Treefort Music Fest is making its long-awaited return to Boise from September 22-26. All month long, we'll be featuring our favorite tracks by artists from the 400+ lineup, which includes Wild Honey Pie favorites like Japanese Breakfast, Tennis and The Marías.

The festival, originally scheduled for March 2020, was postponed due to COVID-19. To ensure the safety of attendees, Treefort will be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result, as well as encouraging festivalgoers to have masks on hand, as various forts will be mask-only. According to Festival Director Eric Gilbert, “This unique September version of Treefort is shaping up to be one of our best yet and we are looking forward to bringing the Treefort family back together to share and discover great music.” Tickets and more information are available here.

Chasing the tail of "Pigs Is Pigs," "Darling" opens with a starkly contrasting 5 seconds of meditative, wave-like static. Quiet, but steadfast octave jumps emerge next, in the form of a guitar flooded in reverb until time becomes almost meaningless. Heartbeat-like drums remind you where the beat falls, like the sound of your own breath in a dark room. It’s almost tempting to describe the track as unlike anything Mannequin Pussy has ever done, ending their Perfect EP in surprisingly delicate and tender territory. Its warmth is more like still-burning embers rather than the fire and brimstone that dominates the rest of Mannequin Pussy’s discography; however, it has the same lyricism full of brash vulnerability that cuts through everything in its path. The hot-blooded reconciliation of pain and the beauty of feeling intensely is reminiscent of "Drunk II," as the track dynamically moves through both states simultaneously. Each time the hook hits, it sounds even more like a challenge than a promise. “Darling, I will always defend you” becomes a double-edged dare, daring your darling to reciprocate your defense and daring the rest of the world to provide an opportunity to show your devotion. "Darling" is a beautiful example of what makes Mannequin Pussy’s work so deliciously compelling. It’s embracing your feelings with brutal honesty and rebelliously refusing to be ashamed of their intensity. It’s facing forward against whatever’s next, grasping your love’s hand tightly all the way, and proclaiming “I feel fiercely, and I am not afraid." Photo by Uv Lucas.

Michael Nau's "Rides Through The Morning” sounds like going to church. His newest single, released via Karma Chief Records, is reminiscent of a different time. The first verse has a slow start—minimal instrumentation and a choral arrangement that brings to mind a church choir. The lyrics of the first verse nod to the sound, stating, “ Go by the breeze, I’m bound to pine / You will always come to mind / And rescue my dream down this marvelous stream / Where holy waters overflow.” The chorus picks up with a nostalgic 1950s/1960s inspired blues, “Alas the ship rides through the morning / When the darkness aptly grows / Now every bit of the, bit of the, bit of the, bit of the sun is shining / I feel it calling, feel it calling me back home / Put down your sorrows and dance with me.” This song is the perfect mash-up of psychedelic-folk and soul, the ideal soundtrack for all these sunny days. You’ll be listening to “Rides Through The Morning” all summer long while driving with the windows down. Nau’s two newest singles, “No Quit” and “Rides Through The Morning," will be released on vinyl August 16, 2019, but can be streamed pretty much anywhere right now.

Lætitia Tamko, better known by her moniker Vagabon, leans into electronic with her newest single “Flood Hands.” Tamko’s voice glides over each beat and synthesizer, shifting from deep and syrupy to high and piercing with casual precision. She played every instrument and produced the entire track, which explains the extreme cohesion. Every sound builds or subtracts from the ones around it as it peaks and drops in just the right places. It is eerie and ethereal as Tamko explores submission to the unknown of love and life. The vulnerability that one must embrace if they are to truly experience it in its full capacity as she sings, “I know even if I run from it / I’m still in it / I know I’ll hold you so close.” It’s not defeatism though—it’s a sincere belief that releasing control could be the answer. “Flood Hands” is the first taste of Vagabon’s upcoming second album All the Women in Me due out via Nonesuch Records on September 27th.

“Windows” is Frankie Cosmos aka Greta Kline's newest, artful endeavor. The track explores refraction and nuances of the self, as well as the reinvention of other objects that act as life’s anchor holds. "Windows" shares the same freedom and swelling spirit as Kline's previous works—creating space to reflect, but also dance. A golden-hour peer into the bigger picture in song form, Kline draws all things together, leaving each of us as one glimmer adding our own bit to the whole of the light. “Windows” is a tender romp tune with the lyrical grace of a deep breathed coming-to-self.

"Lately" is the first peek into what Metronomy has in store for their 2019 album Metronomy Forever. Known for keeping every album a mix of unique experimentation with sound while still never failing to evoke endless lo-fi synth vibes, "Lately" is the perfect first single. The steady beat seems simple at the start and the airy vocals capture the ear as the track builds with flashy synths and abstract textures. Even the lyrical rhythms make the song dynamically addicting. Though the lead vocalist, Joseph Mount, sings of a love that can’t be, the track itself is bittersweet with its ever rapid beats weaving together. Released with a music video that shows a mini version of the band climbing out and playing on top of a cassette marked Metronomy 4 Eva, "Lately" is just as light and nostalgic as it is sonically intense and raw. We can’t imagine how dynamic the rest of the album is going to be.

You may recognize British singer-songwriter Delilah Montagu’s crystal clear voice from Black Coffee and David Guetta’s single “Drive.” While her personal style is in a completely different vein of music, Delilah’s debut EP In Gold showcases the same distinguishable voice. The EP is a beautiful collection of songwriting—showing a person discovering more about themselves, reminiscing on past loves, and taking the journey of self-discovery that comes with falling in love, heartbreak, and loss. The third track, “Next to Me,” has a mournful air of melancholy that somehow also feels light and breezy. With striking vocals, a funky prominent bass line and a more jazzy feel, the song chronicles someone reminiscing on simple memories with a past lover, as they’ve moved on and are reliving similar experiences with a new person. The chorus ruminates on old memories and questions, “Now I’m driving through the tall trees / Someone else is in the front seat / But only for a minute / Only for a minute / Why can’t you be? / Next to me.” Only for a minute, she wonders what it would feel like to have her old flame by her side but ultimately knows that the past is in the past. She’s resigned that everything is how it’s meant to be. She continues with a definitive jab, “If I were you / I would have begged me to stay / Well you’re too late.” This killer track is a haunting and impressive display of lyricism and showcases amazing things to come from Delilah Montagu. “Next to Me” leaves you wishing there were more than four songs to keep playing on repeat.