Surfacing: CHVRCHES Frontwoman Lauren Mayberry Unveils Debut Solo Offering [New Artist]

Words: Saam Das

You'll probably know Lauren Mayberry best as one third of Scottish trio, CHVRCHES, alongside Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. The synth outfit's debut album 'The Bones Of What You Believe' came out ten years ago, and understandably, Mayberry has been looking into further creative outlets. Her beguiling debut single, 'Are You Awake?', dropped earlier in the month. Listen below.

Surfacing: Matt And Kim Hit The F5 Button Via New Garage-Punk Project PG14 [New Band]

Words: Saam Das

It feels kinda wild that we're coming up to twenty years of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino musical exploits as the riotious synth-led indie of Matt And Kim. I guess this is growing up. The duo have hit the refresh button in 2023 however, with new project PG14, which harks back to the raw beginnings of the band.

Surfacing: London x Utrecht Synth Trio Render Ghosts Make Their Mark With Debut Album [New Band]

Words: Saam Das

It's not often that you see bands come together across various cities, let alone various countries, but synth-pop trio Render Ghosts have really taken working from home to heart. Based across London and Utrecht, Tamara van Esch, Tom Wilson, and Iain Chambers came together in 2020 to form Render Ghosts, releasing their compelling electronic-led self-titled debut album earlier this year.

Surfacing: Fear Of Men's Jessica Weiss Ushers In New German Cinema [New Act]

Words: Saam Das

There are moments when reading the LinkedIn profile for Jessica Weiss where my initial reaction is that Spiderman-pointing-at-Spiderman gif, although the comparisons quickly stop - particularly with regards to their musical repertoire. Having entranced us through their work in Brighton's Fear Of Men, as well as having been a touring member of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart', Weiss has now unveiled their new solo venture - New German Cinema. Listen to debut single, 'I Become Heavy', below.

Surfacing: Caro Takes Us A Musical Journey Beyond ‘Colorado’ On New EP [New Artist]

Words: Saam Das

As Caroline Baker states in the intro of the blink-and-you'll-miss-it brilliance of EP opener 'Colorado', "I don't know where to start". Perhaps the obvious elephant in the room, attributing a new/emerging artist moniker to someone with more than 20 million Spotify streams but in our defence, many a search engine result still primarily leads to Leeds band Caro rather than the Nashville pop-led solo artist. If you haven't heard of this Caro then allow us to introduce her to your ears.

Surfacing: London Funk Outfit Electric Fire's Newest EP Is Buzzin' By Name, Buzzin' By Nature!

Words: Saam Das

"Electric Fire, we're going to take you higher!" So say exuberant London four-piece funkers Electric Fire on their appropriately titled 'Club Smash', the opening track to their 2018 debut 'EFX' EP. And they're undoubtedly correct. Their latest 2020 EP continues the infectious and energetic sentiment - truly 'Buzzin'' by name, buzzin' by nature!

Surfacing: Mt. Wolf's Bassi Fox Spreads His Solo Wings

Words: Saam Das

Mt. Wolf emerged as one of our favourite British bands of the last few years, and one that we'd had the pleasure of backing from the very start. The outfit are currently continuing as a duo, with singer-producer Sebastian 'Bassi' Fox opting to pursue his solo creative juices, having also dabbled in recent times with production for the likes of Roo Panes. Listen to the first official fruits of Bassi Fox's mesmeric labours below.

Surfacing: 'Badlands' Welcomes Us To The Pop-Noir Of Dark Tropics

Words: Saam Das

James Cameron's 1984 classic 'The Terminator' introduced us to TECHNOIR, a nightclub within the film but also a wider genre mix of film noir and sci-fi. In 2020, new Irish duo Dark Tropics have delivered their debut "pop-noir" single, with the enveloping (and possibly Terence Malick-inspired) 'Badlands'. Dark Tropics by name, dark music by nature.

Surfacing: Doomshakalaka Is The Exciting New Project From Paul Rafferty Of Hot Club de Paris

Words: Saam Das

One of the very first times we wrote about music was after seeing Hot Club de Paris at the first edition of The Great Escape Festival in Brighton way back in 2006. An outfit whose competing time signatures, cheeky lyricism, and penchant for melodies saw them develop a cult following of sorts, releasing three albums through Moshi Moshi. Vocalist-bassist Paul Rafferty adopted a heavier approach in his following band Bad Meds and has again changed tack with new solo outfit, Doomshakalaka. Listen to debut track 'Black Balloons' below.

Surfacing: Cj Pandit Opens His Account With The Beguiling Calypso Of 'Karelu' [New Artist]

Words: Saam Das

We caught Leicester's Cj Pandit at his local festival Handmade a couple of years back, enjoying the "smooth grooves" of his Magique guise at the time. One of our highlights of the festival, high praise considering the quality of the line-up which included the likes of Easy Life, Future Of The Left, and Black Futures. He's undergone a re-invention of sorts, finishing off 2019 in sparkling fashion with 'Karelu', the debut single under his own name.

Surfacing: London Artist Fauness Continues Her Upward Trajectory With New EP, 'Lashes In A Landfill'

Words: Saam Das // Photo: Rosie Matheson

"It's not my engine that's broken, it's the brakes." We were a bit late to emerging London artist Fauness's debut single 'Street Song', which came out in late 2018. Considering its Purity Ring-esque brilliance, we're surprised that the musician hasn't
entranced the masses. That track would subsequently appear on her debut EP, 'Toxic Feminity', which has now been followed up with a new EP, 'Lashes In A Landfill'.

Surfacing: SAM DOTIA Unveils His Soulful Sounds With 'Uriah's Cry' [New Act]

Words: Saam Das

Hoping to move ahead of Sampdoria FC in the results of certain search engines, London artist SAM DOTIA (sharing our penchant for capital letters) has been honing his musicianship over the last couple of years - culminating in the quiet beauty of debut single 'Uriah's Cry'. The track comes with 71 second accompaniment, 'Requiem 48', which you can also listen to below.

Surfacing: Katy J Pearson Emerges With Debut Single 'Tonight' On Heavenly Recordings

Words: Saam Das

Gloucestershire-bred and Bristol-based Katy J Pearson has cut her teeth in outfits such as Kitten And Bear and Ardyn, both alongside brother Rob Pearson, and it's now time for her solo material to emerge. Listen to her fine debut single, 'Tonight', to be released on Heavenly Recordings, home to the likes of Gwenno and Boy Azooga.

Surfacing: Capulets Are A New Xenomania Pop Outfit Featuring Florrie

Words: Saam Das

You'll know Brian Higgins and his Xenomania production team from their stellar work with Girls Aloud, as well as dalliances with the likes of Sugababes, Annie, and Alesha Dixon, among many others. Safe to say, they know good pop. Therefore it comes with some excitement that their latest affiliated band, Capulets has come to the fore, featuring Xenomania artist Florrie. Listen to their appropriately named 'Act One' EP below.

Surfacing: Post-Punkers Low Hummer Release Debut Single On Dance To The Radio

Words: Saam Das

Interestingly, Hull quintet Low Hummer took their name from a previous track in their old La Bête Blooms guise. With debut single/synth juggernaut 'Don't You Ever Sleep' coming out this past week, we're excited about their future. Particularly as it's been released on the celebrated Dance To The Radio label.

Surfacing: Annika Rose Debuts With The Melodramatic Pop Of 'In The End'

Words: Saam Das

Billie Eilish's trail-blazing efforts as seventeen year old will hopefully be inspiring a new generation of talent in years to come. For now, she's followed by a whole class of excellent upcomers, many of whom have initially established themselves on YouTube. Exhibit A: LA teen Annika Rose, and her distinctive debut single, 'In The End'.

Surfacing: Jack Blonde Debuts With The Freshly Squeezed 'JUICE'

Words: Saam Das

Charitably speaking, we're entering the last throngs of summer, and Jack Blonde's freshly squeezed debut track 'JUICE' captures some of the sun-kissed nature that characterises the season. So fresh, in fact, that when we stumbled upon this new project, we were the very first to 'like' their Facebook page. Perhaps you might be interested in also becoming an early Jack Blonde adopter?

Surfacing: Snooker Legend Steve Davis Teams Up With DJ Partner Kavus Torabi And Coil's Michael York For The Utopia Strong [New Act]

Words: Saam Das

Yes, that's right, six time snooker World Championship winner Steve Davis has just put out his debut single, 'Brainsurgeons 3'. Having already established himself as a cult figure in the music world thanks to his DJ sets with Kavus Torabi, the duo have now also teamed up with Coil's Michael J York to form The Utopia Strong. Buckle in, a near-eleven-minute ride awaits.

Surfacing: Launa Bursts Onto The Scene With 'You Make Me' [New Artist]

Words: Saam Das // Photo: Caroline Lasergandalf Lindholm

She's 20. She's from Swansea. She's studying at British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) Brighton. She's Launa, or Lorna Rees to her nearest and dearest. And most importantly, her debut single 'You Make Me' is a tasty slice of spirited contemporary pop.

Surfacing: Dan Priddy's Demonstrates His Pop Chops On Debut Single 'Dopamine' [New Artist]

Words: Saam Das

Whether you've realised it or not, Dan Priddy has been behind some of the biggest pop songs of the last few years, typically in conjunction with production partner Mark Crew, including the platinum-selling Rag'N'Bone Man album 'Human'. 'Dopamine' sees Priddy officially branch out under his own name, a further demonstration of his considerable pop chops.