On 15th September, Vincent J Rigney released ‘Squeezed to the Bone’.
Blues artist Vincent J Rigney is based in Northamptonshire, England. Vincent is highly regarded in his home town of Corby (which is nestled in the heart of England’s East Midlands). Now he has now released his second single, ‘Squeezed to the Bone’. It is taken from his long awaited EP, ‘Songs from the Water Tower’.
You can follow Vincent J Rigney on Insta, Facebook, SoundCloud and Twitter.
Also on 15th September, Fischer-Z released ‘The Hamburg Beat’.
Fischer-Z are a British group and main creative project of singer, guitarist and poet John Watts. In 1982 John temporarily dissolved Fischer-Z and started a solo career under his own name. His 42-year career as Fischer-Z includes 22 albums, thousands of concerts worldwide and album sales in excess of two million. In recent years John Watts has developed a reputation as a multimedia artist, poet and playwright. He has amassed an impressive and eclectic range of creative work characterised by verve, warmth and humanity.
In the summer of 2022, John Watts headed to a secluded studio in the south of France armed with a collection of songs informed by his recent success as a solo performer. Accompanied by some old and new friends, the aim was to get back to basics and showcase the raw elements that had made his solo performances such a success. That is, John’s voice and his unique style of guitar playing. With that in mind, the acoustic guitar became the driving force behind the project. It became the anchor that allowed John freedom to explore a wide variety of themes and musical styles without losing any sense of cohesion.
The ‘Tryptich’.
Exploring themes such as Love, Power and People, the project examines how each of these themes can act as both a positive and negative force with the power to either support & elevate, or to suppress & suffocate. With these distinct themes, it felt only natural to release the project over the course of three EP’s under the blanket of ‘Tryptich’ with each EP exploring its own individual theme.
EP1: LOVE
EP2: POWER
EP3: PEOPLE
The first release will be the single ‘The Hamburg Beat’ from the EP1: LOVE. Released digitally on the 15th of September, the single will be accompanied by a music video shot in black and white and entirely on location, the film is a visual homage to the city of Hamburg, as it follows a lone protagonist (John) journeying across the city.
Fischer-Z are on Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, Apple and YouTube.
Megan Nic Ruairí released ‘The Woods’ on 15th September.
Singer-songwriter Megan Nic Ruairí is captivating audiences once again with her new single, ‘The Woods’. Released on September 15th, this single marks the start of an exciting year ahead of releasing new music and performing as a solo artist.
With a deep connection to Irish traditional music but intertwined with contemporary sounds, Megan has created her own unique style that showcases her ability to blend romanticized love stories and themes of self-exploration. ‘The Woods’ offers a powerful journey through her inner conflicts and triumphs, wrapped in a melody that has lingered with her since the age of 14.
About ‘The Woods’.
In ‘The Woods,’ Megan masterfully weaves a conversation between two versions of herself – one filled with happiness and the other grappling with identity and emotions. The lyrical simplicity of the song showcases the duality she experienced, unsure of which version truly represented her essence. The metaphor of the woods becomes a vessel for her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Megan’s personal struggles with identity, emotions, and health have shaped her musical evolution. She courageously shares that she has been diagnosed with PCOS, a hormonal disorder often overlooked in women. This diagnosis led to years of physical and mental challenges, including misdiagnoses of mental health conditions. After receiving treatment and finding new found harmony with her body, Megan has emerged from this battle stronger and more self-assured than ever before.
Megan shares, “Releasing this song from such a positive place has allowed me to finally claim back my power, confidence, and sensuality, which had been tucked away for long enough. My love for nature has always been a crutch, and the woods became a metaphor for who I am. This song is a conversation between the happier and sadder versions of myself, and I now welcome both in, with no judgement.”
You can follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter and Insta.
Rosie Zinfandel released ‘Chase Me’ on 20th September.
Rising drag star Rosie Zinfandel has released the first track in what is to be a very exciting music career. Having performed live across the world for over 6 years, this darling diva has been biding time until the eventual production of her own music.
‘Chase Me’ is a charmingly cheeky view into life as a drag queen and how the attention she gets isn’t quite what she bargained for. In a perfect blend of comedic writing and stylish musicality, ‘Chase Me’ is a song that walks the line of being a disco pop anthem for the girlies that party and a good giggle about a very niche experience.
Rosie is currently in pre-production for her first music video for ‘Chase Me’ which will absolutely hammer home the concept for listeners and stun with a truly immaculate pop disco diva visual.
Rosie has a linktr.ee page from which you can stream ‘Chase Me’ and connect to all her social media.
Maverick are celebrating UK Coffee Week with the release of ‘I Love Coffee Culture’ on 11th October.
Maverick, the virtual reality band, are launching with their first song, ‘I love coffee culture’, to coincide with UK Coffee Week (16th – 23rd October).
Maverick’s singer songwriter, John Cristal comments, “Coffee culture is such a great way of bringing people together. When you walk into a coffee shop and look around you can see all the different social interactions going on. Coffee is so versatile, whether it’s having a flat white in the shop, a latte on the go or just sitting outside with a cappuccino and a croissant, enjoying the morning sun and watching the world go by. Personally, I love my morning coffee, the whole coffee culture scene and the coffee making ritual – and that’s what stimulated me to write this song.”
Interesting coffee facts:
- Coffee drinking in the UK has just overtaken tea as the nation’s favourite drink.
- According to the Statistica Global Consumer review, some 4 per cent more people in the UK drink coffee more regularly than tea.
- Almost double the number of packs of coffee were bought in supermarkets than packs of teabags. (Source: Kantar)
- There are 25,892 coffee shops in the UK vs 12,215 clothing retail stores. (Source: Statista)
Maverick have a website, at mavericksongs.com, and are on YouTube.
Sorcha Richardson released ‘Map of Manhattan’ on 20th September.
We’ve previously heard ‘Shark Eyes’ (Week 56, July 2022) and ‘Jackpot’ (Week 84, February 2023) from Sorcha Richardson. Now the claimed singer-songwriter is captivating audiences once again with her latest single, ‘Map of Manhattan’. This evocative track offers a poignant exploration of the complexities within relationships. It delves into the anxieties and intense emotions that unfold over the course of a single night.
Sorcha reveals, “‘Map of Manhattan’ began as a quick demo recorded in New York on a day off on tour in March. It came together over a few days in Belfast this summer and it was one of those songs that sort of appeared almost fully formed from the start. It’s about second guessing yourself, or someone else, in a relationship, and how the intensities and fears of that relationship play out over a single night. It’s sort of about bracing for heartbreak, not because you think it’s coming, but because it’s the thing you fear the most.”
This release marks a significant moment in Sorcha’s career as she prepares to make her US and Irish tour. This milestone follows a string of successes, including a triumphant European and U.S. tour, and an acclaimed cover of her song ‘Shark Eyes’ by Ellie Goulding.
Tour Dates:
15 October – Washington, DC, US, Union Stage
16 October – Philadelphia, PA, US, The Foundry Philadelphia
18 October – Brooklyn, NY, US, Elsewhere
20 October – Cambridge, MA, US, Sonia
22 October – Toronto, ON, Canada, Drake Underground
23 October – Detroit, MI, US, Lager House
24 October – Chicago, IL, US, Beat Kitchen
25 October – Minneapolis, MN, US, 7th Street Entry
27 October – Denver, CO, US, Larimer Lounge
30 October – Vancouver, BC, Canada, Biltmore Cabaret
31 October – Seattle, WA, US, Fremont Abbey Arts Center
1 November – Portland, OR, US, Holocene
3 November – San Francisco, CA, US, Bottom of the Hill
5 November – Los Angeles (LA), CA, US, The Echo
25 November – Galway, Ireland, Roisin Dubh
29 November – Dublin, Ireland, National Concert Hall
30 November – Limerick, Ireland, Dolans Warehouse
8 December – Cork, Ireland, Live at St Luke’s
Tickets are available from her website, at sorcharichardson.com, and you can follow Sorcha on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
Malin Andersson released ‘Ships In the Night’ on 22nd September.
Swedish NuFolk artist, Malin Andersson, sings about personal insights and the interplay between life’s clock & the celestial constellations in her hauntingly beautiful third single ‘Ships in the Night’. It is from her upcoming album ‘Space to Feel’, and is a song about the whirlwind experiences of falling in & out of love while questioning whether you’re in the right place at the right time.
A gentle acoustic arrangement is cloaked with ethereal pads & soft vocal harmonies over which Malin laments about whether to trust in the process. She explains, “Throughout my life, I’ve carried a sensation of being either “too late” or “too early” with my insights, constantly questioning if I’m in the right place at the right time. I’ve often pondered if the choices are within my control or if I should simply trust a Higher Power. This song is about falling in and out of love, reflecting on the interplay between life’s clock & the celestial constellations.”
The release of Malin’s second album ‘Space To Feel’ is due in early 2024. Plus there are upcoming gigs in Rotterdam (4th Nov), Berlin (5th Nov) and at Sweden’s Future Echoes Festival (21st Mar) with more to come.
Malin has a website, at malinanderssonmusic.com.
Marsha Swanson released ‘Not You’ on 21st September.
We’ve previously heard ‘In Parallel’ (Week 103, June 2023) and ‘Facing Life’ (Week 112, August 2023). Now she’s released ‘Not You’.
Marsha Swanson is a singer/songwriter from London. Drawing inspiration from classic songwriters, mixed with orchestral soundscapes, she delivers her own brand of grown-up pop. Describing her music as “romantic realism”, Marsha’s songs are serious but also hopeful. This approach to art best summarized by the famous Thomas Hardy quote “If a way to the better there be, it exacts a full look at the worst”.
Marsha’s forthcoming third studio album, ‘Near Life Experience’ will be released early in 2024.
Marsha has a website, at marshaswanson.com, and is on Facebook, Insta, Spotify, YouTube and Apple.
‘Eve’ is the title track from Precious Pepala’s début EP which dropped on 22nd September.
We’ve heard from Precious Pepala – her début single ‘My Eyes Only’ (Week 58, August 2022) ‘Looking for Trouble’ (Week 70, October 2022) and ‘Voices’ (Week 79, December 2022) – which all appear on her new EP. It is a diverse group of nine songs, including three new unreleased tracks. The powerful focus track, also titled ‘Eve’, comes with a cinematic music video. The video was shot in a church in Precious’ hometown, Sheffield, UK.
At only 18 years old, Precious consistently displays emotional maturity far beyond her years through her lyrics and music. She also taps into the universal feelings of her own peers. Each song on ‘Eve’ has a relatable message. Whether it’s the fear of oversharing on ‘Fifth’, experiencing isolation on ‘My Eyes Only’, or feeling smothered on ‘Bubble Wrap’. Throughout the EP, Precious homes in on the skilled way she is able to comment on the far-reaching societal issues she witnesses. She talks about fear of walking alone as a woman on ‘Looking For Trouble’. Plus the acceptance she feels is lacking for kids growing up on ‘Eve’. Each song on the EP is sonically diverse, and yet cohesively talks about issues that are important to Precious in a mature, ambitious tone.
Precious says herself, “My EP ‘Eve’ is a compilation of the music I’ve spent the last two years of my life writing, the emotions I’ve experienced and the subject matters that I’ve felt compelled to address. The process of writing these songs has been therapy for me and if anyone who listens can find comfort in them then that would be amazing! Each song has a special place in my heart and I’m so excited to be sharing them with the world.”
Precious Pepala is on Apple, Spotify, Facebook, TikTok, Insta, and YouTube.
‘Momma Mia! I Made You Some Sangria!’ is from Quiet Marauder’s new album ‘Introducing Malcolm Del Monte’.
Cardiff-based, DIY-folk-pop collective, Quiet Marauder, are set to release their 5th album on 27th October 2023. This follows on from their madcap, 111-song début album, ‘MEN’ (2013). Plus the more recent ‘Tiny Men Parts’ (2020) and ‘The Gift’ (2021). It continues their long-established relationship both with their label, Bubblewrap Collective, and Canadian collaborators, The Burning Hell.
Recorded in a Snowbird Studios’ pop-up in Lourinha, Portugal, ‘Introducing Malcolm Del Monte’ continues the band’s fascination with high concepts and musical, album-length storytelling. At its core, it is an album about self-identity, isolation, and our innate fluctuations as human beings. Set during the pandemic, the album’s a very loosely autobiographical (read: almost entirely false) account of band leader Simon M. Read’s day-to-day life during COVID lockdowns with partner, Kadesha Drija, and imaginary friend, Malcolm Del Monte.
Choosing to largely avoid the topic of the pandemic altogether, ‘Introducing Malcolm Del Monte’ instead charts the highs and lows of these living arrangements. These range from outrageous daytime drinking (high) to disagreements on the nature of perversion (low). The first half of the album covers Malcolm’s emergence and ultimate expulsion from the house. With his absence being sorely felt, the second half sheds light on the alternative voices looking to fill that Malcolm-shaped space. These include: a murderous green giant; a despondent Milk Tray Man; and a broken-necked, hypersexual Jet from Gladiators.
The lead single, ‘Momma Mia! I Made You Some Sangria!’.
The album will be preceded by lead single and video ‘Momma Mia! I Made You Some Sangria!’ on 22nd September, as well as ‘Milk Tray Man’ in early October. The full LP will hit the market on 27th October with a launch show in Tiny Rebel Cardiff on 17th November. Introducing ‘Malcolm Del Monte’ will be available on vinyl via Bubblewrap Collective’s online shop, as well as through Bandcamp, and at a range of independent record stores. It will also be available on digital formats and via streaming services.
Quiet Marauder have a website at quietmarauder.co.uk, and you can follow them on Facebook, Insta, Spotify and YouTube.
A recording of the show is available on MixCloud.
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