We recently interviewed Lincolnshire musician Jaz Beeson about her new single ‘Wanna Know’ (head to our Instagram if you haven’t seen it yet). When we asked her to describe her sound she said it was Sunflower Pop. But what exactly is that?
Well we asked her to put together a playlist to add a bit of context and we’re soo glad she agreed, there are some top tunes on there to make you smile!
On her sound, Jaz said it was: “tunes for golden hour road trips and twirling through daisy-dappled fields.” Sounds good to us!
The last month has brought us some really exciting new music hailing from Lincolnshire and beyond, and we’ve brought all our favourites together in one handy list! Here’s our January – February round up:
Shout Inferno – Is It Safe Enough?
Following the release of their debut album ‘A Carnival’, Lincoln-based alt-pop/rock quartet Shout Inferno have dropped a new video this week for their funky indie-disco track ‘Is It Safe Enough?’
Describing the single, the band wrote:
‘The literal meaning is a person suffering from agoraphobia who ponders the idea of leaving the house but is paralysed by their spiralling, melodramatic thoughts and fantasies of the world outside. It could also be a metaphor for somebody trying to find a sense of belonging in an unforgiving/unaccepting society’.
Check out the video below, filmed at the Blue Room in Lincoln with production company Wallbreaker.
The Rills – Stardog
Lincolnshire-based indie legends The Rills have also brought out an upbeat and energising video for their new single ‘Stardog’, which encapsulates all things fun about this band.
They have been making waves on TikTok, as well as building a solid fanbase across all platforms. The band also recently appeared on Scruff of the Neck‘s Twitch live stream with a live session and interview with BBC Radio 1’s Abbie McCarthy. We’re really excited to see what’s next.
Talkboy – Wrapped in Blue
We’re big fans of Leeds-based band Talkboy here at Beyond the Woods, and Wrapped in Blue is no exception. With beautiful harmonies and relatable songwriting, the band never fail to produce excellent up-beat, catchy indie-pop.
Their EP, titled ‘Wrapped in Blue’ will be out on February 11th and you can preorder it here: https://bit.ly/3az4eZK
Wharf – Compatible
Premiered on BBC Introducing in Lincolnshire, London-based Wharf have brought out new single ‘Compatible’, exploring the emotions behind new found love.
With influences from The 1975 and The Night Cafe, the track has a classic nostalgic indie sound sure to get you dancing.
Jazz Lingard – Tell Me More (acoustic)
Lincoln-based singer-songwriter Jazz Lingard teased something she’s been working on last month, with an acoustic version of ‘Tell Me’.
Lingard has an absolutely gorgeous tone, with heavy folk influences mixed with influence from the likes of Wolf Alice and Radiohead.
Bull – Eugene
Having been on the scene for a long time, York 4-piece Bull reignited the old-school dream of being signed to a major label at a local gig last summer.
They’re catchy hooks combined with twists and turns in every song provide a modern, but engaging take on the classic Britpop style. ‘Eugene’ shows off Bull’s softer side by writing a beautifully soft and melodic anthem.
Debut album out March 26th released via EMI – ‘Discover Effortless Listening’
Fickle Friends have released a refreshing new concept EP this month ‘Weird Years (Season 1)’, which explores a range of feelings behind being a young adult. Their single IRL is nothing short of up-beat irresistible pop.
The campaign to this EP has been really exciting, incorporating a commissioned piece of artwork for each track. Fans have also been encouraged to produce their own artwork for each track which will featured on the virtual gallery on their website (http://www.ficklefriends.co.uk).
Only Sun – Weird Wins
From their much anticipated debut album ‘Tangled Mind’, London-based quartet Only Sun have released infectious indie-disco tune ‘Weird Wins’.
The single follows the success of their track ‘Extraordinary’ late last year, which will also be featured on the album.
The album with be out April 30th via CloseUp/Modern Sky, and you can preorder it here: https://bit.ly/3avFYI0
Plus we’re going to be bringing the band to Lincoln this summer – grab a ticket here
Don’t forget to check out our Spotify playlist, including all our blog picks!
Doing something exciting in Lincolnshire and think we should know about it? Send us an email at news@beyondthewoods.co.uk
This month, we’re taking a look at all new alternative releases alongside some of Lincolnshire’s finest. Here are our favourites of October -November:
Flyte – I’ve Got a Girl
Late last month, London-trio Flyte premiered their new track ‘I Got A Girl’ on BBC 6 Music with Lauren Laverne and it is a beauty. A different take on a break-up song, ‘I Got A Girl’ explores the break down of a creative relationship. During the pandemic, the band have been visiting people’s doorsteps to perform the track, which you can check out on their socials: https://twitter.com/Flyteband/status/1323672942463647746.
Toby Johnson – Why?
‘Why?’ is Toby Johnson’s latest release for his new EP ‘Things I Should Have Said’. Featuring singles ‘Tiny Fires’, ‘Bulletproof’, ‘The Wild Atlantic Way’, ‘Why?’ and ‘False Temptations’, his EP offers a masterful folky take on the indie genre, perfect listening for winter indoors. Speaking on the EP, Johnson wrote: ‘It’s often difficult to say things out loud. We hold back on things we should say and we often say the things we shouldn’t. ‘Things I Should Have Said’ is a mixture of emotions and feelings I’ve held back on over the years. Friendships I’ve lost and opportunities I’ve missed.’ Check out the music video for ‘Why?’ below!
KAWALA – Pure Desire
London-based indie-acoustic band KAWALA released their first 7″ single ‘Pure Desire’ alongside B-side ‘Loosen Up’ in October, gaining plays on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. The song encompasses everything we love about KAWALA, fulfilling all our up-beat and optimistic folky-pop needs.
Current Climate – Trek to the Discotheque
Lincolnshire’s own Current Climate have released new track ‘Trek to the Discotheque’, championed by BBC Music Introducing in Lincolnshire. With clear Britpop influences and a nod to Pulp’s Jarvis Crocker, the track is wonderful mix of old-school disco and modern-day indie. Check it out on Spotify!
The Magic Gang – Somebody Like You
Masters of indie-pop, The Magic Gang have brought us feel-good indie-banger ‘Somebody Like You’. The track follows-up from their recently released second album ‘Death of the Party’, and is their first self-produced song.
Anna Straker – Boys Will Be Boys
Lincolnshire-born Anna Straker released fierce and powerful feminist anthem ‘Boys Will Boys’ at the end of October, and we love it. Following the release of ‘Good Days, Bad Days’ with Gabrielle Aplin and ‘London Knows’ earlier this year, Straker has gone from strength to strength and we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Blossoms – Christmas Eve (Soul Purpose)
You may say it’s too early for Christmas, but we disagree. Getting us into the Christmas spirit, indie legends Blossoms have released a beautifully nostalgic bundle of warmth. Get me a hot chocolate and turn this one up.
We know it’s been said so many times but 2020 has been down right awful, and we’ve still got some of it left to go! Everyone has been getting pretty glum here at BTW HQ seeing loads of other festivals and tours share our fate, just as some amazing new artists were really starting to get into their stride.
But we’re trying to be positive about things, so here are some of the acts that we can’t wait to see once corona buggers off!
Declan McKenna
Not many other 21-year-olds can say that they’ve fought the world’s greatest rock’n’roll band in a fierce album chart battle, but Declan McKenna certainly can. His epic sophomore album, Zeros, fell just short of the top spot thanks to The Rolling Stones, but hey, some people put the Beatles second to the Stones so we’re sure Dec wasn’t too disheartened to be in that spot too!
Luz
She may only be 18, but this Irish songstress has been blowing us away with her spine-tingling voice and striking covers for years. It’s no wonder that she’s continuing to take our breath away with the collection of original singles she’s released this year. Luz is definitely one you won’t want to miss on a throng of support tours and headline shows next year.
Marsicans
Having been on the road pretty much non stop for the last few years, Leeds indie-pop foursome Marsicans have kept us waiting for their debut album. Fortunately, they managed to find some time to get into the studio – the famous Rockfield Studios which has hosted the likes of Queen, Oasis and Coldplay, the latter being big Marsicans fans themselves – and Ursa Major has certainly been worth the wait! The boys will be bringing fellow indie dreamers DECO and Sad Boys Club on the road with them next year, it’s sure to be a tour we can’t miss.
Jordan Mackampa
We were all blown away with Jordan Mackampa’s debut album Foreigner here at BTW HQ and his ability to blend his soul, folk and gospel influences so swimmingly is certainly a thing of beauty. We’ll be sure to be down the front when he’s finally able to tour the record!
The Big Moon
Having released possibly the best bit of merch we’ve ever seen during lockdown, an 1000-piece jigsaw based on the cover for their second album Walking Like We Do (with all proceeds going to homeless charity, Shelter) we can’t wait to see what kind of chaos the four-piece gang from London conjure up for their huge headline tour in the Spring.
Talkboy
Rising up the ranks of the vibrant Yorkshire indie scene over the years, swoonsome indie sextet Talkboy effortlessly manage to combine a miscellany of influences into their own unique sound, displayed no better than in most recent single Stupid Luck. We can’t wait to see their electric live shows, we’re predicting big things for this bunch!
Sea Girls
With a reputation for raucous gigs, 2020 was shaping up to be a huge year for Sea Girls with them due to head out on their biggest run of shows to date. Unfortunately that’s on hold for the moment, but with their debut album Open Up Your Head reaching #3 in the official album charts it hasn’t been all bad for the lads. We can’t wait to see them come back to live shows even bigger and better next year.
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