Marble Boy – Creatures of the Forest
Marble Boy's 'Creatures of the Forest' is a gorgeous slice of psychedelic indie folk from Haarlem, dreamy textures wrapped around a haunting narrative
Marble Boy opens 'Creatures of the Forest' with something strange and beguiling. There's a ritual happening at dusk, enigmatic figures gathering to mourn something unnamed, and the track pulls you right into that twilight clearing. Musically, it's a bit George Harrison, a bit DeMarco, and a lot good. Warm, psychedelic textures drift through gentle melodic passages, and the contrast between that inviting sound and the darker story underneath is what makes it stick. Dreamy psych-folk, mysterious and fab.
Marble Boy is the project of Haarlem-based Daan Frieling, three years in the making at his own studio. A debut album is coming next year, and he's bringing an eight-piece band to the stage to do it justice, starting with Haarlem Vinyl Festival on 2nd October. The influences are there, The Beatles and Men I Trust, but there's something properly his own here. Love the vibe, and we're excited to hear what else that album has in store.
Joe Nilson – Cuando despiertes con él
Joe Nilson's 'Cuando despiertes con él' is a tender bachata-pop heartbreaker from New York, romantic longing wrapped in contemporary Latin warmth
Joe Nilson sings to someone who chose another, and you believe every word. 'Cuando despiertes con él' opens on that ache, the hope that one day they will see what is right in front of them, and the track never lets go. The production blends traditional bachata with polished Latin pop, his own lead vocal carrying the whole thing. There is a gentleness here that never tips into softness, restraint that makes the longing land harder. And the hook? It stays with you. Lovely bachata-pop, warm and deeply felt.
Joe Nilson is a Dominican singer-songwriter based in New York City, the artist behind NL Latin Music. For years he focused on songwriting, crafting tracks in bachata, salsa, and Latin pop, but this single marks his step forward as a recording artist, his own voice finally front and centre. Real craft in how he moves between traditional influences and contemporary production. We're glad to have him on the blog, this one has bags of character.
Fiona Amaka – Sometimes forever
Fiona Amaka is back with 'Sometimes forever'; a gorgeous folk-rock highlight from London, classic songwriting with a soulful, Americana heart.
'Sometimes forever' has that stunning, lived-in feel from the first bar. Fiona Amaka leans into driving guitar and a vocal that sits somewhere easily between bluesy confession and folk warmth, and the whole thing builds like a song that knows exactly where it's going. There's a driving, classic rock weight to the rhythm section, but the Americana colours keep it open, dusty and road-trip worthy The hook lands clean every time. And that chorus? It earns the repeat. Superb folk-rock songwriting, catchy and genuinely stirring.
Fiona Amaka is a London singer, songwriter, and guitarist with a sound that moves between soulful indie rock and chill folk vibes. She's back with us again after 'Justified' a couple of months ago, and this one keeps the momentum going. Her 2025 singles picked up radio play and marked her as a versatile artist to watch, and 'Sometimes forever' lands on 25 September. One to watch this autumn and going into next year, for sure.
Jack Benjamin – Sea Dreams
Jack Benjamin's 'Sea Dreams' is a wistful indie folk debut from Devon, fingerpicked warmth and coastal longing wrapped in gorgeous dream pop textures
Samphire on the rocks, a meal that never gets made, and someone you want to impress. Jack Benjamin's 'Sea Dreams' lives in that space between daydream and memory, where the best intentions drift off on the tide. The fingerpicked guitar rolls along wonderfully and sun-warmed, the vocal floating over it with easy intimacy. There's surf in the production, a gentle shimmer pulling the whole thing towards the water, and the lyrical detail is unexpectedly specific: moules still in the shell, wildflowers in the cracks. And that vocal? It's fragile, stunning and I love it. Lovely indie folk songwriting, dreamy and deeply rooted in place.
Jack Benjamin grew up on North Devon's rugged coast, whistling before he could talk, playing alongside his grandfather and father as a kid. He cut his teeth on the Southwest folk circuit through his teens, kept gigging through Plymouth University, and eventually settled on the edge of Dartmoor. 'Sea Dreams' is his debut single, out now, and honestly, it's a real gem.