Welcome to Prog's brand new Tracks Of The Week. Seven brand new and diverse slices of progressive music for you to enjoy.
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it?
The premise for Tracks Of The Week is simple - we've collated a batch of new releases by bands falling under the progressive umbrella, and collated them together in one post for you - makes it so much easier than having to dip in and out of various individual posts, doesn't it?
The idea is to watch the videos (or listen if it's a stream), enjoy (or not) and also to vote for your favourite in the voting form at the bottom of this post. Couldn't be easier could it?
We'll be bringing you Tracks Of The Week, as the title implies, each week. Next week we'll update you with this week's winner, and present a host of new prog music for you to enjoy.
If you're a band and you want to be featured in Prog's Tracks Of The Week, send your video (as a YouTube link) or track embed, band photo and biog to us here.
MAYBESHEWILL - OCTOBER
Leicester post-rockers Maybeshewill celebrate the tenth anniversary of their fourth studio album Fair Youth with a special limited edition opaque hot pink & black marbled vimyl reissue of the album through Superball Records on May 4. But they've also released a brand new stand-alone single, October, which shimmers with the ethereal post-rock beauty we've come to expect from the quintet.
“One of the first songs written when the band tentatively began exploring the idea of creating together again, October has its roots in a voice memo jotted down in vain hope during the band’s rehearsals for their final tour before they disbanded in 2016," explains bassist Jamie Ward.
"October is a song about the creative spark, about rekindling friendships and an ode to keep trying to explore your artistic passions even when that might seem futile. A rare piece of Maybeshewill history that has its significance despite ultimately not ending up being included as part of a larger body of work."
MONO - OATH
For a band capable of such fragile beauty, Japanese post-rock quartet make a massive noise in the live arena. This being their brand new single, the title track of upcoming new studio album Oath, we can hear the clarity and nuance the band bring to their music, building slowly through layers of sound to reach its crescendo. Oath is out on June 14 through Temporary Residence Ltd., Pelagic Records and New Noise. MONO have an eight-day tour in October to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary including a date at Hackney Church on October 26.
"The album Oath is about "time and life". We wanted to express the "limited time in life" and the "meaning of life"," explains guitarist and composer Takaakira 'Taka' Goto. "Our time goes by day by day. What is my goal? What is my purpose? What is the reason I live every day? What can we do? What should we do? We wanted to learn what we were feeling about time and life, what we have lost and found, and the questions and the answers we discovered during both our good and difficult times. We live with a vow that hasn’t changed since we were children."
EYE - THE OTHER SEES
Eye is the new side-project from Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard/MWWB singer and guitarist Jessica Ball which sees the Welsh singer-songwriter/musician shifting into more atmospheric musical territory not dissimilar to Chelsea Wolfe or even Portishead, but with some of MWWB trademark riffing thrown in for good measure. The Other Sees is the second single from the project's upcoming debut album Dark Light, which is released through New Heavy Sounds on April 26.
"[The Other Sees is] yearning, love and frustration," explains Ball. "Although you have what you want, the realisation that it will one day end fills you with anguish. Ironically, I was in a really good place when writing it. As I'm not one who is creatively motivated by positive feelings, I tried to explore the "dark side" of happiness and love... As all good things must end, so will this. Are we content, or are we constantly looking for more? This also fits in with the Dark Light. If there is one, there must be the other. Musically, we played around a lot with this one as it sounds so different from our first demo which was a lot of fun."
JULIE CHRISTMAS - SUPERNATURAL
Brooklyn musician Julie Christmas can operate at the heavier end of the musical spectrum, being the former lead singer of both Made Out Of Babies and Battle Of Mice. She is perhaps best-known in the prog world for appearing on Swedish prog metallers Cult Of Luna's 2016 concept album Mariner. Unsurprisingly, her long-awaited second solo album, Ridiculous And Full Of Blood, from which comes Superntural, will be released through the band’s Red Crk label on June 14. The follow-up to her Bad Wife debut has only taken 14 years!
“I’m not evolved enough as a human to hide the way I feel. It’s all in there," Christmas explains. "Music is the place to put it all so you don’t explode. If you are throwing yourself into life it can and should get wild!
“I want people to hear the sad heroine, vile villains, dreamy characters at play, squalor, madness, longing, challenge, triumph, beauty, and love. This story is a little different, it isn't all fairytale. It speaks to how human nature defies categorisation. The kindest person commits immeasurable acts of cruelty, the monster loves their friend. We are all like that."
SOFTCULT - SPIRALLING OUT
Toronto twin duo Softcult are a new one on us who, according to their PR, "heavy, ethereal, crushing shoegaze. They’re super smart and have lots to say - lots of opinions on social issues etc... Definitely on the fringes for Prog...". Given the PR in question often comes up with some right little gems that we do write about, we listened, we liked and we decided to throw them into the mix this week. Spiralling Out is taken from their new EP entitled Heaven, out through Easy Life on May 24.
"We wrote this song about those times when we ruminate over a situation over and over again to no end,” the band say. "Sometimes it feels like there’s no amount of self-talk that can get us out of that spiral. It feels like everything is out of control and the world is like a carnival ride spinning all around us, but we are paralyzed and unable to step on or off."
EXSOMNIS - INERTIA
Progressive gothic metal is how Montreal quintet Exsomnis are described, and Inertia, the band's brand new single certainly fits the bill. Gloomy soundscapes, haunting riffs, and orchestral grandeur abound. The band formed back in 2020 and are currently working on their debut album, slated for release end of 2024/early 2025. Interia has got them off to a suitably epic start.
"Inertia is one of the earliest songs we wrote and one of the songs I spent the most time writing and re-writing," explains singer and. founding member Viky Boyer. "With every scrap of lyrics and melody, I felt like I was getting closer to the message I actually wanted to put out. I am also very glad that the band was on board with me including some French spoken words in the song, sort of like a mini poem, as I feel like it really completes the vision I had for it. I really hope my experience with the theme of the song will resonate with the listeners, partly for my artistic ego, but also as a sign that I am not alone struggling with those particular feelings of dread when it comes to life choices."
