LISTEN: Seramic - 'History (Acoustic)'

It's no secret that I adore Seramic. Over the last few years, through single releases, a couple of incredible EPs and a whole bunch of shows, stripped back through to full band (dancing optional but usually unavoidable) I have fallen hard for this project. Seramic is a collaborative project fronted by Marcus Foster, his vocals are simply incredible - the range and power he has never fails to amaze me, whether on recordings or at live shows. In December, I caught him playing a set at a Bear's Den charity gig (with the ever so talented Layla Ley on vocals too) - it was the last show that I got to go to with my best bud before lockdown so is retrospectively really special, and seeing Seramic again together was a huge treat. 

With an album (!) on the way soon (not soon enough but.... patience) he decided to record some acoustic versions of the new tracks at home in lockdown, and has just shared the first, entitled History. From the first notes, I was transported back to that show in December, where he premiered this track and me and my pal were blown away. Tis a good one. If this is a stripped back version, god help me for the studio recording, which Marcus says is "massive". Consider me poised and waiting.

Seramic · History (Acoustic)

On History, Marcus explains that it is "a song that was inspired by my love and passion for gospel music. I wanted to write a song that spreads a positive message that if you work hard, believe in yourself, follow your own path, follow your intuition, you can achieve your goals and make something new and exciting - you can make something original. [...] there is a reason why we hear this formulaic message again and again and why it works so well - because it has truth, it feels incredibly empowering, it gives us hope and makes us feel good."

"It’s very comforting for me to hear classic songs like You’ve Got a Friend, or Lean on Me. If you are ever down or feel alone, there are always these songs that have got your back. The entertainment business is so incredibly tough and challenging and there are such incredible highs and such extreme lows. Most people's career is very short lived and you can rise and fall off the map in the blink of an eye. History is a song that I feel has my back. Its a reminder that by doing things differently & paving my own way, I’ll get to have a 60 year career. It may be a slightly longer road but the journey is so much more interesting and rewarding." 

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LISTEN: Hauskey - 'Slow'

"I'd get a lot done if I didn't think, and waste so many times in my head... "

Cast your mind to sunnier climes... to Perth, Australia to be precise. Homegrown talent Hauskey has been making waves in his home country with his debut single, Slow, which was recently released here in the UK too. On release, the track had support from BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders, describing it as his favourite track of the year - quite the accolade. 

Hauskey · Slow

It may be his first single as Hauskey, but Andy's journey to this point has been long and winding. From sitting down at a piano at 3 years old, busking at 12 and writing his first tracks at 13, to discovering John Coltrane in his mum's record collection. He studied at Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts, a highly selective BRIT School esque environment. Inspiring, but expensive - he casually set up his own music school, with over 500 students... Feeling that his music wasn't heading in the direction he intended, and channelling his pilot father, he took of to London to make it as a pop star, ending up back in Australia eventually. Writing, recording, curious, hungry, and most certainly not put off of exploring where else his music could take him. 

The result, for now, is Slow. A catchy, sunny tune that speaks to the busy minds and busy lives of us all. Mostly, this one is a bit of a bop (get your dancing shoes!) So this isn't strictly *new* but it is pretty exciting, and you'll want to give it a listen and give Hauskey a follow to see what comes next.

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EP NEWS: Sophie Jamieson - 'Release'

Now this is something really special. Sophie Jamieson is sharing new EP Release on December 1st. Somehow, I had no idea that she'd released another EP, named Hammer, back in February. Listening belatedly now and in complete awe. Sophie first came onto the scene with her debut EP Where back in 2013, at 22 years old. The ensuing buzz around the release saw her heading on support tours with the likes of Marika Hackman and Pale Seas, and I caught her playing alongside Sivu around that time. Things looked really promising until suddenly, she seemed to disappear. She was in fact experiencing a breakdown and some very self-destructive habits.

Now aged 29, and with the Hammer EP already under her belt, Sophie is cementing her 'comeback' with the Release EP, produced by Steph Marziano (Hayley Williams, Ex: Re, Denai Moore). She describes that the EP was "written during one of the loneliest periods of my life. Becoming disconnected from those close to me, I searched for connection blindly, drinking past blackout and getting myself into trouble. The next day I would find a way to punish myself. It was a vicious circle." 

Lead track Forward, she explains, is "about trying to find some control amid chaos. My instinct for years had been to deny that a period of time had happened, to empty myself of its trace - but at this point I began to understand that I could accept it, that it is part of who I am and that I do not have to destroy the evidence of my past in order to move forward." 

Sophie Jamieson · Forward

Mark it in your calendars - the Release EP from Sophie Jamieson is set for release on December 1st.

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LISTEN: Tempesst - 'High On My Own'

After weeks of having this in my inbox, I've finally just settled down for a first listen of the upcoming debut record from Tempesst. Must Be A Dream is exactly that - I've been listening to this band for four years and this is exactly what I envisaged their album would sound like. Though I might not have predicted the saxophone solo... I love a saxophone solo. The rest of you have just over a month left to wait, it's due on September 30th via Pony Recordings. Worth the wait, I promise. For a taster... they've just shared High On My Own, the album's third single. 

I'm getting a kind of MGMT and Django Django vibe from this one initially, but don't get me wrong, Tempesst are uniquely and recognisably themselves. Psychedelic vibes and five-way harmonies abound. Lyrically, this track surrounds the all-too-relatable feeling of comparing the narrative of your life to your peers. On the pace of the track, frontman Toma describes that "we wanted to push the listener into a single direction and then pull the rug out from under them - it's very representative of the lyrics." 

Speaking on the single further, Toma explains that "I grew up near Noosa, a small beach town in Australia. In my town, a 30 year old man was typically a family man, with a normal job, a mortgage etc. The kind of guy who had a balanced life and what seemed to be contentment as a byproduct. These guys had beliefs, they lived by a code that guided each decision with a brand of certainty that I envy and in my subconscious, this archetype framed the kind of firm identity one should expect to acquire by age 30. A couple of decades on, here I am, 30, still wandering, without the beliefs or certainty I expected to have."

Must Be A Dream is due for release on September 30th - pre-order the limited red vinyl (signed!) version from Blood Records here.

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WATCH: Dizzy - 'Beatrice'

So you might have seen me posting about how brilliant the new Dizzy record is on social media by now... but if not, well - it is!!! Seriously stunning. I adored their debut record Baby Teeth so much, playing it over and over in the store player at work. It was always going to take something special to come close but after a few listens I think I am definitely loving this one just as much! Delighted to find this in my inbox today, a new video for Beatrice, one of my favourite tunes from the album - it's a treat to see a band performing live and having a great time too!! 

About the video, singer Katie Munshaw says that it "was unique because we were actually playing our instruments. In most music videos you're meant to only pretend like you're playing but Ryan was really keen on making the performance feel genuine - and after being apart for so long due to COVID we were stoked to be able to just hang out together and jam for a few hours. Having our gear plugged in for hours made the mirror room extremely hot and by the last take we were sweaty and tired and a little buzzed - so basically we got our tour fix despite the looming pandemic outside the studio."

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LISTEN: Siv Jakobsen - 'A Temporary Soothing'

"It's a cliche, and everyone says it, but it really does feel like a form of therapy to write [...] to perform a song is like having a pocket frozen in time, and every song takes me back to a certain moment or part in my life. They're like little time capsules. There are songs that I wrote years ago and I can remember the situation that prompted the song, what the room I wrote it in looked like, what the weather was like. It's like keeping a really detailed diary."

A teeny album recommendation for your Friday - today brings new records from Dan Croll and Brooke Bentham (I had written two other artists here but entirely misjudged their release days...) but you'll struggle to find anything quite as, for want of a better word, soothing, than this. This record is exactly the tonic we need for this year, and it'll bring you comfort for years to come. A perfectly named release, and one delayed by covid... I've had a stream of this in my inbox since January and I'm delighted that it is finally out in the world. Siv Jakobsen's A Temporary Soothing is, in essence, sublime. 

The album arrives in the wake of her debut EP The Lingering (2015) and debut LP The Nordic Mellow (2017) and the extensive touring that she did to support the release of both. After this busy period, she took some time to rest at home in her native Norway, allowing the events and experiences of the previous years to settle. Writing for a new record began...

Now, A Temporary Soothing is here. Released via Norwegian label U OK? the record was produced by Chris Bond (who notably produced the first two Ben Howard records.) Heavy work commitments meant the pair met to record for intense periods of one week or two across the space of almost a year. This process allowed Siv creative freedom to try new things, exploring ideas between recording sessions. 

On writing, Siv comments that "there is often a preconceived notion made about artists who write 'sad songs', that they must be sad people. I have made the same presumption about others in the arts and this idea of the 'suffering artists' stuck more and more to my consciousness after several encounters where I felt I was met with amusement that I 'seemed like a happy person.'" Responding to these thoughts, she explains that the record "was conceived from this building fear that I wouldn't be able to be both happy and a good writer at the same time. Ultimately, it developed into a broader look upon my relationship with fear and nerves."

With honesty, integrity and her personality at the heart of her writing, this record, collectively, serves as a window onto this chapter of Siv's life. Musically, the songs are like a warming hug against the snowy Norwegian backdrop. Silky smooth vocals, sumptuous (I said it!!) strings, there's a lot to like here. Anywhere Else is one of the best tracks you'll hear this year, but it's hard to separate them. It's a really divine piece of work. I best pencil it into the records of the year post plans now.

Listen to/order A Temporary Soothing here.

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WATCH: Arlo Parks - 'Hurt'

So just to check - we're all agreed that Arlo Parks is a star, right? As if Eugene, Black Dog, her Easy Life collaboration and a Radiohead Creep cover weren't enough for a year, she's back with a sublime new track. Hurt premiered as the Hottest Record on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show last night - I caught the end of the track and was instantly moved. The music video, directed by long-time collaborator Molly Burdett, is equally as stunning. 

About the track, Arlo says that it "surrounds the possibility of healing from pain and the temporary nature of suffering. It is supposed to uplift and comfort those going through hard times." 

I'm a little blown away and chuffed to see that the last single, Black Dog, has had such a positive response, with nearly 10 million (!) global streams, the A-List on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6Music and a performance of it in front of the Pyramid Stage for this year's Glastonbury Festival coverage. More recently, she was crowned winner of the One to Watch category at last week's AIM Independent Music Awards. The future is looking pretty bright for Arlo, and I'm excited to be along for the ride as a big fan of her work. In that vein - very excited to hear that she's been working on finishing touches on the debut record, news of which is coming soon!

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WATCH: T Truman - 'Rock 'n' Roll'

A little late to the party with this news, but, look, what a party!!! Really excited to share that T Truman is releasing his debut EP Born To Be Right on September 25th. New single Rock 'n' Roll joins recent track Holiday... as first tastes go, this is shaping up to be something quite wonderful. The solo alter-ego of Timothy Lanham (of Halloweens and The Vaccines fame, no less) you know you're in marvellously safe hands with this project. 

Releasing the track alongside a glorious Timothy Heinrich directed video (watch below) this is a stadium filler, a self-aware and self-critical love letter to a genre, and to a generation. About the track, Timothy wrote: "this song is a tear I'm shedding for the genre of music I'm in the business of making. If I was around in '73, I'd be a raging success."

The Born To Be Right EP was co-written and co-produced by Timothy's friend and long-term collaborator Geoff Roberts - look out for it on September 25th!

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LISTEN: China Bears - 'Statue Still'

"out of the woodwork come all my friends, but I'm too caught up in all I want to hear what I need" 

I braved the outside world to meet a couple of friends for breakfast today, bought a lot of books and then saw a man dressed as Mr Bean selling Teddy(s) from a suitcase.... that's more than enough of the real world for one day. Now: time for something new! I loved discovering China Bears (through my blog submissions, I think) last year - their I've Never Met Anyone Like You EP was one of my favourite releases of the year and it was a treat to see them playing a set at Sofar Sounds in Oxford about a year ago, and to meet them after. Ivan referencing a post from the blog made me a very happy blogger - you mean, people actually read this stuff?! 

They're back with Statue Still, the title track of an upcoming EP due for release via Fierce Panda. As is their style, it treads the line between being mellow and sort of anthemic, touching on some slightly dark subject matter. Frontman Ivan explains that "'Statue Still' is written about those initial stages of loss and healing. For me it's like the feeling you get after you watch a great film in the cinema. The film is over and you now have to go home, but you just want to stay in that theatre and be in that world for a little while longer. You're aware it's over but you didn't want it to end and you weren't ready, so you're just stuck in that in-between. You can't stay forever though, and it's better to walk yourself out that the ushers coming to remove you." 

China Bears · Statue Still

Having had a trip to the US for SXSW 20 cancelled and their March tour pushed back, it's been pushed back again to March next year. Fingers crossed for them to get to play! Tickets here.

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WATCH: LAUREL - 'Scream Drive Faster'

A week off work!! Hooray!!!! The prospect of some time off from working in retail during a pandemic is kind of delightful - there may be some extra posts this week but I will likely just spend the time catching up on TV shows and reading. For now - here's a brand new tune from LAUREL which may in fact be my favourite ever release of hers. Truly loving it, and it's at the top of the playlist this week.

I caught LAUREL playing in an Oxford cinema for Sofar Sounds about four years back, a really lovely stripped back set, and loved her debut record DOGVIOLET which came out back in 2018. She's back with a slightly funkier sound, an 80s vibe and a snazzy video to pair it with. Adoring this, AND there's more music on the way. Phew.

Posting the new track online, she shared - "I wrote the track with bestie Chrome Sparks on a chance encounter in New York City after we bumped into each other, I a little lost and Jeremy with a flat. How serendipitous life can be. It is fun to remember, during 2020 as the world totally crumbles all around and everyone in charge suuucks, that there is still magic in the air."

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