Alex Gallacher

Folk musician Jon Wilks is releasing his fifth album, Needless Alley, on September 19th (Grizzly Folk Records). His third single, Montagu Whaler (a boat used by the Royal Navy from the 1900s to the 1960s), is the only non-original song on the album and is released tomorrow, ahead of which, you can watch the accompanying music video.

Oakland duo The Saxophones announce their new album, No Time For Poetry, out November 7th on Full Time Hobby. Listen to their first single, “Too Big For California,” with its evocative imagery of “trampling the lupine” and “the shanty towns are burning,” which paints a picture of a modern California grappling with deep-seated issues like homelessness and wildfires.

Midlake returns with their sixth studio album, A Bridge To Far, on November 7th. Produced by Sam Evian, the album features the new single and video “The Ghouls,” a song born from a period of uncertainty that ultimately inspired the band to move forward. The record is a profound meditation on hope, featuring guest vocals from Madison Cunningham, Hannah Cohen and Meg Lui.

In his new album Só Ouço, German-Spanish artist Wolfgang Pérez chronicles a two-year journey through Rio de Janeiro that profoundly reshaped his musical perspective. The project, which started as a formal study, evolved into a full immersion in the city’s rhythms and culture. The result is a vibrant musical dialogue between his European roots and the complex soul of Brazil, born from unexpected collaborations.

Newcastle legend Nev Clay shares “I flew a flag” – “I’m mindful that it’s a topic that’s been in the news, but the song’s about something else entirely. I’ve been thinking a lot too about my friend and local musical hero George Welch, who passed away last week.” Nev also has a Newcastle show on September 4th with The Burning Hell and Jon McKiel…this will be a bit special.

American musician and intermedia artist M. Sage has released a new single and video, “Wading the Plain,” from his upcoming album Tender / Wading. He directed the accompanying video, which he calls a form of “excavation.” Through arranging objects and light, he seeks a “congress” between things that creates a logic “beyond human.” He has several US tour dates planned with and without Patrick Shiroshi.

Thirty years ago this month, Will Oldham released his third full-length album, Viva Last Blues, under the moniker Palace Music. Oldham proved that a DIY aesthetic could be married with American folk traditions to create something new and profound. The album’s lasting impact is not about its specific sound but about its radical artistic ethos: a record doesn’t need to be pristine to be a timeless masterpiece.

New Orleans-based artist Thomas Dollbaum returns with his latest EP, Drive All Night, a six-song collection, out on September 26th via Dear Life Records. Inspired by a personal journey, Dollbaum excavates and reconstructs a sense of place from his past. The EP marks a poignant reintroduction to a stirring and singular voice on the southern landscape; watch the music video for his lead single “Angus Valley”.

This week’s Monday Morning Brew playlist features music from Mama’s Broke, Joseph Decosimo, DUG, Ian Humberstone, Lewis McLaughlin & Beth Malcolm, Dean Johnson, The Deep Dark Woods, James Yorkton & Nina Persson, Madi Diaz, Brad Klolodner, Sally Anne Morgan, Cameron Knowler, Paper Wings, Early James, Lucy Dacus, Jeff Tweedy, Cut Worms, Chantal Acda, P.S. Lucas & Florent Manevoh, The Desoto Caucus, Heron, Pharis & Jason Romero, and New Dangerfield.

Ustad Noor Bakhsh plays End of the Road this month; his debut album, ‘Jingul,’ was a breathtaking journey through sound and history. This Benju maestro’s music, from Pakistan’s Makran Coast, masterfully blends influences from Africa, Persia, and Arabia. Joined by Jamadar Goharam and Rahmdil on the traditional Damburag, watch them performing ‘Sanj’, a tune composed by the legendary Bilawal Belgium.

Weirs’ new album, Diamond Grove, captures a moment in time by embracing the unique sonic imperfections of its recording site. The lead single, “I Want to Die Easy,” features vocals recorded with the natural two-second reverb of a farm silo, creating a hauntingly timeless sound that merges traditional hymns with contemporary experimentalism.

Merlyn Driver’s new single ‘Cururu’ is a captivating sonic journey, built around the unedited soundscape of South American frogs. Taken from his debut solo album, It Was Also Sometimes Daylight, due October 10th, 2025, Driver continues to blend acoustic folk with the rhythms of the natural world. This raw, intimate meditation on life and nature is a must-listen for fans of ambient and folk music.