One of my earliest memories of last year is being on a plane to Tokyo listening to the latest release (‘Leave’) from Sydney band Ultracrush. Drenched in a sweet and shimmering kind of melancholy, Ultracrush make music that entwines itself within a moment as if it were its own natural soundtrack. Whilst their latest single […]
It is so easy to become immersed in the universe that Tom Stephens has created for his musical project Tesse to exist within. There is a sense of poetry and observation on every front. Every sound, texture and visual teasing at its own little story.
York four-piece Bull are back with a new track – the skittering alt-pop of ‘Disco Living’ which gleefully pours out of whichever device you happen to be listening to. It’s another instantly memorable belter, following on from the well-received Britpoppery of ‘Green’ – their first release after signing to EMI Records in conjunction with York-based label, […]
‘Well, we actually call it the Dungeon!‘ The boys from Nature TV laugh to themselves as they introduce me to their production studio, which also doubles as lead guitarist Solo’s basement. This is their first time being in the same room for several months, thanks to Covid-19.
You know when you can just feel this twinkly, youthful, uncomplicated freshness within a song, and you just know you’re onto something? Well, it only took a brief listen to Dutch singer-songwriter remme, to make me feel just that.
Live events might have ground to a halt in the very unusual lockdown times that we’re living in, but music isn’t stopping, and punk in particular has a history of thriving in times of adversity. We have been witnessing a bit of a moment of spotlight for the genre in recent years, but this might […]
After five years on the scene, October Drift released their largest body of work yet, with January’s drop of long-awaited debut album, Forever Whatever. A high octane melange of grunge, hard rock, pop hooks and shoegaze; the songs enclosed offer a focussed lens on the band’s career to date: from the revelrous ‘Oh the Silence’ […]
From day one Yonaka embraced originality, displaying a fierceness that is breathtaking to behold and a formidable talent that any fresh-faced band would seize if they had the chance. Brighton has been the band’s home base from the start, and it seems that it was always meant to be like that, offering the four-piece freedom […]
“There were definitely a few nights where we didn’t sleep!” Archie recalls the last month on the road. Issy is typing one last email before she joins us. ”Hi Tom!” She calls down the line. Ferris & Sylvester have just finished their most recent UK tour. 24 shows in five weeks. You couldn’t tell by […]
When you hear the words Leif Erikson, your mind may take you to the name of the Icelandic explorer. Well, Leif Erikson, the band, also explore within the depths of their alternative based music. The London-founded fivesome convey swayful, melodious synths and ambiguous lyrics, creating a deliverance of excitement and tranquillity combined.
Currently touring the UK with emotive brethren Amber Run, London-living Stereo Honey are deep into a two-plus week span of live shows, utilising this time to unveil a host of new music as well as air beloved favourites, these dates symbolise the band’s first shows of 2019. The four-piece has been rolling under the radar […]
This autumn, Snow Patrol will embark on a UK/IE-wide tour in celebration of their forthcoming Reworked album, due 8th November. Industry accolades and career-affirming milestones have been rolling in since the five piece released their long-awaited seventh studio album, Wildness, last May; completing a third appointment at Bangor’s Ward Park last year (which saw the […]
Back in March, I reviewed Chandler Juliet’s debut EP, Elements, here on Bitter Sweet Symphonies. It was a delightful EP about being a human being, a mix of quiet electronic production and spare organic instrumentation—everything is emotionally internal, and, correspondingly, aesthetically understated. While she lives in Los Angeles, California, she was in Nashville, Tennessee last […]
As a third wave of artist announcements has rolled in, and little more than a month separates us from the start of Sŵn Festival, the multi-venue musical event to take place in Cardiff on the weekend of the 18th to 20th October is shaping up to be one to remember. Our previous entries in the […]
Among the many things to grace this year’s Sŵn Festival, now not too far away with the weekend of October 18-20th looming ever closer, there is a sizable contingent of Irish bands. If the UK music scene has been enjoying a moment of particular grace lately, bands across the Irish Sea have been no less […]
As the second wave of artists performing at Cardiff’s Sŵn Festival has now been released, the line-up of the multi-venue festival coming to the Welsh capital next October is looking even more impressive than it already did. There are many reasons why this year’s edition is shaping up to be one not to miss, among […]
Our path towards Sŵn Festival, the multi-venue festival that is going to take over the Cardiff music scene for the weekend of 18th, 19th and 20th October, touches base in neighbouring Bristol yet again, as I discuss musical oddities, the state of the post-punk scene and dark humour with Alastair Shuttleworth, vocalist for self-described satirical […]
Sŵn Festival is coming back to Cardiff next October, and from the first wave of artists announced it already looks like this year’s line-up for the original Welsh multi-venue festival is going to be one of its most exciting. As the festival approaches, I’ll be talking to some of the artists that are going to […]
King Charles has always been enigmatic – never directly definable. His music, his image, his style (even his hair), forever transforming and renewing. The 2012 debut album, LoveBlood introduced a debonair, characterful performer with a touch of the eccentric, flash forward to 2016’s follow up, Gamble for A Rose and a completely different scene and […]
We’ve all heard the prescribed notions of what a singer-songwriter is and should be, but basics are basics and it is time to clear the slate. Every artist deserves to be heard fairly, few find success and few are successful but many have talent. Joel Baker is one of the latter. A pure talent. His […]