Ray Finlayson

[Cottage Records; 2026] The formation of Baby Smith reads like some special kind of serendipity. Its members – Ray Sonder and Saxon Gable – were both born on the east coast of Australia, where they grew up with a diet of Nirvana and the Beatles thanks to their parents. Sonder and Gable became musicians at their own hand, learning to write and record in their youth and eventually distributing their own demos while they were at university.

[Leaving; 2026] Aisha Vaughan believes in connection between all things. “Our planet and everything in it including ourselves is special and sacred. I think we forget that sometimes,” she explains. The Welsh musician has an undeniable bond with the natural world; she sees herself as part of the whole and her music incorporates field recordings of it around her. Her voice and instrumentation blends with the sound of birdsong, the rustle of trees in the wind, and the vibrant hum of nature.

[Self-released; 2026] As far as remarks about how this summer has felt for those in the Northern Hemisphere go, STUPID HOT (in all caps specifically) is a pretty fitting statement.