Glasgow outfit Dragged Up shares “Rapunzel,” the blistering A-side of a new double single backed by the brooding companion piece “Black Carbon,” available only for physical purchase. Equal parts garage-punk, art rock, and glorious racket, “Rapunzel” is a wild, driving tribute to the disaffected ‘60s teenagers who made beautiful noise in their garages, pairing primitive riffs, frenetic X-Ray Spex-inspired saxophone, and relentless momentum into one of the band’s most immediate releases to date. Together, the two tracks offer another unpredictable glimpse into the band’s forthcoming third album, Trzy.

“‘Rapunzel’ is a celebration of all the freak flag flyers of the world, outsiders, counter-culture don’t give-a-fuckers, and everyone who doesn’t fit neatly into a box,” says songwriter Simon Shaw. “It’s inspired by all ‘punk’ in the true sense of the word – the beautifully compiled Crypt Records “Back From The Grave” series, John Coltrane, Lester Bangs, James White and the Contortions, Sham 69, X-Ray Spex…”

The song’s title takes its cue from a mythical figure reimagined through Dragged Up’s own off-kilter lens. Shaw envisions Rapunzel as an unknowable, tower-dwelling creature whose only concern is blasting battered garage records into the sky while the misunderstood, the curious, and the beautifully strange gather below. “The perfect name for any long-haired, beautiful, fairytale, tower-dwelling creature,” he says.

Like the character at its centre, “Rapunzel” refuses to stay in one place. Punk riffs crash into twin guitar and saxophone solos before spiralling into a descending key-change that gives way to a Kinks-inspired breakdown, packing an astonishing amount into a tightly wound three-minute burst.

Although the song arrived almost fully formed, it continued to evolve in the studio. Eva Gnatiuk suggested replacing an upward modulation with the now-defining descent into doom, while guest vocalist Mel Whittle (Count Florida) added backing vocals and saxophonist Sofia Ween brought a thrilling final layer of chaos during a last-minute recording session.

Recorded live with engineer Tommy Duffin at Glasgow’s 16 Ohm Studio, the track captures the raw immediacy Dragged Up were chasing from the outset. Aside from vocals and saxophone overdubs, the performance unfolds live in the room, with Duffin shaping a guitar sound Shaw describes as sitting somewhere in the Mudhoney camp. “If you’re working with the right person, all you have to worry about is getting a good take,” Shaw says.

While “Rapunzel” kicks the door open, B-side “Black Carbon” offers a darker, more cinematic counterbalance. Inspired by the fossil-strewn coastline of Scotland’s west coast, the song transforms late-night landscapes into reflections on memory, place, and the human condition. Featuring acclaimed Irish violist Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh, it expands Dragged Up’s already shape-shifting sound while complementing the restless energy of its counterpart.

Together, the two songs preview Trzy, the band’s forthcoming third album. Described by the band as a cohesive, cinematic journey through societal outsiders, psychogeography, metamorphosis, fever dreams, and fragments of lives lived before, the record embraces stylistic extremes without losing sight of its identity.

“We’ve been described many times as a band that’s difficult to pigeonhole,” says Eva Gnatiuk. “We believe that’s what makes us unique. Trzy is an album in the traditional, old-school sense of the word. It’s a cohesive, cinematic journey populated by a shifting cast of distinct characters and locations.”

Building on a breakout year that saw her earn Spotify Editorial support and recognition as a rising voice in indie pop, Montreal singer-songwriter Libby Ember shares “Pool Life,” a wistful and quietly reflective single that captures the feeling of watching life unfold from the outside and wondering what it would be like to step fully into it. Blending intimate lyricism with airy, understated production, the track explores social longing, identity, and the subtle ache of feeling just outside the frame of “cool” or effortless belonging.

At its core, “Pool Life” is about perception: the way certain people seem to move through life with spontaneity and ease, as if constantly living inside a moment you were never quite invited into. For Libby, the image of “Pool Life” became a metaphor for that distance.

“It’s about watching people’s lives from the outside, seeing the way that the ‘cool’ people choose to live, and feeling like I’m missing out on that,” Libby explains. “The title just encapsulated that feeling for me since when I think about these people I just imagine hanging out by the pool and spontaneously jumping in as a metaphor for the way they live their lives ‘on the spot’.”

Unlike much of her earlier work, “Pool Life” also marks a subtle shift in approach, embracing a more live, band-oriented recording process. Built with real musicians rather than solely MIDI-based production, the track features live drums, bass, and guitar, giving it a more organic, immediate feel.

“This song doesn’t have a chorus, only verses, and it was super fun to record since we brought in real musicians,” Libby says. “Working with other musicians is always so much fun. It just makes the song sound more alive and more human, which nowadays is even more important than it was before. It’s cool to be able to play off of each other.”

That sense of immediacy carries through into the writing as well. Among the song’s most vivid lines is the lyric “I wanna be the it girl, ticket in the pit girl,” a phrase that distills the track’s central tension between observation and participation, admiration and distance, longing and self-awareness.

Even in its softness, “Pool Life” feels rhythmically alive. It’s a song that doesn’t resolve its yearning so much as sit inside it, resulting in one of Libby’s most emotionally direct and conversational releases to date.

Ahead of their forthcoming debut EP, Victoria, BC alternative pop-rock duo Miss the Heart drop “Know Me Better,” an explosive new single that transforms betrayal into empowerment. Equal parts soaring pop anthem and hard-hitting rock release, the track pairs infectious vocal hooks with thunderous guitar breakdowns to deliver an unapologetic statement about reclaiming your power from the narcissists who underestimated you.

While “Know Me Better” may initially sound like the aftermath of a failed relationship, its message reaches far beyond romance. Inspired by the many narcissistic personalities that have entered vocalist Kiarra O’Connor’s life – from former partners and toxic friends to manipulative coworkers and creative collaborators – “Know Me Better” captures the all-too-familiar cycle of trust, betrayal, realization, and ultimately choosing yourself.

“This song was inspired by the all too familiar process of being naive, being taken advantage of, realizing it, and then having to deal with it,” O’Connor explains. “It wasn’t hard channeling the hurt, anger, and empowerment of the past when writing.”

The emotional weight of those experiences fuels every moment of the song, but rather than dwelling in anger, Miss the Heart channels that energy into something liberating. Anchored by a soaring pop-forward melody before erupting into crushing guitar riffs, “Know Me Better” embraces both vulnerability and defiance, inviting listeners to sing, shout, and scream every word back.

The single also marks another successful collaboration with acclaimed producer, mixer, and co-writer Ryan Worsley (Dear Rouge, MONOWHALES, Fake Shark). Recorded at Echoplant Studios in Vancouver, BC, Worsley helped elevate the duo’s original demos while contributing the guitar and bass performances that define the track’s explosive sound. One of the recording’s most memorable moments came during the gang vocal session, when O’Connor found herself surrounded by Worsley, drummer Michael Voytash, and an intern, all crowding around a single microphone to shout the song’s climactic refrain together.

That combination of polished pop songwriting and full-throttle alternative rock reflects the broader vision behind Miss the Heart’s upcoming debut EP. Scheduled for release in early 2027, the project explores the emotional stages of conflict through the lens of feminine rage. “Know Me Better” represents the moment action replaces hesitation and reclaiming your voice becomes impossible to ignore.

Already earning significant early momentum, “Know Me Better” was selected as The Zone @91-3’s Band of the Month for July 2026, received airplay across campus and community radio stations nationwide, and landed on the Mediabase Alternative Rock Most Added chart ahead of the band’s debut live performance at Vancouver’s Ventura Room on August 28, 2026.

Toronto indie artist and producer ARK IDENTITY (Noah Mroueh) unveils “Signals,” a tense, surreal, and emotionally immersive alternative single that embraces uncertainty both sonically and thematically. Blending atmospheric dream pop, indie electronic textures, and an explosive post-hardcore finale, the track unfolds like a constantly shifting landscape, refusing to settle into any one genre while rewarding listeners with each unexpected turn.

“Signals” wasn’t the song Noah Mroueh and Andrew Polychronopoulos initially intended to create. Paired together to write for a sync brief, the two spent hours developing a blues-rock track before realizing it simply wasn’t resonating.

“It was solid, but neither of us was super excited about it,” Noah recalls. “Things got interesting when we decided to scrap the brief and just create something for ourselves.” That decision became the catalyst for everything that followed.

After picking up a guitar and running it through a chorus effect (one of Noah’s favourite sounds), he began casually fingerpicking what would become the song’s unmistakable opening. Andrew immediately started building rhythmic loops and ambient textures around the progression. Rather than forcing it toward a predetermined destination, the song evolved naturally over the nearly next few hours.

“The song took on a life of its own,” Noah explains. “Layer by layer, it kept building toward something more immersive. We were in such a flow state that we didn’t overthink things.”

That same instinct ultimately led to one of the song’s defining moments: an unexpected finale driven by distorted guitars and post-hardcore intensity. Rather than feeling disconnected from the dreamy opening, the heavier conclusion feels like a natural emotional release, transforming the track into something both unpredictable and deeply cathartic.

“To me, ‘Signals’ speaks to the way we’re constantly trying to read people, moments and emotions,” Noah says. “We send signals, we receive them, and sometimes we misread them or miss them completely. There’s something really interesting in that uncertainty.”

“Signals” also marks an important creative milestone for ARK IDENTITY. While it fits within the larger emotional world Noah has been building, its willingness to embrace heavier, more explosive moments signals an exciting evolution of the project.

“It surprised me,” Noah says. “It didn’t end up being the song we set out to make, but that’s what made it feel special. It came from letting go of the original plan and following what felt right in the moment. While we didn’t meet the sync brief, I’m proud of what we created together that day.”

The ASCAP Foundation, under the leadership of President Paul Williams and Executive Director Patricia Leonard, partners with the DC Jazz Festival, headed by President & CEO Sunny Sumter, to support the next generation of jazz creators for a fourth year. 

The 2026 DC JazzFest is set to take place September 2-6, 2026 and supports DC250’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary through the quintessential American art form. This year’s lineup features The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award recipient Hannah Marks alongside jazz’s most influential players from Kurt Elling & Yellow Jackets to Lisa Fischer. Marks will take the DC JazzFest stage at Pearl Street Warehouse at 33 Pearl Street SW, Washington, DC on Saturday, September 5 at 4:15 pm.

“As we commemorate 250 years of America, there is no better way to celebrate than by supporting the emerging creators who are shaping the future of one of our nation’s most storied art forms,” said ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams. “We are honored to partner for a fourth year with DC Jazz Fest  to champion the next generation of jazz composers.” 

“Jazz is a living art form, sustained by extraordinary artists who honor its rich legacy while boldly shaping its future. At The ASCAP Foundation, we’re proud to support creators throughout their artistic journeys, which is why our partnership with DC JazzFest is so important. Providing this opportunity to one of our Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award recipients reflects our shared commitment to the future of jazz,” said The ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Patricia Leonard.

The Hannah Marks Quartet features Marks on bass, Jonathan Paik on keyboard, Mark Valdes on drums and Max Light on guitar. Earlier that day, Marks will join “ASCAP FOUNDATION CONVERSATION: NEXT VOICES,” a free “Meet The Artists” discussion at DC’s Arena Stage. She will also be a featured guest on “VERSED: The ASCAP Podcast” in August.   

Hannah Marks

Marks, who is recognized on DownBeat magazine’s 2026 Critic’s Poll Rising Star Bassist list, is a bassist, composer and educator living in New York City. She currently leads a risk-taking acoustic jazz quartet that features NYC’s most in-demand sidemen and has showcased her musical projects at the Detroit Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, 80-35 Music Festival, Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Iowa City Jazz Festival and Indy Jazz Festival. Produced by Jason Moran, her second album, Feed the Fire, will be released in June 2026 on Endectomorph. Marks’ debut album, Outsider, Outlier (2023), is an explosive rendering of her search for belonging and empowerment. In a nod to her love for punk, noise and free improvisation, Citizen Jazz called Outsider, Outlier “…a very mature record from a young artist with very strong ideas who does not hold back anything.” As a side-woman, Marks has been described as having “a fresh, modern, and original approach to playing the bass” by trumpeter Marcus Printup. She tours internationally with NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater’s project “We Exist!” and has performed with Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, Kalia Vandever, Matt Wilson, Ted Nash, Morgan Guerin, Marcus Printup and Sasha Berliner. Marks’ discography includes performances on Geoffrey Keezer’s Grammy Award-winning composition “Refuge,” Amanda Ekery’s Grammy-nominated Arabé, Kristen Lee Sergeant’s Falling with saxophonist Ted Nash, and Heartland Trio’s debut album Year One. 

Marks is passionate about jazz education, serving on faculty at Fordham University during the academic year, and at Interlochen Arts Camp, Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West during the summer. She has also presented masterclasses at universities across the country and adjudicated at the Reno Jazz Festival, Clark College Jazz Festival and Simpson College Jazz Festival. Several organizations have funded Marks’ creative endeavors, including Chamber Music America, South Arts, The Jazz Gallery and the Boulder County Arts Alliance. She has been a composer in residence at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (2025), Yaddo (2024) and MacDowell (2023). Marks is an alumna of the Stanford Jazz Workshop Mentor Fellow program (2022-23), the Woodshed Network (2021), Betty Carter Jazz Ahead (2019) and the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music (2018). She holds a Master’s degree from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Jason Moran, Anna Webber, Joe Morris and Frank Carlberg. A native of Des Moines, Marks received a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Walter Smith III, Kurt Muroki and Jeremy Allen. 

The Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards were established by The ASCAP Foundation in 2002 to encourage gifted jazz composers up to the age of 30. The program carries the name of the great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert in recognition of The Herb Alpert Foundation’s multi-year financial commitment to support this unique program. The recipients, who receive cash awards, are selected through a juried national competition.

More information on this year’s Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards recipients can be found at https://www.ascap.com/press/2025/03/03-28-foundation-herb-alpert-recipients.

About The ASCAP Foundation

The ASCAP Foundation was founded in 1975. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established as a separate entity from ASCAP, dedicated to supporting and encouraging American music creators through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org  

About DC Jazz Festival (DCJF)

DC Jazz Festival (DCJF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by renowned jazz producer Charles Fishman and his wife, attorney Stephanie Peters, in 2004. The organization aims to provide enriching and entertaining jazz performances and programs which introduce students and adults from all walks of life to jazz, our nation’s singular original art form. DCJF presents a selection of the jazz genre’s most acclaimed artists as well as emerging artists and provides enhanced exposure for the rich treasure trove of musicians from the Washington, DC area. For more information, visit https://www.dcjazzfest.org/ 

Toronto songwriter Brodie Christ shares “16 & 9 Lives,” an uplifting and defiant alternative Canadiana single that questions the stories we inherit, repeat, and use to define ourselves. Built around warm acoustic instrumentation, conversational lyricism, and a reflective country-tinged sound, the track explores memory, identity, and the freedom that comes from realizing we are not bound to the versions of ourselves we once believed were permanent.

At its core, “16 & 9 Lives” examines the unreliable narratives we create about our own past. The song reflects on how memories are shaped by the moments when we need them most, and how the stories we tell about who we were can become limiting if we allow them to define who we are now.

“Your memories betray you,” Brodie explains. “You were not as kind, as cool, as embarrassing, as wild, or as ugly as you thought you were.”

The song found its meaning after an unexpected moment of reflection at Brodie’s high school reunion. Returning to a place filled with old stories and familiar faces, he found himself reconsidering how people hold onto the past.

“Stories were recounted to me over that weekend – some flattering, some embarrassing, some prideful,” he shares. “All of them were lies, or at best exaggerations. I decided I wasn’t interested in being defined by any of it, and it was incredibly liberating.”

That realization became the emotional foundation of “16 & 9 Lives.” The title itself represents the many versions of ourselves we carry throughout life. 16 represents a specific moment in time when memories can become deeply tied to identity, while 9 lives symbolizes the countless different versions of ourselves we experience along the way.

“I’ve had at least 9 lives and am hoping for 9 more,” Brodie explains. “The number isn’t important, but the idea that you aren’t tethered to any of them is.”

The recording process for “16 & 9 Lives” was an exercise in spontaneity and trust. Brodie booked a pop-up studio session with seven–time JUNO Award–winning producer Steve Dawson and a group of veteran Nashville musicians at Revolution Recording in Toronto. The concept was simple: send a rough demo, walk into the studio a month later, and capture the song live with the band in only a few takes.

Originally written and performed with only acoustic guitar and harmonica, Brodie was open to expanding the arrangement while preserving the song’s natural energy. Rather than over-directing the musicians, he allowed the band to interpret the track in their own way, focusing instead on maintaining the emotional honesty at its centre.

The session features Steve Dawson on guitar and pedal steel, Steve O’Connor on keyboards, John Dymond on bass, and Gary Craig on drums. “Sometimes you get lucky with a group of people and things just feel good,” Brodie says. “It didn’t hurt that the band was full of experienced fellows without egos.”