Artist Spotlight

Maddy Low ignites an honest reverie with her newest release, “To Be Near”

At just 18 years old, the New Zealand singer-songwriter Maddy Low presents her mesmerizing new single “To Be Near,” a work that expertly blends timeless aesthetic, marked by its sincerity and striking sense of intimacy. Released under Timeless Records, “To Be Near” unfolds with a meticulously crafted arrangement that features gentle acoustic guitar, soft harmonies, and intricately interwoven strings, earning attention naturally without demanding it. This composition surpasses conventional indie folk; it encapsulates the tense yet intimate moment before a first kiss, where hesitation dissolves into deep emotional yearning, deftly illustrating the tension between uncertainty and surrender.

Lyrically, Maddy explores the delicate nuances of unexpected love, which often manifests during serendipitous, unforeseen moments. Her lyrics articulate an intensely personal yet nearly universal experience of recognizing a profound emotional connection, highlighted by the line “Now I get what they all meant,” which serves as a poignant reflection of such feelings. The impact of this lyric, amplified by the raw emotion that permeates every note, hits like a truth one didn’t know was needed until it is sung back to them.

Her vocal execution is refreshingly organic, drawing comparisons to early Clairo and a gentler iteration of Lucy Dacus while firmly establishing her distinctive identity. There exists an unrefined elegance in her narrative style that belies her age, adding an extra layer of genuine nature to her vulnerability.

Building on her previous acclaimed work within cinematic soundtracks and the playful charm of her earlier release, “Games,” “To Be Near” signals a significant evolution in her artistry. The single embodies a profound introspection that emphasizes the value of genuine emotional experience over mere performance prowess. It stands as a subtle yet impactful achievement, setting the stage for her upcoming headline concert at Big Fan in Auckland. This track encapsulates a poised restraint that resonates well beyond its final notes, inviting listeners to slow down and engage with their emotions amidst a chaotic world.

CLICK HERE TO STREAM Emerald Bluffs’ “To Be Near“ on Spotify.
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Artist Spotlight

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” finds a new direction through Ghost of Panama

Rearranging a song that carries six decades of cultural weight is a creative challenge, but Ghost of Panama approaches “Subterranean Homesick Blues” with clear purpose. The rock band radically reworks Bob Dylan’s counter-culture hit, reshaping its identity while keeping its rebellious spirit. It’s a tribute to musical heritage and a statement of artistic independence all in one.

This new interpretation is very much shaped by the production, made at Ghost of Panama’s home studio in West London. The setting allows an intimate approach to reinterpreting a familiar song and lets the group engage directly with the material, taking it in a new artistic direction.

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” centers on the tension between conservation and transformation. Ghost of Panama is true to the song’s rebellious spirit without adding to its legacy, and this approach gives the release an adventurous feel, grounded in countercultural energy but driven by a desire to see what the composition can become in a different musical context.

Their version of this 60-year-old classic shows that respecting a song’s history can also mean breaking the rules and finding new ways to express its spirit. Fundamentally, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” presents Ghost of Panama as artists who want to engage with the past without being tied to it. The release’s strongest identity is a familiar heritage reimagined through a singularly forward-looking creative vision.

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Artist Spotlight

“NO MORE” by Amanda Holley connects healing, awakening, and survival

“NO MORE“ carries that kind of emotional weight, and some songs feel like they come from lived experience but reach for something bigger. Amanda Holley blends R&B and soul, turning a lifetime of survival into a vision of healing, awakening, and the determination to move beyond what caused the pain.

“NO MORE“ is a healing anthem for people who have gone through bad experiences and reached a place of higher awareness, but it’s also an emotionally charged protest. The duality is introspective and outward-looking at the same time, turning personal survival into a broader declaration that some experiences, conditions, or cycles should end.

Holley had a premonition of the song six months before the world went into global shutdown. In the vocal booth, working out melodies with her collaborators, she pictured people in the streets. Those images were hard to imagine at the time, but subsequent events would make them painfully familiar.

“NO MORE“ is given a particularly contemplative underpinning by the context. The identity of R&B and soul leaves room for emotion. The song’s themes link survival, awakening, resistance, and the need for change. Amanda Holley is an artist using music to process personal endurance and a broader sense of social awakening. It’s got a complicated significance, and its release feels like a glimpse of a moment when personal intuition and public reality collided in an unexpected way.

Photo Credit: Yulia Shusharina

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