Matthew and the Atlas Out Of The Darkness

Matthew Hegarty is the kind of artist who flies the flag for independent music everywhere -- revered by his peers, adored by his almost cult-like global following, and yet continuing to fly well below the mainstream radar.

The first ever signee to Communion Records, now home to the likes of Ben Howard, Michael Kiwanuka and Daughter, he and his band have released two EPs of dreamy Americana to date. Having spent a year touring Europe and the US, he returned home to the UK (and his sometime-day job as a landscape gardener) to work on new material. Now, with a highly anticipated debut album due out next spring, he's back with a decidedly more dramatic sound.

Led by a haunting vocal rumble, this track is both melancholic and cinematic in its immersive instrumental layers and otherworldly textures. It's the kind of musicianship that seems to meld traditional, folksy melodies with contemporary elements for a beautifully timeless sound.

If you fancy catching Matthew live, he'll be touring the UK with his new band line-up in January and February of next year.