A new year means exciting fresh faces. You know how it works. Head below to get acquainted with some of the artists we think will be shaping the musical conversation in 2017.
The Big Moon
The Big Moon are a high energy indie rock band from London. Having formed in late 2014, the band spent 2016 supporting the likes of Mystery Jets and the Maccabees while ushering a string of super catchy singles into the world. Their debut album, ‘Love In The 4th Dimension’, is set to hit shelves in April 2016 via Fiction Records and they will support it with a tour the same month. Enquire within for earworms aplenty.
Listen To: Cupid
Catholic Action
Catholic Action create indie pop with a post-punk edge. This Glaswegian outfit released their debut single, L.U.V., in early 2016, and followed it later in the year with Rita Ora, which earned them a nod from the pop singer. They head out on tour in February 2017 and are expected to release their debut album later in the year.
Listen To: Rita Ora
Girl Ray
Garage-pop trio Girl Ray features Poppy Hankin, Iris McConnell, Sophie Moss and Emily Craste, whose clever melodies and vocal harmonies intertwine seamlessly when backed by a fuzzy lo-fi sound. In 2016 they released the singles Trouble and I’ll Make This Fun, eventually signing to Moshi Moshi at the end of the year. They are expected to release their debut album in 2017.
Listen To: Trouble
Shame
Shame are a post-punk band that channel the sparse, bleak melodies of the Fall with poetic and political lyrics delivered by frontman Charlie Steen. The south London band have supported Fat White Family and Slaves on tour and introduced themselves with their debut track, The Lick, in late 2016.
Listen To: The Lick
Creeper
These south coast punks have slowly but surely built one of the most devoted fanbases anywhere in the UK. Their blend of breakneck tempos and Jim Steinman-indebted drama will coalesce on their debut album, 'Eternity In Your Arms’, this spring, upping the theatrics further after a string of increasingly ambitious EPs. The band will tour the UK in March.
Listen: Suzanne
Kehlani
This year is likely to find Kehlani converting momentum into a spot at the forefront of modern R&B. ‘SweetSexySavage’, her debut, is out on January 27 and is set to eclipse the waves already made by her mixtapes and the inventive choreography of her videos. Kehlani is set to play UK shows in March.
Listen: CRZY
Pumarosa
Pumarosa are a hypnotic indie-dance band featuring captivating frontwoman Isabel Munoz-Newsome, whose passionate on stage performance revolves around some enchanting dance moves. They released their debut single, Priestess, in 2015, following it with Honey and Cecile the following year, as well as a slot supporting Glass Animals. They have already recorded tracks for their debut album, which is expected to be released this year.
Listen To: Priestess
Bossy Love
Bossy Love are a Glaswegian duo consisting of Amandah Wilkinson and John Baillie Jnr, who in a past life were members of indie bands Operator Please and Dananananaykroyd. Switching musical directions, the pair have now teamed up to create smooth pop tracks with tropical beats and R&B vocals. In 2016 they unveiled tracks such as Call Me Up, Wind Me Up, and Want Some.
Listen To: Call Me Up
Ray BLK
Ray BLK’s cocktail of slick R&B and pop nous has already scooped her the BBC’s Sound of 2017 gong and the hype isn’t misplaced. Her mini album, ‘Durt’, was released towards the tail end of last year and fused features from Stormzy and Wretch 32 with instrumentals not a million miles from Ed Sheeran territory. Ray Blk is set to play London’s Village Underground in February.
Listen: My Hood
Strong Asian Mothers
Strong Asian Mothers create alternative dance pop with an eclectic mix of influences ranging from hip hop to jazz. Consisting of Kalim Patel, Josh Stadlen and Amer Chadha-Patel, the trio formed in 2012 but didn’t release their debut EP, ‘Lynx Africa’, until 2016. They are expected to release their second EP in early 2017, followed by their debut album.
Listen To: Out Of Love
Raye
Raye is an electro-R&B singer-songwriter from London. After attending the BRIT school, she released her debut EP, ‘Welcome to the Winter’, in 2015, which was followed by another EP, ‘SECOND’, in 2016. She came third in the BBC’s Sound of 2017 list and will play London’s XOYO in February.
Listen To: I, U, Us
Casi
Welsh singer-songwriter Casi, who’s now based in London, released her debut single, Lion, through Chess Club Records in 2016 and followed it with a slot supporting MØ. Combining cinematic grandeur with electro pop and breathy soprano vocals, her tunes are both ethereal and impactful. Her plans for 2017 include curating a soundscape exhibition for the National Eisteddfod and performing at The Great Escape Festival.
Listen To: Lion
Breathe In The Silence
Breathe In The Silence are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow local boys Funeral For A Friend. Formed in 2012, the band released their second EP, ‘Hold My Heart’, in September 2016. They head out on a joint headline tour with DIVIDES in February and March and are set to record their debut album in 2017.
Listen To: Hold My Heart
Blood Youth
Blood Youth are a melodic hardcore band from Harrogate, consisting of vocalist Kaya Tarsus, guitarist Chris Pritchard, bassist Max Dawson and Sam Hallett on drums. Formed after the disbandment of Climates, the band released their debut EP, ‘Inside My Head’, in 2015, followed by a second EP, ‘Closure’, in 2016. They are set to release their debut album in 2017.
Listen To: Closure
Milestones
Milestones are an emo punk outfit who caught the eye of Fearless Records in 2016, leading to them releasing their debut EP, ‘Equal Measures’, later in the year. The band are set record their debut album in 2017 and will support With Confidence on their European tour in February and March.
Listen To: Call Me Disaster
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