The BBC Music Sound of 2015 longlist has been revealed, and with it numerous newspapers and blogs have released their lists of new music artists to watch in 2015. It would seem that we agree on most but there have been a whole host of pleasant discoveries too, perhaps you’ll find something new here that you can get your ears around.
From rock and roll to soulful sisters, and from new electronic wizards through to new Motown crooners, 2015 is already sounding very exciting indeed. Here’s the first 10 on my list of new music artists to watch.
To kick things off I’ve got Black Honey, a UK band that formed in Brighton whose dreamy arrangements, soothing female vocals and American surfer jams have already gained these guys a lot of well deserved attention, and they haven’t even released an official first single yet. Over the last five months, they’ve slowly been treating us to various songs, kicking off with the Sleep Forever and most recently the ridiculously cool psych jam Bloodlust. They dropped their first EP last month and it has been making the best kind of waves possible. But, they only way to get your hands on an actual physical version of it is by attending one of their secret shows… sneaky little shits. Think female led punk and rock of the 90s and you’re on the right path. Brilliant. They have a tour coming up in
Loving this guy so much! He’s one of the notorious Odd Future crew from LA but now he’s ready to drop his debut album in early 2015. He’s been putting out his own mixtapes over the last few years but last month he gave us he’s first EP and, woah, it’s sure is something. Just listen to his track ‘Blue Suede’ and pay attention to the depth of the lyrics; they’re dark, heavy and pack a punch. The production on the EP is excellent and is sure to keep you hooked through to the end. Exciting stuff and he’s only 21.
Ohhhh those vocals. Having just released their warm, electro-soul Baby Please EP and with one in the works coming soon, Andy and James, the two guys behind Honne, are on to something good. With jams that are reminiscent of smooth rnb tracks of the mid 90s, these London boys are looking to give us a much-needed dose of baby-making music for the new year. They’ve drawn comparisons to the likes of Drake and even Frank Ocean, and have succeeded in penning intelligent, simple and honest lyrics that speak directly to the listener. The word Honne is a Japanese word that means real intention and desire, something that Andy and James say matches their music much more than you’d think it would.
Where to start with the beautiful and talented Rae Morris? She’s inspired by the likes of PJ Harvey and Kate Bush, and has the show stopping vocals that could be likened to those of Florence Welch and Ellie Goulding. She made her debut on the BBC Introducing stage at the Reading & Leeds festival back in 2011. Since then she’s been working on her craft and working with various artists including Bombay Bicycle Club, but now it’s time for her to make a name of her own. Singles ‘Cold’, ‘Closer’ and ‘Under The Shadows’ are all featured on her debut album ‘Unguarded’, a coming of age tale that documents the lesson’s she has learned. Keep your eyes on this one. Years and Years
I’ve already raved about these guys on Swide this year and it looks like things will be hotting up in 2015 for the trio. Consisting of bassist Mikey Goldsworthy, synth player Emre Turkmen and Olly Alexander, these guys are putting out tropical tinged alt-dance records that are intricate, catchy and cool. What’s more is that lead singer Olly Alexander’s vocals are smooth, golden and memorable. Oh, and they’ve been nominated for the Brit’s Critics’ Choice Award too. Not bad lads.
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You won’t know it but you most probably heard Ten Walls hypnotizing, sexy dance track ‘Walking with Elephants’ being played on the radio, in clubs and throughout the internet this year. He’s already got a couple of EPs to his name but it wasn’t until the aforementioned track started to get picked up by bloggers that Ten Walls started to get some proper attention. The BBC have already had him create a mini-mix for them has been called one of the most interesting minds in music right now. Not bad. Listen and love.
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Picking apart tribal percussion and putting them back together with crashing synths, her song OctaHate saw this girl getting reblogged all over the world and offered the accolade ‘the next big thing’. Having worked hard at her craft over the years, she’s already working with big names on the current music scene like Charli XCX, who co-wrote OctaHate with Ryn. On her Promises EP we experience her skills at emotional pop balladry with ‘Stay Low’, again showcasing her gorgeous vocals and songwriting skills. Big things to come for this one.
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I can’t get enough of Glasgow-based Jon Cooper’s project ‘Turtle’ but it was when he put his latest track ‘Lavender’ up on Soundcloud, I knew I was in love. It’s measured, soaring and uplifting, reminiscent of early Moby stuff and even Four Tet. Last year’s Who Knows EP, incorporated acoustic elements and vocals, creating textured tracks that were both heavy and affirming, leaving the listener wanting more. The track ‘Lavender’ is from the upcoming Colours EP.
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Another solo woman for you here, and this time its 22-year old ‘abstract folk’ artist, has got 3 EPs of acoustic stories to her name and is now preparing to reveal her debut album ‘We Slept Last Night’, produced by Charlie Andrew who has worked with Alt-J. Last week we were presented with the calmly haunting Drowned music video, an sign of amazing things to come from this delicate singer songwriter.
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Another name that is already been making huge waves with her beautifully sultry Talk Talk, which put the internet in a spin a few months ago. It was last year’s collaboration with Flume that helped put name out there and she followed it up with the unexpected ‘Fixed’, a swelling chilled out dance track that spans house, techno and rnb… somehow. Her latest track ‘Vacant Space’ was just as surprising, living up to its title and creating a hollow yet rounded frantic love song, that shows just what her vocals can do. Too good! She’s obviously been com
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