Hello beautiful readers! We hope your pumpkins are ready! And between two cuts, don't hesitate to take a few minutes to check out the good indie tracks that are releasing today. Congratulations to the Netherlands, who manage to place three artists out of seven this week in our "Friday Releases". Oops, that sentence sounded very "Eurovision", right? Our trip will also take us to the USA, Italy, and the UK. You don't even need to have hiking boots, just browse this post and you'll be touring the world for free. And if your travel desires are not yet fulfilled, we will meet again tomorrow to discover a wonderful indie-rock EP, and on Sunday to end the month of October with other sumptuous musical jewels. Until then, enjoy your weekend (and don't eat too much candy, we care about you).

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Sven Ross - No Man's Land

Are you ready to get goosebumps again? Let's go to the Netherlands to check out Sven Ross' new single, "No Man's Land", released yesterday.

After "Love Out Loud" and "Blue Birthday", this is the third feature for Sven on IMC. And it is obvious that he is improving every time. Each release is always better than the last. His writing gets finer and better over time, and the emotional power of his songs grows stronger and stronger.

The poetry in the lyrics of "No Man's Land" is absolutely beautiful: "She dropped it and caused a forest fire, now his heart is a no man's land". What I love about Sven Ross is his creative genius. Because the meaning of the song could be different, depending on who listens to it. Songs with several senses, which the listener is able to appropriate to give it the meaning they want, are for me the top level of writing.

Indeed, here we could think of a relationship that ends badly, when he sings "she dropped it and caused a forest fire" ... Yes, "it" could be like the final goodbye, like a bomb that the woman dropped in front of her companion.

But ... It could also be seen as a last goodbye, when the woman tells him that she is seriously sick, for example ... It is also a possibility. Especially when Sven sings "And he wonders will she ever come back home?". It happened to me five years ago when my girlfriend got sick. I asked myself several times if she would come back home.

The song is written from the perspective of a third person, the artist worries about the two characters. And I really like this ambiguity. We don't really know what happened to these two characters, but we feel the whole devastating effect of the current situation. It is often said that when an artist releases a song, it no longer belongs to him. It belongs to the public. So it's up to you to make your own interpretation of it.

Either way, Sven Ross still stands out with an absolutely delicious vocal interpretation. The backing vocals on the final part are fantastic. Certain intonations of his voice sometimes remind me of The Satellite Station. They have a lot in common: poetry, strong emotions, and are both capable of giving us huge goosebumps with every release. It's a real pleasure to have Sven Ross on IMC again, and we're sure you'll see him again here.

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Roos Meijer - Why Don't We Give It A Try?

Let's stay in the Netherlands to find Roos Meijer. An artist that you have already heard twice thanks to Joe Pope in the "Artist Pick" column, where songwriters write about songwriters.

She's definitely an artist who masters writing like no other artist. Each of her words, each of her lines is powerful and hits your heart like a spear.

“Why Don't We Give It A Try?”, her new single out today, is no exception to the rule, and Roos Meijer sends a very strong message with gentleness and delicacy. This contrast is quite stark, and if you're not used to this big gap, you might be surprised.

The song begins with wonderful acapella vocal harmonies, then the artist begins to move us very quickly with stunning lines like "do bullets really save lives?".

The melody awakens little by little, almost like a lullaby. But an adult lullaby, which tries to make us open our eyes to our sad way of life: "I wrote the song while living in London and feeling overwhelmed by all the horrible things happening in the world. The song asks the listeners many questions , and hopefully it will create a spark of hope and inspiration for creating a better world."

A song almost in 3D, which draws images in our mind that are quite difficult to watch, but essential to make us aware that we are wearing out in useless fights. Roos Meijer moved us once again.

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Joëtta - Narrative

The Netherlands is definitely a place to be this week! It is a country to which we are very attached because it is full of wonderful artists. Besides, we don't often have girls on IMC (much to our regret), so this is an opportunity not to be missed. Third artist from there today, and second girl, here is the amazing Joëtta.

She is releasing her 4-track debut EP today. And "Narrative" is one of these 4 gems you don't want to miss today. An observation on the fact that things are not moving much and a glimmer of hope because anything is always possible.

With an almost angelic voice, Joëtta succeeds in drawing sumptuous landscapes in your ears, and immediately hooks us into an indie-folk and very acoustic universe that just makes you want to light a fire and chill all day under a blanket.

A formidable writing talent "wish I could love you like I used to" is probably my favorite line. Things are not as fixed as you might think. You still have to take the time to stop and think about it. Should we change or wait for others to change? We let you ponder this question with this ideal soundtrack.

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Abel Hawnt - Alaskan Snow

On November 13, 2020, we introduced you to Abel Hawnt, from the south coast of England. He had bewitched us with his heady "I See Myself", which continues to run in a corner of our minds.

Almost a year later, he is back with a new single out today whose foundations are still as effective as ever: a good indie-folk rhythm with beautiful vocal harmonies, and a true declaration of love for nature and the great outdoors.

I was recently able to reconnect with myself, thanks to a few walks in the forest to admire the beautiful colors of autumn and a few sunsets over the ocean. So here is the perfect soundtrack and this song is likely to accompany your desires of nature with passion.

Small bonus that makes the difference: the flute, an instrument very rarely used in the indie-folk genre and which gives the song that exploratory side that we all need. Take a deep breath, put on your backpack, and go!

Make sure to connect with Abel on socials, it's risk-free and your playlists will only improve.

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Before the Brave - Apparitions

Do you have the feeling that "Before the Brave" rings a bell? It's normal. Since 2012, the band from San Francisco has been very active and keeps releasing little gems. Four boys and one girl who are not lacking in talent!

For its next releases, the band wanted a more worked sound and invested even more in highlighting the instruments. And it works.

Their new single, "Apparitions", is out today, and it's safe to say that it comes right on time for Halloween. With some discreet spooky vibes, "Apparitions" seemed obvious to us.

All the instruments are of exceptional quality and propel us directly into a musical era almost bygone. Often, in an indie-rock song, the instruments are all drowned in the mix. But Before the Brave succeed in the performance of giving them an important place. Whether it is the drums, the electric guitar, the instruments are on the front of the stage. Supported by essential backing vocals and magnificent vocal harmonies, this track is a real bomb.

The bridge is quite unusual. I don't think I've heard a bridge where the main instrument is the bass before. Or, I have to look very far in my memory to find. But this part is really fantastic. A bass guitar. A voice. You had to have the idea and the daring to do it. They got it.

"Apparitions" is a hit on every level, both vocally and lyrically, and will appeal to all fans of light and soaring indie-rock music.

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Gabriele Catoni - Brand New Sun

Have you ever imagined what a mix of Kodaline and Mumford & Sons would look like? This is how the Italian Gabriele Catoni pitched the song to us. And we totally agree with this description!

After the period we have been through, we are all looking for a little warmth, comfort, light, and sun. "Brand New Sun" therefore seems obvious, to bring all this warmth to your playlists.

With incredibly powerful vocals, and lyrics that will make you want to buy a van and get out of the way, Gabriele Catoni's new track is like a catalyst for emotions.

About the song, Gabriele said: "It's probably one of the most upbeat songs I have written so far and I'm very curious to see the feedbacks when it comes out." So please don't hesitate to reach out to him to let him know how fantastic this song is.

The production is worked out down to the smallest detail, and we can't stop singing along on our side.

It's up to you to believe it or not, but Gabriele has spent a decade in a metalcore band. The conversion seems to have been beneficial, as "Brand New Sun" is one of the best songs we've heard this year.

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Pacific - Dream of Mine

Fancy a stroll in Manchester? Let's go there to meet Pacific, a 4-piece band that blew our ears off with their new track "Dream of Mine".

It's been so long since we've had a good indie-rock sound on IMC. I would say months. This genre becomes more and more complicated to maintain on our platform because many artists tend to transform it into electro-pop or other more trendy genres.

Pacific knew how to keep this rock identity to the tips of their nails, and from the first seconds of "Dream of Mine", we are immediately hooked by the powerful bass and the frenzied rhythm. My 20 years of radio experience has taught me that if a catchy chorus comes before the first-minute mark, the song has all the potential to become a hit. This is the case for this masterpiece.

Incredible energy, sharp writing, flawless quality, and dang ... we find ourselves shaking our heads and singing along to this crazy chorus.

No, you are not dreaming, this song about a dream is electrifying you as if you had put your fingers in a socket. An incredible electric current invades your whole body and makes you want to throw everything out the window.

The musical maturity of this band is ripe. And the fact that their EP "You Don’t Know", which will be released next Friday, is their debut EP, is simply unbelievable. I had a hard time believing this to be a debut EP.

In short, you will understand, we fell in love with these guys, and you'd better watch them closely because you will be hearing more about them in the future.

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This column has been made with love by Niko. All songs added to our "Indie Music" playlist on Spotify.