AUK’s Monthly EP Round-Up – March 2025

Okay, spring has well and truly sprung and this month’s bag of newly released EPs is full to the brim with a kaleidoscope of sounds that cover the full spectrum of Americana music. So without further ado let’s get stuck in.

There can be few better ways to start proceedings off than a new release from the West Virginia singer-songwriter Charles Wesley Godwin. Following on from his 2023 breakout album “Family Ties”, Godwin releases a new seven-track EP entitled “Lonely Mountain Town”, that offers a more stripped back intimate, and cathartic snap-shot of life, less autobiographical focusing more on character-led storytelling. The EP re-unites Godwin with longtime collaborator Al Torrence, and together they have produced an atmospheric collection of songs that knit together effortlessly. From the melancholic opening lines of the title track, “Brokedown hearts beat a lonesome sound”, cocooned by an acoustic guitar gently picked, all the way through to the heartbreaking ‘She Don’t Love Me Anymore”, and another classic opening line “Been having a hard week for the last year”, Godwin repeatedly demonstrates his craft of being one of the finest songsmiths to emerge in recent years. Other highlights include the intimate ‘Then I’m Gone’, and ‘It’s Her Move’, a blue-collared tale where Godwin inhabits the character of a natural gas welder who is ready to jack it all in and put down some roots if only she will say yes, his poetic musings continually peeling back layers. The closing number is a rousing cover of Jason Molina’s ‘Hammer Down’, which pairs Godwin with Scott Avett and proves a perfect closer for an EP that clocks in at over 26 minutes. With “Lonely Mountain Town”, Godwin has cemented his reputation as one of the finest singer-songwriters to emerge in recent years and this EP comes highly recommended.

Next, we have Sam Newton and his new six-track EP, “This Is Where I Want To Be”. Singer-songwriter Newton hails from Sydney, NSW, where he has established a strong presence within the vibrant music scene, having recorded three full-length albums starting with “Set In Stone”. in 2014. Describing his sound as lyric-driven, alt-country with folk-inspired soundscapes, the collection here is made up of recently released singles along with a couple of new tracks, including the title track, which also opens the EP. The track impresses with some Bluesy finger-picked acoustic guitar and excellent pedal steel that is slightly spoilt by the distracting and unnecessary keyboards, while the following two tracks ‘Burning Bridges’, and ‘The Year Of The Rabbit’, struggle to connect, the former to simplistic and lightweight in both the narrative and the arrangement, while any positives from the latter are completely drowned out by its over-the-top orchestration. Things are much better in the second half of the EP, starting with ‘Ground Me’, a haunting atmospheric number that searches for stability amid inner turmoil, where the intensity of Newton’s vocal delivery along with the foreboding depth of the narrative captivates the listener. The breezy ‘I’m Coming Home’, tips its hat to the Laurel Canyon scene with lashings of acoustic and pedal steel guitars while the closing number ‘Merry Christmas’, featuring Lachlan Bryan, is a tender piano ballad laced with bittersweet reflections of a seasonal family holiday that cuts deep with its nostalgic narrative and sees the EP finish on a high. Newton has stated that this collection of songs represents a sense of closure for this particular creative period of his career, and with a brand new album due for release later this year it will be interesting to see what new format and direction his songs will take.

Dandelion Highway is an Irish Canadian folk duo comprising of Kayleigh McGavock and Chris Sytnyk that came together back in 2023 after first meeting at a concert for Irish singer CMAT. Last year saw the release of two singles, which along with three new numbers make up their debut EP entitled “The Crossing”. Opening number, the uptempo ‘Home’, which had been their debut single finds the duo leaning towards their traditional Celtic side with a strong percussive beat that drives the melody while the narrative finds McGavock confronting the conflicting feelings of leaving home for the dreams and possibilities of a new country. The second single to be released follows with ‘We Are Gold’, fondly looking back at past relationships, the joy the duo has in performing together seeps through each syllable like a tsunami of warm sunlight, uplifting and infectious. The title track delivers a hopeful refrain for the homesick, tackling the insecurities and dedicated to fellow immigrants, complete with a rousingly defiant outro, the duo’s vocals bouncing off each other against a repetitive pulsating beat. My personal favourite is ‘You Promised Me A Lullaby’ with Sytnyk vocals leading this track, based on a poem McGavock wrote back in Ireland during the pandemic before eventually, both male and female vocal comes together with the anthemic line “hold your head up high, you promised me a lullaby”. The closing number ‘Chroi Alainn’, sung half in Gaelic and half in English challenges the expectations put on young people today with the recalcitrant response “Be who you want to be”. With their heady mix of electric guitars and violins Waterford’s very own McGavock along with Canadian touring and session musician Sytnyk has delivered a joyous hybrid of brightly coloured, highly emotive roots music that is immediately contagious, leaving one with a broad smile and sunny disposition. No easy thing to do in these uncertain times.

Honey On Our Tongues is a duo from Eugene, Oregon, consisting of Christopher Jeremiah Cullen and Mara Cook, who last year released their debut album “The Mountain Above Us”, to much critical claim, including here at AUK. The duo now have a new six-track EP entitled “Crows Will Sing”, that continues with their fresh and authentic blend of stripped-back to basics bluegrass. Confining the arrangements to just guitar, fiddle, banjo, and vocals the duo continues to draw heavily from their traditional folk influences full of dark and ancient poetry that draws positive comparisons to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Particular favourites among a strong sextet, include ‘Young Lions’, where the duo’s harmonies are reminiscent of the folk royalty trio Peter, Paul, and Mary,  while the title track includes some delightful banjo playing. Best of all just might be ‘Dusty Dreams’, where some lovely dobro playing helps add an extra layer of intensity to the achingly beautiful narrative. It’s an absolute gem. With “Crows Will Sing”, Honey On Our Tongues have built on the promise of their debut to deliver six songs that should see the duo’s career continue on an upward trajectory. Another EP that comes highly recommended.

Mister E & the Mysteries who hail from the Netherlands have released a new six-track EP “Shattered Romance”, which follows on from last year’s release “Still Burning”. The bands’ influences are varied, citing such luminaries as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Queen, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and musically there is definitely a strong rock presence. This four-piece band are veteran of the music scene across the Netherlands, with a strong visual image whose anthemic songs challenge the presumed normality of male/female love songs. In truth, this EP’s rock overtones would probably vere it towards the outer regions of the Americana genre, however, both the opening track ‘Caught In The Act’, with its jagged rhythms, and more especially the beautiful ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down’, which includes some delightful pedal steel guitar both prove highly enjoyable.

Next up is Irish singer-songwriter Annika Kilkenny with her new five-track EP entitled “Me In The Mud”. A current mainstay of the vibrant Irish live circuit having supported acts including James Vincent McMorrow, this new release follows on from last year’s EP release “Look Mom I Made It”, helping to cement Kilkenny’s burgeoning reputation as one of the country’s most compelling young talents. With her musical influences rooted as much in classical and jazz as in folk, along with personal, and at times, off-beat narratives that address the insecurities of youth, Kilkenny’s soundscape inhabits a space somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Laura Marling, while the subtle harmonies draw comparison to those early albums by the Roaches. Pick of what is an excellent collection of songs include the opening track ‘Call The Cops’, with its sparse intro of piano and cello leading into a narrative that immediately transports the listener into Kilkenny’s world, and ‘Tango’, where the lyrical concept embodies the fiery Latin rhythms that inspired the title. Kilkenny has stated that “Me In The Mud”, documents a turbulent time in her life, one that has seen her transform from a period of stagnation into a new stage of self-discovery. As evidenced by this new EP, the future looks very bright indeed.

Thin Lear is the moniker of New Jersey singer-songwriter Matt Longo who has just released his new five-track EP entitled “A Shadow Waltzed Itself”. Thin Lear has taken on many forms since the release of the debut album “Wooden Cave”, which saw the light of day back in 2020, with an ever-shifting collective of collaborators, producers, and musicians. This new EP is the second to be released in less than 12 months following on from last year’s Matthew E. White produced “A Beach Of Nightly Glory”. with this time around Longo choosing to play nearly all the instruments himself as he continues to pursue his own singular vision, Musically the EP draws from a broad palette intent on creating a strong ambiance though at times it lacks any clear identity. Longo’s vocals are strong and emotive furnishing the intimate narratives, but the poetry often feels vague and simplistic, and though the desired sense of loss does permeate, too often it fails to reveal enough of itself to connect with the listener. “A Shadow Waltzed Itself’, is an enjoyable set of songs, of which the opening track ‘Pilgrim’, along with ‘Blessing All Around’, particular standout, however, one is left feeling that with a little more structure and direction musically and a little less ambiguity lyrically this could have been so much more.

Next up we have British indie-folk trio Tors and their new six-track EP entitled “Never Give Up”. This Devon-based outfit is made up of brothers Matt and Theo Weedon, grandchildren of the legendary guitarist Bert Weedon, along with Jack Bowden, who together create a sound full of pop sensibilities and strong vocal harmonies. This EP is produced as was its predecessor, last year’s “Miracle”, by the renowned Simone Felice who stated that he “felt an immediate kinship”, with the trio. Tors have spent the last year selling out headline shows across the UK, USA, and Europe and musically inhabit a space not that dissimilar to Mumford & Sons, and Bears Den, as on the second track here ‘Dying Star’, whereas the final number ‘I Don’t Want To Know’, leans more to the indie rock of the Killers. To these ears, the commercial tendencies of Tors’ overall sound will limit their appeal to the more ardent Americana music fan, but there is no denying the infectious nature of their songs which, in all likelihood, will see them become major stars.

Eric Selby is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Virginia whose new five-track EP is entitled “Starting To Sync In”. He has already released three albums, the latest being 2023’s “Dang Fool”, which like this EP uses a broad palette blending a mix of blues, funk, and psychedelic folk, cocooned within a sizeable production. Selby’s early years were spent in progressive and alternative rock bands before he eventually transitioned towards the blues and his current sound draws on a wide span of influences. The first track here ‘Issues’, opens with a funky groove that harvests some psychedelic blues that is reminiscent of 1970s Steve Miller and is most enjoyable. However, the following numbers especially ‘Wine Stains’, ‘Because Of You’, and ‘Just The Same’, all suffer from an overtly clinical production with expansive arrangements awash with way too many instruments, that create a rather sterile, 1980s digital era ambiance. Much better is the gorgeous ‘Flow’, with its acoustic guitar intro and less cluttered structure giving a faint nod to the late sixties psychedelia, while some delightful harmonies draw a comparison to the early work of David Crosby & Graham Nash, making it by far the standout track on an EP to heavy on the production.

Wild Woods, Holy is a relatively new project by Karolina Blaszyk, a self-taught singer-songwriter, and artist born in Poland but currently living in the French countryside at the foot of the Vercors Mountains. This six-track EP entitled “Young Mother”, comprises the first songs she has written having only picked up the guitar and started singing after becoming a mother for the first time at the age of 32. Recording these tracks in one take at a local chapel was by admission a steep learning curve but the resulting EP bursts with a freshness and immediacy that is as powerful as it is ethereal. Wild Woods, Holy claims to draw influence from Laura Marling’s introspective songwriting, Mazzy Star’s dreamy 90’s aesthetic, along with the mysterious storytelling of Tarkovsky, which is feasible, though to these ears the arpeggio playing of the unaccompanied acoustic guitar along with the naked intimacy of the narratives conjures comparison to early Leonard Cohen except here with a delivery more reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan, while the ambiance captures both the geographical as well as emotional landscape. Standout tracks on this excellent offering include the opening number ‘I’ll Try Again’, an extremely personal song that deals with the experiences of loss and longing, the poetry here expresses both the sadness and the anger conveyed in lines such as “Who the hell disappears in one day?” and the title track where the challenges of motherhood are reconciled by recognising the beauty in the sacrifice. For a first effort, this EP is a resounding success.

As usual, I have left the EP that has impressed me the most until last, and this month that accolade goes to E.W. Harris an alt-folk songwriter, producer, and artist based in Brooklyn NY, whose latest release is this six-track EP entitled “Machine Living In Relief”. Describing himself as “a self-styled folktronicist” and “Dystopian Romantic”, his influences include an eclectic mix of artists ranging from David Bowie to John Prine,  though his sound draws greater comparison to that of Bon Ivor, Jim James, and Jeff Buckley. This new release is the latest in a five-album series set in Harris’ ‘utopian post-apocalyptic, Rocket City’, and every track, from opener ‘Sooner Or Later’ to closer ‘Treble Negative’ is a delight. The lyrical narrative may be set in a futuristic AI world, but the poetry remains intimate and personal throughout, while the extensive use of traditional instrumentation such as mandolin, banjo, and accordion adorns the sonic soundscape with a kaleidoscope of colour, using just the subtlest percussive pulse as a conduit. Each track is like the proverbial peeled-back onion, consistently uncovering more with each listen, and yes there are occasional moments that act as a touchstone to broader influences such as on the darker ‘Chemical Fire’, with its mandolin playing momentarily reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Battle Of Evermore’, while the early bars of ‘The Nail Beside The Door’, draws fleeting compassion to R.E.M’s ‘Night Swimming’, before it blossoms into something unique and quite breathtaking. The only thing more astonishing than the music on this EP is the fact that E.W. Harris isn’t already a household name, for this is music of the highest calibre that deserves the widest possible audience.