March Album Releases
Moving into March we look ahead at some of the new album releases we are most excited about at Postcards From The Underground, from priority picks to honorable mentions and check out last months best releases.
3rd March
Maven Grace - Sleep Standing Up
Helium Records
Taking in themes of bereavement, divorce and finding the wherewithal to continue, run through the debut album from Maven Grace, the trio comprised of Henry M Jack, Mary Home and Thomas White.
“All these songs have a sense of hope and empowerment” says Mary. “When people listen, I want them to understand that the real message of the songs is ‘Trust me, it gets beVer’. Just keep going and things will turn around. In a way, the band itself embodies that idea, because we’re very old friends who support each other.”
Pre-Order Sleep Standing Up Here.
3rd March
Nagasaki Swim - Everything Grows
Excelsior Recordings
Reminiscent of Andy Shauf, Big Thief, Tomberlin, Rotterdam based Nagasaki Swim, headed up by songwriter/producer Jasper Boogaard laid the groundwork for new album Everything Grows over the course of 10 days at recording studio Katzwijm in the summer of 2021. Firmly rooted in American indie folk/Alt country the album features contributions from Philadelphia trumpet player Marty Gottlieb-Hollis & Philadelphia based violin player Molly Germer
Pre-Order Everything Grows Here.
10th March
Frankie Rose - Love As Projection
Slumberland Records
Having spent almost two decades establishing herself across New York and Los Angeles independent music circles, Frankie Rose returns after six years with a fresh form, aesthetic, and ethos embodied in her new full-length album "Love As Projection." which acts as a reintroduction of her established style through the new lens of contemporary electronic pop.
Written, recorded, and engineered through some of the most tumultuous times in history, this new collection of songs harnesses the power and propulsion of Frankie's early DIY-centric punk days without losing sight of the immersive, dreamlike world-building she's been known for in recent years. Her love of new wave hooks and post-punk drive remain omnipresent, elevated by her utilization of modern production and an improved, polished palate of state-of-the-art instrumentation.
10th March
Lichen Slow - Rest Lurks
Rock Action
With a wealth of solo and collaborative projects between them Joel Harries and Malcolm Middleton combine forces on new project Lichen Slow with the release of new album Rest Lurks, which came about after a chance meeting thanks to a mutual friend, with the pair finding themselves quickly drawn to collaborate.
“We just clicked and had a good chat about Bolt Thrower,” Middleton says. “I sent Joel an acoustic guitar bit and he immediately came back with a complete song. That’s when we thought we might be onto something. We just started writing songs and couldn’t stop.”
Pre-Order Rest Lurks Here.
17th March
Billy Reeves - Nostalgia Of The Future
Last Night From Glasgow
Having established himself as an exceptional musician and lyricist former songwriter and guitarist of theaudience, drummer of Blow Up and founder of Congregation, Billy Reeves took to the studio for debut album Nostalgia Of The Future an album that grapples with the passing of time as we look forward and back.
With Reeves commenting "I predict we’ll all be nostalgic for today when it’s the future as these are the good old days of the future. Do you remember the past? We weren’t nostalgic for the past in the past, we were looking forward to the future. I’m a bit frightened of the future, me."
Featureing a number of guests including Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Sadie Mômo, Rhodri Marsden, Crayola Lectern and Gavin Laird among others.
Pre-Order Nostalgia Of The Future Here.
17th March
Emiliana Torrini & The Colorist Orchestra - Racing The Storm
Bella Union
Icelandic-Italian singer-songwriter Emiliana Torrini & Belgian duo The Colorist Orchestra (Aarich Jespers and Kobe Proesmans) have been collaborating since 2015, however new album Racing The Storm is the first time they have recorded an album together of new material with Kobe and Aarich working on demos for Emiliana to lay down vocals while all three members had other projects in the works during this process.
“The whole period of writing this album was a constant search of how to keep this adventure going, with all the limitations of distance and time and not being able to be together,” explains Kobe of the record’s early days. “I thought that was the biggest challenge, to maintain the musically vibrant connection between the three of us. Because when Aarich and I work we are living very close to each other and we are in the studio together, we can talk—most of the creation happens when you have food and when you talk and you listen to a song and we missed that a lot with Emiliana in the beginning.”
Pre-Order Racing The Storm Here.
17th March
Genevieve Artadi - Forever Forever
Brainfeeder
Encompassing a kaleidoscopic range of influences, from Jazz, alternative rock/avant pop, half of the songs on Genevieve Artadi’s new album Forever Forever were originally written for big band. Having struck up a relationship with the Grammy-nominated Norrbotten Big Band with whom she has been a composer in residence, she says that she listened to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans with Miles Davis in pursuit of a creative spark. “The rest I think is just everything from my past that is in my subconscious,” explains Artadi. “Random flashes of inspiration from Chopin, Bach (I was learning some 2-part inventions during the lockdown), Debussy, Nancy Wilson, Björk, Ryan Power, Nobukazu Takemura, The Beatles, Dionne Warwick…”
Recorded on location in Mexico at El Desierto Studio with friends Chiquita Magic (keyboards, vocals), Pedro Martins (guitars, vocals), Chris Fishman (keys), Louis Cole (drums, synth bass), Henry Halliwell (additional production) and Daniel Sunshine (engineer). “My previous albums were made at home, so this was a big jump”, she explains. “But I felt like it was the right move for these songs and, thankfully, it ended up better than I imagined. El Desierto is a big, beautiful wooden house in a forest designed for music, with everything we could possibly need. There was a camp vibe because we all slept there, had meals together, played on the crazy instruments everywhere, jammed and practiced day and night, and partied in the kitchen after sessions.”
Pre-Order Forever Forever Here.
31st March
Malibu Hot Flush - Malibu Hot Flush
Neon Tetra Records
serendipitous collaboration between singer and guitarist Luigi Tiberio and modular artist Tim Bleasdale. They’re a well-connected pair, having recorded their debut, self titled album (out 31st March 2023 on vinyl via Neon Tetra Records) with Mogwai’s producer, Tony Doogan at Glasgow’s Castle of Doom Studios. Belle & Sebastian’s Chris Geddes – a long time friend of the band - helped write and form a handful of songs from the forthcoming album.
most of MHF’s songs surround mental health; “It is quite cliché, but I’ve had a lot of reflection around the mental health of musicians in a post pandemic world. The internal dialogue happens between our main character and his mind, almost like a heated conversation with his consciousness”, Tiberio states.
Pre-Order Malibu Hot Flush Here.
31st March
The New Pornographers - Continue as a Guest
Merge Records
A.C Newman began work on Continue as a Guest at his Woodstock, NY, home over the course of a year, after the band had just finished touring behind 2019’s In the Morse Code of Brake Lights.
“I found myself for the first time thinking that it was really time for me to learn how to become a home-recording guy—and I had all the time in the world to do it as well,” Newman recalls. “There was a lot of woodshedding. It was helpful to learn more about engineering and arranging. I still feel like a real novice at it, but I’m much better than I used to be.”
Pre-Order Continue As Guest Here.
31st March
Red Telephone - Hollowing Out
Self Release
Cardiff post-punk 4 piece Red Telephone debut album Hollowing Out draws on post punk and synth pop influences such as MGMT, Depeche Mode, Mitski, Tame Impala. All serving to create an album loaded with richly layered alt-rock and angular guitars with Krautrock-inspired rhythms and set up against New Wave-tinged synths with infectious pop sensibilities.
Pre-Order Hollowing Out Here.
31st March
Tape Runs Out - Floodhead
Trapped Animal Records
Rooted in contemporary indie-rock with an array of instruments, off-kilter time signatures and experimental track structures Flooded the new album from Tape Runs Out is an exploratory sonic journey from the mind of band leader Liam Goodrum-Bell.
“The main recurring theme throughout the album is being overwhelmed” explains Liam. “I’m guilty of starting shiny new projects before completing previous ones, which leaves me with a trail of unfinished ideas that all jostle for attention in my head. This inability to see things through naturally leads to feelings of failure and self-resentment.”
Pre-Order Floodhead Here.
More Album Releases On Our Radar
3rd March, Steve Mason - Brothers & Sisters Double Six
3rd March, Weval - Remember Technicolour
10th March, Dutch Uncles - True Entertainment Memphis Industries
10th March, Shana Cleavland - Manzanita Hardly Art
10th March, Sleaford Mods - UK Grim Rough Trade Records
17th March, Deathcrash - Less Untitled (Recs)
17th March, M83 - Fantasy Other Suns
24th March, The Natural Lines - The Natural Lines Bella Union
31st March, Boygenius - The Record Interscope Records
31st March, Detalji - Truly Deep Limit
31st March, Popup - Promise Last Night From Glasgow
