Iris Harley is the female vocalist who’s velvety rich, smooth sultry tones have been likened to such iconic legendary greats as Ella Fitzgerald.
Following her dreams and passions in expressing her thoughts and feelings through her music Iris began writing her own songs. Through her songwriting Iris beautifully captures the emotions she feels and succinctly transcribes them through the mediums of melodies, harmonies and lyrics.
Her latest release ‘Last Breath’ is a powerful, soulful, and deeply evocative track with R&B and jazz influences not dissimilar to sounds that might be associated with the likes of other such powerhouse women such as Amy Winehouse or Nina Simone.
Harley’s control and resonant chest voice notes make this track an emotive listen. She purrs her way through the sensual, deftly arranged number with the confidence and audacity of an experienced chanteuse and her sustained notes are just glorious. Her range is wide and her intonations quite simply, stunning.
‘Last Breath’ is laid-back soothing music for the souls with a strong beating heart.
Iris has said of the track:
“Life can be very difficult to navigate, especially with curve balls which can spin out of control. When you embrace the sunshine and rain, you discover love, balance and harmony.”
‘Last Breath’ was written by Iris Harley who also appears on all vocals on the track. She was accompanied by Gregor ‘G-Man’ McPhie on Guitar and virtual band. The track is being released on Iris’s own Sing with Soul Records.
Marseille are consistently upping their game with a determined intent to progress, they return with the release of their first single to be taken from their upcoming sophomore EP.
Marseille are the Derbyshire based five piece band consisting of Will Brown on Vocals/Rhythm Guitar, Joe Labram on Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals, Lennon Hall on Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals, Felix Moxey on Bass and Tom Spray on Drums/Percussion.
Formed in 2021, the band have wasted no time in getting down to business showcasing an impressive momentum in releasing an envious array of hit singles to date to include the 2022 releases of ‘Forget It All’ ‘Might As Well Be Mine’ and ‘The Jungle’ including the Vega Rally Remix of the track and the b-side of ‘The Universe Is Yours’ and the 2023 releases of ‘Only Just Begun’ ‘Thinker’, ‘This Dream Of Mine’ and ‘Devil’s Gonna Get You’– all of which were received to much critical acclaim and support from the likes of Soccer AM, BBC Radio introducing, Steve La Macq on BBC Radio 6, John Kennedy on Radio X, Rodney Bingenheimer on Sirius XM Radio in Americaandonline praise fromindustry legends and peers Shed Seven plus extensive reviews and features in the music press.
These releases have served to showcase this band as well and truly being ones to watch which has been further cemented with their live performances in 2023 at the famous Y-Not and Isle Of Wight Festivals. Marseille further undertook a 10 date, sell out UK tour in 2023 and they have recently played This Feeling’s “Big in 2024” showcase in Manchester.
Marseille shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon with gigs, festivals slots and tours already booked throughout the year and with plans to release their ‘Godiva’ EP; 2024 is going to be the year of Marseille.
The first single to be lifted from the upcoming EP is the highly charged, shoegaze inspired masterpiece of ‘Monkey In The Middle’.
Having been a staple of the band’s live performances, fans have long called for this track to be released as a single and so the lads listened and went into the studio and recorded the track emulating all the swagger and energy that comes with their live performance.
The track opens with a thunderous bassline and an attention cry squeal from the guitar letting you know from the first 10 seconds that this track means business.
The smashing of drums kicks the track into an almost hip-hop level of sound, yet played with the elegance and agility of Jazz. The roaring wall of rhythm guitars come in like a full blown storm all setting the scene for frontman Will Brown to take to the stage with his signature snarl and rasp.
The song grooves along until you’re taken out of the moment by a percussive interlude and the sonic fuzz from the guitars, when just like that, you’re dropped straight back in the fire with a razor sharp solo cutting straight in with the pitch perfect, defiant war cries of a young band who know who they are and where they are going.
Singer and songwriter Will Brown had this to say about the track:
“Monkey in The Middle is one of the older tracks in our repertoire, but despite how many songs have been cut from our set, this one has always remained. A song written about feeling like a performing ‘Monkey’ just to line someone else’s pockets, greedy people wanting you to no longer be yourselves, just to furnish their needs. Ultimately, it’s a track about staying true to yourself or you’ll forget who you are.”
Upcoming Gigs/Tours –
01/03/2024 – The Crescent, York (Supporting Serotones)
these charming Coventry gents return with another outstanding and emotive single ‘If I Believe’ recorded once again with legendary producer Gavin Monaghan (Editors, The Sherlocks), proving to be another impassioned powerhouse!
The driving guitars, rousing vocals and catchy hooks make ‘If I Believe’ the perfect anthem for a night out with great friends and a pint in hand. If their debut single didn’t showcase what a huge impact The Mucks have made on the indie music scene, then ‘If I Believe’ surely will. It’s the perfect single release to start off Spring, upbeat and hopeful…brighter days are coming!
John Kennedy, Radio X, has already dubbed ‘If I Believe’ an ‘excellent new single by the Mucks’ so you do not want to miss out on this!
Virgins have quickly become one of Irelands most promising rising bands, flying the flag for Irish shoegaze since their sold out and critically acclaimed debut EP ‘transmit a little heaven’in 2023. They return with a momentous new single ‘s o f t er’, already a live fan favourite. A shoegaze tour de force built around a looping lead riff and the ethereal yearning vocals of Rebecca Dow. Gargantuan walls of dense, beautiful reverbs and dreamy fuzz, transport the listener to a world of abstract beauty and bliss. Michael Smyth and David Sloan’s guitar complement each other perfectly, adding layers of shimmering choral accents, glide guitar trem-arm rhythms, reverse reverbs and lush jet plane phaser sounds. All driven by James Foy’s thunderous drums and anchored by gloriously fuzzed out bass of Brendy McCann. While basking in this audio bath, Rebeccas vocals offer a guide point to navigate through the hazy requiem.
The single accompanies the announcement of their eagerly anticipated debut album, ‘nothing hurt and everything was beautiful’ due out April 11th via Blowtorch Records on a pressing of 300 starburst vinyl. ‘nothing hurt and everything was beautiful’ finds the band exploring a wider sonic palette, seamlessly moving between the gaze-pop of ‘s l o w l y, l o n g’ and ‘d i s a p p e a r e r’, to the dance influenced ‘s o f t e r’ and to the heavy, expansive and ethereal ‘p a l e f i r e’ and ‘t e n d’. Their captivating sound doesn’t rely on recycling shoegaze tropes but brings a fresh and contemporary approach to the genre. The album follows the bands headline slot at GazeFest and the release of the hugely successful single ‘s l o w l y, l o n g’ last August.
The talented Dublin-based singer songwriter Edward Duvall has released his beautiful new track ‘You’. Edward blends acoustic guitar and soulful vocals to create a captivating sound that reflects his personal experiences and emotions.
His music is inspired by the legends of rock and roll, such as Fleetwood Mac, The Cure and Chris Cornell. Edward’s music, and this new single, ‘You’, is a journey through the highs and lows of life, the joys and sorrows of love, and the hopes and fears of the human condition.
He has released two previous singles, ‘Big Spoon’ and ‘Fall Down’, which have received positive feedback from listeners and critics alike. Edward Duvall is a talented musician who will touch your heart with his voice and guitar.
Bydd gŵyl iaith Gymraeg Abertawe, Gŵyl Tawe, yn dychwelyd unwaith eto i Amgueddfa Genedlaethol y Glannau ar ddydd Sadwrn yr 8fed o Fehefin 2024.
Yn dilyn blwyddyn gyntaf llwyddiannus yn ei chartref newydd yn 2023, bydd yr ŵyl eto yn gweld perfformiadau gan lu o artistiaid amgen, cyfoes sy’n defnyddio’r iaith Gymraeg mewn ffyrdd amrywiol a chyffrous. Bydd y gerddoriaeth fyw yn cael ei chynnal ar draws prif lwyfan awyr agored yr
ŵyl a’r ail lwyfan yng nghanol yr amgueddfa, a bydd y lein-yp llawn yn cael ei gyhoeddi ar ddechrau mis Mawrth.
digwyddiad yn hollol rad ac am ddim, gyda’r amgueddfa yn agor am 10 y bore a’r adloniant yn rhedeg tan yr hwyr. Yn ogystal â’r gerddoriaeth fyw, bydd sioeau theatr ryngweithiol i deuluoedd, perfformiadau gan ysgolion lleol, ac amryw o weithdai creadigol gan ein partneriaid o’u stondinau yng nghyntedd yr amgueddfa.
Mae’r digwyddiad yn cael ei gynnal mewn partneriaeth ag Amgueddfa Cymru, a gyda chefnogaeth Cyngor Abertawe, Cymru Greadigol, Coleg Gŵyr Abertawe, a’r Bunkhouse Abertawe. —————————————————————————————————-
Swansea’s Welsh language festival, Gŵyl Tawe, will return once again to the National Waterfront Museum on Saturday the 8th of June 2024.
Following a successful first year at its new home in 2023, the festival will once again see performances by a whole host of alternative, contemporary artists who use the Welsh language in varied and exciting ways. The live music will be hosted across both the festival’s main open-air stage
and the Ocean Room stage in the heart of the museum, with the full line up set to be announced in early March.
The event is completely free to attend, with the museum opening at 10AM and the entertainment running until late. As well as the live music, there will also be interactive theatre shows for families, performances from local schools, and a variety of creative workshop activities delivered from our partners’ stalls in the museum foyer.
The event will be delivered in partnership with Museum Wales, with further support from Swansea Council, Creative Wales, Gower College Swansea, and The Bunkhouse Swansea.
The Shed Project are the Bolton based band who take their name from the mere fact that they formed the band in 2018 in a garden shed! But don’t let this fool you into thinking that this band are anything less than serious contenders on the new music scene.
With Roy Fletcher on vocals, Tim Burke on Bass, John Ratcliffe on Rhythm Guitar, Tim Stott on Lead Guitar and Shane Mckenna on Drums, the band released their first single in January 2020: ‘Livin’’ which was followed by a further 4 single releases the same year and another 5 singles releases in 2022 and 3 in 2023 including 2 albums, “The Curious Mind Of A Common Man” in April 2022 and “Our Fear is Their Power” in November 2023.
The Shed Project have performed extensively up and down the UK including headline sold out shows at the likes of the famous and iconic The Water Rats in London, The Jacaranda in Liverpool and Audio in Glasgow as well as having extremely healthy streaming figures on all of their releases, if this is a band who are not on your radar already, you need to be asking yourself why not?
The brand new single release from The Shed Project ‘I’ve Got The Blues’ is taken from their second album ‘Our Fear Is Their Power’.
Produced by Danny Hayes at the Ivy Studios, ‘I’ve Got the Blues’ provides a deeper insight into the dynamics of the band who, just over two years ago, were virtually unknown. Now commanding a very healthy following on social media and proving to be one of the North West’s most exciting live acts. Their debut show at the Phoenix Club in their hometown Bolton saw them play to a record capacity of 400 adoring fans.
‘I’ve Got the Blues’ is a melodic soulful tribute, written by vocalist Roy Fletcher, in honour of Wesley Swede Sharples & Micheal Rex Hennigan, who as the lyrics describe were two of the good friends of Roy’s who were both taken far too young.
In addition to the lush strings and Steinway grand piano on the album version, the band drafted in female vocalist KD to add some stunning and ethereal harmonies to the already heart wrenching vocals. Knowing founder members John & Roy since childhood Karen said “It’s been both a pleasure and an honour to be involved with such an emotionally charged project and I can’t wait for everyone listen to the magical results”
Roy adds “This song is probably one of the best, but hardest songs I’ve ever written, it’s been like therapy really, Rex, Swede and I were like brothers and to lose them both so young and in such a short amount of time has broken so many hearts”
Upcoming Gigs/Tours
9th March – Wax And Beans – Bury
23rd March – Headline at The Phoenix Club Bolton Support from Aziz Ibrahim Inder, Goldfinger & MC Tunes
PiNKSLiPS are an alternative rock band hailing from Belfast, formed amidst the musical drought during the pandemic. The four piece consists of Gerry Norman, (Vocals/Guitar) David McGaughey, (Guitar/Vocals) Shane Watters (Drums) and Carl Gilmore (Bass).
With a focus on high energy, riff based guitars, rhythmic groove and anthemic choruses, the band’s shared love of live music, heavy rock, and energetic performance soon set about shaping their own rock sound.
SILVEROLLER release their new single ‘Other Side’, out now, new EP ‘At Dawn‘ out 1st March. ‘Other Side‘ is the Friday night Rock n’ roll sing along you’ve been waiting for, with a chorus to contrast the aggressive verses punched out by the band. Other Side is driven by a smooth yet sizzling slide guitar line, one that wouldn’t be out of place on a Stones record, the band follows suit with a rhythm section pounding like an adrenaline filled heart and that signature Silveroller sound of organ, screaming for mercy from beyond its Leaslie speaker, topped with a no-nonsense vocal that charges like a bull through the verses, to find itself in singalong harmony come the chorus. ‘Other Side’ just goes to prove what the live reviews of Silveroller reported, this is the band to watch out for in 2024, fans of The Black Crowes, Bad Company, The Faces and Stones keep your eyes peeled and ears open, for Silveroller, “the future is bright and it’s patchouli-scented”.
“We’re so proud to present our debut record to the world. For one reason or another, this collection of songs hasn’t been easy to get out to you, like many bands before us, a lot has stood in the way. But now, without restraints, we’re glad that you’re finally able to hear them. We hope you dig what you hear, and that you come with us on the ride! We wanted to record a snap shot of who we were at the time we went into the studio and we can’t wait to get out on the road and play these songs live. With love, Silveroller”
2024 Tour Dates Supporting DEWOLFF: Mar 13, The Cluny, Newcastle Mar 14, The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh Mar 15, The Tunnels, Aberdeen Mar 16, Hug & Pint, Glasgow Mar 17, Night & Day, Manchester Mar 19, The Louisiana, Bristol Mar 20, The Bullingdon, Oxford Mar 21, Bodega, Nottingham Mar22, Black Box, Hastings Mar 23, Omeara, London
Indie Revolution 