Avoid are thrilled to announce their EP titled ‘Creature of Habit’, arriving via UNFD, is out now. The band has shared the visualizer for the single “Sour Apple.” Vocalist Benny Scholl says, “We’re so stoked to release our new track ‘Sour Apple.’ What’s funny is this name initially came up just as a demo name. ’cause there was a Sour Apple-flavored vape in the room. We worked out the instrumentals, and then when we finished the vocals and the lyrics, we were trying to come up with what the song will be called. The song is about reflecting on the past and letting go, but also being able to be upset when things haven’t always gone your way. In a way, kind of being a ‘Sour Apple’ about things sometimes and we realized that the name ended up representing the song perfectly.”
The Charlatans UK Perform Title Track “We Are Love” On Later…With Jools Holland
The Charlatans UK brought the title track from their album ‘We Are Love’ to Later…with Jools Holland, with BBC Music sharing the performance online. The album via BMG represents the band’s first release in eight years, marking their longest gap between records. Burgess calls “We Are Love” an open-top car ride through the credits of your favorite movie, driving along the coast to somewhere amazing, while Collins notes the track established the direction for everything else, carrying an energy that pushed the band forward. Their second single “Deeper and Deeper” leans into swirling Hammond organ with thick bass and fuzzy guitars, showing the band’s psychedelic roots while exploring fresh ground.
Spanning four decades with 13 albums, 22 Top 40 UK singles, and three Number One albums, The Charlatans UK remain one of Britain’s most beloved bands behind anthems like “The Only One I Know” and “North Country Boy.” For ‘We Are Love’, the five members scattered across Europe brought in production help from Dev Hynes, Fred Macpherson, and Stephen Street, recording at Rockfield in Wales and their Big Mushroom studio in Cheshire. Returning to Rockfield held deep meaning, as they hadn’t recorded there since making ‘Tellin’ Stories’ nearly 30 years ago, the album where keyboard player Rob Collins died in a car crash during sessions. Burgess says going back to Rockfield honored every member who has played in the band while creating something completely new.
Emo/Post-Hardcore Band Seahaven Announce ‘Winter Forever’ 15th Anniversary Tour With Full Album Performance
Seahaven will celebrate the 15th anniversary of their debut album ‘Winter Forever’ with a special tour in early 2026, performing the record in full for the first time. The run gives fans a chance to hear the entire album live, a release that became a cornerstone for the band and resonated across emo, indie, and post-hardcore communities. An exclusive vinyl variant of ‘Winter Forever’ will be sold at shows. The band notes the record holds special significance for them and they’re looking forward to sharing this milestone with longtime supporters. Released through Run For Cover Records in November 2011, ‘Winter Forever’ emerged during a pivotal time for American emo and alternative music, combining atmospheric guitar work with vulnerable lyrics and raw emotion that set the band apart from contemporaries.
Songs like “Black & White,” “Save Me,” and “PV” connected with listeners through their emotional honesty and dynamic range, creating a bridge between post-hardcore intensity and indie-rock sensitivity. The album earned comparisons to Balance and Composure, Title Fight, and Brand New while establishing Seahaven’s distinct voice. The band later released ‘Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only’ in 2014, which shifted toward minimalist atmospheres, and returned in 2020 with ‘Halo of Hurt’ after six years away. The Winter Forever 15th Anniversary Tour features support from Commoner and Flycatcher on select dates, launching January 22 in Phoenix and continuing through February 6 across the United States and Canada.
Tour Dates:
January 22 – Valley Bar, Phoenix, AZ
January 23 – House of Blues Voodoo Room, San Diego, CA
January 24 – Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles, CA
January 25 – The Chapel, San Francisco, CA
January 29 – Subterranean, Chicago, IL
January 30 – Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
January 31 – The Garrison, Toronto, ON
February 2 – The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA
February 4 – Racket, New York, NY
February 5 – The Foundry @ The Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA
February 6 – A&R Music Bar, Columbus, OH
Hardcore Band Fox Lake Announce UK/EU Tour With Poppy And US Dates With Greyhaven
Fox Lake have announced a UK/EU tour with heavy, boundary-pushing artist Poppy next spring. The dates kick off March 4 in Glasgow and wrap April 8 in Stockholm. Fox Lake recently collaborated with Phase One for a remix of their lead single, with “Freestyle” (Phase One Remix) released via Sounds of Mayhem. Rising from the heart of Colorado’s heavy music scene, Fox Lake are redefining what modern hardcore can sound and feel like. Known for their explosive live performances, crushing riffs, and unflinching emotional depth, Fox Lake channel the intensity of life’s chaos into anthems that hit with both fury and honesty.
Fox Lake’s upcoming touring, both domestically and overseas, demonstrates how universal the band’s sound is and that it can reach and delight audiences far and wide. Their new album ‘New World Heat’ is available now.
Tour Dates:
WITH POPPY:
March 4 – Galvanizers SWG3, Glasgow, UK
March 6 – O2 Ritz, Manchester, UK
March 8 – O2 Institute Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
March 9 – Electric Bristol, Bristol, UK
March 10 – Roundhouse, London, UK
March 13 – Headbangers Parade 2026, Eindhoven, NL
March 17 – Komplex 457, Zurich, CH
March 18 – Alcatraz, Milan, IT
March 21 – Raiffeisen Halle im Gasometer, Vienna, AT
March 24 – SaSaZu, Prague, CZ
March 27 – Klub Progresja, Warsaw, PL
April 5 – Vega, Copenhagen, DK
April 7 – Sentrum Scene, Oslo, NO
April 8 – Fållan, Stockholm, SE
Indie-Rock Veterans Boys Life Release New Single “Always” From First EP In Three Decades
Spartan Records and Boys Life present “Always,” the latest single from ‘Ordinary Wars’, the brand new four-song EP from the celebrated Kansas City indie-rock quartet. A reminder that all humans should retain a sense of youthful energy, “Always” suggests we should not allow the role of adulthood to become real. Recorded in June 2024 with Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Soundlab, ‘Ordinary Wars’ is the band’s first original offering in close to three decades.
Emerging from Kansas City, Missouri in 1993, Boys Life carved out a niche in the indie rock scene with their passionate, dissonant guitar-driven sound. Comprised of Brandon Butler, Joe Winkle, John Rejba, and John Anderson, the band’s self-titled debut from 1995 and sophomore effort ‘Departures and Landfalls’ from 1996 solidified their legacy. Despite disbanding in 1997, reunion tours in 2015 and 2024 rekindled their collaborative spirit.
Metallica Guitarist Kirk Hammett Teams With Gibson Custom For Limited Raven Acoustic Guitar
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett continues his long-standing partnership with Gibson with its latest collaboration. Hammett teamed up with the master luthiers at Gibson Custom in Bozeman, Montana, to create the Gibson Custom Kirk Hammett Raven, a majestic counterpart to the legendary Gibson Hummingbird. The Kirk Hammett Raven is limited to only 100 guitars worldwide through authorized Gibson dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and online. While it shares the Hummingbird’s square-shoulder silhouette, the Raven distinguishes itself with a dark, artistic twist on the Hummingbird aesthetic. Crafted with a Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides, and supported by traditional scalloped Advanced X-bracing, it delivers the timeless acoustic tone that has captivated musicians and audiences for generations. Its mahogany neck features a comfortable Round profile and is topped with a bound ebony fretboard, complete with 20 frets and mother-of-pearl star inlays.
This limited-edition model pays homage to Gibson’s tradition of wildlife-inspired designs, featuring intricately crafted double pickguards and a raven-themed tailpiece accent. Equipped with an L.R. Baggs Element VTC +4 system, the Raven is ready for both stage and studio. The discreet soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls offer easy access without disrupting the guitar’s aesthetics, and the additional four dB of output provides extra headroom when needed. Each Raven ships in a black Gibson Custom hardshell guitar case adorned with a matching raven skull graphic and includes a certificate of authenticity and a custom raven-themed strap. Limited to only 100 guitars, each handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana, and personally signed by Hammett on the soundhole label, this Ebony-finished acoustic is destined to become a collector’s treasure. One of the most influential metal guitarists of all time, Hammett is the lead guitarist and contributing songwriter in Metallica. He grew up in California and formed the group Exodus during the birth of the Bay Area thrash metal movement, and his first Gibson was the legendary 1979 Flying V he used on Metallica’s groundbreaking early studio albums. These days, his number one guitar is Greeny, the 1959 Les Paul Standard formerly owned by Peter Green and Gary Moore.
Jazz Vocalist Whitney Ross-Barris Releases New Album ‘Curtains Of Light’ Blending Neo-Soul And Folk
Vocalist, songwriter, and storyteller Whitney Ross-Barris is proud to announce the release of her new album ‘Curtains of Light’. A deeply personal and sonically rich collection, the album blends jazz, choral, neo-soul, spoken word, and folk elements into a body of work that explores themes of disconnection, longing, and the fragile beauty of resilience. Woven with field recordings from Ross-Barris’s daily life, from playgrounds to thunderstorms, and featuring lush, cinematic arrangements by Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist Drew Jurecka and acclaimed pianist and producer Michael Shand, ‘Curtains of Light’ showcases Ross-Barris’s unique ability to merge intimacy with grandeur. The album’s 13 tracks range from the buoyant energy of “Bourgeois Reverie” and the celebratory groove of “Bird of Paradise” to the atmospheric tenderness of “Only at Night” and the sweeping title track “Curtains of Light,” inspired by Ross-Barris’s memory of witnessing the Northern Lights as a child in Saskatchewan. Featuring an all-star cast of collaborators including Amy Peck, Rebecca Hennessy, Drew Jurecka, Kevin Fox, Lauren Falls, Ben Wittman, and a stunning vocal ensemble of Alex Samaras, Gavin Hope, Mary van den Enden, Miku Graham, Michael Shand, and Yvette Tollar, the album shimmers with creative depth and community spirit.
Folk Singer-Songwriter Nell Mescal Releases Highly Anticipated EP ‘The Closest We’ll Get’ With Single “Middle Man”
Highly-rated singer-songwriter Nell Mescal has released her highly anticipated new EP ‘The Closest We’ll Get’, led by the heartfelt single “Middle Man.” Produced by Philip Weinrobe of Adrianne Lenker, Billie Marten, and Cass McCombs fame, ‘The Closest We’ll Get’ captures Mescal’s raw, organic sound, developed during intimate recording sessions in Brooklyn, New York. The six-track collection offers an emotionally resonant journey through love, loss, and self-discovery, blending tender folk influences with an unfiltered, natural production style. Discussing the EP, Mescal explains, “The Closest We’ll Get is a collection of songs that tell a story about two people and how their relationship is in the grey area of friends or lovers. Each song is a realisation of how sitting in the in-between affected me and in turn affected the ‘friendship.'”
Ole 60 Perform Career-Spanning Set On “Live At The Print Shop” With Coldplay Cover
Kentucky-born country-rock outfit Ole 60 are the latest guests on “Live at the Print Shop,” the Atlanta-based music and interview series known for pairing top-tier production with artist-focused storytelling. The episode captures the band performing a career-spanning set alongside a candid conversation about life on the road and the making of their debut album ‘Smokestack Town’. The performance features “Let You Down,” “Nancy Avenue,” “Who We Are,” and “Watching Me Bleed,” among others, blending the swagger of classic Southern rock with the sincerity of country songwriting. Midway through, the band adds a surprise cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow,” which has quickly become a fan favourite from their live shows.
In between songs, the members open up about their early days in Hancock County and the whirlwind success that followed their viral hit “Smoke & Light.” They discuss the real-life stories that shaped ‘Smokestack Town’, a record built around a fictional town but rooted in real experiences of heartbreak, small-town identity, and perseverance. Since its release, ‘Smokestack Town’ has topped digital charts and drawn praise from outlets like Billboard and PEOPLE, both citing the band’s mix of grounded storytelling and rock edge. For “Live at the Print Shop,” which has previously featured Stephen Wilson Jr. and Blues Traveler, Ole 60’s appearance continues a tradition of spotlighting artists with strong live instincts and distinctive perspectives on modern country music.
Emma Kade Celebrates Hard-Working Communities With New Single “Blue Collar Man” And Music Video
Canadian country artist Emma Kade is celebrating her new single “Blue Collar Man,” which is available across all digital streaming platforms along with an accompanying music video. The track has been added to the North Country Spotify editorial playlist as well as the Canada’s Country editorial playlist on Apple Music. Written by Kade, “Blue Collar Man” marks the second single of 2025 from the Invermere, BC-based Métis artist and the second to be helmed by the award-winning production duo of Garrett Ward and Dan Botch, better known as The Renaissance, who have worked with Zach McPhee and Annika Catharina. First glimpsed as a raw chorus on social media, the overwhelmingly positive social response encouraged Kade to finish the song. In its final form, she brings an open songwriting heart and lush vocals to “Blue Collar Man” along with pride and warmth that stem from her very personal connection to the track.
Kade says, “I have many blue-collar men in my family, including my husband. When I was rehearsing for a show, the commotion of logging trucks around a nearby sawmill inspired me to look past the noise and lean into the moment as a song idea that later became ‘Blue Collar Man’ – my own tribute to the hard-working people who are the backbones of many rural communities.” Since initially entering the industry as a multi-genre singer-songwriter, Kade has made a comfortable shift to the country genre with the 2024 single “End Game,” which garnered her Spotify recognition as a RADAR Canada and EQUAL Canada artist and was supported by SiriusXM Top of the Country Radio and CBC Radio, and 2025’s “Watering Can” for which she graced the cover of Apple Music’s Canada’s Country editorial playlist. Additional country highlights have included opening for Canadian country music star Dean Brody, performing with Brett Kissel, and recently completing an acoustic mini-tour of Alberta. She adds, “I grew up admiring those who take on tough jobs to put food on the table for their families. ‘Blue Collar Man’ is my way of celebrating the sacrifices they make and also giving back to those who encouraged me to bring this meaningful song to life.”