Illbe's roots can be traced back to the city of Liège and the surrounding area. Gauthier Gilissen uses this alias to hide his true identity. Musicology nerd Gauthier is awed by the most outlandish soundtracks and translates them into his own unique musical style. In addition to guitars, he now draws inspiration from movies, which he uses as a source of references and lore. Gauthier's production...

The moment the jaunty guitar kicks in on John Smyths’ new single, "Now I'm Wiser", you feel a familiar, comfortable warmth. It’s the sound of a good chair in a bar where the floor is sticky with spilled truths. And then the story starts, a classic yarn of a hard-living past yielding to a peaceful present. Smyths, a Dutch ex-metalhead singing country out of...