Industry news & advice blog

May notoriously marks the start of the festival season with new and emerging acts cropping up on line-ups across the country; as ever we want you to be ahead of the pack and hear them before anyone else. Below you’ll find playlist of the five acts who have made the Spotlight cut this month and tickled The Unsigned Guide’s fancy.

Callum Stewart - ‘Free’
Dulcet toned 17 year old Callum Stewart is from Northern Ireland and has been making music from a very tender age.  After gaining praise for his singing, he began writing songs 3 years ago and started playing regular gigs. Our chosen track ‘Free’ is due out later this month as his debut release. 

Despite still working on his A Levels at the moment, Callum is currently working with critically acclaimed producer/songwriter Tré Sheppard. Recent gigs have found him playing alongside the likes of More Than Conquerors and New Ancestors, amongst others. 

Here’s Callum to tell us a bit more….

“I would describe my sound as a dose of indie-pop mixed in with a touch of soul. I’ve been influenced by the likes of singer-songwriters such as Tom Odell and Foy Vance and I think that gets thrown into the mix as well.

I wrote ‘Free’ with my producer, Tré Sheppard, and it was one of those songs that came about very naturally. The main theme of the song is frustration with the world that we live in and once I started writing the lyrics, the words flowed quickly and we ended up with a song that summed up exactly how I was feeling. 

The rest of the year is looking very exciting for me as I’m going to release my debut single. It’s great to be able to finally release something that I have written and I’m incredibly excited to get it out there. I will also be gigging around Ireland and hopefully the UK to promote the single.”

www.facebook.com/CallumStewartMusic
www.twitter.com/CallumStewartNI

Vladimir – ‘Smoke Eyes’
Vladimir are a thrashing four piece who’ve been described as the noisiest band in Dundee! Having only been together for a short time and still in their teens, they’ve already managed to support Wet Nuns on a Scottish tour and The Twilight Sad across the UK. They also joined The View for their homecoming gig and played other high profile slots with Peace and Pulled Apart By Horses, amongst others.

A melee of melancholy and encroachment, their love of 70s post-punk, namely Joy Division, is quite evident in ‘Smoke Eyes’. With the perfect balance of needling guitar, prying vocals and potent drumming, their ability to craft a fully-fledged ear worming track is barefaced. 

www.facebook.com/Vladimirdundee
www.twitter.com/VLADIMIRdundee
www.soundcloud.com/vladimiruk
 

Ophelia – ‘Hit The Brakes’
Born into an eclectic family mix of market traders, train drivers and reggae DJs, Ophelia has always had a voice and a story to tell. In 2010 she was road tripping around America in a beat up Corvette to the soundtrack of Johnny Cash when she stumbled upon an African American hip hop night. It was here that she first got up on stage and let rip on the mic, and since then there’s been no stopping her.

‘Hit The Brakes’ samples witch house band oOoOO's song 'TryTry' and Ophelia tells us “producer Steven Weston and I chopped it up and then I wrote my song and story on top. I had recently split up with my boyfriend and had lots to get off my chest and this song really summed up how I was feeling at the time.”

Currently working on new material to be released later in the year, she’s started collaborating with a beatboxer and they will be performing and making some videos together. 

www.ophelia-music.com
www.twitter.com/opheliamusic
www.facebook.com/opheliamusic

Swnami – ‘Gwreiddiau’
Hailing from Dolgellau in Mid Wales, since their formation in 2010 Swnami have racked up some pretty impressive supporters with Bethan Elfyn naming them her ‘Band Of The Week’ and Huw Stephens marvelling at their unique brand of indie pop. 

As you have probably noticed, they sing in Welsh language and, coupled with jaunty spiky riffs à la Two Door Cinema Club, their sound is most pleasing on the ear. Even if you haven’t got the foggiest what they’re singing about (clue - gwreiddiau means roots) the infectious beat draws you in and won’t let go. Their choice to stay true to their roots and fly the flag for the Welsh language and take it to a wider audience most admirable too and something they should be applauded for.

Having already played at the likes of Swn Festival in Cardiff and Focus Wales in Wrexham, plus Wakestock festival they plan to continue the onslaught this year with relentless gigging, writing and recording.

www.facebook.com/Swnami
www.soundcloud.com/swnami
www.twitter.com/swnami

Dog In The Snow – ‘Fire In The Sky’
Dog In The Snow is the moniker of Helen Ganya Brown who writes delicately eerie pop odes. Originating from Brighton, Helen is one of a new flurry of experiential acts heading out of the city.

‘Fire In The Sky’ comprises of woozy synths, piano, percussion and beats. With shoegazy vocals that weave together in the most labyrinthine manner, the track had our heads in a spin from the get-go.

Helen’s previously described ‘Fire In The Sky’ as some kind of pre-apocalyptic vision. The track is essentially about waking up and finding the sky to be blood red, and then waking up the day after and everything being back to normal. Tune in!

www.facebook.com/doginthesnow
www.twitter.com/doginthesnowuk