Industry news & advice blog



Tommy Down - ‘Do You Want It All?’

Fusing shoegaze, soul and psychedelic sounds, singer songwriter Tommy Down wears his influences on his sleeve, with essences of Khurangbin, Mazzy Star and Radiohead seeping through on his dreamy single ‘Do You Want It All?’

Oozing calming vibes, the track was written between himself and friend and bandmate Tom Herzberg, with added drums from Jack Purbrick and the sonic assistance of Brendan Davies at Urchin Studio. Tommy elaborates on the idea behind the lyrics;

“I wanted the theme of the track to be about maintaining your soul; remaining a good kind and loving person while you pursue all your worldly success.There's a Bob Marley quote in it: ‘live for yourself and live in vain but live for the others and you will live again.’”

With previous single ‘Mrs Blue’ racking up over 5.7 million plays without any help from a record label, Tommy is making his mark steadily and surely.

A new single and EP are currently in the works, and Tommy will also soon be showcasing a live studio session video. And to see what he has to offer live IRL, get yourself down to SJQ in Dalston on 1st May where he’ll be supporting The Misty.

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Bryony Williams - ‘Trip Me Up’

Still riding high from the recent release of her debut album ’You Are Here’, a project which was two years in the making, singer songwriter Bryony Williams is rightfully thrilled that the lead single ‘Trip Me Up’ is pricking up ears. She tells us more about how the infectious indie pop song began life;

“Originally written as a demo track back in 2017, ‘Trip Me Up’ was initially inspired by the cult classic film, The Virgin Suicides, as at that time, I used that film as part of my film studies class during my media degree. The first verse and chorus was a response to the storyline and themes entangled in the narrative of the film, and then I forgot all about it. It wasn’t until recording my debut album in 2022, that I revisited the demo and continued the narrative through a female lens to show the frustrations and complications that young love encounters (or at least like it is in the movies) whilst on a journey of reclaiming a sense of self and power. At the core of Trip Me Up, I essentially wanted to revisit typical old school, prom-like romance we get from films made in the 90s, but with a modern twist. It’s the first track I’ve used programmed drums for, which set the tone and pace of this Joy-Division-esque, punky number.”

In recent years, Bryony has certainly ticked some musical achievements off her list; festival slots at Dot to Dot, YNot, Green Man Rising and the lauded Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, support slots for the likes of She Drew The Gun, Liz Lawrence, Hazel English, Japanese Breakfast, Lapsley, Skating Polly, and even James who hand-picked Bryony to play their secret, pre-tour warm up show. Not to mention, launching her music magazine & record label ‘grrrl groan’, self-releasing music and most recently, booking her second UK tour in association with Independent Venue Week 2025, playing with the likes of Lizzie Esau and Loose Articles.

It’s fair to say Bryony has been incredibly busy over the years, and she won’t be putting on the brakes just yet! Alongside heading to the studio to begin fleshing out ideas for her next record, and scouting out funding opportunities, she’s also in talks with a booking agency about joining their roster. Though, regardless, an October UK album tour will be on the cards. But before then you can catch Bryony in all her glory performing at LoopFest in Shrewsbury on 4th May, supporting Pete Kent at the Newhampton Arts Centre in Wolverhampton on 16th May, and headlining London’s Strongroom Bar on 13th June.

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tall child - ‘Stupid Body’

South East London artist tall child, aka Zha Gandhi, is creating boldly cathartic and resonating music, which sonically sits somewhere between soft rock and indie pop. Drawing on inspiration from musicians including Mitski, Radiohead, Rachel Chinouriri and Arlo Parks, on a lyrical front tall child explores and articulates their experiences as a queer disabled POC.

“I wrote Stupid Body at a time when I was experiencing frequent and intense flare ups and was desperate to find a place to put all my anger and frustration. So I turned to writing music. Although it is quite a personal song to me, I found that many disabled/chronically ill people have resonated with it. I wanted this song to encapsulate how exhausting it can be to manage your illness especially with doctors dismissing you and generally not taking us seriously enough. Stupid Body is a space for anyone with disabilities or insecurities to scream, cry, and release.”



Born into a family of musicians, Zha started their own musical journey with a last minute decision to apply to The BRIT School. Fast forward a few years and after discovering a like-minded community and playing in bands such as Ghost Car and Buggs, Zha is making their own mark. High points on the journey so far have included signing to Sad Club Records, and playing last year’s London Pride; “I felt very grateful to be representing the disabled black people of the queer community.”

Keep it locked on social media for news of tall child shows and festival appearances over the coming months. And it sounds like we can look forward to more new material too; “Expect to see more songs about queer love, disability, community and mental health struggles. Not all is doom and gloom but I take pride in shining the spotlight on things that are important and need to be spoken about!”

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Murderers are Optimists - ‘Getaway’

Guaranteed to leave your eardrums buzzing, punk duo Murderers Are Optimists have penned a spiky, raucous, unorthodox love song to their hometown of Hastings. Vocalist Paul Sunshine explains the motivation behind the track;

“Getaway’ is a reflection on Hastings before gentrification. We’ve always loved this town, and now it seems like everyone else does too. But Hastings had character long before the Airbnbs and overpriced lattes. Even despite the gentrification we still find the parts we love with our mates.”

Already stalwarts of the South coast, the pair are also making an impact further afield, picking up airplay for their last two singles ‘Criminals’ and ‘Air Crash Investigation’ on BBC Radio 1’s Future Alternative, as well as Kerrang!. With a reputation for energetic and unpredictable live shows, it’s no wonder they’ve been crowned as “one of the region’s most thrilling punk bands” by the Hastings Independent, and remarkably even managed to compress their riotousness into a BBC studio for a Live Lounge performance on BBC Introducing.

One of the band’s biggest highlights was opening for Kid Kapachi at their sold out De La Warr Pavillion gig, and they’ve played with them plenty since, as well as enlisting Kid Kapchi vocalist Jack Wilson to feature on their previous single ‘Criminals’.

So keep it locked for more news of gigs and new music from Murderers are Optimists. Their next gig will be Daltons (Garageland) in Brighton on 19th April, and they’ll also be supporting Snayx at Southend’s The Piper on 14th June.

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BARSTAFF featuring Hannah Mazey - 'HELL NO / iN LOVE'

If you’re on the hunt for an alternative anthem bursting with breezy springtime vibes, then look no further than BARSTAFF’s latest single ‘HELL NO / iN LOVE’ which is a collaboration with singer songwriter Hannah Mazey whose enchanting vocals are the sugar-coating on top of a delicious indie pop gem.

The band tell us more about the influences behind the track; “We wrote HELL NO / iN LOVE with Hannah and wanted to definitely explore some of our more R&B influences such as Loyle Carner, hard life and Arlo Parks. The track itself explores the duality of falling in love - how the thrill of love can also uncover feelings of uncertainty and fear.”


Although they’re only 2 years into their career, BARSTAFF have carved out their own niche musically, as well as when it comes to distinctive live shows. They like to bring the fun! So whether it’s playing darts at a sold-out headline gig or smashing out a Sabrina Carpenter inspired-set, the band love to pull surprises out of the bag and deliver a memorable show.

“One of our biggest achievements was playing at Truck Festival last year. The crowd were fantastic and seemed to really enjoy the water guns filled with beer we brought with us.”

With singles ‘HELL NO / iN LOVE’ and ‘iZZY’ marking the start of a long term project that BARSTAFF are keeping under their hats for now (but are very excited about), the band are also gearing up for a hectic summer ahead.

An array of support slots across the country and festival appearances including 110 Above and Liverpool Sound City are on the agenda, all rounded off a Manchester headline show at YES on 27th June.

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