Industry news & advice blog

Riya Gadher - ‘Own Way Home’

A recent graduate of BIMM London, but a long-time piano player, starting at just 10 years old, singer songwriter Riya Gadher showcases her stunning and delicate voice on the atmospheric single ‘Own Way Home’, a cinematic, alt-pop treasure that she penned about finding peace in a chaotic world. Riya tells us more about the main inspiration and message she tries to convey in her songs; “One of the main themes that can be heard in a lot of my music is hope and optimism, so I wanted to write about having faith in the unknown and having the courage to cut your own path through life.”

Perfectly demonstrating the polarity of chaos and calm that ‘Own Way Home’ cites, her music video, directed by Daniel Alexander, is shot between the busy city and open countryside, as Riya escapes the havoc to find tranquility in nature.

Having been crowned a winner of the Amex Unsigned competition, out of a staggering 3,000 bands & artists, Riya played at All Points East festival back in August on a bill alongside the likes of Mitski, Beabadoobee and Suki Waterhouse. Another incredible highlight for Riya was another competition win; this time for a prestigious global songwriting competition hosted by Coffee Music Project.

Already becoming a regular on the London circuit, over the coming months Riya plans to fit in more live shows (you can catch her next gig at Half Moon Putney on 14th October), plus plenty of new material and releases, so be sure to keep a beady eye on her for the rest of the year and beyond.

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Baby Schillaci - ‘Blunt Force Trauma’

Swansea fourpiece Baby Schillaci describe their sound as “overthought, raw, playful political noise” and since launching themselves onto Wales’ alternative scene last year they’ve drawn comparisons to pioneers such as Mclusky, At the Drive-In, Manics, Public Image and Fugazi.

Their incendiary single ‘Blunt Force Trauma’ offers a poignant commentary on gun violence and the illusion of the American dream. Taken from their album ‘The Soundtrack’ which dropped earlier this week, the band tell us how the song came about;

“It was born out of raw emotion. We found ourselves wanting to give the lyric the respect and time it deserved yet wanting to get across that real-time visceral frustration. Musically, we wanted simplicity with the stakes ever increasing. When handling a sensitive subject you want to get it right and I hope we have.”

The track has already been picked up by BBC 6Music Mixtape, as well as Spotify’s Fresh Finds Rock playlist, following the exposure of Baby Schillaci’s previous single releases which have been supported by the likes of BBC Radio Wales, Amplify the Noise and Backseat Mafia, amongst others.

Other than hoping for a Christmas No 1; “we’ve just written & looking to quickly record our John Lewis Christmas advert entry for 2024”, Baby Schillaci are busy over the coming months sustaining their reputation for relentlessly energetic and erratic performances. Catch them live this Saturday 5th October at Swansea Fringe Festival, and supporting Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard at Swansea Bunkhouse on 31st October, then Heavy Lungs at Cwrw in Carmarthen on 28th January 2025.

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Callum Kenworthy - ‘Let’s Talk’

Hailing from Falmouth, Cornwall, singer songwriter Callum Kenworthy crafts personal and touching songs, drawing on experiences and relationships of all kinds; romantic, friendships and family ties.

His unique style of guitar playing blends a range of styles, including both modern and more established flamenco and percussive techniques, to form his own exceptional indie folk music, and Callum explains how his sound has developed; “As an introverted person from a young age I’ve always found comfort in soft, emotional folk music. As I grew older my tastes expanded exponentially and a love for rhythmically rich music from different cultures became more prominent.I like to think my sound is an amalgamation of what I like to hear combined with the influence of the undeniable inspiring beauty of the rugged and wild Cornish coastline that I call home.”

His stunning and emotive single ‘Let’s Talk’ was sparked by Callum’s recent interaction with a friend; “It got me thinking about the nature of arguments and conflict in general, and how our focus on our own truths and the resulting ego that comes with that, will often block any chance of resolve. Fighting fire with fire. Whereas if as individuals we learn to put our egos aside and be attentive to other peoples very real experiences and pain we can become more compassionate as a whole. This is the message that I hope Let’s Talk can spread.”

From initially plucking up the courage to play in front of people for the first time at an open mic night in a small local pub, through to being invited on stage to play a few songs for Natty at a gig in Cardiff, Callum embraces all levels of accomplishments, but he tells us about one of his more rewarding moments; “Receiving a message from a listener explaining how much my debut single “Call Me If You Get There” had helped them through a difficult time with their mental health. This added more validation to what I do than any amount of praise ever has or will.”

So, with an 8 track album due to be unveiled this month, plus a further album in the works for March 2025, Callum is certainly keen to keep sharing his remarkable songwriting with us. On the gig front, he’s busy working on booking in some gigs around the country including solo shows and some shows alongside a small band, so keep your eyes peeled for dates.

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HOLT - ‘The Storm’

Treating us to an irresistibly dazzling electro pop gem is multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter HOLT. ‘The Storm’ is the first track to be unveiled from her upcoming album and it has certainly whet our appetite for what’s to come, not to mention the appetites of many a tastemaker blog; Plastic Mag, DMC World, Vents, Sinusoidal, Notion, Lock, Mundane and Flex have all showered the song with deserved praise.

With influences ranging from Bjork and Bat for Lashes to Massive Attack, Nils Frahm, Philip Glass and beyond, it’s hardly surprising that HOLT has developed a penchant for crafting cinematic and ethereal sounds paired with electronic beats.

She gives us the lowdown on how ‘The Storm’ evolved; “I initially wrote the track to be quite a bit slower and more intimate, with just me and the piano. It had a melancholy and a pleading to it, which I loved. But upping the tempo adding a gutsy bass and some solid 90s inspired beats transformed it into such a confident romper of a track. Lyrically, the track plays with the idea of unwelcome feelings and thoughts overshadowing the day before it’s had a chance to get going, creating this inescapable internal storm. There’s a vulnerability there, but the vocals have a directness and confidence to them which makes the track feel defiant rather than defeated. So I guess that’s the message – to confidently defy!”



So with this single, and also follow up tracks ‘Safeguard’, ‘Distraction’ and ‘Midlife’ all making an astounding impact, it’s full steam ahead for HOLT’s forthcoming album release, as she lets us in on what we can expect; “It's jam packed full of soulful and cinematic bangers. SUCH a joy to write and make - I hope it resonates with my listeners. Despite dealing with some challenging topics, I wanted all songs on the album to have a fearlessness and confidence to them, so taking myself musically down more of a banger route with many 90s references sprinkled in, seemed like the perfect fit.”

Out early next year, be sure to keep it locked to hear more from HOLT.

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Heff VanSaint - ‘Weavers Fields’

Conjuring evocative lo-fi indie, with sprinklings of alt-pop and folk, artist Heff VanSaint started out playing in bands in her hometown of Aberdeen, before shifting location and genre to form an electro-pop duo in London, before branching out on her own. Creating songs that are contemplative and insightful, she articulates the USP of her music; “I think what sets it apart is the lyrical complexion of the songs. I write from a storyteller's perspective. I'm heavily focused on the lyrics and crafting a story into my songs. I think this gives them a sort of yearning, searching quality. I think a lot of my songs are quite nostalgic, maybe at times romantic.”

‘Weavers Fields’ offers a perfect demonstration of Heff VanSaint’s authentic songwriting, and she lets us in on the sentiments that sparked the song; “The track at its heart is about gentrification and the impact it has on a person's home and their overall sense of place in the world. I was thinking a lot about the gentrification that's happened in the areas of East London that I've lived in, in the time I've been in London. It’s crazy how much certain places have transformed and in such a short space of time. I was interested in how people become detached and separated from their environment as a result. I imagined a character facing up to these realities and wrote from there.”

With this track, and her previous single ‘Heart On Trial’, already garnering praise from the likes of When The Horn Blows, The Queerness, Girl Gang Music, plus airplay from Roddy Hart on BBC Radio Scotland (a distinct highlight for Heff who has grown up listening to his show), she is also proud of the attention her music has drawn in the queer press; “I think receiving coverage from the queer press, in particular Diva Magazine, really meant a lot to me. That’s a magazine I grew up reading and support from the queer community always feels special. I’m passionate about achieving more visibility for masc presenting queer people. Representation matters for all of us and it’s empowering to see yourself depicted in pop culture.”

EP ‘Best Days Gone’ will be unleashed on the world tomorrow, and following that Heff will be heading back to the studio to record more material set for release before the end of the year. Plans are also in place for some Heff Van Saint shows, with new musicians currently being enlisted for the live set-up, so watch this space.

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