We Speak Music

WESPEAKMEDIA: TOP 5 WEEKLY MUSIC ROUND-UP (18.04.25)

Published

20 hours ago

April 18, 2025

Find the latest new music in our ‘Top 5’ weekly music round-up here at We Speak Media. In this weekly feature, we will be bringing you the hottest new acts and music out there.

Stephan Folkes’ ‘It’s All Within Time (Travelling Through the Stars)’

Stephan Folkes’ ‘It’s All Within Time (Travelling Through the Stars)’ is more than a song—it’s a moment. Every lyric, every note feels like it was crafted with care and intention, guiding listeners through the highs and lows of life’s personal journey. His ability to blend vulnerability with groove is unmatched, creating a sound that comforts and empowers all at once. If you’ve ever needed a reminder to trust the timing of your own path, this is it.

Marsha Swanson ‘Like an Angel’

Marsha Swanson’s “Like an Angel” is the kind of music video that gently grabs your heart and doesn’t let go—in the best way. With her dreamy vocals floating over a gorgeous live arrangement and paired with Sam Chegini’s stunning, otherworldly animation, the video feels like a quiet, cinematic tribute to love and memory. It’s the perfect mix of emotion and artistry, and honestly, it’s hard not to watch it on repeat.

Suki Summer ‘Summer Crush’

Light, lush, and emotionally rich, Suki Summer’s “Summer Crush” earns its place as this season’s dreamy anthem. The track floats between indie and dream pop, anchored by lyrics that feel pulled from the pages of a journal. It’s a song that understands the tension between self-doubt and desire, wrapped in breezy production that makes it feel like golden hour in audio form. The added touch of real-life banter at the end brings a whole new level of intimacy, grounding the fantasy in real, relatable moments. It’s playful. It’s honest. And it’s pure Suki Summer.

Brandes ‘Please Don’t Call’

Lifted from Brandes brand new album, The Distance Between Dreams, “Please Don’t Call” is a deeply poignant meditation on the agonizing end of an affair. With its alternating plaintive verses and cascading chorus, the song evokes a powerful emotional landscape, enhanced by lush strings and a soulful Hammond organ. The track effortlessly channels the melancholy of Leonard Cohen and the emotional vulnerability of Joni Mitchell, capturing the raw, aching honesty of a relationship falling apart. The lyrical depth and emotional weight are impossible to ignore, as Brandes lays bare the painful realities of love’s end with heartbreaking clarity. This hauntingly beautiful song sets the tone for the album, offering a glimpse into the profound introspection and intimate storytelling that defines, The Distance Between Dreams.

Ren Martinez ‘The First & Last of the Perfect Parties’

Indie pop artist Ren Martinez is making waves with her new single, “The First & Last of the Perfect Parties,” a sync-ready anthem packed with nostalgic energy and diaristic detail. Backed by a recent deal with Aperture Music (known for Girls, Trainwreck, Swarm), the track showcases Martinez’s signature blend of emotional candor and melodic indie rock, offering a powerful preview of her fall debut album Fingers Crossed. With past placements in series like New Girl and Friends From College, Martinez is poised for a breakout year—on screen and on stage.

We Speak Music

Americana Singer-Songwriter Richard Daigle Releases New Single “Cajun Getaway”

Published

1 hour ago

April 19, 2025

Olivia Long

A Tribute to Spontaneity, Memory, and Louisiana Roots

Americana artist and Louisiana native Richard Daigle is proud to release his latest single, “Cajun Getaway,” a heartfelt, roots-infused ode to spontaneous adventure and the culture that shaped him. The song was recently recognized as a semi-finalist in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition, affirming Daigle’s growing presence in the Americana songwriting landscape.

Rooted in Daigle’s Cajun heritage and inspired by childhood memories, “Cajun Getaway” captures the anticipation of a spontaneous road trip more than the destination itself. “I had the tune in mind before the lyrics,” says Daigle, “but as the writing process began, I found myself wanting to bottle that feeling of planning a last-minute escape — especially one steeped in the familiar joy of Louisiana’s rich culture.”

The track includes the evocative line:
“We’ll drive on down to the end of the world, we’ll know we’re there when we hit Grand Isle.”
For Daigle, Grand Isle isn’t just a geographic marker at the southern tip of Louisiana — it’s a touchstone from childhood, a memory of long drives to his uncle’s camp along a lonely two-lane road. “As a kid, it felt like we were driving to the edge of the earth,” he recalls.

“Cajun Getaway” joins Daigle’s earlier release “Cajun People” in celebrating Cajun culture, something that runs deep in his blood: both of his parents were Cajun, and their influence remains central to his music.

A retired writer/editor and communications specialist, Daigle is a self-described “late bloomer artist,” who released his debut CD in 2020. Now based in Chattanooga, TN, he performs across the Southeast, blending homespun stories, sly humor, and poignant reflections in a style reminiscent of John Prine, one of his greatest influences.

In fact, Daigle’s connection to Prine spans decades — from attending a packed bar show in 1977 to interviewing Prine in 1979 as a young reporter, and finally seeing him again on New Year’s Eve in 2016. That story inspired another of Daigle’s songs, “John Prine, A Friend of Mine,” which pays homage not just to Prine’s genius but to his humanity.

“Songwriting is how I process life,” Daigle shares. “I was blessed to be married for 34 years to Jan White Daigle, a beautiful soul who passed away in 2014. Since then, I’ve leaned on music — and the stories in it — to make sense of grief, joy, and everything in between.”

With “Cajun Getaway,” Daigle invites listeners on a musical road trip that’s as much about nostalgia and hope as it is about destination. It’s Americana at its most honest — unpolished, heartfelt, and deeply human.