Top Tunes with… A new site feature

Dear Independent Musicians In light of what has happened as a result of the coronavirus, I’ve been wondering how best to offer my support during this incredibly tough time. I know that others are doing their bit to help promote you and your music, and I want to do the same. I don’t want toContinue reading “Top Tunes with… A new site feature”

Laura Oakes – Spring Tour Review

So inconspicuous is Phase One, one of Liverpool’s newest music venues, I initially walk right past. When I eventually spot the white neon sign hanging over the door on my way back down Seel Street, I am overcome with a sudden anxiety about the size of the place. But as I look in, over theContinue reading “Laura Oakes – Spring Tour Review”

Break the Silence – Two Ways Home

The debut album of alt-country duo Two Ways Home has been a long time coming. The anticipation building up to the release of Break the Silence has felt so great at times that the weight of expectation has become almost fragile. For such a lengthy build-up, the risk of disappointment becomes ever greater. No suchContinue reading “Break the Silence – Two Ways Home”

Handstand – BBC Wales

The first original TV drama of 2020 to emerge from Wales is a short one-off piece called Handstand. It may be quirky and slightly clichéd on the surface, but there is a dark underbelly that gradually reveals itself over the course of half an hour. Director Peter Watkins-Hughes has chosen to shine a spotlight onContinue reading “Handstand – BBC Wales”

The Trials of Cato with Tant – Pontio Arts Centre

You know you’ve hit on something good when the support act is as good as the headliner. It may have been The Trials of Cato that we had come to see, but it was the five-piece female band Tant that we went away talking about. Running slightly late, we wandered into the theatre at PontioContinue reading “The Trials of Cato with Tant – Pontio Arts Centre”

New Sinfonia – New Year Gala Concert

I am walking up the High Street in St Asaph on an unseasonably warm January evening. The final remnants of Christmas hang in shop windows. The town’s tree is already stripped bare. It stands awkwardly on the side of the street. Meanwhile, opposite, a yellow glow emanates from the inside of the Cathedral. It stands,Continue reading “New Sinfonia – New Year Gala Concert”

Emily Frith – Open Book EP

Emily Frith’s new EP would make a great companion piece to the new adaptation of Little Women. Having fallen in love all over again with the characters in Louisa May Allcott’s tale, thanks to the excellent direction of Greta Gurwig and a commanding performance from Saoirse Ronan as Jo, I notice that the same themesContinue reading “Emily Frith – Open Book EP”

Country Christmas Singles 2019

In 2018, it was the Christmas EPs of Charlotte Campbell and Jess Thristan respectively that helped get me in the festive mood. In 2019, it is a couple of cracking Christmas singles that are making the run up to the big day all the more enjoyable. Click on the images below to watch/listen:   PadraigContinue reading “Country Christmas Singles 2019”

Lily Garland – Rise From the Ashes EP

It has been a tough day. And on tough days, music is one of the things that sees me through. Earlier I drove to work listening to the meditative sounds of Wildwood Kin. This evening, I just wanted a pick me up. I had planned on listening to Lily Garland’s new EP Rise Above theContinue reading “Lily Garland – Rise From the Ashes EP”

Molly-Anne – Autumn Leaves EP

I am sat listening to Molly-Anne’s new EP Autumn Leaves on a sunny but chilly afternoon. After a night of hard frost, the sun has finally managed to break through, leaving a watery coat on the red, yellow, brown and green of the trees and bushes. They glisten gently in the garden, a decorative spaceContinue reading “Molly-Anne – Autumn Leaves EP”