WATCH: Oscar Jerome - 'Gravitate' (live)

I am completely adoring this new live video from Oscar Jerome for his brand new track Gravitate. The new track follows a string of support dates with Kamasi Washington and the live video shows Oscar alongside Ezra Collective member Joe Armon-Jones and members of Kokoroko performing the track in the studio. Following up recent single Misty Head / Sunny Street, the track is his first release through Caroline International, who signed him almost instantaneously after catching him playing at this year's SXSW Festival. 

Holding the torch for London's thriving jazz scene and following in the recent steps of Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack's project Mr. Jukes (whose album I love) the new video features a stunning guitar solo, set across percussion, keys and harmonies, the perfect backdrop. Discussing the track, Oscar explains that "it pays homage to a lot of the pioneers of the British broken beats genre as well as a lot of my soul, jazz and rock influences. The subject matter is both cosmic and personal. I reference a lot of imagery of the early life of a star in space as well as ideas of individuality and self-acceptance." 

With the release of the new track, Oscar has just announced a 15-date EU tour across October and November, including London's Heaven on November 19th. Full dates and tickets here.

Download/stream the track here.

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LISTEN: Bess Atwell - 'Big Blue'

A quick post this evening to share that I am in awe of just how gorgeous Bess Atwell's new EP Big Blue is. Recorded during four days on a boat on the Thames, the EP was produced by Giles Barrett (Johnny Flynn, Marika Hackman). Following her debut album Hold Your Mind, released back in 2016, the new EP joins her love of folk music with indie rock influences from the like of The National, Fleet Foxes, Lucy Dacus and Soccer Mommy.

Talking about the EP, Bess explains that it "explores conflicting themes on identity, romanticism and reality. I have an amazing full-time band now who worked on these songs with me outside of the studio and so, when the time came to record, we just went into the studio and essentially played the songs." 

With a few festival appearances on the way, Bess plays a headline tour this October. Full dates and tickets here.

7th October: Bodega, Nottingham
8th October: Broadcast, Glasgow
10th October: Omeara, London
11th October: Soup Kitchen, Manchester
12th October: Louisiana, Bristol
13th October: Hope and Ruin, Brighton

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LISTEN: Jordan Mackampa - 'Under'

Jordan Mackampa is back with his gorgeous soulful vocals (and backing vocals too), a lovely bass-line and acoustic guitar in tow on new track Under. Thought I've been spotting his name on line-ups, playlists and such for a couple of years now this is my first time listening to Jordan and I'm really digging the track. 

Talking about the new track, he explains that "Under is about falling for someone you only met briefly on a train journey, but feeling as if they could be the new love of your life, without hardly knowing them. But, within that journey home/work, you've let your mind drift off to who they might be as a person, what kind of food they like, tv shows you could watch together basically imagining your whole life with them, whilst understanding that none of that will happen, if you don't go over to them & ask them out on a date, before they leave."

Jordan has just announced a run of shows for later in the year across Europe, with a show at London's Village Underground on 25th November. He's also performing at Bushstock on 15th June alongside some incredible artists. Check out the full dates and grab tickets here.

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LISTEN: Pelicandy - 'White Sky'

Time for some new music from London alt-pop duo Pelicandy. White Sky is their second release of the year and I'm getting some Foster The People and Friendly Fires vibes from it - definitely a good thing. Synths and drum machines galore, it's a gloriously breezy track sure to get audiences up on their feet (if they aren't already, of course) and tapping those toes. Talking about the track, vocalist TC Beecham states that "White Sky is about realising the ability to focus and reframe your own thoughts and perception of reality. Choosing what world you want to live in depending more on your mind-set than your surrounding environment, it's like a superpower that anyone can learn." Listen below!

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LISTEN: Winnie Raeder - 'I Wear A Ghost'

Fresh from releasing her utterly mesmerising debut single Don't You Dare a few weeks back, Winnie Raeder is back. I Wear A Ghost, a co-write with RØMANS, is her second single and it's displaying those gorgeously heartbreaking vocals.

Talking about the process of creating the track, Winnie explains that "you have baggage from previous times in your life that will manifest today, in the present, because where you have been in your life makes you. It shapes you." Talking about co-writing the new track with RØMANS, she goes on to say "it felt like it was already written. We had a conversation and the song just happened so naturally. We were just two people talking about life, talking about how things feel and how it feels to be human."

As well as a slot of the upcoming Bushstock Festival on 15th June, Winnie plays her first, sold out, headline show at St Pancras Old Church on 3rd June.

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LISTEN: Wovoka Gentle - 'Tell 'Em, Makoto!'

A little (very) late sharing this one, but here's the latest from London trio Wovoka Gentle (William J. Stokes and twins Imogen and Ellie Mason). Tell 'Em, Makoto! is taken from their debut album Start Clanging Cymbals, which is due for release on 7th June via Nude Records. With inspiration from the psychedelic sounds of the late 60s, the trio use sampling, sound manipulation and classic instrumentation to create some really unique sounds. New track Tell 'Em, Makoto! is impressive in its vastness and variety.

Will explains that the track is inspired by the book Culture Care by Makoto Fujimura. "He talks about Mahalia Jackson and how people like her exist on the periphery of influence; they exert influence on people who are actual influencers, and that's the role of art in society. And Mahalia Jackson is a good allegory for him. She was next to Martin Luther King during a speech that was flagging and she shouted to him, 'Tell that about the dream, Martin!' And that's how the 'I Have A Dream' speech started."

Wovoka Gentle launch their debut album Start Clanging Cymbals at London's Corsica Studios on 5th June - tickets here.

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LISTEN: Jolé - 'Picture Perfect'

Jolé, AKA London-via-Brighton singer-songwriter Josh Oliver, has recently released Picture Perfect. It follows in the steps of previous singles Seldom Seen and All I Need, Josh continues to wear his heart on his sleeve in this track, with exposed vocals creating a real intimacy, while gorgeous strings flip this intimacy on its head. Josh explains that Picture Perfect is "about appreciating what you have in a relationship, it's a personal message to thank that person for what they do/have done for you. I wrote this as a type of apology, to let someone know they are acknowledged and needed."

Jolé releases his debut self-titled album on May 24th - catch the album launch show at London's The Waiting Room on May 28th. Tickets here.

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LISTEN: Joe Hicks - 'Hollow'

Joe Hicks is one of the kindest people and musicians I had the pleasure of meeting during my time studying in Oxford, it's always a joy to check out his new music. We first met at the end of 2014 when I was volunteering at the local Oxjam Festival and watching Adam Barnes' set (Joe was playing guitar with Adam) - across my three years in Oxford I saw Adam and Joe in various places including a church, school, cafe, house and theatre and it was lovely to finally hear some of Joe's solo music when he released Best Clothes around two years ago. A string of single releases later, Joe has spent the last couple of year performing around the country, often at Sofar Sounds shows. His latest single Hollow is another slice of relatable and vulnerable songwriting, exclaiming "I don't wanna feel the weight of all of this, on me. I've taken all that I can take, I knew I'd break, eventually." Check it out below - it also features on the latest CMAT playlist update!

You can (and should!) catch Joe playing alongside Adam Barnes at three UK shows this June...

20th June: Jericho Tavern, Oxford
22nd June: St. James Wine Vaults, Bath
24th June: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

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LISTEN: MarthaGunn - 'Love & Emotion'

It's that (glorious) time again - time for a new MarthaGunn track. I absolutely love these guys - they're come across as some of the sweetest people in music, hardworking, incredibly talented and they fill me with some serious hair envy. Brand new track Love & Emotion, released yesterday, is the second single of their current campaign, following up Saint Cecilia. Sharing the track online, the band's lead singer Abi explained that "I wasn't prepared for what this song was telling me, my sub conscious spoke for me a long time before my conscious mind could pull away. Love & Emotion had a powerful voice, one I couldn't ignore, one I was just facilitating."

If you like what you're hearing, you can catch MarthaGunn at Omeara in London on 13th June as part of Communion Music's SWITCH evening. They're also playing a set at the label's festival Bushstock on 15th June (I am crossing my fingers I can catch this while volunteering at the festival!)

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LISTEN: Charlie Cunningham - 'Bite'

With a new record on the way in just a couple of weeks, Charlie Cunningham recently shared Bite, the fourth track to be taken from the album. Sink In, Don't Go Far and the album's title track Permanent Way have already racked up over 5 million streams in the last couple of months. The new track was recorded during sessions in LA with producer Rodaidh McDonald (The XX, King Krule) and it showcases what audiences have come to love from Charlie - gorgeously vulnerable vocals sit across slightly Nick Mulvey-esque guitar playing to create something that is quite magical. Mesmerising, even.

Charlie is an incredible live act, you should most definitely get yourself along to one of his upcoming live dates. Full list of shows and tickets available here, with some UK shows in November.

2nd Nov:  Redgrave Theatre, Bristol

3rd Nov:  City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds

4th Nov: Sage Gateshead (Hall 2), Gateshead

6th Nov: RNCM Concert Hall (Hall 2), Manchester

7th Nov: Holywell Music Room, Oxford

8th Nov: The Old Market, Brighton

10th Nov: Liverpool Philharmonic Hall 2, Liverpool

11th Nov: Oran Mor, Glasgow

12th Nov: Button Factory, Dublin

Follow Charlie Cunningham - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.