Beneath the light exterior of Jess and the Bandits’ latest single is a serious message about life as a working mum. ‘Emotional Baggage’ comes from lead singer Jessica Clemmons’ own experience of trying to manage a career with two sons in tow. The result is a song that contains many scenes from the typical parent’s … More Jess and the Bandits – Emotional Baggage
At a time when both the nation and the world have been paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth, the new single from Poppy Fardell feels ever more prescient. ‘Good Girl’ speaks of female empowerment. Its central question is “Who’s to say what a girl is and what she isn’t?”. In a world of purely … More Poppy Fardell – Good Girl
Take one listen to Shay Gaston’s ‘Since Seventeen’ and it’s hard not to become an instant fan. The Reading-based singer is surely one of the most exciting newcomers to the UK Country scene in 2022 with this, her debut single. There is a clear and obvious link to the music of Taylor Swift, of whom … More Shay Gaston – Since Seventeen
Simplicity sometimes makes for the best songs. Hawthorn Avenue’s new single, ‘Ticket Home’, may have only a one-line chorus, but there’s something about its arrangement that captivates. The combination of tambourine, banjo, drums and guitar somehow work together to create a vibrant sound over which the duo’s gently flowing vocals sail. This extends to the … More Hawthorn Avenue – Ticket Home
You wait forever for a song about singleness and then two come along in quick succession. The latest, ‘Plane Tickets’, by Beth Keeping, comes hot on the heels of ‘When’s It Gonna Happen’ from Tenille Townes. But whereas the latter reaches for some kind of romantic ideal, Keeping remains firmly focused on her experience of … More Beth Keeping – Plane Tickets
Both Paige Wolfe and Katy Hurt have made a wish this weekend. On the one hand, their wishes are very different. Yet at the heart of both of their new singles lies the theme of acceptance. In the case of Katy’s ‘Wish I Could Give You Up’, it is acceptance for the journey she has … More Paige Wolfe and Katy Hurt – A Joint Review
Welsh singer-songwriter Paige Wolfe has started how she means to go on. She has dug deep into her soul to co-produce her first release, ‘Why Can’t My Heart?’. Borne out of personal experience of domestic abuse, Wolfe acknowledges the part played by Millie Bloom in “digging right down to the furthest root, pulling it out, … More Paige Wolfe – Why Can’t My Heart?
The latest single from Nia Nicholls cements her growing reputation as a British Taylor Swift. It is no exaggeration to say that in both her vocals and subject matter, the Welsh singer-songwriter displays the kind of Swiftian vibes that reverberate back to the American’s earlier canon of hits. ‘If You Want a Sign’ stands on … More Nia Nicholls – If You Want a Sign
Fresh from winning Song of the Year at the ARC awards for ‘Take My Demons’, Welsh singer-songwriter Caitlin Mae releases her brand-new single ‘Tunnel Vision’. It posits much of the same heady mixture of attitude and vulnerability as her prize-winning track whilst conveying a strength and confidence that were only just emerging in the former. … More Caitlin Mae – Tunnel Vision
‘Sounds Good in a Bar’ is already a fan favourite. But we at Belles & Gals think it might just win over a few more converts to the music of Katy Hurt. This, her new single, and the first to be released from her upcoming debut album, ticks all the right boxes. It offers the … More Katy Hurt – Sounds Good in a Bar
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