[Image courtesy of Broadway World Music]

By Grace Koennecke, Columns Editor

On Wednesday, several musicians released new singles for their fans, including rock artists Ronan Conroy  and The Speed Of Sound. 

Conroy dropped a goth rock rendition of Lana Del Rey’s “Dark Paradise,” surprising fans with a cover instead of a new single, territory that the singer has not ventured into before. The cover will be included on his upcoming sophomore album, The Slow Death of the LoveMyth, which drops Oct. 21. The new album is a compilation of songs from the 1980s to now that have inspired Conroy. 

Read more: Elk City releases new single from their upcoming album

In an interview with Broadway World Music, the singer explained his choices behind covering “Dark Paradise,” saying, “Lana’s music, and the way it shows her evolution and her personal journey, has been continually inspiring. I heard ‘Born To Die’ years after it came out and it was an album I listened to incessantly, often choosing it as a record I’d fall asleep to last thing at night.”

Meanwhile, The Speed Of Sound also released new music, unveiling a double A-side single, “Virtual Reality 123 / Charlotte 12” Version” via Big Stir Records. The new track dives into the band’s perspective on virtual reality, as well as Charlotte Bronte, since the song was recorded in a room where the novelist spent a lot of time during her career. 

“The song is based on actual events from the 1850’s; the first time we played Charlotte live was in Elizabeth Gaskell’s house within the actual room where Charlotte Bronte hid behind a curtain to avoid meeting an unexpected visitor while she was staying in her fellow novelist’s home,” said lead vocalist John Armstrong in a press release.

The new singles from Ronan Conroy and The Speed Of Sound are available on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify for streaming.