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Introducing… Rag Foundation!
Rag Foundation are pleased to announce their latest single, Run, released 20th April 2015 via Rhondda Street Studio Recordings.
You can stream 'Run' via the ABoF SoundCloud page.
The single is taken from their upcoming fourth album, The Sparrow and The Thief, and is a wonderful showcase for their ability to create sumptuous vocal harmonies interlaced with intricate indie folk compositions which bear comparison to the likes of Noah & The Whale and The Decembrists with elements of Fleetwood Mac. Coming from a folk background, the band have always been fascinated by the dark stories behind certain songs - murder, betrayal, infidelity - essentially all the good things in life. While there are some definite themes interwoven throughout the track, Rag Foundation want people to discover them for themselves, as who knows what hidden corners and connections could be hiding inside?
Rag Foundation are Neil Woolard (vocals), Richard Cowell (guitar & vocals), Daniel Kilbride (bass & vocals), Kate Ronconi (fiddle, banjo, keys & vocals) and Huw Rees (percussion & vocals), five people brought together by their working class, traditional roots. Based in Swansea, the band are as comfortable performing traditional welsh songs written centuries ago as they are writing contemporary, alternative folk that explores the darker side of humanity.
With another single due for release in June, followed by their fourth album The Sparrow and The Thief, Rag Foundation will be spending 2015 touring the UK spreading their music as far as they can.
Run is released released 20th April 2015 via Rhondda Street Studio Recordings.
Hello Future announce debut EP ‘Circular Motion’!
"...great hooks, killer harmonies and a spirited chorus…"
- Artrocker
Hello Future have announced the release of their debut EP, Circular Motion, released 13th April 2015 via Hold The Line Records.
EP track 'Drift' kicks off with a guitar solo that conjures memories of Minus The Bear at their best as the pace quickens and then slows, illustrating the bands ability to vary their sound, and epically breaks down into a considered, high calibre rock number. Stream and download it for for free from Hello Future's SoundCloud page.
Having released their debut single Do You Feel Alive in October last year, to much acclaim in their homeland and beyond, the band went on to play a number of notable support slots to round off a superb opening year in 2014. 2015 looks set to continue in a similar vein for Hello Future with the band intent on pushing their US underground inspired alt-rock sound to new levels.
Circular Motion is very much an amalgamation of a swathe of alternative underground rock bands such as The Appleseed Cast and Texas Is The Reason spliced with the noise-pop sensibilities of Dinosaur Jr and Sebadoh. As such, it’s apparent how much the band have grown in just six months. Opening track ‘On Judgement’ pulls on the Californian lo-fi, yet uplifting sound similar to the likes of Pavement, as memorable solo guitar pieces are flanked by strong harmonies and a rousing chorus.
Hello Future are Liam McGowan (guitar/lead vocals), Ross Findlay (lead guitar/vocals), Stuart Harrison (bass) and Hamish Ferguson (drums). Initially, Liam and Hamish started out jamming in early 2012 having met at school. After practicing at their rehearsal space in Dundee, Ross, who worked there, asked if he could join the band and, three days later, they were playing their first live show. Hamish’s work colleague also joined the band playing bass but, due to family commitments, was later replaced by Stuart. Hello Future were officially born.
Since their formation last year Hello Future have picked up support from XFM Drivetime, who made their single ‘tack of the week’, XFM X-Posure, Artrocker, Bring The Noise and a ‘new band’ feature in The Scottish Sun. They have also shared a stage with Dry The River, We Came From Wolves, Bear Arms, Tijuana Bibles, Vigo Thieves and will be playing King Tut's with Hidden In Plain View on March 31st.
Circular Motion is released 13th April 2015 via Hold The Line Records.
Best Girl Athlete debut album ‘Carve Every Word’ out now!
"Carve Every Word is an incredibly accomplished album..."
- Artrocker
"...pretty amazing..." - Folk Radio Uk
Best Girl Athlete's debut album Carve Every Word is out now via Fitlike Records.
Carve Every Word is an emotionally charged and accomplished debut that finds Best Girl Athlete (aka Katie Buchan) imposing herself as a serious talent. Released in the United States under the Minty Fresh label, the album has already picked up support from the likes of Artrocker and Folk Radio UK.
You can stream and download album track 'He's Calling Me Over' for free from the ABoF SoundCloud page.
You can also stream and download album track 'Talk' for free from the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Like any other teenager Katie has the usual dreams, but possesses a talent far beyond her tender years. The songbird, who resides in Aberdeen Scotland, exhibits an effortless yet enchanting voice aligned to a burgeoning talent for song writing which elevates her natural potential to even greater heights.
Not content to simply sing her musician father Charley Buchan’s songs, Katie has begun to establish herself as a mature singer-songwriter in her own right. Katie possesses a voice which sounds wise beyond its years as her earthy, ethereal tone flows beautifully from the speakers warmly enveloping the listener. Her vocals are accomplished to the point that they could easily sit alongside seasoned singer songwriters such as Aimee Mann, Laura Marling and Feist, as she constructs emotional vignettes with a laid back and elegant Americana edge. Where most artists use their debut album to fine tune their sound, Katie has produced something special on her first attempt - an art that can take many of her contemporaries years to hone.
The tender vocals and whimsical music is no more apparent on album tracks such as ‘Leave It All Behind’ and ‘All That’ where Best Girl Athlete produces some of her most exquisite tracks as the chorus is left floating around your head for days. While ‘Talk’ is so well written it could easily be mistaken for an Ellie Goulding single - Katie’s vocals radiate and her lyrics impress, as soothing strings and piano elevate the music to new levels.
Carve Every Word is released via Fitlike Records and available to buy on CD via BandCamp and digitally via iTunes.
Siv Jakobsen unveils new single ‘Dark’!
"...mysterious, but achingly beautiful..."
- The Line Of Best Fit
Siv Jakobsen releases her second single Dark via Nordic Mellow Records on 13th April 2015.
A follow up to the intimate How We Used To Love, Dark explores themes of mortality, loneliness and existential angst. You can stream the single via the ABoF SoundCloud page.
Siv Jakobsen also released a gorgeous live video performing previous single, How We Used To Love, for an Emergent Sounds Unplugged session. The video premiered on The Vinyl District and you watch it now on YouTube.
You can also watch the official video for How We Used To Love, which premiered on The Line Of Best Fit, via Siv's YouTube channel.
Dark is a deeply sad, yet beautiful song. Siv’s ability to capture and convey emotion with her voice, combined with heart piercing lyrics, demonstrate once again that she is a songwriter who, one day, could stand proudly beside inspirational artists such as Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, as well as her contemporaries Ane Brun and Laura Marling.
Siv has been performing in Europe and the US since 2011, creating emotive music that embraces the themes of melancholy and sadness. However, there is a distinct contrast between her music and stage persona, as Siv's naturally sunny personality juxtaposes beautifully with her brooding music, making it all the more effective in a live setting. She honed her talent while living in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn which she describes as “a door with a bed”, firmly immersing herself into the world of the struggling artist and challenging herself to reach greater heights.
With an EP planned for the summer, and support for her previous single from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit and Folk Radio UK, 2015 looks set to be Siv’s biggest year yet.
Dark is released 13th April 2015 via Nordic Mellow Records.
The Marks Cartel single ‘Curtain Call’ out now!
The Marks Cartel have released their debut single, Curtain Call, via Hamill Records. It's available to buy digitally on iTunes.
The video for the single premiered on Gigslutz and you can watch it now on the band's YouTube Channel.
You can also stream the single from the band's SoundCloud page.
Curtain Call is an evolved and raw take on the British rock sound, with dirty, grimy guitars blaring from the speakers, rhythmic, snapping drums and grizzly, emotive vocals. You can hear the band's influences shining through as they take elements of Oasis, mix it with a smattering of The Arctic Monkeys before blending it with a hint of Royal Blood. There are no bells and whistles here. This is unashamed rock and roll at its very best.
You can also stream and download the single's b-side 'Where Do I Go?' for free from The Marks Cartel's SoundCloud page.
Since the band's inception, they’ve been on a number of adventures, sharing broken bones, stolen phones, and missing drummers mysteriously turning up 58 miles away from their last confirmed location. In short - they’ve been having a great time gearing up for their latest single.
Curtain Call is released via Hamill Records and available to buy digitally on iTunes.