This week's selection of top new tunes is here and there definitely seems to be a running theme of 'delicious chill' between them all.
It's been a hectic week for all of us, so how about we help you wind downwith this fine bunch of hot new Emerging Icons artists to get added to your playlists. By following the links below you can visit any one of these artists' profiles and get acquainted with them a little better. You can find out when they're gigging, follow them for regular updates straight to your email address and of course... you can listen to their music.
If you find a tune you particularly like, you can indeed get it saved to your own curated playlist on Emerging Icons Radio. Simply click on the music note next to your favourite track and when it turns pink you'll be able to access it whenever you like. If you're on your mobile you can even enjoy them on the go! It really is that simple...
So shall we meet the artists who are about to rock your world? Listen up- cos you really NEED to hear this...
Northampton's Billy Lockett is truly a name to watch out for. He's one of those 'YouTube sensations' you often hear about... but instead of being destructive to the soul (*cough* Justin Bieber *cough*) he's the tonic it's been searching for all this time. With a soulful vocal that is an utter pleasure for the ears, his stunning brand of acoustic pop tunes are ones that will be able to reach out to many- irrespective of their musical tastes. While it's impossible to deny that the market is pretty flooded with your Ed Sheerans and your Ben Howards right now, the nectar-like quality of songs like 'Never Let You Go' are simply too good to pass up on- we reckon he'll go far. You'll be able to hear this and other songs from Billy's 'Pathways' EP when he takes to the stage at Westfield Presents Emerging Icons Live on August 8th. You heard it here first!
The Ramona Flowers - Lust & Lies
Please allow us to introduce you to The Ramona Flowers- yet another incredible new band to emerge from the buzzing streets of Bristol. As with most genres these days, the music scene is pretty flexible when it comes to a bit of line-blurring here and there. Hip hop can go hang out with rock. Rock can then go pop loads of pills with dub step. That kind of thing. It's pretty much anything goes as long as you stick to the golden rule... YOUR MUSIC MUST BE AWESOME. Thankfully, The Ramona Flowers uphold this better than anyone else. Their creative dabblings bridge the gap between electronica and guitar-led indie like a bawse. Cinematic and atmospheric, 'Lust & Lies' is a taste of the kind of anthems the five-piece are capable of. With support already coming in from Xfm, MTV, Artrocker and NME to name a few, they're in little need of any more heads up action. Even so... here's our two penneth. LISTEN TO THEM NOW.
Guitar-wielding Scotsmen have to be one of our favourite things. Really. If we were singing the song they'd rank higher than brown paper packages tied up with string that's for sure. It's been incredible just how many amazing new artists have been emerging from the highlands of late- with most of 2013's Absolute Radio airplay winners coming from across the border. Our latest find hails from Edinburgh. True, he may have relocated to the beautiful city of Oxford... but we forgive him as he's still got that unmistakable twang to his rugged vocal. Matt Midgley is a name we first became aware of since he joined the bill at this year's London FolkFest alongside our stars on the Emerging Icons stage. Technically brilliant and with more passion than Braveheart, his acoustic tunes have had direction from legends in both the world of folk and the heavyweights of rock. While the likes of Nick Drake et al may be the more obvious, there's an underlying heat to the delivery which is apparently owed to bands like Pantera and Tool. Now there's a combo. Check it out!
Brother-sister dream team The Luck have been making an impact on London's acoustic scene for a while now... so it's about time that they make it onto your radar. Max and Esmay have used that close sibling connection to their creative benefit- producing some of the most stunning harmonies we've heard for some time. 'Muscle & Bones' is the latest single to be released from their second EP of the same name and it's a richly layered number that takes acoustic folk vibes to the next level- drafting in the drama of some cello to add to the darkly swelling melodies. They come from an upbringing surrounded by 'pure music'- classic songwriters such as Simon & Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac having great influence on their timeless sound. It's a strong effort and one we're sure they'll be building on as 2013 progresses. We're happy to say you can catch them playing as part of our Westfield Presents Emerging Icons Live season on the 9th and 22nd August. Don't miss them!
There are thousands of acts waiting to be discovered on Emerging Icons. Just click on the 'ACTS' tab at the top of the page to start your journey of musical discovery- and don't forget to let the artists know what you think of them!