new releases 3.28.2025: MBUS edition
- Kendall Cleveland
- Mar 28
- 5 min read
The reason Fridays are the greatest day of the week... new music! This week is incredibly special, though. Today, March 28th, is to be deemed National MBUS Release Day. This Friday, a good portion of my music business cohort is celebrating release day, and for many of them, it is their first! I could ramble on about how much this program has meant to all of us, encouraged us to follow dreams, et cetera. But today is a true testament to these artists, their talent, and their own ability to create. In this post, I want to highlight a few of them, while I have also created a playlist with all of my peers releases. Go stream these, find something new that you like, follow them, hype them up!
Ava Wilds: "Shipwrecked"
My initial reaction to this song was trying to figure out what mix of female stars Ava sounded like, because this song really does give young Taylor Swift, in both her vocals and in her songwriting. Ava Wilds is from Augusta, Georgia, and has dreamed of becoming a singer since she could speak. She defines her style as a blend of country, folk, and pop. The inspiration for this song came from her own experience and healing from sexual harassment while in her first semester of college. This experience led her to take a semester off from school to spend time with family, work, and find healing in song writing.
The hook of "Shipwrecked" was written during that time. Here is a little bit about what Ava said about the song:
" 'Sometimes fear steers your ship to safety, and sometimes it steers you till you're shipwrecked.'
Writing Shipwrecked proved to be one of the most empowering and emotional experiences, helping find the strength to let go, yet never forget."
"Shipwrecked" is so powerful, and it speaks so much to Ava's strength and how she can combine her talent with emotion.
Instagram: @ava.wilds
Amelia Duffner: "Never Been Away From Your Love"
This release I have been absolutely eager for. Amelia Duffner, from Alpharetta, Georgia, has become a friend of mine through working at Georgia Theatre together. I have known she was incredibly talented, but it was not until she started teasing clips of this release that I realized how insane her voice is. As her cover art should probably suggest, Amelia has had a passion and love for singing her whole life. She is a part of the worship team at the UGA Wesley Foundation, a result of music guiding her in her relationship with God throughout college. Amelia wanted to give thanks to producer Wes Nickell, manager Kaitlyn May, and to Josh Parry and Abbi Kim for playing on the track.
Amelia shared with me a little bit about what this song means to her:
"This song is a representation of my testimony and how God has used singing as a common thread of my relationship with him from the beginning of my life through my hardest moments."
"Never Been Away From Your Love" is truly beautiful, honest, and personally, a reminder I needed in my own life.
Instagram: @ameliaduffner & @meal.sings
Manloader: Idea Split EP
Alex White, from Augusta, Georgia, has been a part of local Athens band Handholder for the last three years. He has also been classically trained in music, playing the piano, guitar, clarinet, and saxophone. I am not sure what kind of sound, you think that would create, but it is incredibly unique. In Alex's first release as Manloader, he combines a super creative blend of electronic, indie, pop, grungy, folk. The composition is beautiful musically, while the vocals contrast the lightness. Idea Spilt is so interesting, you have to listen to understand, but I really love it. Assisting Alex in this release is producer on "Telephone" Wes Nickel, musical contributions from Conner Bessman and Matthew Roberts, marketing by Carson Brandonisio, art direction by Tai Shlomi, and Spotify Canvas loops by Conner Bessman.
In regards to the Idea Split, here is what Alex said about the progress of the EP:
"These songs have been workshopped and perfected for almost a year now. A lot of these melodies I've thought about daily since then. It's really a reflective batch of songs that are a reminder to do better."
Go stream Idea Split (Spotify or Apple Music)! If you were curious, "Parking Lot" is my personal favorite.
Instagram: @alexwh.te & @manloaderathens
Ward Burke: "Dissimulation"
"Dissimulation" is the latest release from Ward Burke. Ward is from Fitzgerald, Georgia, the city of wild chickens (apparently). You can tell Ward definitely takes inspiration from his surroundings, saying that he will sometimes record with movies, TV shoes, or video games in the background. You can absolutely hear this inspiration in "Dissimulation", as well as his other releases. There is a jammy, gazey vibe, almost like something you would hear in a movie sequence of the main character of an 90's indie movie.
There is some sentiment and nostalgia tied behind this single from Ward Burke:
"This was the last song I recorded in my 'studio' at my parents' house before it was dismantled... I specifically remember having Gran Turismo 3 for the PS2 on the TV while I recorded this song."
Go check out "Dissimulation" as well as some of Ward's other releases!
Instagram: @wardburkemusic
Kimbo Navé: "So What" & After Hours EP
Kimbo Navé, originally from Brooklyn, New York, has become a sort of class icon within our program. If there is one thing to say about Navé, it is that he is highly passionate and dedicated to his music. He has been releasing his own music since 2021, he has absolutely no shortage of music on the way. Both of these releases have to be some of my favorite from him. Navé produces the kind of rap, hip-hop, R&B blend that I love listening to, he places an equal amount of importance on the production, beats, lyrics, and vocals. My personal favorite of these releases has to be "Most", but they are all really awesome.
This is what Kimbo Navé had to say about his recent releases:
"What inspired both of these, was being authentic to myself and what I'm feeling in the moment. To not be afraid to stand out, that's why you're unique in your own way. That's what it deeply means to me and why I started it in the first place."
Go stream both "So What" and the After Hours EP!
Instagram: @thekimbonave
Peach Perry: "PULSE"
I think this last one could be a Billie Eilish track. This release is from Peach Perry, from Marietta, Georgia. "PULSE" is a song written from Peach's own experience with anxiety. The song is intense, with a heartbeat as the main backing, changing pace with the song as it intensifies. It hits hard, and does not give any sort of sugar-coating to struggles with mental health.
Reflecting on writing "PULSE" and her struggle with anxiety, Peach said this:
"When I breakout into the chorus it's as if I hit the limit which is like having a panic attack. I've had far too many of those. But it's darker because I think mental health is in no way a light topic and it's something really valuable to me that I want to shed light onto."
I have always had a huge appreciation for music with such depth, and this is no exception to that. Go stream "PULSE"!!!
Instagram: @_peach_perry_
Listen to this week's MBUS new releases here:
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