Industry news & advice blog

The Byker Grove Fan Club - ‘Cake Shop’

With slots confirmed at The Great Escape, Ruinfest, Gold Sounds, Left of the Dial and many more festivals, things are rapidly picking up pace for ear-splitting trio The Byker Grove Fan Club.

Having already featured on the NME New Bangers and Loud & Quiet No Shit playlists, and with a new EP “terrifyingly close to release”, we have a hunch that by the end of 2022 tongues will definitely be wagging about the band and their off the wall, outspoken and blistering sounds. Noise rock with acerbic opinion, they certainly have a lot to say and is the main reason the band formed; as a way to vent their frustrations and voice their viewpoints on everything from toxic masculinity, sexism…to cake shops, as frontman and bassist Huw elaborates:

“The lyrics and core idea was written while working full time in a bourgeois cake shop in Clifton, the juxtaposition of extravagant wealth, and not knowing if I could afford a Tesco meal deal. It’s about wishing for a life above your station. I want that, I want to own a cake shop in Clifton with a nice green door.”

Whilst The Byker Grove Fan Club are obviously enjoying the interest they’ve sparked, the novelty of connecting with their own fans, and with each other, will never wear off. Huw shares his peak of band life so far…

“I think for me it would be selling a ton of tickets to our hometown show and having 100 of your mates sing the lyrics to ‘Cake Shop’ back at us. You know, those lyrics were written in a time of uncertainty and pain, so to hear a room full of people you love chant them was a big healing moment. It felt like we were a band.”

With a bevy of gigs scheduled across the UK, you have no excuse not to catch them live over the coming months. This weekend, Saturday 5th February, they’ll be playing a Great Escape Presents show at London’s Moth Club, and be sure to check out the links below for more dates for your diary.

Website   Instagram   Facebook   Twitter   YouTube   Spotify




Image credit: Sergio De La Torre


Gracie Gray - 'happiness'

Unveiling her hotly anticipated new album tomorrow, Gracie Gray has already piqued the interest of many a tastemaker with her beautiful, feathery vocals (think the sublime Cat Power), and her flair for crafting luscious lo-fi songs. The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, For The Rabbits, KEXP and GoldFlakePaint are all firmly on board, and Grace recently secured a spot on Spotify’s All New Indie playlist too.

‘happiness’ is her third single to be released from the album ‘anna’, and it conjures an ethereal atmosphere; haunting yet soothing at the same time. The shift in mood of the song also reflects Gracie’s interpretation of its meaning, as she explains; “I think “happiness” is going to mean different things to me as time goes on. When I wrote it I was processing a lot of hard memories. When I finished it, I felt like I was just beginning an ugly process of letting go. I am really proud of how we were able to resolve the song sonically. It helped the memories feel more like an old friend than something to be afraid of.”

Justifiably on a high following the support she’s received so far, and riding the wave of launching her LP, Gracie is busy planning her album release show and practicing different live set-ups. We hope to see her at a London show soon, but in the meantime be sure to grab your copy of ‘anna’, out on Hand In Hive Records on 4th February.

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   YouTube   Spotify





Sarpa Salpa - ‘Somebody’

Opening with striking 90s piano house-esque chords, ‘Somebody’ by Sarpa Salpa is quick to unleash it’s upbeat, confident, indie-pop vibes, and then leave its deeply catchy earworm chorus and melody fizzing around your brain. Which is precisely what the band are aiming for, “Our goal as a band is to get people dancing and create music that makes people want to have fun!” Mission accomplished!

Hailing from Northampton, the fourpiece have beavered away individually during the various lockdowns of the past 18 months, and when finally reunited to write and record together again, ‘Somebody’ was one of the stand-out gems that formed, “‘Somebody’ was a track that our bassist Meg put together. When we finally got to get in a room together this was one of the first new tracks we played together and it instantly felt great. Charlie added some great energy with the live drums, I changed the guitar part to keep the upbeat vibe and Marcus tweaked the chorus and wrote the verse lyrics. From there it was really starting to sound like a full track so we took it to the studio with Michael Smith (RYP Recordings) and recorded it mostly live. We later went back into the studio with our frequent collaborator Ben 'Faz' Faresdvedt and added a few extra bits which brought the track to life!”

The song has already been awarded ‘Tune of The Week’ on Jack Saunder’s ‘Future Artists’ show on BBC Radio 1, as well as plenty of airplay on their local BBC Introducing Northamptonshire programme. Hometown support is a matter of great importance to the band, and they have cited playing a gig to over 500 supporters at the Roadmender last November as one of their most memorable moments so far.

However, it looks like Sarpa Salpa may be about to break the glass ceiling on that front, with a trip to Texas, USA to play a selection of shows at the renowned SXSW in March on the horizon. With the band on the cusp of breaking through, we recommend you check them out immediately. Fortunately, they’re kicking off a run of live dates, starting in Glasgow’s Broadcast on 12th February, and taking in other UK cities, so grab your tickets now!

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   YouTube   Spotify





Sea Driver - ‘Hook Or By Crook’

Delivering angsty, driving and dissonant alternative rock, but always with a solid melody at the core, Sea Driver have been jamming together since 2017, and eventually played their first gig as a foursome in November 2019. Obviously a pesky pandemic has stood in the way of the band stretching their legs with gigs and releases, but now they are ready to start unleashing new material. ‘Hook Or By Crook’ is the first of 5 tracks they will be putting out, and it has already picked up airplay from Abbie McCarthy on BBC Introducing Kent, and the gigs are gradually mounting in both frequency and capacity.

With cutting lyrics such as “Public funds by the tonne, WhatsApp contacts job well done” the band certainly know how to let off steam and get their point across, and delivered with abrasive vocals, their fury is tangible and affecting.

“The track came from an older song that we sort of shelved/grew tired of. Over the last 2 years, with everything going on and knowing there was still something in there, we sort of just jammed it out to its new form, re-writing the lyrics and melody. The lyrics are a little on the nose I guess, but are just reflecting what’s been going on in the news with PPE contracts and how that’s been mishandled.”

It seems that Sea Driver could be embarking on an exciting year ahead. New music is on the agenda over the coming months, as well as more live shows, and we’re sure it’s only a matter of time before they’re really hitting their stride. Catch them on stage at the Amersham Arms in London on 26th February.

Bandcamp   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   YouTube   Spotify





Cliché Cult - ‘Say It Like You Mean It’

Since coming together 2 years ago, since the relaxation of pandemic guidelines, Cliche Cult have finally been able to spread their wings and introduce their lilting indie rock with brooding vocals to the world.

The Leeds four-piece bring together a melting pot of Alternative and Classic Rock musical tastes, ranging from Talking Heads, Joy Division, Echo & The Bunnymen to Arctic Monkeys, Led Zeppelin and Fontaines DC. And one thing that all these bands have in common is the ability to fill the dancefloor at an indie disco… a feat that Cliche Club could be well on their way to achieving too with the infectious ‘Say It Like You Mean It; “We wanted something that hit really hard like a classic rock song, but also had a really good groove to it so people can still dance to it.”



Since emerging in July 2021 the band have unveiled 4 singles, with ‘Say It Like You Mean It being recorded and mixed by producer Jamie Lockhart (The Cribs, New Model Army). They’ve racked up airplay on BBC Introducing and XS Manchester, and have started to make their mark on the live circuit, playing for This Feeling and supporting fellow Leeds band Skylights.

And they’re keen to drive the momentum and reach as many new fans as possible in 2022. With more new releases planned, they’re keen to play as many gigs across the UK as possible, and hope to make it onto a festival bill shortly. We’ve no doubt all their dreams will become reality soon enough!

Website   Instagram   Facebook   Twitter   YouTube   Spotify

How can I get featured on the Spotlight blog?

Our Spotlight blog is compiled every month from fresh new music submitted to us by our members. We want to hear from you!

We select 5 of the best tracks from our members to champion on Spotlight. As well as being featured on our new music blog, your track will also be played on our monthly Reform Radio show, get a free release package from CD Baby, plus the 5 tracks are also forwarded onto a select bunch of music industry professionals...including folks from Big Life Management, Club Fandango, Decca Records, Memphis Industries, Rocksound, DIY Magazine, Transgressive Records and The Great Escape. Find out more about Spotlight here.

To be in the running you’ll need to sign up as a member to The Unsigned Guide, then follow the instructions in your Welcome email to submit a track for Spotlight consideration to us.

Members of The Unsigned Guide get access to our huge directory of over 8,000 UK music industry contacts, spanning 50 areas of the music business. Check out our quick video to find out more about the directory & other services we provide to help emerging bands and artists.