spotlight

Spotlight!: Eryn Allen Kane

/ James Fenney

eryn allen kane

Soul music has started making a long overdue comeback. In it’s heyday it was some of the most powerful and emotional music ever recorded, so it’s no surprise that a new generation of talented people are trying to relive the glory days. One such rising star is this Detroit born singer/songwriter. She started out just writing simple arrangements, with percussion on laundry baskets and singing the parts of other instruments, working towards the day when she had a real band behind her. Her spellbinding voice on songs like ‘Honey’ and ‘Slipping’ and her compelling lyrics on ‘Have Mercy’ and ‘How Many Times’ make her one of the most enchanting new singers around. She was even personally chosen by Prince to provide vocals on his protest song ‘Baltimore’, and there are few recommendations better than that!

Any fans of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone should definitely check out Eryn’s two Aviary EPs.

Spotlight!: Scout Killers

/ James Fenney

scout killers

This Bath based band have a clear idea of who they want to be. With the Eddie Vedder-esque vocals of Scott Cox and the duelling guitar interplay of Julien Morrez and Beau Stevens, they were destined to create masterful, hard hitting alternative rock. Though for the most part they channel Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, they drift into heavy metal territory on ‘The Rains’, manage to blend indie rock with a hint of Tool on ‘Between the Lines’ and create great atmospheric build on ‘Honey’. They draw from all the right influences and certainly have the talent to go far. With each new release they edge closer to defining their sound and with new material ready to unleash it won’t be long until they are snapped up by a major label.

Scout Killers release their latest single ‘Rip Me Apart’ on 28th March and will be touring the UK in the beginning of April. Be sure to check them out!

Spotlight!: Spring King

/ James Fenney

spring king

Manchester based indie project Spring King are part of an exclusive club. Few other bands can lay claim to being part of history before they have released their debut. The band’s spirited song ‘City’ was the first track ever played on Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio station by none other than Zane Lowe. That quite an honour for a band with such humble origins. It started out as a side project for drummer, vocalist and songwriter Tarek Musa, who recorded tracks in his mother’s old sewing room with the drum kit in the bathroom.  With such a massive platform to help spring them up into the limelight, and now with the backing of a major label, all eyes are on Spring King to see if they can live up to the hype.

Fans of Gengahr, Blossoms, FIDLAR and Catfish & the Bottlemen should check out their latest single ‘Rectifier’.

Spotlight!: Blossoms

/ James Fenney

blossoms

This Stockport 5 piece has been topping lists around the world of “acts to watch in 2016”. They are the most hotly tipped indie band in the world and the stage is set for them to skyrocket to the top. As such they are brimming with confidence and attitude and ready to prove that they deserve such hefty praise. Their latest EP ‘Charlemagne’ is brimming with shimmering synths and funky bass lines. From the feel good indie pop of the title track, to the off-the-wall R&B of ‘Across The Moor’, to the sinister undertones of ‘Polka Dot Bones’, it is a release overflowing with promise.

Fans of infectious indie should make a note in their diaries as Blossoms latest EP ‘At Most A Kiss’ is out 19th February.

Spotlight!: Yak

/ James Fenney
yak

Photo by Laura Allard-Fleischl

We all have a wild and unhinged side to us. A demented inner child that longs to break things and colour outside the lines. Few bands appeal to that part the way that Yak do. The music is simple yet intense; cymbal shattering beats, gut-punching punk guitar, tortured psychedelic organ and vocals that have flashes of Ian Curtis. The artwork looks like a doodle salvaged from a mental hospital and half their gigs end with the instruments in pieces. This London band haven’t lost the plot, there never was a plot. They attack their music with reckless abandon and I for one look forward to joining them on their wild ride.

Fans of Joy Division, Television, Jack White, St Vincent and Sonic Youth keep your eyes peeled as Yak are one to watch…

Spotlight!: Billie Marten

/ James Fenney

billie marten

Rising singer/songwriter Billie Marten may only be fifteen, but she has talent beyond her years. The stunning sparse arrangements on songs like ‘Bird’ and ‘Ribbons’ put her angelic voice at the forefront. Growing up listening to Nick Drake it should come as no surprise that she can craft a lyrically driven song with a blissful melody. Her talents don’t end there however, the melancholy ‘As Long As’ features some intricate acoustic fingerpicking and her unplugged cover of Royal Blood’s ‘Out of the Black’ is one of the best and most surprising cover versions I have heard in a long while.

Her latest EP ‘As Long As’ is out now and is sure to impress fans of Laura Marling, Birdy and Gabrielle Aplin.

Spotlight!: Dan Owen

/ James Fenney

dan owen

With a gritty voice reminiscent of a young John Fogerty, Shrewsbury bluesman Dan Owen immediately captures your attention. His rendition of the blues standard ‘Little Red Rooster’ sounds unnatural coming from someone so young, like he’s the reincarnation of some whisky-soaked troubadour from the Mississippi Delta. His raw and rustic voice is suited not only to the furious foot-stompers, but also to the softer ballads. Tracks like ‘Splinter’ and ‘Riding Out This Storm’ are full of emotion and relentlessly tug at your heartstrings. He already has Mick Fleetwood among his famous fans, and if he carries on releasing music of this calibre then I’m sure his name will soon be on everyone’s lips.

Lovers of blues, country, folk and voices that make your hair stand on end should check out his debut EP ‘Bad for Me’.

Spotlight!: Tina Refsnes

/ James Fenney

tina refsnes

Rising star Tina Refsnes creates music as beautiful as the striking Norwegian landscape that inspired her. Influenced by such artists as Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, she has created her own brand of affecting Americana. Her latest single ‘I Don’t Know‘ starts with a simple beat and a meandering acoustic guitar, but soon builds to leave you feeling like a leaf drifting on an autumnal breeze. Along with her previous single ‘Upside Down Clouds’, it evokes a vivid vignette of the remote breathtaking setting in which they were written. Her tender voice and the sparse arrangement hark back to the 70s heyday of singer/songwriters wherein I’m sure she’d feel right at home with her rigorous writing ethic making sure that her songs were captured just right.

Fans of The Staves, First Aid Kit, Tobias Jesso Jr and Sufjan Stevens should be on the lookout for her debut album ‘No One Knows That You’re Lost’ out 6th November

Spotlight!: Afterwards

/ James Fenney

Afterwards

Britain and America have one almighty monopoly when it comes to modern music, hence why it’s surprising and refreshing when a great band pops up elsewhere in the world. Italian Indie band Afterwards are a perfect example. Their music creates an intricate and beautiful world of sound. The bright crisp guitars and drum flourishes that you’d expect from a top class indie band are present in spades, but they are much more than that. ‘Something New’ adds to the already complex soundscape with some 80s style synths and ‘Gloom’ features some fierce guitar work that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Iron Maiden album. The lyrics are deep and relateable and for a small band from just outside Venice, the vocals are to such a standard that they sound like they’ve been living in the UK for years. Any major label with any sense in their heads should snap them up in a heartbeat.

Their second EP ‘Rage‘ is out now and is a must for fans of Foals, Peace and all things Indie.

Spotlight!: Samm Henshaw

/ James Fenney

samm henshaw

This soulful songsmith from London is set to take the world by storm. He draws inspiration from the golden age of soul and blues and gives it a new lease of life. Tracks such as ‘Only Wanna Be With You’ showcase his fun-loving side, ‘Autonomy (Slave) and ‘Everything’ carry a deeper message and are fine examples of his exemplary songwriting, whereas the raw, stripped back blues of ‘Redemption’ puts his powerful vocals in the forefront in a stirring yet vulnerable performance. Samm has surrounded himself with a formidable backing band of top class musicians and as far as live performances go he is a consummate showman. He knows how to write a hit and with his talent, style and charisma it’s only a matter of time before he makes it big.

Samm’s debut EP ‘The Sound Experiment’ is out now