Listen: Crumb Giver by Vanessa Van Ness

Crumb Giver gives me strong 00s vibes, ARP synths and tense drums evoking the intersection of electroclash and post-punk that dominated my ears in that period.

The foreboding atmosphere and pitch blackness on this new single reminds me of Trevor Jackson’s Output label at its best. With dead pan, woozy alto vocals, Crumb Giver has a doped and disoriented feel to it as Van Ness lays out a seething takedown of a friendship that turned into something darker. Describing the song, she says:

‘Crumb Giver is about an ex-close friend who breadcrumbed me after we slept together—a confusing and painful dynamic that went on for years. I often felt like I was an object to her—wanted when it suited her, irrelevant when it didn’t—though in her mind she told herself she gave everything.

‘I wrote and produced the track at home two years ago during the fallout, then shelved it; the lyrics felt too biting to release. But when a friend asked if she could share it with someone going through something similar, I realized there’s a point when songs become bigger than the people they’re about.

‘Crumb Giver is an empowering dance track for anyone who has been used—romantically or otherwise—who never got to name the dynamic or say what they needed to say.’

The whole song has a taut feel to it — stretched to the point of breaking point, a threat that teeters on the verge of outright violence. That moment comes, sonically at least, in the song’s final third, with a clattering drum roll that leads into a wailing guitar solo. Vanessa pairs that with an instantly iconic line that likens herself to ZZ Top, laying into her subject as she sheds her own sense of not being enough.

Venessa Van Ness is a British American single who grew up in Venice Beach, California, in the building Jim Morrison had once lived in before he found success and infamy. Born of immigrants from Kent in England, her parents were both crafts people and makers, with her father believing music the ultimate art-form. Inspired by the DIY atmospheric of the Venice boardwalk, Van Ness began to make music. Investing in her talent with instruments was her way to offset her perception of her voice, which she saw as a weakness, yet is now a distinctive component of her sound.

Crumb Giver is one of the most thrilling pieces of electronic music I’ve heard this year, reminding me of the avant-garde work of Planningtorock. Check it out below:

Listen: Let Go by Foxako feat. AsunaSanchi

The latest single from artist Foxako, Let Go is a slice of French Touch, utilising bumpy percussion and layered elements to create something fresh from nostalgic components.

Whilst Foxako is based in Vevey in Switzerland, he has always shared the language, cultural and an emotional connection with France and the French Touch sound. With slamming bass and stabs of brass, on Let Go he has a created a dynamic and elastic feel. Filtered guitars provide a funky edge, channelling the work of Daft Punk, which combine with the crunchier feel more akin to the classic Ed Banger sound. Vocals are provided by Foxako’s close friend, AsunaSanchi, who lends the project an additional dose of human emotion.

Coming ahead of a full-length album, planned for 2026, Let Go teases the kind of vibrant kaleidoscopic sound Foxako may create across a broader tapestry. The intention is for that release to come with a 2D animated video, further expanding the canvas of creativity. Here, Foxago releases Let Go with a distinctive visualiser, with AsunaSanchi herself creatively playing a role in the overall video. With such a tightly formulated musical piece on display here, it will be interesting to experience what Foxako does with the space when he has it.

Check out Let Go, below:

Watch: Buckshot by Willoh

Opening with experimental percussion, Willoh’s new single, Buckshot, creates a textured, autumnal atmosphere as fragile vocals establish a sense of emotional depth.

Born and raised in Missouri, WIlloh records her music within her bedroom, using equipment purchased with savings from a job worked at a McDonald's in her hometown. There is a homely feel to the staccato rhythms and gentle melodies on Buckshot, but the layered production has a sophistication that transcends the song’s origins.

Throughout the duration of Buckshot, you can hear a tension in Willoh’s delivery. Her vocals at times accelerating uncontrollably as she loses control of her emotions, before stepping back, slowing down, and regaining composure. The song itself is a depiction of the struggle to find acceptance, whilst recognising acceptance itself doesn’t mean you no longer care. Describing the song’s inspiration, Willoh says:

‘Throughout the creation of Buckshot, I learned a lot about acceptance. Realizing that acceptance doesn’t mean you’re instantly unaffected by change. I went through cycles of guilt for pouring too much of myself out, shrinking, losing confidence, blaming, being okay and then not okay again. Each section of the song was written in the middle of one of those emotions, ending only to begin the cycle all over again.’

The cycle Willoh describes here is carefully and cleverly captured and represented in the song, creating an affecting and emotionally resonant piece of music.

Listen: Cabin Talk by Longing Louisa

With softly played keyboards Melodies and hushed overdubbed vocals, Longing Louisa’s Cabin Talk inhabits a similar space to Au Revoir Simone’s Through The Backyards. The song is an affecting combination of sounds — a cosy soundscape, the song’s melody sprawls and modulates like some sort of oceanic blanket. At the same time, it is also a haunting Klein bottle of isolation, twisting around on itself as two people share stories of the things that make us who we are.

Longing Louise is the musical project of Reetta Hotti, who wrote, produced and played the instruments on Cabin Talk, with mixing and mastering from Julius Mauranen and Virtalähde Mastering respectively. Having previously released music under her own name, Longing Louise represents an opportunity for her to do something different. Hotti describes the fact that the music is inspired by the Japanese idiom, ‘mono no aware’, which reflects an empathy towards things, particularly the transient and ephemeral. This brings a sense of awareness, presence, and sadness to the music of Longing Louise. It reminds me of the concept of feeling nostalgia for a moment whilst it is still happening. It is both a beautiful and heartbreaking experience.

That feeling runs through Cabin Talk, its subtle melody content and restrained, in service of both the vocals and the atmosphere. It takes inspiration from the sea, and a trip on a cruise ship, as, Reetta describes:

‘A tiny cabin of a cruise ship, no windows, a steady hum coming from the motor and the waves crashing on the side of the ship; a conversation between me and you that left me feeling haunted.

‘This is a simple song, with softly pumping synths on each side and a wailing electric guitar. I wanted to keep this quite small and flowy. Actually, artistically speaking, this is a love song for Sufjan Stevens. He’s my favorite songwriter, and I thought a lot about him while writing and producing this track.’

Cabin Talk is taken from Longing Louisa’s forthcoming debut album, Waterphile, due on 7 November 2025. Describing the album’s inspiration, Hotti says:

‘For me, water is the most fascinating and intriguing element, and I’m always somehow drawn to it wherever I go. That’s how the term waterphile came to my mind. I also found out that in chemistry there actually is a term hydrophile, which implies “a molecule or other molecular entity that is attracted to water molecules and tends to be dissolved by water” (Wikipedia). Water, of course, serves also as a symbol – of what, I won’t explicate here. This album for me is kinda like the Mermaid’s tale in reverse. It’s dedicated to all you other waterphiles out there.’

Check out Cabin Talk below, and look out for Waterphile next month.

Listen: Debbie Downer by Francesca Everly

The new single from British artist Francesca Everly sits right on the edge of my sonic taste. Debbie Downer is ultimately a slice of high attitude pop music, but there is an energy and authenticity to this it that I couldn’t resist.

Created in response to a feeling of being misunderstood and overly sensitive, Francesca’s song describes the experience of feeling like you need to bottle up your emotions out of a fear of being judged for them. Debbie Downer is a subsequent emotional release, as she decides to let it all go anyway. Against a wall of guitars, Everly frustratedly cries, ‘Fuck’s sake, give me a break!’, and the result is cathartic for anyone who has ever felt like they are made to feel abnormal for their emotional response to a situation.

I’ve always been a sucker for the loud-quiet-loud thing, and Everly uses it to great effect here. Opening with gentle acoustic guitars and hurt sounding vocals, Debbie Downer transforms into a rowdy and assertive anthem. In the song’s finale, we get a return to its hushed opening in the form of a bridge that briefly feels introspective. It leads to a sense that Francesca has b een unshackled, however, as she shakes off the introspection, hitting the run into the song’s chorus in a brief a cappella solo. It is the kind of perfect little moment you can only really get in a pop record.

Based in London, Italiane-born musician Everly produces indie pop and, as demonstrated here, has a penchant for ‘unfiltered lyrics for your late-night overthinking sessions’. Debbie Downer follows on from her debut EP, This Heart Like I’ve Never Felt It. Check out the new single below: