It’s that time of year again, another annual review of the music that stood out. There have been some outstanding releases, but not as over-flowing as in recent years. There are thoughts and reasons, but let’s not talk about them. Instead, let us celebrate the superb winners that reflected my love for independent and unsigned
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Back in 2008, Jessi Robertson recorded her debut album in her bedroom. She created an honest and grounded collection of songs with a captivating, raw quality. Each track from Who We Are, What We Have Done focused on her acoustic guitar and layers of electronic music. It creates a hypnotic atmosphere that sets the stage for
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If you’ve heard the music by HOLY WARS, you know they are not your typical rock band. Listen to their flawless album Eat It Up, Spit It Out to understand why this is the case. Together, Kat Leon (vocalist/songwriter) and Nicolas Perez (guitarist/producer) created an honest and unapologetic collection of songs. For example, people’s obsession
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Jeremy Squires returns with his new album, Riddle of Stars. It began life with an electric soundtrack. However, due to the song “Blood Pact” being a farewell poem for his friend’s funeral, this release evolved into something stripped back with a heart-stirring nature. Its delicate mood features his finger-picking guitar style, piano and the occasional
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At an early age, music became an essential element in the world of Matt Warren. He learned the craft by performing, learning from heroes and studying contemporary music composition at University. But, he wanted to walk his own path when creating his own work. This was clear to hear from his debut single, “Witchcraft”, a
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The North East’s Smoove and Turrell return with their seventh (studio) album, Red Ellen. You don’t see many modern-day artists/bands release as many albums as this nowadays, it’s a credit to the calibre of music and their loyal fanbase. They have come a long way since their debut single, “I Can’t Give You Up”. The
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Listen up! Screaming Eagles are BACK! Like many others, their momentum slowed down during the pandemic. Before that, they burst onto the scene with their debut album, From The Flames. It’s a collection of songs that growl and roar like a rock ‘n’ roll beast. Letting tracks such as “All The Way” and “Vampire” showcase
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With a new album on the horizon, VOLK offers another taste of what to expect with a new single. Since the release of their outstanding album Cashville, Chris Lowe (electric guitar, vocals) and Eleot Reich (drums, lead vocals) has opened a new chapter on their sound. Not to stay in one musical spot for too
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If someone mentions the Americana band The Matinee, it’s difficult for fans not to think of the image of the bus/coach from their debut album, We Swore We’d See The Sunrise. Like that bus/coach, the band has been on their own journey. During this time, they have always stayed true to their music by creating
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2019 saw the arrival of the five-piece band Eddy Smith and the 507 and their music. First, with a few singles, followed by their EPs, A Little Too Late Part One and Part Two. Both releases delivered a collection of songs that oozed soul and blues goodness. These guys knew their musical lane and were
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In a short time, Sylvan Weekends formed and released their debut EP, Outliers. It delivered tracks featuring stunning vocals, singalong hooks and mesmerising soundtracks, giving us standout moments such as “Every Day” and “185”. But that’s only part of it, as Matthew, Freya, and Daniel have been busy on the road spreading their music to
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Ever since his debut EP, Take My Leave, Steve Grozier has become known for his compelling storytelling within his music. He blends his fantastic way with words with a captivating Americana soundtrack. Each one showcases his songwriting talents, as heard on the outstanding “Take My Leave” and “A Place Called Home” (taken from his second
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Earlier this year, Hannah Mazey released her debut singles “Clean From You” and “Comfort Blanket”. Due to her honest lyrical style and LoFi pop soundtrack, these captivating songs gained rave reviews and BBC Radio airtime. With momentum on her side, she is excited to share her highly anticipated debut EP, BITTER. Mazey says this collection
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To write music takes talent. To do so prolifically to a high standard is something else. An artist who has continued to impress with such frequency and high calibre is Stylusboy (aka Steve Jones). Since his debut release in 2009 (Fingerprint EP), he has continued to mesmerise listeners with his style of heartfelt indie folk.
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2015 saw Pete Robson release his debut album, The Red Album. It featured a familiar style of blues with his own twist. It embodied what blues is all about with its grounded storytelling and mesmerising guitar style. Tracks such as “Working Man” highlighted his way with words, while “Leaving the City” showcased his musical talents
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Interstate Drive has developed a reputation for creating music that perfectly balances their style of driving rock with emotive lyrics. A combination that has continued to impress with songs such as “Invented”, “Open Your Eyes”, and the outstanding “All I Ever See Is You”. Now, Cameron Davidson (guitars, piano, vocals), Andy Syson (drums), and Chris
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Last year, indie record label Lights and Lines launched its first Album Writing Club competition. The challenge was to write an album or EP and submit it within a month. It attracted songwriters from all different countries, genres and various levels of experience. The calibre of music was impressive and saw the likes of Mikey
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2021 saw Dust Radio release their debut EP, Shotgun Shack. Paddy Wells (vocals/harmonica) and Tom Jackson (guitars/vocals) delivered five tracks described as ‘RAW AND ROOTSY BLUES’ (as it says on the EP’s artwork). It showcased their own style of stripped-back blues that may feel a little raw around the edges, but it made it feel
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This year, Izzie Yardley released her single “All We Have”. It was a taster of what to expect in her debut EP, Imposter, an EP made possible thanks to the support from PRS Women in Music and Help Musicians. To help accomplish her goal, she brought in talented musicians Ethan Johns (drums) and Nick Pini
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Stop the press ROOM11 are back! The partnership of Robbie Pinnetto (guitars) and Chrisy Finn (vocals) have already showcased their talents on their debut single, “We All Fall Down”, a full-throttle rock track with swagger, matched by vocals with attitude. It comes together to create an anthemic track that makes you sing along to its
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Tempus Frayed burst onto the scene with their single “Be The One”. It highlighted a band that knew how to create an anthemic rock track with an infectious soundtrack. After its release, Kailan Last (lead vocals/guitar), Wade Currin (rhythm guitar), and Sam Pritchard (drums) kept with the momentum by releasing more singles throughout the year.
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It has only been a few years since Title Holder released their first single, “Animal”. After receiving rave reviews, they continued releasing more singles. During this time, they set free their debut EP, Story of My Life. After that, Matt Sullivan began writing their new album. While recording, he showed off his talents by playing
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2021 saw the release of “Seafront”, the debut single by Philip Jonathan. The single showcased a songwriter whose captivating soundtrack was as impressive as his storytelling, his style of folk having a vast feel to it. His way with words and the music he creates has a cinematic atmosphere, just listen to the latter part
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Mike Ross is an artist who continues to break free of genre limitations. If you listen to his albums in release order (starting with Spindrift), his music takes you on a journey with an ever-changing musical landscape. These include blues, American, blues rock, country and some dashing of other sounds thrown in for good measure.
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Throughout his many singles and albums, Kev Minney has defined himself as a sublime storyteller and guitar player. His albums Stories Of The Sky and Modern Stories showcased his honest songwriting with words that do not hold back. With outstanding songs such as “Dark Stars”, “Just Another Day”, “Good Friends”, and “Magic”, you could hear
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Last year saw the formation of Sylvan Weekends. Even though this collection of musicians may be new, each member has plenty of experience to offer the group. They describe themselves as a “band born from contradiction: London meets wilderness, tech meets off-grid, folk meets electro. The ethos of contrast is seeded through every track and
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When VOLK released their stellar album Cashville, it was like a force of nature that did not hold back. It showcased the different sides of their music, including outlaw country, rockabilly swing, to dancey garage rock. With the rich variations of sounds, their impressive way with words remained constant. Eleot Reich (drums) and Christopher Lowe
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It’s been all about the blues since Hard Stairs released their debut album Libertus Caught in 2016. Together Hortson Longsail (guitar/vocals) and Martin J (drums/percussion/vocals) have been creating their brand of garage blues. It may feel rough around the edges, but you can hear they have a genuine passion for what they do. It is
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After many impressive EPs spanning over eight years, Art Block releases his debut album, Stones and Fire. He has carefully assembled ten tracks that are special to him. Some listeners might find them familiar as some are from his recent releases. However, for new listeners, it offers the perfect gateway into the musical world of
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Shaun Panda Nicolson has always been a big fan of music. But creating his own has been a different story. He has written many songs and performed them, but none were recorded or released. After a chance encounter with Lights And Lines Label Manager Mike Five, they planned to change that. After hearing some of
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The Broken Creels are a must-hear band made up of Colin Clyne (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Tom Ward (guitar/keys), Lee Heinemann (bass), and Daz Alexander (drums). Each member provides their specific talents and experience from other projects, including The Dawntreaders, Eskimo Blonde, Parker and The Carrons, and others from solo ventures. Together, they describe themselves as
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Jacko Hooper is an artist who writes music with his heart on his sleeve. This honest quality has seen his songs speak to so many listeners. His new album Respair is another example of this characteristic in action. It also features some of his finest work to date. Its creation began in 2020 when the
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It hasn’t been a year since Tim Gerard released his album Right From The Start, but he is eager to give us more new music. With his creative flow in overdrive, he has been working on new material with Pineapple Cowboy (aka Matthew Austin). Together they had worked on hundreds of songs. At the end
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It does not seem long since The Lost Trades presented their debut album, The Bird, The Book and The Barrel. It is a captivating release built around the collective vocals of Jamie R Hawkins, Phil Cooper, and Tamsin Quin. Together, they created many sublime moments as songs such as “Hope Cove”, “Kingdom Falls”, and “Distance
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When Gozer Goodspeed released his album Ghosts of the Future & Past, it was more than just a collection of songs. It showed where his music used to be, and where it is now, but more importantly, it was a glimpse of things to come. It was a recap of his impressive songwriting and storytelling
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Last year saw the welcomed return of Sam Scherdel. Over the twelve months, he released the outstanding singles “Early Morning Rain”, “The Answer”, and “Brave Mistake”. Each one showcases his captivating vocals with an alt-rock soundtrack. However, the track “Don’t Really Like You” stood out the most. Its infectious pop-rock soft felt familiar but new
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Over the last few years, Izzie Yardley has been honing her songwriting abilities. It included the release of the home-brewed lockdown singles “I’m Still Here” and “Aurelia”. She has also performed at festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Americana Fest, Ilford Jazz festival and Black Deer Festival. Now, she is ready to showcase her musical talents
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It’s strange to hear The Lad Classic described as a rock band. They are much more than that, as their singles “Oh Me” and “New Emotion” can testify. They break the mould by bringing their own blend of rock that fuses a funky undertone, the energy within their music gets under your skin in a
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They say the worlds broken, and Ska wouldn’t care, they have a f**cking trumpet. It’s that crazy carefree attitude that makes bands like Title Holder so damn good. It’s the way that their infusion of pop-punk-ska with singalong hooks that brings a smile to the listener’s face. A trait heard throughout their all-killer, no-filler EP,
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For over a decade, Half Deaf Clatch has been prolific in writing songs described as “raw down-home blues”. He mixes it with some covers of tracks by legends of the world of blues (including Son House and Robert Johnson) but impresses more with his original work. Somehow, his songwriting has continued to be of a
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It’s hard to believe it has been a few years since Gozer Goodspeed released his outstanding albums Rebuilt and Remade and Ghosts of the Future & Past. In his defence, the world has been a bit crazy since they were released. However, he did treat us to a new track last year, “Full Tilt Revival”
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In 2020, R.D. Thomas went solo with the release of his debut EP Headlines. He wanted to create something of his own after spending time as a touring multi-instrumentalist for Ben Howard and Paolo Nutini, as well as frontman for Brother & Bones. It was a collection of songs that showcased his lyrical and vocal
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Gitta de Ridder and Martha Bean have been working on a project to combine their musical talents. We first experienced this on de Ridder’s track “Song a Song, Singalong”. Bean provided additional vocals and her skills on the bass. Their collaborative EP Song to Dream By is described as “packed with love, warmth and introspection.
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We are coming to the end of another crazy year. A long rollercoaster that some of us wanted to get off quicker than others. However, I’m here to talk about the music that was part of my year’s soundtrack. Let’s call it my Music Review of 2022. The songs, albums, or EPs that made me
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Over the last decade, Fred Hills has worked with some of the UK’s finest artists including the excellent Ellie Ford, Michael Baker, Time For T & Mara Simpson. He has done so with his skills on the drums. What is highly impressive is how he can effortlessly play a wide range of genres, but always
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Mat Hunsley has returned from an impromptu hiatus to have a great year hitting the road and getting his new music out to the people. Not only that, but he has released his EP, A Worrier’s Dream. It featured the single “Do It Anyway” and the outstanding “Always”. He also released live versions of “Friend
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Benjamin Amos is ready to showcase his musical talents with his debut album, Letters. He describes this release as an “intimate and honest collection of letters in musical form, from the last ten years of his life. Some delivered, some yet to be delivered, and some he’s too scared to send”. His singles “Never Far
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Music is at its best when it breaks free from the usual boundaries. The perfect example of this is the songs by GRIM17. Here is an artist who rebels against being pigeoned with his sound. Instead, he lets his music run without restraint, but in a good way. Because of this, he keeps listeners on
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Third Lung has spent the last five years showcasing their music with various singles and EPs, including the outstanding Dialogues of the Fatal Few EP. Not only that, but they have been receiving rave reviews for their live performances from both their shows and festival slots, including Camden Rocks and AYL? festivals. With momentum on
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Since 2021, Protect Your Heart has released songs from their album Introduction. However, when the band formed in 2019 with Jake Bratrude (lead guitar), Anthony Palazzole (bass), and Kean Bartelman (rhythm guitar), the plan was to create a three-track EP. During these early days, they noticed that they needed more people to help bring their
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