Industry news & advice blog

Megzz - ‘Love Tonight’

Spanning R&B, pop, neo soul, afrobeat and beyond, singer songwriter Megzz has a captivating sound and style, with her focus strongly hooked on honest lyrics and powerful themes. Her previous releases have explored topics such as mental health, misogyny, self-empowerment and vulnerability, and as Megzz explains, “Writing is my therapy and I write from my experiences, so everything is on the table when it comes to my music.”

Our chosen Spotlight track is a love song with a twist, and Megzz lets us in on the inspiration behind ‘Love Tonight’; “I like to describe Love Tonight as a 'not-so-typical love song' as it brings friendship and platonic love to the forefront, in a bid to knock romantic love off its pedestal. I found growing up that popular music tended to focus on finding the one, rather than appreciating/noticing love that is already around you. I think it’s important to remind people love comes in many valuable forms, and so Love Tonight was born.”
 
With her music already grabbing the attention of NME, Earmilk, BBC 1Xtra, GQ Magazine and more, Megzz has much to be delighted with, but some other personal stand-out highlights in her career to date include playing her debut festival show at All Points East 2023, and taking part in the AMEX Unsigned competition which saw her featured in their Amazon Prime documentary.

Rounding up a fun and busy summer with a main stage performance slot in her hometown at Northampton Music Festival this coming weekend, beyond that Megzz will be back to work in the studio. As well as editing a special project she’s been developing, there are also new songs in the pipeline, ready to be laid down, so keep your ear to the ground for new material from Megzz in the near future.

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The Rolling People - ‘No Place to Be’

If you like majestic and massive-sounding rock songs, then you’ve come to the right place. Stockport band The Rolling People have merged the influences of all their four band members; ranging from post punk and heavy grunge guitars, to British 60s bands and the mod scene, to form a sonic powerhouse which is showcased flawlessly on their debut EP, ‘Before It’s Gone’, which was unveiled just last week on LAB Records.

‘No Place to Be’ is a striking track on the EP, building to an epic and climactic state, and the band tell us how it came about; “'No Place To Be' is one of the songs that we are proudest of to this day. I think it is the most ambitious track that we have recorded so far and has the most intricate layers and sounds that show our progression as a band. We wanted to take influence from some more post-punk records with the guitar parts and combine it with the indie rock sound and big choruses that we already had and I think it turned out just as we wanted. It all came from the repeated picking part in the verses which I wrote a melody over, and then when I took it into the practice room we fleshed it out and made it into a more rocky, full structured song. The lyrics show a story of someone in a world surrounded by the noise and confusion that comes with the constant feeding of lies from everywhere around them. This feeling gives them the urge to get away from it all and escape the madness of everyday life. From the moment we wrote this song I knew it was always going to be a set closer, and the abrupt ending gives it a jarring and dramatic finish that always goes down great live.”

Already stirring up hype with their anthemic rock and monumental choruses, The Rolling People have garnered praise from When The Horn Blows, Backseat Mafia, XS Manchester and Radio X. On the live front their performances speak for themselves, with the band having sold out their recent ‘Road to the Ritz’ gig dates, and playing blinding sets at Isle of Wight Festival, Sound City, plus support slots for The K’s, Lottery Winners, Lime Cordiale and more.

From the band’s point of view, the past 12 months have been a whirlwind but there are always those special stand-out moments in amongst the chaos; “I think playing a sold out Band On The Wall in Manchester was up there, the atmosphere was electric and it was just a perfect night. Also playing our first major festival this year which was the Isle Of Wight was amazing and supporting the Ks at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester was mega too. Releasing our debut EP is another big one. We're really proud of it and buzzing that it’s out in the world for people to listen to.”

As for future plans, the fourpiece are heading back into the studio this month to start recording new material. And the countdown is on to their biggest headline gig yet, as they put on a one-night spectacle at Manchester’s O2 Ritz on 21st December, where they plan to celebrate their journey so far with the fans, and ride out the year on a high. There’s limited tickets left, so do yourself a favour and grab one now.

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Ugly Ozo - ‘Remains’

At the helm of their own genre, ‘doom-gaze’, Ugly Ozo is fronted by Isle of Wight-born Jess Baker, alongside her younger sister Boo, as they delve into all manner of uncanny topics; think feminine rage, revenge and supernatural horrors. As Jess elaborates; “I love using dark, eerie guitar sounds with pretty layered vocals. I ultimately want people to be left feeling a bit freaked out.”

Out on Strong Island Recordings, current single ‘remains’ is awash with quirky surf guitar riffs and ethereal and enchanting vocals, all atop a foundation of fuzz, as the song captures the intensity of emotions stirred by betrayal and injustice, as Jess further explains; “Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, the song channels the tumultuous journey of confronting a man who has wronged me in a pursuit for truth and vengeance. This song is a testament to the unyielding spirit of those who refuse to be silenced.”

As well as making an impact on home turf with a set at Isle of Wight Festival this summer, plus airplay on BBC Radio Solent, Ugly Ozo is also making waves further afield with shows at London’s George Tavern and Sebright Arms last month. Their biggest run of tour dates so far are taking place this month, as they head out on the road across the UK with Lauren Hibberd during September.

Beyond that, you can catch Ugly Ozo supporting Skating Polly in Brighton at Green Door Store on 13th October, plus performing their first headline show at Portsmouth’s Edge of the Wedge on 12th November. And brace yourself for a second single which we’re sure will be just as bewitching and bizarre as the last one.

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Elise McQueen - ‘In Her Place’

Singer songwriter Elise McQueen may only be two singles into her blossoming musical career, but she is already making an astounding impact with her signature blend of indie, folk and pop.

Her debut single ‘Waiting in the Wings’ (produced by Scott Verrill of Good Neighbours) was unveiled in March, and her latest release ‘In Her Place’ displays Elise’s lyrical vulnerability whilst being undeniably melodic and infectious.

Elise tells us more about how her sound has developed and how ‘In Her Place’ came to life; “In terms of the production and songwriting of my music, I am inspired by more contemporary artists such as Maggie Rodgers and Kacey Musgraves. My producer (Melo Nada) and I leant into this a lot with ‘In Her Place’, combining lots of warm acoustic guitar with sliding guitar lines and punchy drums. Lyrically and vocally I would say I’m influenced a lot by classic songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman and Adele; the kind of music that was constantly playing in the house as I grew up. ‘In Her Place’ actually started as a piano ballad. I thought it could be interesting to write a song about feeling like I was taking the place of a past partner in a relationship. Like the ex was dead in a sense and haunting the relationship. I often find myself feeling insecure and comparing myself to others and I felt like it could be a really relatable concept. I took this idea into the studio and myself and Melo decided to make it into a catchy indie guitar song.”

So far Elise has played a flurry of London’s finest intimate venues including The Courtyard Theatre, Servant Jazz Quarters and Folklore. With a growing following on TikTok, plus positive reviews from Plastic Magazine and Clout Magazine for her own music, Elise is also working separately on soundtracks for film and TV, and has most recently worked alongside Isabella Summers (Florence + The Machine) on ‘Devil in Ohio’ (Netflix) and the film ‘Lisa Frankenstein’.

A third single is on the agenda for the coming months, as well as Elise’s hotly anticipated debut EP. And be sure to keep your eye out on her socials for future gigs as she continues to expand her fanbase.

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The Wednesday Play ft. James Vincent - ‘Sleepwalking Man’

Longtime musical collaborators, singer songwriter Robert Paul and producer Sam Soper, come together on their latest project, The Wednesday Play, which evolved from their desire to create music differently using modular synths and pedals built by Sam, along with various other pieces of handmade equipment, vintage drum machines and guitars.

With influences ranging from Tom Tom Club and Gang of Four to the grungier side of Blur, single ‘Sleepwalking Man’ is an angular, driving new wave indie track, and Robert tells us more about the duo’s modus operandi; “We’re pretty heavily influenced by post-punk and new wave music, but we like to mix things up and work with a range of vocalists. For ‘Sleepwalking Man’ we worked with Barcelona-based singer and comic book author James Vincent. He’s a terrific solo artist who works under the moniker Orange Peel.”

With the track making its mark across the radio airwaves, The Wednesday Play like to keep things old school with their releases, encompassing vinyl, limited edition cassette, as well as download formats. You can grab a copy of ‘Sleepwalking Man’ now, out on One Shoe Records, and we’re assured a debut album is in the pipeline too, so keep your ears to the ground for that later on this year.

Photo credit: Jessie Ventura

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