Sarah Giles has dropped a pop ear worm with her single Instructions on How to Be a Cloud. The vocals and production on this track are fantastic. This song of rising above hurts and pains is a perfect introduction to Sarah if you haven’t listened to her yet. Listen below.

Emily Lehr has released Friends which we were sad to discover was not a cover of the song of the same name by fellow West Virginian, Michael W. Smith. And while the latter sings about friendships being forever this song tells a slightly different story. This friendship is a little rocky and appears to be one sided. We’ve all been there before. Lehr talks about being the bad guy because that’s the only way the friendship works. Listen to this poppy fight song below.

Folk act, Kindred Valley is back with an EP and as we expected they knocked it out of the park. One track in particular grabbed our attention. While Born & Bred is located and based in Shinnston our birthplace is Grafton, which is also the name of a track on this six song “What Was Left” EP. This track eludes to our world famous cryptid and a haunting relationship to the narrator. Listen below.

Never Zero has released an acoustic version of their song, Sundowning which appeared on their 2023 self titled EP. This stripped down version keeps the funk of the original while presenting it a new light that shows off the versatility of this alt rock force from southern West Virginia. Give it a listen below.

Jeremy Short recorded a live EP from his appearance at last years Healing Appalachia festival. Short and company are a mix of Kentucky and West Virginia natives that have gained a large following in the region and this ep shows off why. On the track Waymore’s Blues, Short is joined by fellow Healing Appalachia performer Arlo McKinley. Listen to this soulful duet below.

Photo by Chrissy Perkins Photography

Emmalea Deal & The Hot Mess have released their second single of 2024 and it’s a roller coaster of raw punk emotion. This song, Ignorant, shows off why we consider them one to watch. Emmalea Deal is a vocal powerhouse that straddles the line between scream vocals and pop vocals that make her a force to reckon with. Stay tuned for more from them but check out Ignorant below.

Photo by Rin Gower

Elements Of Us popped up on our radar this week and we are glad they did. This trio knows how to make a pop song. We’ve gone through all of their music that we could find and they are a refreshing find. They’ve been around for few years and they’ve created some great music if you haven’t listened yet. This new single, I Can’t Be Me Without You, should be on your playlist today. Listen below.

Samuel James fresh off of his release Savannah has dropped another track Compact which details a road trip in a compact car during his high school years. This is another fun tune for your summer and we think there is much more in store for James as he records more music and shows off his range of abilities. Listen to it below.

Photo by MVKMProductions

Milkweed has released a single So It Goes off of their debut self titled EP. While the whole EP is only available on CD, they’ve released this song to streaming and we are digging this alternative rock track from this Morgantown band. If you want a trip back to the early 2000’s this track will take you there. The song isn’t available on YouTube but listen to it on our New Release Spotify Playlist below.