Charlie Ashcroft’s Musosoup Round-Up July 2025

Let’s start with The Ripples’ latest single ‘No Direction’, which is an addictive slice of punk-inspired power-pop. Recorded at Abbey Road on the Spanish band’s recent trip to the UK, no less! Definitely an outfit to keep an eye on.

Moving further afield to Australia, we have the phenomenal debut single from Charlie Sloan. ‘Crown’ is a soulful, blues-soaked rock anthem, showcasing this Brisbane-based performer’s songwriting prowess from the get-go.

Another track which caught my ear was ‘Accomplice To Murder’ by Super Creeps, which is the duo’s first new material since the excellent ‘Destroy all Monsters!’ LP last year. One of two singles they released in July, it’s a riff-laden treat, peppered with great harmonies.

Back in Oz, Valley Onda jumped out at me for their innovative mix of electronic textures and indie-pop hooks. ‘Minacious’ is a great example of what they do, combining intriguing lyrical couplets with some dark, brooding instrumentation.

‘Olive Skin’ is the newest release from singer Tiana Hudson, mixing soul, R&B and downtempo influences to wonderful effect. She’s been on prolific form recently, with five singles out in 2025 already, but this is probably the stand-out song of them all so far.

July also saw the emergence of a superb collaboration between Liston and Kaedi Philo, with beautiful vocals surfing on a wave of intoxicating drum patterns and swirling samples. Check out ‘Collide’ when you can; it’s a proper late-night floorfiller.

I’ve been a fan of Sofia Gobbi’s work for a while, so it was a nice surprise to get some fresh material from her a couple of weeks back too. ‘Game’ is an impactful slab of guitar-influenced alternative pop.

After a smattering of impressive releases back in 2020, Olina has returned this summer on brilliant form, with catchy, hook-laden new song ‘Newspaper Smell’. It’s a wonderfully assured piece of songwriting, inspired by some unsavoury interactions while working at Royal Ascot.

Natalie Gray was another artist making a bold return this month, thanks to the effortless cool of ‘Camouflage’, which combines her stunning voice with some 80s-leaning synthpop. A summer anthem in waiting!

Finally, we have The Heavyweights Brass Band, whose encapsulating mix of horns and percussion will get under your skin in no time! ‘Greater Good’ is a perfect festival vibe, taken from the six-piece's highly-recommended album, ‘Knockout’.