The Big Indie Playlist: The best new releases of the week
“If music be the food of love, play on,” Shakespeare once wrote. This Valentine’s Day, artists from across genres heard that and played their very best, putting out some golden new singles to soundtrack the loving weekend. Gathered all in one place, hear it all in the Big Indie Playlist.
With this New Music Friday falling on Valentine’s Day, it’s no surprise that artists were putting out love songs left, right and centre. Luvcat shared her flirtiest track yet, Lucy Dacus shared a love poem in the form of an indie tune and Jessica Winter shared an adoring track fit to dance to.
But for the lonely hearts, plenty of artists swung the other way, too. Katie Gregson-MacLeod invites everyone to scream with her on a track she sees as an audio battle cry. Self Esteem shrugged off romance to go all-in on filth, while artists like Green Gardens and Bnny shared some melancholic contemplations on the feeling.
Whether it’s indie, rock, pop, folk, punk and beyond, there’s something for everyone here. Doing the heavy listening to distill it into just the best of the best new songs released this week, the playlist is a one-stop-shop to ensure you’re up to speed with the top tracks to shouldn’t be missed. If it’s a new favourite album you’re looking for, head to the Alternative Album Chart. But right here, we’re delivering a quick fix of the best new hits.
Track of the week:
Luvcat – ‘Love & Money’: In celebration of the day of love, Luvcat dropped her flirtiest single yet. Going four for four on a perfect run of tracks, ‘Love & Money’ is the latest, with each new release seeing her cult of fans grow and grow.
A tale of misadventure, infatuation, blue movies and a fleeting fling, ‘Love & Money’ is a giddy little love song built for those hazy early days of total obsession. Even starring a former flame as her love interest in the video, Luvcat said the track is a homage to “a Pam and Tommy-style passionate, all-consuming romance in the city.” As another testament to her talent for crafting bangers, this is a further piece of evidence submitted to the case solidifying her as one of the hottest ones to watch around, with bigger and bigger things sure to come down the line. [4.5/5]
Instant classics – The biggest releases of the week
Sam Fender – ‘Remember My Name’: Perhaps the most moving track Fender has ever released, ‘Remember My Name’ is dedicated to his Grandparents, crafting a legacy for the relationship they shared, the home they made and the family that love them. [4/5]
Self Esteem – ‘69’: A true ballroom song borrowing from queer club culture, Self Esteem is getting filthy on ‘69’ as she lists and ranks sexual positions, putting 69-ing right at the bottom of the list ahead of a big beat drop. [3/5]
Thom Yorke and Mark Pritchard – ‘Back In The Game’: Two 1990s luminaries team up once more as Yorke and Pritchard share their second collaboration as a follow-up to 2016’s ‘Beautiful People’. [3.5/5]
Bon Iver – ‘Everything Is Peaceful Love’: As another teaser for their upcoming album, Bon Iver share their signature sound that the world knows and loves but layers a unique new beat over the top. It’s gorgeous, as expected, but surprisingly catchy for the group. [3/5]
Lucy Dacus – ‘Best Guess’: A love song through and through from Dacus here. Singing about her partner as their “best guess at the future”, it’s a poem celebrating everything she loves about them. [4/5]
Japanese Breakfast – ‘Mega Circuit’: The second offering from her upcoming album arrived this week as Japanese Breakfast shared ‘Mega Circuit’, a rock tune with a slight funk infusion to it. [3.5/5]
Must-hear – New releases to note this week
Katie Gregson-MacLeod – ‘Teenage Love’: If there was a Grammy for the best outro, Katie Gregson-MacLeod would deserve it for this one as ‘Teenage Love’ is a scream of anger about a toxic age gap relationship and the scars it left. [4.5/5]
Bnny – ‘Love Trap’: Returning after her stunning 2024 album, A Million Love Songs, Bnny is back with ‘Love Trap’, a downtrodden song that builds and builds beautifully towards a big, rowdy climax. [3.5/5]
ROLE MODEL – ‘Sally, When The Wine Runs Out’: The outro to this song is so infectious that it’ll be in your head all week. Presenting a different sound from Role Model, the indie-riser goes slightly country on this joyous little somewhat love song. [4/5]
Flyte – ‘I’m Not There’: A gorgeous track from the Flyte boys, but who expected anything less? With each release, I swear they hit new levels of beauty and ‘I’m Not There’ presents a new gold standard for the band. [4/5]
The Man, The Myth, The Meatslab and Abby Powledge – ‘Home Run (Part 2)’: Turning the song he released in the autumn of 2024 into a duet, the addition of Abby Powledge’’s vocals levels the track up so beautifully bringing the emotion out even more poignantly. [3.5/5]
Green Gardens – ‘Year Of Love’: There must be something in the water in Leeds because the bands there are on a whole other level. Green Gardens are one of their finest, following up their 2023 debut album, This is Not Your Fault, with this gorgeous new track. [4/5]
Jessica Winter – ‘L.O.V.E’: Another Valentine’s themed release this week came from Jessica Winter who put her alt-pop into hyperspeed with huge 00s influences and classic club hit inspiration. [3.5/5]
Bdrmm – ‘Lake Disappointment’: Hull’s finest Bdrmm have shared another teaser track ahead of the release of their third album, Microtonic, coming on February 28th. Tense and building, this one is sure to wake you up before the weekend. [3/5]
Somebody’s Child – ‘Irish Goodbye’: A coming-of-age story set to a classic indie beat, Cian Godfrey, the band’s leader, sounds better than ever hear as he leans into the legacy of Bruce Springsteen and all the other great storytelling singers and songwriters. [3/5]
Hey, Nothing – ‘Death Song’: Spotify served me this track with no prior knowledge of the band before today; now I’m obsessed. With a sound so beautiful and so evocative, it’s perfect folk that deserves to be heard far and wide. [4/5]
Oracle Sisters – ‘Marseille’: Oracle Sisters’ entire new album, Divinations, deserves to be heard as the band deliver another nostalgia-soaked slice of greatness. But ‘Marseille’ is especially delicious. [3.5/5]
Independent spirit – The best unsigned release of the week
Marketplace – ‘Ode To Monty’: This Valentine’s Day, Hartlepool’s own Marketplace are sending their love to Monty Don, the Horticulturist and broadcaster sweetheart beloved by so many. Set to a uber catchy indie-pop beat, it harks back to The Wannadies’ ‘You And Me Song’ as a true toe-tapper of a love song. [3.5/5]
