We Speak Music

Wormogenic Delivers a Striking First Impression with ‘Rip Off The Bandaid’

Published

2 months ago

July 21, 2026

There’s an arresting honesty running through Rip Off The Bandaid, the debut single from emerging alternative-pop artist Wormogenic. Equal parts confessional and infectious, the track introduces a songwriter unafraid to confront uncomfortable emotions head-on while wrapping them inside irresistibly melodic songwriting.

Drawing influence from Florida’s coastal backdrop and the emotional contradictions of adolescence, Wormogenic crafts a sound that blends vintage pop sensibilities with grunge undertones and contemporary production. The contrast between bright instrumentation and introspective lyricism gives the single its enduring appeal.

The song explores the self-destructive habit of anticipating happiness’s inevitable end, capturing the exhausting cycle of anxiety and self-sabotage with notable clarity. Wormogenic’s vocal performance carries both fragility and determination, allowing the emotional narrative to unfold with convincing sincerity.

Fans of Chappell Roan, Caroline Polachek, and Girl in Red will recognise elements of those artists’ fearless approach to alternative pop, but Wormogenic avoids imitation by grounding every moment in her own perspective. Her songwriting feels conversational, emotionally intelligent, and refreshingly unguarded.

As the lead offering from the forthcoming Bandaids EP, Rip Off The Bandaid succeeds as both an engaging standalone single and an enticing introduction to an artist with considerable promise. Wormogenic arrives with a distinctive voice and a clear creative direction, making this a debut well worth paying attention to.

We Speak Music

Phoebe June Traces Love, Distance and Heartbreak on New EP ‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’

Published

2 days ago

September 11, 2026

Joni Jones

For Phoebe June, some stories are easier to tell through music.

Her new EP, ‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’, is an intimate collection that traces the emotional journey of a relationship from the exhilaration of falling in love to distance, uncertainty, heartbreak and, ultimately, learning to let go.

Inspired by artists including Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, Phoebe June combines diary-like lyricism with melancholic ballads, subtle uptempo moments and an understated, emotionally honest production style.

At the centre of the project is ‘Thursday’, a bittersweet track about loving someone from a distance and holding onto the hope that the connection might survive.

Written after Phoebe left a country that held deep personal meaning, and left someone she cared about behind, the song looks back at the relationship from its beginning. Even its title is personal: the two first met on a Thursday.

The song captures the complicated feeling of walking away from something meaningful without believing that it necessarily has to be over. It’s about distance, memory and the possibility of finding your way back to someone, while recognising that hope only works when it goes both ways.

Across six tracks, the EP develops that story in sequence.

‘Everything You Are’ opens the project with the warmth of new love, while ‘Dead Sea’ explores the security of finding someone who helps you stay afloat through difficult times. As the story progresses, ‘Thursday’ introduces separation before ‘Getaway Car’ moves into the aftermath; unanswered questions, lingering attachment and the realisation that someone can profoundly affect your life while still being unhealthy for you.

‘One Day’ leaves the door open to the possibility of a future reunion, balancing hope with the understanding that some relationships may only exist in memory.

The EP closes with ‘Ophelia’, its emotional breaking point. Inspired in part by Friedrich Heyser’s painting of the same name, the track confronts the pain of feeling manipulated and unappreciated after giving everything to someone else.

The result is a project that deliberately moves from light to dark. Phoebe June considered not only the narrative but the emotional progression when sequencing the EP, allowing the brightness of its opening to gradually give way to the heartbreak of its closing moments.

Even the title reflects that feeling.

‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’ takes its name from a flower, with the image of a gate separating two people becoming a metaphor for a love that remains beautiful but just out of reach. To reach over it requires effort, just as maintaining a connection across distance, uncertainty and changing circumstances does.

Ultimately, Phoebe June isn’t interested in simply documenting her own heartbreak.

She wants listeners to recognise themselves in it.

‘Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate’ is a collection about love, nostalgia, hope and regret and about what remains when something beautiful ends up on the other side of the gate.