Words by Sophia Razvi
This BBG Loves edit we dedicate to the artists who continue to create. Here are 10 new sounds we’re listening to right now – from musicians that we already know and love, to ones that should be on your radar.
We’re kicking things off with our favourite isolation sessions. Nothing But Thieves have been treating us all to their own #SolitudeSessions over on YouTube and if you want a double hit of Conor’s silky vocals, check out his solo Sun Sessions version - particularly his Bonnie Raitt cover. Blossoms have also been smashing the quarantine music scene - so much so that they have begun to release downloadable versions and will follow with an album dedicated to quarantine covers, available later this year. Expect the likes of The Less I Know The Better (Tame Impala) - one of our favourite Blossoms in Isolation tracks so far. Another band keeping us entertained is North London locals Kawala. We’ve got a lot of love for their Kawarantine Sessions which seem to compliment oh-so-perfectly that indie-folk sound. See what we mean with their acapella version of Mighty River.
Keiynan Lonsdale has also been giving us life with the release of his debut album. Rainbow Boy follows where last year’s single Rainbow Dragon left off and is a string of empowering tracks that showcase his lyricism and versatility.
Next, we have rising indie five-piece Full Colour. Times Change is a song about moving away from home and wondering who will miss you when you’re gone. If their on-stage energy is anything like that in the video, they’ll be selling out shows in no time. Did we mention they’re 16-18 years old?
Declan McKenna’s latest, The Key to Life on Earth, is still a strong favourite of the moment. You may have caught our #SongoftheWeek a couple of weeks back, but the track and accompanying video featuring Declan Double Alex Lawther are so good we’ve named it twice. It's pretty much a short film in a song, which is worth a thousand watches both from a song and film perspective. Even the official lyrics video is a little piece of artwork in itself.
Self-produced Glaswegian artist Joesef has also been providing the goods lately. The Sun is Up Forever is our new soundtrack to quarantine. We are pretty obsessed with this dreamy soundscape and visuals to match.
After four long years, Raleigh Ritchie has blessed the world with new music and it was worth the wait. Aristocrats, the first single off his second album, is a poignant reflection of British identity and sets the bar pretty high for what else we can expect from the R&B artist now that he’s back. Andy drops on 29 June and will be top of our playlist.
Little by little, Jake Bugg has been teasing new music and we can’t get it out our heads. Rabbit Hole is the latest single filled with punchy riffs and reflective lyrics - we expected nothing less.
And finally, for a voice that reaches into the depths of your soul, we recommend giving Mancunian artist Conrad a listen. His new single Lost is a huge sound that hits on an emotional level.
So feel free to update your playlists with these new song releases to make you feel good. Cheers to that.
