Welcome back to the Real Gone Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting tracks that have landed in our inbox over the past few weeks. This time around, you’ll find a ska banger, a track that reworks some very 90s influences into something with a lot of energy and a big heart, an angry anthem from an alternative singer songwriter exploring a new direction, a welcome re-promotion for a great track from an emo infused punk act, and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!
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It mightn’t bear the catchiest of titles, but ‘Apathy Is A Warm Bed On A Monday Morning’ by Scottish singer songwriter Stephen McCafferty boasts a fine melody. Armed with acoustic guitar, he sets a light strum in place, over which equally reflective piano lines and vague echoes of haunting electric guitars sound fantastic. It’s certainly a little more relaxed than some of Stephen’s usual fare. No matter how good the arrangement is, however, listeners are likely to come away having felt a bigger connection to a lyric that’s utterly despairing. In under four minutes, Stephen laments lost of dreams of revolution, before exploring a broken world where children are weaponised, and the flames of agitation are fanned by people turning blind eyes to collusion. Those not into socio-political lyrics should still find some enjoyment via a great musical arrangement, since the blend of light indie, folk and Americana is great, and with the track peaking with a harmony driven chorus, this perhaps a little catchier than a song such as this would suggest. New music from Stephen McCafferty is always welcome, but the fact that ‘…Apathy’… feels so different from a couple of his previous singles gives this an extra spark, suggesting there’ll be even more great stuff to come.
In 2023, Canadian singer songwriter Lucas Valeti released ‘Waiting’, a breezy, contemporary sounding pop single, loaded with vocal filters and fairly synthetic sounds. Looking past its shinier qualities, a shimmering guitar line that fell a little closer to indie and dream pop influences gave everything an unexpected lift. Three years on, ‘What If’ presents a rather different side to Lucas. Driven by finger picked acoustic sounds, the laid back number questions the songwriter’s place as he tackles a feeling of unsatisfactory closure, sharing a heartfelt lyric regarding a feeling of wanting more. The bulk of his vocals are equally natural, although a filtered harmony providing the chorus hook provides a strong link with his previously poppier material. Even when this number makes a leap from acoustic folky sounds to a full blown pop, driven by keys and a brighter vocal, ‘What If’ remains the kind of single that’s big on melody, and potentially even bigger on heart. It mightn’t seem strikingly original, but it’s certainly shared by the songwriter with enthusiasm and honesty.
Some of Kat Robichaud’s earlier singles have had a spiky feel, but none have been as direct as her current ‘MDMFCKR’, an expletive driven ode to feminine power. Casting aside the prior synth-based sounds for something with more of a rock feel, the track blends pointed riffs with an almost theatrical vocal, with Kat sending out lyrical barbs that suit the grandiose elements of the arrangement brilliantly. Although the lyric certainly dominates, it’s worth keeping a closer ear on the musical arrangement and Kat’s delivery. There are moments when the pop rock slips into a tango for extra sassiness, and moments where the vocal shifts from a broad cry into a more jagged arrangement to suit. It’s all very forceful, yet never forced, but if you’re already familiar with Kat, this track might still come as a surprise. [Warning: contains a fair amount of bad language, and a video that’s probably NSFW.]
Those keeping an ear on the shoegaze scene will have possibly encountered – and loved – Silk’s ‘Auralux’ EP earlier in 2026. The Irish one man band has returned with an unexpected treat. A cover of Placebo’s classic ‘Pure Morning’ lends itself brilliantly to Silk’s My Bloody Valentine influenced sound, filling a familiar melody with dark swirling guitar lines and a sharp contrasting lead guitar throwing out piercing howls of rage, half burying a vocal that mirrors the original cut. When heard on headphones, the densely layered sound can lead to possible aural overload, but if you’re able to tune in, the contrast between the layers of guitar is fantastic, and Silk’s decision to make the track a little heavier and a lot darker in tone really works in favour of Brian Molko’s lyric. It’s great to be able to hear something that’s in danger of being over-familiar with a fresh ear.
The Ovines have supported Buzzcocks and The Libertines, both acts with fan bases that should’ve appreciated the band’s classic ska sound. They’ve also supported novelty band Green Jelly, which seems like a somewhat odd move, but prior to the release of their debut LP ‘London Reign’ they’ve certainly put in some hard yards. Their current single ‘Better On My Own’ kicks off with a siren-like guitar riff that gives things a slightly tough edge. Dropping into the verse, the arrangement shares a classic ska rhythm – all chopping guitars and buoyant basslines – which provides a perfect fit with a sneering, very obviously English accented vocal. A slightly distorted guitar gives the chorus a melodic punk feel, but in the main, the ska sounds power a pleasingly upbeat mood that shares a melody that could’ve been captured at any point over the past three decades. The results resemble more of a cleaned up Snuff than The Specials or any of their 2-Tone peers, but for fans of the style, it’s definitely a track that’ll hit the mark and encourage a full-on skank.
A speed driven riff, an unashamed indie aesthetic, a twee pop vocal: three things that occasionally contrast each other, but on Paper Jam’s recent single ‘Skyscraper’, they come together brilliantly. The fusion of styles shares a punk energy with sugar-coated melodies, capturing a great band in full flow. From the opening bars, it’s almost everything you’ve come to expect – and often love – about releases from Washington’s K Records. Although nothing about this track feels too original, a fantastic vocal and tight as hell arrangement see off a decent melody with aplomb, creating a strange marriage between early Wedding Present and peak Dressy Bessy that you didn’t know you needed.
Following the fantastic ‘Ned Flannels’, UK emo-punks Voted Most Likely have returned with the punchy ‘In This Life and The Next’, a track that revisits the rhythm-heavy approach of 90s emo, and recycles a familiar sound with a huge amount of gusto. A couple of bars of this single should be enough to demonstrate how tight this band is, and even when a slightly gruff, much punkier vocal takes centre stage, there’s plenty within the VML sound that remains accessible. Best of all, the way the band have brought a China Drum-ish sound into the present and found room for a few harmony vocals on a great hook showcases musicians who understand how applying slightly more of a layered sound can make everything not only sound bigger, but so much more emotional. Tottering on a tightrope between fury and heartbreak, this could be peak Voted Most Likely. [A track that’s been online since early 2026, ‘Regardless’ is getting a welcome new push from the band’s management team as we head towards the end of a great year.]
It hasn’t been too long since Canadian electronic/synth/dance act Delerium released their arty collaboration with vocalist Diamanda Galas, but they’ve made a very welcome return with the far more accessible ‘Dream Palace’. Teaming up with synth goth band Magic Wands, the track offers huge, swirling guitar melodies that capture a brilliant 80s goth sound, and Chris & Dexy Valentine’s contributions weave between bass heavy, big sounding beats in a surprisingly natural way. Those factors would be enough to make this an instant favourite, but the way a breathy, dream pop infused vocal seems at odds the solid melodies sets a wonderful contrast throughout. Driven almost entirely by some very accessible alt-pop and goth melodies, this recording is a solid reminder of the sheer quality that runs through the Magic Wands’ catalogue, and how Delerium’s creative hand has plenty of flair, decades into their career. A fantastic track.
October/November 2026