Lisa Hafey

The term Johatsu came into use in Japan in the 1960s, and was originally used in the context of people who decided to escape unhappy marriages rather than go through formal divorce proceedings. Nowadays it’s come to describe people who dropped out of society and their everyday lives, and vanish without a trace. The phenomenon has since been seen to happen all over the world, including China, South Korea, the US, the UK, and Germany. Such was the spread of Johatsu that a documentary was released last year about it, ‘Johatsu: Into Thin Air ‘, directed by filmmakers Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori.’

‘Where The Wild Things Are’ is the name of a 1963 released book, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. For those of us who grew up in the 1970s, it formed a pivotal part of our childhood, as we followed the adventures of Max, and his journey to becoming the king of the Wild Things. It should come as no surprise that Duane Hoover, with his musical style firmly rooted between the mod scene of the 1960s and the urgency of late 70s UK punk, should visit this title for his latest single.

While Greg Hoy’s sound can often be boisterous and rollicking, tracks like ‘The Wheel’ allow him to reveal a different side to his personality. Fans may not be aware of it, but Hoy has studied mindfulness and spirituality – in particular Buddhist teachings – for more than a decade, and even co-authored a book on the subject.

Just about two years ago, Ron Brunk was met with seven feral kittens outside his home in West Virginia, and he felt the call to care for them immediately. Now, his life is filled with light and laughter, and a companionship like no other. Initially he was wary of sharing his feline-filled world with others, but now he freely shares his tales of Little One, Mr Hank, Molly, Rusty, and Snaggly, and his fans love it.

With ‘Snaggly’ see Ron step into the paws – as it were – of this pet, taking on his daring personality, and assuming his easy-going nature. Set to acoustic and electric guitars, Brunk’s gravelly voice brings with it a twinkle that you can just about see as he breaks free from doubts that were holding him back, buoyed up by that strong feeling of “feeling snaggly”.

Rylai has always instinctively known just how to put together high quality arrangements. As he describes it, “I have my own radio in my head”, as an explanation for the unique melodies that he finds bouncing around in his head. It took him until he was a teenager, however, to fully connect with music, when he started messing about on a digital piano, that had stayed untouched for years in his family home. As soon as he began, he realised just how much music would play a part in his life.

Using baseball metaphors throughout the song, Ozzie D. relates in ‘Step Up’ about falling in love with “the boy next door”, and how they soon “wind up in such a mess”. Her love was all-consuming, but she reached a breaking point when she realised that he wasn’t being truthful with her. A blues-laden track that’s filled with emotion, Ozzie sings of how he needs to step up to the plate, lock eyes with the pitcher, and hit a home run. It’s up to him to turn things around, Ozzie has done all she can, and she isn’t interested in having her heart broken.

Veteran New Orleans band Cowboy Mouth are back, with their deep love for their city and Southern musical culture, and new single, ‘Patty (With The Rose Tattoo)’.

Having spent the past decade forging her own lane, Kendra Erika ‘s sound never fails to entrance her listeners, with its world of intrigue, elegance, and glamour. Her latest project, ‘Catch Me’, fits perfectly with this, with its Bond-theme styling and a glitzy animated music video to match.

Ortit Shimoni ‘s sweeping ballads and quiet anthems have for more than two decades helped innumerable listeners feel less alone. While her sound is often broadly placed under the banner of folk music, she just as equally draws from soul, Motown, rock, and protest traditions. “I’ve kept it simple, always about the songwriting first”, she says. “If I can write, sing, and accompany myself on an instrument, and find a place where people want to gather to hear it, that is always enough”.