Industry news & advice blog

Tiny Vessels - ‘Know That You Are Home’

They may be relative newcomers to the indie rock scene, but Cambridge band Tiny Vessels are already turning heads with their infectious and energetic sounds which draw inspiration from the likes of Bloc Party, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Tokyo Police Club. Their single ‘Know That You Are Home’ was produced by Lower Than Atlantis’ Mike Duce, and has picked up airplay from the likes of Kerrang! Radio, BBC Introducing and Cambridge 105.

Although jaunty, the band share the surprising meaning of the song; “The track was written by our singer Harry. Although it is a very fast and upbeat song, the meaning behind the lyrics is quite sorrowful. It is about the loss of loved ones, knowing that situations and pictures will change, but the memories will remain forever. It's a love song for anyone who has lost someone incredibly special to them.”

Tiny Vessels have relished a fantastic 2025 so far, which has also seen them play their first European show on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, as well as finding the time whilst there to record a few tracks in the Italian countryside surrounded by olive trees. Back on home turf, they’ve also played two sold out shows in Norwich and Cambridge.

Before the year is out, the band will unveil a new single this month called ‘Torn’, complete with accompanying music video. You can also catch them playing live at The Junction in Cambridge for Shiny New Model festival on 11th October.

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Phoebe Coco - ‘Machine’

Straddling the line between alternative and contemporary folk, singer songwriter Phoebe Coco also adds a twist of performance art and a mix of electronic and organic instrumentation to give her sound a truly unique flair. And as a committed ecological activist, Phoebe is well versed in using her music to bring attention to environmental themes.

Telling us about her striking single ‘Machine’ Phoebe explains the song’s unconventional journey; “It was born out of an art school audio-visual performance which explored the blurred lines between nature and technology. Machine then evolved into a fully fledged song about reconnecting with the more-than-human-world and was shaped being played at many environmental protests across the UK. The studio recording was recorded in two stages at Abbey Road Studios and completed at Tostada Studios with Eduardo de La Paz, who co-produced it with me where I got a plethora of talented musicians to come and play on the track, including the blood harmonies of my mother and sisters where we sang together, hand in hand.”

Picking up praise and airplay over the years from the likes of BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, Hoxton Radio, and playing sets at Shambala Festival and Iceland Airwaves, plus most recently at We Out Here performing alongside Sholto, Phoebe has a very grounded approach to her accomplishments; “Honestly, it's an achievement and an honour just to keep on creating music in today's world. Every show or a release I've ever done, I've learnt something. I aim to keep learning and stay curious.”

Next on the agenda is the release of Phoebe’s latest EP ‘I Am Not A Machine’, due out on 13th October and a stripped back version of ‘Machine’ on strings and harp as part of Goldsmiths Music Studio Sessions compilation and podcast will be revealed. This Autumn will also see her unveil her collaborative song ‘Smooth Sailing’ with Sholto on Deep Matter Records. And she’s also recently completed her next environmentally themed project which will be fully announced in the coming months.

In the meantime you can hear more about ecological genres of music on Phoebe’s monthly radio show 'The Phoebe Coco Eco Show' on Voices Radio and keep an eye on her socials for details of some very special London shows in unusual places.

Photo credit: Iona Sherwood

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LEAZES - ‘Sun’s Out’

An exhilarating indie anthem ideal for seeing out the summer in style, Newcastle band LEAZES deliver an addictive dose of escapism with ‘Sun’s Out’, which perfectly sums up the ethos of the five-piece who describe their perspective to making music as “steering away from the negativity and shining a brighter light on life’s simple pleasures.”

And on their single ‘Sun’s Out’ and the catalyst behind it, LEAZES tell us; “It’s about chasing sunsets, forming new connections, and soaking up every carefree moment with the ones that mean the most. The track appeals to the spontaneous and childlike excitement that comes with summer.”

And this carefree attitude certainly aligns with LEAZES’ sudden growth and whirlwind success since playing their first ever gig 18 months ago. During this short time, they’ve sold out every hometown gig, and have supported the likes of The Enemy, The Rifles and The Pale White, picked up support from BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio UK & USA and Future Hits radio, playing Come Together Festival, plus a main stage slot at Hardwick Festival after being crowned winners of The Road to Hardwick Battle of the Bands.

As the band continue to smash their way through milestone after milestone, they have lots ahead to look forward to. A brand new single ‘Melissa in Action’ dropped recently, their biggest headline show to date is set for 31st October at The Grove in Newcastle, and LEAZES are currently back in the studio “conjuring up plenty of goodies for later in the year.” We can’t wait to hear what they have in store.

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Pager - ‘2PAGEU’

Blending the maximalist approach of hyperpop with the angst of 2000s pop punk and emo, production duo Pager, made up of childhood friends Jaye State and Matt Davies, have dialled back the angst on their single ‘2PAGEU’ to craft a captivating, yet quirky, pop gem.

Matt explains how the track came to life; “Unlike a lot of our songs which are built up remotely between us, we were together at Jaye’s flat in Liverpool when creating this song. While we wanted to ensure the song has a grounded subject matter of online relationships. It’s definitely one of the most playful songs we’ve written and we had a lot of fun seeing how many ‘pager’ mentions we could fit into one song.”

Having spent the last couple of years building up a vast catalogue of songs, Pager have recently started drip-feeding releases every couple of months, and so far have picked up coverage from the likes of Plastic and CLOUT Magazine, as well as featuring on Spotify’s ‘New Pop UK’ playlist and getting airplay on BBC Introducing.

Pager’s most recent single drop is their self-remix to ‘2PAGEU’, and as the songs keep on coming, behind the scenes the pair are preparing their live set-up as they plan for debut shows later this year, so keep it locked on their socials for updates.

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H is for Hawk - ‘Hello Morning’

Inspired by Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver, Si Connelly’s latest music project H is for Hawk is a collective effort whose sound has been forged whilst playing around the UK, and as Si expresses; “Our general sound is quite ethereal and glistening. We wanted to capture a distilled feeling within these songs.”

Their debut single ‘Hello Morning’ is a charming, melodious and disarming song, and Si tells us more about how the track was crafted; “Hello Morning is kind of our nursery rhyme. I actually think a lot of kids like it for that reason. The lyrics are inspired and built around a lot of old English idioms and sayings, playing with nursery rhyme themes.”

Although it’s early days for H is for Hawk, Si Connelly has been a devoted figure on the UK independent music scene over the years, and has previously released plentiful solo material; a whopping 12 EPs in 2022 and 3 albums in 2023, as well as heavily touring the UK as special guest to Ocean Colour Scene, Dexys Midnight Runners, Space and Skipinnish.

So far, H is for Hawk have made considerable strides playing live and connecting with new audiences. They’ll be heading to the studio shortly to record their second single, due out in the next few months. In the meantime, if you’d like to experience one of their enigmatic performances for yourself, you can catch the collective playing at How The Light Gets In Festival at London’s Kenwood House on 21st September.

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