The Big Indie Playlist: The best new music of the week
Every day, an average of around 60,000 songs are added to Spotify. That means that by the end of every week, there are approximately 420,000 new tunes in the world. Amongst them there are some major hits, sure. But there are also some seeds of greatness that too often get lost in the shadow of the forest. That’s where the Big Indie Playlist comes in.
Helping to cut through the noise and dig a little deeper under the surface, our weekly playlist endeavours to spotlight the best of the best each week. From new anthems to instantly add to your playlists to new tracks from fast-rising stars, our selections will ensure you never miss out on your new favourite song.
Extending our view way beyond the typical New Music Friday picks, you can also be the first to hear some debut singles from artists taking their first steps into the world or tracks from musicians scattered all around the globe. Including indie, rock, folk, pop and beyond, there’s something for everyone.
If you’re looking for long plays, head to our weekly weekly Alternative Album Chart. But stay right here for a quick fix of new hits from the likes of Nick Cave, Nell Mescal, Green Gardens, Laufey and more.
All in one handy playlist, so all you have to do is hit play; here are the best new releases from the week of March 4th.
The best new music of the week:
Track of the Week
Fräulein – ‘Feels Like Flying’ (day AND night): Maybe this is cheating a little, but this week’s top track is actually two tracks. Rock duo Fräulein have been ones to watch for a while now thanks to their confident and powerful sound, but this new release proves their ingenuity.
‘Feels Like Flying’ is one song done twice. Releasing a day and night version, the band have reimagined the track in two different forms. The day version is an upbeat, singalong rock track that descends into a head-bang-ready breakdown. It’s ready-made for festival stages in the sun. In contrast, the night take is more intimate. Stripped back to a slower tempo and simpler guitars, it’s more lo-fi as Joni Samuel’s voice shines through. It’s impossible to pick a favourite out of the two, and the project is fascinatingly worthy of this week’s top spot. [4.5/5]
Instant Classics – The best new hits of the week
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘Wild God’: Nick Cave returned to full band glory for the first time since 2019 as they announced a brand new album, Wild God. The title track is a surprising return to their 1990s, almost radio-friendly form with big musical climaxes but typically wordy, storytelling verses. It was always bound to be great, but the song is far bigger than expected, leaving us hoping that the upcoming album might be a rock record. [4/5]
Laufey – ‘Goddess’: Off the back of winning the Grammy for ‘Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album’, jazz singer Laufey returns with her most gut-wrenching track yet. ‘Goddess’ is a devastating piano ballad, tearing into the emotional effects of an age-gap relationship. Sung with her effortless vocals and classical jazz sensibilities, it’s perfect and powerful. [4.5/5]
Beabadoobee – ‘It’s Only A Paper Moon’: The soundtrack for The New Look, curated by Jack Antonoff, gets better every week. Beabadoobee’s take on the 1933 track stripes it back to a lullaby-like ditty that could have sat on her record Beatopia. [4/5]
Matt Maltese – ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’: So many people have had a go at tackling this Prince classic, including the most famous version from Sinéad O’Connor. It would feel like an eye-roll choice for a cover, but on his new record of other people’s songs, Matt Maltese utterly reinvents the track in his own shape. Casting off any pressure to deliver a power ballad akin to the original, his take is tender, intimate and emotive in the softest way. [4/5]
DIIV – ‘Soul-Net’: The return of DIIV has been one of our favourite musical moments of 2024 so far. The shoegaze, indie icons are still on top form as they share this new cut that creeps and crawls towards a blow-out musical climax. [4/5]
On The Rise – The best new music from new names to know
Green Gardens – ‘Face, Flesh, Flash’: You know your debut album was great when the deluxe edition tracks are of this quality. ‘Face, Flesh, Flash’ delivers more art rock indie greatness with a distinctly pastoral edge. Coming out of the Leeds scene, it seems there’s musical gold in the water up there. [4/5]
Esme Emerson – ‘Please’: Gaining a following online for their beautifully tight harmonies, the brother-sister duo Esme Emerson have been snapped up and signed – and this song proves why. The tender, folk-leaning indie cut is like a beautiful breath of fresh air. [3.5/5]
Slow Fiction – ‘Monday’: In case you need to dust the cobwebs off from a week of work, hit play on this and turn it up loud. Raging out of New York, Slow Fiction offer up a good old-fashioned rock tune that seems to just build and build. [3.5/5]
Melanie Baker – ‘Double Decker Death Machine’: It’s not so grim up north as Melanie Baker slings us this new raucous track from the northeast. Her evolution from an acoustic, folky figure into a new indie rock name to know is inspiring, and this new song proves she was always made for this sound as she name-drops Patti Smith and roars through the choruses. [4/5]
Danny Carroll – ‘Match Of The Day’: “I feel seen” is not a parlance of our time that lager drinkers of a certain age regularly say, but Danny Carroll conjures it with ease thanks to one of the most relatable songs of the year about the catharsis of Alan Shearer pointing out a blatant referee error, and the normality restoration potential of MOTD. [4/5]
ELLiS-D – ‘Humdrum’: Maybe we should all pay more attention to the drum because they might just go solo and release tunes as exciting as this one. Casting off the kit to take his position as frontman, ELLiS-D is like David Byrne becoming a goth and then meeting up with Ian Curtis or a 2010s indie band. Trust me, it works. [4/5]
The New Eves – ‘Astrolabe’: As we barrel towards Ostara, or the March Equinox, The New Eves shared a new pure folk track to soundtrack your rituals. Sounding like a tune from the Wicker Man soundtrack, it’s brilliantly and hypnotically pagan. [3.5/5]
Szou – ‘Up To No Good!’: The ultimate weekend soundtrack came from Szou this week. The indie-pop duo keenly soundtrack your bad decisions and enable your antics with this anthemic track that demands a big chorus singalong. [3.5/5]
Amelia Coburn – ‘Dublin Serenade’: Another pure folk track comes from North East’s Amelia Coburn. Sounding like Kate Bush but with a ukulele, Bill Ryder-Jones’ production elevates this sweet ditty into a beautifully thorough and theatrical track. [3/5]
Nell Mescal – ‘Warm Body’: “I’ll take a warm body, if I can’t have love,” Mescal sings softly as if that isn’t the most devastating opener ever. Lifting the curtains on the tender tale to come on her debut EP later this year, ‘Warm Body’ lets her vocals and storytelling shine as a key one to watch. Following her other tracks, it’s amazing to watch Mescal only get better and better with each release. [4/5]
First Spins – The best debut singles of the week
Sandy Crow – ‘LEARNING 037’: Being a star of the Avatar franchise clearly isn’t enough as Jamie Flatters takes his first steps into the music world. Under this new artist’s moniker, the actor-turned-musician flirts with pop merged with a Frank Ocean-esque production style. It’s a good opener, but it’s intriguing to wonder how he might merge the two paths or balance them in the future. [2.5/5]
Alfie Hudson-Taylor – ‘Being In Love’: Really, this is in no way Alfie Hudson-Taylor’s debut. As one half of the successful Irish duo Hudson-Taylor, he used to tour the world with his brother. But since the band collapsed and he’s taken to his podcast How To Break An Artist to share the truth behind the music industry and the issues artists face in terms of finances and keeping control of their music, his debut solo single feels like a triumph as he’s finally free of an old and smothering contract. A sweet little folk ditty, beautifully sung and scattered with stunning strings, it’s a great opener to a new chapter. [4/5]
Off The Beaten Track – Left-field cuts and global sounds
Schatterau – ‘Vis-à-vis’: Hamburg’s Schatterau use an optimistic twinkle and hushed vocals to conjure up the scene from a movie where the main character is about to embark on their grand plan. Moody monochrome shots and bridges fill a stirring montage. [4/5]
MAQUINA – ‘body control’: What do you get when you mix thumping techno, outright rock and Lisbon sunshine? MAQUINA. Likely to sound just as good in the club as it does blasting through headphones; this is one to get the blood pumping. [2.5/5]
Sloyd Flenching – ‘Ball In Cup Game’: Attempting to describe this track feels impossible. It’s like Ian and Baxter Dury combined with a dash of Serge Gainsbourg and a sprinkle of Lou Reed. But despite all that carnage, it’s actually listenable and enjoyable. [3/5]
