The Big Indie Playlist: Curated by False Futures

Posted On September 7, 2025September 7, 2025

It’s near impossible to keep up with new music. Each and every week, tens of thousands of songs land on Spotify, filling up more hours than there are in a week. No one could ever truly catch up on it all, but the Big Indie Playlist is here to make sure nothing great slips through the cracks.

Don’t let the name fool you. All genres are considered here. This week alone, there is a spread of indie, rock, folk, punk, alt-pop and beyond. From artists of all scales, too, from the biggest names around to brand new talent, there is something for everyone. 

The Last Dinner Party shared what is arguably their most anthemic track yet this week, meanwhile NewDad keep plotting a path to the top with a series of incredible singles with gorgeous, wistful energy to each and every one. On the flip side, Shame and Pigeon Wig provide something heavier and more high-octane, shaking off the cobwebs of the work week ahead of the weekend. 

This week, we checked in with London’s finest False Futures to get their own recommendations for the new songs they currently have on repeat during their jaunt around the UK on tour.

All in one handy place, catch up with the best new releases of the week right here – all you have to do is hit play.

The Big Indie Playlist by Far Out

Track of the week

False Futures – ‘Under the Same Sun’: This is the most British song I’ve heard in a while as the band seem to reference the best of the nation’s bands from throughout eras, from the melodies of a Merseybeat classic to the swagger of a Libertines track. 

For a while now, though, False Futures have been one to pay attention to. Each track they release delivers something different and shows a whole new side of their talent, with more and more layers continuously being revealed. It means that there is surely more greatness to come, and surely more depths their talent can dive into. [4/5]

Must-Hear: Curated by False Futures

Given how good their own track is, we thought False Futures probably have good taste too, so this week, we’re handing the mic to them to get their recommendations…

Silver Gore – ‘All The Good Men’: This tune has an amazing drum sound. As soon as the drums came in, I was sold. It also has great lyrics and lovely crisp, clean vocal production. I’ve always loved the production of Fever To Tell, and something in this track gives the same feeling of that early 2000s NYC sound. Feels fresh and also like an indie classic at the same time. 

Wombo – ‘Danger In Fives’: Wombo are great. Really love the delicate vocal delivery and find they’re often unpredictable melodies, but nonetheless, always an earworm. They scratch a very specific itch I didn’t know I had before discovering them. They have a really strong identity and own the niche they’ve created.  

26fix – ‘Tester Snake’: 26fix are also great. I don’t know much about them, but I like everything they’ve released before this track. This tune is in a different lane from their other work and is a triptych – much heavier for the first 1/3, and then this complete 180 into a really sweet meandering section – more akin to prior releases, before returning to this heavy final 1/3. I’m partial to stylistic contrasts in music, and the track executes this perfectly. Real great guitar playing too.  

Legss – ‘See No Evil’: I’ve been friends with the Legss boys for years, and when your friends make stuff, and you love it, it’s a weird feeling…you never really look at them quite the same after that. Ned, their singer, has a beautiful way with words; it feels like he’s offering you a hand and hope from the depths of despair. Not sure how they do it. Each member of the band brings something quite specific to the table, and they’re more than the sum of their parts. Gassed for their debut.

Earl Sweatshirt – ‘TOURMALINE’: I’ve been a fan of Earl Sweatshirt since Doris. He’s an amazing lyricist and this album feels like his most optimistic work yet, it feels lightweight compared to almost all his prior work, which is a nice change. His flow is amazing as ever.

The best new releases of the week:

The Last Dinner Party – ‘The Scythe’: An anthem on a whole new scale for the band. This one is built to get arms up in the air as it taps into a pure classic rock sound that is sure to make it timelessly great. [4.5/5]

Green Gardens – ‘I Cried A Stairway’: The entirety of Green Gardens’ sophomore album is worthy of your ear this week, but this centre piece track is a real stand out, stepping into a clearer indie vein with a beat that pulls you in. [4/5]

Lola Young – ‘SPIDERS’: If I hear ‘Messy’ one more time, I will rip all my hair out. But putting that prejudice aside, this new release from Lola Young is genuinely beautiful, the perfect amount of polished and truly moving. [4/5]

Florence Road – ‘Break The Girl’: One of TikTok’s victories of the year is surely discovering Florence Road and giving them a platform. The Irish girl group keep proving themselves song after song, but on this one, singer Lily Aron sounds better than ever. [3.5/5]

Shame – ‘After Party’: In need of a track to blow away the cobwebs of the working week? Here you go. Play this loud and let the boredom rage out before a fun weekend. [3.5/5]

NewDad – ‘Everything I Wanted’: If even after their debut album, and even after a string of incredible tunes, you’re still not paying attention to NewDad, you’re a fool. The Galway band bring ‘90s goth energy back with a modern wistfulness. Mostly though, it’s singer Julia Dawson’s angelic vocals that get you caught, captured and hypnotised. [3.5/5]

Ellur – ‘The Wheel’: Ellur has yet to put out a single that isn’t golden. Each and every time, her lyricism is sharp and unexpected yet relatable, which is a perfect recipe for a new great indie songwriter. [3.5/5]

She’s In Parties – ‘Fallen’: From the second the keys kick in on the intro here, reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘All My Friends’, the Essex/London-based unit’s euphoric power is clear. [4/5]

Pigeon Wigs – ‘All Your Fun’: Turn off your brain and let your body move to this one. A foolproof indie tune from Cardiff’s own Pigeon Wig, it doesn’t demand anything from you, merely gives you a moment of joy. [3/5]

Junior Brother – ‘Old Bell’: Folk fans, go instantly and listen to Junior Brother’s new album, The End, for a gorgeous run of traditional sounds built with a modern foresight. This one in particular is tense, cinematic and interesting as anything. [4/5]

Rhiannon Hope – ‘B.B’: Another stunning folk release this week comes from Liverpool-born, Leeds-based artist Rhiannon Hope, who weaves considerations of working-class strife and womanhood into this soft song. Like a cool breeze on a warm day, or like a glowing pink sunset, it’s beautiful and full of catharsis. [4/5]

Off The Beaten Track – Left-field sounds, curated and written by Ben Forrest

Meral Polat – ‘Çenek’: Building anticipation for the full release of Meydan later this month, master of modern Turkish psychedelia Meral Polat treats audiences to the infectious and utterly defiant ‘Çenek’. A rallying cry for female liberation and empowerment, the anthemic track is driven, conformational, and awash with the innovative rhythms that have typified Anatolian psych excellence for decades. [4.5/5]

Titanic – ‘Pájaro De Fuego’: On their newly released collaborative record, Mexico City’s I La Católica and Mabe Fratti expand upon their respective works, crafting an emotionally affecting and incredibly innovative sound which is plain to see on tracks like ‘Pájaro De Fuego’, making Titanic perhaps one of the greatest collaborative projects of the year. [4.5/5]

Zig-Zag Band – ‘Ndzirombi’: Alongside the very exciting news that the Analog Africa series has a Zig-Zag Band retrospective in the works, the label have released the storming single ‘Ndzirombi’, which expertly summarises the revolutionary power of the Zimbabwean outfit, blending late-1980s reggae with the traditional rhythms and instrumentation of their native southern Africa. [4.5/5]

Lady Wray – ‘Cover Girl’: We’re still a week or two away from the full release of Lady Wray’s hotly anticipated Cover Girl, but the vast majority of the tracklisting has already been released as singles. Now, Big Crown Records has unleashed the album’s title track, an imitate, vulnerable, and incredibly soulful track which perfectly captures the expansive appeal of Wray’s distinctive voice. [4/5]

Sons Of Sevilla – ‘Needless To Say’: The Featherstone-born, Sevilla-based brothers Son Of Sevilla unveiled their border-defying record Street Light Moon this week, and ‘Needless To Say’ is a definite highlight, capturing the vast range of influences drawn upon by the pair, from the sun-soaked shores of the Mediterranean to the pubs of Wakefield and even the Americana of Texas, where the album was recorded. [4/5]

Temporary Blessings – ‘Fata Morgana’: A brand new supergroup of cinematic soul, Temporary Blessings include members of Off The Beaten Track alumni, Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo and Let Your Hair Down, and their first release is drenched in the timeless cool of old-school funk soundtracks, with its mid-tempo energy drawing upon the likes of Umilani and Morricone. [4/5]

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