Tag: Folk music

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…

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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

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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

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James O’Hurley Shares Stripped-Back EP ‘A Moment Alone’

NEW LEASE MUSIC has unearthed some of the raw talent from true Troubadours of late – first with Nick Edwards, whose 2024 EP ‘Live At Yellow Arch’ currently holds the blog’s Album of the Week title over on Instagram. Then there’s Ben Reel whose single ‘I Will’, offers a rich fusion of indie rock, soul and disco, with an intimate, singer-songwriter feel.

Now the blog introduces the remarkably robustly raw talent of South London’s singer-songwriter JAMES O’HURLEY. His rich authentic fusion of folk, blues, rock and country roots, which echoes some of his idols, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones has earned him over 50K streams on Spotify alone with single ‘Red’.

To keep the fiery glow going, James O’Hurley shares his live EP, ‘A Moment Alone’. Recorded at The Factory Studios, the latest collection includes stripped-back and compelling versions of some of James’ favourite singles from his well-received debut album ‘A Certain Stranger’. From the very beginning, you’re greeted with the warm grit of guitar plucks, which serves as a perfect platform to really home in and take in James’ soul-drenched vocals – reminiscent of a more rugged Michael Hutchence of INXS. No embellishments are needed here; the simple pairing of voice and guitar hits that rare balance of vulnerability and strength.

It’s hard to believe that, after extensively touring and performing in various different bands and working in the live events industry, James was ready to hung up his guitar and turn his back on music for good. Burnt out and creatively stagnant, he hit a personal low. But at that breaking point, he found something deeper—his true voice.

‘A Moment Alone’ is now available on all leading platforms. Why not have a listen below…

Must Listens: Four Long Days, Lighthouse, Wolves, Red.

Connect with James O’Hurley via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559155961934
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jamesohurley/

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Song of the Day: Place To Be – Sarah Louise

The idyllic runs of the piano keys in SARAH LOUISE‘s latest single, ‘Place To Be’, immediately transports you to a place of warmth and familiarity. Within an intimate, meditative setting, the Suffolk-based singer-songwriter’s soothing vocals offers a comforting reminder to pause life’s chaos and seek solace – whether it’s under a cuddly duvet or immersed in the quiet beauty of nature. It’s a gentle invitation to breathe, reflect, and just be.

Sarah Louise understands that need deeply. During a moment of feeling completely overwhelmed, she took a spontaneous drive to a peaceful spot in nature, where she parked her car and watched the sun slowly dip below the horizon. In a moment of stillness, inspiration struck—and the first verse of ‘Place To Be’ was born. Although the song wasn’t finished, she knew she had captured something truly special.

That belief was reaffirmed when someone discovered a rough version of the track on YouTube and reached out to share how much it meant to them. Their heartfelt message reminded Sarah of the power of her music, and how deeply it resonated. Encouraged and inspired, she returned to the song and crafted the polished version we hear today.

Now, ‘Place To Be’ is available on all major streaming platforms—a compelling piece that captures the essence of who Sarah Louise is as an artist: honest, heartfelt, and healing.

Connect with Sarah Louise via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/watch/SarahLouiseMusicOfficial/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahlouisemusicofficial/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahlouisemusicofficial

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