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M83 Release New Single ‘Blister Sunrise’

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M83 have shared the details of their tenth studio album, I Wrote You a Letter, along with its first single, ‘Blister Sunrise’. The follow-up to 2023’s Fantasy is set to arrive on September 25 via Other Suns. Check out the expansive, otherworldly new track below.

“This record reflects my state of mind over the past few years,” Anthony Gonzalez explained in a statement. “I’m deeply disillusioned by the world we’re living in. I wanted something less calculated, more spontaneous. More punk, in a way.” The album also marks the return of Benoît de Villeneuve, whose history with the project dates back to 2003’s Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts.

5 Albums Out Today to Listen To: Lily Seabird, Chat Pile, Told Slant, and More

In this segment, we showcase the most notable albums out each week. Here are the albums out on September 4, 2026.


Lily Seabird, Lightspheres on Their Way

Lightspheres album coverLily Seabird has returned with a new album called Lightspheres on Their Way. The follow-up to 2025’s Trash Mountain was previewed by ‘Election Day’ and the title track. “A lightsphere can be so many things,” Seabird explained in press materials. “An actual light like a star, the sun, a UFO; headlights, a flashlight in the night; but also life, living things, people, relationships.” She tracked and co-produced the record with collaborator Garrett Linck at his home in rural Maine over the first few days of 2026. “Sometimes life gets so dark, it starts to feel like a bad trip,” she remarked of the seasons that led to its creation.


Chat Pile, Who Loves the Sun

Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun artwork.Chat Pile are back with another visceral, uncompromising album, Who Loves the Sun, one that also softens some of the band’s rougher edges. “This record focuses on my grievances with the modern world,” vocalist Ray B explained. “AI, genocide, climate change, the power elite, $$$$ hoarding pigs – all that shit fucks up your life and mine. The band is definitely stretching out their abilities on the album and I too felt inspired to go further- as a huge fan of Boston, I like to think Brad Delp is somewhere up there, smiling down, as I take the layering to new heights, but who can say? We have fun with it.” Bassist Stin added: “This album contains a healthy dose of the usual Chat Pile airing of grievances against the state of the world, but deeper at it’s heart I feel Who Loves the Sun is grappling with the challenges of trying to keep one’s humanity in a time of extreme anti-humanity.”


Told Slant, What’s Up

Told Slant - What's Up _ Album Art.What’s Up is Felix Walworth’s first Told Slant album in six years. Out now via Mtn. Laurel Recording Co., the album was recorded with with Hannah Pruzinsky and Jonnie Baker, their bandmates in the groups Sister. and Florist, respectively. Ceci Sturman, Hellen Ballentine, Emily Sprague, Mari Rubio, and Elijah Wolf also contributed to the LP, which follows 2020’s Point the Flashlight and Walk. Billed as their “New York record,” it’s a delicately sprawling collection about what happens when you invest “somewhat maniacally to the project of self expression and subculture in one of the most hostile environments on earth,” according to Walworth.


Hannah Cole, Switchbacks

Hannah Cole - SwitchbacksFollowing a series of EPs, Hannah Cole has come through with her mesmerizing debut LP, Switchbacks. The Nashville-based artist and her longtime collaborator and partner Josef Kuhn laid down the album in their home studio between 2024 and 2025, performing nearly every instrument themselves, with Sonny Diperri handling the mixing. On highlight ‘Mosquito Hawk’, Cole recalls a trip the pair once took to Asheville to record in a cabin. “It was just so sweet and pure,” she reflected. “We were falling in love, and I was falling in love with music again. I came to realize that in the same way a romantic relationship changes and develops challenges over time, so does my relationship to music. Neither is perfect, but love is at the core. That’s the point of the whole thing.”


Arab Strap, Half-Told Tales

HALF-TOLD TALES COVER EMBARGOED 10AM BST 20_05Arab Strap’s new album may be called Half-Told Tales, but it’s full of detailed, ambitious storytelling. “This time we put everything on it,” the band’s Aidan Moffat remarked in press materials. “We normally have three or four songs left over from a session but with this one, it was like, fuck it.” Groovy and often surprising, it marks their third effort since reforming in 2016. “The album title sounds like a fairy tale book, until you get to the end of the record and you realise that I’m talking about lives that have ended too early,” Moffat added. “That’s something that just seems to be part of your life when you get to your fifties. You become acutely aware that you’re in that final third of your life. I think every single song has some element of time or some discussion of its passing and how to use it as best you can while you have it.”


Other albums out today:

Ellie Goulding, I Know Too Much; Rebecca Black, Age of the Exhibitionist; Diary, Spiral Bound; Carmen Villain, Memoria; Hollow Hand, Wish Road South; Sofie Royer, before/after; Sibille Attar, Sibille Attar; Medium Build, King of Having Fun; Sleep, Hemispheres; Mykki Blanco, Little Feet; Noah Hill, Ok ok now; Personal Trainer, Human Assholes; Klara Lewis, Opening; Gilroy Mere, Furlongs; Black Bananas, Bad Bunch; Behemoth, I, Scvlptor; Lille & rsn, The diversity of nature.

Death of the Pastor’s Wife Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

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The latest addition to Netflix’s collection of buzzy true-crime content immediately stands out. Death of the Pastor’s Wife goes beyond the mystery surrounding Mica Miller’s death to examine the disturbing dynamics of her marriage.

That approach proves effective. With 19 million views this week, the docuseries is the most-watched show on Netflix globally and the #1 show in 16 countries. Could this mean that a follow-up is on the way? Here’s what we know so far.

Death of the Pastor’s Wife Season 2 Release Date

At the time of writing, there’s no news on a potential Death of the Pastor’s Wife season 2.

Since they’re based on true events, docuseries tend to be a one-and-done affair. That said, Mica Miller’s loved ones are still looking for answers. If new information comes to light, a sequel isn’t out of the question.

Death of the Pastor’s Wife Cast

  • Mica Miller
  • John Paul Miller
  • Charlotte Korn
  • Bruna Pabon
  • Sierra Francis
  • Pam Muise
  • Abigail Francis
  • Anna Francis
  • Nate Francis

What Is Death of the Pastor’s Wife About?

The three-part docuseries looks into the life and death of Mica Miller. She was a charismatic worship leader, but her seemingly idyllic exterior concealed a troubled marriage.

Mica met John-Paul “JP” Miller, a pastor, when she was 13. Years later, the two began an affair and eventually married. According to Mica’s loved ones, what began as a relationship wrapped in faith gradually became a marriage marked by coercive control.

The series follows Mica’s attempts to escape the relationship while also examining the power dynamics between the pastor and his wife. The final episode turns to Mica’s death in April 2024 and the many questions that came up after authorities ruled it a suicide.

“The broad thing that JP was doing was trying to strip away her freedom, her independence, her self-esteem. Not through one single event, but through years and years of continuous micro-events that trapped her in a state of dependence on him,” executive producer Alana Goldstein told Tudum.

While Death of the Pastor’s Wife season 2 is unlikely to happen anytime soon, the episodes available offer a compelling look at Mica’s life and marriage. They make for an infuriating watch.

Are There Other Shows Like Death of the Pastor’s Wife?

If you found Death of the Pastor’s Wife gripping, check out some of the other true crime content streaming on Netflix.

Recent additions include Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes, The Idaho Murders: College NightmareShould I Marry a Murderer?, Worst Neighbor Everand Trust Me: The False Prophet.

Miley Shares Video for New Single ‘Bass Persuades’

Miley has dropped ‘Bass Persuades’, the title track and lead single from her recently announced album. The post-punk-inflected dance track comes paired with a Mert Alas-directed video. Check it out below.

Bass Persuades, the follow-up to 2025’s Something Beautiful, is due September 18. On Instagram, Miley wrote: “Music takes hold of us. We feel it, sing it, sometimes dance to it, let it out and carry on. It is powerful, vulnerable, sweet and strong. Heart full, heartache, every part of life in between.”

Top AI Tools for Children’s Stories

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The Three Little Pigs. Peter Pan. The Ugly Duckling. Popular bedtime stories are part of many kids’ lives. And they don’t just put a smile on their faces. A parenting resource explains that reading and storytelling support children’s cognitive development. The only problem? Stories end. And you can’t always have the time or imagination to invent a new adventure every night. Plus, the challenge of improvising when a kid asks, “Can I be in the story?” on the fly. But as luck would have it, AI tools for children’s stories can help you pull these off.

Looking closer, these AI tools turn a photo, a name, and a vague idea into a real (even illustrated) story in minutes. And to save you from poor picks, this guide lists the best choices that deliver a story that flows, illustrations that stay consistent, and a finished product that’s worth reading to children.

Top Five Best AI Tools for Children’s Stories

Lullaby

AI tools for children's stories
Image Credit: Lullaby.ink

Lullaby is built around personalized stories featuring children as the main characters. And no, it doesn’t just use book templates and swap in names. The most popular offering is photo uploads, which allow personalization of characters and locations. A child can be the hero of the story. If photos are not available, descriptions do the job well, too. Users can also generate a new story from an idea or paste one they already have. In short, Lullaby delivers an original story, with character designs, page illustrations, and text.

Key Features:

  • Supports multiple characters and custom locations
  • Character outfits that match every moment and overall story
  • Photo-to-cartoon characters with seven art styles

Pricing:

  • Free Preview
  • Digital Book Package – $14.99 per story
  • Printed Book Package – $29.99 per story

Real Use Case:

Lullaby excels in multi-character family stories. As such, parents preparing a birthday surprise can create an adventure starring their child, their pet, and the family home.

LoveToRead

AI tools for children's stories
Image Credit: LoveToRead

LoveToRead offers personalized storytelling with early reading support. Users describe the reader or listener’s age, name, and interests. Defining the occasion also helps make the story more personal. When it comes to generating the story, users have two ways to go about it. They could either give a story idea or let the AI do the heavy lifting. Uploading a photo or text description lets users personalize characters. They can even customize the designs in 8 different art styles. But that’s not all. The tool can tailor the story based on different reading levels.

Key Features:

  • Dedicated free story library for quick reads
  • Character library for reusing visuals in future stories
  • Optional keepsake hardcover with dedication

Pricing:

  • Free Preview
  • Storyteller Package – $9.99 for 100 credits (about 14 stories)
  • Dreamer Package – $19.99 for 225 credits (about 32 stories)
  • Creator Package – $49.99 for 650 credits (about 93 stories)

Real Use Case:

Pre-K teachers can rely on LoveToRead to generate individualized stories for the class. Each one gives a student a story where they’re the main character, built around their own reading capabilities.

ToonyStory

ToonyStory brings so much to the table when it comes to children’s stories. The standout feature is its AI Story generator that offers an approachable process. Users upload a photo, and the AI transforms it into a story character. Then, they can choose from themes, genres, and reading levels to fully customize the story. What’s great about ToonyStory is that it still gives users control. Dedicated tools allow them to tweak illustrations and scenes using natural language prompts. What’s more, the tool carries these over to an illustrated book and a short animated video.

Key Features:

  • Supports age-appropriate writing and multi-character stories
  • Full scene-level control
  • Consistent AI characters across story pages

Pricing:

  • Free Trial
  • Story Starter Package – $9.99 per month
  • Family Unlimited Package – $19.99 per month

Real Use Case:

ToonyStory’s library of themes and genres allows parents to personalize a story around a kid’s interests. Like making the child the central character, where he meets dinosaurs and solves a problem.

KidzTale

AI tools for children's stories
Image Credit: KidzTale

KidzTale is another tool that takes a personalized approach. However, it keeps the process particularly simple. Upload a child’s photo, select a theme, and pick an art style. In detail, KidzTale includes animal friends, dinosaur quests, fairy tales, magical forests, underwater worlds, and more. Beyond that, users can enter prompts to add additional story ideas. As for the visuals, they have the option to go for a Pixar, anime, cartoon, realistic, watercolor, or realistic look. To top it off, KidzTale’s stories can include audio narration and a printable PDF.

Key Features:

  • Generate stories for children up to 8 years old
  • Library of child-friendly story themes
  • Customizable narrator voice

Pricing:

  • No Free Package/Trial
  • Single Story Package – $5.99 for 1 story
  • Story Pack Package – $19.99 for 5 stories
  • Story Lover Package – $34.99 for 10 stories

Real Use Case:

The first day of school can be intimidating for young children. But in an instant, KidzTale can help parents use its ready-made themes to make a personalized story about their own character facing the first day with confidence.

MyStoryBot

MyStoryBot
Image Credit: MyStoryBot

MyStoryBot positions itself as an all-in-one AI tool for children’s stories. The workflow starts with a prompt. Users specify the characters, plot, and setting. It also supports photo uploads to ensure character concept consistency. At the same time, they can set their desired story length. Afterward, MyStoryBot lets them head over to its AI illustrator to produce visuals that match the text. On top of these, it lets users polish the output to their liking. Tools are available to adjust the layout, enhance the illustrations, and edit the text.

Key Features:

  • One-click export to PDF, EPUB, and video formats
  • Art style switching to fit a story’s mood
  • Royalty-free commercial use

Pricing:

  • No Free Package/Trial
  • Reader Package – $29 per month
  • Author Package – $39 per month
  • Pro Author Package – $115 per month

Real Use Case:

MyStoryBot helps parents with several children build recurring adventures featuring the same characters. This makes it easier to solve the “What happens next?” dilemma because now the story can be endless.

Choosing the Top AI Tools for Children’s Stories in 2026

Children’s stories don’t always have to come from a bookshelf. Sometimes, kids appreciate and benefit more when it’s tailored to them. That’s how AI tools for children’s stories are changing the narrative.

Some focus heavily on personalization. Others add educational features, narration, or even physical printing. The best choice depends on what you’re creating. Are you an author trying to publish a children’s book? Or are you a loving parent looking for something to level up bedtime stories? Either way, Lullaby, LoveToRead, ToonyStory, KidzTale, and MyStoryBot can help. One note before diving in: check each platform’s data and photo-retention policy, child safety and content filtering, and privacy policy.

For more ways to put AI to work, visit our articles on the best AI tools for copywriting and AI tools for book writing.

10 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Sam Gendel, DIIV, and More

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 Thursday, September 3, 2026.


Sam Gendel – ‘Pattern Dance’

After a series of ambient jazz and experimental records, Sam Gendel is dipping his toes into art-pop with his next record, Advanced White Trash, arriving November 6. It’s led by the glitchy, abrasive ‘Pattern Dance’. “People think of me as a saxophonist, and I get that,” Gendel said in a press release. “But a large portion of my music has nothing to do with that instrument.” He added of the album-making process, “I recorded all the instruments first, improvising the arrangements in real time, without a concept of the vocals. I recorded the vocals about six months later, in essentially one sitting.”

DIIV – ‘Kid’

DIIV’s A. G. Cook-produced album ZIRP! comes out next month, and today they’ve shared a new single, ‘Kid’. More tender than previous offering ‘The Fountain’, the track comes paired with a video filmed by frontman Zachary Cole Smith’s son Roy and Roy’s friend Julian.

Emma Ruth Rundle – ‘God’s Picture’

Emma Ruth Rundle has unveiled ‘God’s Picture’, a delicately gorgeous track that’s billed as the thesis statement of her upcoming album, These Killing Times. “‘God’s Picture’ is a meditation on the state of the world, particularly climate disaster, global conflict and class,” she explained. “Musically this song feels like a segue from Engine of Hell, with its gentle piano and guitar, to These Killing Times, with its more lush arrangements and message. This song is also a plea for the demolition of Western hegemony. Accompanied by a music video collaboration with many friends and for which I painstakingly constructed the sets for in the winter of 2025/26, ‘God’s Picture’ is the thesis statement at the core of my new album These Killing Times.”

Son Lux – ‘No God Like a King’

Son Lux have previewed their forthcoming LP Out Into with ‘No God Like a King’, a wonky cut that was stretched out of a one-take performance. “We’re all fans of hip-hop — the boom-bap era in particular,” drummer Ian Chang remarked. “Stuff that has that gridded-but-not-gridded kind of feel. With our love for liquidy beats, we’ve always been drawn to the humanity in it. And with AI changing the music industry so much, we’re interested in making stuff where you hear the hand.”

Simple Minds – ‘Beginner Boys’

Simple Minds have announced a new album, Sacrosanct, with the lead single ‘Beginner Boys’. “We called the album Sacrosanct because after a lifetime of doing this — nearly fifty years of writing songs together — it’s stopped feeling like a career and started feeling like something closer to faith,” frontman Jim Kerr commented. “Calling the record Sacrosanct isn’t an exaggeration. It’s just honest.”

Living Hour – ‘Magnet’

Living Hour have announced a new EP, Magnet, to be released September 24 on Keeled Scales. It features two new songs and two demos of tracks from their latest album Internal Drone Infinity, and the wondrously sparse titled track is out today.

Growing Pains – ‘Bottle Rocket’

Growing Pains have announced a new album, Daniel Loves Mandy Forever, arriving through their new label home Photo Finish on October 9. Lead single ‘Bottle Rocket’ is equal parts soaring and ethereal. “This song was inspired by a childhood memory of trying to send a toy rocket afar,” Carl Taylor explained. “An act of reaching for something that can never be grasped. I don’t know if this was a real memory or a dream.”

The Mary Wallopers – ‘The Big Mixers’

The Mary Wallopers have shared an anthemic new single, ‘The Big Mixer’, taken from their forthcoming album Paddywhackery. “This is a song for all the labourers, the nurses, the shelf fillers, the train drivers, the truck drivers, the Deliveroo drivers, the SNAs, the miners, the factory workers… all the people doing a hard day’s work and forced back to the Big Mixer to make profits for someone else,” the group commented. “When the ganger man Concrete Bob (aka Robert McAlpine, whose construction company once employed 200,000 Irish men) was on his deathbed, he responded to the suggestions that work on site should halted as a mark of respect when he passed with ‘No – keep the Big Mixer going, and keep Paddy behind it.’”

Armlock – ‘Half-Time’

Australia’s Armlock have returned with a lovely new song, ‘Half Time’. “‘Half Time’ is mostly trying to describe the gap between existing and feeling,” the band expounded. “‘Tell me how to hear it’ became a central lyric, treating emotion as an elusive frequency I’m trying to hear but can’t quite tap into. It’s not meant to be a sad song, it’s more anchored in the frustration of trying to extract more from every passing moment and wanting to feel what’s under the surface.” They added, “We recorded the song in our usual way in our own studios, chopping and changing as we go. Pieces recorded in different tempos and sometimes different keys. You’re listening to version 1 and version 50 at the same time. Demo memos and final takes live together in the master. Once again we got Geography and Juice Webster to jump in on the backing vocals. The video for “Half Time” was made with Tom Dunphy and Bridgette Winten. It was important to us that the video had a lot of color, in reference to the lyric “just another rainbow.” We shot everything in double time with quite a lot of over-the-top energy, though when we play it back in half time it looks pretty subdued, which is kind of perfect for the meaning of the track.”

otta – ‘MEZZANINE’

British-Finnish songwriter otta is launching her new album, ASTRA, with an eight-and-a-half-minute meditation called ‘MEZZANINE’. “It gets a bit abstract, but it’s also pop music…” she remarked. “There are multiple narratives occurring – the instrumentation is kind of a whole story in itself. It was really addictive to work on, I played around with it for ages, mainly just because it was so much fun, every sound was something I played and considered right till the very end. It is sort of like a big painting, nothing is just surface level or as it seems, different narratives, textures, magic etc… I just wanted it to feel like you’re in the song when you’re listening to it.”

A Flexible Workspace Could Be the Key to a More Inspiring Fall Routine

Fall routines have a particular quality in America. They arrive with the school year and the end of summer, carrying a sense of structure and intention that the warmer months tend to soften. New planners get purchased. Morning routines get revised. The home, recently used for vacations and irregular schedules, gets reconfigured for the demands of the next several months. And somewhere in this annual reset, the workspace tends to get attention it does not always receive at other times of year.

This fall, the workspace conversation is worth taking further than usual. Not just reorganising the desk or buying a new chair mat, but asking whether the workspace itself, the furniture and the spatial arrangement, is actually set up to support an inspiring fall routine or whether it is simply a static environment that work happens to occur in.

What Makes a Workspace Inspiring

The word inspiring, applied to a workspace, tends to make people reach for aesthetic solutions: better lighting, a cleaner desk, a plant that actually thrives indoors. These are not wrong, but they address the surface rather than the structure. The workspace that is genuinely inspiring is one that creates the physical and spatial conditions for good work, not just one that looks like it should.

Physical comfort is the foundation. A workspace where the body is fighting its position rather than supported by it is a workspace that drains energy rather than enabling it. Getting the desk height right, having the monitor at the correct level, and being able to move between different postures during a long working day are the conditions that make sustained, quality work possible.

Beyond comfort, though, there is something else that the most effective workspaces share: a degree of spatial flexibility that allows the working environment to respond to the task at hand rather than imposing a fixed arrangement on every kind of work.

This is where the 360-Degree Rotating Desk from Hulala Home makes a genuinely distinctive contribution. The ability to rotate the working surface, changing the spatial orientation of the workspace without moving the desk, introduces a flexibility that most workspace setups do not have and that turns out to matter more than it initially seems.

The Fall Routine, Supported by Flexible Furniture

The Morning Setup

Fall morning routines tend to be more structured than summer ones, with earlier starts and more defined sequences of tasks. A workspace that can be quickly configured for the first task of the day, whether that is a focused writing session, a series of early calls, or a planning review, supports these routines rather than creating friction at their start. A rotating desk surface allows this configuration to happen in seconds, without moving equipment or rearranging the room.

The Mid-Day Shift

The mid-day hours of a fall working day often involve a shift in the type of work being done, from the more focused, generative work of the morning to the more responsive, collaborative work of the afternoon. A workspace that can physically shift to accommodate this change, by rotating toward a different light source for video calls or orienting differently for tasks that benefit from a changed spatial relationship, supports this transition in a way that a fixed desk cannot.

The Late Afternoon Recovery

The late afternoon hours of fall are when the shortening days are felt most acutely in the quality of natural light and the body’s energy levels. A workspace that allows for postural change and spatial reorientation during these hours, rather than fixing the body in a single position in relation to a static environment, provides the kind of gentle environmental stimulus that helps extend the productive part of the afternoon.

For American home workers building a fall routine they actually want to sustain, the 360-Degree Rotating Desk from Hulala Home offers a starting point that goes beyond the seasonal decoration refresh and addresses the structural flexibility that an inspiring workspace actually requires.

The Investment That Shapes the Season

The fall workspace investment, made thoughtfully, shapes not just the season but the working year that follows it. A desk that introduces genuine spatial flexibility, that supports the full range of working modes that a professional fall calendar demands, and that looks considered rather than generic in the home it occupies, is a desk that pays dividends every working day.

The fall routine that is supported by the right workspace is a fall routine that is easier to maintain, more enjoyable to inhabit, and more productive than one that relies on willpower to compensate for environmental friction. Getting the workspace right is not a luxury addition to a fall reset. For most American home workers, it is the most impactful thing the reset can include.

For anyone ready to make that investment, the workspace furniture range at Hulala Home is worth exploring as a genuinely considered starting point for a more inspiring fall routine.

Simple Minds Announce New Album ‘Sacrosanct’, Share New Single

Simple Minds have announced a new album, Sacrosanct, which is set for release on January 29. It’s part of a trilogy of albums that includes Walk Between Worlds and Direction of the Heart. Check out the lead single ‘Beginner Boys’ below.

“We called the album Sacrosanct because after a lifetime of doing this — nearly fifty years of writing songs together — it’s stopped feeling like a career and started feeling like something closer to faith,” frontman Jim Kerr explained. “Calling the record Sacrosanct isn’t an exaggeration. It’s just honest.”

“Making records and performing live is as much part of our lives now as when we started out,” Kerr added. “We feel grateful to those who support new music from Simple Minds and look forward to seeing you all on our upcoming world tour.”

Sacrosanct Cover Artwork:

 Sacrosanct

Sacrosanct Tracklist:

1. Elysium
2. King of The Underworld
3. Beginner Boys
4. Jerusalem (State Of Mind)
5. Our Secrets Are The Same
Songs
6. Alive In This Moment
7. The Next Right Thing

DIIV Share Video for New Single ‘Kid’

DIIV are gearing up to release their A. G. Cook-produced album ZIRP!, and they’ve already shared the lead single ‘The Fountain’. Today, they’re back with another one, the tenderly acoustic ‘Kid’, which comes with a video filmed by Zachary Cole Smith’s son Roy and Roy’s friend Julian. Check out the Jaxon Whittington-directed clip below.

ZIRP!, the follow-up to 2024’s Frog in Boiling Water, is out October 30 via Fantasy. Revisit our inspirations interview with DIIV.

Art Circles Identified the Four-Year Sequence Behind Gallery Growth

Art Circles, the first AI-powered operating system for the art world shared new insight into how successful galleries actually grow.

After a year of conversations with European gallerists one thing became clear: successful galleries rarely grow evenly. Instead, they tend to develop in a particular order, with three things determining how well they move from the first stage to the next: management, measurement, and efficiency. “Most galleries don’t fail on the steps. They fail on the order,” says Hector Vidal, founder of Art Circles. “Getting that order right takes more than instinct. It takes seeing what the data is telling you at each stage.”

Year one: management, locally

Before the press, before any thought of global expansion, the galleries are typically spending their first year: building a reputation, choosing the right artists, building the right relationships with collectors – no shortcuts. At the same time, it is also the year a gallery is mostly on its own, with a lot to track and little written down: who is coming through the door, the start of a real collector database, the first commercial and administrative processes. Art Circles is built to help manage that from day one.

Year two: measurement, going loud

Once the local reputation holds, there is a real push into press and media coverage, the year visibility stops being incidental and starts being built on purpose. But going loud only pays off if it can be measured. Reach without measurement is just an impression, not a real insight or impact. Art Circles is built to help galleries tracking reach and collector behaviour so existing attention can be turned into sales.

Year three: efficiency, going international

With reputation and visibility in place, expansion starts focusing on new markets, new fairs, new geographies. Notably, this comes third, not first. Scaling this way comes at a cost, and not every experiment works. Art Circles helps galleries to oversee, early and efficiently, which opportunities will actually work before they take a decision to proceed further with them.

Year four: profitability, on purpose

Not “hopefully profitable by now,” but a specific point where the business is expected to hold its own. The earlier three years are the investment, the forth –  is where it is meant to pay off. With a team and moving pieces in play, efficient, data-driven management is starting to matter most. Art Circles will help galleries understand where their time and resources are going, identify areas for improvement, and propose tailored solutions to streamline internal processes and support more effective growth.

At the same time, one of the key ideas behind Art Circles is not replacing personal relationships or gallery teams with technology. It is about helping galleries gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions, while keeping personal relationships at the core.

Key Art Circles’ capabilities include:

  • A complete collector profile: every email opened, every event attended, every artwork viewed or requested, every conversation. All this information will contribute to a single, connected view of each collector. Instead of records scattered across different platforms, where important details can easily get lost, galleries will have access to a complete collector profile in one place.
  • AI matchmaking: instead of manually searching through hundreds of contacts, Art Circles will provide tailored recommendations, identifying the collectors most likely to engage with a particular artwork or attend an event, making client relationships easier to manage and more targeted.
  • Event analytics that go beyond attendance: registrations, attendance, engagement, and follow-ups will be tracked, giving the gallerist a deeper understanding of the exhibition’s audience. For example, they will be able to see which collectors are most engaged, which artworks or mediums generate the most interest, how the audience is growing, and what trends emerge over time.

Client feedback:

I’ve been using Art Circles since April this year, and it’s genuinely filled a gap in the market.” — Hussain Ismail, Convelio, London

Art Circles captures every touchpoint of the collector journey, turning basic email addresses into detailed profiles and tracking real-time buyer behavior to effortlessly drive sales, attribute efforts, and elevate business insights and reporting.” — George, GoodNight Gallery, London

Most art fairs don’t struggle from a lack of interest, they struggle because they scale out of order… Art Circles gives us the infrastructure to run that growth sequence cleanly.”  — Louise Malfait, Art On Paper, Brussels

About Art Circles

As the first AI-powered operating system for the art world, Art Circles replaces diverse tools galleries typically juggle with one platform. At the same time, it can be used to organize events, manage collectors, sell artworks, and get AI insights to reach the right audience and prospect commercial opportunities.

Hector Vidal, founder of Art Circles

Art Circles was founded by Hector Vidal, who also runs his own gallery, Untitled Gallery, in London. With a background in data, technology, and growth, Hector combined his experience in these fields with the realities of the art business. This became the starting point for Art Circles.