Bursting onto the scene in late 2019, Salarymen have become a formidable force in the Australian indie scene. Their two EPs Scene Change (2021) and Head In The Sand (2022) received praise from all corners of the music industry, earning them a coveted spot at SXSW Austin 2023 and the national tour support for Royel Otis. Meanwhile, they’ve played to enamoured crowds across Japan on their debut tour and secured a slot on one of Australia’s major festivals, Lost Paradise.

Forever honing their signature mix of indie, rock, psych and pop influences, Salarymen have earned regular spots on local/international Spotify playlists, play on BBC6, Radio X and KEXP, premieres on triple j, features on Clash, The Guardian, NME and much more. They’ve also supported leading artists including The Lazy Eyes, Eliza & The Delusionals, Pacific Avenue, The Vanns and more, all while being self-managed, self-booked and currently independent.

Whitney Lyman is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the Pacific Northwest, who established herself as a powerhouse of the illustrious Seattle music scene with her otherworldly vocals and deeply moving indie-pop & rock compositions. Endorsed by Gibson Guitar, Mackie Gear, Kala Brand Music, and On-Stage Stands. She has toured across the U.S. and Europe, been on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as a featured vocalist with Grammy-nominated act, ODESZA, fronted as a lead vocalist and arranger for Seattle Rock Orchestra, and has also been featured on KING5, KTLA, and NBC Palm Springs. She has played at top music festivals and venues around the world such as Mastering the Music Business in Bucharest, Romania, The NAMM Show, Capitol Hill Block Party, Treefort Music Fest, The Moore Theatre, The Triple Door, Showbox Seattle, the Mercury Lounge, Rockwood Music Hall, and Carnegie Hall in NYC, and The Whiskey A-go-go, and Hotel Cafe in LA. Now based in California, she has created a portfolio of high-level performances at some of the most exclusive country clubs in Palm Springs. Other collaborations include co-writing with legendary songwriter, Alan Roy Scott who has written for Motown, Celine Dion, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Charles, Ricky Martin, Patty Labelle and more. She is currently recording a song written by Steve Porcaro of Toto, and continuing work with Andrew Joslyn who’s recording credits include Macklemore, Kesha, Judy Collins, Leslie Odom Jr., Kygo, ODESZA, Michael Bolton, Tom Chaplin (Keane), Nancy Wilson (Heart), Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses), The Seattle Symphony, and many others. Whether performing solo, with a band, or an entire orchestra Whitney Lyman has the dynamic range to cover it all and captivate any audience into her dream-like world.

The euphoric return of Flamingods! The much celebrated multi-instrumentalists bring their explosive, high-energy show to FOCUS Wales 2024!

‘Drawing on a heritage that stretches from Birmingham to Mozambique, his new music is his most confident yet’ The Guardian

“I never considered myself a singer before now,” says Skinny Pelembe. Viewing his 2019 debut Dreaming Is Dead Now from a comfortable distance, the Iggy Pop and Grace Jones’ approved one-man band recognises its enigmatically murky production as a sort of auditory “squid ink”, aiming to disguise a lack of vocal confidence and to obscure the man behind the music. On the sure-footed follow-up, he makes no such concessions.

Visceral yet inherently soulful, Hardly The Same Snake is the sound of the Johannesburg born, Doncaster-raised artist finally finding his voice – both literally and figuratively. In practical terms, that involved finding the courage to foreground his gravelly baritone in these
gloriously genre-agnostic productions. But it also meant branching out beyond the safety net of his former label – Gilles’ Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings – to figure out the artist he truly wanted to be. As Skinny puts it today, in his soft South Yorkshire drawl, “This album is what I would have created first time round had I rated my own voice.”

Gaining that confidence has been an incremental process, stretching back to childhood. Though from a long line of music lovers, there was never any precedent in his family for a career in songwriting – he forged that path alone. One of Skinny’s very earliest musical memories is hiding in his older brother’s laundry basket so as to eavesdrop on an after school listening session. “Him and his mates were playing GZA’s Liquid Swords and I remember falling in love with ‘4th Chamber’,” Skinny recalls fondly, adding self-deprecatingly, “I feel like everything I’ve ever done since is just try to match that sound.”

While Wu Tang Clan and Onyx formed one half of Skinny’s formative musical education, the other half was provided by his father, who passed on a love of country singers like Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash. By his mid-teens Skinny was dividing his time between playing in garage bands and experimenting with production at a local studio run by a friend of his guitar teacher.

It was while living in Essex and working as a photographer’s assistant and live-in carer that Skinny’s musical career took off. A self-professed “Gilles Peterson fanboy”, he responded to an open call for demos as part of the DJ’s talented development scheme Future Bubblers. Skinny was subsequently selected to join the 2017 cohort, winning the opportunity to cut a record, stage a gig and receive hands-on mentoring. Part-way through the programme, Skinny self-released his debut EP – Seven Year Curse – before signing with Brownswood and sharing the dreamy boom-bap of breakout single ‘I’ll Be On Your Mind’.

It was Brownswood that released his debut LP. Proffering an utterly original mix of jazz, soul, dub and post-rock, Dreaming Is Dead Now won glowing reviews, praising Skinny’s imaginative, sample-led approach and his ability to own themes as far-ranging as xenophobia and grief. So, with a winning formula already in place, Skinny’s decision to flip the script entirely for album number two seemed reckless at best.

“I was bricking it but I felt like I needed to remove that safety net,” says Skinny, recalling the period immediately after amicably parting ways with Brownswood, and prior to his signing with Partisan Records. There were moments too when he questioned his choice, particularly when a dissatisfaction with early experiments led him to re-recording Hardly The Same Snake twice. Determined that the collection shouldn’t sound like a band record, but equally musn’t feel “too button push-y”, Skinny assembled songs by sampling instrumentation originally recorded live, including chopped and looped versions of the brilliantly complex beats played by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics. It was a painstaking process that paid off, resulting in an album fathoms ahead of its promising predecessor, and one that honestly reflects Skinny’s creative evolution.

The idea of forging your own path – and shedding skin, so to speak – is integral to Hardly The Same Snake. Begun pre-pandemic and completed in the spring of 2021, it’s a defiantly outward-looking record contemplating family, religion and major life milestones, from parenthood to death. Where previously Skinny relied on dream diaries as his primary lyrical resource, this time he took notes at design exhibitions, using these unfiltered observations as a jumping off point for songs.

You can hear this collage-like approach in the ominous stream of consciousness powering ‘Same Eye Colour’. Propelled by a clattering, jungle-inspired rhythm, the song considers the respectable face of corruption – from Florsheim-clad hustlers operating in the name of organised religion to the politicians that betrayed the Windrush generation. ‘Deadman’ is weighed down by ideas of legacy, hinting at the fleeting nature of life via its laundry list of professions. Similarly, the central image in the title track was inspired by a triptych of paintings by Lucy Calder, and sees Skinny scrutinising the ageing process and pondering his own life course over a suitably serpentine groove.

During the low-slung indie-rock of ‘Don’t Be Another’ he grapples with ideas of familial responsibility, while ‘Like A Heart Won’t Beat’ sets contemplations on mortality to frenetic, saloon-style piano and furiously frazzled guitars. By contrast, ‘Oh, Silly George’ examines the feelings of isolation that can arise while living in a foreign land, with the song’s disorienting snapshots accentuated by an arresting, Afrobeat-meets-8-bit riff.

The album culminates in a choral dedication to Skinny’s childhood hiding place, performed by Doncaster choir Rainbow Connections. Listen closely enough and you’ll even find a secret code to crack. A rare moment of tranquillity, for its author the song provides a vital space to reflect on the lives he’s lived and the artist he’s evolving into. Because if this superb second album proves anything, it’s that it doesn’t matter how much Skinny errs on the side of self-deprecation – he remains one of the UK’s most fearlessly original voices.

‘Abundant with meaning and feeling’ The Guardian

‘Morrison’s courage in reconstructing folk repertoire is truly revolutionary’ New Internationalist

Angeline Morrison is a folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose 2022 album ‘The Sorrow Songs : Folk Songs of Black British Experience’ (Topic Records) was voted No 1 Folk Album of the year in The Guardian. Angeline explores traditional song with a deep reverence, love and curiosity, a handmade sonic aesthetic and a feeling for the stories of ordinary human lives.

CVC, or Church Village Collective in full, named their band after the sleepy Welsh town they come from and, if they have it their way, will soon bring international renown to their hometown.

The six-piece musical collective are influenced by Snoop Dogg, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Super Furry Animals and Red Hot Chili Peppers and are comprised of singer Francesco Orsi, bassist Ben Thorne, drummer Tom Fry, keyboardist Daniel ‘Nanial’ Jones and singing guitarists David Bassey and Elliot Bradfield.

It’s worth noting that the latter two, despite never having met them, are related to Welsh royalty Dame Shirley Bassey and Manic Street Preachers’ James Dean Bradfield, respectively. Maybe owing to genetics, Bassey states “I don’t think I’d be able to not do this, I don’t actively choose to, I’m just drawn to it”. But the band are all as equally talented with different skills that aid the cacophony of their sound. Simply put, CVC are a democracy, greater than the sum of its parts, and destined for world domination – perhaps!

CVC’s message is a universal one “peace and love and good times, stay real, stay true and that’s it.”

Their ‘Welsh Music Prize’ Nominated debut album ‘Get Real’, produced by the band and mixed by Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys), was released at the start of 2023 to critical acclaim (“A cracking debut album of feelgood, uber-retro gems” – NME, “A remarkably fully formed debut” – The Times), a year in which they’ve been touring to sold-out venues in the UK as well as wowing crowds across Europe & in the USA (“The best live act I saw last year – of a list which includes Paul McCartney, The Prodigy & Wet Leg” – The ArtsDesk).

Come join the Collective!

Magic, miracles, ghosts, world leaders; these days it seems there is little left to believe in. Lies outweigh truth and even truth can be dangerous. Raising everyone’s spirits Already Dead – the fourth album from Willy Mason – explores honesty and deception, anonymity in the digital age, good intentions with unexpected consequences, freedom, colonialism, love, god, and purpose because, its storyteller says, now is the time to restore some much-needed faith.

Voyaging across the cracks of a bleak and crumbling landscape, beauty begins to blossom as Already Dead casts new shades of meaning when applied to a society and culture teetering on the edge between reinvention and dissolution. Hope, without promise, develops into its own suspended resolution with ripping album closer ‘Worth It’ and looks towards reaching a definitive destination after the soldiering on of early LPs Carry On (2012) and If the Ocean Gets Rough (2007); “The seed and the sowing/the need and the growing/the hope and the hatred/the faith and the sacred/the thief and the servant/the fazed and the fervent/I Know It’s Worth It”.

After seeing the world on countless tours and supporting independent music communities, Willy’s next move looks to be even greater. “Already Dead captures the feeling of these times and I’m trying to give people encouragement, whatever that may be or look like,” he says. Here lies unquestionable truth; life might be uncertain, but to be Already Dead is just the beginning.

‘Benefits are something different, something primal and essential that needs to be heard.’ NME

‘An urgent combination of noise rock and spoken word fury.’ Rolling Stone

‘Anger filtered through empowerment, defiance and hope for the future.’ Louder Than War

‘…scorching, heavily politicised spoken word, roared with overwhelming intensity over punishing electronic noise’ the Quietus

“I fucking love Benefits” Steve Albini

In their four years of existence, much has changed for Teesside agitators Benefits. Over lockdown they morphed from spirited guitar-led punks into overwhelmingly brutal harsh noise-wielders, whose furious, eviscerating music garnered them the kind of word of mouth following most artists can only dream of. Frontman Kingsley Hall’s spoken (and screamed) vocals acting as a righteous rebuke to the divisive, xenophobic, poisonous rhetoric coming from elsewhere, spread by those who stand to profit from the fallout, that had all but overwhelmed our public discourse.

Every time one of the band’s bracing polemics arrived it would spread rapidly across social media like an antidote to that disease and gather more to Benefits’ cause. High profile fans like Steve Albini, Sleaford Mods and Modeselektor were among those on board from the off. Effusive coverage from the likes of NME, The Quietus, Loud & Quiet and The Guardian and more soon followed. Through it all, the outfit remained staunchly DIY, operating entirely without a label, press team or industry leg-ups.

Now, however, they are stepping things up a level, signing to esteemed indie imprint Invada who will release their debut album ‘NAILS’ on April 22. “We could have released a record at any point over the last couple of years but held back because I wanted to wait until the right people came along,” Hall says. The label’s co-founder Geoff Barrow of Portishead was one of the many who’d been drawn to the music as it made waves online, and when he came to see the group perform live in his native Bristol was immediately hooked.

His faith in the band has been repaid and then some, producing a record that not only confirms the group’s brilliance, but also redefines what you thought was possible. It captures all of that validating rage that established them one of the most exciting acts in the country – skull crushing fan favourites ‘Flag’, ‘Empire’ and ‘Meat Teeth’ are all present and correct – but also pushes their sound into bold new territory, both sonically and emotionally. “It would have been easy to just do ten versions of ‘Empire’, but we’re more eclectic than that,” Hall points out. “There’s more going on than what you might expect to hear from us.”

Take lead single ‘Warhorse’ for instance. A playful riposte to those whose limited musical horizons have seen them question the band’s ‘punk’ credentials, the band gathered a series of drum fills aping the likes of the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned, and transformed them into a relentless, inherently danceable electro banger. “I love punk, I love cartoon punk, I think it’s brilliant,” Hall says. “Sometimes we get all that ‘you’re not shit, you’re not punk.’ Bullshit! Yes we are.” He also, however, knows that sometimes the best way to deliver his kind of message is to get people moving. “An iron fist in a velvet glove,” he says, hence the intensified focus on pure rhythm on both that track and last October’s relentless standalone single ‘Thump’. “At the end of the day, as important as it is to comment on poverty, the far right, social inequality, we do want to make it entertaining for everyone too.”

Then again, those who’ve been wise enough to catch Benefits’ live shows over the last couple of years will understand there are plenty of strings to the group’s bow. Onstage, Hall uses his intense presence to express not only rage but vulnerability too – an ownership of his own nervousness and awkwardness, and a self-effacing sense of humour. “That typical angry rockstar shit, I find that really difficult and kind of obnoxious,” he says. “During the shows I try to talk about how you can be strong, how we’re all vulnerable, but we can use that power, and ultimately we can win.”

‘NAILS’ is a record that is often so loud your speakers will fray at the edge of all-out collapse, but for all the noise its most striking moment of all is when Hall leans directly into that vulnerability. On closing track ‘Council Rust’, the music transforms into a beautiful swell of ambient electronics and strings, Hall drawing his voice in to an intimate inner monologue that muses on past, present and future with astonishing existential depth. It closes off a record that, taken as a whole, presents an opportunity to take stock of how broad Benefits’ discography now stands.

The album might end in bold new territory, but it opens with a track from the project’s earliest days, 2019’s direct assault ‘Marlboro Hundreds’. On the journey from one to the other, what becomes clear is just how integral Hall’s bandmates have been. Along with brothers Robbie and Hugh Major, who have been with him from the beginning, and for whom we can be grateful for the more excoriating electronics, a succession of drummers has each brought out something new. ‘NAILS’ most prominently features Dale Frost, who recorded the punk-aping drum fills from ‘Warhorse’, and forms one half of a remarkable pairing on new track ‘What More Do You Want’, where Hall’s nimble vocals spar and duet against spartan free jazz percussion. When it comes to the group’s live evolution, meanwhile, the addition of former Mogwai drummer Cat Myers – now a full-time member – has been, as Hall puts it, “absolutely unbelievable. She’s absolutely dragged us up another level. I just can’t wait to start writing new music with her.”

It says a lot about Benefits’ approach that, with this defining document of the first four years now wrapped up, their focus is already set on what comes next. It’s a mindset, Hall says, that reflects an aspect of their home region that’s often overlooked. For better or worse, he says, “the North East has always been modernist, even though it’s often painted as a backwards-looking area. It was at the forefront of steel-making and chemical works technology; a lot of the buildings are 60s and 70s concrete things. The way we try and articulate our messages is in a modernist way too. We’re not trying to hark back to Britpop or Arctic Monkeys B-sides.”

The message of Benefits’ songs has often been presented as somewhat synonymous with their particular corner of Britain – the heart of the so-called ‘Red Wall’ that flipped from Labour to the Conservative party in the 2019 general election, and one of the most significant strongholds of Leave voters during the Brexit referendum three years prior. To some extent, that’s true, Hall admits, “but we’re not trying to be poster boys for the North East. All these places have these difficulties, it’s a national problem.” It’s hard to imagine Benefits’ music resonating to quite the degree it has done, were there not a universality to it all.

Ultimately, it’s Benefits’ inclusivity that is their defining feature. “Obviously we want to play bigger and bigger gigs, I want to play Glastonbury and get on to Jools Holland, but it’s not just about getting a pat on the back,” Hall explains. I think the point of the band isn’t just about us having a record or showing off on stage; it’s about trying to do something that gets to people. To try and get people to believe in themselves and stop being battered down by modern Britain. Benefits has always been a vehicle to be pissed off, and we want to show that there’s that voice, that it’s alright to be angry and frustrated. That there’s people out there who feel the same way.”

Melin Melyn are one of the most exciting acts to emerge from this next golden generation of Cymru artists. Pushing forward on a less traveled bridge between psychedelia, surf , folk and alternative rock. The love child of legends and fellow countrymen Gruff Rhys & Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci (to name a few), their music is also distinctly unique and through their specific and multi-coloured lens.

A highlight of last summer’s festival season with stints at EOTR & Green Man, Melin Melyn were praised by The Financial Times, NME, The i, The Line Of Best Fit and more as one of the live acts to watch, and I can safely say their sets are absolutely joyous and downright fun. Their debut EP ‘Blomonj’ was critically acclaimed, with support from the likes of NME, Dork, DIY and over 21 spot plays on 6Music (Huw Stephens, Cerys Matthews, Craig Charles, Marc Riley, Chris Hawkins), and selling 250 vinyl D2C. They were also recently touted by The Independent as Ones To Watch in 2022 as well as the NME 100. Their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘Blomonj’ released in August 2021 is less built on individual “songs” and more on weird tales of colourful characters and magical worlds that aren’t in fact that far removed from today’s off-kilter reality. It’s eccentricity at its finest & paradoxically most accessible. The six-piece are not so much round pegs in square holes as they are determined to throw the whole box out.

KAHPUN is an award winning artiste and songwriter, who is at the heart of African Reggae-Dancehall, and splits his time between Ghana and South Wales.

Hailing from Abergele North Wales, Gintis began life after a conversation between founding members Carl and Dave about their love of Grandaddy, Pavement and Gorky’s Zycotic Mynci.

The pair quickly assembled Gintis with some friends from school and other local musicians they met along the way. As the lineup changed the band began to perform at venues across North Wales and started to build on their following across the likes of Rhyl, Wrexham and Liverpool.

Since forming 20 years ago, Gintis have now expanded to an eight piece with three albums under their belt. Although the band have developed musically over the years, Gintis have stayed true to their roots and the influences of Pavement, Gorky’s, SFA and Grandaddy can be heard throughout their live set and later recordings.

“Hope is all we have” the band’s third album released in 2023 via “Club Shipwreck Records” was recorded and produced by Bill Ryder-Jones following on from sessions the band had with him to record their 2017 “Popty Ping” double A-Side “Dennis/ Oh My Little Malcontent”.

“We’re very lucky to have been asked to perform at many of the Focus Wales festivals over the years. This has allowed us to make loads of mates in Wrexham who really do make our Focus Wales shows extra special for everyone involved”. – Kyle Gintis

After their 2017 Greenman Festival Appearance which saw Gintis play to a packed out Green Man Rising Stage, Green Man festival described Gintis as:

“Gintis are masters of being touchingly nostalgic, yet never cloying. Melodic, country-influenced brass-tinged melanchodelia, sprinkled with scientific rationalism and existential doubt, all wrapped up in breezy, understated three-minute ditties.”

‘Basque Folk Orchestra and Dancers’ by Herri Arte Eskola from Errenteria town (Basque Country) has been carrying out cultural and pedagogical exchanges for 3 years.

After Galicia and Catalonia, in September 2023 it was Wales’ turn with special guests Gwilym Bowen Rhys (voice and guitar), Patrick Rhimes (violin) and Angharad Harrop (clock and contemporary dance) presenting the work carried out for months at the ‘Atlantikaldia’ festival. This initiative enriches culturally the guest artists, teachers and students of the school, and allows them to learn about other languages, instruments, choreographies, melodies, traditions… from other places as well as making Basque heritage known. In this performance you will hear tunes played with traditional instruments such as alboka (7 people), dultzaina (2), txalaparta (5), trikitixa (6), etc. and traditional Basque and Welsh choreographies (20 dancers) as well as other disciplines such as tap-dance (8) and contemporary dance (5), all with the 3 Welsh special guests.

Like many a band that has emerged from London’s vibrant music scene, Fat Dog earned their stripes at the venerable Windmill. Formed during the pandemic, the band’s DNA is characterised by a certain degree of social disgust, which is reflected in their gloriously dirty vocals and also in their songwriting. This is marked just as much by distorted rock ’n’ roll and a furious punk quality, as it is by futuristic synths and driving backbeats.

Wrexham band, EYE, deliver gothic electro-doom not be missed at this years’ festival.

Eädyth is fast becoming a household name to listeners of BBC Wales and BBC Radio Cymru due to her unique electro soul sound and bilingual lyricism.

Dom a Lloyd, best known for their rap banger Pwy Sy’n Galw? make their FOCUS Wales debut in 2024!

Having grown up together in a small village outside of Buckinghamshire, it’s a sense of shared experience and easy camaraderie that sits at the heart of Home Counties: a band combining a lyrical eye for life’s smaller moments with a musical sensibility that’s increasingly prioritising synths, hooks and the power of a good time.

Formed of Will Harrison (vocals/guitar), Conor Kearney (guitar), Lois Kelly (vocals/ synths), Bill Griffin (bass), Barn Peiser Pepin (synths/ percussion) and Dan Hearn (drums), and with two EPs – 2020’s ‘Redevelopment’ and last year’s ‘In A Middle English Town’ – already under their belts, the sextet’s new material comes informed by a 2022 that saw them head out frequently on the road, playing their own sold-out headline shows before joining Psychedelic Porn Crumpets for a UK run in August.

“I don’t really consider us a guitar outfit anymore. We want to be a more melodic band, with pop tunes and catchy songs,” explains Will. “We just love songs that are dancey and we want our gigs to be fun.”

Having recently moved collectively to London, the likes of forthcoming single ‘Bethnal Green’ shine a relatable light on the capital with the same nuance and fondness for specifics that Home Counties’ early material showed their hometown. Those tell-tale punctuation marks are still there as they head towards a 2023 debut album: an eye for the day-to-day, all-too-relatable details of crap modern living. Yet, coupled with an ear for hook-filled, grin-inducing melody, the pay-off is one riddled in joy rather than despair. Or, as Conor succinctly sums up the current ethos of the band: “My life is ruined cos I can’t afford rent, but I’m gonna dance about it.”

We’re delighted to be welcoming the return of Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog to FOCUS Wales 2024!

Belfast’s explosive 3 piece Chalk join us following a huge year for the band, which has them poised to make 2024 their own.

Blessed with a powerful yet tender voice, and the ability to inhabit a song that recalls Jamaica’s foundation singers, Aleighcia Scott is one of soulful reggae music’s brightest stars. Born to a Welsh mother and a Jamaican father, she has absorbed the passion and prowess of both nations, becoming an internationally acclaimed artist who lights up studio booths and stages around the world.

Raised in Cardiff, Aleighcia remembers her first words as a child were duetting on a song with her father. She grew up with reggae, soul and blues playing in her family home and has been singing on stage since she appeared at Cardiff’s Big Weekend, aged just seven years old.

Through raw talent and dedication, Aleighcia built her career online with her own YouTube channel and a live residency at her local reggae venue, the Irie Shack. Soon she was in hot demand as an opening act for visiting artists including Tarrus Riley, Julian Marley, Agent Sasco and Soul II Soul.
Now an established headline performer, Aleighcia has toured the UK, tearing down the place at Glastonbury, Latitude and Boomtown festivals. She has also gone back to her Jamaican roots and performed at Kingston’s atmospheric Dub Club, at Big Yard Studio (for BBC 1Xtra) and on the legendary King Jammy’s sound system. In 2022 she made history when she appeared on all female sound system Seduction City, at the return of London’s Notting Hill Carnival, Europe’s biggest street party. In 2023 Aleighcia returned to Nottinghill Carnival, performing on the legendary Gladdy Wax Sound System.

But none of these live appearances would have been possible without the strength of her recordings. Her debut EP for West London’s reggae dynasty Peckings, Forever In Love, found her fresh approach to time-honoured romantic themes fully at home on the vintage rhythms that are the label’s speciality.

In 2023, Aleighcia released her debut album, Windrush Baby, a collaboration with renowned sound system selector and producer Rory Stonelove. The album features top session musicians Dean Fraser, Kirk “Kirkledove” Bennett, Franklin “Bubbler” Waul and Donald “Danny Bassie” Dennis. Rory’s previous productions include debut albums that launched Jamaican superstars Jah9 and Samory I – so his investment in Aleighcia’s talent speaks volumes.

Throughout her career, Aleighcia has enjoyed strong support from reggae heavyweights David Rodigan and Seani B. She’s also been featured and played by DJ Target, Craig Charles and Tom Robinson – illustrating her music’s broad appeal.

And as if being a gifted singer wasn’t enough, Aleighcia has recently branched out into radio and TV presenting herself. She presents her own show on BBC Radio Wales and has appeared on ITV Cymru’s Backstage and Welsh language channel S4C. In yet another historic move, Aleighcia now deputises for the legendary David Rodigan’s BBC1Xtra show.

A voice that grabs you by the heart, a unique story, and a classic album, make Aleighcia Scott one of those rare artists whose every move feels fresh – yet is likely to be with us musically for a very long time.

Born and bred in the heart of NYC, Annie’s musical journey started at an unexpected crossroads. The night of her high school graduation, she picked up the family guitar for the very first time and discovered a hidden passion that would change her life. Inspired by icons like Simon & Garfunkel, Carly Simon, and Ben Kweller, she began crafting her own melodies, often humming her thoughts like a secret soundtrack to city life.

Annie’s artistic odyssey led her to countless open mic nights in the bustling streets of New York, where she learned the art of performance and songwriting. It wasn’t just about singing; it was about baring her soul through her own creations. These experiences ignited a fire within her, setting the stage for her debut solo show at legendary NYC venue ‘The Bitter End’ in 2008.

An avid collaborator, she’s since shared her talent with the likes of David Ford, Polly Paulusma, and Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), yet Annie’s voice stands out as a singular force. Her music serves as a reminder that even in life’s chaos, there’s beauty to be found in its soundtrack.

She didn’t choose the conventional path, pivoting from her first love of theatre to later embarking on a musical journey that would define her. Those Open mics became her training ground, cultivating not only her craft but also a vibrant community of fellow songwriters and musicians.

Though Annie now calls Cambridge home, her music still resonates with a unique NYC flair, showcasing her knack for rich storytelling, mesmerizing melodies, and lyrics that cut straight to the heart. Often with double-tracked vocals adding depth to her sound, Annie’s music strikes a balance between familiarity and contemporary freshness.

Her muse is her own life, a canvas where she paints the vibrant hues of her experiences. Through music, she navigates the world and her place within it, sometimes discovering her true emotions in the process. Some of her songs are personal, while others are inspired by the stories of those around her.

A regular on the UK touring and festival circuit, her accolades most recently include a nomination for Female Artist of the Year at FATEA Magazine.

She has been likened to an ‘uptempo Mazzy Star’, Phoebe Bridgers and First Aid Kit.

In the words of others:

‘Dressner is able to paint visceral images and transport the listener to the world of the song.’ American Songwriter

‘…This album is low key one of the best pop releases of 2020.’ Paste Magazine

Welsh, Alternative rock band from the North Wales Coast. The brand new signing to North Wales label Yr Wyddfa Records.

Sister Envy have been busy honing their sound in the studio with Welsh producers Owain Ginsberg & Scott Marsden getting ready for their debut single release in December.

The bands debut recordings were written in North Wales by singer songwriter Kameron Jolliffe. The singles were recorded in Liverpool, mixed in France, and mastered in Austin Texas by American producer Erik Wofford.

Mother Sky are an alt folk collective, South Wales, Manchester, and London.

Seazoo is a noisy indie-pop group from Wrexham, influenced by the likes of Yo La Tengo, Courtney Barnett and Grandaddy.

The worldly wide versatile pidgin rap experimentalist known as Magugu, who’s mission is to connect the African and western culture together with his Pidgin Rap style (A local dialect in Nigeria consisting of broke English and local slangs), Magugu has been making global waves with his iconic vocal tone, unique and distinctive unlike anything else you’ve heard before.

The native Nigerian based in the U.K who recently signed to Ninja tunes publishing is making waves with music used on iPhones adverts, Hugo boss, FC24 (FIFA) premier league, Ellen Degeneres show, Zumba, AMD to mention a few & in the underground scene with support from Dj’s like Skrillex, Gilles Peterson, Mala etc With millions of streams & viral videos circulating around the net His global sound has been filling up the dance floors from Europe to Africa to Asia to America and his style ranges from Dancehall, hip hop, dub, grime, bass, drum and bass, etc.

His energetic and positive attitude has won him praises as a top performer with his commanding presence and dance moves. Outspoken and ambitious Magugu is aiming to take over the planet with his pidgin rap style & pump good energy to all his listeners.

If the flatlands of Norfolk seem an unlikely setting for a half-Barbadian, half-Nigerian electronic artist, it probably goes some way to explaining why Maria Uzor is drawn to themes of the outsider. That, and an early childhood experience of cosmic boundlessness.

Maria merges electro, trip-hop, and twisted bass-techno to take us on a playful yet slightly haunting journey through space and time where the destination is of little consequence. Dancing shoes are recommended but totally optional. “I want people to feel that it’s ok to not be like everyone else. Throw away your insecurities and just be, without self-judgement”.

Growing up in Norwich, music piqued her interest from an early age. Between the all-night Caribbean parties her mother would throw, where sounds of lovers rock, soul, dancehall and Trojan mingled with with the aromas of Caribbean food drifting up the stairs to where Maria and
her sister sat watching in awe, to the weekly highlight of Top Of The Pops, she wrote her first song aged 6. However, it would be years before she took to the stage; first with punk outfit The Incidentals, then solo as Girl In A Thunderbolt, as one half of post-punk electronic duo SINK YA TEETH, and now solo again under her own name.

An artist lured by hybrids, she describes her sound as post-genre. “It’s influenced by everything I’ve ever listened to; from afrobeat to Bowie, Silver Apples, jungle, punk, Nina Simone, Massive Attack…”

A seamless amalgamation, you’d be hard pushed to pick out those influences in her work. Maybe the quirky melodies of Silver Apples, perhaps the gut-punch production of Massive Attack, or the occasional face-melting bass of jungle?

Prior to Lockdown, and as one half of SINK YA TEETH, Maria released two dazzling albums that were championed by the likes of BBC 6 Music and KEXP. With rave reviews from The Guardian to Electronic Sound, the pair found themselves supporting the likes of A CERTAIN RATIO and CHK! CHK! CHK!

But then lockdown came, proving a turning point. A line in the sand, a fresh start. Sacramento funk rockers Chk Chk Chk got in touch, and she provided lyrics and vocals for ‘Storm Around The World’.

Adrian Flanagan – of THE MOONLANDINGZ and ECCENTRONIC RESEARCH COUNCIL was next on the blower. Two tracks on his acclaimed ACID KLAUS album feature Maria’s distinctive voice. The Chk Chk Chk collaboration was also the first single, and a standout track, from their 2022 album, ‘Let It Be Blue’.

Between collaborations and opening for artists like YOUNG FATHERS, BLACK MIDI and LONE LADY, Maria self-released 3 EPs on her own label ‘Hey Buffalo’.

The release of her debut album ‘Soft Cuts’ in October 2023 sees her teaming up with much lauded boutique electronic label Castles In Space. “I spent a lot of the last 3 years re-evaluating what’s important to me,” explains Maria. “What’s bullshit in my life? Where do I want to go? What’s important? If I died tomorrow, what am I gonna wish that I’d done?”

‘Soft Cuts’ is just the start…

Ceiri, Sion, Owain and Jac from Pen Llŷn, North Wales, have been playing music together since they were kids. Pys Melyn began releasing singles in 2018, forming Ski-Whiff records the following year, and released their first album, “Bywyd Llonydd” in 2021, drawing on a variety of global influences, which was nominated for a Welsh Music Prize. They released their second album ‘Bolmynydd’ in August, which draws on a more traditional range of 60’s/70’s influences.

Agnostic of eras and genres, UK based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Otto Aday’s music could be uncorked in any decade and still resonate. Sailing across an ocean of experience, waves of emotion and memories have molded a signature sound for him. It’s anchored in alternative spirit, yet buoyed by blissfully nostalgic melodies, British rock ‘n’ roll energy, and cinematic scope spiked with a bit of sixties psychedelia. After building buzz independently, Otto attracted international icon , whose short list of accolades include being an inductee of the UK Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame®, four Ivor Novello Awards, four Brit Awards for “Best Producer,” and GRAMMY® Awards — to name a few. With Stewart in his corner, Otto enraptures and fascinates all at once on his 2023 full-length debut album, Persona.

“Each song on the album is about a moment or a person that left an impression on my life,” he affirms. “These songs are the breadcrumbs of these moments that I’m leaving behind.”

Cardiff’s very own Niques has been catching the eyes and ears of many recently opening up for Manga and D double E and Edinburgh’s ‘Push the boat festival’. The crowd reaction she had kicking off for Sam Binga’s Pineapple records tour was also a moment to remember. Niques even got to open for the legend that is Grand Master Flash in the summer of 2023.

Consistently working along side Elro/Lupole, Minas & More building up her body of work ready to deliver straight to your speakers. This rising star has already had BBC and KISS play’s, and she aim’s to stay consistent and connect with each individual as her journey continues.

Dawnesha Williams widely known as Nesha Nycee is a well known international artist, songwriter, creative director, and philanthropist whose face card is one to be remembered. With a unique unorthodox style, and one of a kind flow, Nesha’s energy can be felt in any room she walks into. Rapping since the age of 9, Nesha was born in St. Louis Mo and raised in Atlanta Ga. Nesha has opened up and worked with a list of entertainers including Kurtis Blow, Zaytoven, Dungeon Family, Lil Kim, Monica, Organized Noize, Brandy, Young MA, and more. Her hit single ‘2 True’ debuted on HBOs Emmy Award-Winning TV show Euphoria and the STARZ hit show P-Valley. She’s been seen and heard on multiple platforms including Revolt Black News, MTV, BET Jams, ABC, Sirius XM, BBC Radio London, and more. With over 1.2 million streams, and half a million followers across all platforms, Nesha continues to create her own lane making worldly music that truly touches the masses. With an unstoppable mindset, Nesha Nyceeis soon to be a household name.

Nesha is heavily involved in Community outreach, youth development, activism and philanthropy. Kid zone youth church camp counselor and the age of 17 2010-2015 Boys and girls club 2016-2018 speaking engagements, protesting for the unlawful killings day in and day out with her peers, being apart of Upward bound program 2022 Morehouse College, Breaking the Chains of hiphop Talent show giving kids the support and platform they need to stay away from the negativity in their surroundings. Giving back and feeding the homeless for the past 10 years on my own accord. It’s imperative that I do the work on and off the stage through HIPHOP higher, infinite, Power, Healing our People. Showing the youth through positivity there are no limits to what you can do. Nesha is no stranger to the international festival market having toured in the UK as of recent, playing in places such as The Ministry of Sound, Queen of Hoxton, Wales, New Skool Rules, Pitch Scotland and so many others to come as she see’s absolutely no limits.