A DIY INDIEPOP VINYL & CASSETTE LABEL

Fortitude Valley - Baby, I'm Afraid [Digital]

Artist: Fortitude Valley
Title: Baby, I’m Afraid
Format: Digital single
Cat#: Fika087SG2
Release date: 9th July 2021
Spotify | Bandcamp

Fortitude Valley channel Weezer’s Blue Album for their latest single Baby, I’m Afraid. 

“This is a break up song.  It’s two people feeling that the vibe is off, but not communicating.

It’s about feeling insecure, over analysing little things and assuming the worst rather than actually speaking to the other person.”

Fortitude Valley tear through three minutes of scorching rock with crunchy riffs and indelible hooks, harnessing their vibrant slacker-pop to dissect a stalling relationship.

Fortitude Valley is the new outlet for the songwriting talents of Durham based Brisbanite Laura Kovic.

Having spent the majority of her musical career playing keyboards in other people’s bands, bringing their songs to life with a melodic flourish, it was about time for Laura K to find an outlet for her songs: awkward power-pop that’s bound to appeal to fans of The Beths, Pixies or The Weakerthans. 

She’s assembled quite the band too: Martha’s Daniel Ellis on lead guitar and Nathan Stephens Griffin on drums, and Night Flowers’ Greg Ullyart on bass.

Fortitude Valley is the heart of Brisbane’s music scene and it's also where Laura first started playing in bands before moving to the UK in 2010.  It was a place that objectively felt mythical, a suburb with a special meaning, looking back from the other side of the world and many years later. 

Fortitude Valley release their debut full length album at the end of the summer 2021.

“Heartstring tugging lyrics, guitars that send you bouncing round the kitchen, and a supercute video complete with a puppy – seriously, what more do you want?” Loud Women

“the lyrics, about the last days of a relationship, are tinged with sadness, they’re lifted by the spiky guitar riffs and pure punk drums, which collide brilliantly with front-person Laura Kovic’s shoegaze-inspired, bubblegum vocals. The result is truly euphoric.” Get In Her Ears

“letting these grunge-y pop rock riffs rip and swirl all over the place as Kovic bounces her voice in and out of the song’s grooves” Austin Town Hall

“Fortitude Valley offer bubblegum scented power punk in a manner irrefutably slacked and relaxed” Noizze

“a powerful '90s power-pop in which Laura's soft voice and excellent melodies stand out” Indie For Bunnies

The Smittens - Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away) [Digital]

Artist: The Smittens
Title: Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away)
Format: Digital single
Cat#: Fika086
Release date: 2nd July 2021
Bandcamp | Spotify

Vermont’s The Smittens return to bubblegum pop with a 5 track EP, front by Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away), recently commissioned by Burlington City Arts for their Bubblegum Pop exposition.

“We wanted to sound like The Archies meet Beat Happening (a band from Olympia Washington from the late 80s). The song is called "Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away). It is about longing and having that thing you want just out of reach. It is wrapped in the bubble confection of a pop song.”

Formed in 2002 The Smittens identify themselves as an indie-twee-pop musical group known for their strong harmonies and powerful lyricism. Written and composed for Bubblegum Pop, The Smittens’ single ‘Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away)’ embodies both the exhibition’s theme and the ‘bubblegum pop’ era of music of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, with its catchy, upbeat, and novel melodic forms. A hallmark of this distinctive pop sub-genre is it’s mass-marketing toward children and young adults (originally named for the jingles often heard in candy commercials or cartoons on the radio or TV).  

On Wanna Go Dancing (So Far Away), the predominant theme centres on yearning and unrequited love, made more problematic during the social isolation caused by the pandemic:

Never gonna see that boy go by again

Never gonna see that boy go by again

Do you remember or was it a dream?

Am I pretending the way that it seemed?

Or am I only, only wishing that you feel the same way?

If I can only, only, only get the guts to say…

So far away – la la - six feet away.

The Smittens produced ‘Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away) over the course of several months in 2021. The band worked with Eric Masunaga, a well-known composer, sound recordist and sound mixer, to mix and master the song.

A gallery edit of the single begins with a series of channel switches – complete with the recognisable static of a radio – that feature brief samples of past Smittens’ songs from the past 19 years that lightheartedly gesture to youth, and to the exhibit’s bubblegum pop theme.

The EP features a further two new songs. Year of Happiness was recorded during sessions for the band’s 2014 EP Love Record Breaker, and Saratoga was recorded live in 2002 during the band's fifth performance and Dana’s outing with the band. American laptop-folk musician Greg Davis provides a remix of The Garden, a track originally appearing on 2010’s Dancing Shoes - The Smittens Remixed.

The Smittens are a hard-working, globe-trotting independent American twee pop band from Vermont., based in Burlington and New York City. The band is friends first and open-hearted indiepop revolutionaries after that. Max Andrucki, Missy Bly, Colin Clary, Dana Kaplan, Holly Chagnon, and David Zacharis switch up instruments, song-writing, and singing to create catchy, harmony-driven pop anthems and queer love songs—always brilliantly lyrical, and often brazenly political. 

Wanna Go Dancin (So Far Away) was commissioned by Burlington City Arts as part of the Bubblegum Pop exhibition.

Bubblegum Pop at Burlington City Arts runs Jun 4 - Oct 9, 2021, featuring work by Pip & Pop, Matt Neckers, Jon Rappleye, Kathryn Wiegers and The Smittens.

wanna go dancin.jpg

Fortitude Valley - Cassini [Digital]

Artist: Fortitude Valley
Title: Cassini
Format: Digital single
Cat#: Fika087SG1
Release date: 4th June 2021

 Fortitude Valley follow up 2019’s debut single with the new single: “Cassini”

Cassini is a scorching 2 and a half minutes of slacker-rock and power-pop, recalling the eponymous satellite’s lonely final days and fiery self-sacrifice. Laura Kovic elaborates:

“In September 2017, National Geographic published the article ‘How NASA's Cassini Spacecraft Met Its Fiery End’ [1]. 
I thought it was so heart-breaking that this spacecraft that NASA had been following for almost 20 years had to be destroyed.
In the song, I’ve anthropomorphised the spacecraft and personalised the story a bit, so it’s just between me and Cassini. Cassini is venturing out on a long, lonely journey that will inevitably end in its destruction just so I can see what it’s ‘like out there’. And even though I know how it’s going to end, it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye.”

Fortitude Valley is the new outlet for the songwriting talents of Durham based Brisbanite Laura Kovic.

Having spent the majority of her musical career playing keyboards in other people’s bands, bringing their songs to life with a melodic flourish, it was about time for Laura K to find an outlet for her songs: awkward power-pop that’s bound to appeal to fans of The Beths, Weezer or The Weakerthans.

She’s assembled quite the band too: Martha’s Daniel Ellis on lead guitar and Nathan Stephens Griffin on drums, and Night Flowers’ Greg Ullyart on bass.

Fortitude Valley is the heart of Brisbane’s music scene and it's also where Laura first started playing in bands before moving to the UK in 2010.  It was a place that objectively felt mythical, a suburb with a special meaning, looking back from the other side of the world and many years later. 

Fortitude Valley release their debut full length album at the end of the summer 2021.

“the sound is one of deliciously driving indie-pop” For The Rabbits
“an amplified pop tune with a highly catchy melody, sweet vocals, and glowing guitars, reminding me of Dinosaur Jr.‘s slacker electricity” Turn up the Volume

NASA’s Cassini–Huygens was launched October 15, 1997. It took 7 years to get to Saturn, which it began orbiting in 2004, and where it remained until its end in 2017 [2]. Staying in orbit meant that it risked one day colliding one of Saturn’s moons, namely Titan and Enceladus (which researchers believe have the potential to harbour life), and contaminating them with Earth microbes.  Cassini Project Scientist, Linder Spilker, described the end of Cassini’s mission as “like losing a friend”. 

[1] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/09/cassini-saturn-nasa-grand-finale-space-science/
[2] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/12892/cassini-10-years-at-saturn-top-10-discoveries/

@valleyfortitude
https://fikarecordings.com/artists/fortitude-valley

“infectious indie pop gems that would sidle up nicely alongside Joanna Gruesome, Lisa Prank, or Colleen Green” Raven Sings The Blues

“the band set the sad tale of lost space hardware to a surprisingly fiery slice of power-pop, with the Pavement-like lurch of the rhythm section, contrasted by the rambunctious assault of the twin-guitars, and Laura’s vocal tumble of lyrical gems” For The Rabbits

“Fortitude Valley are something very special indeed” Get In Her Ears

Interview at NARC

Randolph's Leap - Spirit Level [12"/CD]

Artist: Randolph’s Leap
Title: Nothing At All
Format: 12” sky blue with white splatter vinyl | digipack CD
Cat#: Fika085LP | Fika085CD
Release date: 26th February 2021
Bandcamp | Spotify

 Spirit Level is the new album from Scottish folk-pop collective Randolph’s Leap. 

Spirit Level is an upbeat, melodic indie-pop album full of personality, catchy hooks and memorable lyrics, rich in textural, polyphonic arrangements, and capturing the infinite charm of Adam Ross, the leader of this 8-piece band.

As a core songwriter with a large ensemble, Adam Ross may draw comparison with Stephin Merritt or Neil Hannon, while mining the rich Scottish seam of Postcard Records and C86. And as with contemporaries King Creosote or Withered Hand, is unafraid of drawing on folk music’s story telling tradition, detailing the minutiae of life’s fluctuations, here packaged up in glorious, anthemic and energetic pop.

The titular ‘spirit level’ is a steady reference point over what had been an unsettled spell writing the album, with Adam Ross uprooting from a decade in Glasgow to a tauntingly lopsided house in rural Aberdeenshire, navigating his way through shifting phases in his well-being and happiness, and reflecting on the untimely death of two greatly admired acquaintances. That balancing act came in the form of music, in an optimistic, even celebratory, collection of songs.

The move to Aberdeenshire roots the album, with Let This Lie reflecting on mortality during a train journey along Scotland’s east coast, to the nostalgia of parts of a life left behind in Glasgow on Punchbag. “I also had a weirdly contradictory feeling of wanting to get even further away – like maybe we weren’t remote enough and we should move to an island or something. It was just a classic “grass is always greener” situation. A bit of existential boredom, maybe. Fantasising about a new life to distract myself from my current one.”

Recorded over a period of a year in Glasgow with keyboard player Pete MacDonald engineering, mixing and producing the sessions at home, the album went off to mastering in the nick of time: the following night Pete’s flat went Up In Smoke in a massive fire, taking everything bar Pete (and his pet hedgehog, Frida) with it.

Album opener, Moment Passed, sets the tone for the whole record, with Adam’s protagonist struggling to present a balanced outward appearance while disorder bubbles beneath the surface. Spirit Level, despite its carefully poised 10 tracks and balanced artwork, prefers to revel in life’s quirks and imperfections.

“The next generation of witty Scottish indie pop” The Quietus

“A band deserving of every shred of love and success which came Belle & Sebastian's way” The Scotsman

"The Jonathan Richman of Scottish indie" The Herald

* * *

Randolph’s Leap started out as a pseudonym for the solo output of Adam Ross, and now includes up to 8 people in the full live band. The debut Randolph’s Leap album, Clumsy Knot, came out in 2014, with another four live and studio albums and a handful of singles across labels Fence Collective, Olive Grove Records and Lost Map. In 2018 a touring theatre show called The Isle of Love was devised around the songs of Randolph’s Leap.

They’ve recorded several Marc Riley sessions, performed at Green Man, T in the Park, Indietracks, and The Edinburgh Fringe, and have toured with The Burning Hell and James Yorkston.  

2020 saw Adam cement his reputation as one of Scotland’s most prolific songwriters, releasing around 40 home-recorded songs via Bandcamp and Patreon as a creative response to Covid-19 restrictions. He also released an album of country-pop music under the pseudonym A.R. Pinewood.

The Randolph’s Leap name is taken from a scenic location on the River Findhorn.

Spirit Level is their fourth studio album, and their first with London based Fika Recordings.

Randolph’s Leap are:
Adam Ross: songs, vocals, guitar
Adam Armour-Florence: drums
Ali Hendry: trumpet
Andrew MacLellan: guitar
Fraser Gibson: trombone
Heather Fox: violin
Pete MacDonald: keyboards
Vicki Cole: bass

“An all-singing, all-dancing full band album of joyful self-comforting, with blithe brass lifting up Ross’s soulful, hangdog vocals as he reckons with the search for a stable foundation, ponders mortality on an east coast train journey (rhyming “Deuchars” with “Leuchars” along the way) and brings pub piano and mariachi horns together in characterful celebration on Helluva Summer.” The Scotsman [4/5]

“this is an album – perhaps motivated by failure and death – that grasps life and screams with all the joy it can muster” Juno Daily

“The exhilarating pop album they’ve always been capable of. A strong contender for pop album of the year.” Is This Music

“This latest effort from Randolph’s Leap is likely to help your spirits level up as across its ten tracks it rarely lets up in energy, and is peppered throughout with Ross’s signature lyrical wit with lines like: ‘I like Big Momma’s House 2, but I prefer the novel.’” The Skinny

“We can all be consumed by the malaise of life, so for just a short time, let Randolph’s Leap take those troubles away and bask in the sunshiny folk on offer on Spirit Level.” Louder Than War

“'Spirit Level' is perfect listening for spring and summer’s lengthening days. It places Randolph’s Leap among the best in the pantheon of Scottish indie pop.” PennyBlack Music

“a fantastic, gilded piece of indie pop with slight Americana leanings.” Clash Music

“This is a very creative musical album and there is a lot gone into each song. Not content with just everyday song writing of guitar bass drums and piano. The music is just off the wall as the lyrical content. Horns blare as violins and guitars pop up bringing joy with them.” Backseat Mafia

“Spirit Level might just be one of 2021’s first great albums” For The Rabbits

“it takes on that chamber pop feel, bursting forth with horns and various instrumental textures. I won’t deny how much I love the rise and fall of the chorus here, like a roller coaster with a huge lollipop waiting for you at the end” Austin Town Hall

“delivers the exhilarating pop album they’ve always been capable of. A strong contender for pop album of the year” Manic Pop Thrills

“Spirit Level is a joy to listen to” Add To Wantlist

“a jaunty melody, catchy chorus and witty lyrics all culminating in a glorious brass filled romp” Net Sounds

Randolph's Leap - BMH [Digital]

Artist: Randolph’s Leap
Title: BMH
Format: digital
Cat#: Fika085SG3
Release date: 5th February 2021
Bandcamp | Spotify

BMH is the third single from Scottish folk-pop collective Randolph’s Leap’s forthcoming album Spirit Level.

“On one hand, it’s about the pretentious things people say to appear interesting. I found humour in the idea that the Big Momma’s House film franchise could be based on a critically-acclaimed and cherished novel (spoiler: it isn’t) and there are some digs at hipster culture. It’s also about a house not feeling like a home. Looking back, I reckon I was probably exaggerating the flaws in the house but I got a bit fixated on it, almost like it was haunting me or conspiring against me somehow.”

Spirit Level is an upbeat, melodic indie-pop album full of personality, catchy hooks and memorable lyrics, rich in textural, polyphonic arrangements, and capturing the infinite charm of Adam Ross, the leader of this 8-piece band.

As a core songwriter with a large ensemble, Adam Ross may draw comparison with Stephin Merritt or Neil Hannon, while mining the rich Scottish seam of Postcard Records and C86. And as with contemporaries King Creosote or Withered Hand, is unafraid of drawing on folk music’s story telling tradition, detailing the minutiae of life’s fluctuations, here packaged up in glorious, anthemic and energetic pop.

The titular ‘spirit level’ is a steady reference point over what had been an unsettled spell writing the album, with Adam Ross uprooting from a decade in Glasgow to a tauntingly lopsided house in rural Aberdeenshire, navigating his way through shifting phases in his well-being and happiness, and reflecting on the untimely death of two greatly admired acquaintances. That balancing act came in the form of music, in an optimistic, even celebratory, collection of songs.

Recorded over a period of a year in Glasgow with keyboard player Pete MacDonald engineering, mixing and producing the sessions at home, the album went off to mastering in the nick of time: the following night Pete’s flat went Up In Smoke in a massive fire, taking everything bar Pete (and his pet hedgehog, Frida) with it.

“The next generation of witty Scottish indie pop” The Quietus

“A band deserving of every shred of love and success which came Belle & Sebastian's way” The Scotsman

"The Jonathan Richman of Scottish indie" The Herald

Randolph’s Leap started out as a pseudonym for the solo output of Adam Ross, and now includes up to 8 people in the full live band. The debut Randolph’s Leap album, Clumsy Knot, came out in 2014, with another four live and studio albums and a handful of singles across labels Fence Collective, Olive Grove Records and Lost Map. In 2018 a touring theatre show called The Isle of Love was devised around the songs of Randolph’s Leap.

They’ve recorded several Marc Riley sessions, performed at Green Man, T in the Park, Indietracks, and The Edinburgh Fringe, and have toured with The Burning Hell and James Yorkston. 

The Randolph’s Leap name is taken from a scenic location on the River Findhorn.

Randolph’s Leap are Adam Ross (songs, vocals, guitar), Adam Armour-Florence (drums), Ali Hendry (trumpet), Andrew MacLellan (guitar), Fraser Gibson (trombone) Heather Fox (violin), Pete MacDonald (keyboards) and Vicki Cole (bass).

“It reminds of the old Austin band Hollywood Gossip; just imagine Belle and Sebastian rushing through a tune just to cram it in under 3 minutes. I love that they don’t stray away from arrangements here with the horns, even though it definitely has the feel of more of a rock tune.” Austin Town Hall

Randolph's Leap - Moment Passed [Digital]

Artist: Randolph’s Leap
Title: Moment Passed
Format: digital
Cat#: Fika085SG2
Release date: 8th January 2021
Bandcamp | Spotify

Moment Passed is the second single from Scottish folk-pop collective Randolph’s Leap’s forthcoming album Spirit Level.

“Moment Passed is basically about stress. I wasn't taking proper care of my physical or mental health and the lyrics are a mixture of wanting to change things in my life but simultaneously worrying I was too late. The original demo had deliberately over-the-top autotune on my voice which didn't go down well with the rest of the band [but it did prove the catalyst for my A.R. Pinewood robo-country spinoff album]! We threw a lot at the mix on this one. Pete played glass bottle percussion and everything. Oh, and there's nothing cooler than a cha-cha-cha ending.”

Spirit Level is an upbeat, melodic indie-pop album full of personality, catchy hooks and memorable lyrics, rich in textural, polyphonic arrangements, and capturing the infinite charm of Adam Ross, the leader of this 8-piece band.

As a core songwriter with a large ensemble, Adam Ross may draw comparison with Stephin Merritt or Neil Hannon, while mining the rich Scottish seam of Postcard Records and C86. And as with contemporaries King Creosote or Withered Hand, is unafraid of drawing on folk music’s story telling tradition, detailing the minutiae of life’s fluctuations, here packaged up in glorious, anthemic and energetic pop.

The titular ‘spirit level’ is a steady reference point over what had been an unsettled spell writing the album, with Adam Ross uprooting from a decade in Glasgow to a tauntingly lopsided house in rural Aberdeenshire, navigating his way through shifting phases in his well-being and happiness, and reflecting on the untimely death of two greatly admired acquaintances. That balancing act came in the form of music, in an optimistic, even celebratory, collection of songs.

Recorded over a period of a year in Glasgow with keyboard player Pete MacDonald engineering, mixing and producing the sessions at home, the album went off to mastering in the nick of time: the following night Pete’s flat went Up In Smoke in a massive fire, taking everything bar Pete (and his pet hedgehog, Frida) with it.

“The next generation of witty Scottish indie pop” The Quietus

“A band deserving of every shred of love and success which came Belle & Sebastian's way” The Scotsman

"The Jonathan Richman of Scottish indie" The Herald

Randolph’s Leap started out as a pseudonym for the solo output of Adam Ross, and now includes up to 8 people in the full live band. The debut Randolph’s Leap album, Clumsy Knot, came out in 2014, with another four live and studio albums and a handful of singles across labels Fence Collective, Olive Grove Records and Lost Map. In 2018 a touring theatre show called The Isle of Love was devised around the songs of Randolph’s Leap.

They’ve recorded several Marc Riley sessions, performed at Green Man, T in the Park, Indietracks, and The Edinburgh Fringe, and have toured with The Burning Hell and James Yorkston. 

The Randolph’s Leap name is taken from a scenic location on the River Findhorn.

Randolph’s Leap are Adam Ross (songs, vocals, guitar), Adam Armour-Florence (drums), Ali Hendry (trumpet), Andrew MacLellan (guitar), Fraser Gibson (trombone) Heather Fox (violin), Pete MacDonald (keyboards) and Vicki Cole (bass).

“a fantastic, gilded piece of indie pop with slight Americana leanings.” Clash Music [video premiere]

“it takes on that chamber pop feel, bursting forth with horns and various instrumental textures. I won’t deny how much I love the rise and fall of the chorus here, like a roller coaster with a huge lollipop waiting for you at the end” Austin Town Hall

The Just Joans - Card from a Multipack [7"]

Artist: The Just Joans
Title: Card from a Multipack [Ten Year Anniversary Edition]
Format: 7" single on Scots Pine green vinyl with postcard | set of five postcards with download
Cat#: Fika084
Release date: 10th December 2020
Bandcamp | Spotify

 The Just Joans return to their much-loved Seasonal Greet EP after a decade, many Christmases older but just as miserable and jaded as ever.

Enlisting the talents of cellist Maya Burman-Roy (Butcher Boy, God Help The Girl, Idlewild and Shrag), the band have re-recorded two festive tracks for a commemorative 7” single, headed by their cult classic ‘Card From A Multipack.’

Singer-songwriter David Pope said: “There’s a famous quote by T. S. Eliot about the world ending with a whimper rather than a bang. Similarly, relationships can finish, not with a bang, but an underwhelming Christmas card.

“‘Card From A Multipack’ was originally a throwaway B-side that I recorded myself in 2010 with just an acoustic guitar. Since then, however, it seems to have struck a chord with people, and we're frequently asked to play it live.

“Considering the year we've all had, we thought it would be fun to re-record this ode to lost love and mass-produced salutations as a full band with a string section in the hope that it can bring a little festive cheer.”

The limited-edition Christmas tree-green vinyl comes complete with a series of seasonal postcards (from a multipack) painted by the band’s other vocalist, renowned artist Katie Pope.

Tormented by love, rejection and everyday angst, The Just Joans were formed by David Pope in 2005. Linking up with his sister Katie, together they built a reputation on the indiepop scene by releasing a series of handmade EPs on Wee!POP Records including Hey Boy...You’re Oh So Sensitive, Love and Other Hideous Accidents, and The Just Joans’ Seasonal Greet.

Completing the journey from shambling two-piece to accomplished sextet following their move to Fika, the band continue to win fans with their mischievous lyrics and tender melodies. Embracing Scottish culture at every turn, The Just Joans were perhaps best described by Is This Music? as “the missing link between The Magnetic Fields and The Proclaimers.”

“There’s mischief in this miserablism.” – Mojo

“Siblings David and Katie Pope have been cranking out charmingly shambolic, twee-leaning but feisty indiepop since the mid-’00s and their biting sense of humour (and thick Glaswegian accents) make for easy comparisons to The Vaselines.” - Brooklyn Vegan

Randolph's Leap - Up In Smoke [Digital]

Artist: Randolph’s Leap
Title: Up In Smoke
Format: digital
Cat#: Fika085SG1
Release date: 13th November 2020
Bandcamp | Spotify

 Up In Smoke is the first single from Scottish folk-pop collective Randolph’s Leap’s forthcoming album Spirit Level.

"The song was written over a year ago and was inspired by small, personal failures but the sentiment has become weirdly relevant and anthemic in 2020. Pete’s flat where we recorded the album burned down, for one thing, but there’s also the universal feeling of plans and aspirations going completely up in smoke this year. I can’t wait to sing it live – I think it could be quite a cathartic experience.”

Spirit Level is an upbeat, melodic indie-pop album full of personality, catchy hooks and memorable lyrics, rich in textural, polyphonic arrangements, and capturing the infinite charm of Adam Ross, the leader of this 8-piece band.

As a core songwriter with a large ensemble, Adam Ross may draw comparison with Stephin Merritt or Neil Hannon, while mining the rich Scottish seam of Postcard Records and C86. And as with contemporaries King Creosote or Withered Hand, is unafraid of drawing on folk music’s story telling tradition, detailing the minutiae of life’s fluctuations, here packaged up in glorious, anthemic and energetic pop.

The titular ‘spirit level’ is a steady reference point over what had been an unsettled spell writing the album, with Adam Ross uprooting from a decade in Glasgow to a tauntingly lopsided house in rural Aberdeenshire, navigating his way through shifting phases in his well-being and happiness, and reflecting on the untimely death of two greatly admired acquaintances. That balancing act came in the form of music, in an optimistic, even celebratory, collection of songs.

Recorded over a period of a year in Glasgow with keyboard player Pete MacDonald engineering, mixing and producing the sessions at home, the album went off to mastering in the nick of time: the following night Pete’s flat went Up In Smoke in a massive fire, taking everything bar Pete (and his pet hedgehog, Frida) with it.

“The next generation of witty Scottish indie pop” The Quietus

“A band deserving of every shred of love and success which came Belle & Sebastian's way” The Scotsman

"The Jonathan Richman of Scottish indie" The Herald

Randolph’s Leap started out as a pseudonym for the solo output of Adam Ross, and now includes up to 8 people in the full live band. The debut Randolph’s Leap album, Clumsy Knot, came out in 2014, with another four live and studio albums and a handful of singles across labels Fence Collective, Olive Grove Records and Lost Map. In 2018 a touring theatre show called The Isle of Love was devised around the songs of Randolph’s Leap.

They’ve recorded several Marc Riley sessions, performed at Green Man, T in the Park, Indietracks, and The Edinburgh Fringe, and have toured with The Burning Hell and James Yorkston. 

The Randolph’s Leap name is taken from a scenic location on the River Findhorn.

Randolph’s Leap are Adam Ross (songs, vocals, guitar), Adam Armour-Florence (drums), Ali Hendry (trumpet), Andrew MacLellan (guitar), Fraser Gibson (trombone) Heather Fox (violin), Pete MacDonald (keyboards) and Vicki Cole (bass).

“the track is probably the most obviously collective affair that Randolph’s Leap have shared to date, with a wonderful abundance of instruments and clattering noise. The whole thing has a slight runaway train feel, like a snowball of small moments building into a full blown avalanche. While that might sound destructive, there’s an almost joyous feeling to it as well, a cathartic blast of everything falling to pieces and providing the blank canvas on which to rebuild. That feeling is particularly evident in the sparkling outro, where a cornucopia of horns, twitching electronics and the grounding presence of the drum rhythms seem to propel the song, kicking and screaming off into the distance.” For The Rabbits [video premiere]

“a bouncing lead single and classic Randolph’s Leap: a jaunty melody, catchy chorus and witty lyrics all culminating in a glorious brass filled romp.” Net Sounds

Emma Kupa - It Will Come Easier [12"/CD]

Artist: Emma Kupa
Title: Nothing At All
Format: 12” black vinyl | digipack CD
Cat#: Fika083LP | Fika083CD
Release date: 18th September 2020
Bandcamp | Spotify

Following successes fronting Mammoth Penguins and the sorely missed Standard Fare, Emma Kupa releases her first full length solo album It Will Come Easier on 18 September:
“The hope in the title is important to me – it is something I try to hold onto when things feel difficult”.

It Will Come Easier delves through the trials and tribulations of attempting to navigate the crossroads of your early thirties. Head on and raw, Kupa leads us through her tender reflections on relationship regrets, the torment and pressure to succeed, and the dichotomy of now finding herself inclined to choose logic over impulse - “does her smile light up your heart, or do you just want to get under her shirt?” she asks on Does It Feel New.

Her most personal collection of songs to date, they  pick up from the intimate family portraits of Kupa’s debut solo EP, Home Cinema:
“The album explores aspects of love, escapism and fidelity, but there’s also a thread about accepting feelings of hopelessness when you don’t quite meet the many pressures of life’s expectations”.

In spite of the harsh directness of its subject matter, It Will Come Easier has an audible freshness and a spring in its step. The optimistic jaunt of Nothing At All defies the futility in being unable to influence a particularly toxic situation. I Keep An Eye out is a follow up to Home Cinema’s Half Sister, written for the eponymous sibling that doesn’t know of Kupa.

Written and recorded over a period of time, Kupa felt she needed to give these 10 tracks some emotional space before making them public. Joined by bandmates from both Mammoth Penguins and Suggested Friends (Mark Boxall and Faith Taylor, respectively), alongside Laura Ankles, Joe Bear, Rory McVicar and Carmela Pietrangelo, the instrumentation is more diverse than in previous Kupa bands. From the sparse, evocative strings of Hey Love and the simple piano backing of unexpected wedding drama in Crying Behind The Marquee, through to the grinding synths of CP Reprise,  textural flourishes abound, belying Kupa’s background fronting noisy three-piece indie-pop outfits.

With nods to Dusty Springfield, The Unthanks and The Postal Service, It Will Come Easier is a mesmerising journey through early adulthood, poignant and expertly detailed.

* * *

Emma Kupa currently fronts Mammoth Penguins, and The Hayman Kupa Band alongside Darren Hayman. She initially made her name with Standard Fare, whom called it a day at the peak of their success in 2013. Her insightful warmth, eye for lyrical detail and powerful, idiosyncratic voice has made her a firm favourite amongst fans and critics alike.

It Will Come Easier is released on 18th September on Fika Recordings (UK/Europe) and Palo Santo (USA).

The album is preceded by a trio of digital singles: Nothing At All (June 5th), Hey Love (July 10th) and Nawlins (August 14th).

“It Will Come Easier isn’t a road map to your early 30’s, it’s a helping hand encouraging you to find your own path, a beacon of hope held by someone who made it through, and created something wonderful along the way.” For The Rabbits

“It’s like an acoustic album from The Beths and sits in the same space as folk-without-a-finger-in-its-ear favourites This Is The Kit or Rachael Dadd. It Will Come Easier is a joy from start to finish and Emma Kupa should feel rightly proud of a set of songs that weave musical magic with lyrical depth in the storytelling. Amid the search for meaning and questioning of head versus heart runs a rich vein of hope which shines through everything and lights up the album and this should help us all as the night’s draw in and we transition from the heat of summer to the leaf-strewn streets of Autumn.” JoyZine

“Throughout the well-crafted, bittersweet set, Kupa explores the complicated emotions and outcomes of various relationships, with an eye toward the relatable everyday and unanswered questions like "When our eyes are all strayin'/Do we stay, love?/Do we keep it together?"" All Music [7/10]

“Not only does ‘It Will Come Easier’ showcase Emma Kupa’s intellect and emotional awareness, it also portrays her ability to combine her lyrics with an eclectic mix of music. From the folk-pop style of ‘Does It Feel New’, to the surf-rock style in ‘When Out Toes Are Long Enough’ and the elements of grunge and synth that we witness in ‘CP Reprise’, we remain captivated and aware of Kupa’s immeasurable talent.” Is This Music?

“Her debut solo outing, then, while indie-flavoured, puts personal reflective lyrics to the fore, delving into love, light decadence, coupledom and the everyday. Veering between band instrumentation and more stripped back fare, Kupa’s unforceful human voice and relaxed manner effectively sell the songs.” The Arts Desk

“a show of radiant, unabridged inner unrest and turbulence channeled through fiery banjo, fervent overdriven guitar, buoyant melodies and lush, soothing vocal harmonies.” Atwood Magazine

“I just can’t get enough of the sunny yet reflective chiming offerings of Emma Kupa, and truly find everything she creates to be blissfully soothing and subtly uplifting.” Get In Her Ears

“Kupa is a real treasure of an artist who deserves to be known far beyond the DIY scene, so make sure she’s on your radar.” God Is In The TV

“the album promises raw tenderness and regret, given to you unblinking with a homespun, folksy indiepop melody to sweeten the pill.” Backseat Mafia

“Emma Kupa is one of my absolute favorite songwriters” Austin Town Hall

“It Will Come Easier is just a joy to listen to, and such an easy record to love” A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed

“A pleasant, poppy listen from a skilled songwriter.” If It’s Too Loud

Steven Adams and The French Drops - Keep It Light [12”/CD]

Artist: Steven Adams and The French Drops
Title: Keep It Light
Format: 12” vinyl LP | digipack CD
Cat#: Fika082LP | Fika082CD
Release date: 21st August 2020
Bandcamp | Spotify

“Making this record was a joy,” says Steven Adams of his latest album with his band the French Drops. He even let the positive mood around the making of it influence its title. “I love making records but sometimes time, money, or people - including me - fuck up my enjoyment of the process. So this time I kept saying to myself ‘keep it light’ whenever I was making decisions.”

The buoyant and relaxed mood can be heard across the album in its gloriously skipping tones, as it traverses across indie, pop, alt-rock and more tender acoustic and folk-leaning moments. It’s a craft that Adams has been honing for years as the lead figure in outfits such as The Broken Family Band and Singing Adams, so much so that by now it oozes out of him with a seamless grace.

The feelings of serenity and solace he experienced whilst writing the songs themselves carried over into the final product. “I did a big chunk of the writing on holiday in the South of France last year,” he says. “We were staying in this big, rambling house that had a kind of turret room that was cut off from everything, so I’d go up there in the mornings and sit on the floor and feel like a proper artist while everyone else was eating croissants.”

Once described by The Guardian as “one of Britain’s smartest, most underrated songwriters”, Adams’ aim was clear with this record. “I wanted to make a super personal, light-hearted and upbeat record,” he says. “I wanted to do the whole write about what you know thing and keep it as light as possible.” The lightness of the album was a guiding principle but it wasn’t a rule set in stone, as Adams soon found out the deeper he plunged into himself. “We had a running joke about how we were making an album called Keep it Light that is full of songs about racists and panic attacks and existential angst,” he says. “But it does you good to get that stuff out. Writing songs and making records keeps me sane.”

The album is one as full of joy and beauty as it is ink black humour and caustic revelation. On the gorgeous shuffle of “Oh Dear” - recalling the kind of stripped back beauty of Yo La Tengo at their finest - Adams sings: “and true love will not find you in the end.” A knowing nod and a wink to Daniel Johnston’s earnest refrain that indeed true love will find you in the end. It’s such moments that fill the album with equal parts weight and lightness, a smart touch delivered with a deft hand. Of the broad range of the album and its wide-spanning lyrical content Adams simply says: “the upbeat stuff is pretty upbeat and the darker stuff is pretty dark, but it’s all still with some humour.”

Perhaps the song that best encapsulates this split between the light and the dark and the funny and the personal is “My Brother, the Racist” a self explanatory song that skips along with an infectious groove as Adams sings about, well, his racist brother. It unfurls in an intimate manner that recalls the kind of deeply personal allure of Sun Kill Moon’s Benji. “It’s an awkward thing to sing about, but it was the right thing to do,” he reflects. “I’ve written about British racism before, but never this close to home.”

Recorded at Soup by Simon Trought and with band members Laurie Earle, Daniel Fordham, David Stewart and Michael Wood, this is the first time Adams has worked in such a harmonious and in sync way. “This is the first record I’ve made with the band all playing in one room, getting everything down at once,” he says. “We played live with all of us on the floor, and it came together really quickly. But we still gave ourselves time to experiment and do fun stuff all over it.

This combination of allowing things to be light, not overstressing, the harmony of the group, and the seamless knack of Adams’ songwriting has resulted in a truly special record. “I’m usually sick of a record by the time it’s mixed and I don’t get much of a kick out of hearing my own stuff, but this one’s different,” he says. “I know I sound like a wanker saying this but this is the best record I’ve ever made.”

“The French Drops have created an engaging, emotional, intelligent and beautifully crafted album. A varied, cohesive and downright beautiful LP, Keep It Light is a thing of pure joy.” Louder Than War [9/10]

“The highlights are those tracks that adhere most diligently to the command in the album’s title - the breezy Band-alike “Bring on the Naps”, the wry, arch and Go-Betweenish “Going to Everglades”, and the curious but infectious “My Brother, The Racist” which suggests Jonathan Richman having a lash at the protest song” Uncut [7/10]

“The ten songs on ‘Keep It Light’ do find him in particularly fine form and if you’re looking for an entry point then start here and work your way back through everything you can get your hands on. And for the long-term fans, your singing Adams is in fine fettle and as dependably entertaining as ever.” Folk Radio

“Keep It Light, is like a breath of fresh air in the current political climate. It is fun, uplifting and energetic. Keep It Light does exactly what it says on the tin. The upbeat, jovial mood runs throughout the entire album. It bridges an attractive mixture of genres: indie, alt-rock and pop, with folk-esque moments and moments of soft, tender acoustics.” JoyZine

“The songs may well be about racism, panic attacks and general disappointment, but it’s never heavy going. Existential angst with a light touch.” Shire Folk

“Desparate to keep it upbeat there are times when the music backs dark humour, like My Brother The Racist, or just joyous fun, like Bring on the Naps, a salute to the art of having a sly snooze.” Express [4/5]

“This is genre hopping in the best way, filled with superbly crafted, melodic tunes that impress and delight in equal measure.” Lonesome Highway

“Musically too, the track seems to walk the line between emotional states, the bright shuffle of acoustic guitar and drums contrasted, by the more melancholic tones of piano and bass. Steven has suggested this is the best record that he’s ever made, and while that’s quite some claim, on this evidence we’re not going to argue.” For The Rabbits

“Adams is still pulling out the steady folk-tinged power pop that works like a snake charmer on my ears” Austin Town Hall