Youngster Year

Wishy has changed in some ways since the release of their first album in 2024; they’re more accustomed to productive jams as a full group that have given way to some of their new material. But in other ways, they’re the same band they were in the beginning.

Wishy’s sophomore album, “Nature’s Pill,” came out Oct. 2 — and it’s a sonic catalog of what’s different and what’s only become more ingrained over time. Now, Wishy is once again on the road in the U.S. and Canada. Just a few weeks before they left, vocalists and guitarists Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites joined me for this quick interview.

This St. John’s, Newfoundland, band is DIY in its purest form. Sick Puppy’s latest record, “NOBODY GETS HURT,” came out July 24 — and everything from its production and engineering to its cover art was handled by the band and local friends. The result is an album made entirely on their own timeline and artistic terms.

Recently, two of the group’s founding members, Jacob Cherwick and Isobel McKenna, spoke about what that looked like for the band.

This year marks a decade of prolific New York City band BODEGA. Their latest record, “All Inside Aquarium,” is due out Oct. 9, and it’s arguably their first body of work that doesn’t contain one central message. Rather, each song is its own artifact with a distinct story to tell. The album puts fear and wonder on the same rail, and that rollercoaster is the singular through line tying these 12 tracks together.

Recently, founding members Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio spoke about the making of their latest body of work, the ideas that shaped it and the creative impulses pulling the band in new directions.

ME. is an acronym for Mark O’Connell and Eddie Reyes, formerly of Taking Back Sunday. Having closed that chapter of their lives years ago, it was only a matter of time before they gathered together a fresh band and returned to doing what they do best. Their debut album, “All Good Things,” came out July 24, and it sounds exactly like what you’d expect when career musicians rediscover the excitement and authenticity of starting something new.

A few weeks ago, O’Connell discussed the record and what it was like to start over from scratch.

Listen to this interview anywhere podcasts are available.

Hannah Cole has been making music her entire life. But it wasn’t until she moved out of her hometown that everything became more real. After a few steady years of EPs, her debut album finally arrives Sept. 4. It contrasts the challenges of starting out in the music industry with the familiarity of coming home. “Switchbacks” is built around the idea that sometimes, in order to move ahead, we must look to the past.

In the not too distant past, Cole spoke about what it took to get here, and what it means to take your passions seriously.

What started as a college band in Florida has grown into a cross-country effort with the staying power to thrive through years of recording from thousands of miles apart. But the Hails decided it was time for a change — or rather, a return.

Out Oct. 23, their new album took shape under the same roof for the first time in years. It’s called “Duckpond,” and it’s a record they can proudly say came from all of them. Recently, I spoke with frontman Robbie Kingsley and drummer Zach Levy about it all.

Celebrated in their home country of Canada and beyond for their succinct, immersive indie rock songs and lyrical storytelling, Kiwi Jr. has returned with their first album in four years — and it’s a record worth the wait.

“Blowin’ Up,” the band’s fourth studio album, is out Aug. 14. Recently, frontman Jeremy Gaudet spoke about this new collection of songs, where they came from and where the band is taking them next.

Weird Nightmare is not something you wake up from — it’s something you wake up to.

After a debut album that hung around on the outskirts of contemporary indie records, the solo project of longtime METZ frontman Alex Edkins is finally getting the recognition it deserves. With “Hoopla,” its latest release on Sub Pop Records, Weird Nightmare has garnered a well-deserved worldwide reach — a long way from where the sophomore album was conceived in Ottawa, Ontario.

Now, after playing in Canada and the U.S. earlier in the spring, Edkins is taking the band to Europe at the end of the summer. In this interview, Edkins discussed everything from the record and the impetus behind it to the shows and music still to come.

Ultra Lights began as a pandemic recording project in a homemade studio. Now a full-fledged band with their debut album on the way, the project evolved from frontman John Robinson’s desire to escape the 'jaded' cycles of being in a band.

On “Pleasure’s All Yours," they embrace creative limitations and a dreamer’s mindset, resulting in a sound that’s more honest and relatable than Robinson’s past work. The album is out July 10, and recently, Robinson and guitarist Leela Hoehn spoke about the experience of building this band and the evolution of its sound.

Montreal’s knitting returns this week with their sophomore album. While recent singles provide dark foreshadowing, the heavy, existential subject matter of the record doesn’t come without a few glimmers of hope.

Out this Friday, “Souvenir” was written, recorded and produced entirely in-house. What we’re left with is a thoughtful and deeply personal body of work that serves as a worthy follow-up to the band’s 2024 debut. Recently, front person Mischa Dempsey and guitarist/engineer Sarah Harris spoke about the record and everything else the band has in store.