Let’s be honest—keeping kids entertained isn’t always easy. Especially when you’re juggling work, errands, school runs, and a never-ending laundry pile. You want to create memories, do something special with them, but some weekends just vanish before you even catch your breath.
Good news: Maryland is packed with genuinely fun, kid-friendly places that don’t require a five-hour road trip or an entire day’s planning. Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures, rainy day saviors, or just something different to shake up your routine, this list has you covered. Bonus? These spots are actually enjoyable for parents too.
So if you’re thinking, “What should we do this weekend?” keep reading.
Let the Kids Run Wild (Outside)
First up: sunshine. When the weather’s decent, outdoor space is gold. Maryland has a bunch of spots where kids can burn energy and you can breathe easy.
Sandy Point State Park: Right on the Chesapeake Bay, this spot has a sandy beach, shallow water for wading, and shaded picnic tables. It’s a low-effort day trip that feels like a mini vacation.
Great Falls (Maryland Side): Want views and trails that don’t feel like punishment? Great Falls offers just that. The Billy Goat Trail has some family-friendly sections that make kids feel like explorers without pushing them too hard.
Brookside Gardens in Wheaton is pure calm. There’s space to roam, beautiful gardens, and even a butterfly exhibit in season. Great for strollers and snack breaks on a bench.
Learn Something (Without the Eye Rolls)
Not all educational outings are boring—promise. Maryland has some standout spots that sneak in learning while your kids think they’re just having fun.
Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore is a hands-on haven. Climbing structures, water tables, pretend play zones—you name it. It’s chaos in the best possible way.
Maryland Science Center is right nearby and great for slightly older kids. Dinosaurs, a planetarium, an IMAX theater… Plus, the grown-ups might actually learn something too.
College Park Aviation Museum is a quieter option with some seriously cool planes. It’s small enough that you won’t lose a child (or your sanity), but still super engaging.
Seasonal Fun and Farm Days
If your family calendar revolves around pumpkin patches and strawberry picking, you’re in luck. Maryland’s local farms are loaded with activities.
Butler’s Orchard in Germantown is a family favorite for a reason. Their pick-your-own fields rotate through the seasons, and there’s always something going on, from hayrides to festivals.
Clark’s Elioak Farm in Ellicott City is a fairy tale brought to life. It’s built around the old Enchanted Forest amusement park, so there’s this cool nostalgic vibe mixed with petting zoos and pony rides.
Keep an eye out for local festivals too—from summer food truck fests to fall harvest fairs. They’re perfect for low-pressure, go-with-the-flow kind of outings.
When It’s Raining (Or Everyone’s Just Cranky)
Let’s face it. Some days, the weather sucks. Or the mood does. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck at home with YouTube Kids blaring.
Storyville Libraries in Baltimore County are like mini play worlds built into library branches. They’re calm, creative, and FREE. Great for toddlers and preschoolers.
Trampoline parks like Sky Zone or Launch can be a total lifesaver. Let them bounce themselves tired while you sip a coffee in peace.
Check out play cafés in your area. These parent-friendly spots combine indoor playgrounds with actual food and coffee that isn’t from a drive-thru.
Making Time for All This Is the Real Challenge
Let’s be real—even when you have a list of great ideas, actually getting out and doing them is another story. Between jam-packed calendars and everyday stress, it’s easy for plans to fall through.
That’s where support at home can make a real difference. Having an extra set of hands means less scrambling and more room for fun. For families looking for a reliable, flexible way to make that happen, hosting anau pair in Maryland can be a total game-changer.
It’s not about replacing you—it’s about sharing the load. When someone helps with pickups, homework, and the bedtime hustle, there’s just more space for the good stuff. Like impromptu outings. Or quiet moments that don’t feel rushed. That kind of support can turn a chaotic Saturday into something simple and sweet.
Simple Stuff That Still Works
Sometimes you don’t need an epic plan. You just need something doable.
Try a scavenger hunt walk around your neighborhood. Make a quick list: something red, a squirrel, a leaf bigger than your hand. Kids love a mission.
Pack snacks and take a bike ride on the Capital Crescent Trail or another nearby path. No pressure to go far. It’s the movement and novelty that counts.
Mini golf or duckpin bowling is an underrated classic. It’s competitive (but in a fun way), and even little kids can get into it with some help.
You Deserve the Good Stuff Too
At the end of the day, these family outings aren’t about checking a box or posting cute photos. They’re about connection. About making space for joy in the middle of the chaos.
So whether you’re packing up for a full-day adventure or just heading down the street for mini golf and ice cream, give yourself credit. You’re showing up. You’re making memories.
Sam Fender took home the 2025 Mercury Prize, awarded by a panel of music industry figures to the best British album of the year, for his album People Watching. The North Shields singer-songwriter beat out records by FKA twigs (Eusexua), PinkPantheress (Fancy That), Fontaines D.C. (Romance), Pulp (More), Pa Salieu (Afrikan Alien), Wolf Alice (The Clearing), CMAT (Euro-Country), and more.
Last year, English Teacher won the award for their album This Could Be Texas. Fender was previously shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2022 for Seventeen Going Under.
Ace Frehley, the legendary lead guitarist of KISS, has died following a recent fall at his home. The musician had canceled all his remaining tour dates earlier this month. He was 74 years old.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” Frehley’s family shared in a statement. “In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”
Born in the Bronx in 1951, Frehley began playing guitar as a teenager in the ’60s. He performed in several bands before answering Paul Stanley’s ad in 1972 looking for a lead guitarist. After auditioning to get in, Frehley designed the logo for KISS and adopted the persona of “Space Ace (later “the Spaceman”) because he was into sci-fi.
The band signed to the disco label Casablanca and released their self-titled debut in 1974. Frehley played on most of the band’s iconic albums, including Destroyer, and Alive!, and occasionally sang lead. In 1978, all four KISS members released solo albums, and Frehley’s was the biggest of the bunch, with his LP featuring a cover of Hello’s disco hit ‘New York Groove’ that landed on the Billboard singles chart.
Frehley parted ways with KISS in 1982, and his band Frehley’s Comet released their self-titled debut in 1987. He continued putting out solo records, most recently 10,000 Volts last year. In 1996, all four original KISS members reunited for the album Psycho Circus and toured in full makeup. In 2001, Frehley published his autobiography No Regrets: A Rock’n’Roll Memoir.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Frehley’s former bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley said in a statement. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Though Belong marks Jay Som’s first new album in six years, Melina Duterte has had a hand in some of the best music to come out of each of those years. In addition to releasing a record with Palehound’s Ellen Kempner in as Bachelor in 2021, she worked on records that led several bands to be featured in our Artist Spotlight series: Tenci and Living Hour in 2022, Fenne Lily and Chris Farren in 2023. Just in the past couple of years, she helped produce boygenius’ the record and Lucy Dacus’ Forever Is a Feeling. When the time came to revisit her solo project, Duterte felt the urge to open up her sound to outside collaborators, enlisting contributions from Joao Gonzalez (of Soft Glas), Mk.gee/illuminati hotties collaborator Mal Hauser, Steph Marziano, and Kyle Pulley, as well as guest vocals from some of her biggest heroes, including Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins, and Mini Trees’ Lexi Vega. Belong is expansive and exciting at every turn, clearly energized as much by Duterte’s experimental impulses as her nostalgic love for classic alternative rock. Even when they lean into moodier, more subdued territory, these songs aren’t meant for sulking, but as Duterte puts it on ‘Past Lives’, spiraling up. It’s good company to feel a part of.
We caught up with Jay Som to talk about Jimmy Eat World’s Bleed American, the O.C. soundtrack, Atwater Village, and other inspirations behind her new album Belong.
Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World
Was the record a reference point before Jim Adkins entered the picture as a collaborator on Belong?
Yeah, that was an easy choice. I think that album and just the Jimmy Eat World alternative rock world was the catalyst for doing something different in this new record. Leaning heavily towards alternative rock versus doing what I did before, which is just shoegaze, dream pop, indie, bedroom-ish music. And it’s an album that means a lot to me. My brother and I really love this album. We bought it at a Barnes & Noble, and it was when Barnes & Noble had CD sections and a Starbucks, so we would hang out all day on Saturdays or Sundays and just peruse the CDs. They also had headphones, so you could listen to samples of the CDs, which was my favorite thing to do. I’d just stand there listening to all these artists, and Bleed American was one of them.
It did change my life and still holds up to this day. It sounds like it could have come out yesterday. The songwriting is just expert-level songwriting, and the way that they’re performing is as if it’s the end of the world and they need to record this right now and show it to you. It’s very immediate. Jim’s vocals are really incredible, and a big reason why I had him on ‘Float’. ‘Float’ was the first song that I wrote and recorded for the record, so to have that Jimmy Eat World spirit and be the stamp of the initial song for the record, was really important moving forward throughout the process.
Did you ask him questions about Bleed American, or did you shy away from really getting into it?
I kept it pretty professional. Until the very end, when we were texting, and I just got to be like, “Hey, thank you so much,” and I got to tell him the story about the Bleed American CD stuff. There was a second where we were texting back and forth, and he’s a huge gearhead. He has a studio, and he loves recording music, so we bonded for a second that way. I still haven’t met him in person, so I’m hoping that’ll happen soon one day.
Atwater Village, CA
I’ve lived here since June 2020, so right in the middle of the pandemic. My partner and I and our friend found this home that I’m in right now, and our former roommate used to live in this room, and she lived here for a couple years. I feel like I had my second puberty here – I don’t know how to say it – in a musical sense. I had a studio up in the attic, and I was recording a bunch of friends, I was mixing, I learned how to become even more of a gear nerd. I spent so much time in this house just creating and learning, and I’ve had so many friends and bands and artists come through to record or mix. By the time I started making my own record, I felt like a completely different person, and I kind of didn’t recognize my recording skills, techniques, or even my taste.
I think when you work with people for so long, you do start to lose a kind of sense of your identity if you’re doing the same job as them – music. Working with a lot of solo artists, I’m in a place of supporting them and helping them realize their vision. So by the time I had all my gear set up and everything’s fully realized, I got better at engineering, I remember thinking, “I need help.”
I think being able to live a domestic lifestyle in Atwater was really important. I have a dog, she’s right there behind me – she’s always right there. I get to go outside for walks, and there’s a coffee shop 10 minutes away. We would go to the farmer’s market all the time. Just to clear my head, I’d walk around here. This neighborhood’s full of really beautiful creatives. There’s a guy that teaches ukulele classes every Tuesday. There’s a guy across the street that plays a tuba with his door open. When you walk down the street, you hear him playing the tuba, and it’s very goofy, but it’s really cool. There’s three drummers around the blocks. And then there’s me, a very loud person. There’s just something about the community and the energy here that I really like and sets it apart from certain places that I’ve been in in LA.
Was it a strange feeling, then, to take these songs to different studios and be removed from the place where they were maybe conceived?
Yeah, it felt different. To leave Atwater for a second was a little hard, because you get used to your routine. But to leave to go to Nashville or Philly was actually really fun and honestly necessary, because I felt less distracted when I was not in LA. And I did that with my last record, too. I went to Joshua Tree for a week, and that helped me write even more. To be in Philly helped a lot with just inspiration and not feeling like I needed to get an errand done, or I needed to see this friend that I haven’t seen in a while, and just focus on the job.
The O.C. soundtrack
You’ve talked about it opening your eyes in terms of music, as it did for a lot of people, especially indie rock music. Do you tend to go back to it often, or is it something that just sits in your mind?
Yeah, it’s always in my mind. I feel like I was introduced to Pinback through it, and I already loved Death Cub for Cutie, but they were big at the time, and they were in an episode, too. I just feel like whoever was the music supervisor for that show did an amazing job in introducing me to so many artists on that roster. One of my favorite things about music supervisors, especially when they’re good, is that they know how to control a scene. They make you feel something, not just with the emotions from the actors, but from the music – when it plays, which section of the song it plays, how long the song plays for, whether it’s an instrumental or if it’s a lyrically driven portion of the song for a scene. I feel like they got that. There’s a scene with some of the main characters and ‘Hallelujah’, the cover by Jeff Buckley plays – amazing choice, I still think of that.
My co-producer, Joao Gonzalez, who basically co-produced the whole record with me, is also a gigantic OC fan, and we mention it a lot. We were obsessed with Seth Cohen, and we really wanted to be just like him. He’s kind of this nerdy, know-it-all music dude, a lovable, affable character. But it’s also because I live in California, too, and there’s the nostalgic element of all the alternative rock that comes out of here.
When I think of great modern indie rock soundtracks, my mind goes to I Saw the TV Glow, which you of course contributed to. What was that experience like? Do you wish that kind of compilation happened more often for TV and movies?
Yeah, I thought that was an incredible thing to be a part of. Jane [Schoenbrun] was amazing, and they came to me with a vision, along with the other artists on the soundtrack. They said, “Here’s this prompt for you, can you just do it?” They gave me a Spotify playlist, and I thought it was just the coolest thing. There was no controlling element. It was very much like, “I came to you for a reason, can you do your thing, but with the lens of making a Teenage Fanclub song?” And yeah, I don’t see that often with films. Maybe there are more examples, but what? The Minions soundtrack with Tame Impala? Not to compare it to the Minions soundtrack, but that’s the only thing I can think of.
Phoebe Bridgers is on both of those soundtracks, so she’s kind of the connecting link.
Yeah, Phoebe’s on there. Love her.
trip9love…??? by Tirzah
This one stands out as a unique reference point, but it makes sense through the lens of songs like ‘Meander/Sprouting Wings’ or even ‘A Million Reasons Why’. Is that where it fits in?
100%. I’ve been taking in and processing reviews from people and comments from some people, and many people are not into the second half of the record. And I understand why. It’s because it’s the weirder side of my music taste, which is something that I love. Me and Joao constructed the sequencing for the record so fast, and it just made sense to us. It made sense to put ‘Meander/Sprouting Wings’, ‘A Million Reasons Why’, and ‘Want It All’ all together, because it just was something that I loved
There’s something about trip9love…??? that is so bizarre, but I love it. It sounds like one song throughout the entire album. It uses the same drum loop, same piano loops here and there, and the melodies are kind of off. But to me, it feels so free. There’s no reason why they did this or that – maybe the intention is just because they liked it, and it sounded cool, and there’s no deep artistic reason why everything’s so repetitive and so bizarre. But to me, as a listener, I can get really lost in this record. There’s the droney element of it all, and I just am a fan of bizarre choices in records. It keeps me on my toes. I also love pop music, too, I love standard formulas and keeping people excited. But it’s just a weird little guy.
What did you enjoy about dipping into that hazier, otherworldly place for that section of Belong?
I think what appealed to me is that it felt like a comedown from the top of the record. I really love science fiction, and that also relates to the next inspiration, but just otherworldly fantasy, fictional-type stories, and the visual representations of that. I think ‘Meander/Sprouting Wings’ was my chance to experiment with that world, because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and those songs came the most natural to me. The headspace that I was in was basically just thinking, these two songs live in this world together, I can’t separate them. They complement each other in some way, and I don’t know why, but I don’t want to separate them, so it became this two-song, one-song thing.
‘A Million Reasons Why’ as the penultimate song just sounded like a sample, but without a full song in it. I was just imagining taking out a sample for a song – how French House was always taking songs from the ‘70s or disco tracks, making full songs out of them. I just remember thinking, what if I just did a sample song, and it kind of sounded like a voicemail. It gets pretty moody towards the end, but it felt fun.
The German Netflix show Dark
I love this TV show. It’s really amazing, and I watched it twice. The first time, I watched it in German with subtitles, and the second time, I watched it in English dub. There’s something very inspirational about the the craft of it all – the actors, the script, the music, everything was so intentional. They just went for it. There’s twists and turns, there’s some weirdness, there’s beautiful romance. I would pause scenes sometimes to just jam or write music, because sometimes when I watch something that affects me really deeply, I need to pause it for a second, and then continue. That was one of those really inspiring TV shows to watch. It was always in the back of my head throughout the record-making process this year.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
‘Starburst’, the lead single from Danny Brown’s much-anticipated new album, made our list of the best songs of September. Today, the iconoclastic rapper has shared another revved-up hyperpop single, a collaboration with underscores called ‘Copycats’. Check it out below.
Stardust is set for release on November 7 via Warp.
Sassy 009 has joined forces with Blood Orange for the fuzzy, haunting new song ‘Tell Me’. Check it out below.
“This song has been sitting with me for a few years,” Sunniva Lindgård explained in a press release. “It all started with a particular mood but I couldn’t quite seem to finish the song. I had the idea to send it over to Dev. I’ve been waiting for the moment for us to make a song together ever since we met in Amsterdam back in 2019, and I really couldn’t hear anyone else but him on it. So happy I followed my gut.”
‘Tell Me’ is the latest single from Sassy 009’s upcoming LP Dreamer+, which is out January 16 and includes ‘Butterflies’, one of the best songs of September. Blood Orange released his newest album, Essex Honey, in August.
When designer Rakee Chen joined forces with LiberLive at New York Fashion Week, the result was a cultural dialogue that caught the attention of audiences and critics alike.
On the runway, Chen’s fashion designs were paired with the LiberLive C1 Stringless Smart Guitar, the world’s first of its kind. The collaboration transformed the event into a shared experience, where fashion and music stood side by side as equal voices of creativity.
The symbolism was powerful. Music was shown as accessible, like personal style, and fashion became more than what you wear; it became part of a rhythm that people could feel.
Their collaboration sent a clear message: the future of culture belongs to shared experiences, where design, technology, and music move together to inspire collective expression.
A Defining New York Moment
New York Fashion Week has always been about breaking creative boundaries. This year, Rakee Chen’s designs shared the spotlight with the LiberLive C1 Stringless Smart Guitar, the world’s first instrument of its kind. The pairing was more than visual; it carried symbolic weight. The runway was no longer just about fabric and silhouette, but about blending sound, technology, and culture into one shared experience.
Audiences were not simply shown fashion or technology. They were invited into a moment where barriers between art forms disappeared. The question posed was clear: what happens when music and fashion perform together? The answer was a powerful statement that creativity belongs to everyone, everywhere.
Rakee Chen’s Vision in Context
Rakee Chen is known for designs that reflect inclusivity and bold individuality, and this showcase demonstrated how those values extend beyond clothing. By merging with LiberLive Stringless Guitar, Chen highlighted how style and sound can both serve as forms of personal identity.
For centuries, music was viewed as something to be mastered through years of training, while fashion was seen as a visual statement. At this event, Chen and LiberLive turned those perceptions upside down.
Music was presented as accessible as personal style, and fashion became an active participant in the rhythm of culture. Together, they created a bridge where both art forms were seen as shared and participatory.
The Symbolism of the Stringless Guitar
The LiberLive C1 Stringless Smart Guitar stood on the runway not only as an invention but as a symbol. Foldable, portable, and expressive, it mirrored the same adaptability seen in modern fashion.
In Chen’s showcase, the guitar was not the background. It was part of the story and the identity being expressed. The moment showed how technology can be credible, artistic, and emotional all at once.
Fashion, Technology, and Shared Culture
The collaboration between Rakee Chen and LiberLive made one thing clear: culture grows richer when fashion, music, and technology share the same stage.
The showcase drew immediate praise from industry insiders:
“The Rakee Chen × LiberLive collection was electric – rich textures, bold colors, and those unforgettable sculpted details. It’s whimsical, daring, and full of wonder.”
— Reinhardt Kenneth, Fashion Photographer & Creative Director
Live music brought the concept full circle, amplifying the show’s emotional power:
“Such an incredible night at Runway 7. The collection was innovative and beautifully produced – and Detzany’s live performance set the perfect tone.”
— Devi, Music Producer
Behind the scenes, the collaboration reflected a rare harmony between vision and spirit.
“Rakee’s work feels alive – just, WOW. I was completely blown away. She literally weaves music into fabric. Her kindness and creativity made this collaboration unforgettable.”
— Madison Roberts, Luxury Fashion Photographer
Fashion is no longer limited to fabric, and music is no longer confined to trained performers. Together, they become tools for storytelling, connection, and collective creativity.
In an era where innovation often feels mechanical, Rakee Chen × LiberLive reminded New York that technology can still move the soul. Their fusion of design and sound didn’t just expand what fashion can look like – it reminded us that emotion, too, is a form of innovation.
Social Media Highlight
See highlights from the show on Instagram: View Post
About Rakee Chen
Rakee Chen is a fashion designer and digital artist whose work explores the connection between music, storytelling, and clothing. With a background in industrial design and costume design, she combines technical precision with emotional expression to create fashion that responds to rhythm and movement.
About LiberLive
LiberLive is a music technology company dedicated to creating innovative, high-tech musical instruments. Their flagship product, the LiberLive C1, is the world’s first-ever stringless smart guitar, designed to make music creation accessible to all.
ARC Raiders will officially host a full-scale Open Beta called Server Slam this week. The testing period arrives in a free-to-play weekend format. It also marks the last big chance for players to experience the game before its full release at the end of the month.
The upcoming title was initially revealed during the Game Awards in 2021. Originally, developer and publisher Embark Studios announced it as a co-op third-person shooter. However, the creators turned it into an extraction shooter after two years. And now, it is gearing up to let players experience early what they have to offer.
An Essential Step Before Release
According to Embark Studios, the Server Slam serves a critical purpose. In particular, it allows the developers to run a stress test on their systems. They also said that this will help them tune, refine, and push their infrastructure ahead of launch.
“Every shot fired, every connection made, every encounter survived helps us make the full game smoother,” explained the developers.
Server Slam Content and Features
The official announcement showed that participants can explore the Dam Battlegrounds during the Open Beta. It is also the first map that players will encounter in the main game. Raiders have the freedom to choose whether to go solo or with friends. But either way, the game features Arch machines. Specifically, these are Bastions, Leapers, Ticks, and Wasps.
At the same time, the Server Slam gives early access to:
Blueprints
Cred
Feats
Raider Deck
Trading and Quests
Weapons and Gear
Workshop
However, some advanced systems and features remain locked until the game’s launch.
Progress and Exclusive Rewards
Unlike other Open Betas, the Server Slam does not allow players to carry over their progress to the full game. However, it does offer an exciting reward. Every player who connects an Embark ID will receive a unique Server Slammer backpack at launch.
Availability and Official Release Date
Server Slam starts on October 17 and continues until October 19. It will be available on PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam. Likewise, players can access it across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. To join, players need to be aged 16 and above. Nonetheless, this Server Slam does not require codes or sign-ups.
The upcoming free weekend will surely be a fun experience for both newbie and returning players. It is also one way to know what it takes to survive once the game officially arrives.
Meanwhile, the full version of ARC Raiders will come out on October 30.
If you scroll through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, it is clear content is essential. Over the years, photography has evolved across the world from film to DSLR and now mirrorless cameras. Wherever you are based, you could share the same love for photography as someone else. All you need is a camera, vision and good work ethic.
Hayley Roberts, Director of Learn Now Distance Learning College has confirmed that there has been an uptake in AS & A Levels online which lead onto Photography degrees at University. There are also many people who don’t choose the degree route and instead, start their own business.
A career in photography can lead to all kinds of fields to specialise in. Many people will build a successful photography business based on their interests or target market. One of the biggest photography businesses worldwide is wedding photography. You then have other careers such as portrait, commercial, fashion, interior, events, sports and stock photography.
Turning your hobby into a full-time venture
For most people photography starts off as a hobby. You might be photographing friends, pets, or local events. You may then use social media to build a portfolio and platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have played a key role in helping photographers grow.
Find your niche
As with any business, the key to it being successful is finding your niche. Most photographers will have a style associated with them. Whether it is the aperture they are shooting or the preset they apply once the raw photo is in editing software. This will really help them stand out from the rest.
Using digital tools to speed up production
Most photographers love to be out taking photos and much prefer this to editing them. However, software such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and AI-powered editing tools can help speed up post-production. Also, having a preset you can apply to all photos with very small amendments can make a huge different.
Challenges when managing a photography business
Despite photographers doing exactly what they love, running your own business can bring its challenges. Competition is tough and there is always the worry of securing enough business for the following year. Also, managing aspects such as tax, contracts and marketing can be completely out of someone’s comfort zone.
Taking a photography course with business start-up can be a good idea as it will teach you everything you need to know in order to run a successful photography business.
As social media continues to grow, the demand for new interesting content will also be increasing. Therefore, the opportunities are available more than ever for you to setup your very own photography business. With the right mix of skill, building a profitable photography business is no longer a dream.
There’s so much music coming out all the time that it’s hard to keep track. On those days when the influx of new tracks is particularly overwhelming, we sift through the noise to bring you a curated list of the most interesting new releases (the best of which will be added to our Best New Songs playlist). Below, check out our track roundup for Tuesday, October 15, 2025.
Sugar – ‘House of Dead Memories’
Sugar are back with their first new music in three decades. ‘House of Dead Memories’ is catchy and sneakily poignant, and it arrives alongside a video built from archival band footage, which is fitting given its subject matter.
Lala Lala – ‘Does This Go Faster?’
Lala Lala has returned with the news that she’s signed to Sub Pop, making the jump from its subsidiary Hardly Art. She’s also shared the evocative and beautifully layered new single ‘Does This Go Faster?’, which features Melina Duterte on bass, synthesizers, and guitar; Abby Black on drums; and Sen Morimoto on saxophone.
Courtney Barnett – ‘Stay In Your Lane’
Courtney Barnett is back with a new single, ‘Stay In Your Lane’, which is built on a deliciously scuzzy bassline. It comes paired with a music video directed by Alex Ross Perry.
This Is Lorelei – ‘Name the Band’
This Is Lorelei has announced Holo Boy, which is billed as “neither a retrospective compilation, nor a traditionally new LP” and collects 10 re-recorded versions of songs from 9 different releases written from 2014 to 2021. The first single is a catchy, pop punk-inflected reimagining of ‘Name the Band’, originally from 2021’s Jimmy Buffet Tape EP.
Jenny on Holiday – ‘Dolphins’
Jenny Hollingsworth, one half of Let’s Eat Grandma, has announced her debut album under the moniker Jenny on Holiday, Quicksand Heart. It’s led by the gorgeous new single ‘Dolphins’, which is full of yearning and wonder.
Haley Heynderickx & Max García – ‘Fluorescent Light’ and ‘Boars’
After teaming up for 2018’s Among Horses III EP, Haley Heynderickx and Max García have collaborated on a full-length album called What of Our Nature, arriving November 21 via Fat Possum. Today, they’ve previewed it with two lovely tracks, ‘Fluorescent Light’ and ‘Boars’, both of which come with music videos directed by Evan Benally Atwood.
Jim Jarmusch & Anika – ‘Jetlag’
Jim Jarmusch and British musician Anika have teamed up for the soundtrack to Father Mother Sister Brother Soundtrack, which just won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The pair met at the Sacred Bones 15th anniversary celebration in 2022, where she and Jarmusch’s band SQÜRL were both playing, and first worked together on a cover of Nico’s ‘These Days’ (which also appears in the film). ‘Jetlag’ is wonderfully atmospheric, and I can imagine it being a gentle balm after your next long-haul flight.
bar italia – ‘omni shambles’
bar italia’s new album Some Like It Hot is out on Friday, and it’s pretty great. Today, they’ve shared one final preview of it, the fiery, exhilarating ‘omni shambles’. It follows ‘Cowbella’, ‘Fundraiser’, and ‘rooster’.
Sword II – ‘Halogen’
Sword II have previewed their upcoming album Electric Hour with a shadowy, explosive track called ‘Halogen’. “This song is about not knowing who you should be or what you should believe; thinking too hard about what the right thing to do is,” the group shared. “The world might just be totally fucked but we should just keep fighting anyways. Stop thinking so hard about things. Stop trying to analyze everything and be so specific about your ideology, and just do what you know should be done.”
runo plum – ‘Pond’
runo plum has shared ‘Pond’, a gently poignant new single from her upcoming debut LP, patching. “This song came from feeling really stuck in a slump, feeling the height of the absence, the pain, and the loneliness,” she explained. “Wondering how there will ever be a time where it didn’t feel like this, and fighting with the internal voice that was telling me my best option was to not be on earth. Sonically this song is pretty mellow, but the fuzz guitar that comes in at the instrumental is a great representation of the internal horror that was happening inside of me.”
Sharp Pins – ‘Queen of Globes And Mirrors’
A new Sharp Pins tune is always good news. The pensive, jangly ‘Queen of Globes And Mirrors’ is the latest from Kai Slater’s Balloon Balloon Balloon, which is out next month.
The Avett Brothers & Mike Patton – ‘Heaven’s Breath’
It’s weird that any collaboration between the Avett Brothers and Mike Patton exists, let alone a full-length album. (AVTT/PTTN is out next month.) It should sound weird, and their latest single, ‘Heaven’s Breath’, sure does.
ira glass – ‘fritz all over you’
ira glass have shared ‘fritz all over you’, a frantic track off their forthcoming joy is no knocking nation EP. “We wanted to stitch together several disparate parts,” the quartet commented. “Some parts of the song were spontaneous compositions, others were puzzles that needed solving. For the outro we wanted to experiment further with long, jazzy outros, similar to what we did on last year’s ‘torrid love affair with a family annihilator.’ The vignettes in the video align in form with the song where we wanted to display each member performing a different action.”
Liam Kazar – ‘Didn’t I’
Cozy up with ‘Didn’t I’, the wistful new single from Liam Kazar’s upcoming LP Pilot Light. “There’s loneliness at the end of someone’s life. Every time we’d say, ‘Goodbye, I love you,’ she would say, ‘I love you more,’” Kazar recalled. “I wanted to write a song to remind my family that even if we couldn’t be with her every single second the last year of her life, she knew that we loved her, and she loves us more.”
Sean Trelford – ‘Naked’
London-based artist Sean Trelford has signed to Adventure Recordings/Island, marking the news with a wonky, chilling new single called ‘Naked’. It comes with a music video directed by Charlie Drinkwater and inspired by David Cronenberg. “’Naked’ is a song I wrote when in January 2025, it is a commentary on truth and lie in regards to relationships and intense emotions when feeling used or toyed with, not being understood or valued by yourself or a significant other. It is a deeply personal song that I produced, recorded and wrote,” Trelford explained. “The video has the motif of teeth falling out, an idea I thought of when I was 16, encountering so many people talking crap and I had recently read the picture of dorian gray, relating to the image of one’s soul tarnishing through careless action and self-indulgence.”
Lone – ‘Ascension.png’
Lone, the project of British producer Matt Cutler, has offered up a sumptuous track titled ‘Ascension.png’. “I had this dream about a year ago where I was floating on a small raft in the ocean, floating away from a tiny desert island,” he reflected. “The whole dream was just me on this raft watching the island get smaller and smaller as I floated further away from it. It felt like my subconscious was trying to tell me something about the nature of time. The colors I see in my head when I hear this track are more or less exactly like the ones in that dream. The track has loads of amens in it as well.”
Ain’t – ‘Long Short Round’
Ain’t have dropped a tense, stirring new single, ‘Long Short Round’. The track “is about doing little rituals that feel as if they’re doing something good, but they’re utterly pointless when it comes to getting what you’re hoping for,” the South London band said. “Pressing a bruise for instance – it’s a wonderful sensation, but it doesn’t make you heal any faster.”
