Further Listening: The Great Escape, Dawnings, Blaketheman1000, The Barr Brothers, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, Alvvays, The Just Joans, Courtney Marie Andrews, Alex Lahey, Iron & Wine, Dignan Porch, Mauno, Lina Tullgen, Susanne Sundfør ft. John Grant, Dama Scout, Caroline Says, Shelley Short, Julie & The Wrong Guys, Kelsey Kerrigan, Strange Relations, Lamella, Beaches, Sun Seeker, Jack Cooper, Club Night, Luke De Sciscio, Alan & The Big Hand, Kyle Lacy & the Harlem River Noise, Super Pyramid, Jesus and his Judgemental Father, Steakhouse and another stunning track from Elle Mary & The Bad Men.

5. You’ll Love Getting Lost With Savannah Conley

It seems like we have a stunning new voice coming out Nashville every week at the moment, and Savannah Conley certainly fits that description. At just 20-years-old, Savannah grew up surrounded by music. The daughter of a session guitarist and a backing singer, in arguably the most musical city in the world, it was surely no surprise when Savannah decided aged just eleven that music was the profession for her.

On new single, Lost Lover, Savannah channels the spirit of Cat Power, as her vocal quivers, but never quite breaks, atop a backing of lightly strummed guitars, warm swooping slides and minimal, textural percussion. The lyrics are classic love-lorn country, you can almost hear the resignation in Savannah’s voice as she sings, “hello my lost lover, I thought that I’d gotten rid of you”. Lost Lover is the first taste of an upcoming EP apparently out “in the fall”, it can’t come quickly enough.

18th and Portland is out later this year. Click HERE for more information on Savannah Conley.

4. Let Shannon Lay Fly You To The Moon

We already knew Kevin Morby was a master at writing songs, we didn’t know he was a master at releasing them as well. However with the announcement this week of his new label, has also come his first signing, ludicrously talented Los Angeleno, Shannon Lay. Shannon will release her new LP, Living Water, on Kevin’s Mare imprint later this year.

Ahead of that release Shannon has shared the first taster, new single, The Moon’s Detriment. The track is a beautifully restrained piece of songwriting, recalling the likes of Nick Drake or Vashti Bunyan, you’re drawn into every scratchy guitar string, every warm pulse of double bass, and every wave of monumentally sad sounding cello. Shannon’s voice seems to almost be set a little too quietly in the mix, drawing you into to her haunting Kate Staples-like vocal. Of Shannon, Kevin Morby states, “the first time I saw Shannon my heart was broken into a million pieces”, he’s entirely correct, this is a single so beautifully sad it should come with a warning symbol, and we can’t wait to hear more.

Living Water is out September 22nd via Mare/Woodsist. Click HERE for more information on Shannon Lay.

3. Veseria’s First Law Of Special RLTVTY

We must admit we sometimes question how much life is left in the world of blues-tinged rock music. There’s plenty of people doing it, but how many of them have got anything much new to offer? Thankfully, every now and then a band comes along and remind us just how thrilling loud, heavy-riffing guitars can be, this week that band is Veseria.

Hailing from Indianapolis, Veseria are a four-piece band, spearheaded by husband and wife songwriting duo, Jen and Patrick Roberts. Today marks the release of their new album, RLTVTY, and ahead of its release they have shared a video to new single, Zenobia. Veseria’s sound is one of brutal guitar riffing, prominent tumbling bass-lines and Jen’s powerhouse vocal, equal pars Karen O and Brittany Howard. They might not be the much-anticipated saviours we’re always told rock’n’roll needs, but Veseria are definitely going to give it a good go.

RLTVTY is out tomorrow via Romanus Records. Click HERE for more information on Veseria.

2. Genevieve Dawson Is Definitely Onto Something

Genevieve Dawson is a songwriter hailing originally from Edinburgh, but now based out of London. Genevieve grew up on a musical diet of Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald, before studying at Goldsmiths and discovering more contemporary artists like Laura Marling and Anais Mitchell. Genevieve is set to release her debut EP next month, and has this week shared the first single from it, I Am On Something.

I Am On Something is a musing on regrets and longing, built around the songs key plea, as Genevieve repeats the line, “I do not feel like being good”. Musically it’s a subtle, but sophisticated production, lightly strummed acoustics and hushed vocals, reminiscent of Tina Refsnes or Feist, are carried along on a wave of swirling percussion, and stunning swells of lightly jazzy horns. Sounding this good on a debut single, should be, and quite possibly is, a crime against long-suffering musicians everywhere, not that we’re complaining.

Things My Mother Tells Me is out now next month. Click HERE for more information on Genevieve Dawson.

1. Sorry Is A Thing Of The Past For Jessica Lea Mayfield

It feels like a long time since we’ve heard from Ohio’s Jessica Lea Mayfield, and that’s probably because it is. It has been three years since Jessica’s last album, 2014’s Make My Head Sing, time she has spent, in her own words, “taking my life back”. Thankfully the wait is almost over, with this week’s announcement of an upcoming record due in September via ATO Records.

Ahead of that release, Jessica has also this week shared the album’s title track, Sorry Is Gone. Musically it’s quite possibly Jessica’s sunniest track to date; breezy Real Estate-like guitars, bright undeniably poppy choruses and Jessica’s unmistakable vocals making for a heady melodic fix. Sorry Is Gone, is the sound of someone stepping out of the darkness, an empowering anthem for everyone who doesn’t feel they need to apologise anymore. As Jessica sings, “I deserve to occupy this space without feeling like I don’t belong, I’m done excusing myself”, you can almost hear her kicking off years of putting someone else first and jumping into the life she wants to live. A welcome return from one of music’s most intriguing voices, it’s been well worth the wait, Jessica Lea Mayfield sounds better than ever.

Sorry Is Gone is out September 29th via ATO Records. Click HERE for more information on Jessica Lea Mayfield.

Header photo: Jessica Lea Mayfield by Ebru Yildriz – http://www.ebruyildiz.net