The Black Vultures are an energetic four-piece rock band hailing from the Gwent Valley, South Wales.
Their debut single ‘Treat Me Like An Animal’ focuses on the imbalance of a relatonship but in a light hearted manner, relating to the treatment of one party metaphorically treating the other as a physical animal. The single is upbeat, catchy and anthemic in it’s delivery.
The band are releasing a follow up single this month with a third single in March, followed by the release of an EP early this year. Watch this space!
MACY is the incredible young South Wales based songstress who has been releasing music since 2020 and who has amassed incredible ratings on streaming platforms in such a relatively short space of time, in excess of 1 million streams worldwide, as well as being played on and receiving praise from the likes of BBC introducing, BBC Radio Wales (where she was added to the A- List for several single releases) and BBC Radio ONE.
Having started releasing music in 2020, Macy has released an impressive 13 singles to date, Mostly notably ‘Pink Bandana’ from 2022 which has amassed over 235,938k streams on spotify alone, ‘Swear Down’ which was championed by BBC Radio ONE (51k spotify streams) ‘Shoulders Back’ from June 2023 (47,071k Spotify Streams) and her most recent release of ‘Forget Me Not Blue’ from September 2023 (43,220k Spotify Streams).
In what can only be described as a whirlwind past 12 months, MACY has amassed an impressive international following, with over a Million streams worldwide with the numbers ever rising!
MACY released her first EP, ‘Words4Luv’ last year and is set to follow this up on the 24th November 2023, with her second EP release entitled ‘Third Person’.
The new EP will feature 4 tracks including the previously released singles of ‘Shoulders Back’ and ‘Forget Me Not Blue’ as well as two previously unheard tracks being a third single release of ‘New Light’ and the title track of ‘Third Person’ which will be released along with the EP.
The latest single to be released, ‘New Light’, is an exciting and fresh, fun-filled track perfectly befitting the mainstream being reminiscent of the likes of Mimi Webb, Anne Marie and Lizzo.
MACY has said of the track “This track is from my forthcoming EP, Third Person. It is a personal EP and this track represents me looking at life and my future in a brand new way, or new light”
MACY’s songs are undoubtedly becoming well known for their infectious, feel-good lyrics delivered in Macy’s own individual style, and this single follows suit, playing with current sounds and trends while all wrapped up in a traditional MACY flair.
MACY’s journey to date has seen her undertaking several key appearances in 2022/23, including appearances at Clwb Ifor Bach and 110Above, culminating in an amazing solo performance at the star studded BAFTA CYMRU awards ceremony, at St Davids Hall, Cardiff in October, presented by Alex Jones MACY also performed at The Principality Stadium, in front of a 50,000 capacity crowd as well as performing at FOCUSwales, Rebel Fest and The Foodies Festival (Cardiff & Bristol). MACY further performed live on BBC Radio Wales (The Quinnells at Xmas) alongside Emile Sand.
Upcoming Gigs/Tours –
22nd of Dec – Acoustic gig at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff for Generation W
Classically trained pianist and singer songwriter from Pontypool in South Wales, Rebecca Richards is making a name for herself with her gorgeous chord progressions, melody creation and beautiful vocals. Her songs have been described as uplifting and empowering whilst maintaining a bittersweet edge. Her love of music is heavily steeped in country, blues and rock and major influences include The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Glen Campbell and Blackberry Smoke.
She has recently learned to play mandolin and tenor guitar which she says helps with creating a wide variety in her songwriting and performance. Rebecca has been fortunate to have performed across the UK including The Camden Club, London, South Wales Country Music Festival, Newport, The Green Gathering, Chepstow and The Acoustic Cafe, Tavistock as well as playing venues across Wales and the South West. More recently she has been shortlisted for the 2023 UK Country Music Radio Song Award and she will be playing live at the finale in Donnington on 28th October. Rebecca says her favourite part of music creation is the connection with others through her music.
New Yesterday’s is out now on all streaming platforms.
Alternative, hook heavy four-piece See The Witch release self titled debut single filled with eldritch riffs, ritualistic rhythms and presiding vocals.
Hailing from Swansea the band is for fans of Ghost, Royal Blood and Billy Talent.
Check out See The Witch now on all streaming platforms.
South Wales four piece The Now are proud to release a brand new single ‘Get Out ‘ via Trew Music, ahead of the release of their debut album in Spring 2024.
The infectious ‘Get Out’ is a fast moving classic, that will grip the listener from the very first hearing and simply refuse to let go.
Recorded at Real World Studios and produced by Grammy Award winning Oli Jacobs, who has previously worked with Harry Styles and The 1975, ‘Get Out’ tells the story of an emerging band who have been severely let down by their record company and having to start their career all over again.
In 2021, the band’s single, ‘Dr Jones’ managed to start their rise to success with it featuring on BBC Radio 2, The Rock Show with Johnnie Walker and also numerous plays on Planet Rock with Wyatt. The first single, ‘Holy’ from the band’s debut EP in 2022 gained a huge amount of airplay around the globe. Apart from plays on BBC and numerous independent stations in the UK, it was “The Coolest Song in the World” for a week in Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius XM across North America.
2023 saw the first single ‘Devil Inside Me’ from the album once again picked as “Coolest Song In The World” in Little Steven’s Underground Garage Sirius XM show as well as Track of the Week on Planet Rock!
Having recently supported Reef and Florence Black and performed at The Isle of Wight Festival, The Now are on a mission to leave no head left unturned and one can be sure, this is only the beginning for the band.
The Now consists of: Shane Callaghan on Rhythm Guitar & Lead Vocals, Will Scott on Drums, Callum Bromage on Guitar & Vocals and Jay Evans on Bass Guitar & Vocals.
23 year old South Wales singer-songwriter Josh Hicks releases his second single, Everything About You. After attending ACM in Guildford, where he gained a First in vocal performance, Josh entered the Open Mic competition in 2021 and won the overall competition, against 15k other entries (previous winners include Birdy and Lola Young).
Josh from Newport, working with long-time producer/writer Shatterjack, says ‘This song was written by Shatterjack, Kemi Sulola and myself. Everything About You is about having an absolute fascination for someone and feeling utterly and powerlessly bowled over by that person. It’s about not listening to what people may say about them and just trusting your own thought processes and instincts.’
With a contemporary, classic pop sound that embodies soulful yet subtle jazz inclinations, while Hicks’ songs are aimed at younger audiences, they’re equally able to cross the generational divide. Inspired by lyrical greats such as Cole Porter and Amy Winehouse, Hicks injects personality into his writing, drawn from personal experience.
With its dramatic, modern melodies and soulfully expressive lyrics this second single pays testament to Josh’s powerful vocals and innate ability to write life-affirming songs. The track provides all the evidence you need that this bright young star is set to shine.
Catch Josh playing live this autumn around various venues in Wales. Follow him on Insta, Tik Tok and Spotify for further live announcements.
PARCS have been brewing on the South Wales scene for a few years now, slowly moulding their sound. Recently expanding to a four piece, husband and wife team Joe and Elly are now joined by Kristy and Liam. Built around Elly Sinnett’s dreamy vocals, PARCS craft beautiful soundscapes of punchy drum beats, washed out synths and purposeful guitar lines. With bittersweet, melancholic choruses that you can’t help but move to, PARCS create music with both groove and heart.
PARCS headlined a stage at last years 6 Music Festival Fringe in Cardiff and this year were invited to Focus Wales.
Having previously released two fantastic EPs and recent single ‘Heaven’, PARCS have now joined the Phwoar & Peace Roster. Their first single on the label will be the summer pop hit ‘Wait!’
‘Wait!’ is a song inspired by disco with four to the floor drums, melodic synths & a driving bass line. Its lyrical themes are about seeking short term highs in places you know you probably shouldn’t. It’s the first track in which both Elly and Kristy collaborated lyrically and vocally, with Liam and Joe contributing heavily to the production and songwriting.
“The song’s origins were a simple loop drum and synth loop recorded in a rehearsal room, soon becoming an idea that we couldn’t help but add to and construct a more elaborate groove. We wanted to explore a different angle of the PARCS sound while still maintaining that core dream-like, synth heavy character but also introducing some bigger and brighter sounds.”
After finishing the writing and recording at home, vocals were then recorded with Richard Jackson (The Automatic, Future Of The Left, The Nightmares) who also mixed and mastered the track.
South Wales based Stellar Echoes fuse elements of alternative, indie and psych rock. Their debut album was recorded at Kings Road Studio in Cardiff after singer, guitarist and songwriter Huw Webb found a renewed rush of enthusiasm to write music again after being stuck in lockdown.
Stellar Echoes consists of Huw Webb (Vocals, Guitar), Dan John (Guitar), Dean Powell (Bass) and Michael Nash (Drums).
So give their fantastic new album a listen, you won’t be disappointed! Out now on all streaming platforms.
Nominated for the Welsh Music Prize, 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 now working on his second album. His first single of the upcoming album, ‘Sing’ received great praise, and now his second single ‘Try’ has already caught the eye of Welsh Connection’s Michael Kennedy. He says ‘Do we like it? We LOVE it – it’s got a fantastic 80’s retro feel to it but with enough contemporary touches to avoid it sounding in any way dated. There’s a backbeat reminiscent of Tears For Fears but everything else is 100% Jammy and it’s the sound of a massive hit.’
JAMMY also produced and played on fellow Welsh artist, Kaysha Louvain’s, Welsh Music Prize nominated album ‘The Song Goes On’ Try is the second single from Jammy’s upcoming untitled second album.
Huw James is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the Gwent valleys in South Wales.
Though many styles are noticeable throughout Huw’s songs, they all stem from a love of Folk and Blues. For many years Huw was part of a successful covers band called Flashback which played extensively throughout South Wales and the South-West of England, as well as making a couple of appearances at The Queen’s Birthday Ball in Cairo, Egypt in 2002 and 2004.
In 2015, Huw finally left the cover scene after being inspired by his previous bands, Flashback and 3MPH. They eventually became the vehicles that drove him to pursue his love of songwriting. Huw is back with a spell-binding 13-track album, available now on all major digital platforms.
Indie Revolution 