Youngster Year

After years of buildup, Radio Free Alice has finally released an album. These 11 tracks see them expand upon their earlier releases in a way that wasn’t possible on the explosive 4-track EPs they had come to be known for. With “What’s In Between,” the band has made a record that reflects just how far they've come in such a short time. This interview was recorded a week before the Oct. 30 release date, but our first conversation happened over a year ago.

Here, vocalist Noah Learmouth and guitarist Jules Paradiso reflect on those last 14 months, the making of their first record and the inexplicable route to success in the modern world of music.

James Eichman has spent years playing guitar in other people’s bands. He’s recorded independently before, but it wasn’t until recently that his solo work became more of an artistic priority. “St. Catherine Street” is his first full-length record and the first time he’s enlisted the help of his friends for the production; to them, this debut was worth every bit of extra effort.

The album came out in August, and the release show is scheduled for Oct. 27 in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. In this interview, we spoke about the new record, how it was made and what you can expect from Eichman in the near future.

It’s been ten years since Fraternal Twin released an album. It was a challenging decade for songwriter Tom Christie, but the band’s latest record signifies the triumph of coming out the other side.

“Halo Fell Forever” came out Sept. 4 – not long ago, Christie spoke about what it took to get to this point and what’s in store for the future of the band.

Gently Tender’s latest album came out Oct. 16. It’s a deeply reflective body of work that contrasts the tranquility of the countryside surrounding London with the chaos of the city itself.

Songwriter Sam Fryer has been making music his entire adult life — long enough to see the industry change, along with his own idea of success. A few weeks before the release, he spoke about the band, the record and how it all took shape.

Listen to this interview anywhere podcasts are available.

Wishy has changed in some ways since the release of their first album in 2024; they’re more accustomed to productive jams as a full group that have given way to some of their new material. But in other ways, they’re the same band they were in the beginning.

Wishy’s sophomore album, “Nature’s Pill,” came out Oct. 2 — and it’s a sonic catalog of what’s different and what’s only become more ingrained over time. Now, Wishy is once again on the road in the U.S. and Canada. Just a few weeks before they left, vocalists and guitarists Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites joined me for this quick interview.

This St. John’s, Newfoundland, band is DIY in its purest form. Sick Puppy’s latest record, “NOBODY GETS HURT,” came out July 24 — and everything from its production and engineering to its cover art was handled by the band and local friends. The result is an album made entirely on their own timeline and artistic terms.

Recently, two of the group’s founding members, Jacob Cherwick and Isobel McKenna, spoke about what that looked like for the band.

This year marks a decade of prolific New York City band BODEGA. Their latest record, “All Inside Aquarium,” is due out Oct. 9, and it’s arguably their first body of work that doesn’t contain one central message. Rather, each song is its own artifact with a distinct story to tell. The album puts fear and wonder on the same rail, and that rollercoaster is the singular through line tying these 12 tracks together.

Recently, founding members Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio spoke about the making of their latest body of work, the ideas that shaped it and the creative impulses pulling the band in new directions.

ME. is an acronym for Mark O’Connell and Eddie Reyes, formerly of Taking Back Sunday. Having closed that chapter of their lives years ago, it was only a matter of time before they gathered together a fresh band and returned to doing what they do best. Their debut album, “All Good Things,” came out July 24, and it sounds exactly like what you’d expect when career musicians rediscover the excitement and authenticity of starting something new.

A few weeks ago, O’Connell discussed the record and what it was like to start over from scratch.

Listen to this interview anywhere podcasts are available.

Hannah Cole has been making music her entire life. But it wasn’t until she moved out of her hometown that everything became more real. After a few steady years of EPs, her debut album finally arrives Sept. 4. It contrasts the challenges of starting out in the music industry with the familiarity of coming home. “Switchbacks” is built around the idea that sometimes, in order to move ahead, we must look to the past.

In the not too distant past, Cole spoke about what it took to get here, and what it means to take your passions seriously.

What started as a college band in Florida has grown into a cross-country effort with the staying power to thrive through years of recording from thousands of miles apart. But the Hails decided it was time for a change — or rather, a return.

Out Oct. 23, their new album took shape under the same roof for the first time in years. It’s called “Duckpond,” and it’s a record they can proudly say came from all of them. Recently, I spoke with frontman Robbie Kingsley and drummer Zach Levy about it all.

Celebrated in their home country of Canada and beyond for their succinct, immersive indie rock songs and lyrical storytelling, Kiwi Jr. has returned with their first album in four years — and it’s a record worth the wait.

“Blowin’ Up,” the band’s fourth studio album, is out Aug. 14. Recently, frontman Jeremy Gaudet spoke about this new collection of songs, where they came from and where the band is taking them next.

Weird Nightmare is not something you wake up from — it’s something you wake up to.

After a debut album that hung around on the outskirts of contemporary indie records, the solo project of longtime METZ frontman Alex Edkins is finally getting the recognition it deserves. With “Hoopla,” its latest release on Sub Pop Records, Weird Nightmare has garnered a well-deserved worldwide reach — a long way from where the sophomore album was conceived in Ottawa, Ontario.

Now, after playing in Canada and the U.S. earlier in the spring, Edkins is taking the band to Europe at the end of the summer. In this interview, Edkins discussed everything from the record and the impetus behind it to the shows and music still to come.

Ultra Lights began as a pandemic recording project in a homemade studio. Now a full-fledged band with their debut album on the way, the project evolved from frontman John Robinson’s desire to escape the 'jaded' cycles of being in a band.

On “Pleasure’s All Yours," they embrace creative limitations and a dreamer’s mindset, resulting in a sound that’s more honest and relatable than Robinson’s past work. The album is out July 10, and recently, Robinson and guitarist Leela Hoehn spoke about the experience of building this band and the evolution of its sound.

Montreal’s knitting returns this week with their sophomore album. While recent singles provide dark foreshadowing, the heavy, existential subject matter of the record doesn’t come without a few glimmers of hope.

Out this Friday, “Souvenir” was written, recorded and produced entirely in-house. What we’re left with is a thoughtful and deeply personal body of work that serves as a worthy follow-up to the band’s 2024 debut. Recently, front person Mischa Dempsey and guitarist/engineer Sarah Harris spoke about the record and everything else the band has in store.

Dino Expedition had a good run. But for this evolution, the old band had to go extinct for something new to flourish. Named for Cat Power’s 1996 debut album, Myra Lee is about to release a debut of their own.

Out June 26, “Capture The Flag” is this band in their truest form yet. And just a few weeks ago, I spoke with vocalist and guitarist Tahlia Amanson about the band, the record and the songs within.

When the Pretty Littles released their previous album in 2025, it followed a long stretch of dormancy, change and a rebuilt lineup. Through it all, the songwriting of frontman Jack Parsons remained the band’s center of gravity.

Out June 5, “Mulga Wire” marks the quickest turnaround in the history of the Littles. The album came together in what Parsons described as “a series of last things falling into place” — it’s a record assembled with the audible momentum of a band in its purest form.

Recently, Parsons discussed the making of the album, the road that led to it and the future of the band.

Boston’s Gollylagging has spent years sharpening a sound that blends shoegaze fuzz with alt-country and bedroom pop sensibilities. Following their 2024 EP, “Dry Rot,” the quartet entered a new era with their latest single, “Jackknife,” on May 26.

Recently, the band sat down to discuss the painstaking process of revising their new sound, their deep collaborative roots in the New England circuit and the full-length album they now have on the horizon.

Borrowing from shoegaze while carving out a sound distinctly their own, self-described “moss music” purveyors of Minneapolis she’s green haven’t slowed down since their formation. Their new EP, “swallowtail,” arrives July 10 as the follow-up to 2025’s “chrysalis” — together revealing a band capable of far more than the dreamy, fuzz-soaked sound they first became known for. Next week, the band heads out on a U.S. tour with Turnover and Narrow Head before crossing over to Europe in August and September.

Recently, vocalist Zofia Smith and guitarist Liam Armstrong joined me to discuss the past, present and future of a band that rarely stands still.

Listen to this interview anywhere podcasts are available.

Few bands see the early success Fai Laci has earned in recent years. What began as a college solo project is now a full band with a debut album on the way produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.

“Elephant In The Room” comes out June 26 amid dozens of tour dates across the US this summer. Just before the band hit the road, frontman Luke Faillaci sat down with me to talk about it all.

After 10 years away, Mrs. Magician has returned. With an entirely new lineup, frontman Jacob Turnbloom’s creative vision is the sonic anchor that refines this new collaborative energy into an evolution rather than a departure; they’re still the same surf-adjacent San Diego band you know and love.

The band’s new album, “Spiritual Hangover,” is out May 15. Last month, I was thrilled to speak with Turnbloom in my final weeks living in San Diego — and I can’t imagine a better way to round out my time there.