Shaking Hand have arrived. The Manchester three-piece released their self-titled debut album on Melodic to immediate critical acclaim, with NPR naming it Album of the Week, Stereogum praising its “spindly riffs and rugged post-hardcore rhythms,” MOJO awarding four stars, and Hard of Hearing calling it “the first great album of 2026.” That kind of consensus doesn’t happen by accident. Listen here.
The record was produced by David Pye (Wild Beasts, Teenage Fanclub) at Nave Studios in Leeds, a converted church with a live room big enough to capture the band’s full sonic weight. Tracked largely live, with Soviet-era microphones, unconventional placements, and phone-recorded demos woven into the mix, the album sounds like a band committed to capturing something real rather than something polished. It pulls from Slint, Sonic Youth, Pavement, and Women while carrying the melodic warmth of Big Thief and Yo La Tengo into its own Northwest-emo territory.
“The best ideas are when it feels like it’s just about to fall apart and we’re only just holding on,” says Freddie. That tension is the record’s engine, quiets that stretch, louds that overwhelm, rhythms that destabilize and hypnotize in equal measure. Shaking Hand’s debut is out now on Melodic, and with two UK dates still ahead, there’s still time to catch this live.
BilloBuckers have released “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay,” a poignant new single on Deadly Records that takes on male depression with empathy, directness, and a real understanding of how men mask what they’re carrying. It’s the kind of track that has a message and the musical weight to carry it, which is precisely what this five-piece does best.
The Leicester-Nottingham outfit have been building steadily, with their debut EP ‘Eloquently Common’ and three subsequent singles clocking over 60,000 streams combined. “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay” is already drawing attention from BBC Introducing, adding to a momentum that feels genuine and earned.
Their sound sits at the intersection of indie rock introspection and straight-up rock grit, drawing from Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Stone Roses, The Libertines, and The Jam while developing something that reads as distinctly their own. Rich guitar riffs, dynamic rhythms, and soul-driven vocals from Billy Buckler anchor every track in something real.
“It’s Okay Not To Be Okay” is out now on Deadly Records.
Cut Short are not interested in looking away. The Liverpool metal outfit have released “Modern Affliction,” a track that digs into the relationship between individual decision-making and the world that shapes those decisions in the first place. It’s bleak, precise, and exactly the kind of music this band was built to make.
Vocalist Matthew Kean frames the track plainly: “The decisions we make shape the world around us, but how much does the world we are in shape us? Modern Affliction delves into how the decisions we make influence our day to day lives, as well as how the modern world can cause us to make decisions that separate us from who we really are and want to be.”
Cut Short draw from hardcore, metalcore, and progressive metal, threading those influences together into something that reflects the chaos and weight of urban reality. Their visual aesthetic mirrors that approach, juxtaposing Liverpool’s historical grandeur against homelessness, addiction, and urban decay. It’s confrontational by design, and it works. The band have already shared stages with Wargasm UK, Dream State, and Heart Of A Coward, and have earned support from BBC Radio 1, Metal Hammer, Kerrang, and Rock Sound.
In the music industry, there are metrics that matter and metrics that really matter. Shazam numbers fall into the second category. When someone holds up their phone to identify a song, that’s a moment of genuine discovery. That’s a person hearing something for the first time, wanting to know more, and taking a step toward becoming a fan. Every Shazam represents real interest from a real person, and for artists who understand that, the platform becomes one of the most valuable tools in their promotional arsenal.
The single most important driver of Shazam activity is placement. When a song appears in a film, a television show, a commercial, or a video game, listeners who connect with it will reach for their phones instinctively. Sync licensing is both a revenue stream and one of the most powerful discovery engines in the business. The same applies to radio. A strong radio campaign, particularly on stations that reach fresh audiences, generates consistent Shazam activity over time. The goal is to put the music in front of people who are ready to be surprised by it.
Live performance remains one of the most reliable drivers of Shazam numbers. When an artist plays an unfamiliar song to a room full of people and those people connect with it, a percentage of them will Shazam it on the spot. Support slots and festival sets are particularly valuable here, where the majority of the audience encounters the artist fresh. Playing to new crowds, consistently and across as many markets as possible, builds Shazam momentum in the most organic way available.
Social media plays a significant role as well. Short video content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts that leads with a song’s most immediately striking moment, whether a hook, a lyric, or an unexpected musical turn, triggers the same instinct that sync placement does. People hear something they want to identify, and they go looking. Leading with the most arresting part of the song gives that moment the best possible chance of landing. Algorithms reward content that holds attention, and songs that earn Shazams tend to do exactly that.
Consistency across all of these areas is what separates artists who accumulate Shazams steadily from those who see occasional spikes. Sync deals, radio campaigns, live shows, and social content all feed each other when they run together. A song that appears in a TV show, gets added to radio, and circulates through short-form video in the same month creates multiple discovery points simultaneously. The more places a song lives, the more chances someone has to reach for their phone. That moment of recognition is the whole game, and every strategic decision an artist makes is worth measuring against it.
short. Whether someone is facing a difficult decision, pushing through a tough stretch, or simply needs a reminder that better days are ahead, the right song at the right moment can change everything. This list isn’t about the biggest hits or the most acclaimed artists. It’s about the songs that have quietly become soundtracks to ambition, resilience, and possibility.
“Don’t Stop Believin'” – Journey
This classic anthem has been opening doors for decades, and it still works. There’s a reason it shows up at sporting events, graduations, and late-night drives home. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt like they were still waiting for their moment.
“A Million Dreams” – The Greatest Showman Soundtrack
Few songs capture the pure electricity of imagination quite like this one. It’s about visualizing a life that doesn’t exist yet and believing in it anyway, which is harder than it sounds and more important than most people admit.
“Dream On” – Aerosmith
A reminder that dreaming isn’t passive. It takes courage to hold onto a vision of something bigger, especially when life pushes back. This song has been doing that job since 1973 and hasn’t lost a step.
“The Climb” – Miley Cyrus
What makes this song endure is its honesty. The destination matters, but so does everything that happens on the way there. Personal growth, setbacks, and persistence are the real story, and this song knows it.
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Pure, joyful determination. The message is simple and the delivery is irresistible. No obstacle is too large, no distance too far. It’s impossible to feel defeated while this song is playing.
“Firework” – Katy Perry
An anthem built specifically for the moments when self-doubt gets loudest. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it offers something more useful: a genuine reminder that the light is already there, waiting to come out.
“Unwritten” – Natasha Bedingfield
The opening line alone has motivated more people than most motivational speakers ever will. The idea that your story isn’t finished, that the best chapters are still ahead, is a powerful thing to hear on a difficult day.
“Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor
Few songs build focus and drive quite as effectively as this one. It’s about discipline, about showing up every day with the mindset of someone who refuses to quit. It has earned its place on every workout playlist ever made.
“Rise Up” – Andra Day
Where many inspirational songs come in loud and fast, this one earns its power slowly. By the time the song reaches its peak, it feels genuinely hard-won. That’s what makes it hit differently than most.
“Roar” – Katy Perry
A song about finding your voice after losing it for a while. It resonates because the feeling it describes is universal. Everyone has been there. Not everyone finds their way back. This song helps.
There are cover songs that feel like exercises, and there are cover songs that feel like discoveries. Kacey Musgraves’ take on SZA’s “Kill Bill,” performed this week on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, falls firmly into the second category. Stripping the track back with an acoustic guitar, pedal steel, and piano in place of the original’s eerie flute, Musgraves found something in the song that was already there. The heartbreak at the centre of it landed even harder.
The timing couldn’t be better calibrated. Musgraves is in full promotional mode ahead of the May 1 release of ‘Middle of Nowhere’, her seventh studio album, and the Live Lounge appearance was part of a whirlwind London run that included two shows at the intimate Circuit venue. She also performed “Dry Spell,” the album’s lead single, which she had just debuted live at a surprise Coachella set on April 18, her first appearance at the festival in seven years. By all accounts, that Coachella moment was something special, with Musgraves arriving on horseback and debuting several new tracks including “Uncertain, TX,” “Back on the Wagon,” and the album’s title track.
What makes the “Kill Bill” cover particularly interesting is its history. Musgraves first performed it alongside Nickel Creek at Boston’s TD Garden back in September 2024, and it became a fixture of her live sets throughout the rest of that year and into 2025. This wasn’t a one-off experiment. It was a song she clearly connected with and took the time to make her own. The Live Lounge version is the fullest realization of that yet.
‘Middle of Nowhere’ arrives with serious company. The album features contributions from Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Billy Strings, and Gregory Alan Isakov, a lineup that signals Musgraves is planting her flag firmly in the roots world while keeping the door wide open, as she always has. This follows ‘Deeper Well’, which earned her a Grammy for Best Country Song at the 2025 awards. The bar is set high, and everything about this promotional run suggests she knows exactly what she’s doing.
The Live Lounge has a way of revealing where an artist really lives musically, and Musgraves’ performance this week confirmed what her best work has always suggested. She’s one of the most instinctive interpreters in the business, whether the song is hers or someone else’s. May 1 can’t come soon enough.
ome goodbyes in this business hit harder than others. When Nashville-based country duo Neon Union — Andrew Millsaps and Leo Brooks — announced their split on Friday, it wasn’t entirely surprising, but it was the kind of news that makes you stop scrolling. These two had something genuine. Not manufactured, not committee-built. And in today’s music landscape, that’s rarer than people think.
A lot of acts come and go, and what tends to stay isn’t the chart positions or the streaming numbers — it’s the moments. For Neon Union, those moments were plenty. A Grand Ole Opry debut. An ACM nomination for Best New Duo or Group. A debut album, Good Years, released just last year. For a duo that only formed in 2022, that’s not a footnote — that’s a career highlight reel most artists spend a decade trying to build.
What stands out most in their individual statements is the grace. Millsaps called their time together “a very impactful and special chapter” and says he’s ready for whatever comes next. Brooks — who brought a fascinating background to the duo, having toured as a bassist with Pitbull before country music came calling — kept it warm and simple: the friendship continues, and the two plan to keep writing songs together. In an industry that can turn complicated fast, that kind of mutual respect deserves to be acknowledged.
The fans are understandably disappointed. Neon Union built a loyal community — the kind that shows up, buys the ticket, and learns every word. Those fans aren’t just losing a band, they’re losing a soundtrack to something personal. That always matters more than the industry gives it credit for.
Neither Millsaps nor Brooks should be counted out. Talented, grounded, and by all accounts well-regarded by everyone around them — that combination has a way of finding its path back. Whatever comes next for both artists, the foundation they built with Neon Union is anything but wasted.
If you’ve spent years working in the music industry like I have, one question comes up again and again from artists at every stage of their career: “How do I protect my music?” It’s one of the most important things any creator can do, and thankfully in Canada, the law is largely on your side from the very moment inspiration strikes. But knowing the basics isn’t enough — understanding how to actively protect and monetize your rights is what separates artists who get paid from those who get taken advantage of. Let me walk you through what every Canadian musician needs to know about copyright.
Your Copyright Begins the Moment You Create
Here’s something that surprises a lot of artists: in Canada, copyright protection occurs as soon as a work is created and fixed in a material form of expression. Iclg That means the second you record that voice memo, finish that demo, or write out those lyrics, you own it. Registration with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is not required for copyright to exist — but that doesn’t mean you should skip it. Registering your copyright with CIPO entitles you to a registration certificate that constitutes official proof of ownership, creating a rebuttable presumption that copyright exists and that you are the owner. In plain language: if someone steals your song, that certificate makes your legal case significantly stronger.
Understanding What’s Actually Protected
Canadian copyright law protects two distinct things when it comes to music. A copyright in relation to music law may mean two things — a copyright in the case of a sound recording, and a copyright in the case of a performer’s performance. That’s your composition and your recorded performance — two separate rights that can be owned, licensed, and monetized independently. As a copyright owner, you have the exclusive right to produce or reproduce the work, perform it in public, publish it, communicate it to the public by telecommunication, and make the work available online, among other rights. Knowing this distinction matters enormously when you’re negotiating deals with labels, publishers, or sync licensing companies.
Registering with SOCAN and Collecting Your Royalties
Copyright ownership is one thing — actually getting paid is another. This is where organizations like SOCAN come in. SOCAN serves and champions more than 185,000 music creators and publishers, licenses the world’s music, and collects and distributes royalties in Canada and around the world. Registering your works with SOCAN ensures you’re compensated whenever your music is publicly performed or broadcast. The Act also provides for the division of royalties when collected by musicians’ collectives, with the performer and the composer each entitled to 50%. Beyond SOCAN, there are other collectives worth knowing about — the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA), which licenses reproduction rights including synchronization rights; Re:Sound, which collects royalties for performing artists and record companies; and CONNECT Music Licensing, which licenses the reproduction of sound recordings on behalf of record companies, producers and artists.
I’ve seen too many talented Canadian artists leave money on the table simply because they didn’t take these steps early enough. Your music is your livelihood, your legacy, and your intellectual property — treat it accordingly. Register with CIPO, sign up with SOCAN, understand the difference between your composition rights and your master rights, and when in doubt, consult an entertainment lawyer. The Canadian music industry is full of opportunity, and protecting your work is the foundation everything else is built on.
Matthew Alexander has long been a hidden gem in the American folk and roots scene, but with his ninth solo album, ‘The Matter of the Heart,’ due May 2026, he is poised to become one of the year’s essential voices. A songwriter raised in the Cambridge-Boston folk tradition now based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Alexander’s music reflects a lifetime of lived experience, filtered through an Americana lens both timeless and fresh.
The album’s title track, written with long-time collaborator Steve Bhaerman, weaves wisdom and urgency into a chorus that insists, “The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.” It is this blend of poetic simplicity and profound insight that sets Alexander apart. His voice, described by Americana Highways as possessing “the same genuine tonality found in the voices of John Prine and Kris Kristofferson,” carries both warmth and gravity.
“I know it sounds cliché, but I truly do see this as my finest record,” Alexander explains. “The craft of writing, the quality of the production, and the emotional power of the songs all came together in a way that feels different – more complete.”
Born in Manhattan to a composer father and a poet mother, Alexander was steeped in music and language from the start. As a teenager, he took lessons with the late Artie Traum and developed a guitar style influenced by Dave Van Ronk and Mississippi John Hurt. His early songs were published by Tin Pan Alley’s Lou Stallman, and he went on to open for Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Billy Joel as a solo act and as part of the folk trio Moonshine.
Alexander’s career has been marked by critical acclaim, with his 2020 album ‘Soul River’ peaking at #11 on the Folk Alliance International Album Chart and its single “Steel Rail Blues” reaching #3. His 2023 release ‘Midnight Dream Station’ leaned toward piano-driven folk-pop, featuring the single “An Apolitical Man,” which Americana Highways premiered to strong response.
The new album builds on that trajectory with songs that are deeply personal yet universally resonant. “A Crooked Rhyme” warns of the corrosive power of disinformation, while “A Boy of Ten” recounts the trauma of his brother’s suicide with unflinching honesty: “But the Beatles said it straight, you have to carry that weight, a long, long time.” Balancing the heaviness are songs like “Explosion,” a jubilant love song, and “A Love Worth Fighting For,” which radiates gratitude and devotion.
“The isolation of the pandemic gave me the opportunity to dig more deeply into my music,” Alexander reflects. “All of a sudden, I was flooded with ideas—thirty songs in six months. It was one of those rare times when the heavens opened and the songwriting gods revealed themselves.”
As an interpreter of the American experience, Alexander finds inspiration in both intimate relationships and broader cultural anxieties. His song “Troubled Times” captures the uncertainty of the present moment yet insists that love remains a force to hold onto. Elsewhere, “Don’t Let the Night Steal Your Dreams” offers resilience and hope, sung with the conviction of someone who has lived its lessons.
What sets Alexander apart in the crowded Americana landscape is not only his lyrical honesty but also his ability to marry folk authenticity with pop accessibility. His arrangements balance acoustic guitar, piano, and subtle orchestrations, creating a sound at once rooted and expansive.
With a spring 2026 North Carolina tour on the horizon, Matthew Alexander stands ready to bring his songs to the audiences who need them most. For an artist whose career has quietly spanned decades, ‘The Matter of the Heart’ feels like both a culmination and a new beginning – a reminder that even in troubled times, the heart still matters most.
Renowned songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist John Lewitt is set to capture the spirit of optimism with his latest single, “Six Ways To Sunday,” out now. The track serves as the cornerstone of his upcoming 11th solo album of the same name, offering a masterclass in pop-rock craftsmanship that draws inspiration from the timeless melodicism of the Beatles and the rugged heart of Tom Petty. Written, performed, mixed, and produced entirely by Lewitt, the project highlights his “old school” dedication to organic instrumentation and pure, joyful songwriting.
“Six Ways To Sunday” is an upbeat exploration of a life lived through music, acknowledging a journey filled with unique successes while maintaining an unwavering eye toward the future. The song’s infectious energy is matched by its lyrical candor, featuring standout lines such as: “I’m six ways to Sunday / Yeah I’m only okay / I’m done trying everything / And banking on what tomorrow will bring”. The single creates an immediate sense of camaraderie, inviting listeners into a sonic space where perseverance is celebrated with a driving beat and a hopeful outlook.
Based in Toronto, Lewitt identifies first and foremost as a songwriter, a passion that has fueled a staggering output of 15 albums since he began officially releasing music in 2016. His creative versatility has led him to the stages of iconic venues such as Roy Thomson Hall and the Horseshoe Tavern, as well as into the world of film and television sync. In the last two years alone, his work has been featured in a diverse array of programming, including The Young & The Restless, ESPN Portraits, and 7 Little Johnstons, proving his ability to craft melodies that resonate across medium and genre.
The production of the new single and the forthcoming album represents a return to foundational artistry. Eschewing virtual instruments, Lewitt played every note and sang every harmony himself, creating a rich, hand-crafted sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. This “all-in” approach extends to his work as a producer for other artists, including his recent collaboration on the Yacht Rock project Rum & Jasmine and producing debut releases for rising talents Lexi Cosentino and Jonathan Sanson.
Beyond the studio, Lewitt is deeply committed to the health of the Canadian music ecosystem. As a dedicated philanthropist, he actively supports initiatives such as MusiCounts, The Doane School of Music, and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, ensuring that the next generation of storytellers has the tools to thrive. This spirit of community and mentorship informs his own music, which he views as a necessary respite and a source of genuine fun in a complex world.
With “Six Ways To Sunday,” Lewitt cements his status as one of Canada’s most prolific and reliable musical voices. The single is a testament to the power of a great hook and the enduring relevance of the classic singer-songwriter tradition. Fans can pre-save the track and prepare for the full album release this April, as Lewitt continues to prove that his best stories are still being told.
