The Big Indie Playlist: Curated by Widowspeak
Another week has come and gone, and dropped off a huge bumper crop of new music. To ensure nothing great is missed in the mass of it all, welcome to The Big Indie Playlist.
We’re not sure when it was about April 10th, but for some reason, up-and-coming artists clearly decided that was the ultimate day in the 2026 calendar for new music. So many great albums, EPs and singles came out from acts on the rise like Gretel, Lime Garden, The Itch, SoftTop and more.
Established names were also busy as The Strokes made a comeback and Thredd teamed up with some mates to share some remixes and redos of one of their best tracks.
Don’t just take our word for it, though. Widowspeak gave us an insight into the tunes they’ve been listening to on repeat at the moment, broadening our horizons with some great picks.
Must-Hear: Curated by Widowspeak
John Andrews & The Yawns – ‘Goodbye Dirty Snow’: A gorgeously humble ode to tomorrows, full of sweet turns of phrase. John is a legend in his own time.
The Lemon Twigs – ‘I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You’: Sparkling power pop from our label mates. The brothers D’Addario never miss.
Styrofoam Winos – ‘Pearls’: Lovely groover from a real pearl of a band. Plus, we’re suckers for songs with many a place name.
Ornament – ‘February’: Sterling soft rock from these Nashville cats. The riff is giving ‘Somebody’s Baby’.
Josephine Network – ‘Hooked’: Long live rock & roll. Long live Josephine Network.
Tchotchke – ‘Playin’ Dumb’: A retro wall of sound from these baroque pop auteurs. Definitely not dumb.
The best new music of the week
Gretel – ‘Laureli’: On her debut, Squish, Gretel wanders through all kinds of indie and rock landscapes, but there is something so special about this tender and devastating tune where sadness is both quiet and boldly euphoric in a perfectly dramatic way. [4/5]
Hannah Grae – ‘Tug Of War’: Sharing her first EP as an independent artist, all of Hannah Grae’s influences are on show across I Hate London. For something gobby and No Doubt-inspired, ‘Tug Of War’ is full of attitude. [3.5/5]
SoftTop – ‘Waiting Game’: Delivering another teaser from their upcoming debut album, Brighton’s finest jewel stay shining. Miles Goodall’s voice is so rich that he could sing a shopping list, and it would be beautiful, but then the magic always lies in the textures of the strong band around him. [4/5]
Thredd / Nourished By Time – ‘Funny Girl’: Sharing three reworked versions of their album standout track, ‘Funny Girl’, Thredd’s delicate masterpiece is getting a makeover. In Nourished By Time’s hands, it’s so beautifully nostalgic and cinematic with an entirely different instrumental vibe. [3.5/5]
The Strokes – ‘Going Shopping’: The Strokes are back. Do we want them to be? Or need them to be? That’s up for debate. But while this is no ‘Someday’, Julien’s voice is always a welcome addition in your headphones. [2.5/5]
Blossom Caldarone – ‘Yes I’m Amazing’: Feel fragile, or lost? Hit play on Blossom Caldarone’s new EP, and the life of a 20-something-year-old is transformed into a kind of luscious, jazz-influenced musical with her glorious vocals and knack for candid songwriting. [3/5]
The Itch – ‘Pirate Studios’: Any weekend parties not soundtracked by The Itch’s debut album are a waste. Gather your friends, get some tinnies and let it play at the pre-drinks before you unleash yourself onto the city. As a highlight, ‘Pirate Studios’ basks in the chaos of life in London when the only thing left is to have fun. [3.5/5]
Nell Mescal – ‘Kissing The Ground’: Ever since Nell Mescal pulled things back instrumentally and leaned into folk, her songs have gotten endlessly better and endlessly more moving. ‘Kissing The Ground’ is a new pinnacle of that fact. So tender it makes you shiver. [3.5/5]
Lime Garden – ‘Always Talking About You’: The entirety of Lime Garden’s new album is golden, but this tune about the weirdness of modern dating and modern desire on all levels is a clear standout, capturing the band at their absolute best across both the sonics and the sharp lyrics. [4.5/5]
Maximilian – ‘Soft Song For A Worried Mind’: More greatness coming out of Brighton comes from Maximilian, sharing another song from his upcoming EP. Another golden voice that could sound great singing anything, Maximilian can’t help but also weave pure poetry. [4/5]
Iceage – ‘Ember’: A rager to shake off the cobwebs of the week, this is one of those songs that almost demands to be on some indie movie soundtrack, as its angst has a clear cinematic edge. [3/5]
Modern Woman – ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld’: One of the most exciting up-and-coming bands around at the moment, Modern Woman’s final teaser for their debut album is proof that the whole album could potentially be an album of the year contender. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Curated and written by Ben Forrest
Fatoumata Diawara – ‘Fala’: With the hotly-anticipated announcement of a new album, MASSA, due out in the summer, Malian guitarist and vocalist Fatoumata Diawara has unveiled ‘Fala’, a beautifully emotive, transfixing effort which reaffirms her universal appeal across the musical spectrum. [4.5/5]
Fauna – ‘Du ska få se’: Swedish groove masters Fauna unleash this rave-focused amalgamation of influences, which seems to span the spectrum from krautrock to Afrobeat psychedelic in the blink of an eye, forming a key highlight from their debut record, Taiga Trans. [4/5]
Radwan Ghazi Moumneh & Frédéric D. Oberland – ‘Dagger Eyes عيون ملأَى طعون’: An infectiously dark, moody, and experimental effort sees the Lebanese-Canadian producer Radwan Ghazi Moumneh team up with French artist Frédéric D. Oberland for this eight-minute electronic epic, taken from the newly released record Eternal Life No End. [3.5/5]
La Vieja Escuela – ‘El Galletón’: With the spring sunshine comes this Latin-styled R&B effort from La Vieja Escuela via London’s Original Gravity label, harking back to the golden age of Latin jazz and funk from back in the 1960s, with enough modern-day charm to fill dancefloors in the 21st century. [3.5/5]
