FIZZ – The Secret To Life
Psychedelic Pop
83%
2023 is proving to be the year of the supergroup. First a full album from Boygenius, and now new project FIZZ pops up from out of nowhere! This fabulous four-piece, comprised of longtime friends and collaborators Dodie, Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown and Greta Isaac, is the band I never knew I needed. If their arrival out of the blue had afforded me any time to form expectations, their debut single would have blown them away. ‘High in Brighton’ is every bit as effervescent as the band’s name promises. This vibrant slice of playful psychedelic pop boasts boundless energy, thunderous drums, towering harmonies, and 70s Queen levels of whimsy, bombast and theatricality. With a debut album on the way in no time flat – The Secret to Life due 15th September – there’s not long left to wait for another electrifying hit of whatever else the band have up their sleeve.
Hitting a major milestone in life often makes you reflect on the people who helped get you there. Being a long-time collaborator with numerous Belwood favourites, I’m sure the marvellous Martin Luke Brown has a veritable who’s-who on the thank you notes for his long awaited debut album Damn, Look At The View!, which sees him at long last take centre stage. Thing is, when running down the list of people who’ve made it down this road with you, it’s hard not to also think on all the people who you’ve parted ways with. We lose more people in our lives than the ones we keep by our side, but these partings rarely come with some big goodbye. Whether it’s loved ones who pass away, or friends we slowly lose touch with until we’re no longer in each other’s lives – whether burning out or fading away, there’s simply no way of knowing which goodbye will ultimately be the last. But every person we meet, no matter how long they’re with us, still leaves a mark on our lives all the same. The wistful nostalgia of ‘see you later x’ is a lament for all the unsaid goodbyes and partings left unmarked, but above all it’s a heartfelt thank you from Martin Luke Brown to everyone that’s played a part in his journey.

Trespass (in association with Mahogany) was conceived by Lowri Gerrard of Universal Music, Ben Spetsiotis of IAM New Music and Joshua Sanger of Barn On The Farm Festival fame as a kind of music equivalent to secret cinema. Fans were treated to 4 unique and intimate performances from secret acts at a secret location over the course of the May bank holiday weekend. The acts (which turned out to be Amber Run, Martin Luke Brown, Lyra and Prose) performed sets in specially customised rooms designed to provide an interactive experience for fans as though they were part of a music video. The whole concept is captivatingly unique and the secrecy and intimacy imparticular have caught the public’s interest. It will certainly be interesting to see how the event grows and develops in the future.