York Calling

Wild Birds Flying High is a thoughtful, exploratory new single from Denmark-born composer and pianist Karen Salicath Jamali. By Katie Stewart The track, just under four minutes in length, is anchored by a multi-layered, yet bare-bones feeling acoustic guitar. Dripping, fluttering, rhythmic to begin with, the guitar is paced, delicate, intricate, yet humble, allowing Jamali’s earthy, natural (yet belonging to some other-worldly nature) vocals drift above, clear and of central focus.

Sometimes you don’t have to say a lot to make a powerful statement. Rumour’s new EP, Limerence, runs for less than fifteen minutes, but makes an impression. By Graeme Smith For us, it’s our first impression too, and I must say it’s a good one. It’s hard to stand out in the alternative pop genre but the Maryland, USA-based artist has just done that with this record balancing grit and approachability deftly.

Here at York Calling, we’re always on the lookout for music that manages to strike a genuine chord with us, regardless of the genre or style the song falls within. Admittedly, we often feature a lot of indie, rock and pop music, but sometimes there’s nothing quite like the warmth of a lush soul song, particularly when it’s delivered with gusto like the acts on this page.

Alan Mair is technically best known as the founding bassist and driving force behind Scottish post-punk pioneers The Only Ones. However, Alan has long been a legendary figure within the UK rock music industry in his own right – we’ve reviewed his solo music several times, covering the single If I Gave The World A Turn in one of our post-rock round-up reviews.

After a decade-long run powering the fierce alternative rock of Jane N’ The Jungle, Phoenix duo Jordan White and Brian Dellis have officially turned the page, emerging with a brand new project. Stepping out under their compelling new name BLØSMM sees this long-term creative duo embarking on a journey of raw, unvarnished reinvention, with their debut single Poser showing great promise for their future.

We’ve actually featured the main members of BLØSMM before, as the core duo were also part of Jane N’ The Jungle, a rock band we’ve covered several times over the years. With BLØSMM, the Arizona-based duo (consisting of Jordan White and Brian Dellis) have officially turned the page to create a powerful new creative chapter in their musical history.

Washington D.C.-based singer, songwriter and producer R. Nelson has started building something designed to last, if his new album release Vol. 1: Grown Man Energy is anything to go by. The album manages to blend the smooth textures of modern R&B and neo-soul with a more organic sounding funk groove, showing one artist who can easily write for multiple genres. I decided to sit down with R.

The modern music industry often appears to be dominated by rapid-fire singles and fleeting viral trends, so it’s fantastic to be able to listen to music with real substance. Washington D.C. singer-songwriter and producer R. Nelson has thankfully taken a rather different path on his conceptually rich debut album, Vol. 1: Grown Man Energy.

Fresh from releasing his second album Decoding Birdsong, Manchester-born poet, producer and spoken word artist Antony Szmierek heads to O2 Academy Leeds on 8 October 2026. Feature Photo by Zak Watson Blending sharp observational lyricism with house, techno and electro-pop influences, his latest record sees him expanding a sound that has earned acclaim from critics and audiences alike.

‘The role of the artist is to say there’s still some fight in us left,’ says TV Smith. The punk veteran acts as cheerleader against apathy and shows no sign of slowing down. By Miles Salter Feature photo by Chris Hill He has carved out an impressive solo career, clocking up thousands of gigs over the years, and plays The Fulford Arms in September with The Bored Teenagers.