Hello world,

Here’s your latest FP Picks update .. loads of great new music as always inc trx from Prima Queen, Mogwai, Blondshell & lots more. If you like what you hear please follow and share this playlist, it helps us keep doing our thing by getting the algorithms on our side. Also please support the artists featured in any way you can!

Until next week

Helen (Futureproof) x

Oracle Sisters - Blue Left Hand

Oracle Sisters – Blue Left Hand

Oracle Sisters have shared new single Blue Left Hand, taken from their upcoming album Divinations. Inspired by the book Caliban and the Witch, it weaves together a lyrical tapestry of history, philosophy and cultural critique. The song is written from the perspective of a citizen of a country who slowly unravels his ego and place in the world. He begins with claims to what he owns and thinks he possesses but the cracks start to appear and he finds himself preaching in a stream of consciousness that takes him through history from the admiration of statues to the witch trials of the Middle Ages. Composing as a true trio for the first time, Oracle Sisters pieced together sketches formed during stolen moments on tour. These fragments coalesced into Divinations, an album shaped by the band’s nomadic existence and this spirit of discovery lent the album a sense of spontaneity and wonder.

Rikke - We Collide

Rikke – We Collide

Scandinavian singer-songwriter Rikke announces the release of her album Not Even Air Can Come Between Us Now on 7th March & shares the alt-pop gem We Collide from it – a song about misunderstandings that can happen when texting as opposed to communicating directly face to face. Rikke uses her impressive vocal range to great effect on We Collide. From the exhilaratingly high falsetto line “I don’t know how, I don’t know when, know how you feel about things” to the crushingly low “we collide, we collide, we collide” on the outro, her vocals walk the listener through section by section of distinctive melodies over a tasteful alt-pop arrangement. Great to have this accomplished artist back with another heartfelt track – watch out for the album!

Blondshell - T&A

Blondshell – T&A

Blondshell (aka Sabrina Teitelbaum) has shared the vulnerable single T&A which delves into the emotional weight of always choosing the wrong person. Taken from the upcoming album If You Asked For A Picture, it’s an immersive exploration into damaging dating patterns, accompanied by gritty vocals and distorted guitar. Her signature sound is reminiscent of 90’s alternative rock yet the lyricism is packed with personal references to her own lived experiences. Inspiration is taken from songwriters best associated with feminine rage – Liz Phair (who Blondshell previously toured with), Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morrissette. Of the track, Teitelbaum states: “There’s a Rolling Stones song on Tattoo You called Little T&A and at one point in the song, he says ‘tits and ass’, so I’m borrowing that.”

Trouser Dress - Coffee At 7?

Trouser Dress – Coffee At 7?

Hull based genderqueer indie-pop artist Trouser Dress is back with the double A-Side single Coffee At 7? / The Piano – two heartfelt songs that portray random thoughts, feelings and life experiences – in the artist’s own words, they are “silly sad gay songs for silly sad gay people.” The haunting & emotive Coffee At 7? tells a story of two people – one dead and one alive – who are in love. Trouser Dress says of the release: “I feel Coffee At 7? is one of my strongest songs but, for a long time I was anxious about releasing it due to the unusual story in the lyric. However, my confidence as an artist has grown over time and the song has developed too.” Great to have this talented songwriter back – an artist on the rise and definitely one to watch.

Japanese Breakfast - Orlando in Love

Japanese Breakfast – Orlando in Love

Japanese Breakfast (aka Michelle Zauner) has shared new single Orlando in Love, taken from the Blake Mills–produced album For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women). Orlando in Love is made up of a hodgepodge of odd references,” Zauner explains. “The title comes from an epic poem by Matteo Maria Boiardo called Orlando Innamorato, which ends abruptly at 68.5 cantos because Italy was invaded by French troops, and that’s as far as he got before he had to flee. I fell in love with the title and envisioned a sort of whimsical, foolish male protagonist who lives by the sea in a Winneabeago RV and is seduced by a siren.” The album sees the group dive into a deeper, moodier sound, creating what a press release calls “an artistic statement of purpose: a mature, intricate, contemplative work that conjures the romantic thrill of a gothic novel”.

jasmine.4.t - Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation

jasmine.4.t – Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation

Singer-songwriter jasmine.4.t has dropped infectious, upbeat new single Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation, taken from the debut album You Are The Morning, and states: “A few years ago, I was sleeping on my best friend Han’s living room floor in Manchester for a few nights. I had come out as trans to my closest people back home in Bristol, my life had fallen apart, my marriage had ended terribly, and I had nowhere to stay. I was struggling with extreme PTSD symptoms and making plans to kill myself. I remember being in Han’s bathtub, crying in the dark and her making me promise not to go through with it.” jasmine.4.t is the first UK signee to Phoebe Bridgers’ label and worked with Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus on the album’s production at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles.

Prima Queen - The Prize

Prima Queen – The Prize

Indie duo Prima Queen have shared the confidence-boosting title track of their new album The Prize and explain: “Writing The Prize felt kind of magical – we thought we had finished the album but this song suddenly came to us while we were writing in the studio with our producer Steph (Marziano) and we knew it had to be the album title-track. It felt like it tied all the other songs together in a really special way. It’s a song to remind you that YOU’RE THE PRIZE which is easy to forget sometimes!” The band, consisting of Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden, have recently supported Everything Everything on their UK tour and are set to play alongside The Maccabees at All Points East this summer. They have also announced their biggest headline tour to date and take it from us, they’re fantastic live.

The Murder Capital - Words Lost Meaning

The Murder Capital – Words Lost Meaning

The Murder Capital have announced their third album Blindness with haunting new single Words Lost Meaning. Frontman James McGovern told NME: “I think blindness is endemic in the human condition, really. We’re made of blind spots. We try to focus on things and meet each person, task and song with as true a heart as possible. But at the same time, it’s powerful to be aware of how much you can’t see.” Of the single, he states: “I’ve had experiences in my own relationship, being on tour a lot, where the words ‘I love you’ would be used over text, or as a way to close a conversation. They were dismantling and losing their essence… if the words ‘I love you’ are losing meaning in a romantic context or a partnership, it’s a worrying sign.”

Mogwai - Fanzine Made Of Flesh

Mogwai – Fanzine Made Of Flesh

Scottish Post-Rock outfit Mogwai continue to showcase their brilliance with their latest single, the graphically titled Fanzine Made Of Flesh, taken from their album The Bad Fire. The single is a chaotic mix of melodies – a melodic dreamscape from the beginning that only continues to strengthen as the track grows. A cacophony of strong guitar chords, keyboards, synths and vocoded vocals that make the song sound almost otherworldly. The band’s Stuart Braithwaite says: “In my head it sounds like a cross between ABBA, Swervedriver and Kraftwerk though that might be ludicrous. It originally had a straight vocal but we ended up vocoding it on the last day of recording. It’s pretty different and I’m really happy with how it turned out.”

overpass - Take It Or Leave It

overpass – Take It Or Leave It

Birmingham band overpass have shared their anthemic new single Take It Or Leave It from upcoming EP Dependent. The band explain: “Take It Or Leave It touches on the idea of ‘you either want this, or you don’t’. It’s like ‘take me as I am’, cause you can’t change the way you are, even if you hate being like it.” Of the album, they state: “Dependent is a journey of growing up and figuring things out. It’s about finding where we fit in the world, with songs that dive into deep, introspective moments and the challenges of understanding ourselves. These songs capture the highs and lows of young adulthood and the lessons learned along the way. As our second EP, Dependent pushes our sonic boundaries and offers something fresh for our fans.”

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