“Joel Baker has always been an exacting artist, a perfectionist in the way he approaches each new release.” – Clash Magazine

‘One of the most promising new voices in the singer-songwriter world.’ – Notion Magazine

His EP is special –a collection of honest, engaging and sometimes raw songs.’ – TMRW Magazine

‘A husky mastered tone that creates a powerful impact, a sound that is perfect for emotional storytelling.’ – Link Up

Joel Baker will play on Fri 26th April 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.

Encapsulating a sound that falls somewhere between Ben Howard and early Jamie T, the former Labour Party speech writer, singer-songwriter, musician and producer was discovered by BBC Introducing Nottingham and key champion DJ Dean Jackson after sending his demos into the station in embossed parliamentary envelopes. Since Joel came on the scene he has racked up millions of streams, landed countless radio playlist spots with BBC Local, BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and Beats 1 and been championed by everyone from Dean to Huw Stephens, MistaJam, Jack Saunders and DJ Target, through to i-D and Clash, to Taylor Swift who included his single ‘No One In Heaven’ in her ‘Songs Taylor Loves’ Spotify playlist.

London, UK – 22nd Febuary 2019 – BBC Introducing artist Joel Baker releases new single ‘What’s A Song’ via Virgin EMI and tickets for his 2019 headline tour today.

Produced by Jordan Riley ‘What’s A Song’ is the first instalment from his forthcoming debut album and firmly places a marker in the sand for what fans can expect from his longform debut. 

Speaking of the release Joel notes: ‘I wrote it a few years ago and it’s great to have it finally introduced to the world. When you lose someone in your life, especially someone who you’ve been living for, it leaves an ugly space that makes life feel worthless at times. Also, it’s hard to know how long to wait before you remove their profile icon from your Netflix account. It’s about the important questions! Hope you enjoy.’

The new single follows the success of his recent Bag of Dreams mixtape which featured a guest appearance from Abra Cadabra and was co-produced by Joel alongside Courage (Ray BLK), Kin (Naughty Boy) and Maths Time Joy (Gallant); and follows EP’s Winter Dreams and The Dreamers EP, which featured stand-out collaborations with Sneakbo and BBC Sound of 2019 nominated Mahalia. 

Joel’s momentum is set to continue throughout 2019 with the release of his anticipated debut album and headline tour.

Joel Baker Links: Website | Twitter | Spotify 

Watch the official music video for ‘Rupi Kaur’ below:

Performing a blend of experimental-pop, soul and electronica, UK based singer, songwriter and producer SAER is forging a name through his musical collaborations and set to feature on new releases later this year.

SAER will play on Sat 27th April 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.

An emotive singer with a distinctive voice, SAER’s songwriting embraces curiosity and vulnerabilities in human nature; delivered fluently with a haunting falsetto.

SAER is a multi-instrumentalist that moves effortlessly between stormy electronica soundscapes and minimalist, heartfelt laments. Influenced by the likes of Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake and Imogen Heap; with rousing piano with soaring vocals, SAER conjures a contemporary sound that is both unique and intriguing.

SAER Links: Website | Facebook | Soundcloud 

Watch SAER performing ‘Sign of the Times’ below:

“There was a euphoria and excitement we didn’t always get from indie gigs, but a connection to the songs and musicians we felt was missing from club nights.” 

Low Island will play on Wed 20th March 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.

Low Island is the collaboration between DJ/Producers Jamie Jay & Carlos Posada, bassist Jacob Lively, and jazz drummer Felix Higginbottom. You’ll never find Low Island forced into wearing a creative straight jacket. In this respect, they are truly creatures of the 21st century, seeing no contradiction in slipping between uplifting electronica and intimate ballads – or merging the two. It was a step that was both deliberate and natural.

Not only have they struck this happy medium, but their creative juices are in full flow right now, with a string of EPs and singles under their belt, a highly acclaimed immersive live show, and on going collaborations with the Fashion, Dance and Theatre worlds. Low Island belong to the now.

Low Island Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Watch the official music video for ‘Just About Somewhere’ below:

The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing hail from London, UK.

The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing will play on Sat 13th April 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.

They sing loud punk rock songs about the Victorian era, and have been gleefully rubbing the face of present day Britain in the rotten corpse of its past since 2008, in the hope that it will learn from its mistakes (it hasn’t).

They have released four critically acclaimed albums, have toured the UK and US, played festivals like Download, Glastonbury, Bestival, Secret Garden Party, Green Man, Latitude and the Edinburgh Fringe and appeared at numerous conventions and events on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Men are:

ANDY HEINTZ: Vocals (sore), additional instrumentation (saw).

ANDREW O’NEILL: guitars, vocals (raw), radical politics (roar), inappropriate swearing (c***).

MAЯC BUЯЯOWS: Guitar (bass), vocals (treble).

JEZ MILLER: Drums (rhythm), overall mood (blues).

“Corusatingly loud and extremely funny” – The Guardian

“If you are drawn into their world, you will appreciate how special TMTWNBBFN are.” – Uber Rock

“Probably the maddest, most original punk band around”– Louder Than War

“Pulsating with fiery punk fury”– Vive Le Rock

The Men… Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Watch the video for ‘Brunel’ below:

“The south London-based singer-songwriter will win you over” – FADER
“A beautifully soulful voice”  – Noisey
“This girl is really special – R&B inflected dream pop” – Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

Only Girl will play on Thu 11th April 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.

Hailing from South East London, Only Girl (Ellen Murphy) has been honing her own brand of soulful, understated pop with soaring R&B infused melodies, since her critically acclaimed 2014 debut ‘Feel It’.
With the success of second single ‘Remains’ under her belt along with two sold-out headline shows and a highly-praised release with long-term collaborators Zero 7, Only Girl returned with the beautifully heartfelt ‘Young Blood’ EP, supported by PRS Women Make Music fund.

To date, Only Girl has picked up support from the likes of Huw Stephens (Radio 1), BBC Introducing, Lauren Laverne (BBC 6 Music), Tom Robinson, John Kennedy & Jo Good on XFM, a live session on Dermot O’Leary (Radio 2) and Edith Bowman in ELLE, as well as a whole host of online tastemaker praise from The Fader to Noisey to The 405 and DIY.”

Our Girl Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

Check out the video to ‘Release’ here:

 Things are most certainly on the up for Brighton-based alt-pop quartet ORCHARDS. For anyone who might be wondering why, there’s one word that seems oddly lacking in the description of many bands, but sticks to Orchards like glue: Fun. Charming, delirious, positive, big-beaming-grin-on-your-face bundles of fun.

Orchards will play on Sun 31st March 2019 at The Sunflower Lounge Birmingham. Tickets are available here.

Friends since childhood, Sam (Rushton, guitar) and Dan (Fane, bass) met remaining members Will (Lee-Lewis, drums) and Lucy (Evers, vocals) in their first week at university in Brighton – the start of a friendship which has seen them become increasingly inseparable and has resulted in the tight, family unit they are today.

To date, they’ve released a steady stream of standout singles including fan favourite ‘Peggy’, the ‘80s summer pop anthem ‘Darling’, and their surprisingly meta ode to the worldwide bee colony collapse ‘Honey’ – all of which feature on the EP.

These tracks have seen keen support from local and national radio at BBC Introducing, Juice Radio and BBC Radio 6 Music, backed up by critical praise from press including Noisey, The Line of Best Fit, DIY, CLASH, DORK, Wonderland, Indie Shuffle and a whole host of Hype Machine blogs and influencers.

Previously described as a “glittery gateway drug” and combining left-field experimentation with startlingly prescient pop sensibilities, Orchards are following in the footsteps of luminaries Everything Everything and Foals, though their personal influences range from the super mainstream pop of Anne Marie and Dua Lipa, through to the danceable indie of Bloc Party and The Wombats, to more progressive, heavier bands like The Mars Volta and The Fall of Troy.

Approaching their new material with a heavy focus on killer melodies, the songwriting process was intentionally conscious of that vital room being left for the melody to breathe, whether that meant taming a guitar riff or simplifying a drum beat, it didn’t matter so long as the melody was at the forefront.

“There’s more to Orchards than meets the eye. The band’s whip-smart math-pop is all glistening surface and immediate melody, but beneath this chrome-plated chassis lies a complex rhythmic engine.” – CLASH Magazine

“‘Honey,’ by Orchards is a great example of Math Rock mixed with Top 40 pop elements.” – Indie Shuffle

“Math-pop brilliance.” – DORK

“Atop sharp-edged, angular collisions, Orchards managing to cram approximately 5 killer hooks into the space of a single song” – DIY

“The quartet’s delightful dabblings in math-rock and incredible hooks has manifested in an undisputed banger that you’ll have in your head for the rest of the day” – Wonderland

Orchards Links: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Watch the video to ‘Double Vision’ here:

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It’s a fact that all bands have to grow up, but while ageing is inescapable, maturing is always optional. Fortunately for Manchester-based four-piece Larkins, they’ve managed both; refining and maturing their sound, while at the same time retaining the same sense of youthful optimism that’s endeared them to so many since their inception.

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Stereo Honey, have a new tune out, ‘Don’t Speak’. 

Don’t Speak’ proves that Stereo Honey continue to promise everything and deliver even more. If you haven’t heard them before, there has never been a better time than now. You can find the song here.

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