We Speak Music
Happy Mondays Co-Founder Gaz Whelan releases new Yogi-G and the Family Tree track ‘Shine On (Brother)’

As near to a new Happy Mondays record ever likely to happen, prepare for ‘Show Me The Truth’ by Yogi-G and The Family Tree.
First up, new single ‘Shine On (Brother)’ ft. Queen Vee & Chris Barton
Yogi-G and The Family Tree have unveiled their powerful new single Shine On (Brother), featuring Queen Vee and Chris Barton which has dropped ahead of the band’s eagerly awaited album Show Me The Truth out May 23rd. Led by Gaz Whelan—co-founder, Ivor Novello winning songwriter and drummer of the legendary Happy Mondays—this project blends his iconic Madchester groove with fresh, infectious energy, delivering music that’s both raw and transcendent, and also features the irrepressible vocals of Rowetta making the sounds of 1990 come alive again in glorious fashion.
Gaz’s influences mainly stem from John Lydon, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. A more cerebral character than bandmates Shaun, Bez and co. but still a major proponent of that larger-than-life Mancunian braggadocious swagger that have paved the way for a whole subculture of British indie pop bands like The Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, The Charlatans, Primal Scream, Badly Drawn Boy et al.
With a working title of ‘A Record Collection in One Album’, the newly titled and as yet unreleased album Show Me The Truth is a genre-free zone, a collision of moods and styles that dovetails Whelan’s ragged, dark lyrical musings with soulful vocals and African rhythms.
It’s the aural equivalent of lying in a warm bath in the middle of a snowstorm—where spaghetti western strings stretch from heaven, rubbing up against filthy electric guitars and punk gospel rhythm and rhyme. A hidden optimism weaves through its DNA, offering soul salvation for the cynical, a safe haven from an ever-insane world.
As Gaz explains, “Yogi-G and The Family Tree are not hippies, we give a fuller human experience that is more devolved from the punk experience, where you never quite know if you’re going to get a hug or a headbutt. Life is filled with peace and love but equally excitement and pain.”
Started in Toronto and finished in Warrington, the album was born out of frustration and creative restlessness, as Gaz further explains, “I got fed up waiting around to try to agree to write a new Mondays album. When it became apparent, we couldn’t agree, I decided to do my own. I think it’s bloody great and the support has been outstanding and for all the good ones we’ve lost along the way like Gil Scott Heron, Tony Wilson and more recently my bandmate Paul Ryder, this is for them and for all those who just love to get off on good music.”
Yogi-G and The Family Tree’s new single ‘Shine On (Brother)’ is out now ahead of the band’s debut album ‘Show Me The Truth’ on May 23rd.
The band will play Wax & Beans in Bury on 17th May.

We Speak Music
Kingdom Kome x RUEN see the “Cracks In The Foundation”

Hip-Hop Heavyweight Kingdom Kome has just dropped a new single (with accompanying video). “Cracks In the Foundation” (Produced by long-time collaborator RUEN) is a socially conscious dose of jazzy boom-bap. As the emcee states “I was driving through my old neighborhood in Miami and it really had me thinking of the current state of the world today. It got me in an introspective state and I made this message to the youth.”
Listen to “Cracks In The Foundation”: https://youtu.be/Nwp_07pDO6o?si=fb5RTd0wNDK7ZxxQ
Available via streaming platforms now, “Cracks In the Foundation” is the first leak from the Barrel Reserve LP fully produced by RUEN.
Less than a year after the last collaborative LP the duo dropped, Malbec 2 Kingdom Kome reveals “we never stop working on music together. A number of these tracks were recorded while we were preparing Malbec 2 but were better suited for a separate project.”
Following the high-end connoisseur angle, Barrel Reserve is expertly crafted boom-bap for the real hip-hop aficionado. This extends to the album’s guest list, which includes Supreme Cerebral, Recognize Ali, Che Uno, DJ Exes, AjaxLo, Camarah Walleed and Soarse Spoken.
Kingdom Kome is still promoting his other recent LP for 2025 Alchemy II Ein Sof, which was entirely produced by another long-time production collaborator Onaje Jordan (Hometeam).
Stream / Purchase Alchemy II: https://kingdomkome.bandcamp.com/album/alchemy-2-ein-sof
More Info:
https://www.instagram.com/kingdomkome
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