison Square Garden—New York, NY** SOLD OUTOctober 19—Scotiabank Arena—Toronto, ON** SOLD OUTOctober 20—Scotiabank Arena—Toronto, ON** NEW DATEOctober 21—Place Bell—Laval, QC**October 23—Capital One Arena—Washington, DC**October 24—Wells Fargo Center—Philadelphia, PA**October 27—TD Garden—Boston MA***with The Virginia Symphony Orchestra†with The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra‡with The Cleveland Orchestra §with The Philadelphia Orchestra **with support from Suki Waterhouse 
Website | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | X
Patty Griffin Shares Western-Tinged Ballad, "Born In A Cage"; New Album Out July 25
PATTY GRIFFIN SHARES SECOND NEW SONG, “BORN IN A CAGE” - LISTEN
FROM HER UPCOMING RELEASE, CROWN OF ROSES
BUSY LIVE SCHEDULE INCLUDES HEADLINE SHOWS,
AND A VERY SPECIAL TOUR WITH RICKIE LEE JONES
CROWN OF ROSES ARRIVES FRIDAY, JULY 25, ON
GRIFFIN’S OWN PGM RECORDINGS VIA THIRTY TIGERS
PRE-ORDERS/PRE-SAVES AVAILABLE NOW
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
2x GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Patty Griffin has shared “Born In A Cage,” the second song from her new full-length opus, Crown Of Roses. The album is Griffin’s 11th studio collection and first in over six years. Crown Of Roses will be out on Friday, July 25, via her own PGM Recordings label via Thirty Tigers. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now.
“Born In A Cage” is an atmospheric, western-tinged ballad that contemplates a vanishing world with a beguiling sigh, blending warm fiddle and the warbling of the santur. The song captures what Griffin’s mother was experiencing as her time wound down and the natural beauty outside her window changed.
“At the end, my mom was noticing that the songbirds weren't showing back up in the spring, and rabbits and all kinds of animals were disappearing,” says Griffin. “Even the coyotes moved into Maine because they lost their habitat. There were all these changes to the delicate balance, and it must've been really hard to see.”
LISTEN TO “BORN IN A CAGE”
PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE CROWN OF ROSES
Crown Of Roses was heralded earlier in the month with the release of its first song, “Back At The Start.” With its purposeful position as song one on side one, “Back At The Start” sets the rich tone for the album, embodying a rhythmic and soulful shadowy shuffle written during the pandemic, junked, and then reclaimed. The murky yet pulsating track sees Griffin probing the idea of letting go of the stories we tell ourselves.
LISTEN TO “BACK AT THE START”
# # #
PATTY GRIFFIN
CROWN OF ROSES
(PGM Recordings Label/Thirty Tigers)
Release Date: July 25, 2025
Credit: Mishka Westell
Tracklist:
Back At The Start
Born In A Cage
The End
Longtime
All The Way Home
Way Up To The Sky
I Know A Way
A Word
# # #
Crown Of Roses sees Patty Griffin once again forming a poetic tapestry woven from the threads of love, loss, grief, disillusionment, resilience, and hope, shifting fluidly between intimate confessions, philosophical musings, and symbolic storytelling – all grounded in intensely human feelings and emotion. Burrowing into the stories she had long been telling herself, the award-winning songwriter ruminates on a vast array of themes and deeply personal topics, spanning the trajectory of women in the 20th and 21st centuries and communion with nature to the sound of her voice after cancer treatment made its mark to the relationship with her late mother, whose wedding day photo graces the album’s cover, set into artwork by Mishka Westell that captures many of her greatest loves, including the Maine woods of her – and Patty’s – childhood.
Produced by longtime collaborator Craig Ross and featuring musical contributions from her trusted band members David Pulkingham (guitar) and Michael Longoria (drums), the album drifts from spare folk to gauzy Americana to sly gospel blues over the course of eight moody new songs that evoke the scrubby west of Griffin’s adopted Texas and the calming verdancy of her home state of Maine. From the atmospheric “Born In A Cage” and the spectral “Long Time” (which includes a backing vocal cameo from Robert Plant) to the sparse, emotional authenticity of “Way Up To The Sky,” Crown of Roses is among Patty Griffin’s most profound works to date, continuing her exceptional talent for translating thorny concepts and finely wrought character studies into songs that speak as much to her own experience as they do to the lives of those who have loved her music now for more than three decades.
“If I try to hit things on the nose, they don’t feel authentic to me,” Griffin says. “If I can emotionally dance around things, it feels like I can be more honest singing it.”
Griffin will celebrate Crown of Roses by joining forces with legendary 2x GRAMMY® Award-winner Rickie Lee Jones for a very special tour. Dates begin October 10 at Philadelphia, MS’s Ellis Theater and then continue through a November 1 finale at Dallas, TX’s historic Longhorn Ballroom. Tickets are onsale now. For complete details and ticket information, please visit pattygriffin.com/tour.
“Rickie Lee has been a North Star for me,” says Griffin. “Knowing how undeniably sublime she is as a songwriter and performer has kept me more grounded. I mean, with songs like hers, I’ve reminded myself over and over, women have voices that need to be heard and that have great value.”
In addition, Griffin has slated a number of headline shows over the coming months. Highlights include a special record release show at New York City’s Sony Hall (July 29) and a home state headline performance at Houston, TX’s Heights Theater (October 8).
# # #
PATTY GRIFFIN - TOUR 2025
JUNE
27 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart’s Opera House
28 – Martinsville, OH – The Barn at Nowhere Else (SOLD OUT)
JULY
12 – Brevard, NC – Brevard Music Center - Patty Griffin and Rickie Lee Jones
29 – New York, NY – Sony Hall - Special Record Release Show
OCTOBER
2 - San Francisco, CA - Masonic Auditorium *
# # #
OCTOBER CO-BILL WITH RICKIE LEE JONES
8 – Houston, TX – Heights Theater
10 – Philadelphia, MS – The Ellis Theater
11 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
12 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom
13 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
16 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
17 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
18 – Medford, MA – Chevalier Theatre
20 – Lebanon, NH – Lebanon Opera House
21 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Center
23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Music Hall
24 – North Bethesda, MD – Music Center at Strathmore
26 – Cincinnati, OH – Memorial Hall
28 – Evanston, IL – Cahn Auditorium
29 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant
30 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
NOVEMBER
1 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom
*A Tribute to Emmylou Harris & 25 Years of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Feat. Emmylou Harris/ Steve Earle/Allison Russell/Buddy Miller/Rodney Crowell/Rosanne Cash/ Margo Price/ Shawn Colvin/ The War & Treaty
Along with Special Guests
(All proceeds to benefit Bonaparte’s Retreat)
crushed announces debut album due 9/26 + shares new single "starburn"
CRUSHED ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM
SHARES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO “STARBURN”
NO SCOPE DUE SEPTEMBER 26TH
VIA GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
crushed by Ben Rayner
no scope
PRE-SAVE / ORDER: https://ghostly.lnk.to/crushed-no-scope
"starburn”
LISTEN: https://ghostly.lnk.to/crushed-starburn
WATCH: https://youtu.be/o4RmyVrvYkY
What the press is saying about crushed:
"sexy, woozy, familiar yet alive with fresh possibility"
Pitchfork
"destined to give dream pop a fresh new face"
Alternative Press
NPR
“A euphoric re-imagining of 90s dream pop”
The Line of Best Fit
(June 25, 2025) - crushed announces their debut full length album no scope due September 26th via Ghostly International. Alongside the album announcement, crushed shares the lead single “starburn,” which arrives with a video directed by Luke Orlando. no scope follows crushed’s debut EP extra life released in 2023, which was the premier collaboration between musicians Bre Morrell and Shaun Durkan.
Speaking about the new single, Durkan shares, "starburn is about searching for hope on the brink of despair. I was reflecting on how I’ve spent my life, how I’ve used my time, and how desperate I've felt for it all to amount to something worthy of all the things I've sacrificed. A stable job, a family, my overall wellbeing, etc… and the fear that maybe I'd spent my life in vain searching in the wrong places for some kind of satisfaction / self worth. Maybe I missed a turn somewhere. The song is a cry for some kind of divine intervention, or for a blessing of cosmic luck to make me feel like my life could eventually add up to something that made sense to me before the fear and regret catches up and takes the wheel."
Recording out of various homes, not fixed to any single location (Morell from Texas, now based in Los Angeles, and Durkan in Portland, Oregon), crushed write the songs they want to hear, tuning from shared taste for trip-hop, Britpop, electronica, and the canon of '90s alt radio, a desire for emotionality, and an instinct for when it sounds right and honest; when it means something real to them. no scope embodies Morrell and Durkan’s trust in one another and in their craft. A "no scope" kill in the video game lexicon is achieved by shooting a sniper rifle at close range without scoping in on your target, an apt metaphor for two artists following their pop impulses, shooting from the hip with precision. On the triumphant no scope, crushed take life's best shots with their strongest work, wielding melodic, open-hearted hooks through a maze of breakbeats and spliced sound design with unprecedented immediacy and clarity. Next level, unlocked.
no scope follows extra life, the 2023 EP and debut collaboration between Morell, who also fronts the band Temple of Angels (Run For Cover Records), and Durkan, who has produced for others (Topographies, Young Prisms) following the 2010s run of his former band Weekend (Slumberland Records). Their first batch of songs together saw a groundswell of support, finding early fans in Pitchfork, NPR, and Ghostly International, who signed the band and gave extra life a wider physical release in 2024. extra life is home to the tracks “waterlily,” which received a remix from Real Lies, and “milksugar,” which received a remix from DJ Python last year. crushed capped the year with their first-ever shows in the UK, and tested new material and live arrangements in early 2025 as the album was finalized.
Written throughout the slow-simmering breakout, no scope finds the band driven to refocus, refine, and level up, to deliver on extra life's promise. Morell and Durkan started songs remotely, then alternated sessions between their living spaces and co-producer/mixer Jorge Elbrecht's house, a first for them after exclusively self-producing. Elbrecht brought his accomplished ear for melody and structure (credits include Japanese Breakfast, Hatchie, and Weyes Blood), helping them narrow down dozens of demos. More a culmination than a debut, no scope feels refreshingly unguarded and fine-tuned, a modern work from two artists coursing the crosshairs of life in real-time.
This Saturday, crushed will perform a headline show in New York City at Night Club 101 with support from double knee. And then this fall, crushed will join Cafuné on their North American tour for a run of 19 dates this September and October with performances in Washington, D.C., Montreal, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Austin, Brooklyn, and more. Tickets are available HERE.
Pre-order / save no scope and check out “starburn” above, see full upcoming live dates and album details below and stay tuned for more from crushed coming soon.
Upcoming Live Dates
^ = headline show
* = supporting Cafuné
6/28 – New York, NY @ Night Club 101^
9/19 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis*
9/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore*
9/22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall*
9/23 – Montréal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB*
9/24 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall*
9/26 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall*
9/27 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon*
9/30 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall*
10/2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge*
10/5 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios*
10/6 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile @ Madame Lou's*
10/8 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club*
10/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom*
10/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge*
10/14 – Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room @ House of Blues Dallas*
10/15 – Austin, TX @ The Parish*
10/17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Hell*
10/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Back Room @ Cat’s Cradle*
10/22 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
no scope album artwork
crushed
no scope
September 26th, 2025
Ghostly International
1. exo
2. starburn
3. cwtch
4. heartcontainer
5. oneshot
6. airgap1
7. meghan
8. licorice
9. silene
10. weaponx
11. celadon
12. airgap2
Connect with crushed:
Instagram | Website | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
June 24, 2025
Wisp Announces Debut Album + World Tour
WISP ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM & WORLD HEADLINING TOUR:
IF NOT WINTER OUT AUGUST 1
BREAKOUT SHOEGAZE STAR REALIZES A THRILLING SOUNDWORLD INFORMED BY HARDCORE, FOLK & POP
WATCH THE NEW "SAVE ME NOW" VISUALIZER HERE
BIGGEST SHOWS YET IN NORTH AMERICA, UK & EU;
PLUS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED DATES SUPPORTING SYSTEM OF A DOWN
Photo by Elinor Kry
PRAISE FOR WISP
"The new face of nü gaze"
Alt Press (Winter 2024 Cover)
"Gen Z’s ambassador for the opaque and brutal"
LA Times
“a vortex of serrated guitars and ethereal vocals”
NY Times
“TikTok’s shoegaze goddess...it’s not hard to hear why”
NPR Music
“Ascending to the forefront of a shoegaze resurgence”
Pigeons & Planes
“The unassuming shoegaze savior the genre deserves”
Consequence
“The most audacious shoegaze release of 2024"
Uproxx
“A wall-to-wall shoegaze heater”
Nylon
Today, Wisp announces the August 1 release of If Not Winter, the long-awaited debut album that represents a complete realization of a boundary-exploding vision for shoegaze. She also announces an extensive headlining world tour, see full dates below.
Inspired by a thriving community of artistic friends, mentors, and collaborators, If Not Winter finds Wisp synthesizing disparate sonic universes into a singular and evocative aesthetic. Incorporating the melodic sophistication of pop's most versatile songwriters, folk's narrative poetry, and the hierarchy-smashing communal ideals of hardcore, If Not Winter is a landmark release from one of 2025's most vital young rock artists.
Pre-Save / Pre-Order If Not Winter here.
If Not Winter heightens its diaristic lyrics with elements of medieval fantasy. At its core, it's a quest, throughout which she picks up magic talismans or holy grails from villages she can now call home. Ethereal yet extremely close to the heart, it's a triumph of brave exploration and experimental cartography.
To celebrate the announcement, she also shares a visualizer for her recent single "Save me now," her grungiest track to date.
Watch the official visualizer for "Save Me Now" here.
Having just made her debut appearances at Coachella and Bonnaroo (one of the lucky few to get to perform this year), Wisp also announces extensive headlining tour dates. These are in addition to previously announced shows supporting System of a Down, KORN, Deftones, and Avenged Sevenfold.
Find full tour dates here and listed below. Artist / Spotify Fans First pre-sale begins Thursday, June 26 at 10:00am local. General on-sale begins Friday, June 27 at 10:00am local.
Inspired by the likes of Whirr and Slowdive (who, in a dream come true, she toured with in 2024), Wisp has crafted a distinct and sophisticated sound that strives to realize the expansive possibilities of rock music. Pigeons & Planes rightfully predicted that “it is only a matter of time before Wisp becomes Gen-Z’s go-to ethereal fix,” while Notion declared that she is “bringing shoegaze back with a vengeance.”
Wisp has graced the global cover of Apple Music's New Music Daily playlist, reached hundreds of millions of streams across all platforms, was named an artist to watch by NYLON, Pigeons & Planes, Spotify Lorem Artist To Watch, Amazon Breakthrough Artists, Consequence Artist of the Month, and YouTube Music Artist On The Rise Trending, She's been featured in print in The New York Times and the LA Times, graced the cover of Alt Press's recent Winter edition, and has been featured across the web in Rolling Stone, Stereogum, PAPER, Brooklyn Vegan, and many more.
Her debut single, "Your face," hit #10 on the Billboard Hot Hard Rock Songs: a telling indicator of her immediacy and powerful melodic instincts. "Your face" now sits at over 110M streams on Spotify alone, she has amassed over 250M total cross-platform streams and has reached a quarter of a million followers on Instagram.
In May of 2024, she played her live debut in Los Angeles to two sold-out crowds of die-hard fans wearing homemade merch. Just three months later, she played her first major festivals at Lollapalooza, Levitation, Camp Flog Gnaw, and Corona Capital. She's even headlined her own sold-out shows on three different continents: North America, Europe, and Asia.
If Not Winter is due on August 1 via Interscope, Pre-Save / Pre-Order here.
TOUR DATES
August 22: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
August 23: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
August 24: Boston, MA @ Royale Boston
August 27: East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Korn)
August 28: East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Korn)
August 31: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (Supporting System Of A Down & Avenged Sevenfold)
September 1: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (Supporting System Of A Down & Avenged Sevenfold)
September 3: Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Deftones)
September 5: Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium (Supporting System Of A Down & Deftones)
September 6: Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
September 7: Detroit, MI @ El Club
September 8: Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
September 10: Chicago, IL @ Metro
September 11: Saint Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
September 13: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
September 14: Salt Lake City, UT @ TBD
September 16: Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
September 18: Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
September 19: Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
September 21: San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
September 23: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
September 26: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
September 27: El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
September 29: Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
September 30: Austin, TX @ Mohawk
October 1: Houston, TX @ Numbers
October 3: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
October 4: Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
October 22: Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
October 23: Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
October 24: London, UK @ EartH
October 25: Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie
October 27: Brussels, BE @ Botanique
October 28: Cologne, DE @ Luxor
October 29: Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Old Room
October 31: Hamburg, DE @ headCRASH
November 1: Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
November 2: Warsaw, PL @ Klub Hybrydy
Stay connected with Wisp:
23 Profile | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok
TOPS shares new single + 'Bury The Key' due 8/22
TOPS SHARES NEW SINGLE “FALLING ON MY SWORD”
NEW ALBUM BURY THE KEY DUE AUGUST 22ND VIA GHOSTLY INTERNATIONAL
Photo Credit: JJ Stratford
“Montreal indie pop institution”
EXCLAIM!
“The band's soft-rock jangle beckon[s] us to get with the times no matter what side of the generation line you fall on.”
NPR
“Near-perfect songwriting”
Pitchfork
“Sophisticated production, nostalgic synths and gorgeous tunes”
The Guardian
“Insanely addictive”
DIY Magazine
“Falling On My Sword”
LISTEN: https://ghostly.lnk.to/TOPS-Falling-on-my-Sword
Bury The Key
PRE-SAVE/ORDER: https://ghostly.lnk.to/TOPS-Bury-the-Key
(June 24, 2025) - Montréal band TOPS shares “Falling On My Sword,” the third single from their forthcoming album Bury The Key due August 22nd via Ghostly International.
Showing another facet of their darker side, "Falling On My Sword" channels band member David Carriere's love of hardcore punk from an arrangement perspective, "but played in our style" he says. "We were joking around quite a bit when we started writing this song, Jane was playing bass which is very out of the norm for us. It’s written from the perspective of a teen girl who thinks that everyone sucks and the societal norm of monogamous commitment is pathetic. I guess it could be from the perspective of an adult as well. We tried to lay the song out in the form of a hardcore punk/beatdown tune, with tritone power chords and a breakdown (for moshing). In the end it sounds more like a TOPS song than anything else but it was a fun diversion that led us to a cool new place."
TOPS — musicians Jane Penny, David Carriere, Marta Cikojevic and Riley Fleck — write timeless music that reliably threads immediacy and depth. Bury the Key, their first full-length since 2020 and with new label home Ghostly International, is a captivating reintroduction for the Montréal band: ever refined, undoubtedly masters of their melodic craft yet unafraid of evolving and testing themselves against different, at times darker tones.
Bury The Key faces feelings once locked away, engaging the give-and-take between happiness, hedonism, and self-destruction. While often inhabited by fictional figures, their glowing, grooving, self-produced songs draw from personal observations: intimacy (both inside and outside the band), toxic behavior, drug use, and apocalyptic dread. When recording started, they noticed a shift and leaned in, jokingly dubbed "evil TOPS," says Penny. "We're always kind of seen as a soft band or like naive or friendly in a Canadian way, but we made it a challenge to really channel the world around us." Through the lens of a looming epoch and the clarity that comes with age, TOPS dip into a more sinister disco realm with Bury the Key, giving their soft-focus sophisti-pop a sharpened edge.
Emerging from Montréal's DIY scene in the early 2010s as progenitors of an indie pop sound still radiating its influence across the contemporary landscape, TOPS’ secret to longevity is simple: keep the songwriting honest and open-hearted and the recording unforced yet pristine, allowing for a band dynamic deeply attuned at every level. Their songs outline the silhouettes of life, and as time goes on — now five LPs, countless tours, and various side projects in — TOPS have only gotten better at what they do.
The voice of TOPS is Jane Penny, a songwriter, producer, flutist, and singer whose hushed delivery hosts a deceivingly vast range of expression and has surely informed a wave of today's greats from Men I Trust to Clairo. Her lyrical subjects never go out of style: dynamics of power, desire, struggles to be seen, having love requited or otherwise. Following her move back to Montréal and first solo release in 2024, Penny returns to the neighbourhoods of her former self a step wiser; the sleek cars and forever highways of her songs, penned with her rhythmic counterpart David Carriere, find assured depth in Bury the Key. Carriere, a songwriter, producer, and guitarist with a flair for high-sheen hooks and the relentless drive to match (other projects include DVC Refreshments and Born At Midnite), adds to his bag of tonal and textural tricks. Drummer Riley Fleck, the band's heartbeat since day one and occasional gun for others (Jessica Pratt's live band as of late), broadens his utility, venturing into higher and harder tempos. Keyboardist Marta Cikojevic, who joined TOPS in 2017 just before the landmark I Feel Alive and in 2022 released her breakout debut as Marci (produced by Carriere), expands her role here as well, joining the writing process and backing Penny for some of the record's fullest, most satisfying vocal lines.
It is rare to see a band so aligned and complete, self-sufficient, specialized yet agile and ambitious, reaching an elite level of pop precision as their legacy remains largely unwritten. They've toured the world over, from major festivals to the dingiest of dives, sleeping on floors and tour-managing themselves for years, manifesting their success the hard way. Beyond work ethic, it also comes down to chemistry and taste; when pressed for which artists get airplay in their van, some expected names appear, Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan, but dig deeper and the veneer of artists like China Crisis, Prefab Sprout, and Francois Hardy, Missing Persons, and Everything But the Girl start to fill out the playlist. An instinct for luster and thrills, songs both sweet and bleak, brings the band to Bury the Key, a prismatic album polished out of the rough. Grounded by pain and pleasure, the complicated joys of being alive, of being a band from one of our era's finest.
Pre-save/order Bury the Key, listen to "Falling On My Sword" above and find full tour and album details below.
Upcoming Live Shows
9/4 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
9/5 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
9/6 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile (EARLY SHOW)
9/8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
9/9 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
9/11 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada - Outdoor Stage
9/12 – Houston, TX @ Heights Theater
9/14 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
9/15 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
9/17 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
9/18 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
9/19 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
9/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
10/1 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/2 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
10/3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
10/4 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/6 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/7 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
10/8 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10/9 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
10/11 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
10/14 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
10/16 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
10/17 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/18 – Montreal, QC @ Théâtre Beanfield
11/10 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns
11/11 – London, UK @ Heaven
11/13 – Dublin, IE @ Workmans Club
11/14 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
11/15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
11/17 – Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club
11/18 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade
11/10 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns
11/11 – London, UK @ Heaven
11/13 – Dublin, IE @ Workmans Club
11/14 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
11/15 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
11/17 – Leeds, UK @ The Brudenell Social Club
11/18 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade
11/20 – Kortrijk, BE @ Wilde Westen
11/21 – Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
11/22 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
11/23 – Vlaardingen, NL @ De Kroepoekfabriek
11/24 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher
11/26 – Berlin, DE @ Neue Zukunft
Bury the Key album artwork
TOPS
Bury the Key
Ghostly International
August 22nd, 2025
1. Stars Come After You
2. Wheels at Night
3. ICU2
4. Outstanding in the Rain
5. Annihilation
6. Falling on my Sword
7. Call You Back
8. Chlorine
9. Mean Streak
10. Your Ride
11. Standing at the Edge of Fire
12. Paper House
Connect with TOPS:
Freezing Cold Announce 'Treasure Pool' LP via Don Giovanni | "Backlight" Single/Video | US Tour
Freezing Cold
Announce Brand New Studio Album, Treasure Pool
due out August 1 via Don Giovanni Records
Unleash “ Backlight ” Single + Video
US Tour Kicks Off Next Month
Tour dates below + here
7/31: Malden, MA @ Faces Brewing
8/1: Providence, RI @ Daisy Cutter
8/2: Holyoke, MA @ Holyoke Media
8/3: New Brunswick, NJ @ In the West
8/2: New York, NY @ Trans Pecos
8/21: Lehigh Valley, PA @ National Sokols
8/23: Philadelphia, PA @ God's Autobody
8/24: Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Credit: August Stadnik
Freezing Cold today announce their sophomore album Treasure Pool due out August 1 via Don Giovanni Records. Inspired by '90s alternative and indie sounds, the new collection challenges classic "rock radio" structure while also embracing it. With bouncing percussion, indie-pop guitar licks and tender vocal harmonies, album opener “Backlight” – out today alongside an official video – was inspired by the discovery of an old box of undeveloped film and what surfaces from reflecting on the past through the unearthed images.
“If you’re part of the disposable camera generation, you probably know the feeling of flipping through a stack of old photos and getting hit with a flood of emotions,” shares Jeff Cunningham. “Some are total mysteries, completely lost in time. Since you made that 4x6 memory, life added context. People have passed away. Others, you thought you’d know for years to come. Some of those expectations held true, others not quite. We tried to capture the weird mix of nostalgia and surprise on what is probably the poppiest song on the album.”
Watch / Share: “Backlight” video
Freezing Cold was co-founded in 2017 by seasoned indie-punk musicians Angie Boylan (touring/session drummer in Sleater-Kinney, Aye Nako, Cheeky) on drums and Jeff Cunningham (Bridge & Tunnel, Ordinary Lives) on guitar and vocals, now joined by bassist Leanne Butkovic who brings a new perspective and fresh energy to the band. They tracked the 10 songs over two years and three separate sessions at Lakehouse Recording Studios in Asbury Park, NJ with friends Eric Bennett and Marissa Paternoster (Screaming Females).
Freezing Cold has a penchant for diving into the familiar, relatable moments of being alive. The NYC indie rock three-piece effortlessly layers catchy guitar, airy keys, textured synths and woodwinds with ethereal three-part harmonies and poignant lyrics. The world Freezing Cold has created in Treasure Pool is a collection of masterfully written rock songs about getting older, finding new ways forward, and staying curious.
Treasure Pool tracklist:
1. Backlight
2. Off Season
3. Half Static
4. You Already Know
5. Golden
6. Silhouettes
7. Eclipse
8. Measures
9. Win Lose
10. The Day
MADISON MCFERRIN RELEASES NEW ALBUM 'SCORPIO'
MADISON MCFERRIN RELEASES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SOPHOMORE ALBUM SCORPIO
WATCH HER TINY DESK PERFORMANCE HERE
HEADLINE TOUR KICKS OFF SEPTEMBER 20
PRESS PRAISE FOR MADISON MCFERRIN
“Madison McFerrin is ready to begin a new era. “Ain’t It Nice,” a sleek house-infused soul track that explores the allure of new infatuation across a swirling mixture of groovy drum loops and twinkling synths, finds McFerrin flaunting her intimate understanding of vocal dynamics and pacing.” - BILLBOARD
“Meticulously calculated to promise delight” - THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Madison McFerrin sounds ready for stardom” - THE FADER
"A grandeur of waterfall runs and harmonies" - NYLON
"Madison McFerrin stacks the harmonies sky-high and obscures the secular/sacred line" - OKAYPLAYER
“A magnetic performer who’s a decade in and can have a crowd in the palm of her hand, ready to be crushed by each vocal run or devastating turn of phrase” - VINYL ME PLEASE
"If you don’t know who Madison McFerrin is by now, you ought to be ashamed of yourself because since she burst out to the mainstream in 2019, she’s been that one person who you can’t wait to hear music from." - AFROPUNK
“Velvet soul and rhythmic elasticity...There’s a touch of jazz in the arrangement, while the arresting vocal puts us in mind of Erykah Badu in its emotive opulence." - CLASH
"Ethereal and a joy to hear." - SOUL BOUNCE
Today, fiercely independent artist, producer, and musician Madison McFerrin shares her highly anticipated sophomore album SCORPIO. Her first full-length project since her critically acclaimed debut, I Hope You Can Forgive Me, SCORPIO leans into Madison’s singular sound where intimate vocal layering, warm harmonies, and minimalist production meet the emotional depth of soul and the exploratory edge of electronic music.
McFerrin says, “SCORPIO is by far the most personal music I’ve ever written, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. There’s nothing like a breakup to get the best out of you—it was as if the music demanded it of me. SCORPIO is for everyone who has ever felt lost, fought like hell to find themselves, and for those who are still summoning the strength to do so.” For Madison, love—specifically self-love—is a teacher, a revealer of truths. It’s this album’s inspiration and, ultimately, her savior. “ I went through what I went through to emerge on the other side of it of a better person and to find love,” she confides. I truly believe that I went through it because I've created art that's going to change my life.” SCORPIO is what it sounds like when the stars align.
Leading up to its release, Madison delivered a soulful preview of the album’s sonic world for NPR’s Tiny Desk, performing songs from SCORPIO. Her unique display of live vocal looping, a gospel-inspired call and response sequence, with the support of a 7-piece Chicago-based band has reached over 500,000 YouTube views. On June 27, she will bring SCORPIO to the stage in New York City at The Rockaway Hotel to celebrate its release, and in September she will kick off a North American headline tour, hitting major US markets including San Diego, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, making its way to wrap up in Chicago. Purchase tickets HERE.
Known for her singular sound where intimate vocal layering, warm harmonies, and minimalist production meet the emotional depth of soul and the exploratory edge of electronic music, Madison McFerrin’s music floats at the intersection of soul and spirit, where the human voice becomes both instrument and incantation. This year ahead of the album, Madison delivered singles “I Don’t”, a hypnotic, heart-spilled elegy for a love unraveled co-produced by WILLOW, and “Ain’t It Nice”, a sultry and enigmatic track that delves into themes of deception and the complexities of relationship. With little more than breath, tone, and looped whispers, McFerrin can weave cathedrals of sound—hymns to vulnerability, resilience, and grace. Her style, dubbed “future soul,” feels less like a genre and more like a celestial language: rooted in the echoes of jazz and gospel, but pulsing with the shimmer of tomorrow. Each track is an offering, intimate as a secret, expansive as a sky—music that doesn’t just ask to be heard, but felt, deeply and wholly.
Across her fruitful independent career, spanning three EPs, a debut album and multiple collaborations, Madison has earned accolades from the likes of The New York Times, Billboard, NPR, FADER, Nylon, Vulture, BET and Pitchfork, who named her a Rising Artist in 2018. Her artistry has led to Questlove dubbing her early sound “soul-appella.” In addition to stirring performances on the renowned COLORS series and KEXP’s Live on KEXP series, Madison has also performed at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Central Park SummerStage and BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, and shared stages with the likes of Robert Glasper, Jamila Woods, De La Soul, Gallant, and The Roots. Off the stage, Madison’s music has been featured in one of this year’s most celebrated films thus far One of Them Days, as well as episodes of Comedy Central’s Broad City and HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness. Over the course of her career, she has mesmerized crowds at packed out shows nationwide and overseas, which she will continue this month in NYC on June 27 at The Rockaway Hotel to celebrate the highly anticipated release of SCORPIO, and this summer at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival on August 30.
LISTEN TO SCORPIO
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/madisonmcferrin/scorpio
LISTEN/STREAM “I DON’T”
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/madisonmcferrin/i-dont
WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “I DON’T”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyM4kQtBS4E
LISTEN/STREAM “AIN’T IT NICE”
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/madisonmcferrin/aint-it-nice
WATCH THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “AIN’T IT NICE”
https://youtu.be/nsTEar1ebYQ?feature=shared
SCORPIO TOUR DATES
Tue Sep 30 – Phoenix, AZ – Hotel Congress
Wed Oct 1 – San Diego, CA – Belly Up
Thu Oct 2 – Los Angeles, CA – Roxy
Fri Oct 3 – San Francisco, CA – August Hall
Sun Oct 5 – Portland, OR – The Get Down
Mon Oct 6 – Vancouver, BC – Fox Cabaret
Fri Oct 10 – Durham NC – Durham NC
Sun Oct 12 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
Wed Oct 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Thu Oct 16 – Vienna, VA – Jammin Java
Sun Oct 19 – Holyoke, MA – De La Luz
Mon Oct 20 – Portland, ME – SPACE
Wed Oct 22 – Detroit, MI – El Club
Thu Oct 23 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
The Bob Dylan Center Goes Electric with members of Sonic Youth, Wilco, X and more Juy 26 at Cain's Ballroom // "Going Electric: Bob Dylan '65" exhibition opens July 24
Show posterJune 24, 2025 —The Bob Dylan Center will celebrate its newest exhibition, “Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65,” with two special performances by The Million Dollar Bashers, featuring members of Sonic Youth, X, Wilco and more on July 26 at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma.The Million Dollar Bashers are an ad hoc supergroup featuring Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth; John Doe of X; Nels Cline and Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco; Ethan Miller of Howlin Rain; singer-songwriter Sunny War; three-time U.S. Poet Laureate and Bob Dylan Center artist-in-residence Joy Harjo, accompanied by Doug Keith; dream-pop duo Dean & Britta of Luna; singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock; and singer-songwriter Emma Swift. Ranaldo will serve as musical director for the evening.The name “Million Dollar Bashers” is a nod to the musicians, including Ranaldo, Shelley and Doe, who played on the soundtrack to the 2007 Todd Haynes-directed Dylan biopic “I’m Not There.” Dylan first recorded the song “Million Dollar Bash” with The Band in 1967 and officially released it as part of the “Basement Tapes” collection in 1975. The evening’s set list will highlight Dylan songs from 1965, when he shocked fans at the annual Newport Folk Festival by playing an electrified rock-and-roll set with members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The same year saw the release of Dylan’s landmark albums “Bringing It All Back Home” and “Highway 61 Revisited.”"I can't wait to hear what Lee Ranaldo and the Million Dollar Bashers—featuring many of our favorite artists—have in store for this celebration of the "Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65" exhibition, said Steven Jenkins, director of the Bob Dylan Center. "With amazing vocalists like Dean & Britta, John Doe, Robyn Hitchcock, Emma Swift, Sunny War and our artist-in-residence Joy Harjo on stage alongside a crazy-great house band led by Lee, I expect we'll get Dylan classics and deep cuts performed with passion and inventiveness by these longtime fans."The concerts will conclude a week of Dylan-related festivities in Tulsa, including the opening of the comprehensive exhibit “Going Electric: Bob Dylan ’65” and the return of the biannual World of Bob Dylan conference organized by the University of Tulsa.Tickets will be available for two concert times: a seated early show at 6:30 p.m. and a standing-room-only late show at 9:30 p.m. Sales open to Bob Dylan Center members on Wednesday, June 25, at 10 a.m. CT; to World of Bob Dylan Conference registrants on Thursday, June 26, at 10 a.m. CT; and to the general public on Friday, June 27, at 10 a.m. CT.Premium table seating and sponsorship opportunities support Bob Dylan Center's outreach initiatives and public programs are available for the early, seated event. Interested parties may reach out to members@bobdylancenter.com for more information.“Going Electric,” the center’s most comprehensive exhibit to date, chronicles the rise of folk-rock in 1965, culminating with the Newport Folk Festival. The exhibit features an original manuscript of “Mr. Tambourine Man” along with Mike Bloomfield’s electric guitar from the Newport performance, and other rarely- or never-before-seen artifacts.An exclusive member opening of the exhibit will be held on Wednesday, July 23, at the center followed by a one-time screening at Circle Cinema of rare footage of Dylan's controversial July 25, 1965, performance at the Newport Folk Festival and Q&A.More information about the concert, exhibit and memberships are available at bobdylancenter.com.About the Bob Dylan CenterThe Bob Dylan Center, located at 116 E. Reconciliation Way in Tulsa, Oklahoma, inspires and celebrates fearless creativity by exploring the music and artistry of the Nobel Prize–winning singer-songwriter as a catalyst for personal expression and cultural change. As the primary public venue for the Bob Dylan Archive® collection, the center curates and exhibits a priceless collection of more than 100,000 items spanning Dylan’s career, including handwritten manuscripts, notebooks and correspondence; films, videos, photographs and artwork; memorabilia and ephemera; personal documents and effects; unreleased studio and concert recordings; musical instruments and many other elements. The center presents a full roster of public programs including concerts, film screenings and author talks. Since opening in May 2022, the Bob Dylan Center has welcomed visitors from all 50 states and nearly 40 countries. The center has garnered numerous design awards and accolades from publications including the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Variety, Uncut and Mojo.
bobdylancenter.com
The Third Mind Announce New Studio Album 'Right Now!' out September 19 on Yep Roc Records
The Third Mind Announce New Studio Album Right Now!
Out September 19 on Yep Roc Records
All-star supergroup embraces spontaneity and spirit on genre-blurring sonic
journey captured live in the studio over four days
Listen/Share: “Darkness, Darkness”
Los Angeles, CA – June 24, 2025 – The Third Mind will release Right Now!, their highly anticipated third studio album, September 19 on Yep Roc Records. Today, the all-star collective unveils the first single, a rendition of The Youngbloods’ “Darkness, Darkness,” shared in memory of Jesse Colin Young.
Recorded live over four days at 64 Sound Recording Studio in Los Angeles, Right Now! is a masterclass in instinct and improvisation by skillful musicians meeting in real time to find the songs as they go. “Everything about this record is intuitive,” says GRAMMY award-winning singer/songwriter and guitarist and The Third Mind co-founder Dave Alvin. “It’s five musicians walking a tightrope, improvising in dialogue with each other and finding the songs in real time.”
What began as a free-form studio experiment between Alvin and Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, Monks of Doom, Eyelids), inspired by the spontaneity of Miles Davis’ improvisational work, The Third Mind morphed into a supergroup enlisting guitarist David Immerglück (Counting Crows, John Hiatt, Monks of Doom, Camper Van Beethoven), drummer Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Better Than Ezra, John Cale), and singer/songwriter Jesse Sykes (Jesse Sykes & The Sweeter Hereafter), whose mesmerizing vocal presence Alvin credits as the band’s anchor. “To me, Jesse’s vocals are the glue that holds this whole thing together,” says Alvin. “Her voice is so unique, and she sings with such intense introspection that it just sucks you in.”
Like its predecessors, Right Now! draws heavily from the 1960s songbook, reimaging classics with fearless creativity. The unpredictable and engrossing sonic journey is a boundary-blurring blend of psychedelic rock, folk, blues, and soul, featuring expansive, kaleidoscopic take on songs by Elizabeth Cotten, Otis Rush, Pharoah Sanders, and Mimi & Richard Fariña, alongside one standout original: the hauntingly sensual “Before We Said Goodbye,” which channels the atmospheric heights of Jefferson Airplane.
From the reworking of Elizabeth Cotten’s “Shake Sugaree,” filtered through Fred Neil’s 1966 version, to the eerie traditional murder ballad “Pretty Polly,” which lands somewhere between The Grateful Dead and Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Right Now! is “not a concept record,” says Krummenacher, “but there’s a darkness that flows beneath the surface of everything (including Lou Beach’s brilliant collage on the cover).” The band unleashes a searing interpretation of “Reno, Nevada” by Mimi & Richard Fariña and an ominously piercing take on Otis Rush’s “Reap What You Sow” before closing on a transcendent note with Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has A Master Plan.”
Despite the album’s sprawling nature, The Third Mind abides by a few core guidelines: show up, don’t overthink it, and surrender to the moment; no rehearsals, no written arrangements, no discussions on approach, just a list of songs and keys meant to serve as a guide on the band’s journey toward wherever the spirit takes them. “We record in a circle all looking at each other and cut everything live in just two or three takes,” says Dave. “It’s simultaneously the most old-fashioned and most modern way we could make a record. Every single note we play is in service of the song and our interpretation of it in that moment.”
Their self-titled 2020 debut album earned acclaim from American Songwriter, which praised it as “a captivating, often enthralling journey,” while The New York Times placed their sound at the crossroads of “Appalachia, the Byrds, and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme.” Following the band’s live debut at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and the 2023 release of The Third Mind 2 the band captured a series of tour dates for 2025’s sprawling The Third Mind Live - Live Mind, which also featured guitarist Mark Karan (Ratdog, Phil Lesh).
In support of the new album, the band will play a West Coast run of dates beginning June 28 in Northern California, with additional Midwest and East Coast shows to be announced soon. A complete list of dates is below and tickets are available here.
L to R: Michael Jerome, Dave Alvin, Jesse Sykes, Willie Aron, David Immerglück, Victor Krummenacher
Photo credit: Craig Parker Adams
The Third Mind: On Tour
June 28 - Chuck Prophet’s Summertime Thing / Rio Nido Roadhouse - Guerneville CA
June 29 - HopMonk Tavern - Novato, CA
July 6 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA
September 11-13 Campout at Pappy & Harriet’s - Pioneertown, CA
Note: tour dates to feature Dave Alvin, Jesse Sykes, Victor Krummenacher, Michael Jerome, and Mark Karan
Right Now! Tracklisting:
1.Shake Sugaree - Elizabeth Cotten
2. Pretty Polly - Traditional adapted by Judy Collins/Michael Sahl
3. Before We Said Goodbye - Jesse Sykes/Dave Alvin
4. Reno, Nevada - Richard Fariña
5. Reap What You Sow - Michael Bloomfield/Nick Gravenities
6. Darkness, Darkness - Jesse C. Young
7. The Creator Has a Master Plan - Ferrell Lee Sanders/Leon Thomas
Follow The Third Mind
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Slow Crush reveal “While You Dream Vividly” - New album 'Thirst' on Pure Noise - Headlining Fall Tour
Slow Crush Release “While You Dream Vividly” Single
Listen / Share
New Album Thirst Out August 29 on Pure Noise Records
Headlining North American Tour This Fall
Slow Crush L-R: Jelle Harde Ronsmans (Guitar / Vocals), Isa Holliday (vocals, bass), Frederik Meeuwis (Drums), Nic Placklé (Guitar) | Photo By Stefaan Temmerman
Slow Crush’s “While You Dream Vividly” is a hauntingly ethereal journey through the layers of longing and surrender. “We wanted to capture the sensation of being tethered to someone yet drifting weightlessly, lost in the surreal beauty of the moment,” the band reveal. With its slow, hypnotic rhythm and melancholic tones, the song pulls listeners into a dreamscape where time fades and only connection remains. Frontwoman Isa Holliday’s gorgeous “true blue” lyrics echo like a timeless promise, leaving you floating, falling, and forever yearning.
Listen / Share / Playlist “While You Dream Vividly” | Visualizer Here
On Thirst, Slow Crush’s dynamic textures, propulsive rhythms and gauzy riffs glow bright as ever, but this time with more grit. The past few years off the road have given the four-piece space to breathe and create since the release of their two critically acclaimed albums, Aurora (2018) and Hush (2021), which have sold over several tens of thousands physical copies, cementing them on the forefront of rock / shoegaze. When the time came to head into the studio, vocalist / bassist Isa Holliday, drummer Frederik Meeuwis, guitarists Jelle Ronsmans and Nic Placlé decamped to The Ranch in Southampton, U.K., to work with producer Lewis Johns with no expectations in mind, aside from a metamorphosis.
Thirst’s ten tracks are a thematic cascade of noise that echoes the end and bursts into new life. The riffs are heavier, the vocals are dreamier and more emotional than ever. Isa broke new ground in her vulnerability when while in the recording booth. There were several songs she couldn’t record without dissolving into tears – her deepest excavation of feelings yet.
Thirst’s overarching theme is what Isa describes as “the romance of being with a loved one”. Although being away from someone close for long periods might strain that bond at times, the return can feel glorious, the connection sparkling new again for a while. Slow Crush set out to capture the feeling of being tethered yet feeling weightless, absorbed in the surreal beauty of the quiet moments with someone.
Isa explains, “We want people to let themselves go and feel embraced by the music, so that they can experience it in 4D. That's what we hear a lot from people who come to see us live, or people who've listened to our previous albums, is that we take them to another dimension. I think that's something that we miss in this day and age with everything that's going on in the world, making us very aware of everything outside, but not allowing us to just be in the moment as much as you should. We want to let people take a moment for themselves and let the music take them wherever they would like to go.”
Thirst sees its release August 29 via Pure Noise Records, their first for the label. Slow Crush are set for a headlining Fall run which kicks off on the East Coast in early September and covers both coasts, the midwest and more. Tickets are on sale now. See below for a full list of dates and artwork.
Thirst Tracklist:
1 - Thirst
2 - Covet
3 - Cherry
4 - Leap
5 - Hollow
6 - Haven
7 - While You Dream Vividly
8 - Bloodmoon
9 - Ógilt
10 - Hlýtt
Slow Crush Live Dates:
Jun 27: Resurrection fest - Viveiro, ES
Jul 05: Breakout festival - Berlin, DE
Aug 07: Brutal Assault - Okruzni, CZ
Aug 08: Void fest - Waldmunchen, DE
Sep 04: Allentown, PA - Arrow
Sep 05: Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry
Sep 06: Boston, MA - The Sinclair
Sep 07: Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sep 09: Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
Sep 10: Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
Sep 11: Detroit, MI - El Club
Sep 12: Chicago, IL - Reggie's
Sep 13: Indianapolis, IN - HiFi
Sep 14: St. Louis, MO - Duck Room
Sep 16: Fort Worth, TX - Tulips
Sep 17: Austin, TX - Radio/East
Sep 19: Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
Sep 20: Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
Sep 21: Oakland, CA - Crybaby
Sep 23: Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Sep 24: Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
Sep 26: Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Sep 27: Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
Sep 29: Kansas City, MO - RecordBar
Oct 01: Nashville, TN - The '58
Oct 02: Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Oct 03: Durham, NC - The Fruit
Oct 04: Richmond, VA - The Broadberry
Oct 05: Washington, DC - Union Stage
SLOW CRUSH | X | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
