The Indie Scene

OK, so hear us out... we moved on the 8th March but we've been so busy we forgot to let you know what's occurring. Well, exciting things are happening over on our flashy new site that's, like, ten times better—we promise!  I'll never forget what drove me to create this little blog at 15 in the hopes I could one day write for DIY or the NME, and my morals will always stay the same.  Since we made the big move into professionalism, we've been backlogged with music submissions, over 100 applications to write for us, and an overwhelming amount of support I never expected in a million years. It's funny what life throws at you when you work incredibly hard.  We have a  logo now; a team; almost 700 followers on Instagram; 4k unique visitors to the new website. Things that, if you had told me them 6 years ago, I'd have laughed at you. I didn't believe I could do these things and, yet, here I am doing them. Achieving everything 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 years o...

The well-versed indie veterans, who have been earning their stripes for the best part of a decade, premiered their latest offering on Annie Mac's Radio 1 show. For Wolf Alice fans alike - or anybody who has missed them just as much - it's been a three year wait (we're not counting Ellie's feature on Mura Masa's Teenage Headache Dreams ) that has felt drastically long, no thanks to the current pandemic.  PHOTO: JORDAN HEMINGWAY To no surprise at all, Ellie Rowsell once again proves how astounding she is when it comes to writing in such an effortlessly confessional and intimate way; giving a glimpse into her diary per se. Not to mention the accompanying sublime sounds of strings and the backtracking of Joel and Ellie's vocals layered to sound like a choir, The Last Man On Earth is an endearingly beautiful and harmonic introduction to a new era for the London rockers.  As if today couldn't get any more exciting, the announcement of a third album, Blue Wee...

May it be artists you already know and love that are gearing up to release a much anticipated album, an artist you've yet to delve into but have heard plenty about, or an artist whom you have never heard of before, this list should - and hopefully will - be an accumulation of the sorts.  This past year has been, well, a shit one and it's only getting worse as 2021 gets into full flow. Throughout the dark, dreary and lonesome days of 2020 there has been one constant, and that is the music we have been treated to in light of such a devastating time. With some spectacular albums from many different artists, to comebacks, and to albums that provided us with some light-hearted entertainment, it leaves a lot for 2021 to live up to. With the recent dismissal of the arts from the Government (obviously, the Tories have never consumed a bit of media in their life and, when Matt Hancock said he listened to Grime , that was clearly nothing but a fabrication) and the recent Brexit revelatio...

We can all agree that 2020 has been a tumultuous journey from beginning to end, never failing to provide one disappointment after the other. Seemingly, the only rewarding thing about 2020 has been the music made in lockdown, the albums we've been blessed with or, for some people, it's Taylor Swift releasing not one but two full-length albums this year. Musicians have been unable to perform live, meaning The Night Cafe's 2019 tour is set to take place in 2030 if they're lucky.  I'll have to admit, I've been a bit behind. It'll take me a good few months to sit down and properly listen to an album unless a miracle happens and I listen to it the day it's released. You'll notice that the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Rina Sawayama aren't on here and, it isn't because I'm not a fan, I'm just the worst kind of procrastinator. I'm sure all of your favourites deserve a spot on here, so I'm going to cement my apology before I continue.  ...

Since I was first introduced to the rock outfit hailing from Swansea, I've been hooked on their incredibly good back catalogue so, naturally, I was pretty excited to hear they would be releasing a new song and a re-recording of an old favourite of mine.  'Rainbow Sands' is a step in the right direction, showing exactly why Taxi Rank are one of the most exciting young bands to come out of Wales since Stereophonics came to prominence. Not only is it a tangible, easily digestible alternative rock song, it goes hand in hand with the b-side: a re-recording of 'Handprint'.  The production level with the re-recordings and the brand new songs are impeccable; where you could perhaps notice tiny flaws beforehand with previous recordings, they've smoothed them over and showed their progression by giving 'Handprint' a crystal clear new spin.  It's not just the songs that are captivating, but the striking and vibrant artwork that goes along with it. However, thi...

After the release of their debut album ‘Dogrel’ last year, Dublin based indie rock band Fontaines D.C. had a lot of expectations to live up to with ‘A Hero’s Death,’ which they released on July 31st. Having studied at BIMM in Dublin, the five-piece band have gone on to achieve some incredible things, not to mention releasing two full-length albums and now being nominated for a Grammy (which, by the way, is quite a big deal, especially for these guys). First up is enigmatic and powerful ‘I Don’t Belong,’ that sets the mood for the rest of the album - it’s unforgiving, the statement they’re trying to display doesn’t struggle to be conceived. In my opinion, this is the perfect opener to the album and they couldn’t have chosen a better song to begin with. The music video to go along with it captures the dynamics of the song perfectly and leaves you wondering if there's anything this band can't do. Guaranteed, if you haven't already, this song will be stuck in your head by the e...

When writing critically about an album from a band whose previous offerings you’ve enjoyed quite a bit and have even had their faces on your wall at one point, you’re bound to feel some sort of affliction to be dishonest and please as many people as possible. After all, The 1975's fans are a scary bunch so, trust me, no one is blaming you. I’m hoping that I can be as truthful as possible and pick apart each song the way I perceive it and not simply give it a straight up 10/10 due to the band’s status.  Before I listen to Notes On A Conditional Form, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what I’ve heard so far. Mostly, what I have heard is that there are quite a few filler songs and that the stand out songs are simply the singles already released. This is often the case; it takes a skilled musician to make a completely flawless album from beginning to end and I can't say I've seen it done often.  Matty Healy is well-known for being controversial with his potty mout...

The Seamonsters  are a five-piece indie-pop band hailing from the north, consisting of Naomi Mann, Lauren Smith, Holly Thompson, Tassie Drobinksi and Ciara Hurding. There's no denying that they have been going from strength to strength throughout the last year. If they didn't already assert themselves as 'ones to watch' when they released single 'Blue Movie Baby' then 'How To Be Famous' takes them up a notch to indie icons in the making. 'How To Be Famous' tells the toxic tale of social media and the effects it has on its users. Considering The Seamonsters are made up of a group of young females; they speak in a raw, unapologetic way about how they feel on the current trends and popular topics on social media. With almost 3000 likes on Facebook and 6.2k followers on Instagram respectively, they are fast becoming an extremely important voice for our generation and girls worldwide. The song, if stripped away from its lyrics, is already catchy a...

Taxi Rank are a four piece alternative rock band hailing from Swansea who first released their debut single back in March, which proved to be a huge hit and showed their audience what to expect from their new EP, ' The Butterfly Effect '. If you haven't already listened to their massive first single 'Pier' and their shockingly brilliant cover of King Krule's 'Dum Surfer,' then you're missing out on some seriously good tunes. The first song off their debut EP, titled 'The Only One,' may just be my favourite out of the five - however 'Monophobia' may just challenge it to the top spot in my opinion. As well as the electrifying guitar, the lyrics are intriguing to boot. With lines like "I switched all the lights off / To try and hide my face" capturing the audience alongside their impeccable layered instrumentals. Second up, the aptly titled Smoke & Mirrors starts off with Lukas Kelly's raw vocals alongside some asto...

Clearly a talented singer and all around musician, George Hennessy is a bright new talent on the Northampton music scene. His debut album, 'Whatever,' vocalises that with ease. The album starts with 'Walking On Sunshine' (not to be confused with Katrina & The Waves tune of the same name), a song that hits all the right notes in terms of an opener. An opener has to be special, memorable and set the tone for the rest of the album that follows. 'Walking On Sunshine' does this almost effortlessly. 'Weekend' depicts, well, a weekend with a fast beat and engaging lyrics - the chorus is catchy and will stay stuck in your head. 'Won't You Stay' shows a more vulnerable side to the album; a slow paced song that is perfect for when you want to sit back and relax. 'Will Never Care' is reminiscent of The Smiths' attitude; hazy guitar carrying the song as the last one on the 9 track album. 'Weather' has to be my favourite out ...

This gig was no different from the others; as soon as I looked at the nearest venues by my university and saw a gig that fell on my second day, I was sold. Although, we had to stay in Sheffield till 5am to get the next train (the last train was at 7pm, when the gig hadn't started yet), we would definitely do it all over again. It's insane how good the prices are for bands who should be on the main stage at festivals and it's always good when you don't have to travel that far. We'd never actually been to Sheffield before but we knew it was renowned for it's venues; Plug, The Leadmill and many more. It's safe to say I was excited, especially when I found out that Get Inuit (now Indoor Pets) would be supporting and I had recently discovered them. Thankfully, just like we had done before, we managed to get to the front after both grabbing a drink and waited patiently for the first act, Babe Punch, to arrive on the stage. Neither of us had heard any of their mu...

After not having an Arctic Monkeys album for five years, they had a lot to live up to for their sixth album, 'Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino'. I had no idea what to expect from this LP, the only thought I had was that, from the tiny preview clip, they might've gone down the Tame Impala-inspired route. I was wrong, very wrong and the album is completely different from what I initially thought it would sound like. At some points it reminds me a little bit of their fourth album 'Suck It And See' but most of all it sounds like nothing they've ever put out. It doesn't even sound reminiscent of Alex Turner's solo escapade for the film 'Submarine' or any of his past ventures as the duo The Last Shadow Puppets.  At first, when Alex Turner's voice first releases that familiar vocal chord, I am not sure if I actually like it. There's something about the way the backing music supports the vocals that I'm just not sure about at first. But, aft...

The four-piece Brighton indie rockers released their hypnotic debut single in late August to much praise that the single has already surpassed over a thousand streams on Spotify and is continuing to climb. They've already managed to rack up a note-worthy 3,500 streams with their dreamy debut, an impressive feat when it's your first single. With a spine-tingling lyrical beginner and a melodically enchanting entrance into the depth of the song, you can't go wrong with this transcendent tune. Photo by  Jake Haseldine 'Only One' showcases the sophisticated layers of the four-piece's talent and their arguably magical chemistry, proving to be a song you won't be able to get out of your head (tried and tested. It's still stuck). They aren't like any ordinary band that people in the music industry are constantly raving about but a much more underappreciated band with potential to sell-out their own shows within the next three years. Keep on the lo...

Unsurprisingly, as soon as I saw an advertisement for Vant's Esquires gig, I knew I had to go. No matter what we had planned for the 31st of March (now over a few months ago), we were going to that gig. I was pleasantly surprised to see the tickets were cheap for such a quality act - especially as we had sustained the bargain of seeing three amazing acts in one night. As I had previously listened to Tangerines, the only act left as an unknowing surprise were 'Timeless Lizards'. With the promise of two headliners for the price of one, I knew the night would be better than either of us could anticipate. If you've ever been to see one of your favourite bands, especially after they've played the likes of Reading and Leeds, then you know the feeling you get from the intimacy, the sweaty mosh pit, but most of all the pride. However, it's an indescribable feeling - knowing that the band you're seeing in this epically cozy venue will probably never play to such a ...