Salt Lake City multi-instrumentalist Anthony Pena returns to his roots with his debut album 4. A Prince-dedicated blend of R&B, soul, and indie pop, the record was written, produced, engineered, and mixed by Pena himself. His almost-whispered vocals dissolve into the instrumentation, becoming just another thread in the fabric of each song. We sat down with Pena to talk about commitment, influences, and stream-of-consciousness writing.

STIGMATA is a sonic journey of healing, resilience, and self-expression. On their debut album, Seattle’s FEM du lit (Francesca Eluhu of Day Soul Exquisite) crafts a world where R&B, alternative, and electronic textures collide—unraveling the emotional weight of identity, judgment, and survival. We spoke with FEM du lit about the sound of STIGMATA, musical influences, and the power of music as a healing mechanism.

Nomi Ruiz talks to us about gatekeeping of R&B, gentrification, music as therapy and leaving the music industry.

Photo Credit: Kenny Rodriguez

Q&A with post-hardcore/shoegaze California band Cold Gawd.

Photo Credit: Devon Cohen