Browsing Tag

Americana Folk Rock

Nikolas Lee Fires Americana Bullets of Redemption in ‘Life That I Lead’

Posted on 19 April 2025

Nikolas Lee’s standout single, Life That I Lead, taken from his debut EP Friend Frequency, hits like a shot to the heart fired from the barrel of an Americana roots rock gun. Guitars twist into contorting forms, winding fluidly around understated drums and conjuring nostalgically secular, salving melodies. It’s paradoxical how Lee crafts such grandeur yet remains anchored to intimate truths in the single that asks for no permission before making emotion and empathy swell in your chest.

Lyrically, Life That I Lead confronts life’s hardest realities head-on, touching raw nerves through unfiltered introspection. Lee narrates an affecting vignette of a life shaped by trials and softened by resilience; it’s gospel for those who recognise consolation in music, resonating with compassion for every betraying road, vice, and proclivity.

Now based in Melbourne after his formative years in Brighton and a creative hiatus, Lee channels renewed purpose into his work. His musical signature integrates nostalgia with world-weary optimism, reflective yet robustly hopeful. Influenced by classic and contemporary songwriters, Lee brings authenticity with warm textures and psychedelic flourishes, represented symbolically by Freddy, the Pink Creature embodying his ADHD alter ego.

Produced by Ben Provest, Friend Frequency speaks intimately to listeners navigating self-discovery. Life That I Lead epitomises this emotional catharsis, delivering not merely introspection, but an open invitation towards understanding personal truths.

Life That I Lead is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Meet the mess of mortality in Chris Cummings and the Way’s tenaciously tongue-in-cheek Americana rock instant classic,  I’m Still Alive

Posted on 19 January 2024

In an era when coming to grips with the meaning of life complicates your relationship with your mortality, Chris Cummings and the Way’s latest Americana-entwined 70s rock-tinged single, I’m Still Alive, has all the lyrical makings of a sanity-saving playlist staple.

Chris Cummings, an Easton native renowned for his collaborations with jazz legends and New York artists, embarked on a tenaciously tongue-in-cheek journey with his latest feat of roots-wrapped ingenuity. The prelude to his eponymous album resonates with the nostalgic glamour reminiscent of Father John Misty and Butch Walker while pontificating on the profound. The brash electric guitar chords, coupled with the shimmer of the organ and the subtle honkytonk nuances in the keys and guitar leads, create a soundscape that is both timeless and deeply evocative.

Even though the single touches on the notion that reasons for living and believing often lie beyond ourselves, Chris Cummings and the Way ensure the track never veers too far into the melancholic. It’s a gripping exposition of what it means to be human when we have no fucking idea what the meaning of life is. This existential contemplation is woven seamlessly into the fabric of the song, making it both a personal reflection and a universal query.

The upcoming album, accompanied by a documentary film, promises to be a convergence of Cummings’ Americana and rock n roll roots, offering relatable tunes for our twisted times. Featuring talents like Roger Girke and Shane Nicholas, it’s poised to be a significant addition to the Americana folk rock landscape.

I’m Still Alive is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roots of Folk and Country bloom in Pablo Leira Filgueira’s single “Honey, You’re Gonna Lose”

Posted on 17 November 2020

“Honey, You’re Gonna Lose” is the latest single to be released by Pablo Leira Filgueira, an artist quickly becoming renowned for their tantalising infusions of Folk, Blues, Country, Pop and Rock.

There are some hints of Jack Johnson within the smooth lofty vocal notes, but in the instrumentals, the 21-year-old delivers nothing but authentic ingenuity.

The raw textures in the lo-fi production bring an inviting sense of intimacy to the release, Pablo Leira Filgueira doesn’t just offer his soul in Honey, You’re Gonna Lose, he makes it personal too. Hit play and prepare to be serenaded by their affably charismatic release.

You can check out Honey, You’re Gonna Lose for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Mackey – Don’t Own Much: A Rhythmic Dose of Melancholy

Posted on 24 August 2018

As soon as I saw the title to Brian Mackey’s latest single Don’t Own Much I knew that I was going to instantly fall in love with the up and coming artist. It’s a struggle, thrashing against the skewed notions of success to follow your success. If you think the concept is resonating now, just wait until you hear the vocals. The grounding effect of Brain Mackey’s vocal style was only amplified by the piano melody which injected even more pensive emotion into the mix. There is so much longing and humility written into the lyrics, it’s almost overwhelming as it comes alive through the New York/New Jersey-based approach to Americana Folk Rock. With his Pop inclinations, Brian Mackey ensured that the production on Don’t Own Much was absolutely flawless.

If you’re ready for the perfect dose of rhythmic melancholy, you can check out Brian Mackey’s latest single Don’t Own Much by heading over to Spotify.  If you find a way of getting the chorus out of your head let me know. I have a feeling it will be stuck there for days.

Review by Amelia Vandergast