Hirta is the solo project of Scottish – American multi instrumentalist Alistair Paxton, well known for his guitar work with Shilpa Ray and for touring and working in recording studios with multiple other artists. His debut album is called Soft Peaks. Soft Peaks finds solace in the natural world and comforts through an intriguing map of familiar trailheads and newly chartered terrain. It casts a windswept and lonely spell, yet retains an air of optimism across its ten warm and desolate tracks. This album was self produced and recorded in 2025 in sessions split between the Hudson Valley town of Nyack, NY and rural Bovina in the Western Catskill mountains culminating in both vinyl and digital releases under Paxton’s own imprint, Half Painted Door. Soft Peaks reveals layers of intricate acoustic fingerstyle guitar and plaintive drums under sparse and tasteful contemporary textures. A subtle and evocative blend of traditional folk voicings and indie rock charm which conjures fleeting nostalgia and offers some hopeful light in a dark time. Through songwriting that crafts propulsive repetition and embraces the power of restraint and economy, Paxton’s vocal harmonies remain unadorned and carry a poetic honesty while delivering elegiacal verses both timeless and universal. 

The Cords are a Scottish indie pop duo made up of sisters Eva and Grace Tedeschi, whose music distils youthful urgency into sharp, melodic songs driven by guitar and drums. Raised on a steady diet of indie records, they gravitated early toward the sounds of classic jangle-pop and underground pop, forging a partnership built on instinct, simplicity and momentum. The pair quickly built a reputation through a handful of ultra-limited early releases that disappeared almost as soon as they appeared. At the same time, they earned their stripes on stage, performing alongside cornerstone names of Scottish pop history as well as a new wave of like-minded indie bands, bridging generations with an ease that feels entirely natural. Their debut album, The Cords, marks a major step forward. Released by Skep Wax in the UK and Europe (with Slumberland handling the US), the record captures the immediacy of their live sound while revealing a growing emotional range. Short, punchy songs sit alongside more reflective moments, all held together by Eva’s bright, winding guitar lines and vocals and Grace’s propulsive, characterful drumming. The production stays true to their stripped-back approach, letting energy and melody take centre stage. While listeners familiar with indie pop’s past may catch hints of earlier movements and scenes, The Cords is firmly rooted in the present. It’s the sound of two young musicians playing loudly, honestly and without compromise, finding freedom in analogue instruments and direct expression. In doing so, The Cords reaffirm the enduring power of pop music that is handmade, heartfelt and shared on its own terms.