New Lease Music’s New Music Roundup – 31/03/26

Welcome to NEW LEASE MUSIC’s New Music Roundup, your weekly snapshot of great music from indie and unsigned artists! In this addition you’ll hear cross rhythms of genres – from alt-pop, country/folk and R&B/soul. If you like what you hear, give it a thumbs-up below in the comment section.

If you are a indie or an unsigned artist and would like your music featured on the list, send your music links and a short info about the release to submit@newleasemusic.com, with NEW MUSIC ROUNDUP in the subject line.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy the music!

MAXX NIES – GIVE ME A REASON

New York-based alt-pop artist MAXX NIES continues to carve out a compelling space in the modern pop landscape with the release of her deeply personal new single, ‘Give Me A Reason’. At just 25, Nies has already forged a musical path rooted in vulnerability, resilience, and emotional honesty, using songwriting as both a creative outlet and a means of healing. Inspired to write her first song at the age of seven following the passing of her great grandmother, Maxx discovered early on the transformative power of music to process complex feelings and personal experiences.

‘Give Me A Reason’ is out now across all leading platforms. Listen below…

NATALIE DUNCAN – BLACK MOON

Nottingham-raised and London-based singer-songwriter and keys player NATALIE DUNCAN returns with her highly anticipated third studio album, ‘Black Moon’, out now for your pleasure across all leading platforms. The album, produced and mixed in-house with her trio, Alan Mian (bass) and Dave ‘Big D’ Browning (drums), marks a bold, expansive statement from one of the UK’s most compelling jazz, soul, and R&B artists. Leading the record is the stirring first single, ‘Crashing Into The Dark’, a track that perfectly captures the depth, soul, and vigour of the new collection. Have a listen below…

STARSPIRE – UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE

London-based creative strategist and Managing Director Ranj George steps fully into his artist identity with the release of his debut album under his multi-genre project, STARSPIRE. Titled ‘What Is Meant For You’, the record is an ambitious and emotionally resonant body of work spanning 13 genres, from hip-hop to country, pop to indie, unified not by sound, but by storytelling.

The album’s lead single, ‘Unclaimed Baggage’, is a sharply observed country-pop reflection on modern male loneliness, following a mid-40s divorced man navigating dating apps, emotional fatigue and the quiet pressure to stay confident while feeling overlooked. Warm but unresolved, the track carries a lived-in quality, with intimate husky vocals and stripped back acoustic textures that mirror its bittersweet honesty. Have a listen to below…

DANI IVORY – NO OTHER WAY

DANI IVORY is back with her four-song EP ‘No Other Way’, a raw, unfiltered exploration of love, loss, and devotion. The project is a collective of soul, R&B, rock, country, and folk-pop, blending organic instrumentation with emotionally rich storytelling.Opening with ‘Looney Bin’ Ivory sets the tone immediately — messy, self-aware, and emotionally charged. Bright on the surface but layered with heartbreak underneath, the track blends organ, twangy guitars, and soulful textures that evoke Maggie Rose and Marcus King while staying rooted in Ivory’s signature sound: “I’ve been beating down every single door / I got no good shoes left to throw I’m looking for some more / I just can’t wrap my head tight around the thought / You’ve had enough of my love, don’t want me no more.”

The song captures the exhaustion, disbelief, and chaos of realising the love you’re giving isn’t wanted, with a chorus that makes the unraveling fully visible: “I turn into a wreck, a nasty mess / Mascara dripping, big hair flippin’ party bitch / I drink too much wine, I stay up all night / I’m a different woman when you’re roaming / Yeah I’m losing my mind to the looney bin.” Listen to ‘Looney Bin’ below…

VIANNA ROSE – I’M A GOOD WOMAN

Taken her new EP, ‘Echoes of Time’, available now on all streaming and download sites, VIANNA ROSE unveils focus track, ‘I’m A Good Woman.’ Channeling the bold attitude of Barbara Lynn’s original, pairing Southern soul grit with a warm R&B groove, ‘I’m A Good Woman.’ hooks listeners early with its turning-point lyric, “Now I know what I’m going to do… I’m gonna leave you,” before landing its emotional payoff through a striking, repeated outro refrain.

Check out the video for ‘I’m A Good Woman’ below…

SHEYNA GEE – TWO WEEKS

Traditional country artist SHEYNA GEE releases her highly anticipated new EP, ‘Two Weeks’, out now. Entirely written and produced by Sheyna herself, the project serves as a bold artistic statement—one that captures lightning in a bottle while showcasing her undeniable depth as both a songwriter and producer.

The EP’s title, ‘Two Weeks’, reflects the intense and deeply personal creative sprint during which Sheyna brought each track to life. The result is a cohesive, emotionally rich body of work that moves seamlessly between raw vulnerability, soaring resilience, and even a playful, tongue-in-cheek drinking anthem

‘Two Weeks’ was released last Friday (31st March) across all leading platforms. Why not check it out below…

Nick Ryan makes a bold return with new album, ‘ArchNemesis’

Nick Ryan’s ‘ArchNemesis’ — a remixed reimagining of his earlier album ‘Nemesis’ — wastes no time making an impact. From the opening track, ‘Welcome To The Nightmare’, listeners are thrown into a vivid sonic landscape bursting with oversized synths and thunderous drums, clearly inspired by Rated R Remixed by Rihanna.

And that intensity never lets up. The album is relentless in its energy, pushing the listener to move as basslines grow deeper, more progressive, and increasingly infectious across the sprawling tracklist. There’s a playful, bubblegum sheen layered into tracks like ‘Bow Down’ and ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’, offering a carefree contrast. Yet ‘Bow Down’ in particular flips that tone lyrically, as Nick Ryan confronts past experiences with narcissistic manipulation, transforming them into something defiant and empowering.

Diving further into the project, ‘Nemesis’ and ‘Joshua Sea’ immerse the listener in rich, 90s-inspired deep house textures. From there, ‘Politics & MindGames’ bridges deep house with EDM influences, exposing a more vulnerable side of Ryan as he explores themes of frustration and emotional strain tied to manipulation and deceit.

The album then takes a nostalgic turn with ‘Toast’, channeling the familiar, commercial pulse of 90s house music, before closing with an ambitious megamix that ties the entire project together.

Originally released in 2021, ‘Nemesis’ leaned more toward alternative rock and pop with subtle electronic elements. In contrast, ‘ArchNemesis’ dives into darker, deeper territory — both sonically and thematically — amplifying its focus on societal issues, personal relationships, and unapologetic self-expression.

‘ArchNemesis’ is now available across all major platforms — and it’s a journey worth taking; why not check it out below…

Must Listens: Bow Down – Don’t Hold Your BreathNemesis; What U Did 2 MeGood People Are Hard To FindArchNemesis – Mega Mix

Follow Nick Ryan via:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/nickryanofficial/
Website: https://www.nickryanofficial.com

Gena Perala unveils her sophomore album, ‘Somewhere New’

GENA PERALA has released her sophomore album, ‘Somewhere New’ last Friday (13th February), across all leading music platforms. Produced by Erik Nielsen, the 12-track album was recorded at Afterlife Studios and finished at Smooth Operator Studios, the result of nearly three years of work, shaped slowly by people in a room making music together.

‘Somewhere New’ is about motion rather than milestones—leaving without spectacle, choosing yourself, and continuing forward even when it feels like pushing the same boulder uphill, again and again. There’s no grand arrival here, no welcome-home party. Just quiet resolve.

The sense of time passing is embedded in the album itself. Songs like ‘Baby Girl’ were written years ago, while others, including ‘Machete,’ came together in the studio. “Letting the band shape and challenge the songs in real time was one of the great gifts of making this record,” Perala says.

“Somewhere New is a journey—about who we were, who we’re becoming, and learning to accept ourselves somewhere in between,” she continues. “I’ve often been described as disarming, difficult, or defiant. Those words are usually meant as insults, and this record spends a lot of time sitting with that—what it means to take up space, to stay true without explaining or apologizing, and to stand your ground, especially as a woman.”

Nielsen’s production keeps the focus on feel, leaving room for silence, tension, and breath. In an era dominated by speed and polish, ‘Somewhere New’ leans into something increasingly rare: musicians listening to each other in real time. The songs linger in the spaces between messages, the silences left by ghosting, and the quiet work of staying present in an increasingly online, distracted world. Rather than rejecting modern life outright, the record gently asks what we lose when attention becomes fractured—and what it means to seek real connection anyway.

Subtle instrumentation deepens that sense of forward motion. A string quartet threads through the album with visceral tension, while pedal steel appears on nearly every track, bending and holding emotion in place. Nielsen’s role was often one of restraint, continually reining things in and giving the songs space. The result is a sound that feels intimate and expansive, guided more by instinct than excess.

The album’s cover image reflects that same spirit. Shot by Perala’s late father, the photograph captures a hot air balloon, carnival swings, and light caught at just the right moment—fleeting, weightless, and quietly beautiful. Motion suspended in time.

Raised traveling the carnival circuit with her family, Perala has long been attuned to impermanence, memory, and the strange comfort of movement. Those early experiences continue to shape her songwriting—work that finds meaning in the everyday and beauty in the overlooked.

‘Somewhere New’ is a record about arrival—not at a place, but at a self. No ceremony. No applause. Just forward motion as quiet cause for celebration. Have a listen below…

Must Listens: Machete, Lucky One, Goodbye Friend, Losing Ground, Baby Girl

Connect with Gena Perala via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/GenaPeralaMusic/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/genaperala
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@genaperala
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@genaperala

Source: Gena Perala

New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2025

Hello guys, Happy New Year! I hope you all had lots of fun over the festive period!

It’s that time again when NEW LEASE MUSIC picks out the top releases of the year! Today, we start with the Top Ten Albums of 2025 where – as always – you’ll find a selection of earworthy collections. So if you’re in the mood to move your hips to the infectious rhythms of Afrobeats, Afro-fusion and EDM, you’ll find some here to keep you dancing. Prefer something more laid-back? We’ve also included albums steeped in the intimate vibes of indie rock, pop, singer-songwriter, and hip-hop—perfect for reflective moments and late-night listening.

So, get tuck in and explore! If any of the great releases tickle your fancy, why not comment below!

Be sure to look out for NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Singles of 2025, coming soon….

10. DEEP BLUE – LAVENDINE

9. YESTERDAY’S WEIRDNESS IS TOMORROW’S REASON WHY – ALASKA X ALEX LUDOVICO X JASON GRIFF

8. DO IT – HANSHAKE IN SPACE

7. ALL OF ME – RAPHAEL TATE

6. BLACK RENAISSANCE – NATTY BOI ZOE

5. WAYFINDING – COLIN MANSON

4. A MOMENT ALONE (LIVE AT FACTORY STUDIOS) – JAMES O’HURLEY

3. QUARTER PAST 7VEN – 705

2. LAST DAYZ – JB DAMESENJAH

1. IT IS FINISHED – MIKE BODY

LAVENDINE Dive Deep With Their New Album ‘Deep Blue’

LAVENDINE’s new album, ‘Deep Blue’ signifies the fragility and resilience of the human spirit. When you’re in the deep end, where your feet no longer touch the ocean floor, you loose all sense of control – but somehow, faith kicks in and you confidently go with the flow, guiding through any obstacles that life presents.

Acclaimed producer Mark Needham – who has worked with The Killers, Fleetwood Mac, Imagine Dragons – helped bring Lavendine’s vision to life. He shaped the evolving facets of their indie rock identity into a submerged, immersive soundscape that feels dark but somehow filled with optimism. This tension is particularly evident in ‘Waterless Cloud’ and ‘I Won’t Love You’, which both celebrate the liberation that comes with breaking free from toxic, damaging relationships. Meanwhile, ‘Diamonds in the Sky’ offers a sense of uplift, chronicling the empowerment that comes from letting go of the past and reaching for a brighter future.

Though Lavendine—made up of sisters Jacy and Jana Ayers—have already cemented their place in the U.S. Adult Contemporary scene with three Top 25 singles on the Mediabase and Billboard AC charts (‘Rapture,’ ‘Open Up a Window,’ and ‘Here to You’), ‘Deep Blue’ may be their most vulnerable and unfiltered work yet. The album captures the highs and lows that have shaped them, inviting listeners to step into their world and connect with the experiences that helped forge their strength.

‘Deep Blue’ is now available on all major music platforms. Dive in and experience their world below…

Must listens: City Lights, I Won’t Love You, Diamonds In The Sky,

Connect with Lavendine via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Lavendineband/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lavendinemusic
X: https://x.com/Lavendineband
Website: https://www.lavendineband.com/