Industry news & advice blog

Sixth Wonder - ‘Death Departed’

With their debut EP ‘Prologue’ fresh off the press, djent pop alt metal band Sixth Wonder have been capturing the attention of BBC Radio 1’s Alyx Holcombe, BBC Introducing in Scotland, Spotify’s All New Metal playlist, Backseat Mafia and more. Their current single ‘Death Departed’ was recently crowned Track of the Week on BBC Introducing Rock, and the Glasgow fourpiece tell us more about the meaning behind the track;

“Death Departed was probably the easiest of the four EP tracks to write, as this was our liberation song. It tells the story of escaping detriment at the hand of another. It speaks on the freedom of leaving a bad situation and feeling the warmth of the brightness on the other side. Death Departed is our goodbye to everything we’ve outgrown.”

Since winning the Scottish Alternative Music Award for Best Metal in 2023, a huge high point for the band, they’ve released stand-alone singles ‘Escalate’ and ‘BRUTAS’ in 2024, as well as playing internationally for the first time the same year, and supporting the likes of Dream State, Fearless Vampire Killers, and Future Static along the way.

Sixth Wonder are now primed and ready to share their debut 5 track EP far and wide. They’ll be playing an all day festival at Six Six Bar in Cambridge on 23rd August, alongside Eschalon and Defences. But hold tight for the band’s debut hometown headline gig at Glasgow’s Garage Attic on Friday 19th September; “It’s the only show we’ll be playing our EP ‘Prologue’ in its entirety, and we’ll be pulling out all the stops with this show to make it one to remember.”

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Elly Hopkins - ‘Animal’

Fresh on the block, singer songwriter Elly Hopkins unleashes her second single ‘Animal’, a moody, driving and distinguished take on alt country, instilled with elements of blues, prog and grunge.

On the origins of the track, Elly tells us; “It's somewhere between a meditation and a wake-up call. I wrote it when I was feeling swamped by negative thoughts and memories, dark things in my life that felt like burdens. I don't think I'm alone in experiencing that. It's a reminder to me and to you that we are living, breathing animals.”

After unveiling her debut single ‘Cecile’ in June, Elly has already pricked up ears and received solid reviews from the likes of Listen With Monger, Bristol 247, Tonic Grain and Phonograph Me.

Having already earned her stripes in previous years as a jazz vocalist and fronting bands across iconic stages including the Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury Festival, Boomtown, and on BBC Radio live sessions, Elly has earned a stellar reputation for her powerful stage presence.

Fortunately for us, we won’t have to wait too long to see her solo era play out on the live circuit. Elly and her band will be announcing some Autumn dates across the South West imminently, but already in the bag is a headline show at The Waiting Room London on 23rd October.

A 5 track debut EP, also named ‘Animal’, which was recorded at Humm Studios in Bristol is also on the horizon. Described as a fiercely personal body of work, we can expect it to land by the end of this year, so keep it locked for further news.

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Mojo JNR - ‘thinkingaboutyou’

If I told you an artist existed who had crafted a song about his puppy’s first day out at the beach, and who summed up his sound in the following way; “I’d imagine if I were friends with Bob Ross he would describe us as having ‘happy little tunes’”, you’d be keen to hear more, right?!

Mojo JNR, the bedroom indie-rock project of Josh David-Read, who plays live with his 5 piece band, has also heard his music described as “The Vegan Carpenters”, and, perhaps more logically, as “a dreamy summer soundscape”.

Current single ‘thinkingaboutyou’ certainly oozes laid-back, sunny vibes and Josh explains how the song came to life; “The track came together unconventionally… we recycled drum takes from an old session that got discarded, and relooked at a demo that just didn’t stick. We slowed everything down and mellowed out the track and built it from there. The music was complete before the lyrics, which is a strange thing as I normally have lyrics ready to go before.

Lyrically it’s an ode to a beach day with my dog, Norman (follow my Instagram for regular dog updates). It was his first beach day as a puppy and also, less importantly, my birthday. It was the depths of winter when I wrote it, probably to make me feel better.”

With positive feedback from Clunk Magazine, BBC Wales’ Bethan Elfyn and Mystic Sons, other highlights for Mojo JNR include supporting The Bug Club across 3 shows in South Wales, as well as playing their first arena show for Music Venue Trust’s House Party event at Swansea Arena.

‘thinkingaboutyou’ is the first single to be unveiled from a brand new EP set to drop in Winter, but in the meantime we can look forward to more new singles coming our way. Mojo JNR also plan to hit up some intimate venues later this year, with dates in Port Talbot, Cardiff, Newport, Bristol and Brighton already in the bag.

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The Public Eye - ‘Gently’

Derby band The Public Eye are flourishing as their infectious indie rock, complete with the trifecta of driving guitars, brooding vocals and emotionally honest lyrics, turns heads.

Current single ‘Gently’ was recorded with award-winning producer Ben Harper, who the band have been working closely with since January 2024, at the iconic Motor Museum in Liverpool (Oasis, The 1975).

“This track was written after a long evening in the hazy calm of a close friend’s room and is our own reflection on youth, friendship and the bittersweet pull of home. The lyrics try to capture the emotional weight of growing up together but also apart - it is a soundtrack for coming of age.”

Racking up some pretty impressive achievements so far, including selling out multiple shows on their first ever headline UK tour last year, and supporting the likes of The Reytons, The Mercians, and Kelsy Karter & The Heroines, the band now have a new EP on the horizon (their first since 2022!), so it looks like the opportunities and accomplishments are set to continue.

But most important of all to The Public Eye is the ongoing support from their die-hard fans; “One thing that we’re especially proud of is the loyal, high-energy fanbase we’ve built in our hometown of Derby. We’ve sold out every hometown show to date and each one gets bigger and better every year. That support means everything to us!”

So with their biggest hometown show to date coming up on 30th August at The Hairy Dog in Derby, a new tour in the works, and that hotly anticipated EP, be sure to keep your beady eye on The Public Eye.

“We’ve grown a lot both musically and personally since our last EP release, so we genuinely can’t wait for people to hear where we’re at now.”

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Bethany Weimers - ‘Heartbreaker Police’

Citing musical influences such as Agnes Obel, Sharon Van Etten and Nick Cave, singer songwriter Bethany Weimers describes her sound as 'atmospheric alt-folk goes pop', although her latest EP ‘The Story I Breathe’ veers away slightly from her folk roots to embrace a more electronic, synth-laden vibe.

The opening track of the self-produced EP, ‘Heartbreaker Police’, has been a long time in the making; initially sketched out in the aftermath of a dramatic break up over a decade ago. Those demos were unearthed more recently, coinciding with Bethany being awarded Help Musicians' Skills & Development and Record & Release funds with a plan to improve her production and mixing skills whilst finishing the record. And lo and behold ‘Heartbeaker Police’ finally came to fruition.

Receiving praise along the way from the likes of Fresh on the Net, One Note Forever, plus airplay from her local BBC Introducing station, BBC 6 Music and Amazing Radio, Bethany has already experienced some stand-out moments, not to mention playing a packed-out show at the National Portrait Gallery in London and an intimate house concert tour in Germany.

But beyond that Bethany divulges that the journey to making ‘The Story I Breathe’ has been the most rewarding experience of all; “Years ago when I made a demo of Heartbreaker Police I knew how I wanted it to sound but didn't yet have the production skills to make it happen. So on one level, following my vision and making this EP on my own terms is one of my biggest achievements as an artist!”

Keen to get back to the studio, with more sonic storytelling to come, Bethany aims to start work on new material soon, as well as getting back in front of live audiences, something she’s missed enormously. Fortunately, there’s some shows on the horizon, as Bethany goes back to her acoustic roots to perform at Cecil Sharp House on 4th October as part of the EFDSS Black British Folk Takeover curated by Angeline Morrison. Following that she will be playing a hometown show in Oxford on 14th December 14th for In A Different Place all-dayer festival.

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