Chris, singer-songwriter, A Happy Accident: ‘I was the drummer in a rock band with my brother and a few of his friends, and funnily enough we were called Cringe… However, we were not too shabby as groups of young teens playing Audioslave covers at school discos go!’
Piano-driven and sentimental, sparse, reflective, and pure, with enchanting string arrangements and a measured, near-sleep breath pace, there’s so much to love about the music of Happy Accident. It’s nearly impossible to draw one direct line to anything similar, past or present, but so many legendary elements stand out on this year’s Waiting To Happen EP it’ll more than satisfy For fans of: Tom Rush, Leonard Cohen, Red House Painters, and more
Jay, Color Palette: ‘We were called Tension Mounting. And we were horrible! LOL. We did Rage Against The Machine covers, mostly.’
With the epic feel of some of the best to come from the 80s Manchester scene mixed with unexpected elements of hard rock and electronica, this band is a total surprise. We can’t wait to see how this translates live. For fans of: The Stone Roses, Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana
Luke Clerkin, singer-songwriter: ‘Clover Coast was the name of the first band I was in; we played quite a lot around Dublin, and we played a festival outside in Duleek once. It was an alt-rock band, and where I learnt how to sing properly and how to carry my voice throughout a room.’
The heart-on-the-sleeve musical stylings of singer-songwriter Luke Clerkin may seem straightforward, but underneath the meandering acoustic guitar and raw, tell-all vocals, lies a darker heart, one seemingly inspired by the mysterious great beyond. Fantastic stuff. For fans of: Tim DeLaughter & The Polyphonic Spree, Brendan Benson, Josh Rouse
Harriet, Hattie Webb: ‘The Webb Sisters. It’s a band I am in with my sister. That’s when I’m not busy playing in Leonard Cohen’s band. Leonard calls us the quietest band in the world.‘
Dancing somewhere between light and ethereal and mournful and bewitching, the vocals of Hattie Webb (of the famous Webb Sisters) have a style reminiscent of the nooks and crannies of some of Kate Bush’s best while never releasing hold on that distinctive Webb sound. Beautiful, impressive, what can I say? A must-see. For fans of: Luka Bloom, Julie Feeney, Kate Bush
Auxy, keys, Stone & Jezreel: ‘ My first band was church choir and it didn’t go so well. I was very young and scared and still learning and felt put on the spot.’
With fresh lyrics, mixed vocals, laid-back beats, and unusual, addicting instrumental choices, Stone& Jezreel have tapped into the hinterlands of great hip-hop, and are busy blazing new trails to the frontiers of what’s possible in the genre. Infectious and satisfying. For fans of: Childish Gambino, Asher Roth, Angel Haze
Yikes, Auxy, sorry to hear that. At least the awkward phases have passed and all these rad artists are out there rocking our socks. **What about you? Were you ever in a band or have you seen one that was obviously brand-spanking-new? Tell us about it in the comments below!
