Browsing Tag

UK singer songwriter

Michael R Shaw is set to release his feat of dark-folk redemption ‘Lord of All’

Posted on 6 May 2022
Michael R Shaw

Lancashire singer-songwriter Michael R Shaw has teased the humility and ornate originality in his upcoming album by giving us a preview of the short and profound dark-folk single, Lord of All.

Straight away the Nick Cave, Guy Garvey, and Richard Hawley influences start to resound around Shaw’s art-folk ingenuity which carries a touch of tenderness, poetry exhumed from a plaintive soul and a bold alchemic appeal that almost takes this folk track to a celestial level. It certainly wouldn’t be out of place on the Peaky Blinders soundtrack. Lord of All could have been the track to prevent the criminally excessive use of Red Right Hand.

Lord of All is the intro to Shaw’s upcoming album, which is due for release on September 1st, 2022. Check out Michael R Shaw via his website and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Bard of Ely, Steve Andrews waxes lyrical in his latest climate-conscious single.

Posted on 27 March 2022
Mother Nature Rap by Steve Andrews

On March 21st, Steve Andrews, AKA the Bard of Ely, showed us a brand-new facet to his consistently conscious talent with the release of ‘Mother Nature Rap’. The rap track drifts away from his usual psych-folk style but keeps the heart of it behind the canter of the rapped vocals, blistering synths and heavy rattle of the 808s.

I can safely say that I haven’t been this arrested in a socially dissecting hip hop track since Scroobius Pip launched his Logic of Chance album. The vocals take on a brand-new style of conviction as Andrews takes a no holds barred approach to announcing the impending climate doom and pointing out that we are already living it.

There is no shortage of cutting lyricism, but my personal preference has to fall upon, Mother nature ain’t here for your dream, You’re in hers, so let it be, and The Mother’s lungs have been cut out, It’s happened but it’s obscene. The imagery is as haunting as it is captivating in its unflinching John Cooper Clarke style.

Mother Nature Rap was recorded in Portugal at Verdelho Studio with Ricardo Verdelho as the producer. It also features synth overdubs by Crum (ex-Hawkwind, ex-Moonloonies). It is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

[Spotlight Feature] Ethan Mark delivered honeyed euphonic bliss in his indie psych soul single, The Concept of You

Posted on 17 March 2022

There is nothing hallmark about the rich and vibrant sentimentality of Ethan Mark’s latest single, The Concept of You. With the straight-from-the-soul vocal passion as a paramour of the sultry Flamenco guitars, the RnB track is the epitome of affectionate sincerity.

His mellifluous harmonised vocals become the central gravity of the title single from his upcoming album, which will release in June 2022. As the world music flair gently wrestles with the psychedelic indie vibes, it is impossible not to get caught up in the sun-bleached bliss of the exotically euphonic single that stands as a testament to Ethan Mark’s organically distinctive production style. Despite the tonal eclecticism that encompasses the soul of old school hip hop, the evocative capacity of alt-RnB and the grooves in non-westernised music, every element gels cohesively together under Mark’s sporadically off-kilter production style.

After getting a sneak peek of the upcoming album, it is easy to anticipate massive strides in the Toronto-residing artist’s music career.

Here’s what Ethan Mark had to say about his latest release:

“The Concept of You, and the upcoming album, came about from a challenge from my partner. She, a listener of neo-soul and jazz, challenged me to pare my usually elaborate and busy musical style down to something more organic, soulful, and pretty.

The result was a series of love songs encompassing many different facets of love. The single refers to her, the sepia-toned memories of summers, the roots we have put down together, and the love for home.

These themes felt especially important after a long period punctuated by isolations, introversion, and cabin fever. It’s accentuated by nylon guitar strings, cascading violins, gentle pianos, and the frailties and soul of harmonised vocals. In supporting the themes of roots, home, and love, the album is paired with visuals romanticizing wintertime in Toronto.”

The title track from Ethan Mark’s upcoming album, The Concept of You, is now available to stream on Spotify.

You can keep up to date with all of the artist’s latest releases via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Elias Kopp advocates autonomy in his hooky indie synth-pop single, No One Knows

Posted on 15 March 2022
https://soundcloud.com/eliaskopp/no-one-knows

Elias Kopp declared “normal is the dirtiest of words” in his latest breakbeat synth-pop single, No One Knows; we wholeheartedly agree. There’s nothing quite as tragic as the thought of so many minds coming of age while striving for an ideal that isn’t reachable. But the Brighton/Southeast UK-based artist more than played his part in ensuring that fewer souls tarnish by the quest for normalcy that strips autonomy.

No One Knows isn’t the first single from Kopp to thrive upon dark narratives and came to life through his evocative vocals. Since making his debut, his hooky became a firm fixture on BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 6. We would put money on a bright 2022 for Kopp. His tendency to put his emotional intelligence before his ego is addictive. Save a space on your radar.

No One Knows will officially release on March 15th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud and the artist’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Get elementally radiant with Laura Loh’s latest alt-pop single, Morning Light

Posted on 4 March 2022

There has been no stopping the Hampshire, UK-based singer-songwriter Laura Loh since she released her debut EP in 2020. She has been lauded by BBC Introducing, taken to stages at Weyfest, ValeFest and Westival, and even recorded vocals at the infamous Abbey Road Studios.

Now, she’s here with her optimistic blend of alt-pop and folk, Morning Light, which brings her background of classical and jazz music into the luminous mix, which serves as the perfect reminder of the pleasure we can take by simple yet stunning facets of nature. Yet, cleverly, Morning Light is simultaneously a parable of the radiance that the right people can spark within us. My soul feels infinitely lighter for hearing the emotional depth in Loh’s smooth vocal lines and the intricately ascending melodies. Loh knew exactly where to greet you with pools of shimmering reverb for transcendent effect. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Morning Light was officially released on March 4th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The UK singer-songwriter, Mea has released her sad-girl-empowering debut single, Sad Girl Vibes

Posted on 25 February 2022

The up-and-coming independent alt-pop artist, Mea’s exceptionally promising debut single, Sad Girl Vibes, is everything that it metaphorically says on the tin, and so much more for the way it puts to shame toxic positivity tropes and empowers through resonance.

The artfully vulnerable release melds the moody beats with lighter textures and sensibilities to make it all too easy to get on the same wavelength as the UK-based singer-songwriter and her trip-hoppy, indie RnB nuanced track. Any fans of Warpaint will want to pay attention.

The bruisingly honest lyrics in the earworm stand as the ultimate testament to the fact that just because someone errs on the side of melancholy, that doesn’t make their psyche synonymous with obnoxious misery. If anyone can tempt people into owning their sad girl vibes, it is Mea.

You can vibe with Mea’s debut single, Sad Girl Vibes, for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

UK singer-songwriter Hannyta has released her spirited folky synth-pop single, Wildflower.

Posted on 2 November 2021

UK-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Hannyta attracted a loyal fan following with her spellbindingly unique covers of singles such as Fight Song and Jar of Hearts. Her debut original single, Wildflower, proves that when she’s bringing life to products of her orchestration, even more visceral, spiritual alchemy breathes. The moody synth-pop stylings, Hannyta’s almost arcanely soulful vocals and the folkish elements create a brand-new brand of entrancing electro-pop.

Not only does Hannyta boast authenticity, but she also boasts the ability to make that authenticity infectious from the first hit. Hit play, and you will greet your new perennial pop earworm. How she has such a refined style at the age of seventeen is quite frankly beyond us. We can’t wait to hear what she has in store for her sophomore release.

Wildflower, which was officially released on October 22nd, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fountains of Paradise has made an interstellar indie space pop debut with Forgotten Man.

Posted on 28 October 2021

With their if-they-got-enough-exposure-they-would-probably-start-a-cult-and-it-would-be-the-best-thing-ever vibe, it is safe to say that we instantly warmed to The Fountains of Paradise through their single, Forgotten Man, which features on their debut album, Let the People.

The Yorkshire-born, Buckinghamshire-based singer-songwriter’s spacey indie bedroom pop track starts with uplifting ABBA-Esque chords before the sonic palette transitions into an avant-garde arrangement of orchestral strings pulling against the electro-pop instrumentals. Plenty of the accordance in the single comes from the singer-songwriter’s elegantly gentle vocals that tenderly relay the playfully melancholic lyrics.

Forgotten Man does little in the way of subverting reality; it becomes escapism music all the same for the way it leaves you caught up in the witty attack on nihilism and mortality redundancy. For four minutes, blackened souls will feel right at home.

You can add Forgotten Man to your playlists on Spotify, or you can check out the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dandy artfully demands an end to ableism with her single, In Their Shoes.

Posted on 22 September 2021

The Anchoress recently spoke out in her article in the Guardian about the ableist nature of the music industry that has ostracised her from live music; a similar experience is shared by the Shropshire, UK-based artist, Dandy.

Driven by the determination to see fair representation and visibility of disabled artists in the mainstream music industry, Dandy recorded a demo of her debut album, The Cycle, in 2020. The standout single, In Their Shoes, attacks the injustices that consistently happen due to the fundamentally broken fabric of our society as the piano melodies that will score well with Nick Cave fans support Dandy’s beguilingly baroque vocals.

In Their Shoes has the power to leave you as sobered as a Ken Loach film, while the demure artful grace of Dandy draws you deeper into the reality for the disabled and chronically ill.

In Their Shoes is available to stream along with Dandy’s debut album on Spotify.

Follow the artist on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lillibet explores patriotism through a new lens in her soul-pop single, ‘Kingdom’

Posted on 15 June 2021

After her debut single, I Love You When I’m Drunk, was met with rapturous acclaim; there was plenty of anticipation of what Lillibet’s sophomore single would bring. The feisty indie soul-pop track, Kingdom, certainly didn’t disappoint. The Milton Keynes-hailing singer-songwriter surpasses Winehouse in terms of attitude and experimentalism while offering the same soulful connection and rich and resonant vocals.

Paradoxically, Lillibet exudes the grace of a Parisian chanteuse while simultaneously carrying the grit of our modernity in the socially aware single that shows England through the lens of an immigrant’s eyes. Regardless of how many times you listen to Kingdom, you will continue to take something new from the single. The wit-soaked meta lyrics weave through stunning parables that are powerful enough to shift dim-witted perspectives.

Kingdom is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast