A meticulously structured sonic experiment… a track where human emotion is translated into systemic pressure… The arrangement opens with cold, layered synths, progressing into a pulsating rhythm that echoes the sensation of a heartbeat under strain. As the track unfolds, melodies shift from still observation to turbulent collapse, mirroring the psychological tension at the heart of the song. Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify Anna’s vocals thread through the track with calm precision, trembling subtly to convey vulnerability without losing control. The production balances emotional resonance with conceptual clarity, reinforcing the theme of human structures reaching their breaking point. Cinematic in scope yet intimate in execution, the track captures the interplay between detachment and inner turmoil, making the listener acutely aware of the tension underlying the music. Breakdown Simulations sits comfortably at the intersection of electronic experimentation and human storytelling, exemplifying Close to Monday’s ability to merge technical precision with emotional depth. The track is both unsettling and cathartic, a reflection on collapse as a necessary precursor to transformation.

Captain Dangerous Interview 2025 What inspired you to get back together to perform this one off comeback gig? What’s the process been like of ‘getting the band’ back together, were there any blues brother esque scenarios? Ad - It was a few things. A big obvious catalyst was us all being in the same country for the first time in years and with that, naturally "what if" conversations started happening. Personally for me, this is about getting my friends back together. These are people I spent my formative years with, who I really care about and who I haven't been fully connected to over the last decade. It's felt quite emotional for me and I'm so pleased we get to do one more final show. It came together by hanging out as friends really, and conversations just happened slowly. Even if the show wasn't happening, I'd still be delighted to have the friendships back. Jamie - A similar answer to Ad for me. It’s all been about reconnecting. I moved to the other side of the world in 2014, and the band meant the world to me. It left a huge void in my life. I never lost contact with the lads as such, I knew they were always there etc, it’s just that people, definitely blokes in general, can go years without speaking and then pick up where they left off. I’ve learned that’s the sign of true friendship. We’ve hung out socially and our kids have played together since I’ve been back in England, and I know that’s going to happen again. Playing some songs that I love with them is a bonus. Miles - The guys just asked me. They did a thing a few years ago but I wasn’t ready. Captain Dangerous was my life for 10 years - it occupied my every thought. I needed a long break to rest my brain and shift focus. Now I’m ready to enjoy it again without the obsession. Plus, I never properly lost touch and it’s always great to see them. Mark - We always stayed friends. We played a lot of gigs and spent a lot of time on recording and I think by 2012/2013 we were all in need of a break. Then Rob and I were playing in Manieres des Bohemiens , Adam formed other bands, Miles got involved with the label side of things at INFL and Jamie moved to Japan. It's been great after so many years getting back in a room and playing together again. Just really fun. It doesn't feel forced in any way like it sometimes used to and we've all got better too. What were some of your best and worst gig experiences as Captain Dangerous? Miles - Best: Performing at Splendour Festival to an absolutely packed marquee (the rain probably helped), and meeting so many great people along the way - some of whom are now A-list celebs. Worst: Working so fucking hard on something for 10 years and not getting it to where I wanted it to be. The really frustrating part is that right before we disbanded, I think we were working on our best stuff. But the energy had run out - we all had more responsible lives, kids, bills. That timing still bothers me. Rob - Highlight was definitely the album launch. Conducting a 18 piece string section comprising of my friends and both of my brothers and playing awesome tunes with arrangements that I had written was a massive buzz, probably one of my favourite all time gigs with any band or orchestra. There weren't many lows for me, maybe having to get up and on a cold-rainy Saturday morning in December to go busking to raise money for our album. My fingers struggled to move at times. Mark - So many great memories. Playing Splendour with Ash and at the grand re-opening of the Market Square with the Magic Numbers to big crowds, festivals in Prague, as well as some great shows at Rock City and Rescue Rooms. Jamie - To be honest without getting too deep, my last few months in the UK before I moved weren’t the best, and were largely self inflicted. Maybe subconsciously that has been on my mind for a few years, and possibly clouded some memories of the band and living in Nottingham in general, but preparing for this gig has brought all the great memories back up. Our sold out basement gig in Rock City, and our album launch at Rescue Rooms stand out. Adam and Miles having a freestyle rap battle at a house party at Miles’ house just after we’d finished recording Everything Beautiful is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. Adam - Highlights for me was the Rescue Rooms show we did with a 24 piece orchestra, flying to tour Czech Republic very early on, watching TV and hearing a song we wrote playing on channel 4 without warning. I’ve got a funny memory of beating a few members of Roll Deep at pool backstage at a festival and I once got flown to Bahrain to sing with someone from Terrorvision, I was only there for 48hrs. Weird what that world conjured up looking back. Worst gig experiences? Completely self-imposed, being too hammered at a festival, unable to be professional and the band walking off after 3 songs after I'd jumped into the crowd to-crowd surf and no one caught me. That was a low point and just really embarrassing behaviour, but you learn from these things. I hear your writing a book Adam, tell us more about this? Adam - I've written 8 chapters, it's probably very self-indulgent but I think it's important to document moments in time, I've always written and had a blog in the 00s/10s about being in a band. It's called "Tales of a failed Indie rock band". We always found ourselves in mad situations and have a lot of stories. It was a much more hedonistic time back then and with that you find yourselves in situations that are unusual. For a while we were getting wined and dined and were flavour of the month, particularly in London, and all sorts of famous faces were turning up at our gigs. Everything was geared up for Sony to sign us, but they pulled out at the last minute due to Radio 1 switching their focus away from guitar music, so it's about that almost thing too. At one point we were getting taken out by stylists, had the same lawyer as the Manics and the Clash, free flights around Europe and were in the same circles of a lot of people who went on to be very successful, but I’ll save the stories for the book. How are you all currently involved in music outside of this gig? Rob - My main music activity has been playing lead violin with Symphonica these last few years. We do Ibiza, Drum and Bass and Trance sets in front of thousands, each week in a different UK city although we have also toured Ibiza, Dubai, Dublin and Amsterdam several times. I was also invited to Bali to play with Stuart Zender of Jamiroquai fame. Pete Ray Biggin (Level 42, Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson) and Duayne Sanford (Kelis, Dua Lipa) were the 2 drummers playing either side of Stuart Zender in his band. To be playing alongside such talent was humbling and inspiring. Spent 3 weeks there rehearsing, writing, recording and performing and it was quite the experience. Next year I'm hopefully off on a tour of the US for 3 months with a certain famous cartoon pig (visa pending). Mark - Chloe Rogers is excellent. I used to teach her about 17 or 18 years ago and Miles was her first guitar teacher so it's great to see her doing well. I also like Lawrence County from the Bagthorpe Delta in Ashfield. I'm not as up to date with local Nottingham bands as I used to be when we were right at the heart of the scene and knew everybody. My favourite Nottingham band of all time is We Show Up On Radar. Genius. Adam - I was guitarist in a post punk band for a bit, before that I was playing piano in a band called “Hollywood”, wrote songs for a kids mini play for the Theatre Royal a few years ago with Rob, and did a bit of horror soundtrack composing – it was very cool to see my music on the big screen. I’ve got an ongoing operatic musical I’ve been writing for years too which I’ll get round to finishing at some point about the Finnish winter war. Currently I’m in a band called Merrows with Mark and an excellent drummer called Lobbo, who I’ve played with over the last couple of years. We've just recorded our first music and played our first show. Miles - I’m trying to get back into songwriting slowly. After leaving Captain Dangerous, I ran I’m Not From London Records for 5 years with my partners, then bizarrely ended up making sleep sounds and ambient noise under the name Noise Foundation - which has blown up on Apple Music with half a million streams a week. It’s honestly a bit bonkers. I never planned it, but it turns out there’s a massive audience for sounds that help people sleep and focus. It’s functional rather than groundbreaking artistic expression, but it pays the bills while I work my way back to ‘real’ songwriting as life allows. Jamie - I’m not really. I was in a band in Japan that recorded two albums, that was pretty full on. I have an electric kit at home and am really just enjoying playing along to albums I love, and I’m setting myself targets of playing different styles. I’ve got my eye on Motown and soul after Christmas. I’ve also promised my 5 year old I’ll teach her how to play drums, that’s going to be more tiring and scarier than being in any band. How did you pick your support bands and why? Adam - I've always loved Will from Dusty 4 Track's voice and Ben is a brilliant guitarist so it's because I'm a fan. Same with Lara, awesome singer. What can people expect from the gig on the 22nd? Adam - It's a big production so if all goes well, it'll be really memorable. Your combining your 15 year comeback gig with 20 years of INFL, what were some of your more memorable experiences with the I’m Not From London label? Adam - So many, we played a gig dressed as ghosts on a moving bus for the label once, that was memorable, and there have been a lot of good parties over the years. Which bands Nottingham and further afield are you all listening or would like to shout out to? Jamie - I love Dim Bulbs, their Gift Over album is absolutely top notch. I live in the East Yorkshire countryside now, so I’m a little out of the scene so to speak, but I do try and keep up, and it’s great that Nottingham seems to still have such a thriving music scene. I’ve been listening to Lara Elise Grant and Dusty4Track on Spotify and I’m looking forward to watching them at the gig, of course I’m looking forward to eventually seeing Ad and Mark play with Merrows. Other than that, please recommend some! Adam - Teenage Tom Petties , Lone Striker , Insecure Men , Real Farmer , Auto Camper from further afield. The last Darren Heyman album was a real return to form and I’m listening to Country Teasers a fair bit at the moment too. Locally I like Jonk and will always have a soft spot for Alex and the Christopher Hale band. Miles - Honestly, I’m really out of the Nottingham scene now - ironic considering how in it I was when playing in Captain Dangerous and running the label. After I left, I took a proper step back. We home educate our kids, which has taken over most of my brain these past few years. I miss the community and the scene - it was a massive part of my life. Hopefully this reunion gig will be a catalyst to get more involved again. Tips for kids nowadays getting into music ? Rob - Be open minded and listen to lots of genres; go watch and listen to lots of music and speak to people and make connections. Practice is important and can seem like hard work but you'll get out what you put in. Learn to take criticism and use it to improve yourself. Miles - Do more stuff. Adam- Play lots of gigs, it builds a thicker skin and that's absolutely needed. Jamie - Practice lots. Drink decaf tea and water instead of beer at rehearsals and never forget your drum key. Also, never buy Evans Pods instead of Moongel. They’re rubbish. Mark - Work hard. Don't expect too much too soon. Be humble, and most importantly, be really nice to everyone. No matter how great or talented you are, be kind to everyone you meet along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaEM_8yHUrg&list=RDHaEM_8yHUrg&start_radio=1 Captain Dangerous are playing at The Old Cold Store this Saturday 22nd November 2025 Tickets at Gigantic.com Doors at 8pm https://www.instagram.com/p/DRB29dPDKUH/

Sfork’s The World We Once Knew, featuring Fatboi, is a forward-thinking exploration of creativity in an AI-driven age… The track merges reflective rap with progressive EDM, balancing human narrative and machine-like production. Fatboi’s incisive verses confront themes of artistic loss and technological dominance, while Sfork’s production layers nostalgic synth lines over pulse-driven beats. Instagram , TikTok , X , Spotify , YouTube , Website Musically, the track juxtaposes urgency and contemplation. The melodic phrasing of the EDM sections mirrors the tension in the lyrics, creating a sense of suspended time that reinforces the song’s philosophical undertone. The production demonstrates careful textural layering, balancing rhythmic propulsion with space for lyrical reflection. The song’s conceptual ambition is matched by its infectious energy, producing a track that is simultaneously cerebral and danceable. The World We Once Knew is emblematic of Sfork’s capacity to merge thematic depth with compelling sonic architecture, crafting electronic music that challenges and engages on multiple levels.

There is a very specific kind of momentum surrounding Southern Illinois artist Brendan “Bren.d.o” Jennings — the kind that feels less like hype and more like the early pulse of a career about to crest into national recognition… In 2025 he not only charted twice on the iTunes R&B listings, but also established himself as one of the most distinctive multi-disciplinary voices emerging from the Midwest. Music outlets have repeatedly framed him as “neo-soul’s newest storyteller,” and Bren.d.o appears more than ready to live up to the title. Website | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok His rise this year has been anchored by the success of two key singles: the neon-washed alt-R&B duet ‘Electric Love Affair’ featuring Kendra Chanae, and the punchy, rhythmic ‘Boom Boom’, set to appear on his upcoming album ‘The Corner’. Together, the tracks showcase the dualities that define Bren.d.o’s world — romantic yet restless, smooth yet emotionally tensile, glossy yet grounded in lived experience. ‘Electric Love Affair’, which earned features from The Gatekeeper Space and Rockdafuqout, was praised for its “neon lit” atmosphere and the seamless blend between Bren.d.o and Chanae’s vocals. Meanwhile, ‘Boom Boom’, released on YouTube mid-year and now sitting at over 118,000 views, carried his sound further into an alt-R&B and pop hybrid that continues to draw comparison to artists like Prince and Bruno Mars. But music is only one facet of his expanding creative orbit. Bren.d.o is also the author of the psychological thriller ‘Chemical Exposure’, a novel exploring the blurred threshold between nightmares and waking reality. Set against the backdrop of Southern Illinois, the story follows Daniel, a man whose vivid dreams lead him toward a concealed threat within his own community. The book echoes the qualities that underpin Bren.d.o’s musical identity: tension, introspection, and a sense of narratives unfolding just beneath the surface. His work beyond the arts — namely his community history and advocacy across Southern Illinois — adds yet another layer to his emerging profile. Coverage from WPSD Local 6, Illinois Humanities, and Belt Magazine has highlighted his commitment to documenting and uplifting regional stories, from historical preservation to civic engagement. It’s uncommon for a rising R&B artist to have this level of civic footprint, but for Bren.d.o, place is not a backdrop; it is a collaborator. With ‘The Corner’ slated for early 2026, Bren.d.o enters the next stage of his career with a strong foundation: critical praise, charting singles, a developing literary readership, and a cultural presence spanning music, fiction, and community history. If 2025 was the introduction, 2026 may be the revelation — the moment where neo-soul’s newest storyteller becomes one of its defining voices.

With ‘Just a Girl’, Molly Stone proves that pop can be politically sharp, emotionally intelligent, and unapologetically fun. It’s the sound of a songwriter fully in control of her own narrative. Instagram , Spotify , YouTube Molly Stone’s ‘Just a Girl’ is a fiery slice of clever pop songwriting — a blend of sweetness, sharpness, and lyrical bite that turns everyday frustration into empowerment. Co-written with Leve and produced by REYA, the track flips the narrative on gendered assumptions, reclaiming the phrase “just a girl” as something triumphant. Built on crisp beats and sparkling guitar motifs, the song carries the breezy confidence of early 2000s pop while injecting the wit of British storytelling. Stone’s vocal delivery walks a fine line between playful and assertive; she toys with irony, teasing her subject while making a broader statement about autonomy and strength. “You’re the one being played for a change,” she sings — a subtle but pointed reversal that lands perfectly in a post-patriarchal pop landscape. Musically, the production balances polish with bite. REYA’s clean arrangement leaves room for Molly’s voice to lead, while the melodies shimmer with the kind of immediacy that feels both chart-ready and authentic. There’s an undercurrent of folk-pop sincerity in her phrasing — that unguarded honesty that recalls Taylor Swift’s Red era — but her humour and timing lend her a uniquely London edge, more Lily Allen than Nashville. Stone dismantles double standards without resorting to slogans. Her writing feels lived-in, drawn from real-world contradictions. The song’s refrain doesn’t just empower — it winks. The charm lies in its refusal to shout; instead, it smiles, knowing it’s already won the argument.

Will Foulke’s Charleston Blues plays like a long, heartfelt letter to the roots of American music — not a nostalgic imitation, but a vivid, living conversation with its ancestors. Across its wide-ranging tracklist, Foulke channels blues, rock, and pop into a cohesive narrative of craft, soul, and reverence. Performing every instrument and vocal line himself, Foulke builds a world that feels handcrafted — raw yet refined. The opening track shimmers with psychedelic texture, while later numbers slide effortlessly into classic, harmony-rich songwriting reminiscent of Jeff Lynne and Brian Wilson. Yet, despite the stylistic diversity, there’s a singular thread of emotional clarity binding it all together: the warmth of the human touch. Instagram ,  YouTube ,  Spotify The album explores love, loss, and belonging through imagery rooted in the blues tradition, yet the delivery feels contemporary. His voice carries that subtle rasp of lived-in honesty, while the arrangements breathe with organic fluidity. Guitars ring clean but weathered, keys sparkle with vintage charm, and the rhythm section moves with the patience of someone who truly listens to the music they’re making. Mixed by Elliott Elsey and mastered by Vlado Meller, the production captures every nuance without stripping the record of its intimacy. Each track feels like it’s been allowed to exhale — space and texture are prioritised over gloss. Foulke’s references — from Robert Johnson to George Harrison — are apparent, but Charleston Blues transcends homage. It’s both a tribute and a reinvention, bridging eras with sincerity and skill. This is an album made not to impress but to connect, the kind of record that finds you at just the right time and reminds you why music still matters.

ANASTÁZIE’s ‘Kiss & Let Go’  glows with a sense of freedom — a track that refuses to settle neatly into one category, instead blending R&B sensuality, Afrobeats rhythm, and jazz-tinged sophistication into a fresh and confident whole. Co-produced and written by ANASTÁZIE herself, it’s both technically sharp and emotionally fluid, flowing between smooth grooves and bright, effervescent hooks. Instagram ,  TikTok ,  Apple Music ,  Spotify From the opening bars, the rhythm section establishes an infectious bounce, lifted by syncopated percussion and bass that moves like water beneath her voice. Her vocal delivery carries an elegant confidence — breathy and controlled one moment, boldly expressive the next. There’s a warmth to her tone that draws you in immediately; even when she sings about letting go, it feels like liberation rather than loss. ‘Kiss & Let Go’ celebrates decisive freedom — the courage to choose your own path and enjoy the joy that comes with release. “It’s about freedom, youth, love — and having fun while you’re at it,” she says, and that philosophy radiates through the track. The production mirrors that sentiment, with bright horn inflections and rhythmic shifts that nod to her jazz influences without ever losing R&B’s melodic focus. The blend of genres isn’t just stylistic; it’s a reflection of identity. ANASTÁZIE’s music feels borderless — a testament to modern hybridity where rhythm and melody are shared languages. The track captures that moment when heartbreak gives way to empowerment, the sound of someone dancing their way out of the past. If ‘Kiss & Let Go’ signals where she’s headed next, ANASTÁZIE isn’t merely blending influences — she’s defining a new contour of contemporary R&B that’s as graceful as it is fearless.

What lingers isn’t the sadness but the serenity that follows — that fragile, fleeting sense that maybe, just maybe, the storm has already started to pass… Written, composed, and produced by Son herself, the song reveals a multi-layered artist who channels emotional turbulence into something cleansing. Built on delicate piano phrasing and a vocal performance that swells from restraint to release, the track’s emotional weight feels both intimate and cinematic. Instagram ,  Spotify ,  YouTube ,  Wikipedia The story behind the song adds another dimension — a fleeting comment from her mother on a damp afternoon sparked the idea: that longing for the rain to “wash everything away.” That line becomes a metaphor not for escape, but renewal. Sonnet transforms a small domestic moment into a universal expression of heartbreak and resilience. Her voice is striking in its balance of control and vulnerability. Every phrase feels deliberate, yet spontaneous — a conversation between grief and hope. The production remains uncluttered, allowing her vocal tone to resonate naturally against sparse piano and subtle reverb. When the melody finally blooms in the chorus, there’s an almost physical sense of release, as if exhaling after holding your breath for too long. Sonnet’s songwriting embodies the emotional literacy that defines the new wave of Korean pop-soul artists, yet her delivery feels timeless. Fans who know her from The Voice Korea and The Masked Singer will recognise her signature depth, but ‘Wishing For Rain’ pushes further inward. It’s not a power ballad in the traditional sense — it’s a slow, deliberate act of self-forgiveness.

Sam Uctas’ The Dark Made Sense is an arresting record — the kind that feels less like an album and more like an unfiltered transmission from one person’s inner world. Recorded, performed, and mixed entirely by Uctas, it embodies his philosophy of imperfection as truth. The music is raw, unvarnished, and powerfully human. INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY Using analogue equipment and a minimal setup, Uctas creates a sound that blurs the boundaries between rock, funk, avant-pop, and experimental art rock. Each track feels spontaneous, as though captured in the heat of thought. The distortion isn’t decoration — it’s texture, a living part of the music’s emotional grammar. His voice, unpolished and unguarded, carries an immediacy that modern production often erases. Drawing on Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory, Uctas strips everything down to what’s essential. The result is a record that trusts the listener to engage, to feel the weight of what’s unsaid. “ In a world that feels ever more fake, I am trying to create music that is rea l,” he explains — and he does exactly that. There’s a tension throughout the album between chaos and clarity, noise and silence. At its core, The Dark Made Sense is about vulnerability — not as spectacle, but as survival. The songs resist easy categorisation, living instead in the spaces between genre and intention. By rejecting polish, Uctas makes a statement about authenticity that feels almost radical in today’s landscape. Every hiss of tape, every imperfect vocal take becomes part of the record’s heartbeat. It’s not pretty, but it’s alive — and that’s the point. The Dark Made Sense challenges the listener to sit in discomfort, to find beauty in fracture. In doing so, it becomes something rare: an album that doesn’t just describe truth, it inhabits it.

‘Back to the Feeling’ marks Make Out Monday’s return with a wave of melodic nostalgia and energy — an anthem that fuses 80s sheen with the heart of modern alt-rock. The band’s knack for marrying cinematic production with emotional directness shines throughout, resulting in a track that sounds as big as it feels personal. From the first glimmer of synths, the song propels forward with a sense of movement — the rhythmic interplay between bass and drums providing the pulse beneath shimmering guitars and Zack Shada’s commanding vocal delivery. There’s a deliberate nod to the widescreen sonics of Tears for Fears and Don Henley, yet the core emotion is pure Make Out Monday: earnest, propulsive, and unafraid to feel. Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , Spotify ‘ Back to the Feeling’  meditates on longing — the ache of wanting to relive a moment frozen in time. “It’s about trying to return to a time, place, or feeling you can’t get back to,” Zack says. That nostalgia is mirrored in the music itself: warm synth pads conjure sepia tones, while soaring guitars and harmonies pull everything skyward. Produced by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, and mastered by Ted Jensen, the track’s polish never overwhelms its heart. Each element feels tuned toward emotional resonance, capturing that push-pull between melancholy and euphoria. Despite its wistful theme, the song never lingers in sadness. Instead, it transforms longing into momentum — a burst of life that feels like rewinding a cassette only to find new clarity in what once was. ‘Back to the Feeling’ isn’t about returning to the past; it’s about honouring it and moving forward with it ringing in your ears.

On Emerald Spy, Toronto-born multimedia artist Annika Zee delivers her most daring and conceptually rich project yet: A genre-defying album that fuses 90s pop nostalgia, ambient electronica and abstract lyrical storytelling into a vivid, emotionally resonant whole. Across its tracks, Annika Zee explores the tension between personal fragmentation and collective empowerment in a digital age defined by extractive technologies and algorithmic bias. The result is an album that refuses to be boxed into conventional pop frameworks, instead offering a vision rooted in memory, resistance and radical tenderness. The record unfolds like a tapestry. ‘Hell No’ opens with a fierce rejection of dystopian futures and the systems that enable them, its synth-driven production bristling with urgency. ‘Can’t Hear You’ acts as a disarming critique of war, fame culture and social media saturation, while ‘Wondering’ provides a dreamy, optimistic counterpoint that imagines a different kind of future. Elsewhere, ‘I’m Dead’ interrogates identity, stereotyping and toxic love with biting clarity; ‘Can You,’ produced with Will Smith at Jamie xx’s Octave Studio, takes a surreal, improvisational approach to examining power dynamics in relationships and systems through a mixed-race lens. ‘Puppet,’ inspired by Malcolm X, rejects systemic oppression with unflinching resolve, and ‘As They Call’ closes as a haunting meditation on colonial legacy and the necessity of reparations. Annika Zee’s ability to connect personal and political themes is matched by her sonic adventurousness. Her production melds shimmering synth textures with percussive details and global rhythms, creating an immersive world where every track feels like a different angle on the same prism. Her voice – alternately cool, impassioned and otherworldly – threads the album together. More than just a collection of songs, Emerald Spy feels like an invitation to reimagine community and collaboration in an age of fragmentation. It’s bold, uncompromising and, crucially, deeply moving – a reminder of how pop can still be a site of radical imagination. Follow Annika Zee: Instagram , YouTube , Spotify , Website

Memphis-based singer-songwriter Mary Hatley arrives with a debut album that feels like both a personal reckoning and a communal offering… Instagram , TikTok , Facebook , Spotify , YouTube The Poison I Choose blends blues, rock, country and pop into a deeply felt collection of songs about love, loss, resilience and self-discovery. Produced by Matt Qualls at the legendary Easley McCain studio, the record carries a raw, unfiltered energy that recalls the classic rock and soul Hatley grew up on while charting her own path forward. Each track acts as a chapter in Hatley’s story. ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ captures the vulnerability of discovering love after years of emotional walls. ‘Be My Lover’ surrenders to desire despite fear, while ‘Can’t Forget You Now’ wrestles with the fragility of trust. The driving ‘Cross You Twice’ confronts personal and societal challenges head-on, and ‘Didn’t See A Ring’ dissects assumptions and misunderstandings with wry honesty. ‘Dog Days’ pays tribute to resilience and healing through grief, while ‘Miss You Dear’ delves into cycles of loss and disappointment. Hatley also finds moments of empowerment. ‘Not The Only One’ reclaims agency in matters of the heart, and ‘Ricochet’ emerges as an anthem of defiance and new beginnings. The title track ‘The Poison I Choose’ becomes a keystone – processing toxic love and the decisions that shape our lives. Closing with ‘What Are You Gonna Do’ and ‘Wine, Flowers & Blood,’ she grounds the album in Memphis nights, confronting past trauma while moving forward. Musically, the album is rich with organic instrumentation – twanging guitars, soulful keys, and Hatley’s voice, which moves from a bluesy growl to a country-tinged croon with ease. It’s a sound that bridges genres but stays rooted in storytelling. In sharing her journey so openly, Hatley creates space for listeners to process their own. The Poison I Choose is not just a debut; it’s a testament to survival, vulnerability and the transformative power of music.