Industry news & advice blog

Big Fear - ‘Sisyphus’

Fresh on the scene are London trio Big Fear who only unveiled their first single ‘Culture Cannibal’ at the end of January. When it comes to describing their sound, who better to sum up the Big Fear manifesto than the band themselves; “We try to make each song the best it can and try to ignore the boxes around expected sounds without getting so avant-garde it's not communicating anything anymore. It can be a bit dark, it can be a bit operatic, it's hopefully always danceable.”

Their latest offering ‘Sisyphus’ is a toe-tapping cocktail of enchanting indie and pop; prime pickings for the radio airwaves and stomping indie dancefloors. Guitarist Jack elaborates on how the song came to life; “This track is about the myth of Sisyphus and how it applies to the challenges of modern existence: working to pay rent, eating and sleeping to work to pay rent, and on and on. It feels like an elephant in the room for a lot of people. We wrote it live on Twitch during the pandemic. Alice and I had bubbled and were doing songwriting streams, building songs to request. I really love it when a musical part apes the lyrical content, I think it's called "word painting"; I had a little guitar riff that constantly ascends like a shepherd tone and it was catchy so it stuck around.”

So far the band have already had backing from BBC Introducing, been featured on Spotify’s Hot New Bands and New Music Friday playlists, and have even had a song played on Made in Chelsea.

And summer looks set to bring even more Big Fear triumphs as the band play at Truck Festival in July, and get ready to unveil their debut EP ‘Career Day’. The final single to be taken from it, ‘Mildew’, is out now.

Look out for live shows as Big Fear take to the road to share their songs, and it seems there could be more new material in the pipeline as the trio also plan to head into the studio with Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Wolf Alice, David Gilmour) over the coming months.

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Shy Zer0 ft. Finessa - ‘Hard Times II’

Comprising themes around social justice, political commentary, as well as personal experiences from their time growing up in Reading, prior schoolmates and ongoing hip-hop comrades Shy Zer0 and Finessa dropped their collaborative track ‘Hard Times II’ earlier this year.

Finessa gives us the lowdown on how the ‘Hard Times ii’ came about; “The track is a collaboration with my close friend Shy Zer0. We went to secondary school together in Reading and he started making music in my bedroom studio in 2019 and his sound initially started out in the conscious hip-hop lane and has now evolved into the areas of conscious rave music which we are excited to currently be working on. I tend to freestyle my lyrics in order to keep my sound as authentic as possible but whenever me and Shy Zer0 link up, it forces me to write my lyrics down as his songs always have powerful messages behind them and I want to match his energy in this regard.”

Mixing and mastering all his own musical output, and always striving to bring a personal touch to each track, Finessa outlines the origins of his sound;

“My sound varies from psychedelic melodies to heavy metal inspired rap to soulful, jazzy conscious soundwaves. I always try and incorporate my lived experiences into my music by talking about the traumas of life and dealing with witnessing friends and family going through issues with mental health. I talk about the realities of life in my music; having grown up on a council estate and going on to university and now working full time, I want to inspire the next generation to understand that whatever they might be going through, life always gets better if you have a positive mindset. A lot of my music encapsulates the simplicity of just having a good time in life and not letting the stresses of life destroy everyday life.”

Already picking up airplay on BBC Introducing in Oxfordshire & Berkshire, Finessa is currently working on several different concept albums encapsulating diverse sounds. First off the blocks is ‘Late Nights in the Sea Volume 1’, unveiled at the end of last month featuring lead single ‘No Introduction’, an anthem to his hometown of Reading.

And hold on until later this summer when Finessa plans to drop his experimental project, ‘Metamorphosis’. The first video to be released from this will be ‘Rockstar Ish’, coming soon, so keep your ears to the ground.

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The Stray Pursuit - ‘Mess With My Head’

Smashing out of the gates with their exhilarating, gritty single ‘Mess With My Head’, Swansea band The Stray Pursuit are certainly turning heads with their rousing and anthemic rock ‘n’ roll.

Recorded at Longwave Studios in Cardiff with producer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me the Horizon, Holding Absence, Nova Twins), ‘Mess With My Head’ captures the chaos and intensity of young love. The four-piece explain how the track has evolved since it first materialised;

“It was actually one of the first songs we wrote as a band. Dylan came up with the riff and then Aaron took it home and came back with the melody and the words. It's changed a lot since we first wrote it though, the original was about 5 minutes long with 2 guitar solos in it! When we recorded it with Romesh, he transformed it into the tune it is now!”



Since the tragic death of the band’s first drummer Nicky Bevan in December 2022, The Stray Pursuit have been determined to keep creating music as tribute to him; “The devastating loss catalysed a renewed purpose for the band: to honour Nicky's legacy and prove our potential for greatness. He is missed dearly, and will be forever cherished by so many people.”

So far this resolve has seen the four-piece unveil their debut EP ‘Domino Effect’ in December 2024, play sold out shows, support the likes of Andrew Cushin, The K's, and Vida, and pick up airplay from BBC Radio Wales and Kerrang!

Over the coming months, The Stray Pursuit tell us they’ll be refining some new material for our aural pleasure; “We've been really focusing on songwriting the last few months, so it's just going to be more of the same. Just getting in the practice room and polishing out some ideas we have.”

Until then, you can catch them headlining at Swansea’s Bunkhouse on 6th June, as well as on the bill at Isle of Wight Festival later in the month.

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Anna Younger - ‘Girl Guts’

Beginning her journey into songwriting at just 11 years old, and eventually teaching herself music production skills, Scottish artist Anna Younger began releasing her own music in 2024 and hasn’t looked back.

Crafting indie pop/rock with elements of electronic and alternative, inspired by the likes of Kate Bush, Marina and Mitski, Anna’s latest single ‘Girl Guts’ started life as a ballad on piano but has evolved into the brooding, grungey song we hear today, and Anna divulges the motivating force behind the track;

“‘Girl Guts’ explores the challenges, transitions and pain of the female existence. It’s a song I’ve wanted to create for years but only recently found the words for. When I turned 20, I started to reflect on difficult parts of my childhood and teenage years, and how a lot of it led back to misogyny or trying to live up to certain standards.

I think there are many obstacles that women face at different stages in our lives, and even when we try to do what is right for us, there’s this feeling that nothing we do is correct or acceptable; if you have children, if you don’t have children. If you stand up for yourself, if you say nothing. If you gain weight, if you lose weight. There always seems to be a critical response to the way we live our lives. I think I got to a point where I felt that the expectations from society and loved ones were just impossible, and I wanted to analyse why I felt this way.”

With previous single ‘Perfume’ being crowned BBC Introducing Scotland’s ‘Track of the Week’, Anna is gradually picking up praise and support, release by release, as new fans and industry discover her music.

There’s more new material to come during the rest of 2025, and Anna is busy with her band in rehearsals as they work towards playing live shows soon. Watch this space!

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DR DR - ‘Vultures’

Manchester’s DR DR are turning heads with their raucous and riff-heavy rock music, which they vividly describe as “aggressive, in your face. But relatable, like a punch in the mouth from a family friend.”

Already invading the airwaves, so far their latest single ‘Vultures’ has picked up radio play from the likes of Alyx Halcombe on BBC Introducing Rock, John Kennedy on Radio X, BBC Radio Merseyside & Lancashire, XS Manchester and Amazing Radio.

Vocalist Fred Farell explains how the song came about; “‘Vultures’ is about the realisation that I know a lot of people but don’t necessarily have a lot of ‘friends’. It’s a self reflection on this time. In the song I use ‘the vultures’ as a metaphor for my darkest moments; “Where were you when the vultures came around?” There was a moment in my life where I nearly ended it. The reality is I didn’t actually want to die, I was just consumed by crippling mental torment and didn’t know how to handle such pain that had been building for years. It’s thanks to a very select group of people that I’m still here. They know who they are but I don’t think they will ever know how grateful I am. Although this song isn’t for them, it’s for my ‘friends’.”

Their current EP, also named ‘Vultures’ is out now and marks a high point for the band, and is hopefully on track to exceed their debut EP ‘Concussion’ which amassed over 100,000 Spotify plays.

“Honestly, the Vultures EP has to be our biggest achievement. So much time has gone into writing and recording, it's all been produced by our very own, unbelievably talented and devilishly handsome Tommy Gorton, and it's been great seeing the response. We've had some incredible reviews, national radio play, and loads of love from the fans. It's been overwhelming.”

With more new music and live shows on the horizon, make sure you keep it locked to DR DR’s socials for updates.

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