An Ode to Shiiine On

“When something’s good, it’s never gone”

In the summer of 2015, after eight long and dispiriting years in the music industry, a childhood dream finally came undone, not with drama, but with the quiet finality of redundancy. I had failed to bring bands to life on music television, failed to be in love, and lost the home that had once felt like a refuge. It was, without question, the lowest point. A season where everything that had seemed certain dissolved into a kind of grey.

*image credit: Big Ed Photography

The Shiiine 1 poster hung in view, its colours fading as if in sympathy, a reminder of something once bright and possible. I would look at it often, not with longing exactly, but with the numb recognition of a man who knows he can no longer reach what he once imagined he might. The idea of rallying friends and heading west felt impossible.

But time, as it always does, crept forward. A year later, the troops were gathered once more. I went to Minehead, body present, soul lagging. Excited, yet still uneasy, the despair still nagging away internally.

Cellar Doors changed everything!

Their brand of Laurel Canyon-meets-psychedelic rock 'n' roll struck instantly. As the crowd grew and grew and edged closer, I felt among my people. I felt at home. People unashamedly enjoy the kind of music most radio outlets had consigned to the dustbin. The weariness I entered with began to lift, a faint current stirring within.

When The Wonder Stuff took to the main stage, something inside me settled. From pop to politics, punk to poetry, they carried the same fierce joy that had first made me fall in love with music. Each song was a reminder of who I had once been, and who, perhaps, I still was. With every return they make, they seem more powerful, more enriching. More more more! Is it really Shiiine without them?

Each Shiiine brings its own quiet resurrection: a cult band, once lost to time, given a stage to unearth its buried treasures. This debut year was Thousand Yard Stare. Their enthralling set on Centre Stage sparked a new obsessive fandom that took me to the 100 Club and Lexington, and led to sharing emails with frontman Stephen Barnes in future years.

In future years, The Orchids would shimmer whilst Bradford played with a defiant pulse in Jumpin’ Jacks, and The Popguns filled the Inn with a melodic majesty. Detractors decree nostalgia; they miss the point. These bands are survivors, striking old friendships for good, for health, for the love of living! Their songs had grown richer in exile and found keen audiences willing to share their love. Furthermore, 99% of Shiiine acts are releasing new material, and so, breathing life back into us, the mortals.

Dance music has always pulsed through Shiiine’s heart. Having Eddy TM close out that year was more than a booking; it was a moment heavy with meaning. A world-class DJ, of course. But for me, it went deeper. His set took me back to my own youth.

As strangers took me under their wing, conversation flowed from Rick Astley to Anna from This Life, and Eddy’s MTV show ‘Up For It’ (specifically the six-pack challenge). Something loosened inside. The faint hopes of my teenage self were not far enough from the reality of the 32-year-old who stood arms aloft on that Sunday night. With every beat dropped, the tension I’d carried for a year began to dissolve. The music, the laughter, the shared recognition, all of it stitched together the fragments of a self I thought I’d lost.

Thank you, Shiiine On, for giving the lost a place to return to.

Happy 10th Birthday Shiiine On

This November marks 10th birthday of the Shiiine On Festival in Minehead.

*banner image credit: A Deeper Groove

Like any long-running festival, Shiiine has built its own traditions over the years. From Sequin Saturday to Where’s Dylan? and Take It Easy Thursday, these rituals have become part of the pilgrimage to the South West.

It may celebrate the icons and cult heroes of the past, but Shiiine On is no nostalgia trip. This is living, breathing music. 99% of the artists here are still creating, still evolving, still burning bright. Shiiine On is their mecca, a place where legacy meets momentum, and the past collides gloriously with the now.

Shiiine has always had an excellent eye for new bands. They gave mainstage debuts to the fleeting brilliance of The Shakes, the baggy promise of Big Image (formerly Ivory Wave), and the nation's current favourites The K’s. Not to mention their enduring support for the mega-sounding Deja Vega!

For me, the festival’s real magic lies in discovering the new acts, especially those playing the Inn on the Green on Friday and Saturday afternoons. As the hangovers lift and the cider is sipped with one eye closed, the young and hopeful take to the pub stage and take their shot at being the next big thing.

Through the cold sweats and comedowns, the snakeite and smell of guff from the toilets, the ritual of flocking to the pub first is the one I cherish the most. As such, here are our 10 favourite (in no order) Inn on the Green slots from the last 10 years (full disclosure, we missed the initial one, and we forever hang our heads in shame):

Cellar Doors (2016)

Image Credit: Brian Cannon

Our first-ever Shiiine set, and what a start! As soon as the San Francisco trip began, I knew I was home. Melodic, psychedelic, and adventurous rock n roll for the ages.

Electric Sheep Inc. (2024)

A breathtaking debut festival performance. The rightful heirs to the thrones, Shaun Ryder and Lou Reed, lit up the intimate venue with their gritty psychedelia and lyrics that could come to define their generation.

The Utopiates (2021)

*Image credit: Shiiine legend Louise Deveraux

At this stage of their career, they were making inroads into the UK scene with their baggy licks and nods to Depeche Mode. Mid-Saturday afternoon, their grooves oozed through the pubs’ ether with an ease that would see them become a staple band of Steve Lamacq’s 6Music show.

Ecko (2022)

Image Credit: A Deeper Groove

A rags-to-riches tale of epic proportions. The Ayrshire outfit opened the pub stage on the Saturday and caused a word-of-mouth stir across the weekend. So much so that, when the Shambolics unfortunately pulled out on Sunday night, Ecko stepped in to play to a 1500 crowd.

Theatre Royal (2017)

Image Courtesy of the band

Not a new band per se, they were, at this point, promoting the release of their fourth album ‘...And Then It Fell Out of My Head’. Nevertheless, their Medway meets Paisley guitars were nothing short of a triumph, cementing their place as the UK’s best-kept indie secret.

Alfa 9 (2019)

Image courtesy of Blow Up Records

Blow Up’ Records signing Alfa 9 delivered a breathtaking array of Laurel Canyon, The Coral, and The Byrds-esque.

The Institutes (2022)

Image credit: Melli Foris

Staying in the Midlands, this time in Coventry, The Institutes gave the festival one its most beautiful performances. Epic guitars and Reid Currie’s delicate vocal melodies were the hand up of the floor we all needed.

Gazelle (2019)

Image Courtesy of the band

Sadly, the Leicester outfit are no more (frontman Ryan Dunn now has a fine solo project underway). Their relentless Rifles-esque anthems were an absolute riot. Proof that great bands still exist but are not backed enough.

Malakites (2023)

Image credit: This Feeling.

A rush of post-punk tension collided with raw rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Beautifully desperate stuff from the Cardiff outfit who are still making waves now.

Mexican Dogs (2024)

Image Credit: Sonic Pr

Last year, both on the pre-party on Thursday, and in the hallowed halls of Inn on the Green, the Liverpool outfit bludgeoned the senses with their monstrous riffs.

From Grassroots to Glory: 10 Years of This Feeling on the Isle

"This Feeling are the best in the business when it comes to finding new artists and propelling them upwards. It's a pleasure to support what they do, it's incredibly important that we support new music and the next generation of headliners here at the Isle of Wight Festival." 

John Giddings, Isle of Wight Festival

This Feeling’s epic 10th anniversary line-up!

The Isle of Wight Festival kicks off this Thursday, and with it, a 10-year anniversary of This Feeling’s now legendary stage at the event. This Feeling Supremo Mikey Jonns spoke this week of his delight at the achievement.

“I’ll never forget walking towards the This Feeling tent and just going ‘Wow,’” he recalls. “I still get that sense of awe, wonder and pride now.”

Having slogged it out on the grassroots circuit, giving rise to countless bands along the way, the stage is a pay-off for artist and promoter alike. Financially, festival slots traditionally result in a loss for the promoter, but culturally – and most crucially – spiritually, these appearances become an unquantifiable jewel in the crown of many an unsigned band. Quite simply, This Feeling’s work in the industry is priceless.

Opportunity Rocks

“The big thing about This Feeling – and the thing I am most proud about – is giving people a chance,” says Jonns. “Unless you have an agent of connected manager, it’s very difficult to play major festivals. Over the last 10 years, we’ve given well over 500 acts a major festival slot – with the vast majority of them having no agent.”

Band of the moment cutting their teeth on This Feeling’s stage

Jonns went on to speak of his pride at This Feeling’s biggest success to date. “Probably the biggest and best example is The K’s, who progressed from low down on our stage, to headlining it and then opening on the main stage, all without and agent. And just look at them now, they’re the huge band we believed very early on they could be.”

Anyone lucky enough to have seen them, would be hard pushed to dispute Jonns’ eye (and ear) for new talent as being up there with the best in the business. In retrospect, the roots of the now-beloved festival still carry a certain aura that resonates from its very first year. A celebration of new music, and a launchpad for its future stars, all packed into one unforgettable weekend.

“Incredible” is the word he uses to describe it. “We had Dave McCabe's new band and Jez and Andy Doves’ side project Black Rivers headlining, plus loads of great new bands including The Sherlocks, Slow Readers Club, Trampolene and Findlay, who all played their first ever festival.”

Believe in Music and Working Hard

When asked about the first band to ever take the stage, Jonns’ response is immediate. “Bully Bones, a band from Isle of Wight who are still going now. I think it's important there's support for local acts and the local scene.”

Mikey Jonns on Zone Island!

The local scene is everything to This Feeling. Giving bands a shot in their hometowns, helping them build real audiences before moving on to support slots and later headline tours may sound like a business model, but it is so much more than that. This Feeling is a public service.

He continues: “We’ve not changed in terms of how we work, and as long as I am in this industry, I won’t change. There’s no deals done, or shortcuts.” This Feeling’s founder went on to open up on the non-negotiables within his ethos. “I believe in music and working hard. Impress at your local grassroots music venue, keep releasing good tunes, keep grafting, and there’s a good probability we will give your band that all important chance...”

A Rare Launchpad for Young Dreamers

John Giddings, the Isle of Wight boss, deserves credit too. Bands on the This Feeling stage one year often graduate to the bigger festival stages the next. There is an unbreakable community spirit among the bands, writers, photographers, DJs, and PR people, all of whom recognise that the link from top to bottom in the industry is broken.

Front of stage, they’ll be in the first few rows singing. Backstage, there’s a family spirit (a boozy one, granted, but a fiercely loyal one. It’s created a place where rising bands and big names coexist as one.

“Bands like The K's, The Clause, The Kairos and The Lilacs – who are all playing the big stages at IOW now – make a beeline to This Feeling as soon as they've finished. I think that's great. They've not forgotten where they've come from, and where the zone is! Crouchy turning up was great, although he had to stand at the back!” Jonns laughs.

“Rick Witter, Jamie Webster, Blossoms – they've all popped in to see mates’ bands, or just come to hang out.”

Over a decade, and across multiple festivals, This Feeling has become the glue that holds the industry together. Fans, writers, bands, photographers, pluggers, PRs and labels alike. This Feeling is the unspoken bond that unites anyone who has ever uttered the words “this band should be bigger.” Thanks to This Feeling, we get to see it happen.

20 Years of The Others

The Others celebrated the twentieth anniversary of their self-titled debut album last month by playing it in full at the 100 Club, along with a second set of tracks from albums 4 and 5.

*all photos courtesy of Paul Colder

As the enigma that is Pete Doherty descended into hard drugs and tabloid hell, the guitar scene once inspired by The Strokes and The Libertines dissipated into the night.

A heroes’ vacuum followed.

History will point to the rapid rise of the Arctic Monkeys, and other radio-friendly chart-stormers like Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs, as the protagonists who filled it. But history is often written.

For those who bought into Libertines’ dream, the ones who said “fuck off” to the toxic masculinity of nu-metal and a resounding “yes” to the poetic friendships of Albion, the guitar scene they so adored was ebbing away, along with their youth.

In 2004/5, bands like Neils Children, Dogs, and Les Incompetents emerged with a raw intensity and authenticity, reigniting the spirit with which the UK had previously countered New York City’s undeniable cool. The Others were integral to this; on an unusually hot March night in the 100 Club, the original four members stoked those fires once more.

‘How I Nearly Lost You’ and former single ‘William’ remain the finest post-Libertines songs of that era. The former’s guitars fizz intricately with a wayward jingle-jingle evoking an alternate reality where Alternative TV and Buzzcocks played Sarah Records songs. Fan favourite ‘William’, an ode to frontman Dominic Masters’ schoolboy best friend, is given the added dose of poignancy with William being present. Still ferocious, still infectious, the pop-cum-punk record stands up against anything from the late 70s.

Key to The Others’ early success was their sense of community, which the 853 Kamikaze Stage Diving Division epitomised. Older and stiffer, could they still cut it? The first stage invasion was an overspill of emotion. A dedication of love to a band, to an album that cut through the bullshit 20 years ago. On ‘Stan Bowles’, the squadron was in full mischievous flight. Taunting the crowd with QPR glee. It was, though, on ‘Darren Daniel Dave’ where the band and fans coalesced.

Masters introduced the song tentatively, this being only the third time they’d played it live and the first time in 20 years. The sold-out crowd was febrile throughout the album, with joyful, boisterous scenes of nostalgia flooding the senses. Upon this notice, the seriousness of the song’s discourse brought the mood to somewhere akin to a pin-drop moment. As Masters’ guttural Pete Shelly vocal filled the room with grief-stricken howls, tears filled the room. What happened in the second verse transcended music. One by one, most of the 100 Club crowd ceased to be the voyeur and joined the band on stage. A sense of catharsis washed over the room as grief gave way to a celebration of life.

Naysayers might claim The Others never followed their debut with anything of equal weight - and creatively, they may well be right. But in the wild throes of youth, tomorrow is a ghost no one chases.

While this record wasn’t about legacy - as such - it provided an engrossingly poignant one nonetheless.

The Horrors Top 10

Tomorrow, The Horrors release their sixth studio album, ‘Night Life’. Out on Fiction Records, it will be their first release in eight years.

As the excitement builds, we look back at their illustrious past and pick our top ten favourite tracks:

10. Sheena Is A Parasite

The crucial moment from their vastly underrated debut album.

9. Machine

The colossal drums and distorted bass landed them somewhere between a fucked up Kraftwerk and BRMC. Leather-clad rebellion for outer-space adventures with the likes of Nine Inch Nails in tow.

8. Endless Blue

The Doors and Pink Floyd felt like natural fits for the band as they grew into their muso phase.

The only thing more organic for them was to erupt the stoner bliss into the chaotic nightmares of BRMC and Brian Jonestown Massacre.

7. New Ice Age

The degradation and violence of the first album are repackaged in a vast cinematic vision of despair that the outsiders can wear as a badge of honour.

Badwan’s vocals take on Brett Anderson’s more guttural moments alongside febrile atmosphere descending from the guitars.

6. Mirror’s Image

One of the all-time great album opener intros. Spell-binding gothic images of the British Seaside are distorted into their brand of Mary Chain dystopia. It is the perfect bridge from their garage beginnings to their masterpiece.

5. Still Life

Effortlessly brilliant!

For once, everything had its space to breathe, and the band emerged as rock classics. A song for any era or generation. A truly incredulous groove!

4. Scarlet Fields

Some records yearn for escape. This was the sound of the journey past the humble beginnings and into the fire of the unknown.

A joyride of reckless abandon into the eye of the storm!

3. Three Decades

Hauntingly desolate and vitally defiant, this was the sound of the band not only fearless but knowingly changing the world!

Their sordid garage rock was for dreamers, for fist-aloft believers in change!

2. Something to Remember Me By

Arguably their most complete single. Buoyant and incessant, it can drag you to the depths of hell or lift you to ecstatic release, dependent on life’s circumstances.

The aloofness of the Pet Shop Boys and Hot Chip’s synths and vocals was a glorious reinvention of everything this psychedelic powerhouse was and is. It kept them relevant in a decaying industry and opened them up to new generations. It was less a comeback and more a reminder of their greatness.

1. Who Can Say

It's up there with the greatest intros of all time. The thunderous bass and the soaring and tumbling seaside organs career out of control in one of the 00s' most distinctive moments of genius!

The languid drawl of Badwan's 60-girl group vocals cedes ground to the indomitable spirit of guitars.  

Badwan's desperate howl in the closing stages is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s defining vocals. Has anything ever matched its power since?

The Albums That Got Away

Every December, we share our Top 30 or 40 albums of the year in a buoyant and celebratory mood. The list is never presented as fact; its aim is to reflect the journey traversed that year.

*banner image courtesy of @cspalton

Then, the inevitable tweets come. What about this…

The shame.

Once we can lift our heads from our hands at having missed something great, we emerge pretending it never happened. Well, this year, we’re going full disclosure. Here are the best albums we’ve discovered from 2024 that slipped through our net:

 Another Sky – Beach Day

A record of astonishing power from the London outfit.

Catrin Vincent’s vocals soar with Joan Armatrading's vulnerability and the purity of Christine McVie. As she tumbles through shades of light and dark, the agony rising inside will threaten to spill over.

Through ‘Death Of The Author’ and ‘Uh Oh’, Vincent’s brutal self-reflection makes procedings a difficult listen, but always compelling.

Despite the melancholy, tracks such as ‘The Pain’ and ‘I Never Had Control’ are beset with such beauty that souls will leave their realm cleansed.

Gurriers - Come & See

Dublin’s burgeoning scene continues to thrive on this debut album.

Dan Hoff’s ability to switch from the venom of Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson to the enthralling passion of Shame’s Charlie Steen is breathtaking.

Great post-punk hooks link arms with vitriolic despair leaving them the heirs to Fontaines DC’s throne!

Key tracks: Des Goblin / Sign of the Times

Marpool - Marpool

Hypnotic rock ‘n’ roll links the hazy dreams of Kurt Vile and the awe-inspiring Liam Gallagher.

Gentle and tranquil but always moving and uplifting, Marpool carve out a space to lead us all to the promised land via a defiant stroll rather than a blaze of glory.

Key Tracks: The City Is Waiting / Long Road Home

Matt Edible & The Obtuse Angels - The Optometrist

Great songs. Better lyrics!

The Holy Orders frontman and hired gun for Kingmaker follows up on his 2018 masterpiece ‘Stargazing’ with an album of guitar bangers!

Edible conjures a fresh take on everything from glam to punk to 90s US alt-rock! Edible has evoked the power of guitar hooks to revitalise the guitar scene!

Key Tracks: Mirror Shoes / The Optometrist

Top 40 Albums of 2024

40. Shambolics – Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams (full review)

A fine debut from the promising Fife outfit.

39. Richard Thompson - Ship to Shore

The folk icon’s consistency is showing no signs of waining.

38. Lime Garden – One More Thing

Brighton’s wonk-pop debut has left an indelible mark.

37. The Smile - Wall of Eyes

Two-thirds Radiohead and one-third Jazz drummer Tom Skinner returned with another fine offing.

36. The Rifles – Love Your Neighbour (full review)

Walthamstow’s cult heroes returned with their first album in eight years. Great melodies throughout!

35. Richard Hawley – In This City They Call You Love

Enchanting Orbison and Duane Eddy songs from Sheffield’s romantic treasure.

34. Paul Weller - 66

Gritty and majestic soul music featuring the likes of Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie, and Richard Hawley.

33. Camera Obscura – Look to the East, Look to the West

Traceyann Campbell’s vocals can still melt hearts from distant galaxies!

32. Jack Jones - Jack Jones

Step aside John Cooper Clarke, Jones is ascending to Albion’s poetic throne.

31. Gruff Rhys - Sadness Set Me Free

Recorded in just three days in Paris, Rhys twists from dark to light with a spellbinding freedom.

30. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown

It beggars belief that a talent such as Gibbons has taken this long to release her debut solo album, but it was worth the wait!

29. Ride - Interplay

Bell, Gardener and co’s run form since reforming has written a joyous technicolour new chapter in their memoirs.

28. Bob Vylan - Humble as the Sun

Their anarchy has come of age on this sonic riot!

27. Junodream – Pools of Colour

Breakout performances on tour with Ride and their debut album have put this band firmly in the hearts of a nation.

26. Fightmilk - No Souvenirs

Blending emo, indie, and pop-punk with life-affirming consequences.

25. Kula Shaker – Natural Magick (full review)

The trippy pop-psyche of the 90s superstars made a surprise and welcomed return.

24. 86TVs – 86TVs

Maccebee’s Hugo and Felix White’s side project brought a fresh take to their familiar indie licks.

23. Desperate Journalist - No Hero

Strip away the album's Gothic, Smiths, and The Cure undertones, leaving you with great pop music. Add them back in, and it’s astonishing pop music!

22. Solar Eyes - Solar Eyes

Serge Pizzorno’s soul oozes through this superb Fierce Panda Records release.

21. The Vaccines – Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations

Great. Indie. Rock ‘n’ Roll.

20. Confidence Man - 3am (La La La)

Weird and wonderful rave-inspired hedonism.

19. Mick Head & The Red Elastic Band - Loophole

Head’s ever-expanding catalogue of excellence keeps the flame of ‘Forever Changes’ burning bright.

18. The Shop Window – Daysdream

Jingle-jangle heaven from the Maidstone outfit.

17. Wunderhorse - Midas

English rock music has been given it’s credibility back!

16. The K’s – I Wonder if the World Knows (full review)

There's an aching amplitude flickering needles and hearts alike throughout this fine debut album.

15. James - Yummy

The mercurial Mancunians continue their tremendous run of albums with another chameleon performance, restoring your faith in the creative process.

14. Bill Ryder Jones – Iechyd Da

The ex-Coral man’s best work since ‘A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart’.

13. Rob Vincent - Barriers

It's an enriching set of songs. Easy to see why Robert Plant took him on tour.

12. Office For Personal Development – Doing. Is. Thinking (full review)

Re-defining all that pop music can be

11. Cast – Love is the Call (full review)

Incredible return to form. On par with ‘All Change’.

10. Fontaines D.C. - Romance

The sound of a band conquering their destiny.

9. Baggio – The Dreadful Human Triangle

Indie-folk steeped in melancholy and the passing of the time.

8. Shed Seven – A Matter of Time (full review)

It is their first UK number-one album. It is a testament to their friendship as much as it is to their anthem-making.

7. Memorial - Redsetter (full review)

It's a pin-drop moment of an album. An alt-folk triumph from Brighton via Texas.

6. Meryl Streek: Songs For The Deceased

Incendiary brilliance from the Irish punk producer. Huge things await!

5. Kasabian - Happenings (full review)

Pizzorno lays the Meighan ghost to rest on this record. Pizzorno owns the record, and the record owns the night!

4. Jake Bugg - A Modern-Day Distraction

Bugg returns to his roots and his very best. Classic songwriting and endless guitars chime, and chime big!

3. Deadletter – Hysterical Strength

Wayward post-punk and feral psyche unite on this fine second album.

2. The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade (full review)

An ode to friendship and staying alive. From the soul-crushing to the envigorating, the likely lads rediscover form and reinvent all they were and could be.

1. The Dream Machine – Small Time Monsters

Modern Sky UK’s golden goose lay another golden egg on their second album. Magical. Whimsical. Perfection!

Interview with This Feeling's Mike Jonns

This Friday, grassroots promoters This Feeling take to Bridlington Spa for the second By The Sea festival. In an era of venues closing down, poor outcomes from streaming, and mainstream media barely interested in bands, This Feeling proves there is another way.

Spangled at 2023's festival. Image Credit: Dirty Rock Photography

Everyone featured last year, and this began in grassroots venues with This Feeling. All were given crucial exposure and chances to develop via their festival stages at Isle of Wight, Truck, Godney Gathering, and YNot. Stages that we can attest to attract big crowds.

Whilst This Feeling are promoters, they recognise that the industry has fragmented and bands need help connecting the dots. As such, they have helped all of this year’s line-up receive their first radio plays from crucial tastemakers such as John Kennedy (Radio X), Jericho Keys (BBC Introducing), Gary Crowley (BBC Radio London), and Jim Salveson (XS Manchester).

We sat down with This Feeling’s Mikey Jonns recently to discuss By The Sea and all things new music:

How does it feel to be back for a second year? Amazing, absolutely buzzing for it. Honestly, it's a dream come true. 

What were your highlights from 2023? Every act was amazing and the atmosphere was magical. To see so many people from all over the UK (the world!) enjoying themselves watching bands we've supported right from the start was probably the proudest I've ever been. 

The Lathums at 2023's festival. Image Credit: Dirty Rock Photography

With so many good bands gracing This Feeling stages across the UK, how tough has it been selecting the line-up? Very! There's so much quality out there but we feel we've nailed it and there's something for everyone this weekend. 

Having John Kennedy and Jericho Keys must be a huge bonus? Yeah, to get two of the biggest and best new music champions on board, plus Fenners who also falls into that category, it's the best cherry on top ever. They've been on a journey with us and most of the acts on the bill since the start, it all helps adds to the magic. Everything we do is real.

Breaking bands seems more challenging now than ever. Are this year's headliners, The Ks and Royston Club, a shining light for the acts you put on that the rock n roll dream can still be achieved? Absolutely. Both started their journey with us in tiny hometown venues, then grassroots tours and our festival stages. To see them doing so well and with so much more to come, we're buzzing for them, and they're showing what's possible and inspiring the next wave of guitar bands.

What advice would you give a band starting on day one today? If you're not prepared to work hard, go and do something else instead. 

What This Feeling gigs should we look out for this autumn/winter? Oh, we've got loads, including The K's, The Clause, The Crooks, The Lilacs, Rosellas, The Kairos, Megan Wyn, Tom A. Smith, Bride, plus there's still more to be announced. The future's bright, the future's at This Feeling! 

Click the image below for tickets to this year’s festival:

Brits and Pieces 4 – Dirty Blonde

The exceptional Brits and Pieces compilation album has triumphantly returned for its fourth instalment, with Nick Brine's mastering touches (Oasis, Ash, and Stone Roses) gracing the album once again.

Put together by Marc Rossiter of @britspieces X fame as a labour of love; all profit is split equally between the artists. Rossiter's generosity is laudable in an age of diminishing returns for artists.

This week, we will be diving into our top 5 tracks. Next up are Manchester’s heavy hitters Dirty Blonde with their track ‘Run (When I Tell You)’.

Run (When I Tell You)

Filthy. Utterly is filthy. The Royal Blood via BRMC riffs emerge from the gutter drenched in sweat and oozing liquor! Ailis Mackay’s vocal eloquently negates the glam-stomping guitars to land the compilation’s finest juxtaposition.

Brits and Pieces 4 - Laurie Wright

The exceptional Brits and Pieces compilation album has triumphantly returned for its fourth instalment, with Nick Brine's mastering touches (Oasis, Ash, and Stone Roses) gracing the album once again.

*image courtesy of The Songbird PR.

Put together by Marc Rossiter of @britspieces X fame as a labour of love; all profit is split equally between the artists. Rossiter's generosity is laudable in an age of diminishing returns for artists.

This week, we will be diving into our top 5 tracks. Next up next is Laurie Wright. Championed by The Libertines, Wright has collaborated with Death of Guitar Pop and toured with The Skinner Brothers, The Cribs and The Rifles.

Today, we check out his track ‘Butter Side Up Boy’

Butter Side Up Boy

Wright’s solo walks the line between The Strypes' youthful exuberance and Steve Craddock’s chart-storming classics, which could ignite the next mod revival. As the solo fades, hints of early Noel Gallagher’s yearning to escape the filter prevent this from being just another mod rehash.

The single goes to another level as Wright cuts loose vocally in the closing stages. The paranoia and anxiety (“I’m fearing what I'm feeling”) are wrenched from his soul in an astonishing moment of Steve Marriott-esque power.

Brits and Pieces 4 – Jet Black Tulips

The exceptional Brits and Pieces compilation album has triumphantly returned for its fourth instalment, with Nick Brine's mastering touches (Oasis, Ash, and Stone Roses) gracing the album once again.

The album is available to purchase on CD at Wax and Beans.

Put together by Marc Rossiter of @britspieces X fame as a labour of love; all profit is split equally between the artists. Rossiter's generosity is laudable in an age of diminishing returns for artists.

This week, we will be diving into our top 5 tracks. Next up next are Belfast outfit Jet Black Tulips. Having formed in lockdown as teenagers, they recently headlined Belfast’s March of the Mods. Let’s check out their featured track, ‘Young Love’.

Young Love

The soundtrack to the great summers. The ones where youthful dreams emerge from wild nights out, regret and bonded by blood friendships.

Lead guitarist Tom Buick leans into Stereophonics’ sense of surroundings on ‘Word Gets Around’ and links arms with a more melodic version of The Enemy on this sonically enriching anthem. It is, though, Duncan Newell’s ferocious but stylish drumming that takes this record to another realm.  

Brits and Pieces 4: Cruz

The exceptional Brits and Pieces compilation album has triumphantly returned for its fourth instalment, with Nick Brine's mastering touches (Oasis, Ash, and Stone Roses) gracing the album once again.

The album is available to purchase on CD at Wax and Beans.

Put together by Marc Rossiter of @britspieces X fame as a labour of love; all profit is split equally between the artists. Rossiter's generosity is laudable in an age of diminishing returns for artists.

*banner image credit Joe Griffiths. Courtesy of This Feeling

This week, we will be diving into our top 5 tracks. Sheffield Songsmiths Cruz is next.

Make It Right

Gloriously contrasting vocals and guitars! An omnipotent vocal delivers their power to (“tell her how you feel and stop wasting time”) the cute, shy indie kid guitars, which grow in stature on this romantic coming-of-age ode.

It conjures the images of the cool kid and the weedy indie kid setting out on an unlikely friendship which will journey to parity and lifelong memories. Rock n roll at its touching and inspiring best.

Brits and Pieces 4: Edge of 13

The exceptional Brits and Pieces compilation album has triumphantly returned for its fourth instalment, with Nick Brine's mastering touches (Oasis, Ash, and Stone Roses) gracing the album once again.

The album is available to purchase on CD at Wax and Beans.

Put together by Marc Rossiter of @britspieces X fame as a labour of love; all profit is split equally between the artists. Rossiter's generosity is laudable in an age of diminishing returns for artists.

This week, we will be diving into our top 5 tracks. Kicking off proceedings with Bridlington’s Edge of 13:

The Great Mistake

Ecstatic licks light up this tale of two halves. The first, taps into ‘On The Waterfront’s “I coulda been a contender, I coulda have been someone” spirit as the protagonist ponders the past and being held back:

“I could have been someone / Instead of wasting time around here”

The Gaslight Anthem-esque vocal always allows for optimism to creep in and, in the latter half, does so as the protagonist realises you’re only done when you're dead and decides to chase their dreams once again.

Interview with Rick Witter

For most of Shed Seven’s thirty-year career, they have been called indie’s underdogs. In the past ten years, their popularity has started to grow. The kids of Britpop have grown up and now stand shoulder to shoulder with those who lived through the heady days of the 90s. However, after festival appearances at Isle of Wight, Neighborhood Weekender, TRNSMT, Kendal Calling, and Tramlines (to name a few), something beautiful happened. They’ve broken through to generations without an immediate connection to their initial run.

This newfound adoration is reflected in the sales of their latest album, ‘A Matter of Time’. Yesterday, it was announced they are number one in the album chart mid-weeks. We caught up with Shed Seven frontman Rick Witter yesterday afternoon about the potential number one and discussed the new album:

Images & artwork courtesy of Cooking Vinyl

Hey Rick, how are you doing?

Rick: Good, thanks, you?

I’m good, thank you, a bit under the weather but I can’t complain. My daughter comes home from nursery determined to kill me these days.

Rick: Well, I'm quite fortunate; well, I say I'm fortunate. It’s only Tuesday, and we’re out on the road until Sunday with 2 record store performances a day, 2 cities per day, shaking 200 people's hands a day. I'm surprised I've not picked anything up.

So, number one in the mid-weeks. It’s all very exciting.

Rick: (tentatively) Yeah, I know it is, and I think we’re about nine thousand in front of Mr. Capaldi, but it’s such squeaky bum time. Anything could still happen in two and half days, so I keep trying to put it to the back of my mind.

I guess, ultimately, it doesn’t matter. But, over the years, you’ve always had an underdog status so you have earned this moment.

Rick: Yeah, it’s taken us thirty years to get us even having a sniff at it. It would have definitely been number 1 if we had released it last week (laughs). It would open us to so many new things, like playing at foreign festivals, which we’ve not done for a long time.

Does the promo trail differ a lot now from when you started?

Rick: Everything moves on, doesn’t it? The music industry is hugely different, even from when our last album (Instant Pleasures) came out six years ago. I’m constantly learning, but we just do what we want to do. We’re not tied down; we don’t have management. We get offers, and we accept the ones we wanna do or turn down the ones that are not worth our while.

The week the album is out, I’d much rather be out and about, seeing people buying it rather than sitting at home doing absolutely nothing. It’s great to be able to phone my mate Chris Moyles and say, “Have us on your show, mate”, and to get Sunday Brunch was great for us. Plus, we’re doing lots of in-store acoustic performances. Getting to sign people's vinyl and see the whites of their eyes has been relating to the people who are parting with their hard-earned money.

Image courtesy of Cooking Vinyl

Yep, well, I am sitting with my copy in front of me, and my dad got one for his 73rd birthday on Sunday.

Rick: You know what? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a cooler 73-year-old man than your dad.

It’s been six years since ‘Instant Pleasures’ was released. Was this album difficult to make?

Rick: Weirdly not. So ‘Instant Pleasures’ was a little bit of an accident. We didn’t set out to write new music. I think with two band members leaving, it put us in a predicament. What do we do now? Do we call it? Do we have a bit of rest, leave it a few years, and come back again or do we try and carry on? And I’m so pleased we chose the carry-on version. It’s actually breathed new life into us. I think we all feel like we’re 18 again. So, me and Paul did sit down and discuss writing a new album, and we started the process in March 2022, and we had it all by Christmas 2022, which is kind of a bit unheard of.

Oh wow, that is quick.

Rick: Yeah, I could just sense that everything we were considering was working when we were writing it through those months. There just didn’t seem to be any problems with any of it. Even the lyrics just flowed out of me. It was a really positive and brilliant time. Then we went to Spain to record it last February, and I think you can hear the joyousness of it coming out of the speakers.

Yeah, definitely.

Rick: We did a song a day and were all in the live room to get the drums down, so it felt like we were all being recorded as a live band, and it felt great. I’m just so pleased now that it can be given to people. Well, it's not given; you have to buy it (laughs).

It’s funny you say you felt like 18-year-olds. Tracks like ‘Throwaways’, ‘Let’s Go’, and ‘Let’s Go Dancing’ have that teenage sense of us versus the world feel and a lot of defiance coming through.

Rick: Yeah, there’s definitely that. Obviously, with age comes experience. So yes, there is stuff on there that you could only write as an early 50s gentleman but yeah. With ‘Starlings’…

That’s a heartbreaking song.

Rick: Yeah. I had this idea of someone being with somebody all their lives, and one of them dies. Then the other one is just waiting to die so they can be reunited, which isn’t the happiest of subjects, but it does happen in life, so I wanted to broach that.

Even ‘Real Love’, that’s all about how badly we’re being treated by those in charge of us. You know what I mean, come on, you’re supposed to be looking after us. I’ve never really gone down the political route but I wanted to vent my spleen after covid and all that.

We can all relate to that. Well, most of us.

Rick: Well yeah (laughs). I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there's an awful lot of references to birds in the songs. I guess, subconsciously, with what happened a few years ago and not being able to go anywhere, I've been writing songs about going places. I noticed 6 songs into the writing process, I’d mentioned a bird. After that, I was trying my hardest to do that for the entire album, but I failed as I missed out on two songs. I would say the keywords for this album are love, sex, death, drugs, recreation, stalking, and ornithology.

Ticking all the boxes there. There are three collaborations on the album. How did they come about? Especially the Pete Doherty one. Upon hearing it, I was expecting to see a split songwriting credit (it’s 100% Shed Seven) as it ebbs and flows from your sound to Pete’s easily.

Rick: So, we had them all recorded and ready to go, and, in a nutshell, we didn’t have any plans to get guest vocalists on it. During the writing process, at some point, Paul sent me the guitar chords for what became ‘In Ecstasy’. I am sitting at home listening to the guitar part, trying to think of a melody. When I came up with the melody, I immediately thought that sounds like something Rowetta would sing in the Happy Mondays circa 1990. I thought that was interesting and then pushed the thought to one side. Then when I got the words to the chorus “stand with me, in ecstasy, cover me in ecstasy” I again thought that is something Rowetta would sing. So, I thought, I’m thinking this too much now so I reached out to her and said “we’re making this album do you want to get on board with it? We’ve written this track that has you written all over it”. Thankfully, she heard it and loved it and wanted to be involved, which was lovely.

Fast forward a couple of months, and we’re playing the Bingley Festival, and The Libertines are headlining. As I’m singing my set, I keep looking to the side of the stage where my family are standing, and there’s Peter Doherty singing every word. I was thinking I’d no idea he even knew who we were. So I went and introduced myself after the set, and he told me as a kid, he would sit in his bedroom learning Shed 7 songs on his guitar. Which is always great to hear. So I said, “Look, we have Rowetta on the album. Do you want to join in?”. And he replied, “I’d absolutely love to”.

So, without even hearing the song, he agreed. He recorded his bit remotely, and it was pretty amazing. I said to him, “If you want to take over the second verse and add some harmonies in there. Just do what you feel you wanna do”. It was amazing. To get a song I’d written sung back to me in a Peter Doherty style was quite an amazing moment for me. Fingers crossed, at some point, he might come to join us on stage.  

The York Museum Gardens shows are shaping up very nicely, then?

Rick: Fingers crossed. Time will tell; at our 30th-anniversary shows, it would be quite the moment. If we do hold on to number one in the charts, I might get the keys to the city, and I can do whatever the bloody hell I want.

Grand Old Duke of York beckons.

Rick: About time (laughs).

Top 30 Albums of 2023

What a year. Perhaps the best in recent memory for new rock ‘n’ roll acts striking out. Social comment has begun to forge bonds with the devil, and the results have been breathtaking. It’s seen plenty of 00s stalwarts prove they’re not done creatively.

Find out where they’ve ranked in our top 30 albums of the year:

30. NGHFB – Council Skies

Some great moments blended with average ones. Lockdown and pending divorce may have hit the consistency, but there’s enough melody to keep you returning for more.

29. The Kynd – Timelines (full review here)

The long-awaited second album from 90s outfit The Kynd is a touch of baggy-mod class.

28. Neev - Catherine

Heartfelt folk from the Glaswegian songwriter who will surely go on to bigger and better things.

27. Adam Nutter – Badlands On Fire

Celestial instrumentals from The Music’s lead guitarist.

26. Andrew Cushin – Waiting For The Rain

The Geordie singer-songwriter’s debut shows glimpses of a much brighter future.

25. Emy P - Lights // Chaos // Action

Intense tales of love, coming-of-age, and mental health. Raw Kai Tempest meets Scroobious Pip vibes.

24. Bag of Cans – We Are A Band

Lunacy. Brilliant, hilarious lunacy!

23. DMAs - How Many Dreams?

Polished anthems from the Aussie heroes.

22. The Boo Radleys - Eight

The cult Scouse heroes continue their fine run of form since returning in 2021.

21. Egyptian Blue – A Living Commodity

Off-beat but cohesive post-punk striving for glory.

20. Death of Guitar Pop - Be Lucky

The third installment from the DIY Ska outfit.

19. Grian Chatten - Chaos For The Fly

The Fontaines frontman strikes out with a timeless sense of songwriting.

18. The Shed Project – Our Fear Is Their Power (Full Review here)

What began as mates in a Shed playing for fun has become the do-or-die rock ‘n’ roll generations live for! Their attempt to convey their moods has given a window into a nation teetering on the edge of revolt at its politicians, media, and institutions falter.

17. Mull Historical Society – In My Mind There’s A Room

Colin McIntyre’s literary project is littered with melodic gold and award-winning author cameos.

16. Jasmine Minks – We Make Our Own History

The former Creation Records maestro’s prove they can still cut it with the best.

15. Treasures of Mexico – Burn The Jets (full review here)

Three albums in, Treasures of Mexico show no signs of tailing off. ‘Burn The Jets’ is a heartfelt slice of guitar joy that all should bask in.

14. King Creosote - I DES

Fife’s finest fok artist continues to find pockets of magic twenty-five years after his debut.

13. Afflecks Palace – The Only Light In This Tunnel Is The Oncoming Train (full review here)

The rise of Afflecks Palace continues steadfastly. It’s beautifully aimless, passionate, and soul-enriching. 100 years from now, they will not be forgotten!

12. Slowdive - Everything Is Alive

Utterly spellbinding.

11. Das Koolies - DK.01

Four members of Super Furry Animals strike out with breathtaking results.

10. Trampolene – Rules of Love and War (full review here)

The journey from ‘Swansea To Hornsey’ youthful fire to ‘Rules Of Love and War’ measured prose has been six years of hope, self-doubt, escape, self-discovery, and now, one of triumphant return. The mission statements they dreamt up in bedrooms in 2017 are now becoming fully realised via richer creative palettes. Coupled with Jack Jones’ purist of souls, long may Trampolene’s ship sail on.

9. Senses – Little Pictures Without Sound (full review here)

‘Little Pictures Without Sound’ is an album by dreamers for dreamers. Even in its most lo-fi moments, it’s touched by the hands of fantasy. It breeds a vision of a better life at every turn.  

8. Tom Clarke– The Other Side

2023’s best kept secret! The Enemy frontman’s second solo album is his finest set of songs. Timeless songwriting showcases what a generational talent he is!

7. The Goa Express - The Goa Express

Life-affirming indie that’ll soundtrack a generation coming of age!

6. The Coral – Sea Of Mirrors (full review here)

The drifters charter. Masterful songwriting.

5. The Dream Machine – Thank God It’s The Dream Machine (full review here)

The Wirral has a new set of outsiders to idolise!

4. Joel Stoker – Undertow (full review here)

After two decades with The Rifles, making any solo album was a brave decision. To tackle his living nightmares and chart a musical course a world away was truly courageous.

3. The Velvet Hands – Sucker Punch (full review here)

Skint, downtrodden, and overtaken by those who can afford it or the artistically redundant. Despite the odds against them and cultural pressures pushing them toward a boring mainstream landscape, the band have funnelled their joyous punk debut into something more studied and grander this time out.

2. Pynch – Howling At A Concrete Moon (full review here)

Pynch’s debut album is full of such great era-defining couplets it's easy to overlook just how many great musical moments it possesses. The dreamy Real Estate and Horrors-esque (circa ’V’) synths of opener ‘Haven’t Lived a Day’ or the solos on ‘Tin Foil’ and ‘Maybe’, to name just a few.

A truly great moment in a sea of political despair. Viva la hope!

1. The Utopiates – The Sun Also Rises (full review here)

Whether you’re coming of age or finding a new lease on life, The Utopiates are the band to soundtrack it. From ‘Devolution’ to ‘It’s Coming To You’ they clutch onto hope with their fingernails as their sonic tumbles towards the darkness. Like all great bands before them, they find a way to lead the mortals out of their doldrums. During the introspection of ‘The Sun Also Rises’ the fog begins to lift allowing the rhapsodic ‘Ups and Downs’ conjures a moment of unrivalled happiness. The journey to their promised land is completed on the angelic reflective come-down piece ‘Simple Minds’.

Undeterred by Spotify’s influences, they take their time on intros and solos alike. They’ve allowed rock ‘n’ roll to breathe once more. The results are nothing short of a perfect debut album.

Top 10 EPs of 2023

2023 has been yet another fine year for new music. Before acid test of the LP, comes the taster session of

10. Nothingheads – Sunlit Uplands

The filth and fury rides again!

9. Marseille – Freedom (Full review here)

There is so much joy and emotion emanating from this EP it’s near impossible not to be enamoured with it. Always pastiche, never parody, Marseille can fly the flag of their heroes with pride.

8. Half Captain – In The Firing Line (Full Review here)

‘In The Firing Line' is a raw but rewarding journey from dark to light.

7. Jonny Ash – Did You Get Involved?

A death-defying joyride in rock ‘n’ roll.

6. Carsick – Drunk Hymns (New Band spotlight link)

The visceral venom of Soft Play (Slaves) guitars via the poignancy of Jamie T reignites the notion of running with believers!

5. THIS IS WAR – Rotten (Full review here)

The step up in class is perhaps best personified by the acoustic version of last year’s ‘Mona Lisa’. What was gritty and fiery melts into a George Martin-produced classic with Mick Head on guitars.

4. Saloon Dion – Muckers (Full review here)

Bristol’s Saloon Dion released their debut EP ‘Muckers’ at the end of May via Mucker Records which they followed with a triumphant support slot with Opus Kink at London’s Village Underground.

3. Marseille – This Dream Of Mine

This autumn, we reviewed every track from Derby’s rising stars.

This Dream of Mine / Brightest Star / I Love You / Devil’s Gonna Get You

2. Rosellas – Somewhere Inbetween (Full review here)

The Rosellas have begun a new chapter on this EP. Their inclination to reflect thoughtfully is now dancing with the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that the UK yearns for on big stages. It’s only a matter of time.

1. Rolla - Nothing Less Than Everything (Full review here)

A fire-breathing beast of an EP. Rock ‘n’ roll through and through!

Unshiiined

Today marks the one-month countdown until the eighth Shiiine On festival. To the ill-educated, it’s a weekend of yesteryear. They’re wrong! It’s become a haven to rejoice in the past, but those older acts are still perfecting their craft with new music.

The weekend comes alive on the fringes with the new and unsigned acts making their way. The intimate Inn on the Green has hosted some of the most significant sets in the festival's history. Cellar Doors kissed heaven with their smoky West Coast psyche, Theatre Royal dazzled with their romantic tales of Medway, and The Institutes lifted us all from two years of lockdown agony to bliss.

*banner image courtesy of Bless and Peter Foster

To mark the excitement, we dive into five of the lesser-known (for now) acts on the bill from this year’s line-up:

Ecko

Image courtesy of the band.

Last year’s rags-to-riches story (read more here)! They went from Inn On The Green upstarts to Skyline heroes in 24 hours. They lived, breathed, and bled Shiiine On. Endearing? Yes. Above all, their tunes were raw, ecstatic pieces of rock ‘n’ roll glory.

Psycho Candy

In the second verse, they come alive as a band. Lo-fi lysergic licks wrestle with the attitude of ’77 and the spirit of ’94 as they light up the tales of misadventure in towns:

“Psycho Sandy coming down / Like a whisper growing / Through the town / You live too slow you'll fade away / You live too fast you'll do some”

Still Know Nothing (demo)

When Oasis pulled from the Beatles, Pistols, T-Rex, and The Who on ‘Definitely Maybe’, they went on to world domination within two years.

This demo has the same startling power. The hissing power of Oasis, Alex Turner’s early punk vocal, colossal John Bonham drumming and a solo that blows away ‘Exile On A Main Street’.

Bless.

Image courtesy of Stephanie Faucher

After a few years away, Bless are back! Having recently supported The Rifles in Southampton, they gear up for Shiiine On with a headline show at Water Rats for This Feeling (tickets here).

A Letter To You

With a siege mentality, they blend Ska and psychedelia with the effortlessness of The Coral’s debut. Although written back in 2017, the potency of their lyrics after two huge by-election turnovers for Labour last night remains just as potent:

“we’re sick of the fascists in blue / So this time we’re coming for you”

Daddy Didn’t Make It as a Rockstar

Nothing short of perfect!

A melodic tale of outsiders reliving their shot glory. The fire of The View and the joy of Little Man Tate and The Holloways unite to conjure indie nirvana.

Keyside

Artwork courtesy of Modern Sky.

The Merseyside four-piece have been championed by The Farm and are now signed to the impeccable Modern Sky UK label.

Paris To Marseille

The pop instincts of The Lathums and the jangling edge of The La’s on this ode to the Mersey (“across the water / moonlit reservoir”). Frontman Parker lights up the record with the infectiousness of former Vida singer Jamie Pollock, the defiance of Darren Forbes (Shambolics), and the mysticism of Tom Dempsey (The Kairos).

An instant classic!

Angeline

Their first single signed to Modern Sky is DMA’s meets Johnny Marr slice of alt-pop heaven. Tales of breakdown and family struggle have never sounded so infectious.

Holy Youth Movement

Born out of the ashes of the once formidable Shimmer Band, HYM hail from Bristol. They recently blitzed Truck Festival and have their sights set on Shiiine On this winter.

Tranquilizer

Glam-stomping basslines unite with fuzzed-up electronica, and the coolest of vocals unite to demand Kasabian step aside and allow HYM their time on the throne. The euphoric climax is sure to send Shiiine into a frenzied meltdown.

You Thought I Was Dead

Kasabian’s early looping electronic fire goes on a dystopian joyride with Primal Scream’s XTRMNTR. Debauched, decadent, delicious!

Stanleys

Image courtesy of the band.

The Wigan outfit have had quite the year with the release of their debut EP ‘Time Waits For No One’ back in May and their biggest capacity shows in Manchester and London this November (tickets here).

A Better Life

This tale of what might have been depicts a man tragically living in the past. Yet, the sweeping guitars of The Courteeners and the pop sensibilities of Orange Juice lend it a glory that the protagonist can only dream of.

I’ll Try

Their first single since the EP is an ode to love, loss, hope, and despair. Frontman Tom Concannon’s vocal switches from angelic to soul powerhouse, whilst guitarist Jake Dorsman delivers a career-best solo pulling from Style Council, Marr, and Prince.

On The Cusp...Pastel

In today’s climate, bands and artists blowing up overnight and storming the charts are dead. It is a brutal process, from getting local gigs to performing on the main stages of festivals. As such, there is a swelling of talent on the underground, poised to break through.

*banner image courtesy of Spirit of Spike Island.

Click image for tour tickets.

So, this week, we are picking five of our favourite artists on the cusp of said breakthrough. Next up are the Knebworth opening Pastel. On tour last year with Afflecks Palace, they stole the show with their Verve-esque jams.

To celebrate our Manchester heroes today, we look at their new single ‘Your Day’ which premiered on the iconic Steve Lamacq show yesterday evening.

‘Your Day’

Their time with Liam Gallagher seems to have paid dividends as they deliver their most urgent record yet. The sense of being in the moment collides with a battle line in the sand as they Emerge from the shadows of giants with the clarion call:

“don’t sit around and hide for this is your day”

Seize the day is a right of passage for UK rebels. From The Enemy (“Stop living your life for the alarm”) to Billy Bragg (“The system has failed you, don’t fail yourself”), the lineage is pure and strong. The commonality is often punk or its influence, which makes Pastel’s addition more remarkable. They come with Nick McCabe flourishes, hints of the Roses’ nomadic phase (‘Good Times’ & ‘Tightrope’), primordial drums meets, and shoegaze with swagger.

Pastel may come from a different plane musically, but their punk and rebel credentials bloom in technicolour as they rewrite Joe Strummer’s “he fucks nuns will later join the church” with “the hand that shakes the suit and tie / is the one that will betray”.

Many probably believe Pastel are beyond the “cusp” we’ve discussed this week with San Quentin, The Velvet Hands, Lissy Taylor, and Holy Youth Movement. However, the industry is precarious, and bands fall by the wayside without constant care and support. In Spirit of Spike Island, Pastel have a label which allows them to breathe creatively and stay grounded financially, but it comes to nothing unless you get out to their gigs and buy their records.    

On The Cusp...Holy Youth Movement

In today’s climate, bands and artists blowing up overnight and storming the charts are dead. It is a brutal process, from getting local gigs to performing on the main stages of festivals. As such, there is a swelling of talent on the underground, poised to break through.

So, this week, we are picking five of our favourite artists on the cusp of said breakthrough.

Today, we focus on Holy Youth Movement. Born out of the ashes of the once formidable Shimmer Band, HYM hail from Bristol. They recently blitzed Truck Festival and have their sights set on Shiiine On this winter.

They have been working with the legendary producer Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream / Kasabian / Oasis) who is often found raving at their gigs. They have also collaborated with Primal Scream’s rock ‘n’ roll idol Andrew Innes on former single ‘Tranquilizer’.

To celebrate HYM, we take you back to our first live experience of the soon-to-be iconic band at the Social in London. Enjoy the live review but, most importantly, rejoice in Holy Youth Movement!

*banner image courtesy of Alan Wells.

HOLY YOUTH MOVEMENT

THE SOCIAL, LONDON, October 7th 2022

Bristol's Holy Youth Movement was second up on This Feeling’s Test Transmission night. They have been supporting headliners The Utopiates across the UK this past summer.

Image courtesy of Rocklands TV

In the 00s, many bands tried to bridge the gap between rock ‘n’ roll and breaks. Kasabian and Radio 4 got the closest, although, if we’re honest, neither married the two to a level the scene deserved.

Step forward Holy Youth Movement! A walking remix behemoth of a band!

Everything about them screams Kasabian debut, nu-school breaks, and 3am mayhem in nightclubs (remember them!). Previous singles ‘Information Is Beautiful’ and ‘Tranquilizer’ explode into the ether like a Serge Pizzorno wet dream. The former is blessed with the melodic yet destructive synths of Justice vs Simian alongside the beautiful volatility of the Primals ‘XTRMNTR’. It allows their message of humanity to come together, no matter the chaos.

‘Tranquilizer’ does what all post ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ Kasabian albums have attempted and failed. It delivers a post-apocalyptic rave that throbs and thunders to the soul. The guttural electronica of Underground meets the spirit of BRMC's ‘Whatever Happened to My Rock ‘n’ Roll’. It leaves the room feeling hollow afterwards. It looked your soul in the eye, licked it, fucked it, and left whistling, leaving you desperate for more.

It’s easy to see why the legendary Jagz Kooner hooked up with the band in the studio. Holy Youth Movement have tapped into the post-headliner twitching hours of Bestival and Secret Garden Party from 2005 to 2015. Their ability to splice in rock ‘n’ roll showmanship will take the band to another level.

No one knows what it is, but you know it when you see it. This was it.

On The Cusp...Lissy Taylor

In today’s climate, bands and artists blowing up overnight and storming the charts are dead. It is a brutal process, from getting local gigs to performing on the main stages of festivals. As such, there is a swelling of talent on the underground, poised to break through.

So, this week, we are picking five of our favourite artists on the cusp of said breakthrough. Our third installment comes via Lissy Taylor.

Taylor hails from Stoke after two years living in USA and three in Manchester. Having supported The K’s, The Bluetones, and The Lottery Winners already, this year saw her perform for This Feeling at the Isle of Wight.

To celebrate all things Lissy, today we look at her most recent single ‘Feel For Me’. It was written by Taylor and produced by Gareth Nuttall (The K’s / The Lottery Winners).

Feel For Me

For the best of a decade, the mainstream has marginalised rock ‘n’ roll. Rock acts Royal Blood and Nothing But Thieves or gentle indie form Blossoms and The Lathums and the unexplainable fascination with the Arctic Monkeys have been the blueprint for bands on a-lists.

Image & artwork courtesy of Lissy and Oliva Roberts.

For those looking to raise hell, do something meaningful, or both, it’s BBC Introducing, Lammo, and John Kennedy keeping their dreams alive. It was, with as much pride as relief, to hear Taylor’s ‘Feel For Me’ given a spin on Radio 1.

Unadulterated ambition should be lauded in rock ‘n’ roll. It’s not a negative trait. Done with thought and care, it’s one of the most powerful agents of change in the arts, and Taylor is proof of that.

‘Feel For Me’ roars to life with stadium-sized belief guitars and finishes with a demand for even bigger audiences.

Despite the sonic burning a hole in the sun, Taylor’s vulnerability is the song's true star. Lyrically awash with fragility and empowerment, Taylor looks to move on from a key relationship:

“You make me cry…with laughter / You can see it in my eyes that I hate saying goodbye / But I have to…Get out of here somehow / I’ll see you around”

Then, in the chorus, she lets out a desperate howl vocally when tempted to move back into comfortable bad habits. Eyes closed, fists clenched, she drags herself through the pain! All the while, her guitars serve up scintillating psyche-rock worthy of Lindsey Buckingham and Noel Gallagher’s early live performances.

Live Dates:

 09/09 - Tha Knows Festival - Sheffield - Tickets

30/09 - Gathering Sounds - Stockton - Tickets