Welsh, Awen rock band Holy Coves head out on tour at the end of this month. The band will headline nine cities and nine independent venues across the UK kicking off their full UK tour with Bristol and Liverpool in October, then on to Birmingham, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Aberdeen in November, with their final shows of the year taking place in Leeds and their North Wales homecoming show in Wrexham.
This will be Holy Coves first ever fully independent tour run by the band and their team. They will be joined by some of the UKs finest independent bands, The Heavy North, Hazy Sundays, Maze, Box Of Trash, Rivia, Little Juke, Chase The Wild, Monza Express, Transmission Suite, SickRichard, Dakota Avenue, Luke Jones, Healer, The Dassins, Tom Collins, Charlie George Dempsey, Paul Askew and Suns Of Rest.
Tour Dates 30th October – Exchange – Bristol 31st October – Kazimier Stockroom – Liverpool 1st November – Sunflower Lounge – Birmingham 14th November – 33 Oldham Street, Manchester 15th November – Troubadour – London 28th November – Nice n Sleazy – Glasgow 29th November – Tunnels – Aberdeen 12th December – Royal Park Cellars – Leeds 13th December – The Lab – Wrexham
London Girls is the ninth single from the quirky indie-popster from London.
Garlen Lo is a born-and-bred Londoner of Hong Kong-Chinese origin. Aged 7 he was raised by a wine-guzzling auntie who played country music at max volume. One Christmas, he got a guitar and took naturally to writing drunken singalongs with twee wordplay.
He formed an unruly, skinny-jeaned indie band in the mid-2000s, but after that imploded, tried to become a respectable member of society. Not quite succeeding at that either, he resumed his love for songwriting during the pandemic. The result is this.
He is a one-man band: playing all the instruments, singing, producing, and making the music videos. Songs about lost love seems to be his thing. His latest single ‘London Girls’ is basically The Beach Boy’s ‘California Girls’… but London!
Garlen Lo says of the song: “Seemingly a romantic number, it’s actually written about a friend who I met abroad, a fellow Londoner. From Leyton to be precise. EastEnders accent included. It might be my wittiest song with mentions of Ruby Murray, pull my finger, and Bruce Forsyth. Can you think of any other song that includes the word ‘fart’ or features a TV catchphrase?”
‘London Girls’ is out now, along with a fun music video!
Ideal for fans of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Motown. Echo Bass Records proudly presents the latest single from Ashley Stacey, “Archipelago,”. Blending the gritty charm of indie rock with the infectious melodies of Britpop, Ashley Stacey delivers a fresh yet nostalgic sound that’s distinctly it’s own. “Archipelago” captures the spirit of introspection and adventure, weaving evocative lyrics with driving guitars and an anthemic edge.
Ashley says of the track: “In it’s simplest form, this is a tale of lost love. The age old story of one leaving to pursue better things at the cost of their partner’s heartbreak. In this instance, the protagonist reminisces whilst dreaming of what could have been, oversees on the idealistic exotic island. Let the sounds of this warm, modern Motown toe tapper soothe your soul and whisk away to the Archipelago!”
Ashley Stacey is an Indie Rock ‘n’ Roll artist from South East London, celebrated for his catchy melodies, sharp lyrics, and a nostalgic Britpop vibe. With a mix of fresh energy and classic influences, Ashley crafts songs that are both heartfelt and stylish.
In late 2021, Ashley released his Single ‘The Morning Sun’ and in 2023 his debut EP ‘Telepathic Love’ recorded at Tileyard London, mastered by Jon Astley (known for his work with McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and more). Since then, Ashley has supported acts like Reverend and The Makers, performed at iconic venues such as The Albion Rooms and 100 Club, and played Priory Live Festival in August 2023 alongside Britpop legends Dodgy, Stereo MCs, and Toploader headlining the Kent Radio stage. He’s also played major stages like Chislehurst Rocks (with over 10,000 attendees), Soul Town Festival alongside Jocelyn Brown, Aswad, and Joyce Sims, and supported Dermo of Madchester’s Northside at The Lexington.
In February 2025, Ashley signed with Echo Bass Records and is gearing up to release his new single Archipelago, the first track ahead of his upcoming EP. Stay tuned for more updates, including tour dates and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. The single is available now on all major streaming platforms
London/ Essex based band Payola formed at the start of 2024, in The Argyll Arms pub just off of Oxford street with Dave Farley (Lead Vocals), Scott Forsyth (Lead Guitar), Matt Peel (Bass Guitar), Robbie Capel (Rhythm Guitar) and Craig Edmonds (Drums). They were drawn together and united through their shared love and passion for 60’s rock n’ roll, soul, 70’s punk, 90’s indie & Britpop music.
The band spent the best part of 2024 locking themselves away to furiously write and perfect their sound, with the single vision goal of releasing high-quality music coupled with a heightened desire to bring something fresh and exciting to the British guitar new music scene.
Putting their money where their mouth is, Payola more than proved their point with their first two releases. Their debut single, Born Out Of Frustration was released in August 2024, and is a song that is full of swagger, driven by pounding bass lines and stunning guitar hooks.
The follow- up single, The Way It All Begins, once again is a full throttle, high octane belter full of hook laden guitar riffs and infectious rhythms.
Payola are now back with the hattrick in terms of single releases with ‘Pulse Jet Man’
‘Pulse Jet Man’ from the very start is full of thrashing, pounding drums and distorted, fuzzing, snarling guitars. It’s a frenzy of electrifying sound that doesn’t let up throughout. There’s a certain urgency contained in the melody, the chorus hooks are anthemic and just as unrelenting. It’s a raw and powerful track befitting of a true rock and roll band.
Payola have said of the track:
“The idea behind Pulse Jet Man is that it is the persona you take on when you want to be something that you don’t think you can be. It’s the person you want to see looking back in the mirror, not what the actual reflection portrays.
Be that a hero, a thief, a heartbreaker or an astronaut. Everyone has a bit of pulse jet in them. C’mon, c’mon.”
‘Pulse Jet Man’ was written and composed by Robbie, Craig, Scott, Matt with Craig and Dave adding in the lyrics. It was Recorded at Crunch Studios, Carshalton, Surrey and was Produced and Mixed by Alan Charles.
Upcoming Gigs/Tours –
Sat 5th April – The Waiting Room N16, Stoke Newington, London
Fri 16th May – 93 Feet East, Shoreditch, London
Fri 20th June – The Dublin Castle, Camden, London
Fri 12th Sept – The Troubadour, Earls Court, London
Chas Leman is the London based singer/songwriter who performs nostalgia driven pop songs, which are bound together with tales and observations from his proud working class London upbringing.
His sudden emergence in the summer of 2024 caught the ears and eyes of the indie media and playlist curators across streaming platforms, with his Noel Gallagher meets Kinks meets Fleet Foxes debut single ‘I Found Love’.
Chas’ second single ‘The Last Boys To Be Picked At Football’ is a poignant, charming reminder of the strength in companionship and unity, with a classic indie rock musical backdrop, with a chunky early Arctic Monkeys esque guitar riff and raspy, Carl Barat style vocals.
Chas then explored his love of psychedelia with third single ‘Oh So Lonely’, a heartbreak song that continued Chas’ love for 90s indie, with strong apparent influences by Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albar,in his vocal delivery.
2024 was wrapped up for Chas with his biggest production yet. ‘Smoking Again’ which employed the services of a live string quartet, and showed the depth and maturity in Chas’ melodies and chord progressions.
Chas Leman has a musical lineage that stretches back to the Vaudevillian days of the Victorian music halls, the influence of which shines through strongly in his theatrical live performances.
At the forefront of Chas’ musical philosophy is to give escapism and pure entertainment to the listener.
The generations of musical performers in his life have led him to the part punk, part Crooner, part baroque pop Psychedelian that we see today.
Chas’ latest offering is the intricate fable of life’s everyday struggles; ‘Situation Normal’
The complexities in the instrumentations are beautifully off-set with Chas’ emotive vocals that although tender in delivery cut through with crystal clear precision really adding to the emphasis of the relatable lyricism to lines such as “landlords upped the rent again and I’m out of work, money’s always spent again before its earned and the bees make honey to survive, while we make money for those who’ve never cried or been inside the Situation normal, situation normal, situation normal….”
‘Situation Normal’ is all too familiar for so many who are just trying to survive the everyday all wrapped up in a stunningly beautiful melody in which to lose yourself for a while.
Chas has said of the track:-
“I was watching TV with my kids, one of their cbeebies programmes or whatever , and it had a robot on it who kept saying ‘Situation Normal’ in that TV robot voice we all know… And I thought it was such a good hook and so decided to make a song from it. The Situation Normal is the pain and the drudgery that most of us have to go through just in order to survive. So a nice cheerful song, this time!”
‘Situation Normal’ features Chas on guitars and vocals, Craig on drums and vocals, Alan on guitars and vocals and Neil on bass and vocals.
The track is being released on Chas’ own record label Pilchard Sounds and it was recorded at South London Studio by A Charles who used to be in a pop punk band called Bellevue Days.
The London-based duo—with Sere on vocals and guitar and Ale on bass—has crafted a powerful anthem of self-discovery and rebellion, blending elements of grunge, indie rock, and alternative soundscapes.
Conceived by Sere on slide guitar in an alternative tuning, the track evolved in the studio with Ale delivering a powerful bassline that grounds the track’s intense energy, while dynamic contributions from Alex O’Hare on drums and Stefano Martini on synths create a layered, genre-fluid sound that captures the unique Lemon Power essence, special contributions to the demo include Fra Forzani on drums and José Arzubialde on guitar, both integral to shaping the track’s early stages.
I’m an Animal was recorded at the renowned Konk Studios, produced alongside Matt Jaggar and mastered by award-winning engineer Cicely Balston at the Abbey Road Studios.
Known for transcending genres, Lemon Power draws inspiration from icons like Elastica and The Breeders while defining their own distinct alternative sound.
Since their debut in 2020, Lemon Power has carved a unique path in the London music scene. With sold-out shows and their debut EP in 2022 “A Ghastly Meaningless Aggregate” the duo has drawn listeners in with a blend of punk attitude, indie heart, and experimental flourishes, and thanks to their charismatic stage presence and musical versatility they manage to keep their fans eagerly engaged with anything they do.
Sunwheel were formed in the heady days of the 90’s, a golden age of indie rock. Touring the university circuit and the London scene Sunwheel were known for their soaring ‘Verve like’ choruses and great musicianship. Fast forward to August 2024 and the original 5 members from Derby, England are back.
Sunwheel are Mark Gould on Vocals & percussion, Bobby Manners on Lead guitar, keyboards, harmonica & backing vocals, Andy Richardson on Guitar & backing vocals, Matt Shaw on Bass guitar and John Middleton on Drums & Percussion
After the success of self-released three song CD ‘Your Empty Will’ in spring 1998, Sunwheel began to introduce new songs into the live set.
The new songs, crafted at a rehearsal space in Spondon, Derby, were inspired by the band’s collective appreciation of 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s rock n roll music, and the then contemporary vibes the post- Britpop, Neo-psych, neo-prog and Triphop trio of The Verve, Radiohead and Portishead.
Three of the new songs were recorded at Rubber Biscuit studios in Nottingham and were released on the now mythical three song self-release tape ‘Recollections’.
One of those songs, ‘Northern Lights’ has lived on a CD ROM at Andy’s house (along with other demos) for 26 years, Until the band re-recorded it in June 2024.
Here is the brand-new version of ‘Northern Lights’, which like their inspiration, the Aurora Borealis, many people never guessed the song would be enjoyed by the masses 2024!
Out now, for your ears is ‘Northern Lights’ by Sunwheel, enjoy and immerse yourself in its splendour.
London Resident Cornish alt-rockers, THE VELVET HANDS announce a second release from their forthcoming EP.
Following on acclaim for the recently released “I’ll Be Free” and the success of “Chick Habit”, the band’s Anglo French collaboration with French feminist grunge trio Pythies, The Velvet Hands let another track out of their musical bag; “Caller” taken from their eagerly awaited EP due in the Spring of 2025.
The band play 4 dates in January 2025 as part of Independent Venue Week as well as their largest headline show to date at Dingwalls. The band are keen flag flyers for the small independent venues that keep the pulse of the live music scene beating.
January 28th – The Saltbox, Nottingham
January 29th – Northern Quarter, Huddersfield
January 30th – Cavern, Exeter
February 1st – Old Bakery Studios, Truro
March 8th – Sound Factory Festival, Plymouth
March 22nd – Dingwalls, London
Of the track frontman Toby Mitchell says ‘Caller, to me, is about acceptance. Accepting that sometimes you need help, that sometimes relationships end, that sometimes friends die.. but also that sometimes life will be kind to you. It was written in mine and Dan’s flat one spring afternoon and fills me with sadness and hope in equal measure everytime we play it’
The track was recorded at Cube Studios in Cornwall and mixed & mastered in London by The Velvet Hands and Jamx Jules.
The Velvet Hands are Toby Mitchell, Dan Able, Louis Mitchell and John Logan. After forming amidst Cornwall’s blistering garage-rock scene, the four-piece relocated to London and have been making a name for themselves on the capital’s underground guitar circuit ever since.
Praised as being “full of bolshy spirit” by NME, the band’s self-recorded debut album was Huw Stephens’ Album Of The Week on Radio 1. Garnering comparisons to the likes of The Clash, The Cribs and The Libertines, The Velvet Hands have also caused a stir with a range of tastemakers including Fred Perry Subculture, DORK, Gigslutz and God Is In The TV.
Gaining airplay on Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and Radio X amongst others, the band have also supported the likes of Fontaines D.C., VANT, Wallows, Frank Turner, Paul Weller and Liam Gallagher. Hand-picked by Michael Eavis to support Elbow at the 2022 instalment of the infamous Pilton Party, the band have played Boardmasters, Y Not, Truck, The Great Estate, Isle of Wight festival and more. They have also twice sold out Paris’ Supersonic club.
In 2023 The Velvet Hands released their second album ‘Sucker Punch’ to widespread praise. Delivering coming-of-age tales with slacker-rock sensibilities, the album combined the punchy guitar licks of The Strokes or Parquet Courts with rousing punk choruses reminiscent of The Clash or The Vaccines. The ten-track LP was recorded by John Logan at The Cube Studios in Cornwall, produced and mixed by The Velvet Hands and JamX Jules at Par Studios and mastered by the legendary John Cornfield (The Stone Roses, Supergrass).The album was made available on vinyl in November 2023 through the Falmouth based KrautPop label.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME are a five piece alt-rock indie band from London composed of Jason Crowley on vocals, Lawrence Bonavia on Guitar, Steven Foxley on Guitar, Paul Jeffrey on Bass and Katie Padfield on Drums.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME has a sound that manages to keep that old school Brit indie flame alive and kicking channelling the likes of The Stone Roses, The Libertines, Oasis and The Jam with their very own panache and unique spin on things. The sound is distinctly Britpop, but Britpop with a difference.
The five-piece create rousing melodies with life affirming lyrics and stadium worthy choruses making them a very exciting band and one that you have most definitely been waiting for if you’re not already familiar with them.
The most recent single to be lifted from their upcoming album, the dynamic and invigorating ‘Hollywood in Holloway’ was released on the 1st November.
The band are now set to release their 14 track Album ‘Common Royalty’ from which the final single ‘Radio’ is taken.
‘Radio’ is a euphoric, stomper of a track from start to finish, stepping up the ante throughout with its powerful drum driven beats and heavy guitar sounds.
‘Common Royalty’ was written by Jason Crowley, Lawrence Bonavia, Steven Foxley, Paul Jeffrey and Katie Padfield collectively and it was Produced and Mixed by Beau Blaise at Regents Studios in London.
Quirky indie-popster from London. Likes singalongs and wordplay. AKA Hong Kong Cockney*
Garlen Lo is a born-and-bred Londoner of Hong Kong-Chinese origin. Aged 7 he was raised by a wine-guzzling auntie who played country music at max volume. One Christmas, he got a guitar and took naturally to writing drunken singalongs with twee wordplay.
He formed an unruly, skinny-jeaned indie band in the mid-2000s, but after that imploded, tried to become a respectable member of society. Not quite succeeding at that either, he resumed his love for songwriting during the pandemic. And he is chuffed that his first six singles have all been someone’s ‘track of the week’.
He is a one-man band: playing all the instruments, singing, producing, and making the music videos. Songs about lost love seems to be his thing. His Mastermind subject would be The Beatles.
*For a short time, he went by the artist name Hong Kong Cockney but lacked the confidence to see it through. He likes it as a nickname though, like Springsteen’s The Boss.
‘Pretty Baby’ is Garlen Lo’s eighth single. A love song he wrote when he was 17. After 20 years of playing it at family gatherings, it’s finally released to the world. It’s twee indie pop. A mix between Sam Cooke and The Moldy Peaches.
Garlen says:
“‘Pretty Baby’ is a really simple song. It’s uses mainly 3 chords (C F G plus one extra sneaky Bb/D in the bridge). You can sing both Sam Cooke’s Wonderful World and Cupid over it; whilst it has that simple lo-fi aesthetic of The Moldy Peaches. It’s the most ‘pop’ sounding song of my eight singles released so far.
Written when I was 17, I’ve played this song for 20+ years at family gatherings. It’s their favourite partly cause of its singalong-ness. But the bass and and guitar solo were written this year, specifically for the release.”
The song also comes with a cute music video that Garlen has drawn frame-by-frame. This lo-fi animation matches the DIY aesthetic of the song, giving off real indie vibes. Indeed, Garlen does everything himself: writes, plays, produces, and makes the music videos.
For more info on Garlen, check out www.garlenlo.com where he publishes the lyrics and chords to all his songs and where you can watch the rest of his clever music videos.
Indie Revolution 