Alex Gallacher
Alex Gallacher
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of KLOF Mag - I keep things running here and put together the playlists and mixes.
Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) and guitarist William Tyler have released their new single “Spider Ballad” from their debut LP, “41 Longfield Street Late ‘80s” (out Sept. 19). The single lives up to the duo’s forward focus, as Tyler’s deconstructed guitar hangs like a ghost over this shimmering piece of psychedelic IDM, perfectly poised for late-summer listening.
Yorkshire’s Lukas Creswell-Rost shares a new video for “Correspondent,” from his album Weight Away. Inspired by a BBC radio show, the song equates loss with a reporter sending back memories from afar. The video beautifully mirrors this, featuring scenes of Creswell-Rost traversing German and Swiss landscapes. It’s a poignant introduction to an album that masterfully balances grief with lush, ambitious pop.
James Yorkston has released “Oh Light, Oh Light,” a poignant new single featuring Johanna Söderberg of First Aid Kit. Accompanied by a music video, the track is from his forthcoming album, Songs for Nina and Johanna (out August 22nd), which also features The Cardigans’ Nina Persson. Recorded in Stockholm with The Second Hand Orchestra, the album is a heartfelt and life-affirming meditation on family, love, and parenthood.
RAKEL, a singular presence in the Icelandic music landscape, has released “rescue remedy,” the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, a place to be. Set for release in October on Ólafur Arnalds’ OPIA Community label, the single offers a compelling introduction to an album that promises not resolution, but a space for being—a room, a landscape, a place to be.
Montreal’s The Barr Brothers have released “Run Right Into It,” a propulsive new single featuring fellow Montrealer Elizabeth Powell of Land of Talk. It’s the second glimpse into their long-awaited fourth album, Let It Hiss, which arrives on October 17th. Inspired by The Raveonettes, the track is a vibrant, kinetic ode to embracing change head-on, showcasing the duo’s renewed creative fire after an eight-year hiatus.
Junior Brother has unveiled “A Lot of Love,” the potent final single from his forthcoming album, The End. The track showcases his unique ability to blend rich lyricism with a raw, expressive energy. Watch the accompanying chaotic single-take music video by Ellius Grace in which the protagonist reaches “an ecstatic nirvana, clutching six glasses of wine, passed out face-down in a plate of cold spaghetti.”
High Lonesome Plains is about Hayden Pedigo – a musician, performance artist, politician and model from Amarillo, Texas. Homeschooled from an early age, Hayden found community and inspiration in avant-garde music and art online as a teenager. Influenced by figures like performance artist Chris Burden, guitarist John Fahey, and director Harmony Korine, Hayden’s persona often blurs the lines between reality and performance.
Chris Staples unveils “A Cold New York Morning,” the new single from his album Don’t Worry. Born from a 15-minute writing session, the song explores a “morally ambiguous choice,” akin to the trolley problem. The track, accompanied by a Colin Earner-directed video, introduces an album shaped by stillness and reflection, recorded in Staples’ home studio and offering a gentle, reassuring sound rooted in life’s quiet moments.
Electronic trio Bitchin Bajas announce their new album, Inland See, arriving September 26th on Drag City. Mostly written on the road and recorded live at Electrical Audio, the album captures the band’s raw, spacious sound. Watch the visualiser for their lead single, “Skylarking”. The band will support the release with an extensive North American tour, including dates with Stereolab.
Orkney-born musician Merlyn Driver releases “Onto Something” today, the captivating first single from his highly anticipated debut solo album, It Was Also Sometimes Daylight, which is due out on October 10th. The track, accompanied by a video (premiering on KLOF Mag), offers a tantalising glimpse into a record shaped by a unique, nature-immersed upbringing and a deep-seated passion for intercultural musical exploration. It features leading UK fiddle player Owen Spafford.
Back in 2019, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, the moniker of Will Oldham, released I Made a Place, a significant release at the time, being his first collection of new, original songs since 2011’s Wolfroy Goes to Town. One of the album’s videos, “In Good Faith,” was created by Timothy Morton, using footage from his documentary on contemporary Sacred Harp singing practices. Watch it here.
Grammy-nominated artist Madi Diaz delves deeper into heartbreak with her newly announced album, Fatal Optimist (out 10 October 2025 via ANTI-). The lead single, “Feel Something,” offers a poignant glimpse into what promises to be her most sparse and haunting record yet. Positioned as the final chapter in her heartache trilogy, the album was born from a period of intense, solitary introspection.