Alela Diane asks Who's Keeping Time? on a new folk release

Alela Diane releases Who's Keeping Time? on 22 May through Fluff and Gravy Records and Loose Music, adding a strong folk and singer-songwriter entry to the day's release slate. Diane's music has long been rooted in voice, memory, motherhood, nature and the slow emotional weight of ordinary life. She belongs to a lineage of contemporary folk artists who do not need to shout for a song to feel devastating.

The title Who's Keeping Time? carries several possible meanings: musical time, family time, aging, grief, responsibility and the strange way days can vanish while a life is being built. That is exactly the kind of question Diane's songs are equipped to hold.

In a 22 May wave full of experimental electronics, rap, alternative pop and archival releases, her album adds a quieter but essential thread. Independent music is often strongest when it lets different tempos coexist. Not every release needs to arrive as a declaration. Some arrive like a candle in a room after everyone has gone home.

For indie-folk readers, Who's Keeping Time? is worth noting because Diane remains a songwriter who understands stillness as a force. Her songs often make their point through patience, and patience is increasingly rare. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2026_albums