We Speak Music

PORTLAND drop glorious echoing indie-pop gem ‘Lay Me Down’ ahead of 6th June London show.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 13, 2025

Don Reed

Belgian dreampop band Portland today releases their new single ‘Lay Me Down’, a glorious indie-pop gem with huge waves of echoing guitars and a melancholic undertone. A song that wears the scars of recent years on its sleeves, but at the same time expresses an irrepressible zest for life. It bursts out of the speakers and hits hard.

“It’s hard to see what’s still left of me

All these fears will last”

In all fairness, it’s a miracle Portland releases new music today. To call the past few years in the life of singer and guitarist Jente Pironet turbulent is to downplay the truth. The years between the debut album ‘Your Colours Will Stain’ (2019) and latest release ‘Departures’ (2023) were particularly intense. Singles ‘Pouring Rain’ and ‘Killer’s Mind’ propelled the band to stardom in their homeland. Fully embraced by leading alternative music station Studio Brussel, the band sold out multiple tours and was welcomed several times on the stages of Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop. However, a few days after the glorious show at Rock Werchter 2023, a leaden verdict followed: a severe brain tumour with, in the worst scenario, a year to go. Jente’s world stopped turning abruptly. Plans were postponed (cancelling proved unbearable and a step too far) and rehearsals and shows gave way to doctor’s visits and treatments. Instead of hanging his head, Jente clenched his fists and embarked on a long and exhausting rehabilitation journey. In early 2024, the skies slowly began to clear: he received the MIA (Belgian Music Industry Award) for ‘Alternative’ and, under strict medical supervision, was once again allowed to take to the stages of many sold-out concert halls. And look — nearly two years later, Portland’s third album is almost ready.

“Is there a place

Where I can feel, not being misplaced”

‘Lay Me Down’ rings in a fresh start for Portland. It is the sound of someone who went through the eye of the needle, of someone who has had to learn to take a few punches and, as a result, has risen back up with gusto and focus. The single is the prelude to a new album to be released later this year.

Portland will play The Waiting Room in London on 6^th June 2025.

We Speak Music

Kilder Unveils Stunning New Music Video for Single “Dusk Till Dawn”

Published

1 day ago

June 4, 2025

Philomena Marie

There’s something hypnotic about the way Kilder captures motion in his music. With “Dusk Till Dawn,” the Amsterdam-based producer leans into his genre-fluid sensibilities to deliver a track that’s as emotional as it is danceable. It’s the kind of single that transports you instantly — from fluorescent office lighting to the glow of a neon-lit street, from the mundane to the magical.

Sonically, “Dusk Till Dawn” is a lush blend of house, techno, and UK garage – but Kilder doesn’t just mix genres, he moulds them into something uniquely his. Every kick feels purposeful, every synth line like it has its own emotional arc. There’s a warmth to the track that wraps around you, even as the beat pushes forward with that late-night urgency.

The music video adds a deeply human layer to the experience. Following the journey of a man shedding his daytime persona, it’s a powerful metaphor for reclaiming selfhood in a world that often asks us to suppress it. The visuals move seamlessly from drab routines to liberating nightlife, echoing the sonic transformation that happens across the track’s runtime.

Kilder is no stranger to acclaim, and “Dusk Till Dawn” feels like another chapter in what’s becoming a very exciting story. His previous collaborators and co-signs – from Issey Cross to BBC Radio 1 – suggest an artist with both underground credibility and mainstream reach. The Spotify playlist placements and syncs with Apple only reinforce that he’s being heard in all the right places.

What’s most exciting is the promise of what’s to come. With an EP due in July and a growing catalogue of boundary-pushing tracks, Kilder is shaping a space where emotion, rhythm, and storytelling collide. “Dusk Till Dawn” isn’t just a single – it’s a statement of intent, and one that positions Kilder as one of the most compelling names in electronic music right now.