Industry news & advice blog

Aisha Kigs - ‘Unattainable’

A rising soul star in the making, Welsh-Tanzanian songwriter and artist Aisha Kigs skilfully connects the dots between R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, Afropop, Funk and Soul; think a combination of Kelis, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monàe with an East African / Swahili twist.

Her infectious and vibrant song ‘Unattainable’ was simmering for a while before it finally came to fruition, as Aisha tells us; “Actually I wrote the track during lockdown. I wrote the bassline acapella, using just my voice and voice memo recordings to finish writing the song. I knew I wanted a DC Gogo sound (like Amarie’s ‘1 Thing’ and Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy in Love’). Two years later I brought my lyrics, bass line and concept to Mak and Calum and BOOM we created magic! They ran with it and the track is even better than initially envisioned.”

Picking up praise from the likes of CLASH Magazine, Buzz Magazine and God Is In The TV (both of the latter have crowned Aisha as One to Watch), as well as achieving A-List airplay for both ‘Unattainable’ and previous single ‘Don’t Wanna Be Friends’ on BBC Radio Wales for 5 consecutive weeks, there’s no doubt that’s Aisha’s debut EP ‘FIRE HAZARD’ has definitely sparked a scorching response.

Her proudest achievements so far also include performing at two BBC Introducing showcases in London (The Lexington) and Cardiff (Wales Millennium Centre), but something tells us Aisha is on track to exceed her goals and expectations in 2025. With plans for new material, as well as hitting the road with a 6 piece band, we can’t wait to see what comes next.

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PHWOAR - ‘Waiting for the Sun’

Swinging between a breezy indie chorus before descending into angsty, grungy territory on the verses, PHWOAR’s track ‘Waiting for the Sun’ is an alternative rock delight which paves a thrilling path towards the release of their upcoming EP ‘Flowers Through the Concrete’ in April.

The Birmingham duo; Helena on drums and Paul on guitar with both on vocal duties, have an exciting 2025 lined up - kicking off with single ‘Waiting for the Sun’, the first unveiling of new music from the pair in 3 years. Helena tells us a bit more about how the track originated;

“Paul was lying in bed with a guitar one drab January morning two years ago feeling pretty listless and the song just sort of flowed. It took us ages to then evolve it to what it is now, especially the structure and the lyric. But it really did grow out of a darkish place and became a ray of hope.”

PHWOAR have already pricked up ears with American Pancake, Alive & Gigging, About the Noise and Get in Her Ears, and they’re enthusiastic to step onto the promotional treadmill again for their latest string of releases;

“Every step feels like a major milestone when you're a band trying to make a name for yourselves. That first radio play, that first festival stage in a field somewhere in the British summer, the smell of woodchip and churned earth in your nostrils, the first time BBC Introducing plays your song. Those felt like big moments with our last EP. But with Waiting for the Sun, we got our first national radio spot play with a personal hero, John Kennedy and that would have to be our best moment to date.”

Written and produced themselves, PHWOAR have also worked alongside Adrian Hall (Tori Amos, Nova Twins, Depeche Mode) to bring their musical vision to life. So hold tight for more dazzling alternative gems over the coming months, plus some videos to feast your eyes on too. ‘Reckless’ will drop on 28th February with ‘Surge’ following hot on its heels on 14th March, before the EP ‘Flowers Through the Concrete’ is unleashed on 11th April.

Photo credit: Paul Stafford

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Moletrap - ‘Taffy (Flags of Aber Prom)’

Making it their mission to crush the preconceived notions of life in rural mid Wales, Moletrap have unleashed their jaunty and slightly boisterous single ‘Taffy (Flags of Aber Prom) which is certainly providing a delightfully alternative lens through which to view the inland regions. The trio divulge more;

“Our sound is us trying to capture the untamed and often overlooked centre of Wales, in an attempt to break the stereotype of Mid Wales as being a tranquil, quiet area. We always aim to sound like the Cambrian Mountains rumbling and crashing around. We hope to promote the Welsh language and connect people at our gigs to our area's expansive, wild freedom. We sing, in Welsh and English, about the history, places, people, progress, nature and folklore of our area.”

So, back to the song in question and the self-titled “three man noise machine” explain the story behind their current single;

“We wrote ‘Taffy’ by accident when we left a phone recording in a pocket during a jam session - it’s a lush moment when something comes so easily out of the blue, and soon afterwards, the words just flowed out! ‘Taffy’ is also an old nursery rhyme which depicts us Welsh as thieves and sneaks, a common stereotype from yesteryear. I came across it while simultaneously reading about the flooding of Cwm Elan (a series of valleys that separate the villages where we grew up) to supply Birmingham with fresh water, and Westminster’s role in making the flooding happen, despite concerns from local people and Welsh members of parliament. We liked the irony of the two themes - in the sense of natural resources, who were the real thieves and sneaks here? And anyway, how is the King of England the former Prince of Wales?”

Not all songs have come quite as easily as ‘Taffy’, but Moletrap have taken care not to rush the writing and recording of their debut album ‘Mid Welsh’; “In total it probably took us around 4 years, but we’ve been in local bands together since we were 14, so being on the cusp of putting out our first ever album is something that we’re really proud of.”

With previous singles going down a storm with the likes of BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales, Backseat Mafia, Amplify The Noise, Rock Era Magazine and many more, plus vital funding support from BBC Horizons/Gorwelion to create the album, there’s a lot of people waiting with baited breath for the eagerly-awaited release of ‘Mid Welsh’ on 21st March…us included.

Look out for Moletrap gigs around the launch of the album, and you can rest assured that more new material will be on the horizon; “We’ve already started writing new stuff, hopefully album two won’t take another 4 years!!”

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Supersaurus - ‘Down’

Instantly hooking you in with its fizzy and exuberant 80s synth vibes, ‘Down’ is the bouncy ray of sunshine we all need during these winter months. London based alt-pop queer quartet Supersaurus conjure a mix of indie pop and alternative retro glitz, but aside from their energetic exterior the band themselves profess their aim to create relatable pop that speaks to the isolation and chaos of growing up as part of the LGBTQIA+ community in a straight-coded society.

“‘Down’ originally started as a post punk song and funnily enough initially wasn’t intended for anything other than some writing practise. It, of course, then started developing into something we thought would actually work really well with our sound as we were starting to focus on a new and more mature era of music. Once Benji added the lyrics about those all too familiar post break-up emotions, the more it started to become what it is today and then it just took off from there!”

With a number of pop bangers under their belt, the band have already snagged Spotify editorial playlist placements, radio airplay on BBC Radio 1’s Introducing Rock with Alyx Holcombe, BBC Radio 1’s Future Alternative with Nels Hylton, and X-Posure Daily with John Kennedy, plus a feature for their track ‘Safe’ on Made in Chelsea.

Playing live still hits the spot as Supersaurus tell us about some particular highlights; “Performing at Truck Festival in 2023 was definitely a huge achievement for us and was by far the biggest crowd we’ve ever played to. I think it was one of our best performances to date and one we’ll never forget. Being invited to perform at Mighty Hoopla festival last summer was also a massive highlight for us, especially being a LGBTQIA+ band.”

With a series of new singles coming our way in 2025, you’d better strap in for more from Supersaurus. With plans to play more support and headline gigs, as well as take on the festival circuit this summer, let’s first keep our eyes peeled for their Valentine’s Day release ‘Fool For You’ which we’ve no doubt will be a bonafide belter.

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milkshed - ‘Just Wanna Give’

Fusing grunge, garage rock and shoegaze influences, three-piece milkshed display a slightly softer side on their current single ‘Just Wanna Give’. Since forming 18 months ago, the band’s sound has been gradually developing and shifting as they organically embrace their facets and inspirations.

They elaborate on the meaning behind ‘Just Wanna Give’ and how it came to life; “‘Just Wanna Give’ was produced by Cam and recorded live at his home studio in Devon so it's a pure unedited expression of the band. It's about loving those around you, whether that's family or friends, and doing what you can to make them happy, which really sums up our own personal values. It shows a more delicate side to our music than previous releases and we hope the simplicity of its dreamy groove and Cam’s hypnotic vocals encourage listeners to give to loved ones.”

Already making a solid mark with rave reviews from BBC Introducing, Earmilk and Forever Loud, airplay from Amazing Radio, Radio X’s John Kennedy, plus nailing sets at Glastonbury two years in a row; at Glastonbury on Sea’s 10 Aces stage and Strummerville, milkshed are set to elevate things to the next level in 2025 with big plans afoot.

Before their self-released second EP ‘LMTD’ drops on 19th February, the band will be supporting Jaws the Shark on 12th February at Signature Brew Haggerston. milkshed will also be battling for their place at the Isle of Wight Festival as they perform at the New Blood Competition Quarter Finals at The Old Blue Last on 7th March in front of industry judges and a live audience.

Beyond that, work will begin on the trio’s debut full length album, plus there’s even more gigs on the agenda. Taking in Northampton, Leeds, Brighton and other cities across the spring, it seems playing live is the ultimate pastime for milkshed;

“Being able to write and release music we're passionate about and performing on stage still feels like a huge achievement. It’s hard to describe the adrenaline and emotion from performing your own music live but it still feels like the realest thing in this strange world we live in.”

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