We had Sam Steele perform for us last month, and we were blown away by his infectious, upbeat pop style, yet keeping a real personal element with his intrepid and descriptive songwriting – and his first single “Thought Swimming” is a perfect example of that. The track is led by a lovely guitar melody, held together with a calm rhythm behind it, giving him space to sing and command the listener’s attention, highlighting his lyrical ability. It’s a real summery tune, upbeat and groovy – a fantastic debut single! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP)

South Manchester-based alternative rock outfit Grey Mare just released their debut single “Still Here Dreaming“! With post-punk, shoegaze vibes around the track it sounds lovely, there’s a real lush sonic soundscape surrounding the song and it’s a brilliant debut from the band. There’s a proper energy behind. the track, most prominently in the chorus, with a tight rhythm section gluing the track together, giving the main guitar riff so much space to glide and for the main vocal to sit on top of. The breakdown marks a real special point in the song, slowing down and opening up to make space and create tension, only for the final section to explode into ferocity – an incredible tune. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC)

Manchester-based psych-rockers Valetta just dropped their new EP “God Lives Underground“! We were huge fans of their previous EP last year and this doesn’t disappoint – with a huge range of influences throughout, each song takes on a wide journey of genres, incorporating so much into each section, from indie-rock to grunge to more psychedelic and electronic elements! They’ve done so well to create a proper unique sound to definite themselves as a band, and it’s brilliant to see. Not only this, but the production is on point for each track, every part in its rightful place to perfectly compliment one another – it’s a joy to listen to. Well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve covered Tay Temple a whole bunch in the past, and she’s a great friend of the label, having played a plethora of gigs for us, and she’s returned with the next single “Sunglasses” from her upcoming EP! Opening the track with a grungey guitar pattern, feeling like 90’s riot grrrl scuzz, it’s a call to arms for anyone victimised by unwanted attention. With direct and pointed lyricism, she’s not pulling any punches on this one. The chorus makes way for her to become central stage, “Cause I see it all the time, things get dropped and pushed aside” – only to explode into a huge wall of sound, showing a grungier and heavier tone to her previous releases. The video is gorgeous as well, adding another layer to the impact of the song – well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve been fans of Daisy Harris for a good while now, with her grungey, indie stylings creating a lovely backdrop for her delicate songwriting style – and this new tune “Backwoods” only exemplifies that! With a loose, droney guitar pattern forming the basis of the track, backed with a calm and relaxed drumbeat behind it, and echoey and spacey guitar riffs throughout the atmosphere, it gives Daisy a gorgeous space to deliver her lyrics over. Her lyricism here is almost deadpan, reminiscent of Courtney Barnett, 90’s alternative, and direct – it’s proper descriptive, intricate, and you can really see the feeling poured into the track. We’re huge fans of the ambience and spooky soundscape in the behind of the track, creating a real atmosphere to it! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve covered Shadows of a Silhouette a bunch in the past, they’ve played gigs for us and we’re stoked to hear their brand new single “Kickstart a Revolution“! They’ve just come back from playing the main stage at Y Not Festival, and with tracks like these you can really hear why. Gorgeous guitar tones are strewn around this track, with a luscious lead guitar melody that compliments the vocal harmony so well, and sets a lovely space for Nathan’s vocal to shine through. He controls the track expertly, almost having a conversation with the listener, a sure sign of a great songwriter. It’s a much more personal track from any of the previous ones, but still shows off their class and talent – well worth a listen! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

Continuing with our country trend, we’ve been huge fans of Grace Kelly ever since we met her, with her constant passion and drive for her music setting her apart from the rest. She’s just released her newest EP “Table for One” and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. Her songwriting ability is on full show throughout, and her ability to write quality tracks that are full of her passion, the way she describes feelings, emotions and situations is superb. The production on the tracks is perfect for her songs, striking a balance that only compliments her music – each of the songs are perfectly balanced and expertly crafted. It’s definitely worth checking out, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC)

We’ve covered a bunch of Hollows‘ releases in the past and we love the energetic, dark and broody feel to their tracks, with huge guitar riffs, massive drums and rhythm behind it all. They’ve returned with this new single “The Floor“, which is a gorgeous example of their signature sound – energetic, ferocious and grungey. The guitar melody really sets the scene for the track, and the build-up into the main riff is lush, giving the track a lovely dynamic to it – the balance between the choruses and the verses is great! There’s a fantastic breakdown in this one too, dropping away to leave a beautiful bass synth running, only for it all to explode back into the final chorus. Another incredible release from these guys! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

Liverpool’s Andrew Neal just released his brand new single, “No Longer Shall We Run“! It’s a real upbeat, optimistic political anthem depicting the modern state of society, presenting a need for unity and collective action – really giving us a feel for old-school folksinger tunes. The lyricism is spot-on, direct and a call-to-action, real inspiring lyrics that invoke a real passion for community. With this feel-good atmosphere about it, there’s gorgeous chemistry in this track, with all the instruments working in tandem to create the atmosphere, and the solos are a really lovely touch, call and response to elevate the track even truther. Andrew’s vocal sounds great here too, really inviting the listener into the song and to engage with his lyrics. Well worth a listen! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

We had Strawberry Lemonade perform for us back last year and they smashed it, amazing stuff, and they’re back with their new tune “You Told Me“! It kicks off in style with a huge guitar riff and a real power behind it – in the verse, the track falls away to give space for Cal’s vocal to take centre-stage. The chorus is full of passion and rage, and you can really tell that there’s so much emotion poured into this track. We can imagine this one will go off live, with so much energy behind it – fantastic stuff! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC)

One of our favourites Tay Temple returned with her brand new single “Ain’t Me” early last month! Opening up the track with a gorgeous, grungey atmosphere from the guitar tone, drum pattern, and bassline flowing behind Tay – her vocal commands the space flawlessly to pour her feelings out onto the track. As it transitions into the chorus, the intensity of the track increases massively, perfectly matching the lyricism – an outburst of rage and pure passion, you can feel the outpour of emotion in this song. The lead guitar licks from Jordi beautifully complement Tay’s vocal melody, and the bridge is a massive one, building and building so much into the gorgeous final chorus. It’s a lovely indication of the talent that Tay and her band have! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)

We’ve had ByWednesday perform for us a bunch this year, and they kicked off May with the release of their brand new EP “Thursday“! We’ve been fans of a lot of these songs for a good while now, having heard them live and as singles and the full EP sounds fantastic! Laced with gorgeous guitar tones throughout, a lovely groove behind each and every track, and Conor’s lyrical ability in tow – it’s a fantastic first full release from these guys. They’ve been able to capture the feeling of their live performances exquisitely but enhancing it with that production shine, it’s well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

Wigan’s indie rockers Flechettes have just put out their latest single “We Shall Find Out“! There’s a proper drive to this track, we can hear a lot of grungey and alternative rock influence in the back of it but it really stays true to that familiar Northern indie sound – a massive rhythm section helping the track flow gives so much space for the lovely guitar riffs that are present throughout, and the ferocity of the main vocal makes this a proper banger from these guys. Check it out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

Manchester psych-rock outfit Strange Dream have just put out their second single “Miss Annie“! Giving us a real reminiscence of the early 90’s and late 80’s, this track sounds gorgeous – the guitar tones are superb, it creates a lovely sonic atmosphere, and the vocal glides over the top of it all so well, it’s a great track and really shows off the band’s ability. The dreamy elements of the track are perfect for a sunny day – well worth putting on during this warmer weather! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)

We’ve had The Amber List perform for us before, and they’ve come back with a harder, more rock and roll sound in the form of their new single “Red Lines & Promises“! With a real energy behind the track, they’ve got a lovely tune under their belts here – we’re huge fans of their new sound. The lyricism throughout is fantastic, it’s a real depiction of their Northern roots – something we can relate to very well. Well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)