IMAGINE THE GALLAGHER BROTHERS GETTING INTO A FIGHT WITH THE WHITE STRIPES MIXED WITH A BIT OF NORTHERN SOUL AND YOU’RE GETTING A FEEL FOR THE 355’S
Brought together by a mutual love for 90’s guitar driven bangers and Northern Soul grooves, The 355’s are your new favourite band, you perhaps just don’t know it yet!
Comprising of Adam Thompsett on Vocals and Guitars, Craig Lockwood on Vocals, Guitars & Keyboards, Robert ‘Bert’ Hammond on Bass & Vocals and Mike Fitchie on Drums, The band was first formed in 2023 when they independently released their debut EP; ‘Jig A Jig Out’ which shot straight to number 11 on the official U.K single charts.
Noel Gallagher reviewed 2 of the singles from the ‘Jig A Jig Out’ E.P on the Matt Morgan podcast, stating, ‘I bet they are f*cking awesome live’.
Having worked with producer Nick Brine (Oasis, The Stone Roses, Ash) on the first E.P, the lads returned to the studio with Nick in August 2024 for the second E.P from which the first single ‘Stuck In The Riverbed’ is being released.
‘Stuck In The Riverbed’ is a jangly and melodic anthem with tender verses and rousing chorus hooks. It’s a pure nostalgic slice of indie pop pie!
The band have said of the track:
“Stuck In The Riverbed reminisces of teenage years, hanging about in parks and being chased by bullies. The track references real places.”
The track was written by Bert Hammond (lyrics) and Adam Thompsett (Music). It was Recorded at Leeders Vale studio in South Wales with legendary britpop producer Nick Brine (Oasis, Stone Roses, Ash.) and was Mastered by Pete Maher (Coldplay, Liam Gallagher, Rolling Stones)
Upcoming Gigs –
Sat 7th Dec – The Corn Exchange, Newport – supporting Dodgy
Imlac which in Gaelic means “shoreland” is a Scottish singer-songwriter who, having travelled all over Europe playing shows, has now settled in the East of England. A true troubadour, Imlac’s sound echoes the Americana traditions of folk and blues, with a hint of soul and gospel, whilst remaining a strong link to the celtic traditions of his roots.
Imlac writes songs of quiet desperation, for ordinary men or women stuck in dead-end jobs, relationships that pull and tear, and for those with dreams bulging against the cabled cage of modern urban repetition
Having receiving praise and multiple previous plays from the likes of Tom Robinson in BBC radio 6, having performed on a Christmas special for BBC 1 TV, having won the folk award two years running at the NMG Awards, played Cambridge Folk Festival two years running, performed at The Secret Garden Party, The Troubadour and So Far in Earls Court and receiving glowing reviews in the press, Imlac is now on the cusp of releasing his forthcoming Album the first single from which ‘Scrap Metal’.
Having only been releasing music since the summer of 2021, Imlac has obviously come a long way in the past few years and his star is rising rapidly as he becomes more and more well known on the indie folk circuit for his stunningly beautiful offerings.
The first single to be lifted from the forthcoming album is the complex yet delicate track of ‘Scrap Metal’. The melody ebbs and flows on a varying wave of emotions, the lyrics depicting a story of grief from the tender, stripped back opening bars to the gentleness of the sublime vocals before elements of anger and confusion seep in, in the chorus hooks, when the pace of the track picks up and the song moves in a different direction, before easing and mellowing once more.
Imlac has said of the Track;-
“The song is about the nature of loss and trying to reconstruct your identity in the aftermath of loss. It was composed after I experienced two great losses in my life, one romantic, one familial, and I really didn’t know how I was to go forward after that. The ‘Scrap Metal’ metaphor is the idea that when you feel that desperate, you have to just grab anything in order to rebuild yourself. It is the first song of the new album – the trajectory of the songs begins with this sense of loss but builds ultimately to a sense of hope through change and metamorphosis.
The track was written by NeilGraham (Imlac) who also performs vocals and rhythm guitar on it. He is joined on the single by Jonners Czerwik on piano & horns, Rick Hudson on drums and John Parker on double-bass. The track was Recorded at Gladeside Recording Studios in Cambridge with Producer Dan Wilde.
SUNWHEEL are back after a 26-year hiatus featuring the original line up of 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.
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 and they are raring to go with some new music as well as looking forward to performing live some of the classic Sunwheel anthems.
The brand new song to be released by the band, Ferris Wheels & Laser Beams is a song about loss, then finding love and being immersed in the whole overwhelming (but universal) experience, and power of those emotions.
Composed collaboratively by the band earlier this year, the track showcases the guitarists’ distinctive riffs, complemented by pulsating rhythms and captivating vocal harmonies.
The new track is a massively appealing anthem with a distinct vibe to the songs of the band’s heyday while still managing to sound fresh and exciting to a whole new audience of fans.
JACKO & THE MAGIC MEN are a four piece garage rock blues band from Herefordshire.
The band comprises Jacko Holland on vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Chris Bufton on guitars and backing vocals, Chris Thomas / Matt Warren on bass guitar and Tom Summers on drums.
Although a prolific songwriter Jacko Holland only started officially releasing music earlier this year with the single releases of “Is You Are” in June 2024 followed by an acoustic version of an earlier song “Chain Smokin’” in July 2024.
Having now well and truly found his footing and a band to match his vision, Jacko is now raring to go and is set to release his debut EP “Jacko and The Magic Men” .
The ‘Jacko and The Magic Men’ EP consists of four tracks; ‘Cannibals’, ‘Magick Men’, ‘Greedy Bastards’ and ‘Satan Fetch My Guitar’.
While all tracks on the EP are being released at the same time, the focus single from the EP is the bluesy stomper ‘Cannibals’. While thetrack is stripped back in the opening notes don’t let this fool you as it quickly opens up into a positively bubbling folky inspired instrumental number with the harmonica featuring heavily and all this is overlaid with very punk-eque vocals giving way to an entirely fresh and exciting offering which is much needed in today’s world of samey indie bands.
Jacko has said of the tracks on the EP:-
Cannibals
“I’d been given the boot by my ex basically and had to move back closer to home. I was gutted to be honest so naturally I spent a lot of time going out , staying up late and all the stuff that goes with it, with the sort of people who’d just rock up to your flat at 5 in morning absolutely smashed, I got sick of it in the end and that’s where the tune came from it’s basically a warning to be careful about the company you keep.”
Magick men
“I wrote the instrumental to this a few years ago after a holiday in Cornwall, we pretty much just listened to northern soul the whole time. It just started with the bass riff and was built up from there. I only wrote lyrics for it when we started the band hence the title “Magick men” .”
Greedy bastards
“This tune has been kicking around for a while. I wrote this during the general election of 2019 originally. It’s just a flat out knock on the Tories or at least used to be , I now see it as a knock on all politicians in general because they’re all full of sh*t really , aren’t they?”
Satan fetch my guitar
“I wrote this tune all in one go the day I’d been dumped and dropped off by my ex back home to Herefordshire. It’s just about the long running power of playing the blues to make yourself feel better about a bad situation to put it simply.”
All tracks on the Jacko Holland and the Magic Men EP were written and composed by Jacko Holland and recorded by Chris Thomas In Herefordshire at Frequency Electrical Studios and all tracks were further Mixed and mastered by Jacko Holland.
Upcoming Gigs/Tours
16th November 24 – Justine’s Margate supporting the Magic Mod
6th December 24 – Headline show at the Old Street Tavern in Ludlow
Straight off the bat here and with no preamble, Twin City are undoubtedly one of the UK’s most exciting Indie Rock ’n’ Roll bands on the new music scene right now.
Based in Bristol and consisting of Welsh brothers Louis (Vocals/Guitar) and Toby Ellis (Drums), Conor Feeney (Bass), and Pete Refson (Guitars), Twin City were formed in 2021 and wasted no time in releasing their debut single ‘Shake The Walls’(August 2021) with an accompanying music video which gained instant traction receiving over 10k views on YouTube in its first week of release along with multiple airplays on BBC Radio and Amazing Radio UK & US.
The band’s second single ‘Looking Glass’ was released in May 2022 and was quickly picked as BBC Uploader’s ‘Big New Sound’ receiving a full week of prime time airplay on BBC radio.
2022 further saw Twin City release their self titled debut EP which contained 4 tracks including the previously mentioned single ‘Looking Glass’ plus 3 other tracks which further sought to build excitement amongst industry peers and fans alike.
Other notable timeline events include Twin City’s debut gig selling out in under 24 hours forcing a venue upgrade which also sold out 24 hours later and the band’s second ever gig being as main support to The Lathums in front of a 1000 strong sold out crowd at Bristol’s Trinity Centre.
Entering 2024 with a new found focus and even more determination to take the world by storm, March 2024 saw Twin City signing a record deal with the ever expanding indie label; Bubblebrain Records and in May of the same year they released the track – ‘I Feel Alive’.
‘I Feel Alive’ Was highly regarded in the industry by peers and leading figureheads such as Rodney Bingehemier on Sirius XM in America.
Twin City are now back with their follow up single ‘Simple Melody’ which is anything but a simple melody! With its reverbing, snarling guitars and thrashing drums from the very first opening chords, this is a massive tune full of sass and swagger aplenty.
The band have said of the track:
“‘Simple Melody’ is about the power of music and how the right song(s) can bring us all together in spite of our differences. Inspiration for this tune were artists such as Lennon, Marley and Richard Ashcroft. With the world the way it is currently we need a bit of positivity and togetherness in music. Music can heal the world.”
‘Simple Melody’ was written and composed collaboratively by Twin City and was recorded at Orchard Studios in Bristol and was Mixed & Mastered by Joe Marsh.
With a string of sold out shows, festival appearances (including two separate stages at this year’s Isle Of Wight Festival), and high profile support slots, including shows with The View, Twin Atlantic, The Royston Club, The K’s, The Coral, Bilk, The Lightning Seeds, Sea Power, Gallus and many more, Twin City are definitely a band worth keeping on your radar.
Love a good tune, something so catchy you can’t help but grin from ear to ear? Then raise three cheers for The Veras, who are making music with just that reaction in mind. And if their songs also make you a wee bit misty-eyed from time to time – what’s wrong with that, eh?
Inspired by all the great music from the 50s right up to about 5 minutes ago, but especially glam rock, punk, new wave, 90s indie and Britpop, The Veras are bringing back the buzz of going to see your favourite band live, jumping up and down and singing along to every song at the top of your voice, and coming out of packed venues soaked in sweat – and not necessarily your own!
Reunited in 2020 and consisting of Neil Runalls on Bass and Vocals, Matt Bond on Guitar and Vocals and Dan Taylor on Drums, the band have gone on to enjoy commercial success with previous releases of ‘Sevens and Nines’ from 2020, ‘Spaceman’ from 2021, ‘Ladies First’ from 2023 and the 2022 album release of ‘V For Veras’ which Louder Than War cited as “V For Veras, shows exactly what they excel at as they bring together the stomp and verve of early Small Faces with the Britpop cheek and ear for buzz-crunching melody of Supergrass. There are brushes of powerpop, hues of freakbeat thrown together with dashes of glam and psychedelia to result in an infectious and uplifting rock ‘n’ roll record.”
Now back with their latest offering the humorously titled “Davey Walking Round With The Sole Off His Shoe”,The Veras deliver once again with their straight off the bat, high-octane, out and out banger of epic proportions. It’s punky with its kitchen sink commentary, britpop nostalgia with its upbeat melodies and positive glam rock with its infectious hook lines. We’ll raise a glass or three to that – boom!!
The band have said of the track:-
“It’s a shout out to all the unusual characters that you may find in any High Street who, for whatever reason, are considered outsiders. They need championing as they are just like everyone else and want the best for themselves, but have been dealt a difficult hand.”
The track will appear on the forthcoming album ‘Get It While You Can’ which loosely follows the themes of today’s greedy, self-serving attitudes and throwaway culture while also offering more positive counterpoints to that worldview. The new album is set for release on Spinout Nuggets Record Label on the 13th September.
‘Davey’ was recorded at Studio 91, Newbury and mixed and mastered by Tom Millar and Sam Winfield.
Upcoming Gigs/Tours –
20th Sept – The Rose, King Street, Maidenhead
22nd Sept – Sound Of The Suburbs, Victoria Rd, Ruislip
Rapturous are the Kent based five piece genre defining, alternative Rock/Hip-Hop outfit who are quickly set to become your new favourite band.
Made up of lead singersLuke Barratt and Ashton Lilburn (who also plays Guitar), Luke Davidson on Lead Guitar, Nathan Cooke on Bass Guitar and Adam McVey on Drums.
The band have been bringing their high octane sell out live performances to major cities across the country leaving a trail of excitement in their wake as they set pulses and eardrums alight with their unique brand of showmanship and explosive soundscapes.
Rapturous released their debut single ‘Lion’s Den’ in 2021, followed by ‘In Vain’ in 2022 and their debut EP ‘Future Of Nothing’ in the same year. After spending 2023 on the live gigging circuit and in the studio perfecting their sound, the five piece released their first offering of 2024, the fan favourite, highly charged, explosive anthem of ‘Repeat After Me’ which received plays and praise from the likes of the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer on Sirus XM in America.
The band are now back with their brand new single ‘Just Another Monday’ – a track that explores the feeling of the mundane, Monday to Friday 9 – 5 working life and a need to escape.
The track starts off with a certain drudgery, and a feeling of plodding along on the treadmill with its social commentary in the lyricism, this is quickly replaced in the break with an absolute cacophony of sound, with crashing drums and snarling, fuzzing guitars succinctly epitomising the band’s high energy character for which they are known and loved. The now infamous rap in the mid section, really sets this band apart from their peers showcasing what a rare and unique talent they are.
There really isn’t another band like this on the scene right now, a rare gem indeed in these days of indie/britpop revival and punk bands galore and I for one am totally invested and here for it!
The band have said of the new track:
“Just Another Monday. Man, it gets boring. Just a song about that feeling of “here we go again”, the feeling you get on Sunday night when the dread of waking up tomorrow morning on Monday kicks in, working in a job you hate for a boss you despise and praying that the weekend comes around quickly. It’s something everyone and anyone can relate to!”
With an arsenal of new music already stacked in their locker, the band now have their sights set on further developing their unique sound, and taking their music to new audiences and new heights across the globe.
‘Just Another Monday’ was recorded, produced/mixed by Dan Lucas of Joplin House in Ashford, Kent and was mastered by Charlie Francis of Synergy Mastering.
Kieran Fisher or the ‘Feesh’ as he is known has been kicking at the door of the big time for a while now supporting artists including The Snuts and The View’s Kyle Falconer on a number of dates. It’s not everyone who gets a personal invitation from Gerry Cinnamon to open for him but this is just what happened!
Seeking a bigger sound, Kieran recruited Lyle Finlay on lead guitar, Lewis Mcgrandles on bass and Jason Strachan on drums and TONTO was formed .
Both the band’s debut single ‘Down the Hatch’ and follow-up ‘Insider’ were named This Feeling/Gigslutz Track of the Day and received airplay in both the UK and USA whilst recent drops ‘Madame Medusa’ and ‘Yellow and Blues’ have got music industry insiders pretty excited.
On the live front TONTO have also recently supported the likes of The Skinner Brothers, The Gulps and Rianne Downey.
Fresh on the heels of the success of their first single release of 2024, ‘Liverpool’, Tonto are upping the ante once again and are coming at us thick and fast with the bangers with their second release of the year with the upbeat groove of ‘Charlene’.
‘Charlene’ is a happy little sing along ditty of a tune with its early Beatle-esque beats and melodies mixed with Kieran’s raw and powerful vocals. It’s got classic written all over it putting us in mind of a clever mix of The Coral and The View.
‘Charlene’ was written by Kieran Fisher and was recorded with Mark Morrow in Leith and is the second single to be released from TONTO from their upcoming five track EP which is due to be released later this year.
Indie Revolutions Single Of The Week goes to Marseille with their final single taken from the highly anticipated ‘Godiva’ EP ‘If It Hurts Don’t Cry’.
“If It Hurts, Don’t Cry” is heartfelt and a reflection on what could have been, before exploding into a euphoric, inspirational wall of guitars and strings. Elements of The Verve fused with the groove and elegance of the late 60’s Rolling Stones and a hint of attitude comparable to early Oasis in the build up of the track into its explosive end. The song opens with acoustic guitar before a majestic slide guitar track slowly introduces us to angelic soulful vocals. The song takes us on a journey of feelings of regret and wishing for a second chance before the band erupts into an uplifting inspirational ending representing a sense of optimism going forward. The sort of optimism that these young lads should be showing based on where their career is headed. Marseille truly do not seem to be fazed by the amount of talent and dedication they are putting into their craft and future careers; they are so driven to get to where they want to be, and it shows.
“If It Hurts, Don’t Cry has been an idea that has been in the tank for a while. It was a gorgeous ballad, but I had never figured out how to round off the song. The day it came to me I took it to the lads, and it blew everyone away. A sign of a great song.” – Will Brown
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, Will Sabey 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’ and their first release of 2024, the epic, psychedelic anthem of ‘Monkey In The Middle’ – 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 America and online praise from industry legends and peers such as Rick Witter from Shed Seven and Aziz Ibrahim from The Stone Roses, plus extensive reviews and features in the music press.
These releases have served to highlight this band as well and truly being ones to watch, which has been further cemented with their extensive touring schedule and live performances to include both Y-Not and the Isle Of Wight Festivals.
Marseille started 2024 by being named as one of This Feeling’s “Big in 2024” acts and performing as part of their showcase in Manchester.
Marseille shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon with gigs, festival slots and tours already booked in for them throughout the year and with plans to release their ‘Godiva’ EP; 2024 is without doubt, going to be the year of Marseille.
Andy J Palmer is a London based singer/songwriter who enchants fans of his music with his unique brand of hazy, sun soaked, feel good music harking back to a golden age.
Andy is joined in his music by a band that consists of himself on lead vocals and guitar, Alex Gold on additional guitar, Steve Greenwood on Drums and Dan Lucas guesting on Piano and Bass Guitar.
Earlier this year in May 2024. Andy released his single ‘Higher Than The Sun’ which was well received across the board. Carrying on with his strong releases, Andy is now back with his latest offering of ‘Mystery To Me’.
‘Mystery To Me’ with its gentle yet crystal clear strumming, echoing guitars and its slow and measured drum beats mixed with those hazy, laid back vocals makes for a truly ethereal and dreamy soundscape in which to lose yourself.
Andy has said of the track:
“Inspiration for this song came from reading about The Beatles trip to India in 1968 Donovan had also been there with them and during their time there his claw hammer finger picking technique had inspired songs like ‘Dear Prudence’ and ‘Blackbird’ which were written in india and which both ended up being on the White Album.
The Beatles never get boring to me and this song came from me attempting to emulate the finger picking style of playing.
I love the drums on this track as well which were recorded in my kitchen ( the song started out being recorded live using my beloved but out of tune upright piano which sounded great – we de tuned the other instruments to be in with the piano and had the drum kit isolated in the kitchen – although it had a vibe when I got in the studio to record the vocals we had to re do everything but we did keep the drums which for me was worth it in itself …the piano on the record sounds even better and overall worked out a better tune.”
‘Mystery to Me’ is also being released with an accompanying music video which is a cinematic showreel with a real old school, hand held home video recorder vibe to it adding to the overall rose tinted glasses, nostalgic feel of the track.
‘Mystery To Me’ was Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at The Joplin House Recording Studios in Kent by Andy J Palmer and Dan Lucas.
Indie Revolution 