Industry news & advice blog

Jemma Johnson - ‘Good Guy’

Identified by her own distinct sub-genre, ‘mardy pop’, multi-instrumentalist Jemma Johnson’s brand of alternative pop is certainly flourishing. Her current single ‘Good Guy’ is an empowering and infectious track and Jemma lets us in on the impetus behind the song;

“This one’s been sat in the wings for a while. It actually started life as a piano ballad demo, but as my sound evolved, the track evolved with it. It’s ended up as something a lot sassier and more confident. It’s about someone who looks like a ‘good guy’ on the surface but underneath, there’s something much darker going on. You almost want to feel sorry for them, but then you remember they completely messed you up. Writing this song felt like taking my power back.”

Already drumming up support in the blogosphere, Jemma has also been causing a stir on the festival circuit with performances at Tramlines, MiCannes Festival in France and the BBC Introducing Stage at Y Not. Her previous single ‘Love Rush’ was picked up by BBC Radio 1, and she’s also supported the likes of Charlie Simpson, Beth McCarthy, James Walsh, The Dunwells, Kezia Gill, Girlband!, Andrew Cushin, Tiffany, The Deep Blue, and more besides.

Luckily for us, Jemma plans to continue drip-feeding more new material throughout 2025, culminating in the release of her EP ‘Dark Side’ which will drop later this year. She’s also currently working on a new live set-up, so make sure you keep it locked for news of more gigs over the coming months.

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Yorke ft. Kaz Fuego - ‘Survival’

Joining forces with artist Kaz Fuego, alternative hip-hop producer and rapper Yorke has struck gold with ‘Survival’, a sun-soaked track that encapsulates Yorke’s wide ranging influences; taking in the intricate beats of Flying Lotus, the raw honesty of Kendrick Lamar, the deep-rooted rhythms of reggae to the folky calypso of his native Trinidad and Tobago.

Back in 2021, Yorke unveiled his debut EP ‘Peur Eternus’, followed by a string of singles including ‘mirrors’ and ‘nimwd’, which led to his first mixtape ‘Never In My Wildest Dreams’.

From there, he’s worked with producer Eyal on joint EP ‘There’s Something Going On’, and amongst releases Yorke has played shows across London, keeping it raw and direct with just a mic and DJ deck as he builds an intimate connection with his audience. As for blogs, his tracks have been picked up by the likes of Dusty Organ, Swidlife, Earmilk, Conversations About Her and Offie Mag.

Built around an old-school Eddie Okwedy sample, ‘Survival’ is the perfect tropical tonic to enjoy this summer. You can also check out Yorke’s single ‘DND’ which sees the rapper hitting Do Not Disturb—not just on his phone, but on his life.
 
With more new singles coming, Yorke is looking ahead to his most ambitious body of work to date, ‘Technicolour’, which will feature 12 tracks. Due to drop in September time, a headline London show will also be on the cards to coincide with its release so watch this space.

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CODYY - ‘Aquarius’

Unleashing his enchanting, melodic summer anthem that’s bound to be on-repeat in your brain after just one listen, singer songwriter CODYY’s single ‘Aquarius’ is an ode to love, connection and embracing new interests…even horoscopes.

CODYY elaborates on what brought the song to life; “I wrote this after getting back to London from a few weeks in Ireland. The weather was just starting to turn, and I was feeling full of love and inspiration. It’s basically a tribute to my then-girlfriend — everything she showed me, taught me, opened me up to. I made it all in my bedroom studio in Hackney.”

Across four releases, CODYY has bagged over 400,000 streams and has seen previous single ‘White Lightning’ reach #4 in the Irish charts. He’s supported the likes of Scouting For Girls, Gavin James, The Coronas, The Academic and Aslan, and was named as an ambassador for Yamaha Music London earlier this year. But the accolades don’t stop there, as CODYY reveals the pinnacle of his music journey to date;

“Some of my proudest moments so far include selling out headline shows in both Dublin and London. Hearing a packed room sing my lyrics back to me was something I’ll never forget.”

Summer 2025 is shaping up to be a big one so far, with CODYY booked for a run of Sofar Sounds shows, performing at Big Feastival in the Cotswolds in August, before wrapping it all up with his biggest London headline show to date at The Waiting Room in September. His debut EP will also drop that month and he’s as eager to unveil it as we are to hear it.

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Shadows of a Silhouette - ‘Temper Like the Weather’

Derbyshire band Shadows of a Silhouette showcase their raw alternative rock sounds on latest single ‘Temper Like the Weather’, although this track reveals a more brooding and introspective side, and - just like the weather - it fluctuates between a slow-burning intro with bluesy guitars before exploding into a ferocious and heavy chorus.

Recorded at Liverpool’s Motor Museum Studio with producer Al Groves (Cast, Bring Me the Horizon), ‘Temper Like the Weather’ sees the four-piece lean into a darker and more evocative element of their sound.

Frontman Nathan Brown describes it as stirring “a sense of hopeless stagnation — like being caught in an endless loop. The choruses feel like moments of breaking free from limbo, a fight against the mundane and monotonous, a desperate attempt to feel alive again.”

Already wielding an impressive number of Spotify streams, ongoing support from BBC Introducing East Midlands, the Derby Telegraph and RGM, plus a personal highlight of playing Y Not Festival’s main stage - one of the few unsigned acts to do so - the stage is indeed set for Shadows of a Silhouette’s debut album release later this year.

Before that we can look forward to some more single releases in the coming months and keep an eye out on their socials for news of upcoming gigs.

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Good Hugg - ‘On Fire’

Crafting synth laden, bedroom pop, singer songwriter Good Hugg draws on the cinematic nostalgia of John Hughes film scores and the artful production of 80s/90s new wave, skilfully weaving in his emotionally raw lyrics.

His single ‘On Fire’ perfectly demonstrates these influences, and Good Hugg tells us more about how the song was gradually formed into the version we hear today;

“‘On Fire’ came about in an unusual way. It was the very last track I finished on the record - and it was originally a demo called ‘Rosanna’ which I had been reworking again and again, trying to find the perfect world to frame the song in. Rosanna was a completely different vibe apart from a few very key sounds/moments. After months of chipping away at it, I tried flipping the whole thing and keeping the very basic elements, ensuring that at the core of it was a really truthful and expressive song. Once I started with that fresh perspective, the rest of the track was finished within hours. I actually learnt a lot about what makes a ‘good’ song from that - it totally goes against the idea that the best songs happen within 30 minutes because this was a weird thing that was born out of another different thing.”

Good Hugg’s current collection of pop gems ‘Six Two - The Mixtape’ has earned some much deserved attention, with BBC Introducing in the South East offering continued support and airplay, plus ‘On Fire’ has made its way onto Spotify’s ALT/POP playlist; a feat which Good Hugg is pleased to have achieved under his own steam.

“It has been a really big step for me as an artist, especially given that I did it without management or a label. I naively assumed that it wasn’t possible to get on editorial playlists without some sort of secret ‘insider’ knowledge or connection so this really affirmed my faith in what I’m making. I’ve also been in touch with some really exciting producers who have been really supportive so far.”

So what can we expect from Good Hugg over the coming months? “I’m going to be releasing more singles to follow up the mixtape - these new records are really special. I’m excited to add fuel to the fire and let those flames grow!”

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