STERLING DRAKE, THE SHAPE I'M IN

Sterling Drake is a country singer-songwriter whose music reflects a deep connection to the American West and its traditions. Originally from South Florida, he grew up immersed in diverse musical influences, including hardcore and bluegrass, the latter introduced through his Appalachian roots.

After high school, Drake ventured west, working on ranches across several states before eventually settling in Montana. His travels, hands-on experience with the land, and the people he met along the way informed his songwriting and artistic identity, profoundly shaping his musical direction.

Following two EPs, Drake has now released his debut album, The Shape I’m In. Drawing on classic country, Delta blues, honky-tonk, Western swing, dance hall, and Celtic traditions, the album is a genre-blending exploration of roots music that feels both timeless and fresh. Recorded in East Nashville, the 14-track collection shows reverence for icons like Willie Nelson and Don Williams while establishing Drake's own individual voice. What emerges is an autobiographical album, rooted in tradition yet shaped by Drake’s own lived experiences and perspective. It’s an honest reflection of where he’s been, and where he’s going.

QUADE, THE FOEL TOWER

Within the remote Welsh valley of Elan stands the domed Foel Tower, a stone structure filled with valves and cylinders designed to raise and lower the Garreg Ddu reservoir’s water levels. Not far from the tower sits Nannerth Ganol Studios, a stone barn surrounded by barren moors, where Bristol band Quade spent ten days recording their second album. The stark, isolated landscape, shaped by wind, water, and history, became as much a part of the record as the music itself.

With the Foel Tower symbolizing the historical tensions between industrial expansion and rural displacement, and the valley serving as both a literal and metaphorical sanctuary, the barn offered a space for open dialogue and shared healing. Against this backdrop, Quade wove personal reflections into a textured soundscape, threading themes of connection to place, loss, resilience, and renewal throughout, a style they half-jokingly describe as “doomer sad boy, ambient-dub, folk, experimental post-rock.”

Quade approaches The Foel Tower with a confidence that leaves no room for joking. Their sound embraces the spirit of Bark Psychosis' Hex, the landmark album released 31 years earlier for which the term "post-rock" was first coined. It takes a bold band to occupy a similar musical space, and Quade does so with conviction. The Foel Tower draws clear lines to post-rock’s origins while pushing forward, favoring atmosphere, place, and form over traditional songwriting. Their compositions shift naturally between quiet intimacy and expansive force, de-emphasizing conventional structures and using instrumentation in non-traditional ways to build mood and movement. Ultimately, The Foel Tower stands as a statement of Quade’s growing artistry, offering an immersive listening experience.

ARCY DRIVE, THE PIT

What started as a joke between Nick Mateyunas and Austin Jones during their high school years in Northport, New York eventually led to the creation of Arcy Drive, with the duo recruiting friends Brooke Tuozzo and Patrick Helrigel to complete their lineup.

The band's first practice space was Brooke's backyard shed on Arcy Drive, the street that would eventually lend its name to the band. It was there they jammed and shaped their "Attic Rock" sound, a blend of indie rock with elements of country and Southern rock. Over time, they built a grassroots following by playing DIY shows across the country, often setting up wherever they could find a crowd: beaches, fields, parking lots, and even literal porches, while also sharing their music through TikTok sessions. Now, the band has released their debut album, The Pit. 

There's a cool vibe to The Pit. The band plays with a loose, live energy, and you can feel the easy chemistry between them. Across the album’s thirteen tracks, they land on a sound that feels warm, nostalgic, and dynamic, with standout moments like “Under the Rug,” “Louie,” and “The Itch” leading the way. A guest appearance by John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful adds an extra touch of timeless authenticity to the album. 

ANNIE & THE CALDWELLS, CAN'T LOSE MY (SOUL)

Annie & The Caldwells’ debut album Can’t Lose My (Soul) is the triumphant culmination of a 40-year journey rooted in faith, family, and musical devotion. Annie Brown Caldwell first rose to local prominence in the 1970s as a member of the Staples Jr. Singers. When Annie was only 13, the group, which included her brothers A.R.C., Bobby, Cleveland, and Edward, self-funded their 1975 album When Do We Get Paid, selling a few hundred copies, mostly from the front lawn outside their home. 

When Annie was in high school, the family band dropped the Staples name and began performing simply as the Browns. After a performance at a church in West Point, Mississippi, a young man named Willie Caldwell approached Annie’s youngest brother, Ronnel, asking about the girl with the special voice. Caldwell, who played guitar and sang in a church group with his brothers, soon began courting Annie. Before long, the two were married. After moving to West Point, they formed a new family band. 

Throughout the 1980s and beyond, Annie balanced raising a family, running a clothing store specializing in church attire, and building the family band, Annie & The Caldwells, into a polished group blending gospel traditions with blues, funk, southern soul, and disco influences. The group toured churches and recorded albums. Their children were encouraged into the band through faith, a love of music, and sometimes playful family persuasion. Over decades of playing together, the Caldwells developed a sound that was both tightly knit and effortlessly spontaneous, deeply rooted in spiritual conviction.

Meanwhile, decades after its release, When Do We Get Paid was unearthed by crate-diggers and became a coveted find, with original copies fetching up to $700. The rediscovery of Annie’s early work led to interest from David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label, who signed the Caldwells to help bring their music to a wider audience. Now, with the release of Can’t Lose My (Soul), recorded in their home church, the Caldwells capture their energy, intuitive harmonies, and emotional storytelling. With songs that span from wailing gospel testimonies to joyful, danceable grooves, the album stands as a life-affirming statement and finally provides a spotlight to the family's music and solidifies their musical legacy long deserved.

MAYA DELILAH, THE LONG WAY ROUND

"What would Prince do?" That was the question Maya Delilah’s mom posed when Delilah considered becoming a surgeon. 

Having learned to play guitar by ear rather than through formal theory, an approach shaped by her dyslexia, the North London guitarist and singer-songwriter developed a distinctive blend of soul-pop, jazz, blues, and funk. As her voice and guitar skills fueled a growing online following, she eventually caught the attention of Blue Note and its president, Don Was, who encouraged her to fully embrace her wide-ranging influences rather than conform to a single sound, assuring her that her voice and guitar could serve as the unifying thread. The result is The Long Way Round, Delilah’s debut album. 

Going into the studio, Delilah had two goals: first, to create music that feels comforting, like a nostalgic Sunday morning soundtrack, records you turn to for warmth, reflection, and a sense of belonging. Second, to draw from her own life and the experiences of friends to chart an emotional journey of clarity, growth, and new beginnings. 

Delilah has accomplished both her goals with The Long Way Round. The album plays like the soundtrack that she envisioned. With songs capturing snapshots of vulnerability, resilience, and hope, balancing playful moments with quiet introspection. Whether it’s the breezy charm of “Maya, Maya, Maya” or the bittersweet ache of “I’ll Be There in the Morning,” each track feels like a lived-in memory, tenderly reimagined through her guitar and voice. It’s comforting, welcoming, and spot on for a Sunday morning.

BJØRN RIIS, FIMBULVINTER

In Norse mythology, Fimbulvinter is the merciless winter that precedes Ragnarök, a time of chaos and collapse that ultimately makes way for renewal. It’s a season marked by darkness, struggle, and survival. As the title of Bjørn Riis’ latest solo album, Fimbulvinter becomes more than a mythological reference, it’s a thematic anchor.

You may not have heard of Riis, which is a shame. He’s the co-founder and guitarist of Norway’s Airbag, one of progressive rock’s most compelling guitar-driven bands. For over 20 years, he’s helped shape a sound defined by atmosphere, precision, and emotional weight. Since 2016, he’s also built a solo catalog that pushes those qualities even further inward, offering deeply personal explorations through richly textured arrangements. 

With Fimbulvinter, Riis draws on his own experience with anxiety to explore feelings of isolation, fear, and emotional collapse with striking clarity and conviction. The reference to Fimbulvinter isn’t just symbolic, it mirrors the album’s sonic and emotional arc. What begins in heaviness and unease gradually gives way to reflection and, ultimately, a faint but meaningful sense of hope. 

Musically, Fimbulvinter balances brooding, ambient passages with bursts of jarring energy. Across 45 minutes and six songs, Riis blends introspective melodies and layered soundscapes with hard rock edges, crafting a sound that’s as introspective as it is expansive. It not only evokes the myth of endings and rebirth, it delivers one of Riis’ more powerful solo statements.