A.A. Williams 

“Traditionally, your second album is the worry; where there’s the weight of expectation,” A.A. Williams contends. “But I must create music I like myself, and I’ve had more time on this record; I’ve felt more confidence and conviction. As The Moon Rests is both heavier and softer, there’s more texture and weight, and a string ensemble. It’s Forever Blue times ten!”

 Released in July 2020, Forever Blue was the London-based singer-songwriter’s album debut, a brilliantly dramatic, unique and intimate walk on the dark side that fused bold and smouldering hues of post-rock and post-classical. By turns, it was glacial and volcanic, blissful and violent, through moments of disarming quiet and explosive volume, equally appealing to alt-rock and metal camps.

 “The shifts between moments of high drama and quiet tension point to her kinship with Chelsea Wolfe and PJ Harvey,” stated Uncut. “Stirring and evocative… The chances of a more heartrending and fully formed debut emerging this year are practically zero,” reckoned Metal Hammer.

Kalandra

Spearheaded by four Norwegian/Swedish musicians, Kalandra is a band with roots in melancholic Nordic folk and gritty guitars, weaving ethereal melodies into raw and eerie musical landscapes. Formed in the beginning of the 2010s, they’ve spent a decade crafting their own unique sound, building their own studio, whilst also touring and playing support for similar acts such as Gåte, Seigmen, Wardruna and Eivør. Their break came with a cover of ‘Helvegen’ by Wardruna, that amassed over four million views on YouTube. Since leading them to join forces with the acclaimed record label ByNorse Music. 

In 2020 their first full-length album ‘The Line’ was finally released. The album was a journey in introspection, the feelings of wonder, anger, loss and acceptance at watching both your own life and the world around you unfold. From their studio in Oslo, the band has since created music for the HBO series “Beforeigners” and the full soundtrack to the game series “Kingdom Two Crowns” which resulted in their second release “Kingdom Two Crowns: Norse Lands Soundtrack (Extended)” in 2022.