Music Scene Wales

I Forget Myself Release New Single ‘Light Up’

May 25, 2023 — Leave a comment

Forget Myself Records is proud to announce the release of the much-anticipated full-length album Repine Forest by independent artist I Forget Myself, which is out now.

Singer-songwriter Dan, also known as I Forget Myself, has once again composed, performed, recorded, produced, and collaborated with session drummer Kyle Reece Williams and studio mixing engineer Johan Heyns to bring you a new and powerful eleven-song work: the fifth album he has completed in just three years. 

Repine Forest’s alternative and unconventional rock feel features a pop sensibility that is influenced by a variety of genres ranging from indie to electronic music that has culminated in his most prolific, detailed and moving work to date.

 I Forget Myself is a professional recording artist, singer and multi-instrumentalist with over two decades of musical experience in the industry: from extensively touring in bands for over ten years, opening for international acts, being signed to a major label in his native South Africa to being a student of an acclaimed internationally-renowned jazz bassist and teaching music himself for four years. 

Currently based in Hong Kong, he works as a teacher, is currently completing his second master’s degree in education and believes that we should never stop learning – an ethos which is reflected by his compelling body of work to date. 

 I Forget Myself’s songs have been streamed over 200 000 times on Spotify alone in his short career thus far. He is also an active online content creator and has uploaded 160 videos to his YouTube channel, which has garnered over 93 000 views, covering varied content from music to gaming and art. 

I Forget Myself is additionally an aspiring fiction writer who is working on his first novel. Currently based in the Asian world city of Hong Kong, he is rehearsing acoustic material and aims to make the live debut of this project later in 2023.

Dan says of the single: Light Up is about overcoming adversity and hardship to ultimately become a better person because of the trials we all face.

For fans of: 

Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Biffy Clyro, Nine Inch Nails, Silverchair, Soundgarden.

Emily Marsden – Editor
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@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Trick Shot Release New Single ‘Nothing I’d Rather Do’

May 25, 2023 — Leave a comment

Trick Shot are an Australian ‘New Wave of Classic Rock’ band from Adelaide, South Australia. The band formed in 2023 from a collection of 80’s inspired, dad bod muso’s who met in the dank corners of the local scene and who all just couldn’t get enough Bruce Springsteen, Iron Maiden and every guitar hero who has ever graced the industry. 
 
Their unique package of entertainment fuses these big 80’s guitar sounds with catchy melodies mixed with a smile on their faces and a love for their music. They are dive-bombing their way to freedom that will make you want to get up, sing along and dance your troubles away.  

Now hailed as Adelaide’s coolest dad band by all the single mothers, Trick Shot are rocking their way into the hearts of their followers, punters, and media alike and have previously released their debut single ‘We Got The Night’ that has gained them several spins across the radio dial at home and abroad. 

The band consists of singer/guitarist, Ian Poole, bassist, Dave Varacalli. With their follow-up single ‘Nothing I’d Rather Do’ alongside ‘We Got the Night’, the band announces their sound; fist pumping choruses, big guitars and unmatched positivity that have become their calling cards.

Trick Shot’s debut album, “Magic Bullet” is slated for a June 23, 2023, release date and is the talk on everyone’s lips. The album was written by bassist Dave Varacalli in an inspired 3-week span with the raw demo’s given the breath of life through the production wizardry of Ian Poole each song telling the tales of the times, interactions, interludes between country towns and big cities and what it is like to feel alive.

Armed with their brand and their songs, Trick Shot are embarking on the old school theory of playing until their fingers’ bleed and have several live shows locally lined up and will add as many shows as possible to their schedule in due course.

Trick Shot are the antithesis of a conundrum wrapped in an enigma, yet you cannot deny the one important fact, they rock you like a hurricane, and you will find yourself singing along to their infectious tracks even before you fall in love with them.

‘Nothing I’d Rather Do’ is a song of hope, a song to let you forget all the wrong in the world if only for three minutes. Get your bum off your seat and let your spirit follow’. – Dave Varacalli

For fans of: 

New Wave of Classic Rock, guitar-based rock, AOR rock, Melodic Rock

Upcoming dates:

20th May 23 – West Thebarton Social Club, Thebarton South Australia
4th June 23 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Hindmarsh South Australia
24th June 23 – The Cumberland Hotel, Glanville South Australia
14th July 23 – Residency at West Thebarton Social Club South Australia
21st July 23 – Residency at West Thebarton Social Club South Australia
28th July 23 – Residency at West Thebarton Social Club South Australia
4th August 23 – The Three Brother’s Arms, Macclesfield South Australia

Emily Marsden – Editor
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musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Fatal Vision Release New Single ‘In My Fantasy’

May 24, 2023 — Leave a comment

June 26, 2023, marks the triumphant return of Canadian melodic rock band Fatal Vision, with the release of their sophomore album Twice on the Pride & Joy Music label. Fatal Vision’s debut album Once re-introduced the band in 2022, charting at #10 on the Japanese import chart, and in Canada, Mexico and Switzerland on the iTunes rock chart, followed by the singles “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (#15, Canada) and “Breakers” (#13, Canada).

“Once” featured a series of videos telling the story of “The Lead Singer and The Heartbreaker”, which have yielded over 300,000 YouTube plays and have driven the band’s Instagram and TikTok metrics ever higher.

Featuring lead singer Simon Marwood, who co-founded the band in 1988, guitarist Juan Miguel Gomez Montant, keyboard player Scottie Irving, drummer Alex Wickham and bassist Andrew Burns, Twice shows Fatal Vision continuing to delve into a rich tapestry of sounds both familiar and modern. The thirteen tracks nod to Fatal Vision’s key influences, including Survivor, Bad English, Loverboy, Night Ranger and REO Speedwagon.

The first single, “In My Fantasy”, is a hard rocker reminiscent of Bon Jovi at their peak, followed by the post-apocalyptic, Asia-like “Tomorrow Never Comes” and the obvious Alice Cooper influences of “Welcome to my Nightmare.” The album also features power ballads “End of the Dream” (a duet with upcoming Nashville female artist Christine Corless, also featured on Once), “The Last Summer Night”, and “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer” (which includes a record-setting 26-second final note by Marwood) as well as the mid-tempo duet (again with Corless) “Time Has Left Us As Strangers”, the melancholic offering “Ghosts of Yesterday”, rock number “In The Middle Of The Night” and the triumphant conclusion “Start Again.” 

Videos are being filmed for each of these tracks as an ongoing story of a lost love and the possibility of second chances is played out.

Once again, the album has been graced by hard rock royalty, including Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge of Forever, Hardline), Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), Paul Laine (Danger Danger, The Defiants), Marc Lafrance (Loverboy, Motley Crue), JK Northrup (King Kobra, XYZ) and Jeff Scott Soto (Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) on backing vocals, Mark Holden (Boulevard) on saxophone, and Northrup and Derry Grehan (Honeymoon Suite) contributing additional guitars. The album is mixed by Northrup and Ron Nevison (Heart, Survivor), with production by Del Vecchio, Hess, Marwood, Montant and Northrup.

The band is hitting the road to support Twice with dates in Canada, followed by a UK tour in August, and Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland to end the year.

“Excellent, well played and sung melodic rockers, featuring lots of quality guitar and keyboards.” – Simon Smith, Fireworks (for Once)

“A mixture of the classic 80’s AOR, but with an innovative, technically sophisticated, individual touch.” – Steve Leikeim, Break Out (for Once)

Said of the song by Simon: I wrote this song back in 1988 about a gal I had a massive crush on. I know exactly who it’s about, but unlike many of my other songs where I’ve told the person years later “hey, I wrote this about you”, I think this one I will take to the grave!

Band members, instruments played and hailing from:

Simon Marwood: Lead Vocals, originally from Portsmouth, UK – now in Ottawa, Canada
Miguel Montant: Guitars and Backing Vocals, originally from Mexico City.
Scottie Irving: Keyboards and Backing Vocals – from Ottawa
Alex Wickham: Drums – from Ottawa
Andrew Burns: Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals – from Ottawa

All now based in Ottawa.

For fans of: 

Melodic Hard Rock: A mix of Survivor, Journey, Asia, Bad English, Europe, with some Van Halen, Meatloaf and RATT.

Tour dates:

June 10th: Live on Elgin, Ottawa, Canada
July 9th: Mavericks, Ottawa Canada
August 21st – 28th: UK, venues TBA
November 11-16: Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, venues TBA

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Downtown Patriots Release New Single ‘Your Burden’

May 24, 2023 — Leave a comment

Downtown Patriots announce the release of their brilliant new single from from their album Dance Out Of The Dark.

Downtown Patriots was created in 2015 by Danny Watts, a multi-instrumentalist from Woodbridge, Suffolk.
 
Originally working with session drummer James Duncan on the two debut EPs “Love” and “Guiding Light” before settling with Ben Cochrane to create a 2-man band for live gigs.  
 
Danny and Ben began recording the debut Downtown Patriots album “Legacy” in 2015 but wasn’t released until 2019.  Once the album was recorded Ben relocated to Australia, so Danny began acoustifying the songs to play live as a solo act.
 
During lockdown in 2020, Danny began writing and recording the follow up to Legacy – Dance Out of The Dark.  With a more nuanced sound from the previous heavier offering, this new album combines Danny’s love for 90s grunge and 80s retro synths.  
 
His musical influences are Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Twenty One Pilots, Jeff Buckley, Beach Boys, Van Halen, Toto, Stone Temple Pilots, Brandi Carlile. To name a few!

Emily Marsden – Editor
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@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Liam Dutch Releases New Single ‘You Can Be The Star’

May 23, 2023 — Leave a comment

The incredibly talented Liam Dutch follows up his first release of 2023, ‘Freaky Dreams’, with the brilliant ‘You Can Be The Star’.

Recorded in Graham Wann’s (Bricolage, The Sexual Objects) studio in Shenzhen, China, ‘You Can Be The Star’ was mixed and mastered by Dutch’s longtime collaborator, Ian Flynn.

‘You Can Be The Star’ sees Dutch at his most playful, having crafted a track that sees the lyrics wrapping perfectly around an almost glam-rock vibe. With shades Of The Chemical Brothers and The Charlatans, the song has a perfect groove and a super-catchy refrain in “…she’s the spotlight on the horizon…”.

On his new single, ‘You Can Be The Star’, Liam Dutch said: “The song came together quickly in terms of the writing, I wrote it over the week before the studio sessions so it actually replaced another tune. I liked the idea of a drop chorus and then it kicking off a bit at the end”

Liam Dutch has received high praise from various outlets such as Our Sound Music and Music For All. Amazing Radio are also strong supporters, with DJ’s Jim Gellanty and Charlie Ashcroft both personally selecting Dutch’s previous releases for airplay. Dutch has a strong presence on Social Media (over 10k Twitter followers) and a growing Spotify listenership which is a testament to the quality of his back catalogue. 

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Tom Emlyn Releases New Album ‘Return Journey Revisited: Scaredycat Vol 1’

May 22, 2023 — Leave a comment

Tom Emlyn announces his new album ‘Return Journey Revisited: Scaredycat Vol 1’ out now.

Swansea-born songwriter Tom Emlyn vividly depicts why he is one of the most prolific and inventive songwriters emerging in Wales, with his new album ‘Return Journey Revisited: Scaredycat Vol 1’. Recorded in 2018 and mastered by Charlie Francis (R.E.M., Pixies). A treasure trove of recordings dating back to 2016, 2017, and 2018, these songs offer a window into the sheer scope of Emlyn’s songwriting talent, his captivating songs uniquely exploring the particularity and peculiarity of human experience. 

Featuring his gorgeous recent singles ‘Broken Mirror’ – a heartfelt and poetic ballad of lost love and ‘Like a Cigarette’ inspired by his days busking outside a cafe in Frankfurt acting as a living and breathing earworm that charts his travels around Europe and Germany in 2017.  Plus forthcoming third single ‘It doesn’t bother me’.  Compared to Bob Dylan or Elliott Smith, Tom Emlyn’s sound, while rooted in garage rock, is tinged with psychedelia, folk, jazz, and blues overtones – including a recent adoption of the harmonica as a lead instrument.

Tom explains “Abandoned work is a normal part of the music-making process, but I felt these songs deserved a second chance. I also wanted to release it as a (small) protest against certain smoke-and-mirrors aspects of the music industry. People will tell you to wait and wait, hold back all of your material for the “right time”. I can’t do that anymore; for me, a song is only new when it’s just been written, although it can be remade in live performance. I find it quite agonising to sit on this material for so many years. I’ll be thirty in 2023. That’s why I want to get this sizeable backlog of unheard material out there, so I can move on to new things, and that’s why this is the third album I’ve released in a year.”

“There were many people involved in these tracks – different engineers, studios, producers, and musicians in Swansea and Cardiff. I think the album has a unified feel despite being a bunch of stuff that was recorded in various studios and spaces, before being rescued from the cutting-room floor. It’s a bit of a lighter, ironic affair, full of magic realism and surreal images of the natural world, half-acoustic and half-electric, with an eclectic, eccentric, sprawling feel. Scraped from the bottom of a very deep barrel – but somehow holding together.” 

Tom Emlyn crafts honest, swirling evocative songs; tall tales, and dark jokes that cut straight to the bone. His current solo work maps an alternative Southwalian landscape, a hallucinated community drawn from psychogeography and local history. Written on foot and by bus, his observational, poetic lyrics and simple 60s-folk-influenced melodies explore what it means to belong to a place – the bitterness, the love and the humour. “The truth is, all of my music is one long song – constantly flowing from inner worlds and mysterious, unknown places.” He reveals “Songwriting is like a diary for me, and it’s time to share Return Journey Revisited: Scaredycat Vol 1. with you. It might be a slightly imperfect document, but I think it’s all the better for it.”

In summer 2022, Tom released his debut solo album ‘News From Nowhere’, a bittersweet love letter to his hometown of Swansea, described by Adam Walton (BBC Radio Wales) as a record of “undoubted brilliance, eloquence and energy”. It has been positively received, with airplay and support from Radio Wales, BBC Horizons, R.E.P.E.A.T. fanzine, God Is In The TV, and Joyzine, among others. Tom’s second album ‘I’ve Seen You In Town’ followed hot on the heels of the first – a more mellow, acoustic affair which was also well received. He also released the ‘Scounger EP’ on Bandcamp this February.  He is currently promoting these records with intimately explosive solo and band performances across Wales and beyond, with a string of releases planned for 2023.

Tour dates 

27th May – in it together festival Margam
16th June – Cwrw, Carmarthen
17th June – Cwrw (solo record shop in-store to promote new album)
17th June – Elysium, Swansea (to promote new album)
12th August – Brecon Jazz/Fringe festival 
6th October – Hippos, Swansea

Emily Marsden – Editor
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musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Wez King Releases New Single ‘Clay’

May 22, 2023 — Leave a comment

Wez King is an accomplished singer/songwriter hailing from Maidstone in Kent. Following on from his earlier single releases of ‘M.H.’, ‘We Were Young’,‘Take It Or Leave It’ and ‘Mona Lisa’ which were all received to much critical acclaim from the likes of BBC radio and from John Kennedy on his Radio X  ‘X-Posure Show’ Wez King is now back with a much more gentler and emotive offering in ‘Clay’.

‘Clay’ is a strikingly beautiful track where Wez’s stunning vocals are really being allowed to shine and take centre stage. The instrumentals are paired back and twinkling in melody, really letting Wez’s vocal range take full effect, something which has been hinted at in previous releases, but never before shown to such a full degree. The track is also a lot more reflective, taking on a whole new dimension for this extremely talented singer/songwriter. 

Wez  himself has said of the track:

“Our new Single ‘Clay’ is our first take on a break up song with a touch of familiar charm and wit.”

Wez is no stranger to the music scene having previously been in a successful band, Tres Kings, before deciding to branch out as a solo artist. He has been  featured on KMTV, and played at Neverworld and Bearded Theory Festivals having been billed alongside artists such as Doves, Tom Grennan and The Vaccines. 

‘Clay’ was written by Wez King and features him on Guitar  and Vocals, with Dan Maggs on drums and Sabid Dhinsa on Bass. The track was recorded at The Libertines HQ in Margate, The Albion Rooms, and was recorded and mixed by Jason Stafford and mastered by Graham Waller.

Most Recently Wez has had his music featured in cinemas and on SKY TV as part of a music documentary based on the revolutionary radio station XFM. You can catch ‘Kick Out The Jams- The Story of XFM’ on SKY and Amazon TV.

Previous Press Accolades 

“Tender, Stripped back and not dissimilar to Liam Gallagher at his most vulnerable” – Our Sound Music 

“Outstanding, Diverse and Interesting…with strong vocal delivery by a talent who continues to explore different musical styles.” – DeadGoodBlog 

“Every so often the UK indie scene is hit by a powerful new talent that sweeps away all other talents, setting the standard that all bands push to meet…it’s time to meet the next big talent, the one and only Mr Wez King.” – Broken8Records

“A Very exciting new singer/songwriter” – John Kennedy Radio X 

UPCOMING GIGS

Upcoming gigs this year will see Wez performing at the legendary Isle Of Wight festival amongst many others.

Emily Marsden – Editor
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musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

The Montagues Release New Single ‘White Lies’

May 18, 2023 — Leave a comment

The Montagues are the five-piece Alt Rock/indie Band consisting of Kyle Parry on Lead Vocals and guitar, Jack Mayall on guitar, Jonny Taylor on bass, Jack Wells on drums and Oli Harman on keys, who together deliver a layered, anthemic yet melodic sound.

Guitar driven and accompanied by punchy bass lines and hook induced vocals, The Montagues  embody everything that is looked for and loved in a modern indie rock band. Lyrically influenced by the stories of a working-class Welsh town, you can’t help but get wrapped up in the nostalgia of their relatable tales.

The band’s latest release ‘White Lies’ is a distinctively more rockier sound for the band showcasing another dimension to their sound. ‘White Lies’ is a straight off the bat, high octane fast paced banger with its pounding drums and fuzzing guitars. The production on “White Lies” is top-notch, with every instrument and vocal perfectly balanced and mixed. The song’s pacing is also expertly crafted, with a gradual build-up that leads to an explosive finale that will leave you breathless.

The Montagues are known for their high-energy live performances and “White Lies” is a song that will undoubtedly be a highlight of their live shows that sell out on a regular basis. The song is a testament to their ability to create music that is both powerful and relatable, and their commitment to creating a sound that is uniquely their own.   

Frontman Kyle has said of the track:

“White Lies” has a message that I believe will resonate with many people. The song is about the little lies we tell ourselves and others to make life and relationships easier, even when we know deep down that they’re not true. We found inspiration from Nothing But Thieves’ Evolution.”

‘White Lies’ was recorded at the prestigious Motor Museum in Liverpool, by the supremely talented Ben Harper (The Mysterines, The Kairos).

The band have received previous airplay through BBC Introducing Merseyside, BBC Introducing Wales, airplay in the USA on Amazing radio and have performed live from the Cavern Club which was featured on BBC Introducing Merseyside. 

Upcoming Gigs/Tours –

The band have many gigs and Festivals coming up this year with further details and tickets available on their website now www.montaguesmusic.com

Emily Marsden – Editor
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@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Coastal Fire Dept. Release New Album ‘Outsiders’

May 16, 2023 — Leave a comment


Formed in 2013 in the Vale, Guernsey, Coastal Fire Dept. serves as a throwback to the heady days of 90s alt rock & grunge guitar bands with a modern twist & other influences thrown in from time to time.  Coastal Fire Department is all about big driving melodic guitars with catchy choruses that stick in your head. 

The band is guitarist/vocalist Ollie Goddard, bassist Saad Frihmat, drummer Ozzy Austin & lead guitarist Jon Langlois. 
The band first started releasing music in 2019 with their mini-album ‘Control’ & have pushed themselves ever since. 

In 2020, Ken Andrews (Failure, Stone Temple Pilots, Chris Cornell & more) mixed their single ‘You Are Stuck’ which they followed with their catchy two-minute grunge song ‘I Don’t Wanna Hold Your Hand’. This song’s lyrics comprise of the 6 words from the title of the song!

Keen to evolve their sound, 2021 saw a move towards a harder guitar driven vibe. It also saw the band record three singles with Kellii Scott (Failure, QOTSA, Veruca Salt & more) on drums. 

All three singles took on different grunge influences and lead to much more radio play and press coverage globally.
Often compared to Nirvana & Pixies, the band is unashamedly influenced by those iconic bands, but is also influenced by later bands such as Violent Soho, Superheaven, Balance & Composure & Title Fight.


Album tracklisting 

1 – What Do I
2 – Cry Your Heart Out
3 – Gentleman
4 – Gun
5 – Stranger Town
6 – Loner
7 – Gouge Away
8 – Human Safari (explicit)

In their own words:

We take 90’s Alt Rock and Grunge as a basis for our music and sprinkle later influences and genres into our songs to give them a modern twist. No matter how dirty or grungy we play the music we always try and have a catchy chorus.

The band said of the song:

‘Cry Your Heart Out’ is a gritty post grunge/alt rock track set in the here and now. It’s about people who give themselves & everything they own to others in need until there is nothing left to give. Lyrically it’s influenced by an Oscar Wilde short story & sonically US guitar driven bands such as Nirvana, Failure, Balance & Composure & Teenage Wrist. 

A song hugely influenced by US bands recorded by an under the radar band about to break cover. Enjoy the gritty verses, love the guitars and singalong with the choruses.

Upcoming tour dates/live dates:

Vraicfest 23 Festival – Guernsey 16 Sept 23
The Hope and Anchor – 25 Nov 23

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com

Jammy Releases New Single ‘Sing’

May 16, 2023 — Leave a comment

JAMMY is a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Cardiff. Heavily influenced by Nik Kershaw, Tom Petty, John Mayer and all things 80s, JAMMY has previously released a full length album and is working on his second album. Sing is the first release of three proposed single releases before the release of his latest album.
Jammy has also produced a full length album for BBC Radio Wales A-Lister Kaysha Louvain.

“A hugely talented musician and passionate producer. Jammy has played a vital part in finding my sound. After
working tirelessly on my debut album for the past two years, I am so pleased that the world get to hear his new music. Sing has a fresh take on that unique 80’s sound, lyrically fantastic and has a delightful chorus hook that will lend itself greatly to radio” – Kaysha Louvain

Emily Marsden – Editor
#MusicSceneWales
@MusicSceneWales
musicscenewalescymru@gmail.com