Christmas is slowly creeping up, and it's going to hit us faster than an unexpected snowball! The pace of releases is taking a chill pill, and we know that 2023 is about to bid us farewell forever. The cold is settling in here in the Northern Hemisphere, so let's take a detour to the Southern Hemisphere in this post, where summer is rolling in. We'll warm up with some indie-folk tunes that are not just easy on the ears but also cozy for the soul.
We hope you enjoy this carefully curated selection and, as always, we invite you to follow and cheer on these artists. Consider it our musical way of layering up for the winter and sunbathing for the summer simultaneously!
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Mae Krell - this place
Mae Krell is an artist who is part of a very closed circle: those unique voices that we could listen to for whole days without ever getting tired. Their voice is exceptional but we've already told you that since it's Mae Krell's 4th feature on IMC (yes, the doors to the IMC Family are getting closer!)
The first good news is that their debut album finally has a release date, it will be in April 2024! And we're impatiently waiting for it!
Second good news: the 4th extract from this album, "this place", out today, lets all of Mae Krell's sensitivity shine through, with emotional lyrics and a folk sound that is unique to them, and which plunges us once again into their most intimate torments: "The song was born from a moment of experiencing that normalcy I missed out on, written directly after attending my girlfriend's sister's high school graduation earlier this year".
Added to our "Indie Folk Center" and "New IMC Friday" playlists on Spotify.
Reach out to Mae Krell
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Rod Coote & Bree Rusev - Distant Place
Yes, after "This Place", let's go to a "Distant Place"! What a smooth transition!
Australian artists have always been popular on IMC. When two of them, Rod Coote & Bree Rusev, create a wonderful and bewitching collaboration, they act like a magnet: the good vibes spread easily!
“Distant Place”, released today and produced by Garrett Kato (yes, him again!) will literally transport you wherever you want just by closing your eyes. As the artists explain to us: "We wrote it together in our coastal suburb inspired by a feeling of escapism & reverie of a distant location when life becomes overwhelming or mundane".
This new song is therefore your passport to a moment of escape lasting just over three minutes, wonderfully well put together, where the two unique voices of these two maestros mix as if they were born for it.
Added to our "Indie Folk Center" and "New IMC Friday" playlists on Spotify.
Reach out to Rod Coote
Reach out to Bree Rusev
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Laura Lucas - The Dreamer
This is Laura Lucas' third feature on IMC. We fell in love with her music in 2020 with "Fault Line". Then we found her again a year ago in a duo with Rod Coote (yes, he's also part of our selection today, small world, isn't it?)
Although originally Canadian, Laura Lucas now lives in Australia and her previous EP was produced by Garrett Kato. When we say "small world", we really mean it! In "The Dreamer", taken from the 6-track EP with the same title released today, Laura Lucas mixes melancholy, contemplation, and reflection in a slow and immersive folk ballad.
Although many people would classify this song as either the folk or indie folk genre, we wouldn't be so radical. Laura Lucas' music has that little extra of reverie which makes it a unique genre of her own. And the warm tone of her vocals never tires. An EP that we will enjoy all weekend!
Added to our "Indie Folk Center" and "New IMC Friday" playlists on Spotify.
Reach out to Laura Lucas
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Lotta St Joan - Always
Let's wrap up our worldwide tour of releases in Germany, all while staying in the same soothing vibe. We've known Lotta St Jean for a few years now. You might remember her from, say, Episode 15 of "Why Doesn't Everyone Know These Songs", released back in November 2020.
Her new single, "Always" hit us like a lightning bolt from the first line: "Forgiving is a gift they say so I sit and wait until the day for anger to let go of me". Maybe I've told you before about how I got bamboozled by my mother, who lied to me for over 30 years. Unforgivable, and I'll never quite make it to the forgiveness finish line. What's funny is, unknowingly, this marvelous artist served us this song, ending her pitch with "I hope it speaks to you"! If only you knew!
Just a guitar, some beautifully crafted vocal harmonies, and the magic kicks in from the first few seconds. The intensity builds gradually, culminating in vocal soars that are almost divine in the final stretch. Goosebumps incoming!
Added to our "Indie Folk Center" and "New IMC Friday" playlists on Spotify.
Reach out to Lotta St Joan
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That's all for today! Stay tuned for new song discoveries in the next episode! If you're a musician and would like your music to be featured in "Friday Releases", please send us your music via SubmitHub. We can't wait to hear from you!
