Luna Tides are a four-piece Folk/Rock band from Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Originally under the name Thomas Seddon, they announced the new band name on the 24th January 2016 at the Free For All Festival, Cardiff. Their songs are inspired by growing up surrounded by the raw and inviting Welsh coastlines. Their first single ‘Over the Cliffs’ was praised by the likes of BBC Radio Wales’ Bethan Eflyn & Adam Walton, as well as being featured on 6 Music’s Tom Robinson ‘FOTN’ Mixtape. Over the past 7 months, Luna Tides have supported the likes of Top Loader and Into the Ark on tour, and have graced the stages of festivals; The Big Cwtch and DimSwn. Luna Tides have now released a video for the newest single ‘What Comes Around’. ‘What Comes Around’ glows with bright warm cosy textures. Its cushy bouncy beat and velvety vocals gives the track a smooth quality and likeability. It’s a hot cup of tea or coffee in your hands on a cold day. Sharp zest on guitar acts as a ray of sunshine illuminating and warming all in its path.The track builds for the chorus with harmony on backing vocals creating a sing along effect. The guitar and beat seem to dance in the verse like flames of a fire again enforcing the warm cosy feeling the song portrays which softens the blow of the matter of fact lyrics “I don’t love you any more”.
Luna Tides are set to release their debut EP ‘ Open Woods’ on the 24th November 2016, with a launch party that same night at Cardiff’s infamous Clwb Ifor Bach, in conjunction with The Forte Project and the Young Promoter’s Network.
When asked about the concept for the video frontman Thomas Seddon said:
“The music video for What Comes Around was sort of winged! It shouldn’t have been but time and the weather were against us. Id spotted an old advert in a magazine, where they’d layered a very pretty girls face with other images, but rather than using Photoshop I think they had used a projector to create the image, or perhaps double exposure. We had tried something similar ourselves the year before but not with the projector focused on just faces. When we came to filming it, we were delighted by this beautiful concept! It’ll be really interesting to see people’s reactions.”
Watch the video for ‘What Comes Around’ below
South Wales four-piece Climbing Trees consists of members Matthew Frederick (Piano, Guitar, Vocals), Colenso Jones (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), Martin Webb (Guitar, Bass, Vocals) and James Bennetts (Drums, Percussion, Vocals). They describe their sound as Cymrucana (mixture of folk, country and Americana). The band formed in 2011 and came to the attention of BBC Introducing with the distinctive sound of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Hebron’, which was recorded in isolation in the woods of Carmarthenshire, the band were announced as one of twelve artists to take part in the inaugural year of the BBC and Arts Council of Wales’ Horizons project in the Spring of 2014. They have had appearances at Green Man Festival, Festival No.6 and The Hay Festival and have also performed at the Dylan Thomas Centenary celebrations in Laugharne Castle. With a live session at London’s legendary Maida Vale Studios , a television appearance alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as well as soundtracking the BBC’s Real Valleys season and featuring in American documentary Fade To Winter, Climbing Trees have had a busy few years and gained an ever growing following.
The band have finished their eagerly-awaited and much anticipated second album ‘Borders’ which has been shortlisted for this year’s Welsh Music Prize. This month they released their new single ‘Amber’ which is the third to be taken from the album. The track is flush with bright warm tones and richly entwined with lush melodies and glowing textures. The addition of the string quartet adds a delicate sweet elegance and sway to the track lifting it up and giving it flight and motion. The piano is also gentle and tender and compliments the track perfectly adding a beautiful graceful quality. The vocals are warm and soothing with smooth soft country tones. The guitars glitter and glisten while also adding depth to the elevating song. Climbing Trees continue to progress and perfect their unique sound and give us a track that is feathery light yet dense with warm golden textures.
Stream ‘Amber’below
Brighton’s Folk/Punk/Rock band 40 Shillings On The Drum are Daniel Scully (Vocals), Steven Cobley (Guitar), Seb Cole (Keyboard/Backing Vocal), Barry Bloye (Bass/Backing Vocal), Sue Buckler (Fiddle) and Danny Woodford (Drums). After over a year’s preparation, 40 Shillings On The Drum launched online in July 2016 and performed their first gig on Wednesday 27th July as part of Churchill Square’s Busk Stop event in Brighton. Attracting the largest turnout of all the acts to perform.
The six piece gave us a sneak peak of their single ‘Brighton Belle’ and its a guzzler. Its a fantastic fusion of Gaelic folk and rock. Bursting with brawl-like attitude and drenched in beer and whiskey, this track will pull in the masses for a tankard-clashing hearty anthem. Embroidered with bright sweet guitar and a delicate tender tear jerking melody on fiddle that will bring a proud tear to any strong mans eye. With its rapid tempo and nimble keys its difficult to sit still, its a crowd-pleaser and will have everyone up and jumping. Soaked in cheeky swagger its a ruckus causing high energy infectious back-slapping cheerful song. You just wont be able to stop yourself singing along.
40 Shillings On The Drum are “armed to the teeth with an array of songs about life, love, friendship, and getting smashed out of your brain, and are ready to take on the world, one town at time”.
Their as-yet, untitled debut album is due for release in 2017.
Chalky Seas are a laid back, indie folk band from East Anglia. The line up is made up of like-minded musicians that all met within the local music scene throughout the years. With their ‘gypsy-esque’ style strumming patterns and their ‘rootsy-true’ lyrics comes a very easily listenable ‘Chalky Seas’, appealing to all . They released their debut EP ‘CAVALIER’ earlier this year. Their success from their early release of the first single ‘Plastic Friends’ has gained them an ever growing following and fan-base. ‘CAVALIER’ is an EP packed with good wholesome tracks that flow smoothly and grab your attention with soul touching rich melodies and warm tones. ‘Riverbend’ and ‘Home’ are bright lustrous tracks with soft beats and gleaming guitars that are relaxing and easing to the mind. They are cosy and comforting tracks with the guitar adding a bite and freshness which acts as a ray of sunlight on your face. ‘Cavalier’ is a simple quite track that stills everything in the room and draws you into every word and emotion. With light accompaniment to start which builds to a pulse like beat in percussion adding depth to the track. It has a stilling effect on the mind and a tender tone. The track builds in tempo and becomes uplifting and vibrant. ‘Plastic Friends’ is a beautifully presented track that is aglow with golden glistening tones. With a melancholy tone that will bring a tear to your eye yet holds a strength and courage that is character building. Chalky Seas manage to take the listener on a journey of emotional discovery while they provide comfort from these emotions through a warm smooth blanket of beautiful tunes.
Stream ‘Plastic Friends’ and ‘Riverbend’ below
Indie folk singer-songwriter, Kyle Britton from Los Angeles is releasing his debut EP, ‘Riddle’, on 8th July. He has enlisted help from Los Angeles’ most seasoned musicians including Kyle Crane on Drums (Daniel Lanois, Elle King) and renowned violist, Ginny Luke (Rihanna, Dave Matthews Band) and famed engineer, Darryl Swann (Macy Gray), on this EP. His single of the same name was released earlier this month and it explores the demise of a poisonous love affair and the enduring pain that follows. ‘Riddle’ is an emotion evoking track which has a theatrical feel as Britton narrates a story to us with the backing of cinematic music. Britton’s vocals begin in an almost whisper-like narration of this tale, like the secret of scandalous story that cannot be spoken aloud. He conveys the longing tone perfectly through his soft emotion filled vocals teamed with a melancholy melody on viola and light waltz like beats. This builds for the chorus and then softens again for the return of the verse. We are presented with mysterious dark undertones giving the listener a feeling that this tale is distressing and eerie. The melody runs smoothly and almost with the sway like effect of a dangerous spooky waltz that will lead to the characters demise. The song builds to an intense and emotional crescendo when finally the track is played out by the lamenting viola.
Stream ‘Riddle’ below
Indie: (n) an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself.
