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Photo by Alex Page From making a PowerPoint to convince her parents to buy a drum kit to earning Grammy nominations and being named Writer-Producer of the Year at the Music Producers Guild Awards, Steph Marziano has carved out a path defined as much by instinct and connection as it is by technical skill. Originally from Philadelphia and now semi-based in East London, Marziano’s journey has taken her from studio intern to one of the most in-demand session-directing producers w

Ee Old Train 2002 by Marla Aufmuth Few bands from the late 90s indie underground have found a second life quite like Korea Girl. Formed in San Jose in 1996, the band carved out a sound shaped as much by instinct as influence, drawing from records like Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted  while standing apart from the heavier guitar music dominating their local scene. Though short-lived, their self-titled release went on to be named Album of the Year by Santa Clara University’s K

Photo by Jonathan Davies Emerging from Sydney’s post-punk underground, Stirr are a band still in the process of defining themselves, pulling from familiar reference points while steadily carving out something more distinct. What began as a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Ruben Dragone has since grown into a five-piece, now joined by Jorjabelle Munday on bass, Zachary Lisle on saxophone, Tom Oswald on synth, and Angus Kettley on drums. The project took shape through a

Photo by Senny Mau For Maria BC, music is a way of tracing something intangible – something felt before it’s fully understood. Raised in Ohio and now based in Oakland, their work moves between the discipline of classical training and a more instinctive, searching approach to songwriting, where voice, texture, and feeling are in constant negotiation. Their 2022 debut Hyaline  introduced a world that felt both fragile and intense, earning early recognition and drawing listeners

The four-piece (Jimmy Bradbury, Reuben Haycocks, Aoife Anson-O’Connell and Paddy Murphy) are currently one of those bands that you simply cannot seem to escape. In the best possible way, every music publication appears to be bartering for a feature, and for good reason.

Photo by Taro Zaine In an era defined by constant notifications, algorithmic playlists, and music consumed in fragments, Pitchblack Playback  offers something radically simple: sit down, switch off, and listen. No phones. No talking. No distractions. Just an album played loud, in full, in the dark. Founded in 2016 by London-based DJ and producer Ben Gomori , the project has grown into a global phenomenon, hosting events across the UK, Europe, North America and beyond. Whether

Photo by Charlie Hardy Emerging from Newcastle, Australia, dust  have built a reputation for intense, unpredictable music that blends jagged post-punk with elements of experimental jazz and electronics. Formed in 2020 by drummer Kye Cherry, bassist Liam Smith, saxophonist Adam Ridgway and dual vocalists and guitarists Justin Teale and Gabriel Stove, the band first came together during lockdown, using the time to shape a sound that is as confrontational as it is cathartic. Sev

State College 1996 - Photo by Elissa Zurbuchen In the early 1990s, long before streaming platforms or digital recording made independent music widely accessible, Should emerged from a small circle of home studios and tape machines. Formed in Austin, Texas by songwriter and producer Marc Ostermeier, alongside vocalist Tanya Maus and guitarist Eric Ostermeier, the project began as an experiment in sound rather than a conventional band. Originally recording under the name shiFt,

Photo by Sadie Martin For more than three decades, Starflyer 59 has built one of the most enduring catalogues in American alternative music. Founded in Riverside, California by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jason Martin, the project began in the early 1990s as a hazy outgrowth of the shoegaze movement before gradually transforming into something far broader and harder to categorise. The band’s beginnings came almost by chance. In 1993, Martin handed a demo to

Photo by Page Swanson Led by Vermont based composer, multi instrumentalist, and recording engineer Henry Birdsey, Old Saw operates less like a traditional band and more like a quietly shifting collective. Described as a ‘network of New England string pluckers, organ drivers and bell ringers,’ the project brings together Bob Driftwood on banjo, Ira Dorset on fiddle, Rev. Clarence Lewis on pipe organ, Harper Reed on resonator and nylon string guitars, Ann Rowlis on orchestral b