Welcome to the latest edition of the RGM Inbox, where we delve into a selection of recent and upcoming musical delights that caught our attention. We’ve scoured the globe to discover new music from Germany, Norway, Australia and back home here in the UK.

German-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer M. Byrd has released the fourth single, ‘Outside Of Town’ from his upcoming debut album ‘The Seed’ due June 16th via Nettwerk. A tale of loss and uncertainly laced with hope told through a veil of shimmering guitars that builds to a crescendo, ‘Outside Of Town’ bodes well for the album release and builds on M Bryd’s run of impressive single releases (‘Flood’ especially). Fans of the likes of War On Drugs should find much to enjoy here.

https://www.mbyrddd.com/

And now for something a little on the mellow side. Norwegian trio Les Dunes will release their debut album of instrumental rock on March 24th via Germany’s Kapitaen Platte and on Norway’s Apollon Records - the latter covering the Nordic markets as well as the UK and the US. Les Dunes features Per Andreas Haftorsen (Guitars), Per Steinar Lie (bass) and drummer Morten Jackman who’ve a long list of credits including The Low Frequency in Stereo, Undergrünnen, Lumen Drones, Action & Tension and Helldorado, Check out the first single ‘Mellow Skies’ in anticipation of the next - equally good - single ‘Mayhem In Hm’ due March 3rd. ‘

“Nice mellow vibes with explosions in the sky feelings xx”

— Simon Raymonde: Bella Union/Cocteau Twins/Lost Horizons

They say timing is everything. Unfortunately, mine seems very off as The Paper Kites have just completed a short tour of the UK, which I’ve obviously missed…Luckily we’ve new music on the way from the Australian quintet (currently expanded to an octet) in the shape of their “Roadhouse” project, which, on the strength of the first single ‘The Sweet Sound Of You’ could well be a little bit special. Sam Bentley’s understated delivery is supported by tasteful piano, wistful harmonica and a dash of pedal steel that leaves the listener desperate to hear more.

https://thepaperkites.com.au/

A pleasant surprise and a new name to me, UK-based singer-songwriter Marti West released his new single ‘Somebody New’ today, 3rd of March via Marti West Music. As bouncy a slice of indie folk pop as you’re likely to hear. Marti’s sweet voice is tailor-made for ethereal harmonies as he utilizes an acoustic bed and builds from there. The interplay between electric guitars and brass is unexpected and rather clever. ‘Somebody New’ is taken from an album Talking To Strangers, slated for release on the 28th of April. I’d recommend checking out his Soundcloud page to discover a string of lovely songs.

https://www.martiwest.com/

Featured news @rgm

Oct 20, 2024

Sounds on Sunday featuring new music from Sean McConnell, Steve Hewitt and Cris Jacobs

Oct 20, 2024

A selection of new musical offerings to accompany a relaxed Sunday.

Oct 20, 2024

Sep 4, 2024

Discovering folk music via the official UK Folk Albums Chart

Sep 4, 2024

Growing up, the idea of listening to folk music would have been an almost ludicrous one. As a teen, I was, like many of you, obsessed with rock/pop and, in my case, hard rock. I’d been raised in a house where Elvis and country music ruled the airwaves, so with a typical teenage disregard for my parents, I was always on the lookout for noisier sounds, provided there was still a tune to be heard, extreme metal was out. Folk was almost a four-letter word. Naturally, my tastes evolved over the years. I could not and would not, thankfully, shake Elvis (Mum had done a fine job of ingraining the King into my psyche) while I found my way back to more traditional country music via Americana, or alt-country as it was back then. This brings me to folk music, like Americana, a melting pot of widely differing sounds and styles. You might well be listening to folk music and not know it. So, it seems like a good time to peruse the August 2024 edition of the UK Folk Music Charts in search of some great music.

Sep 4, 2024

Jun 11, 2024

Silver Patron Saints - The Songs Of Jesse Malin due 20.09.24 3xLP | digital

Jun 11, 2024

Silver Patron Saints, a star-studded tribute and benefit album for musician and songwriter Jesse Malin, is set for release 20.09.24 on 3xLP | digital via Glassnote Records. As a taster for the set Bleachers aka Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde etc) recently released a cover of Jesse’s ‘Prisoners of Paradise’. Jesse suffered a rare spinal stroke in May 2023 that left him paralysed from the waist down. All proceeds for Silver Patron Saints will go to Malin’s Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. More about Jesse Malin, Silver Patron Saints and the impressive range of musicians involved in the record follows:

Jun 11, 2024

Mar 26, 2024

The RGM Inbox March 2024

Mar 26, 2024

Looking for new music? We’re here to help with a quartet of upcoming/recent releases full of melody and thoughtful songwriting. We’ve the welcome return of Ruth Theodore after a long absence, blue-collar tales from Sheffield via Fargo Railroad Co, a Devon songwriter inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi in Small Town Jones and melancholic hopefulness courtesy of Alex Coley and Afterlove from Canada.

Mar 26, 2024

Mar 19, 2024

Held By Trees to release expanded 2-disc Solace LP for RSD

Mar 19, 2024

Record Store Day 2024, or RSD as it is known, is on April 20th. Thousands of record collectors will flock to Indie record stores, hunting for the latest limited releases by their favourite bands. I’m pleased to report that Held By Trees will issue their excellent ‘Solace’ album as an expanded 2-disc set for the event limited to just 500 copies and mastered specifically for vinyl by Denis Blackham. More about the release and Held By Trees follows:

Mar 19, 2024

Feb 13, 2024

Status Quo - The Early Years 5CD Box Set (1966-69) due March 15th 2024

Feb 13, 2024

Status Quo broke through commercially in the 1970s, but this was no overnight success story. Long before the denim and the heads down boogie, there was a band formed in 1962 by school friends Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster, learning their craft for many years before they became the Quo we know. There would be many ups, downs and sartorial as well as musical variations into which ‘The Early Years’ a new 5CD set from BMG, takes a deep dive, including material from pre-Quo acts The Spectres and Traffic Jam as well as the first two albums credited to Status Quo with plentiful bonus tracks including BBC sessions. The full press release and track listing follows:

Feb 13, 2024