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The term ‘indie’ in the music industry has become so ambiguous it has practically become as subjective as the meaning of life. Whichever way it is defined, it is still a massive part of the music industry in the UK and across the globe.

Originally, indie referred to how an artist distributed their music. Over the decades, it became a catch-all term for artists sharing the same sonic off-kilter edge; and, of course, the same moody yet inexplicably cool aesthetic. Indie, as a genre, only came around as the result of experimental artists in the 70s wanting to bring a new sound to the airwaves; instead of solely hoping for commercial success after appeasing one of the major record labels.

Indie artists adopted punk ethos they started to push the boundaries of pop. Instead of commercialising their sound, they pushed it into post-punk, shoegaze, synthpop, Britpop, avant-garde, noise rock and dream pop arenas. For all that separates bands such as Sonic Youth, the Cure, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Joy Division, Elliott Smith and Radiohead, there is still so much that ties them together, namely their attitudes and the loud discordant style.

Along with the bands, iconic venues such as the 100 Club in London, the Hacienda in Manchester, and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow had a pivotal part to play in the traction of independent artists and music. New Indie labels, such as Rough Trade and Factory Records, were amongst the first record labels to truly embrace and encourage experimentalism and authenticity in the artists they scouted and signed – taking New Order and Joy Division as a prime example.

It may have been a while since there was an indie breakthrough act as successful as the Arctic Monkeys, but indie music has far from lost its resonance. Besides, Monkeys won over 42 awards and sold over 20 million records, so that’s going to take some beating, and they’re certainly not the only indie artists currently thriving.

The Welsh indie rock icons, the Manic Street Preachers, celebrated their first number 1 album in 23 years with the release of Ultra Vivid Lament in 2021. The Tarantino-Esque Liverpool outfit, Red Rum Club, released their debut album in 2019, and got to number 14 in the official album sales chart with their album, How to Steal the World, in 2021. Perhaps most impressively, the world’s first CryptoPunk rapper, Spottie Wifi, made just under $200k in album NFT sales in 90 seconds this year.

Spotlight Feature: Pop-Punk’s Fiercest Lyricist, Juliette Irons, Advocated for the Heartbroken in her Latest Anthem, Skydive

Posted on 18 November 2022

After a brush with disorientating heartbreak, the Toronto-born, LA-based artist, producer, and dancer Juliette Irons picked herself up, dusted herself off and released the stormer of a pop-punk anthem, Skydive, as an act of solidarity with anyone feeling the same anxious dejection.

Skydive follows on from her evocative whirlwind, Prisoner of My Mind, which introduced the airwaves to the claustrophobia of anxiety. Still on stellar lyrical form, Skydive ensnaringly traverses the euphoric highs and dark and despondent lows of a situation-ship to prove even if you’re the one broken and bruised, you’re not the loser.

No heartbreak can survive the flood of dopamine that surges from Skydive. The rap verses are the vindicating cherry on the hook-sprinkled pop-punk cake, which tastes like 00s nostalgia, but Juliette Irons always brings her own signature emboldening flavour to the mix.

“Skydive was inspired by the confusion that comes from whirlwind heartbreak. I had just come out of a brief rollercoaster situation-ship that ended abruptly without much explanation. I felt like I had been thrown from a moving plane, woke up on the ground, and I was the only one who jumped.

I had given everything to this person, only to end up a shell of myself as I picked up the pieces during a realisation that everything was over. I hope this song can help other people going through a similar ungrounding shock to the system, and we can be empowered through it together.”

The official music video for Skydive will officially premiere on November 18th. Catch it on YouTube, and stay tuned on Facebook & Instagram, as Skydive is only the first part of the story. The concluding chapter will be told through her follow-up single, The Fear of Flying.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Movment chose ‘VIOLENCE’ in their protestive post-punk call to arms

Posted on 18 November 2022

‘VIOLENCE’ is the serendipitously timely new single from the Irish indie post-punk outfit, Movment; the pit-worthy call to arms in the wake of widespread apathy is exactly what our society confounded in fear of failure and futility needs to hear.

The boisterous chugging basslines roll with the percussive punches to fuel VIOLENCE with the aggravated energy required to stand up to the forces which make no bones about oppressing us. Under the fiery duress of Martin Kelly’s angsty vocal lines, the galvanically pulsating furore of the stagnation-emancipating record heightens to the nth degree while affirming that if utilised properly, anger can be one of the most powerful driving forces known to man.

Now that John Lydon is a national embarrassment and the gloss has been taken off PIL, it is all too refreshing to have Movment on our radar.

Violence will officially release on November 18th. Watch the official music video on YouTube and check out Movment’s official website.

We All Belong: UK hip hop artist DAlcon is feeling the trophy coming home on football anthem England’s Time

Posted on 18 November 2022

Showing us what enthusiasm looks like when you want that trophy so badly, DAlcon brings us a single for all footie fans who wear their heart on the sleeve and needs that 1966 grit again with England’s Time.

DAlcon is a London, UK-based indie hip hop artist who grew up somewhere between Spain and the UK while fusing rugged verses on the way.

”Inspired by nature together with his own life experiences, he believes he has finally found his own style. Illness, home eviction and mental health problems have inspired him to be creative and to pursue his passion.” ~ DAlcon

As we are so inspired by the Guinness World Record holder for the longest rap marathon in history, DAlcon drops the World Cup anthem all England fans need to cheer with and brush away those heart wrenching previous missed-penalties’ pain with skillful aplomb.

England’s Time from London, UK-based indie hip hop artist DAlcon is a passionate single with so much love and support for a team who needs every fan. After the ugly scenes from the Euros, this is a positive track which has been made for one reason only. To unite.

Listen up on Spotify and see more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Spotlight Feature: Australian singer-songwriter, Ted, sang an insurgent indie-psych-folk lullaby in his latest single, Revolution Then

Posted on 17 November 2022

The Australian Indie-Folk singer-songwriter Ted’s latest single, Revolution Then, is definitive proof you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

The artfully quiescent call for sense to coalesce with postulation resonates like a semi-lucid lullaby, affirming enlightenment doesn’t always need to be synonymous with anger and despair. Sometimes, it is just enough to be on the right side of history.

While Elliott Smith’s records will always be there to soothe us in our darkest hours, he’s no longer here to transcribe humanity’s darkest hours. That crown has evidently fallen upon Ted, who is fearless in his quest to hold a mirror to the most tragic facets of our existence before reflecting them through his psych-tinged arrangements crafted in the mellifluous framework of his music, constructed by guitars, bass, drums, sax and keys – all recorded from his bedroom studio to feed us the intimacy we never knew we craved in these polarity-defined times.

“The song is loosely based on the French Revolution. I was inspired by some more recent political events which occurred in the US. I wanted to convey this in a way that was like telling an old story to a child, like in a nursery rhyme.”

Stream Revolution Then via Spotify.

Follow Ted on Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JRMR synthesised the ultimate ambient dream pop instrumental score with his latest single, wind dust.

Posted on 17 November 2022

‘wind dust.’ Is the latest stylishly synthetic single from the up-and-coming experimental music producer JRMR (Jon Munoz). The tranquil beguile of the ambiently dreamy textures allow you to key into transcendental Beach House-Esque tones for two short but sweet minutes as the shimmering reverb washes over you, bringing catharsis in every cinematic wave.

Since his 2019 debut, the Puerto Rican experimentalist has remained prolific by releasing a string of singles which set the anticipation for his first mixtape, death is an illusion that glows in the dark. With that titular nod to the philosophy of the enigmatic artist, you get a clue to the psyche from which his sonically spectacular singles were born. It is one that I, for one, can get on board with, and it seems I’m not alone in my penchant for JRMR’s experimental dream pop aesthetics. His most popular single, avarice. has clocked up over 17k streams on Spotify alone.

Head over to Spotify to add wind dust. to your playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

I’ll Never Leave: Glasgow-based alt-pop band Spiral Cities is bound to the world on Forgotten

Posted on 17 November 2022

Feeling so dazed and confused while not finding the victory line, Spiral Cities passes by into our ears and shows us what true love sounds like on the passionate new release Forgotten.

Spiral Cities is a Glasgow, Scotland-based indie 5-piece alternative pop band who makes those melodic soundtracks which are impossible to ignore.

”The band possesses a commercial, melodic sound inspired by everything from rock to EDM, which has earned them their following so far and, of course, their huge support slot for The Native in June 2022.” ~ Spiral Cities

Showing us deep inside the smokes and the drinks, Spiral Cities take our emotions for a spin via their transcendently impressive sound and self-aware lyrics. Wrapped with a world class ingenuity and a clear vision, to leave us all gasping for air inside this exceptional release.

Forgotten from Glasgow, Scotland-based indie 5-piece alternative pop band Spiral Cities is a stunning single for all the right reasons. Soaked in so much honest reflection and with dreamy vocals to hold on to tightly, this is a hugely memorable anthem when that pilled-up pain needs to be released into someone else’s world.

Hear this fine new single on Spotify and see more news on their IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Chelsea Silva Interview: Leading us into the moment those Illegal Eyes sparkle

Posted on 17 November 2022

Seducing us in with her classy mindset and gorgeously clear vocals, we were lucky enough to speak with the lovely Australian singer-songwriter Chelsea Silva. She tells us all about her hot new single Illegal Eyes and also has some inspirational words for anyone who has struggled with anxiety and depression. A courageous young artist awaits, who isn’t ever going to give up on reaching her goals.

Hello there Chelsea Silva. Thank you for chatting with us today and we appreciate your time.
Chelsea: Thank you so much for having me! It’s so cool to be interviewed by A&R Factory!

First, do you recall your favorite memory about being on stage so far?
Chelsea: Oh absolutely! It’s the memory that keeps me going! I remember performing at the Native Rose Hotel on the 13th of November 2021. I was fresh out of university with a music bachelor’s degree, just escaped a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship, gaining new friends with my newfound freedom and figuring out how to make it in the music industry. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the overwhelming amount of support. My whole family and friends from all over Sydney came! Even friends from the Blue Mountains drove over 2 hours to come see me perform! It was a breathtaking experience. The crowd was so interactive and enthusiastic about my performance. Even strangers came up to me, wishing me the best of luck in my career. It was the best experience I’ve had since starting my career.

Illegal Eyes is your latest single, and we love it. Please lead us into the vision for the sizzling track and what went behind the process?
Chelsea: Ah yes, the song that started it all. I’ve been writing songs since I was thirteen, but honestly, nothing prepared me for this song. The vision I had for Illegal Eyes was this. Sometimes we have to be the one to do the right thing, even if other people, especially the ones you love and admire, think it’s wrong. It’s about a person being put on blast and being ridiculed for trying to do right by people, and expressing one’s frustration when others try to make you feel ashamed for placing someone’s best intentions in their hearts. This can be said for any and all discriminated and marginalised groups in society.

As for the process, it was so random! There was an amazing Audio Engineering student I collaborated with at university, whose goal was to be a producer. I had a lyrical epiphany at around 11:30pm one night and he had a musical epiphany at the same time, that same night! I was in my university’s student lounge talking to my friends about my newly found epiphany when he overheard the conversation. He started playing his musical epiphany on his laptop and I started singing my lyrical epiphany from my notebook. Students from all over the room started to gather around us to listen! Everyone begged us to put both ideas together, so we produced the song that very week! We have been strangers turned friends since then. Thank you to the producer who gave me this song and made it all happen! A true legend!

Your vocals are crystal clear and so enchanting. Have you been singing since school days or when did everything begin creatively?
Chelsea: Thank you so much! That’s really sweet of you to say!

My mother said that when she was pregnant with me that as soon as music started playing, I would kick and dance in her belly without fail every single time. I was the sleeping, calm baby listening to the radio while all the others in the hospital’s nursery would cry and scream like there was no tomorrow. She knew before I did that I was brought into the world to do music. She has honestly been my number one supporter my whole life. I have been humming to myself without realizing it, singing in choirs, performing in musicals and signing up for school performances since I was five years old. I have never stopped since then! I even went straight from high school and into early acceptance into university. I knew music and singing were something that always gave me comfort during rough times and I knew I wanted to return the favour by writing songs to help others in their dark place.

If you could tour live in any country of your choosing, which one would it be and why?
Chelsea: It would have to be the United States. It’s the go-to place for upcoming artists and the music scene is absolutely massive there! If I’m allowed to dream big here for a second, my dream would be to tour all of their states! I’d absolutely love to meet my online fan family and see the US faces of those who have supported me since I started my journey. Of course, I’d love to tour all around Australia as well since I live in Sydney and I would just love to see more of the country I was born into.

What’s the best and worst thing about being a musician?
Chelsea: The best thing in the world is that feeling of finishing a song, coming off stage after a gig, seeing the faces of the people who comment and share your content with their friends, meeting new people and growing in your personal journey alongside the community you’ve built. Seeing the support of the people who genuinely believe in me has been the highlight of my life as a musician.

The worst thing would have to be the mental strain this career can give and the doubts that can be placed in one’s head. Will I ever make it? Is this work going to make something bigger in the future? What if I’m just kidding myself? My god, having these questions does not make them true in the slightest. But as someone who is diagnosed with an anxiety and depressive disorder outside of the music industry, it would be silly of me to think that these questions don’t add even a little to that strain. It’s definitely a growing improvement over the years! I have gotten so much better with it all, thanks to the overwhelming support I receive.

As you open your eyes in this strange world as a 22-year-old, what do you see and hope for humanity?
Chelsea: I truly hope for a wider acceptance and open-mindedness towards the LGBTQIA+ community, awareness and abolishment of violence against women and more mental health awareness. There is no doubt that there has been a massive improvement over the years, which is great! However, there is still more work to be done. My songs have, but are not limited to, these topics and I truly hope to spread more awareness. If not for me and our society in the now, but for the children in our tomorrow.

Last of all, do you have any upcoming live shows you’d like to tell us about or anything percolating in the kitchen for 2023?
Chelsea: Yes, of course! I have my official debut single coming out on the 30th of November 2022. I do have some new tricks up my sleeve to reveal in early January 2023. Please follow along on my social media to follow along on my music journey and to find out what this new project in January might be! If I could leave you with one thing, it’s this. It honestly doesn’t matter how long it will take, I’ll never stop trying to reach where I want to be in the music industry as it was my born passion and my life’s ambition.

Chelsea: Thank you so much to the A&R Factory for taking the time to get to know me! I truly appreciate it and I hope you all would love to join me on my journey on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and all available streaming services under Chelsea Silva Music!

See this wonderful video on YouTube and view more on her IG music page.

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Interview by Llewelyn Screen

World class Italian composer Stefano D’Amico takes us through the Wormhole

Posted on 17 November 2022

Skyrocketing through the atmosphere and flying so high into the night, Stefano D’Amico is rather outstanding on a song which will guide many smiles into a world of possibilities above on Wormhole.

Stefano D’Amico is a world renowned Italian film composer/pianist/orchestrator who creates neoclassical music and soundtracks which are heard all over our beautiful galaxy.

”In 2020 I put my passion for music and for environmentalism in ‘Tribute to the Earth’, my EP which
tells the beauty of our planet: rain, sunset, the moon, the green nature. Its purpose is to raise awareness on the importance of protecting this natural patrimony.” ~ Stefano D’Amico

Currently studying deeply inside composition, orchestration and film scoring, the impressive Stefano D’Amico is rather prodigiously first-rate here. He’s made a true masterpiece for the world to feel united inside, as the imagination floats into what is actually out there if we look far enough.

Wormhole from the multi-skilled Turin, Italy-born and based indie film composer Stefano D’Amico is a stunning release which deserves to be used in many blockbuster movies. Drenched in so much goodness and pure energy for our consciousness to be enriched by, we find a single to simply put on repeat.

Hear this new song on Spotify and see more on the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Leila Jane Interview on A&R Factory: Gracefully easing into her excellent release Revolve Evolve

Posted on 17 November 2022

Showing us deep within the right mentality, Leila Jane is at her authentic best and tells us more about her brand new album, which drops tomorrow, Revolve Evolve. Brushing off those fears and doing things her way this is an interview filled with so much insight.

Please let us know more about the 20th November and all its magnificence at the legendary Whelans in Dublin?

Leila: I am very excited about the 20th November as it will celebrate the launch of my new EP Revolve Evolve. I have seen many great bands play in Whelan’s over the seven years that I have lived here and am delighted to have my own headline show there with a full four-piece band behind me. My friend Chris Wilson DC will be playing support on the night!

A little birdie told us it’s your birthday 3 days after the show. Actually, that’s perhaps a tiny fib. You told us. Any plans for your big day or shall you be spending it locked away in the studio?

Leila: That’s right! Well, getting to play Whelan’s with some of my great friends around will be the perfect celebration for me. As for my actual birthday, I have a dentist appointment and then I am playing a pub gig in the evening! :’)

If you had one superpower for 24 hours, what would you be and what would your first mission be?

Leila: I would time travel back to the 1950s and go and find Elvis to have a jam with him!

The music industry is a wild place with many shapes and forms. How do you navigate its vast challenges and stay focused?

Leila: I focus on what is meaningful to me and try not to get too caught up in comparing myself to others or losing myself trying to ”make it”. I please myself first and foremost and have a specific list of my own goals. That way I can carve something out that’s more sustainable, authentic and hopefully connects with people on a deeper level. I am also very grateful to be part of a lovely network of creatives in Dublin, which inspires and supports me.

Please tell us more about your connection with Bleeding Heart Pigeon’s front man Mícheál Keating?

Leila: I found out about Mícheál as I was Googling, as you do, and trying to find a producer that I could work with. Soda Blonde is a great Irish artist and I saw that he had made a remix of one of her tracks…. then I got in touch with him on Instagram and he responded so we eventually organised the recording sessions after some zoom calls. During the lockdowns I would get the bus over to Limerick to record in his studio. I also became a big fan of his band Bleeding Heart Pigeons and their dreamy synth vibes. I was delighted that their drummer, Brendan McInerney got to play on my tracks during the recording process. Mícheál is a very skilled musician and mixing engineer. He was able to translate my demos by ear and understood the style I was going for. So I challenged myself to have the full arrangement planned out on my home demos, because I knew he would be able to hear what was going on and help me record everything to a better standard.

Who inspires you most in the world?

Leila: It is hard to pick one person who inspires me as I get bits of inspiration from people everywhere I go. I’m always admiring traits in everyone I meet and thinking about what I can learn from them- even if they are someone I don’t quite like, I still appreciate our differences. Perhaps that is the actor in me- as I am beginning to explore that side of myself more now. Having said that, I do get inspired by actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Alice Lowe as they bring a lot of humility to their performances and I would hope to be able to do the same, whether it be in my music or any other performances. I admire artists like Mac Demarco and Big Thief for keeping it real. I also think it is important to inspire oneself, and I get great joy from overcoming my fears and achieving things that I didn’t initially think I was capable of!

Last of all, do you have any plans for a tour and what does the future hold in 2023?

Leila: I would love to go on tour, but I will have to wait and see what unfolds. I have connections in the UK and US where I have gigged before, so hopefully I will be able to expand on that in the future. Right now I am really enjoying getting my music videos made as it combines my love for acting and songwriting, and really helps communicate my music. I have been discussing it with some of my videographer friends and I am definitely going to be having fun making more music videos in 2023!

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Listen up to this excellent single on Spotify. See more on her IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

UK Art-Rock Agitators, Gated Estates Have Made Their Diaphanous Debut with ‘A Letter’

Posted on 16 November 2022

‘A Letter’ is the first single from Gated Estates, and it’s a diaphanous masterpiece. After static and strobe-y synths and harsh electro beats lead into the gentle melodicism, artfully intersected with nuanced waves of synthesised discord, the evocative grip takes hold and refuses to loosen throughout the experimentally awakening release.

With slight echoes of Don’t Fear the Reaper between the artfully contorted crescendos built from appreciated synths and detached guitar notes, the soon-to-be icons of ‘agitated art-rock’ from the Brecon Beacons are easily one of the hottest acts I’ve heard this year.

A Letter hit in ways JJ72 and Julian Plenti usually only know how to strike an intrinsically emotional chord. The first single from their eponymous debut album explores the relationship we all have, whether we know it and acknowledge it or not, with our inner child and how they are one of the biggest influencers on our future.

Under the duress of Dan Linn-Pearl’s vocal lines which weave through the climactic progressions, carved by Shane Dixon (Nick Parker, Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners), Rose Linn-Pearl (Peiriant), Jonathan Morgan (OCTO-PI) and Darren Beale (The Caves, The Boomtown Rats), it is impossible not to fall in to A Letter hook, poetic line and sinker.

Watch the official music video, created by Martin Whittaker & TCLD, for A Letter on YouTube.

Follow Gated Estates via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast