Birmingham’s Michael Hutchinson and his mate Anna Bennet have moved from electro-pop to sad solos to something a little folky. With two EPs available online and gigs aplenty – the panel stepped up to check ‘em out… Nicholas Franks: The title and snow covered scene that appears on the front cover of this EP...
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Since launching the New Bands Panel a couple of years ago, FFS has featured well over 100 emerging artists and discovered some absolute treats along the way. We do our best to keep up with what a lot of them are getting up to and recently heard from a handful of those who highlighted...
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Small-town Canada’s Hey Amy is a mix of Amy McIsaac and her very talented friends – a debut album is due for release in the near future – meanwhile our panel had a listen for themselves… James Robinson: Fans of breezy, intelligent and feisty country-rock ought to drop their shootin’ irons and head over to...
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Brighton based folk experimentalists Foxpockets play with all manner of instruments and have a new EP out for our perusal – the band took a listen and this is what they said… Chris Belson: Please don’t be put off when I say that Foxpockets first come across as timorous. In no way do I mean...
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Devonshire lass Rosie Jones and her band The Mystery Machine have released two lovely EPs, supported Johnny Flynn and been praised by Paul McCartney – the panel stepped up to check the hype… Tom Moyser: I don’t think the word twee quite covers the cow and cupcake imagery of Rosie Jones and her band The...
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The Midland’s Russell Marshall, aka Bella In The Wych Elm, takes his name from a gruesome local murder and his cover art from sketches drawn by fans – the panel stepped up to give his his lo-fi sound a go… Tom Moyser: Russell Marshall’s voice often sounds a bit strained, not like he’s struggling, but...
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After winning an MTV talent contest with his old band The Volt, touring solo with Ray Davies, and a self-titled debut in the pipeline, the panel decided to check this rising star out… Tom White: The Devil has all the best tunes, so they say. To tell the truth, I was largely underwhelmed by Samuel Brookes,...
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Fresh from a session with Amazing Radio, with two EPs under his belt and some BBC airplay, Sunderland singer-songwriter Martin Longstaff, aka The Lake Poets, seemed to the panel to be worth a listen… Tom Moyser: My favourite bit from The Prelude is where Wordsworth describes how in France he “coasted round and round the line/...
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Eighteen-year-old Londoner O. Chapman makes bluesy acoustic folk that the panel really wanted to hear… James Robinson: O. Chapman makes perfect music – there is nothing that needs to be put in or taken out. These lovely duets with their minor chord progressions, elaborate guitar and plaintive vocals are top class. Plus, his name sounds like an...
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Maple Leaves are a trio who have gone from meeting at a Glasgow open mic night to supporting the likes of Zoey Van Goey, playing T In The Park and appearing on BBC1. Their debut EP Golden Ether is getting such good reviews the panel stepped in to check it out… Chris Woolfrey: Maple Leaves produce...
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