TOP 10 INDIE ROCK - 06/05/2022
NUMBER 1
Drew Thomas - San Francisco
London, United Kingdom
Drew Thomas has swooped in to take the top spot this week with his new release! “San Francisco is about a long term relationship and the sickening feeling you get when you miss someone you love. It started off as a classic piano ballad but the more I played it, the more I realised it was a rock song at heart.”Taking inspiration from The Killers, Bon Iver and Radiohead, Drew’s knack for writing arena sized choruses and nostalgic lyrics steals the listener’s attention immediately, merging passionate vocals and emotional soundscapes with a darker twist, spilling tales of rejection, broken relationships and
addiction. Drew is currently managed by Grizzly Sounds and is looking for a record label & publishing deal.
Drew has written and recorded over 300 songs for himself & others. He has amassed multiple
songwriting credits writing for; Tom Walker, Benji Reyes and Kovic to select a few. This is such a great song and the songwiting is top class! Make sure that you click the link below!
NUMBER 2
Neon Fields - Shelter
Warminster, United Kingdom
Neon Fields was formed in 2020 by Ed Barrett (lead vocals), Luke Russe (drums) and Piers Ward (keyboards/guitar). ‘Shelter’ began life in 2021 as a project called ‘In The Bunker’. This name inspired the group to write lyrics centered around a family forced to go down into an air-raid shelter. The story is told from the point of view of the father determined to hold it together for the good of his family, despite the fear and desperation he feels inside. Although 'Shelter' has a very specific theme, it was meant as a metaphor for putting on a brave face and hiding your fragile emotions for the good of your family. That we can find ourselves trapped in the darkness, trying to convince ourselves that it will all be ok. Ed tried to capture all of these emotions when recording the vocals. This is such a well thought out piece of storytelling and we loved it!
NUMBER 3
The Kid and I - Fade Away
London, United Kingdom
The Kid and I is a London based Alternative Rock Band. Formed in 2020 during lockdown, The Kid and I blends pop rock with introspective lyrics, an array of influences from Foo Fighters to Elliot Smith - The Kid and I explores hard hitting subjects accompanied by catchy melodies and upbeat rhythms. Returning with their latest single, The Kid and I return with new alternative rock piece ‘Fade Away’. Featuring big riffs and a twisting dark pop melody, ‘Fade Away’ delves into the psyche of someone imbedded in self destructive isolation. Touching on the topic of isolation, anxiety and self loathing whilst being delivered at break neck speed, ‘Fade Away’ is a new direction for the band - taking on heavier influences whilst still containing the big catchy choruses and introspective lyrics that they’ve become known for. This amazing new track will be available on 13/05/22 so click the link below to follow!
NUMBER 4
Mountains of Jura - Mountains of Jura
Los Angeles, United States
Los Angeles-based shoegazers, Mountains of Jura, look to explore the confines of the genre. The familiar layered guitars and reverb-soaked vocals are present, evoking the dreamy bliss of Slowdive, and the minimalist beauty of Sigur Ros, while adding dynamic shifts that recall the more edgy leanings of Mogwai. They are back in support of their new self-titled album which bridges that gap between ambient meditation and post-rock exploration, all while keeping songwriting and melodies at the forefront. Check it out, it's so good!
NUMBER 5
Shawn Chasten - When You're Gone
San Luis Obispo, United States
Shawn Chasten is back with his brand new track titled 'When You're Gone'. Full of heartfelt lyrics, we were really moved by this one. When asked about the inspiration behind his writing he let us know the following: "I wrote this song during a 6 month period spend alone in Costa Rica. It wrote itself towards the end of the trip, being a culmination of so many emotions I had been suppressing for so long. This was also the first song where I had really experienced the song writing itself, hitting a flow state where some deep subconscious took over and made this piece of art." I really felt the rawness and truth behind the lyrics.
NUMBER 6
Vintz Desert - Enemy
Bethesda, United States
Vintz Desert is an indie folk singer-songwriter located in Maryland. While serving in the Marine Corps, Vintz fine-tuned his craft and discovered his voice and passion for telling stories and sharing emotions through song. After releasing his debut EP “through the smoke; a liar” which features his top streaming song “Love in Boston”, he relocated to the east coast where he opened up for folk rock band Oliver Hazard. He plans on releasing his next ep "The Blue Journal" May of 2022. He can be described as “beautifully melancholic” and focuses on direct relatable stories. His soft spoken and raspy voice transfers his pain and experiences from him to his audience. This is a lovely powerful duet song featuring Laura Lucas that tells a story about wanting to wait on loving someone until you are the best version of yourself that you can be.
NUMBER 7
Jacob Rountree - Walk A Mile
Bozeman, United States
Jacob Rountree, is a Singer-Songwriter/ Alternative Folk group offering a very dynamic sound. On June 3rd, Jacob and the band will be celebrating the release of his brand new album, “As I See It.” Jacob Rountree’s songwriting style is best described as passionate, hypnotic, multi-dimensional, poetic and diverse. His new album has been deeply analyzed and reworked for nearly three years and it is finally time to come together and celebrate Rountree’s largest production and most collaborative release, “As I See It." His current release entitled 'Walk A Mile' really got out attention during our search this week so make sure that you don't miss out. Click the link!
NUMBER 8
Jack the Owl - Calling
Den Haag, Netherlands
Jack the Owl, a wise but playful Owl, from The Hague, NL. His music guides you through themes such as loneliness, isolation, self-acceptance, love and connection in a spacey and energetic way. Showing you the duality of life, flying through darkness and entering the light. Giving hope. Growing up listening to the 90s rock bands such as Weezer, Blur and Oasis, inspired him to play music. Starting in local bands formerly known as The Hague Idiots & Forever Saturday. Discovering more about music while maturing. Trying different genres and starting to produce music from the basement. Blending his roots with Modern Psychedelia and Bedroom pop, 'Calling' is a song about going after what you always wanted but were too afraid to do. This song is there to encourage people to stand up for themselves and to go after their dreams.
NUMBER 9
Alta Falls - Trust Me
Brisbane, Australia
After a string of singles and a debut EP in 2021, Alta Falls are kicking off their year with an Aussie Rules-inspired indie electro-pop anthem, ‘Trust Me’. ‘Trust Me’ combines masterful lyricism packed with double entendres with a newfound sense of conviction, building on Alta Falls’ debut EP, ‘The Fire’. The track takes you through a narrative of its own, not just through the lyrics but with the instrumentals which rise and fall with the peaks of the story — eventually culminating to a frenetic yet flawless keyboard line. Alta Falls may have released their debut EP only a matter of months ago, but they aren’t slowing down any time soon. Rumour has it a new EP is already in the works, and if ‘Trust Me’ is anything to go by, it’s bound to be an electro-pop delight, packed with that Alta Falls synthy charm.
NUMBER 9
Mark Remmington - Radio Esc.
Kings Lynn, United Kingdom
This tune, "Radio Escape" is at its core about the rollercoaster ups and downs of an aspiring independent artist. Mark Remmington informed us of his narrative - "All you really want to do is create music that you love, in the hope that it may inspire others too; so above all, you want to get played on the radio... of course there's that secret hope that the whole thing will take off, and if it does, well then there's your means of "escape", there's your means of control to move on to a new phase in your musical life." The whole track is centred around a driving bass line, a beat and little bit two hand tapping guitar trickery. This absolutely blew us away over at TJPL and so, we had to include this track this week!
NUMBER 10
No Vacancies - Cant Say
Manchester, United Kingdom
Though having assimilated effortlessly into an eclectic Manchester music scene, incendiary indie-rock two piece No Vacancies began back in 2017 as the very epitome of a DIY garage band. The duo starting life recording tracks in a Birmingham garage, the blueprints of the
band were drawn up. Having bonded years ago over a shared love of '60s and '70s rock'n'roll, it was only a matter of time before lead singer Will and drummer George started making music together. It wasn't until their move to Manchester in 2018. From there, they haven't looked back. This track needs to be heard so go have a listen!