John Peterkin pays homage to his late cousin on “Power of Life,” the latest single from The Peterkin Project.
“This heartfelt song was co-created with my late cousin Mark, who fought a brave battle against cancer and inspired me to pursue music,” Peterkin said on the band’s official Facebook page.
The steady rocking new single features a warm acoustic sensibility, which underscores some hopeful, U2-inspired licks from lead guitarist Shawn Andrew. Peterkin’s lyrics paint a picture of those who leave indelible imprints on our hearts and minds — even after they transition from this Earthly plane.
For more about “Power of Life” and all things The Peterkin Project, John is one of several guests who join us on The Quinn Spinn this coming Monday, September 15 as part of our series taped live at Gussapolooza 2025, which took place last month in Cookstown, Ontario, Canada. Be sure to tune in!
Heartbreak, as painful as it is to experience, oftentimes allows us to evolve and grow into a newer, fuller version of ourselves. There are people among us in this world that experience heartbreak while also being gifted artists. These people can channel their heartbreak into something of substance for the rest of us to rely on when we are eventually met with our own heartbreak.
Bri Aspen is one of those gifted artists.
“Wearing White” is a song where Aspen explores that heartbreak of watching the person you love be in love with someone else. This song is an impressive showcase of Aspen’s voice, which is accompanied by a piano and a string section.
“Sometimes, you introduce your soulmate to someone else – and then stand beside them on their wedding day,” Aspen said.
That’s a feeling no one should have to go through, but oh my, if you do… at least you have “Wearing White” for emotional support.
“I wrote this song with Alex Lomartire and Jaan Harrison Kohm — (it’s) our third project together, and just the beginning of what I know will be a great creative partnership. I came into the session with the line, “I’m standing by your side, but I’m not wearing white,” and within a few hours, the full story had unfolded. Once we shaped the narrative, built out the characters, and found the right words to bring it all together, we knew we had something special. Jaan took it from there and produced the track in a way that truly brought the emotion and storyline to life.”
She explains further, “I learned throughout this writing process that sometimes, love means setting aside your own emotions, so that those you care about can find the happiness they deserve—even if that journey doesn’t include you.”
I am now a fan of Bri Aspen, who’s got more music coming out this year, and who you can catch playing all around Nashville. You’ll be a fan, too, once you check out “Wearing White” below!
So many times in my life, I have sat on a New York City subway, off to a show or a restaurant. I’ve often sat back and wondered what it would be like to have a lived experience in New York, with all the love, joy, and heartbreak.
Haley Ganis is an artist who has lived and performed in New York City, and has experienced the city’s culture. Her single, “NNYC,” is the perfect kind of tasteful pop song that only someone who had a life in New York could write.
“Don’t wanna take the 6 train home Window reflections swear I see your ghost I can’t avoid our inside jokes Eight million people and I’m still alone.”
With those lyrics, Ganis perfectly sets the tone, illustrating all of those routines you develop with another person — the car and train rides, always going to the same destinations. In an instant, these memories can be tainted by a breakup. You can hear that pain in Ganis’ vocals, over the backdrop of synths and a strummed guitar before the band comes in.
On the song, Ganis says “The day I wrote this, I was really missing New York City, but was also reminded of a major breakup I went through while living there. During the writing process, I loved sorting through my feelings and having New York as the backdrop of it all. My co-writer and producer, Dylan Maloney, helped finish the song with me, and I hope listeners enjoy what we did.”
Music this good doesn’t just happen. Ganis is a skilled songwriter, and has such musical capacity that you can hear the years of work she has spent on her craft. This might best be exemplified when the song is just her and a piano, which I will let the listener experience for themselves.
“‘Cause you got to keep the good things East side, Goodnight Sonny Apartment and the grocery store But New York isn’t yours.”
(Perhaps, in another timeline, I too am walking around New York City post-breakup, dodging bright city lights while walking past bodegas, trying to find a path to my new home in a new side of town…)
Haley Ganis wrote a stellar piece of music with “NNYC,” and I will be playing it on repeat. The tune is a part of a number of singles she will release before dropping her album in October. Keep an eye out for it!
Last Wednesday — following our inaugural UnderDogs Across Borders livestream benefit concert — our friend and fellow UnderDog Brother Dusty held a special event in Nashville at The Underdog, in celebration of his birthday *and* the release of the music video for his new single, “whoa.” (Clips of the event have begun surfacing, in case you want to check ’em out.)
We can definitely understand why Dusty threw a party of such magnitude. This one is worth celebrating!
Produced in conjunction with Ensworth Guitars and directed by Anastasia Elliot and Josh Saltzman, “whoa” is a thrill ride that breaks the rules and bends the genres as only Brother Dusty can. The video was filmed on location at popular Nashville music venue The Underdog and the Garden Family Warehouse, and is as dynamic and explosive as the hard-hitting single for which it was created.
Brother Dusty is just getting warmed up. Make sure you keep an eye on his socials for updates, and watch the video below. It’s sure to make you go… “WHOA.”
With nothing more than some jazz-influenced guitar chords and her own stellar powers of observation, Amelia Ray has given us plenty to ponder about the human condition with her new single, “Pretending to Read.”
The new single — released in conjunction with the start of The Interpreter’s Soulveillance Tour — helps us connect and empathize with those spending life’s journey alongside us. Amelia assumes the role of a train passenger who, despite having an open book in front of her, is much more in tune with the plight of her fellow passengers. Smoky vocals and clean, simplistic guitar work help us float thoughtfully between characters and observations, before we come full circle to realize that all of these external distractions are preventing us from truly going inward.
If you want to learn more about Amelia Ray — and see if the Soulveillance Tour is coming to your city — head over here.
If you want to listen to “Pretending to Read” — and we’re sure you do — you can do that below!
There are moments in life that call for us to push past our fears and limitations.
For these moments, we have “Anymore” — the smoldering new cinematic pop single from Bailey Cole. The contemplative new tune — described by Cole as “a declaration of self-worth and a reminder that growth means letting go of the fear that used to define you” — features Cole’s smoky vocals calling to us over a thoughtfully layered, atmospheric soundscape. The lyrics float through the ether with a palpable tension, not unlike the inner conflict that arises in us all before a major breakthrough.
“’Anymore’ is a personal reckoning—a song about the moment you realize you’re finally getting somewhere in life, and that quiet fear creeps in,” Cole said. “What if I lose it all again? It’s about refusing to let the past steal joy from your present.”
“Anymore” was produced by Adam Clark, mixed by Grammy-winner Mikaelin “Blue” Bluespruce (Solange, Nas), and mastered by Idania Valencia at Sterling Sound. It is the latest installment of Chapter 1, a series of singles that is set for a full project re-release later this year. Listen to it below, as you sttep away from your fears and into your power!
Brooke Martin confronts that question on “cross that line,” a groovy, upbeat new tune with melancholy undertones. Produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Chris Penny, the single’s shimmering pop soundscape juxtaposes adeptly with the sobering reality of a spark between two people that now struggles to ignite.
“To me, “cross that line” is such a fun, upbeat song—but the lyrics are quite sad when you really listen,” Martin said. “It’s about two people who love each other but are starting to realize they might not be right for each other anymore. There’s still hope—they’re trying to find their way back to the happiness they once had.”
“cross that line” was the first song written for Martin’s forthcoming EP, which is expected to drop later this September.
For now… go on. Cross that line. But once you do, there’s no turning back…
Nashville-based indie alt rock artist Jon Worthy has given all he has to music. He’s toured across the nation, consistently released music, and has been featured in 150 popular media outlets. He’s even been to the Lehigh Valley’s very own Musikfest in Bethlehem, where I’m from! To many aspiring artists, he has certainly made a successful music career.
After the pandemic, his music career went in a different direction. He began focusing on studio sessions, songwriting, and production, while answering the COVID-era question on every creative’s mind…
“Where do I go from here?”
Jon’s new tune, “I’ve Been Up, I’ve Been Down,” reminds you that you aren’t alone if you don’t know where to go. The dreamy, wayward tune details how his own journey changed direction, leaving him feeling like he didn’t know what to do next.
“It’s about living day by day, and just trying to enjoy life as it came to me,” he said. “It speaks to all the highs and lows of life, but being complacent and, at the same time, hoping something will really change for the better.”
I am most fascinated by the fact that Jon found healing in music, even as his path in the industry became uncertain. It’s almost like entering down the path of being lost is inevitable in order to find where to go next. It’s also inevitable for artists to create, because its apart of who we are. Expressing the confusion of feeling lost allows us to find our way. This is inspiring to me as an up-and-coming artist, and helps tame the questions and doubts in my own mind. It’s a reminder that it’s OK to not have it all figured out, all the time — just keep going and letting the music take you.
Stay on the lookout for Jon Worthy’s next collaborations, to be released in coming months. And remember: even if you don’t know where to go, have the hope one day you’ll make it
Have you ever gone carelessly into a relationship, too distracted by the dopamine rush to recognize the abundance of red flags waving all around?
If that sounds like you — and if you like hard-driving, guitar-heavy rock and roll — you’re going to dig the latest single from YEARB4.
Titled “Rebel Without A Cause,” the scorching new summer anthem takes us from love bomb to discard in less than 3 1/2 minutes, leaving us breathless like the fling that ends without warning. The single was produced at Nashville’s East Iris Studios, and is the band’s first new offering since 2024’s “On My Own.”
“Rebel Without A Cause” kicks off a busy summer for YEARB4, who will perform in Nashville this Thursday, May 22 at Vinyl Lounge. After that, they’re hitting the road with our pal ARREIS, performing at Musica in Akron, OH on Sunday, June 15.
“It evokes that familiar, deflative feeling we’ve all experienced before.” -Angie Lese, drummer for Lips Speak Louder
Lips Speak Louder’s sixth single release, “Loser,” is the UnderDog anthem you want to blast at full volume on a rainy day, when you’re fed up with life dealing continuous blows (despite your many attempts to keep your head up).
The song begins with building harmonic anticipation on a melodic guitar. The verse comes in, reminding us of the innocence of youth and all the expectations we had for life when we grew up. Then, chorus busts in with an admission: “I’m tired of proving, I’m so good at losing,” before telling us to stay tuned, to see if the band makes it out of “the same black hole.”
“It’s a song about burnout and frustration that comes with growing up, and realizing that you can try your hardest and it won’t always be enough,” the band told us.
When you initially hear “Loser,” it gives the vibe of carefree life, spent cruising down the street on a skateboard before hanging with friends to catch a glorious sunset. Then, you feel the vulnerability of admitting that it’s tough to stay resilient when everything around you feels like it’s not working out.
Despite this sense of defeat, there is also a feeling of hope on “Loser” that things can and will be better on the other side of the struggle. The song provides a lonesome reminder that most of us are doing the best we can, even when the days constantly feel like an uphill battle. We remember not to bee too hard on ourselves and to keep pressing on, even at times when “doing our best” wasn’t good enough.
It’s important to keep getting back up. Then, just maybe, you’ll get a win every now and then.
