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
Welcome to the ‘Night Shift’, the new single from the genre-defying Martyrs, available on all streaming platforms now! A ferocious blast of melodic, metallic fury, the track is yet another sharp left turn from the Welsh DIY duo following their brief foray into flamenco-fuelled indie rock, ‘Pin Blue Sometime’ earlier this year. ‘Night Shift’ is available as a Free Bandcamp Exclusive maxi-single as well as appearing on all streaming platforms.
This time around Jon and Michael mine their experience of dead-end jobs to tell a tale of workplace macabre stretched taut over a sky-scraping wall of sound. Entirely incapable of adhering to genre confines, what begins as a seemingly straightforward homage to the likes of Soundgarden and Faith No More, soon warps into a wild array of chant-along choruses handclaps and ‘50s rock n’ roll inspired refrains. B-side ‘The Clinic’ is a haunting experiment in spoken word sound collage inspired by the novel The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk.
Martyrs are Jon and Michael, who began making music together in their hometown of Merthyr Tydfil aged 15. Confirmed genre agnostics, their output swerves between lo-fi electronica, picture-perfect post-yacht, ‘90s-tinged alt-rock and melancholic indie, sometimes within the same song.
Musical influences range from Amadou & Mariam to Richard Dawson, Khruangbin to Christopher Cross, Aphex Twin to Iron Maiden, with a particular focus on pro wrestling entrance themes of the 1980s. Broader inspirations are drawn from Giallo movies, VHS nostalgia, cold brew coffee and Dylan Thomas.
Entirely independent and passionately DIY, their work is written, recorded, produced and released from the confines of their respective kitchens, with all videos made by their own fair hands. They give much of their music away for free and the rest they sell to benefit charities close to their hearts.
Support from local radio and blogs helped their 2024 album ‘Luminism’ sell out of physical copies and reach 100,000 streams. Their last single ‘Pin Blue Sometime’ featured as a track of the week with Thomathy Entertainment, Negative White and The Indy Review and featured prominently on sites such as Joyzine and God Is In The TV.
‘Night Shift’ is the 3rd in a series of 10 planned single releases from Martyrs over the coming months.
Straight off the bat and with no preamble, Twin City quite simply put, are one of the UK’s most exciting Indie Rock ’n’ Roll bands on the music scene right now.
Based in Bristol and consisting of Welsh brothers Louis (Vocals/Guitar) and Toby Ellis (Drums), Conor Feeney (Bass), Pete Refson (Rhythm Guitar) and James Wilson (Lead Guitar). 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.
Last year saw the band release their single – ‘I Feel Alive’ which caught the attention of industry peer and leading figurehead, Rodney Bingehemier on Sirius XM in America.
Twin City followed this up with the single ‘Simple Melody’ at the end of last year which was championed by new music tastemakers This Feeling and John Kennedy on his Radio X radio show.
The band are now back with their first offering of 2025, the prophetically titled ‘I Saw God’.
Despite the name, we are told that the track doesn’t actually have any religious meaning behind it, but rather a more comical one.
The band explain:- “Despite the title, this track has absolutely nothing to do with religion. Our guitarist Pete slipped and fell down some stairs in a pub in Bristol called The Crown, and he winded himself so badly that he reckoned he saw God. We all found it hilarious, so we wrote a song about it.”
Musically the track is sonically charged with strumming electric guitars and a tight rhythm section on the drums keeping the pace moving along effortlessly throughout into those punchy, infectious chorus hooks and epic guitar solos. The chanting verses in the outro of “you’re living to the day you die, yeah I saw God – yeah come on and live it to the day you die i yeah I saw God” is a rousing anthem that suits the overall feel good vibe of the song with a meaningful message to live life to the fullest as life is too short.
‘I Saw God’ was written and composed collaboratively by Twin City and was recorded at Orchard Studios in Bristol and was Mixed & Mastered by Joe Marsh. The track is released on Bubblebrain Records.
With a string of sold out shows, festival appearances (including two separate stages at Isle Of Wight Festival 2024), 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.
The band are due to play their biggest ever headline show to date with This Feeling at the Bristol Beacon on 4th April 2025. Tickets are on sale now.
Sister Envy return with their fantastic third new single ‘Swallowed By The Ground’, their most immediate song yet. ‘Swallowed By The Ground’ is an awe-inspiring rocketship of soaring space rock, replete with nimble chiming guitars, underpinned by nagging basslines and cycling drums, leading the charge is an unmissable vocal from frontman Kameron Jolliffe, introspective lyrics uncover a relationship falling apart, exploding into an unforgettable chorus, combining elements of the epic gaze sound of early Verve or My Vitriol with echoes of the sound of bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana, Sister Envy are carving their own distinct place in our hearts.
It’s Sister Envy’s third single and the follow-up to ‘Tide’ and debut release ‘Mourning Sickness’ both have been very well received, gaining the attention of publications like Louder than War, So Young Magazine, and God Is In The TV and many more, winning airplay and the approval of John Kennedy on Radio X after an acclaimed debut set at Focus Wales festival last year and playlisted on BBC Radio Wales Welsh Mix.
Kameron Jolliffe says: “I had the main riff lying around for a while, and didn’t really touch it, though I really liked it. We started jamming it in a rehearsal and the song pretty much wrote itself, it quickly became one of our favourite songs to play together.”
Sister Envy hail from the North Wales coast, a place of mystery, harshness, and beauty, a place where opportunity is blocked for younger people yet dreams can break through. It’s here that Sister Envy met at college, this fast-emerging Alternative Psychedelic rock quartet and have spent time honing their sound on stage and in the studio.
Their new single was recorded in Liverpool at the famous Motor Museum Studio with Ben Harper. Mixed in France by Welsh legend Owain Ginsberg and mastered in Austin Texas by American producer Erik Wofford (The Black Angels). Over the course of 2025, Sister Envy will invite you into their fascinating world over a series of releases and shows. Gradually revealing the different faces of their tapestry of sound and fledgling experience.
Sister Envy are Kameron Jolliffe (Vocals and Lead Guitar), Matty Waring (Guitar), Callum Jones (Bass), Ryan Roberts (Drums).
As the countdown to their sophomore album Delay The New Day enters its final stretch, Cardiff multi-intrumentalists Red Telephone offer fans one last sonic appetiser with ‘Sentimental Dreaming’.
Driven by a hypnotic bassline and layered with ethereal synths, ‘Sentimental Dreaming’ comes with an interesting backstory. Born from a 15 minute acoustic guitar session intended to fix the chorus of a different song, the track became one of the first the band worked on for their new album. However, its journey to completion was far from straightforward, going through multiple iterations, including a bold foray into Robyn-inspired pop, before finding its final form in a spontaneous late-night studio session.
“We started listening back to practice recordings of all the different versions we’d attempted and there was this one phone recording with this really rhythmic, catchy bassline by Dom.” lead singer Declan says of the song’s construction “We were basically recording it ten minutes later on the fly and didn’t leave the studio until about 2am. There was definitely some late-in-the-day chaos as we scrambled to get it over the line, but it added a different energy & even brought about one of Kieran’s favourite guitar parts on the album, which he put down off the cuff going into the outro almost in some jaded desperation to get it done.” With nods to Suede and Talking Heads, and a bridge that channels Roy Orbison, ‘Sentimental Dreaming’ emerges as a serendipitous anthem for the band, capturing their eclectic influences and innovative approach to songcraft.
Delving into the album’s central theme of the trials and tribulations of modern day artists, ‘Sentimental Dreaming’ lyrically explores the chasm between the romanticised visions of creative pursuits and the often harsh realities of chasing those dreams. Of the song’s lyrics Declan says “There’s obviously this idealistic sentimentality in dreaming – it almost sounds like a sweet, harmless thing to do – but it’s deceptively powerful, because it can send us down paths that end up dictating not only behaviour but entire periods of our lives and ways of living.”
Following the success of their deliciously dark and mesmerising debut album Hollowing Out, Red Telephone’s upcoming album Delay The New Day see’s their ever evolving sound push boundaries even further. Building on their signature blend of melodic psych and darkwave, Red Telephone promise to further explore this fusion with the addition of cinematic influences to their sophomore effort. Led by the quintet’s knack for multi-instrumental intricacies, Red Telephone’s latest work evokes comparisons to MGMT, St. Vincent, or fellow Welsh icons Super Furry Animals, while staying true to the unique style they established in their critically acclaimed debut.
Thematically, the album delves into the struggles faced by countless aspiring artists: the relentless juggling act of day jobs and creative pursuits, the bombardment of conflicting advice on achieving success, and the ever-present fear of losing sight of the initial spark that ignited the passion. Delay The New Day is a tapestry of paranoia, self-doubt, and the sheer determination it takes to carve a path in the music industry. But even deeper than that, it’s about refusing to compromise on artistic vision, and embodying the underdog’s mentality to keep creating for the right reasons.
Hailing from Cardiff, Red Telephone are a quintet featuring two sets of brothers alongside their first full-time drummer. They began their journey by releasing their first two singles as a double A-side vinyl on the Welsh cult label Popty-Ping, earning praise from Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq. Their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Hollowing Out’, garnered media attention from Clash, BBC 6 Music, and Under The Radar, amongst many. Now, in 2024, with their second album completed, Red Telephone continue to make waves in the UK alternative scene with their potent blend of psychedelic rock and darkwave. ‘Sentimental Dreaming’ is out now, whilst their upcoming album Delay The New Day is hailed for release January 31st 2025. Pre order Delay The New Day on vinyl for guaranteed entry to their exclusive album listening party on January 29th at Tiny Rebel, Cardiff.
The Stray heralds a new chapter in their career with their awesome and anthemic new single ‘I Don’t Know.’ As the smoke clears, this exciting emerging Swansea four-piece is riding a wave of powerful drums, tenacious riffing with gritty determined vocals. A momentary lull with brooding sonics and melodic references to home: explodes into their most anthemic and hard-hitting chorus yet. It’s a rock anthem brimming with perseverance over tragedy, and succeeding against the odds.
The band says: “I Don’t Know” is an introspective alternative rock song that captures the feeling of longing and uncertainty. The lyrics reflect on past experiences and challenges ahead in life. This song resonates with anyone navigating life’s complexities while seeking connection and understanding.”
The band recorded the track at Longwave Studios in Cardiff, collaborating with esteemed producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me the Horizon, Holding Absence, Nova Twins) on songs from their debut EP. This EP promises to be a testament to their growth and artistic evolution. Hailing from Swansea, The Stray Pursuit emerges as a dynamic force in the realm of Alternative Rock. Distinctive for their guitar-driven riffs and captivating vocals, each track embodies their eclectic musical tastes. Inspired by bands likeCatfish and The Bottlemen and The Hunna, and with echoes of the Welsh rock lineage of The Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, and Funeral for a Friend, in the upcoming months they will release more exciting tracks.
The four-piece consists of lead singer Aaron Morgan, lead guitarist Dylan Evans, bassist Fred Wilkinson, and drummer Ben Lewis. They have supported Andrew Cushin, The K’s, and Vida, and played alongside The Lottery Winners, Pastel, and Trampoline just to name a few. TSP were featured on This Feelings ‘Big in 2020’. In June 2023, they sold out a headline show at The Bunkhouse for their single release ‘Let It Be Known’. They then went on to sell out two out of five dates of their ‘Domino Effect’ debut EP tour in 2024. One in Cwrw, Carmarthen and the other in The Moon, Cardiff.
The band’s origin story traces back to an unexpected bus ride that led Aaron and Fred to forge an unexpected bond. Despite being rivals in separate bands, their chemistry became undeniable during a jam session. The additions of exceptional talents lead guitarist Dylan and drummer Nicky solidified the lineup. Tragedy struck when founding drummer Nicky Bevan passed away in December 2022. They say “The devastating loss catalysed a renewed purpose for the band: to honour Nicky’s legacy and prove our potential for greatness. He is missed dearly, and will be forever cherished by so many people.”
‘Autumn Leaves’ is the brand new single from Welsh singer-songwriter Craig Mapstone, better known as Secret Postal Society. This single marks the first new original music from Secret Postal Society following on from the singles ‘Underneath the Same Stars’ and ‘Love For All’ both released towards the end of 2023.
The track was written by Craig back in 2022, inspired by the changing colours of trees and the cyclical nature of life in general, and was recorded over the following two years, before being mastered by Brandon Green of Texas band Formerly Misinformed.
Secret Postal Society is a musical project by Caerphilly singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. Conceived at the tail end of 2020, Craig challenged himself to write, record and release a brand new original song every week throughout 2021. By the end of 2021 Craig had not only released 53 tracks but had also created music videos and artwork to accompany each song.
This year, Caitlin Lavagna has gone from strength to strength both musically and in her acting career. After the hugely successful release of her single ‘Gold’ which made her a BBC Radio Wales Welsh A-Lister for for the first time, Caitlin was invited into the BBC Studios in Cardiff to perform two of her original songs as well as being interviewed live on air. After success stints in ‘Turning the Wheel’ and a UK Tour of ‘Operation Julie’, Caitlin then appeared on the BBC Radio Wales’ Welsh A-List for a second time with ‘Pretty Alright’ a song about overcoming self doubt and body image issues and understanding your own bad habits and emotional trauma.
She has gone on to headline Rhondda Arts Festival, appear on the line-up for this years Gen Z Fest and Wokingham Festival, took on the role of ‘Mrs Gloop’ in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory at Aberystwyth Arts Centre and returned to her roots in Gibraltar as part of The Weekender line up.
About October: “This time last year my career was bursting with excitement and opportunities were flowing. I was performing in a show I adored, finding new friends, traveling to new places and I had someone special, who I felt really saw me, to share it all with. Then, I was left completely and utterly ghosted, left behind and vulnerable. The song follows a year of being ignored by someone who I believed loved me. I suppose releasing it now makes it a cathartic song, attempting to take back my favorite month, a time for me. I want to take the listener on a personal, raw and honest journey of grief and unexplained loss. Quite simply, a brutal end to a beautiful connection.” – Caitlin Lavagna
‘October’ is a truly heartfelt and heart-wrenching song, sung with such real emotion. Caitlin’s voice is on point as usual, her best release to date, a true talent. ‘October’ is out now which will be accompanied by a stunning music video later this month.
Welsh, Awen Rock band Holy Coves embark on their second UK tour this year after the success of their Spring tour earlier in the year. The Snowdonia Records Independent music pioneers head to Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London with an end of year show in the beginning of December, in the Welsh capital, Cardiff with some of independent music’s finest bands as support.
Since the release of the award winning album ‘Druids and Bards’ the band have toured extensively over the last two years building a strong fanbase in all the major cities in England, Scotland and Wales. The band have also appeared at festivals such as Isle Of Wight Festival and Focus Wales, and have recently announced on social media they are currently working on their new record which they plan to record in January after their Autumn tour ends.
Be sure to catch them playing at the following venues before the end of the year. Follow the Link below for tickets.
4th October – Leeds, Santiago’s 5th October – Liverpool, EBGBS 25th October – Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete’s 26th October – Glasgow, McChuill’s 9th November – Manchester, Deaf Institute 23rd November – London, Water Rat’s 7th December – Cardiff, The Globe
North Wales rockers Alffa are back after a near 5-year break, ready to reignite the fire they lit with their 2019 debut ‘Rhyddid O’r Cysgodion Gwenwynig’ (Freedom From The Poisonous Shadows). Fresh off the electrifying Welsh anthem ‘Pwythau’ in May, they’ve dropped another bomb ‘Breathe Free’, kicking off a series of releases before they unveil their sophomore album in November.
Proving once again why they’re a force to be reckoned with, Alffa’s latest offering is a potent cocktail of punk rock fury and hard rock grit, channelling the swagger of Queens of the Stone Age into the powerful dual musicianship of Royal Blood. However beneath the blistering surface lies a deeper message; ‘Breathe Free’ dives headfirst into the internal battle we all face, transforming raw emotion and intense melodies into a powerful anthem of self-acceptance and inner strength.
“This song invites you on a journey of self-discovery, reminding us all that embracing and celebrating our true selves is the key to true freedom.” Alffa noted of the single.“‘Breathe Free’ is not just a song for us; it’s a call to break free from internal struggles and celebrate the power within.”
Hailing from the rural village of Llanrug in North Wales, Alffa are the dynamic duo of guitarist/vocalist Dion Wyn Jones and drummer Sion Eifion Land. No strangers to the Welsh music scene, their breakout came in 2018 with the single ‘Gwenwyn’ becoming the first Welsh-language song to surpass a million streams on Spotify. This success fueled their debut album, ‘Rhyddid o’r Cysgodion Gwenwynig’ (Freedom from the Poisonous Shadows), released in 2019. Their eyes are now firmly set on the global stage, aiming to break out of the Welsh language arena and into the international spotlight. This ambitious duo is poised to be the next big thing, proving that great music can come from anywhere – even a small village in North Wales.
Following the overwhelming response from their mind-blowing debut, Alffa found themselves slammed by a wave of personal struggles and bad luck, including COVID, that temporarily choked their creativity. Undeterred, they channelled this tumultuous period into their upcoming sophomore album, crafting a message of hope not just for their audience, but for themselves as well. This defiance stands out in the punk/rock landscape, which is often mired in negativity. Though the album delves into the depths of depression, self-doubt, and the search for purpose, it ultimately explodes with a message of resilience. Joining forces with renowned producer Gethin Pearson, Alffa push their sound further, transforming their struggles into a triumphant closing chapter. Consider this a 1-0 victory for Alffa – a testament to their ability to not only survive but thrive in the face of adversity.
‘Breathe Free’ is out now, whilst their upcoming sophomore album is hailed for release this November.
Indie Revolution 