Browsing Tag

New Wave Indie

Shahev Sen Dips a Brush in Nostalgia and Paints a Soul-Soaked Indie Dream with ‘You Know Why’

Posted on 3 March 2025

Shahev Sen sings like he’s unburdening his soul, letting every note spill out with the weight of lived experience. His sophomore single, You Know Why, pulls from the golden days of new wave indie and the dreamy haze of ‘60s psych pop, creating a sound that feels like slipping into a world where the colours are richer, and reality softens at the edges.

Hailing from the streets of old Calcutta, Shahev’s journey has been anything but straightforward. His early days as a bassist and vocalist in the city’s club scene shaped his raw, blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities, but after his band dissolved in 2015, the pull of music never fully loosened its grip. In 2023, he returned as a solo artist, bringing with him the weight of time, reflection, and a refusal to bow to trends.

You Know Why is steeped in personal reckoning, wrestling with the struggle of prioritising values over financial stability in a world that doesn’t always make room for sentiment. His vocals cascade through the track with an unfiltered honesty, carrying the ache of repressed anger and betrayal. Instead of leaning on a predictable guitar solo, he swaps it for a sweeping orchestral middle eight, giving the song a grand, cinematic depth, resulting in a soul-stirring indie gem that doesn’t play by the rulebook.

You Know Why is out now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dandelions by ST4RR: A Sundrenched Bloom in Indie Pop

Posted on 18 February 2025

With all the dreamy reverie of coming-of-age infatuation wrapped up in the warm, hazy hues spilling from the jangle pop guitars and her organically hypnotic vocal lines, ST4RR will leave you as lovestruck as the lyrics with her single, Dandelions.

Allowing you to imagine The Smiths and Sabrina Carpenter intertwining their sounds, the track effortlessly appeals to both new wave indie faithful and contemporary pop fans. Her songwriting chops, effortlessly seraphic sonic signature, and ability to envelop listeners in an aura of emotion result in a sticky-sweet earworm born through an effortless amalgamation of style and substance

Behind the ST4RR moniker is Trinity Rutledge, who has nurtured her devotion to music since childhood. After finding her voice in choruses and mastering guitar and piano, she is well on her way to achieving her lifelong dream of appearing on major stages and reading audiences across the globe.

As the opening single on her debut EP, Circle of Love, Dandelions positions ST4RR in prime territory to reach the top of the indie pop charts. Every note lingers in your mind, retaining a mellifluous spark that sets her apart from the standard singer-songwriter formula.

Stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tomboy’s ‘Handle with Care’: A Sugar-Rush Shot of Indie Pop Euphoria

Posted on 2 February 2025

Tomboy’s latest single, Handle with Care, arrives as part of a dynamic two-track release alongside Moab, showcasing the San Francisco quintet’s knack for infusing indie rock with playful energy and unvarnished emotion. From the outset, sweeping guitars set a stage for crooned vocals reminiscent of Julian Casablancas, intertwined with a magnetic female lead whose energy electrifies the track to the nines.

As the song unfolds, polyphonic pop tones ripple through the mix, giving it a mischievous yet melodic edge. It’s the kind of sound that teases the boundary between bold experimentation and infectious accessibility, calling to mind what Arcade Fire might sound like stripped of pomp and pretension. Tomboy have crafted a track that thrives in its refusal to take itself too seriously, offering hooks that stick without losing their bite.

Formed by five best friends fuelled by their shared love for raw human connection, Tomboy have already set the stage for a promising future in the indie scene. Though still in the early days of their career, the buzz surrounding the group is steadily growing, and Handle with Care makes it clear why.

Catch the band live at the Independent on 7th February and experience their unapologetically vulnerable sound firsthand—if their studio recordings are this affecting, their live performances are bound to ecstasy snapping between your synapses.

Stream Handle with Care on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ava Valianti’s ‘Wishing Well’ is a Diaphanous Dive into Lost Innocence

Posted on 10 December 2024

At just 15, Ava Valianti has already mastered the art of weaving raw emotion into new-wave indie pop. With her latest single, ‘Wishing Well’, the Massachusetts singer-songwriter delivers a reverie-rich production that captures the ache of growing up and the bittersweet nostalgia for the innocence of youth.

Inspired by childhood memories, Ava channels her reflections on the fading simplicity of youth into soaring harmonies and sweeping melodies. Thematically, ‘Wishing Well’ resounds with longing and hope, its diaphanous textures sonically illustrating the vulnerability of clinging to the magic of belief. Ava’s lyrical candour doesn’t just invite listeners into her world; it offers them a mirror to their own experiences of inevitable change and loss. Her ability to find clarity in bittersweet moments transforms each note into a visceral connection.

Standing alongside her earlier singles—‘Bubble Wrap’, ‘Middle Ground’, and ‘January’—this track showcases her ability to fuse introspective lyrics with literally and figuratively haunting melodies. With comparisons to indie luminaries like Mitski and First Aid Kit easily and rightfully drawn, her trajectory has been meteoric, already earning her 10k monthly listeners, a nomination for the New England Music Awards’ “Pop Act of the Year,” and praise from over 60 radio stations across the US.

Ava’s music is a force propelling her into the heart of indie supremacy, and ‘Wishing Well’ solidifies her place as an artist who creates vessels of unfiltered soul, poised to resonate with listeners across generations.

Wishing Well was officially released on November 22nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nothing But Silence turned up the post-punk heat with ‘Too Useful’

Posted on 29 October 2024

In their latest single, ‘Too Useful’, Chicago’s Nothing But Silence threads jangly new wave guitars around stark, monochromatic motifs of post-punk, all set within a dream-pop-esque production that feels like a psychedelic trip through a rhythmic mirage.

The bold tonal experimentation manifests a sonic experience that distorts and oscillates with trippy, tropical vibrations, creating an immersive soundscape that pulls you into its obscure kaleidoscope. Prepare to enter a semi-lucid dream state with Too Useful, which uses abstract lyricism to amplify the delirium of the record which stands as a bold declaration of the band’s unique identity in the alternative scene.

Imagine if Joy Division’s ‘Transmission’ was transmitted from a warmer, more vibrant parallel universe—that’s the innovative essence captured in ‘Too Useful’. The track is a stellar slice of rhythmic ingenuity that invites listeners to step into a different, more colourful side of post-punk, laced with a dreamy, wavy quality that keeps the genre alive and pulsating.

Too Useful hit the airwaves on October 18; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lie awake in the illusory land of Mindless Crowd’s new wave seminal release,  ‘Dreamscape’

Posted on 15 September 2024

With their desperately anticipated LP, Wanderlust, released on 30th August, Mindless Crowd stand as innovative new-wave indie architects; if you’re always looking for new ways to explore this vain of sonic nostalgia, let Mindless Crowd be your guide with the standout single, ‘Dreamscape’.

‘Dreamscape’ may not deliver your quintessential dreamy ambient aesthetic, but who decided dreamscapes are unanimous in tonality anyway? Mindless Crowd orchestrated their own chimaera with the reverie of angular jangle pop guitars that resonate with the perpetually influential rhythms of Johnny Marr and echoes of Iggy Pop through gruff, spoken-word style vocals that strikingly juxtapose the vibrant tones of the instrumentals.

As the track evolves, the guitars transition in the middle eight, creatively adorning the track in veritable rock n’ roll stripes. The vintage-toned lead work ascends to what can only be described as guitar porn, embodying the perfect melodic narrative switch for indie fans always on the lookout for boundary-pushing new-wave indie sounds.

Emerging from Geneva, Mindless Crowd has evolved from covering rock titans like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to crafting their original material. Formed in 2012 by school friends and driven by a blend of nostalgia and innovation, the band—comprising Alex, Julien, Gaël, and Lucas—has grown a significant following, propelling them forward with over 150,000 listens on Spotify.

The album ‘Wanderlust’ encapsulates this growth and exploration, offering a mix of motivation, disillusionment, success, and failure, reflecting the winding journey of introspection the band describes.

Mindless Crowd’s LP, Wanderlust, is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lovers in Sepia: The Hearse Paid Homage to Bygone Eras with ‘AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO’

Posted on 30 August 2024

After forming in June 2024, The Hearse is gearing up to gain reverence as one of Manchester’s hottest breakthrough new wave indie rock acts. Filtered through a dreamy, sepia-tinged lens of nostalgia, their sophomore release, featuring the single, AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO, melodically strips away the decades which stand between the present epoch and the soul of the 60s and 70s.

With guitar chords which sweep through echoes of Joni Mitchell, vocals which capture the quintessence of dreamy diehard romanticism, authentically orchestrated crescendos of euphonic bliss, and hints of western indie folk breezing through the progressions, AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO is a route to the past never taken before.

If their sound is this sweet on record, the live experience will be enough to give you an aural sugar rush.

AS HOPELESS ROMANTICS DO will be officially released on August 30th with the B-side single, I’D LOVE TO BE YOUR GIRL. Stream the single on SoundCloud and connect with the Hearse on TikTok and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ditch the Demon is out for blood in their sonic screening of garage goth glamour, Fright Night

Posted on 16 August 2024

Fans of Zombina and the Skeletones, Lesbian Bed Death and the Creepshow won’t want to miss the installation of horror and garage goth glamour, Fright Night, prised from the crypt of Ditch the Demon’s LP, Ain’t Dead Yet.

With the percussive pulse of punk and the phantasmic reanimations of new wave indie conjured by the guitars filtered through a psychedelic prog rock lens and the livewire energy rippling through the production as a courtesy of Amanda Brooks-Byron’s histrionically haunted vocals, Fright Night hits with an exhilarating horror punk intensity.

After forming in 2018, the Hastings-hailing powerhouse has made chilling waves with their scintillatingly dark sonic signature; the launch of their debut album in 2023 marked the zenith of the band’s career so far but with their infamous live shows, Ditch the Demon isn’t a band to underestimate.

Stream the official music video for Fright Night on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bristol’s Most Strident Troubador, Alex Comaish, Augmented the Ultimate Indie-Folk Anthem with ‘Brother’

Posted on 7 March 2024

Alex Comaish’s latest single ‘Brother‘ is a poignant narrative wrapped in an augmented fusionist production that splices jangly indie pop with warm echoes of Americana, transmits the essence of college radio rock, and throws back to the 90s Britpop era while following in Billy Bragg’s footsteps. The crisp and unpretentious production allows the song’s emotional core and Comaish’s raw talent to shine through and illuminate the airwaves with affectionate fervour.

This Bristol-based troubadour brings a fresh sincerity to the genre as he elucidates that brotherly bonds may not always tie you to the perfect person, but those connections are worth their weight in gold. His strident vocal performance is an energetically affecting testament to the unspoken love and unbreakable ties between siblings.

The vignette behind the song is as compelling as the track itself. Comaish’s lyrics, penned in the throes of adventure, are imbued with genuine gratitude and affection that’s often left unsaid in the hustle of daily life.

As the first of a series of releases planned for the year, ‘Brother’ sets a high bar. It’s a track that not only showcases Comaish’s songwriting prowess but also his ability to connect with his audience on a deeply personal level.

Brother was officially released on March 1st; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TALK IN CODE injected modernism into the euphonic aura of the 80s with their indie synthpop hit, Something of Nothing

Posted on 2 March 2024

TALK IN CODE’s latest single, Something of Nothing, is effortless to translate. The Swindon-based fourpiece injected modernism into the euphonic aura of the 80s to deliver a perennial pop earworm that will hook you into its core as it laments on people who can’t fight the compulsion to clamour over drama.

As the nostalgically retro synths cascade around the angular indie jangle-pop guitars, the vocals that flow with the new wave of pop pull you deeper into the anthemics of the rhythmically bolstered track that moves beyond stylistic influence.

If you’re sick of wading through the landfill of contemporary indie pop that now monolithically towers over what we had to contend with in the 90s, the cultivation of Something of Nothing will allow you to remember how it feels to get truly excited by a new outfit – you won’t be alone. TALK IN CODE has garnered swathes of critical acclaim from BBC Introducing, Q Music and Amazing Radio to supplement the fervour from their loyal fanbase.

After gracing over 500 playlists and racking up 300k streams across streaming platforms, indie ensembles don’t come much more promising than TALK IN CODE. If you got caught up in The 1975 hype, find a new obsession by hitting play on Something of Nothing.

Something of Nothing will be available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, from March 1st.

Review by Amelia Vandergast