Mar 24, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E16 • Magana


I'm thrilled to share the exciting news about Magana's upcoming album release on the latest episode of ititbeyourwill Podcast! 'Teeth,' the second album from Magana, is set to be launched on March 25th, perfectly timed to coincide with the peak illumination of the Worm Moon. This highly anticipated record will be available through Audio Antihero Records. Magana, the solo project of talented multi-instrumentalist Jeni Magaña, has been making waves in the music scene in recent years. With a unique blend of creativity and passion, Magana's music is sure to captivate audiences far and wide with her “Witchy Rock” for the masses. Enjoy 🎙️

The sound of late-night
emotional fragility writ
large...Recalling Torres and
Sharon Van Etten at their
most intimate moments…
Magana’s parched vocal is
a complete heartbreaker.”
– The Line of Best Fit

“Through music, I have
learned the shape of
desire – contoured and
faceted, with the texture
of velvet and the sheen of
spilt oil on the blacktop. In
Magana I feel it again.” -
Collapse Board

"Feels expansive and
breathlessly travelled." –
Gold Flake Paint



Mar 23, 2024

Cosmo Sheldrake • Interdimensional (Live from the studio) • 2024


On the new tracks, Cosmo says, “‘Interdimensional’ felt as though it came almost in one long thought, but it took about four all-night sessions for it to emerge. It is another one that came to me while on a solo musical retreat in Somerset. It is about the feeling of losing the normal sense of self, and features the wonderful HOWL.”

“‘I Stitched My Mind Back To My Body’ was the first song I recorded from start to finish in my new studio. It started with me shuffling around stomping and clapping trying to find the best sweet spot on the floor for a good stomp. I like how much the sound of the space itself is present. It is a song about attempting to fuse the body and mind after centuries of unsuccessful attempts to prise them apart.”


Logan Lynn • To Be Of Use - SOFTCORE Short Film Scene 1 • 2024




“This track is a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs — originally written and recorded by SMOG — and for me, it’s about wanting to feel useful in a relationship, and in the world in general. It starts off soft and spare and slowly builds into a banger dance track. As the album opener, I wanted it to set the tone for the entire release: Find me at the intersection of masculinity and femininity, of hard and soft. This song embodies that.” - Logan Lynn

Mar 21, 2024

Tanlines • Vanishing Point • 2024

ifthisbeyourwill S03 E15 • Shaina Hayes


Raised in Shigawake, in the Gaspésie region of Québec, Shaina Hayes grew up listening to singer-songwriters like Feist, Joni Mitchell and Regina Spektor, traditional country artists such as Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, and modern country stars, including Shania Twain and The Chicks. After studying agricultural sciences at McGill University in Montreal, she returned to her rural hometown and began recording and co-producing her self-released debut album, to coax a waltz, which came out in April 2022. Bohsound

On her latest release, Kindergarten Heart, Shania lays down indie folk pop melodies that support her explorations of nature and her connection to it! It was a great conversation, sure to warm the soul and touch the heart. Enjoy 🎙️ 
https://shainahayes.bandcamp.com/ 





Mar 19, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E14 • Olivia Nowadays


Olivia Nowadays, the talented musicians Kent Carson and Evan King, recently joined  ifitbeyourwill Podcast for an engaging conversation about their musical journey. The podcast delved into their inspirations, creative process, and the stories behind their captivating songs. Listeners were treated to insights into Olivia Nowadays unique approach to music-making and how they navigates the ever-evolving music industry. Their passion for storytelling through music shone brightly during the podcast as they shared anecdotes and experiences that have shaped their artistry. Enjoy 🎙️







TSDEATTOTP is Olivia at our most maximalist, merging sparkling instrumentation, candid field recordings, and frequent experimentation into sonically dense songs that evoke a sense of melancholy and wonder. The soaring shoegaze track “Be Right Back” recalls the abrupt loss of a loved one, opening with a poignant field recording of Merlin the lonely parrot muttering to himself in a room. A swirl of uncanny voices coaxed from a glitchy machine learning model features on “New Philosophy”, which paints a wry art-pop portrait of a listless urbanite inspecting a past iteration of himself. The hazy, stuttery slowcore of “First Trauma” reflects on generational wounds and anhedonia, bearing a message from the past to a grown child: “making choices makes you.” Woven through each of the album’s eleven songs is a distinct sense of someone approaching the border of their understanding, in hesitation of what they may find on the other side.

Mar 17, 2024

Dent May • "Coasting On Fumes (feat. Jordana)” • 2024



I think this album might be the purest power pop collection Dent has made, and one that really captures his talents as a pop songwriter in a classic mold. He's never flashy or gimmicky, but I think has truly emerged as a master of the form, and this record encapsulates that nicely.



 "One of indie-music's most tasteful songwriters."
NPR
 
"Dent May shine[s] a light on efficacy of simplicity in the face of the complexities of modern life."
Pitchfork
 
"Remarkable...May doesn’t have any easy answers, but the pop hooks lure us in, inviting us to suss out these universal ambiguities right alongside him."
Bandcamp 
 
"Absolutely dazzling."
Stereogum

BMX Bandits • Hop Skip Jump (For Your Love) • 2024




BMX Bandits were formed in the Scottish ex industrial town of Bellshill in 1985 by Duglas T Stewart and Sean Dickson. When Sean left to concentrate on his other band The Soup Dragons so began BMX Bandits, not as a conventional band of the same 4 or 5 faces but as an ever growing extended musical family which has included members of The Vaselines, The Pastels, The Pearlfishers and Teenage Fanclub over the years.

Mal Not Bad • No Worries • 2024



Back in November we teased a new release from Mal Not Bad (AKA LA’s Mal Hauser) with the single ‘AP’. A track which “display[ed] a newfound depth within the [project’s] sound,” as we put it, “leaning further into electronic sensibilities while simultaneously interrogating the impact of technology, resulting in a nuanced exploration of the human experience within the digital present.” The album, This Is Your New Life, will be the debut full-length from Mal Not Bad and continues this style, expanding the sonic palette introduced with previous EP Continuous Short Feature Film with a mix of sampled and live instruments and probing to the heart of the contemporary moment.

Mar 14, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E13 • Strawberry Runners


The music of singer songwriter Emi Night, aka Strawberry Runners is characterized by its dreamy and introspective melodies, often accompanied by gleeful guitar work and grounded vocals. Their lyrics delve into themes of self-discovery, love, and navigating the complexities of human relationships. With a unique blend of indie pop and folk influences, Strawberry Runners creates a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshing. Check out their latest self-titled record and if you’re in the UK a tour is happening as this is published. Enjoy 🎙️ 



Mar 13, 2024

King Hannah • Big Swimmer • 2024



Joh Chase • Gone • 2024




Chase’s musical journey has been a winding but steady evolution. While they were raised Evangelical and originally wrote songs that grappled with leaving the church, Chase found revelations in introspective songwriting. “My brain is completely filled with the music I was raised on: Elton John, The Cranberries, Bonnie Raitt, and the Mamas and the Papas,” they say. “I will always think of my music through that template while trying to find a place for myself in the world and pushing the boundaries of that.” 

Mar 12, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E12 • Jad Fair


Jad Fair's music is characterized by its raw, unfiltered energy and unconventional song structures. His distinctive vocal style, marked by childlike wonder and spontaneity, adds a unique charm to his compositions. With his band, Half Japanese, Fair has been a pioneering figure in the indie and lo-fi music scene, inspiring generations of musicians with his fearless approach to creativity. Jad just released two epic records, 100 Songs (A Master Class In Songwriting) and  Film Music clocking in with 250 new glimpses into the music of a legend. Enjoy 🎙️ 






Jad is a stunning study in contrast, with enough eerie ghouls to fill up the Shudder Channel and enough plaintive love songs to fill up the Hallmark Channel. There’s truly something for all tastes here and now you can soak it all up in one place. 

Mar 10, 2024

Jad Fair • 100 songs & Film Music! • 2024






Can an indie/punk legend create his most epic work a half century into his career? As productive as Guided By Voices and Buckethead are, neither could match Half Japanese leader Jad Fair’s quest to release100 albums in 2021 during his COVID downtime- he actually topped that goal with a whopping 160 albums then. Now he’s whittled them down to a 100-song, double album set that’s a cornucopia of words/songs/sounds. The brief, juicy nuggets of songs were crafted by Jad alone, composing the sounds via the GarageBand computer program, supplemented by his recitals and booming vocal percussion.

Mar 8, 2024

ifitbeyourwill Podcast promo S03 E12 • Jad Fair


Coming Next Tuesday March 12th • Jad Fair

Frog Unplugged and Unhinged: Live at the Canary Club Trailer • 2023




Recorded at a sold-out show in Manhattan’s Canary Club this past December, the film is their first since the award-winning Kings of Blah documentary, and it captures Frog playing acoustically for the very first time. “Unplugged and Unhinged” also offers the first official recordings of their expanded lineup as band leader Daniel Bateman (Guitar/Vocals) and his brother Steve Bateman (Drums) are joined by returning co-founder Tom White(who has traded the drum kit for bass).

Call Me Spinster • "Burn the Boxes” • 2024


Call Me Spinster on the new single: “‘Burn the Boxes’ is all about tearing down and re-defining terms - of relationships, of our contract with societal institutions. It felt fitting to rip apart and reuse cardboard boxes to make something colorful, haphazard and beautiful - a reminder that change takes the creative, destructive and playful mind of a child.” 


Mar 7, 2024

ifitbeyourwill S03 E11 • Kilgour





Kilgour's ability to craft grungegaze landscapes and evoke deep emotions makes them a band to watch in the indie music scene. With their latest record "How To Put Your Hat On” set to drop, they are poised to further solidify their place in the shoegaze layered with a grungy edge, offering listeners an unforgettable musical journey.  Fionn Crossan joined me from Edinburgh to chat about his musical journey, the launch show and the making “How To Put Your Hat On” Enjoy 🎙️ 





Mar 6, 2024

Songs About Food • 2024