Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s latest EP was an excellent example of that, with five perfect folk songs all about love, offering a neat and flawless package that is truly golden and so sure to never rust.
Katie Gregson-MacLeod has already been through the whirlwind. She’s experienced the major label system, gone viral, and felt the pressure of being labelled the ‘next big thing’ far too early in her career. Now, she has found her footing again as an independent artist. She’s releasing through Matt Maltese’s label, which is quickly becoming a haven for artists who want to share tender, lyrically rich work without the pressure to over-polish.
Here we have some of 2025’s best lyrics as the artist seems to take the universal and well-worn path of the love song and still find new phrasing and perspectives. Speaking to Far Out about this victory, she said, “I don’t think there’s been a year in which I have felt more settled in my songwriting than this year. My approach has evolved, my instincts a little different when I pick up the pen, but the intention and honesty behind it has remained the same.”
Clearly, with more to come in 2026, the singer said, “Releasing my EP, Love Me Too Well, I’ll Retire Early and going on my first headline tour in two years, has left me feeling so connected and fulfilled. It has paved a clearer path for me going forward, and I feel I’m heading into 2026 knowing myself and the wee pocket of music I want to carve out and work within, so much better.
EP ‘Love Me Too Well, I’ll Retire Early’, out July 4th.
You almost don’t need to hear Eliza Edens’ album to be struck by its power – the titular lyric alone is rich with emotion. It’s simple yet expansive, carrying shades of joy, awe, and a quiet grief all at once. That balance of depth and restraint runs through the entire record. Drifting between delicately crafted folk songs, field recordings, and snippets of conversation, Edens’ project feels rare, spontaneous, and deeply tender.
Most of these songs are a documentation of grief in real time from 2021-2024 as i was losing my mother to dementia. she passed in fall of 2024. these recordings were made just as I had finished writing the songs. they are imperfect, lo-fi, raw, and true to the emotions and realities of those moments. there were times during this period of my life when my guitar was the place I felt safest as i was trying to come to grips with what it means to lose the person who raised me in slow motion.
It’s the sort of album that would be a sin to shuffle, as it is truly made for that start-to-finish experience, designed to draw you in and keep you for the full 38 minutes. You barely even notice one song evolve into the next as it keeps you in this pretty trance, but even in that trance, there are standout moments that truly stick in the mind, with ‘Puzzle Piece’, ‘Heart Rot’ and the album’s titular track all glowing with some of the year’s best lyricism.
Iron & Wine, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Sam Beam, will release their eighth full-length album and sixth for Sub Pop, entitled “Hen’s Teeth”, worldwide on February 27th.
“Hen’s Teeth” arrives fully formed but sits as a sibling record, of sorts, to 2024’s acclaimed and Grammy-nominated “Light Verse”.Its seeds were sewn during the multiple sessions done over the last few years in the foothills of Los Angeles with studio owner/engineer Dave Way (Fiona Apple, Jakob Dylan, Sheryl Crow) at the helm. The record features many familiar names from the Iron & Wine universe – David Garza, Sebastian Steinberg, Tyler Chester, Griffin Goldsmith, Beth Goodfellow, Kyle Crane, and Paul Cartwright – lending their talents to a collection of songs that, while complementary in nature, had their own distinct feel.
“Hen’s Teeth” includes a few new, fresh voices; the Grammy-winning Americana trio I’m With Her – Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins – are featured on two tracks. The trio bring their harmonizing prowess to the ebullient track,“Robin’s Egg,” and in the tender, mournful “Wait Up” they make more with less on a song that is sure to become a fan favorite. The record also marks the recording debut of Arden Beam. Arden (one of Beam’s daughters) contributes harmonies and backing vocals on “Roses,” “Singing Saw,” “Defiance, Ohio,” and “Grace Notes.” Her contributions lend a personal poignancy and a wonderful sonic texture to “Hen’s Teeth”.
The title “Hen’s Teeth”, much like the birth of this record, takes its inspiration as something that should not exist; a happy accident that fell out of enjoying the company of the aforementioned players in a setting that offered creativity and inspiration. As Beam states : “To me it suggests the impossible. “Hen’s teeth” do not exist. And that’s what this record felt like: a gift that shouldn’t be there but it is. An impossible thing but it’s real.”
Iron & Wine has shared an official video for their sonically poignant track, “In Your Ocean.” It’s one of several songs on “Hen’s Teeth” in which lovers are depicted as so deeply entwined they physically merge. “Praying for dry ground / Though I only want to drown / When I find myself swimming in your ocean.
Tunde Adebimpe, the singer of TV On The Radio and accomplished solo musician, animator (Celebrity Deathmatch), and actor (Marriage Story, Spider-Man: Homecoming), makes his Sub Pop debut with the album “Thee Black Boltz”.
For the last 24 years, Tunde Adebimpe has largely been known as the co-founder, co-vocalist and principal songwriter for TV On The Radio. The mostly-black, art-rock band triumphed through two decades of volatile cultural change to become one of the most beloved, enduring and influential groups from New York City’s early-2000s rock scene. Though Tunde’s poetic songwriting and transparent, towering vocals are central to the band’s dissonant sound, TV On The Radio, has and always will be a collaboration between a group of singular musicians.
Tunde’s personal story exists on a parallel path, as a sort of creative polymath. He is a musician but also an illustrator and painter. He’s a former animator and one-time stop-motion filmmaker. He is a television and film actor. And now he is also a solo artist, with his first-ever formal solo album, This album is a powerful and inspired indie-rock album that grasps for small moments of joy amidst the dissonance and sadness of personal grief and social upheaval. On his debut solo album, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe reintroduces himself with bold synth melodies and artful arrangements. With poetic lyricism and his signature vocals on full volume, he shares a captivating performance of “Magnetic” and more from ‘Thee Black Boltz“
Tunde Adebimpe performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded August, 2025.
3xLP expertly pressed on vibrant 180-gram coloured vinyl , – 7” solo demo for the monster blues of “Midnight Lightning” backed with the rollicking odd-time signature “Beginnings (Take 5).” also includes -️ Custom-made patch and slap-it-on-the-car bumper sticker
The recordings span multiple sessions in New York and London and have appeared scattered across various releases over the years, but this newly compiled track list (curated by pre-eminent Hendrix expert John McDermott) provides previously overlooked context and perspective behind the narrative and interconnectedness of all these songs.
All songs were precisely mixed by the legendary Eddie Kramer, Jimi’s engineer of choice, who spent as much time as anyone with Jimi in the studio during these jam excursions.
It’s fair to say that most of these lists for 2026 will contain the name of Basht. (always followed by the full stop). Described in the Irish press as “one of the most exciting young rock bands to emerge from Ireland for aeons,” and this, for once, is not damning them with faint praise. Their second EP ‘Bitter And Twisted‘ saw them starting to become muttered by those in the word-of-mouth know, with lead track, the blisteringly moody ‘Vain’ capturing hearts. Their particular sound feels like being battered around the head sonically. But in a good way. They are gonna be massive.
Capturing us with a series of thrilling sets at Focus Wales last year, are New Yorkers Diary who are Kevin Bendis (vocals, keys), Chris Croarkin (guitar, vocals), Jessica Dye (guitar, vocals), Yan Kogan (bass), and Adam Sachs (drums). Their bittersweet jangle pop sound with a new wave edge hints at everyone from the Psychedelic Furs, The Jesus and Mary Chain, R.E.M. and early Happy Mondays, but is moulded by the distinct input of each band member. They know their way around a kick ass tune with a ton of personality.
NYC’s Diary’s brand of indie-rock is kaleidoscopic pop songs born out of a love of guitar pop, shoegaze and psychedelia. Formed post-college by friends. Having played around NYC for several years, Diary has previously released, “The Cutting Garden” EP, which was inspired by everything from Echo and the Bunnymen to The Byrds and more recently, the “Sunday’s Shadow” single, a song pulled from the vacant dream-states that come the day after a long night.
What sets them apart from the pack is that they have a melodic edge, each excellent song takes a different shape, tack and influence and is still just as good, inscribed with the words of Diary. Remember the name.
Ever since Waxahatchee revved up her Ford pickup for 2020’s Saint Cloud, a wave of Americana folk has swept through indie rock. From “Elderberry Wine” to Geese, the current wave of indie stars have all taken their stabs at alt-country, and the genre was brought into the emo world this year on Home Is Where’s third record. The Florida natives were no stranger to the folksy sound—their breakthrough release, 2021’s “I Became Birds“, often leaned acoustic—but on “Hunting Season” they embrace full-band country without losing sight of their emo roots.
What makes it all work is Bea MacDonald’s voice—hear her nearly yodel on “black metal mormon,” only to then channel that raspy howl that originally put Home Is Where on the map on songs like “migration patterns” and “bike week.”
Home Is Whereis a renowned alt-emo band from Palm Coast, Florida. “Hunting Season” is their third full-length album. It is the much-anticipated follow up to 2023’s “The Whaler“, which received praise from Pitchfork, Paste, Stereogum, and more
Paired with the band’s heart-wrenching storytelling, the result is a moving and thoughtful mix of emo and country—and while those two genres are linked more often than you’d think, the blend sounds truly innovative on “Hunting Season”.
Home Is Where’s upcoming album, “Hunting Season“, out May 23rd.
The debut solo album from María Zardoya of the Marías seemingly presented some logistical challenges: Her main band is already basically named after her, and her voice is so unmistakable that it could be tricky to tell where one entity begins and the other ends. But none of the above is an issue for “Melt,” which is very distinctively Zardoya but channels the ‘90s trip-hop era of Portishead and Massive Attack, as well as adjacent groups like the underrated Broadcast.
Written and recorded in a frigid Upstate New York, the album’s sound often conjures visions of the snowscapes and overcast skies of a Northeastern winter. Yet it’s also filled with some of the strongest hooks in her discography: The opening track, “Puddles,” has a simple descending keyboard hook that evokes dripping water and is nearly impossible to get out of your head; the breezy, piano-driven “Moment” and the ballad “Back to You” are the most Marías-like songs here; the album also branches into tropicalia terrain on the Spanish-language track “Vueltas.” While “Melt” seems to be more of a side-journey from the Marías’ course than a new vehicle, it’s a diverse and compelling chapter in Zardoya’s creative work.
It was a simple idea; to create a festival out of all the brilliant music and art made all over the world, stuff made outside of the mainstream – music that wasn’t getting on the radio and was even harder to find in record stores… … the very first WOMAD Festival took place at the 240-acre Bath and West Showground,Somerset over the weekend of 16th–18th July, 1982. With the dream ‘not to sprinkle world music around a rock festival, but to prove that these great artists could be headliners in their own right’, the three days and five stages played host to 60 bands from over 20 countries; a line-up that included The Drummers of Burundi, Pigbag, Salsa de Hoy, Simple Minds, Musicians of the Nile, Echo and the Bunnymen, Prince Nico Mbarga, Rip, Rig and Panic, The Beat and many more…
“I remember this gig well,” says Peter Gabriel. “We played a mix of old and brand-new material. I would normally be very nervous about playing some of this stuff for the first time, however my mind was very preoccupied with the running of our very first WOMAD festival and the potential financial disaster that it was heading towards.
Because WOMAD was unique in its focus on music and art from around the world, and mixing it up with rock and jazz, no-one knew how many people might turn up and we had seriously overestimated our appeal. But those that had decided to check out WOMAD and its weird and wonderful line up were open-minded, bold and curious – a great audience.
It was a landmark and edgy gig for me both personally and musically and brings back lots of memories.”
Across the three days ‘an evening concert series’ took place in the Showering Pavilion on the festival site. On the Friday night that concert featured Tian Jin (a song and dance troupe from China), Simple Minds and, with a ‘special festival set of non-album material’, Peter Gabriel.
“Live at WOMAD 1982” is a recording of that Friday night concert. The non-album material in question are seven of the eight songs that would make up the album “Peter Gabriel 4“. An album that wouldn’t be released for a further two months.
On-stage, Peter is joined by David Rhodes (guitar), John Giblin (bass), Larry Fast (synthesisers). Jerry Marotta (drums), Peter Hammill (guitar, vocals) and “the wonderful Bristol-based drum and dance group,” Ekomé (drums, percussion).
“We wanted to show that wherever you were born, whatever colour or language, whatever religious or sexual persuasion, powerful passionate and joyful work would have a warm welcome in WOMAD.
At the beginning, most music industry professionals told us that we had no chance of making this dream work, we had all the wonderful naïve misguided optimism of the young, and were convinced that we would prove all the cynics wrong. However, at the end of the first festival, it was clear we had an artistic success, but not a financial one… but that’s for another story.”
Peter Gabriel’s “Live a WOMAD 1982” takes us back to not only the birth of a festival – one that has now hosted more than 160 editions in 27 countries – but also to the premiere of an album with songs, like “The Rhythm of the Heat”, “San Jacinto” and “Shock the Monkey“, that have become central to the Gabriel canon. More than just a live album, “Live at WOMAD 1982” is a pivotal moment, available now for the very first time.
David Rhodes (guitar) John Giblin (bass) Larry Fast (synthesisers) Jerry Marotta (drums) Peter Hammill (guitar, vocals) Ekomé (drums, percussion). Peter Gabriel (vocals, keyboards)
Recorded live on 16th July, 1982 in the Showering Pavilion at the Royal Bath and West Showground.
The Fat Angel Sings 