Tag: BBC Introducing

Song of the Day: They Look Just Like They Know – Michael Baker

MICHAEL BAKER‘s first release of the year, ‘They Look Just Like They Know’, is a stirring acoustic piece of delicately plucked strings, rich reverb and cinematic movements, all of which steers the listener’s attention to Baker’s tender vocals and penchant for storytelling.

As with previous single, ‘Baby Books’, the Brighton songwriter once again turns to the subject of mental health, signified by the line “the mind can be a deadly place,” which Baker sheds further light on in the quote below:

“I wrote ‘They Look Just Like They Know’ when I had moved to Brighton after spending a couple of years of living in my Van and moving around. This song is a melancholic ponder on both the comfort and discomfort of memories, and how sometimes, in the darker times, your own home can feel strange and unfamiliar. It’s the difference between feeling at home in your mind, and feeling trapped in it.”

‘They Look Just Like They Know’ also follows previous single ‘Past The Evening’, which was premiered by Clash Magazine, who described it as “a tender return, showcasing the songwriter’s deftness of touch, and his gilded use of colour.”

Previous support for Michael Baker has come from BBC 6 Music , Youtube and Spotify Tastemaker Alex Rainbird with ‘One God Damn’, The Independent with single ‘The Steady & The Stuck’, and was selected for BBC Introducing London’s Artist of the Week . Michael also supported Sarah Jarosz at Union Chapel, performed at the inaugural Black Deer Festival and completed a UK and European tour back in November 2019.

Have a listen to his latest stunning piece below…

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BBC Future Sounds Artist HYPHEN Brand New Single ‘Stand Back’ Addresses Overcoming Depression

Following a brilliant year playing BBC Introducing Live, Reading & Leeds Festivals; as well as multiple shows for Sofar Sounds, London based, alternative hip-hop artist, ​HYPHEN returns track ‘Stand Back’.

Using his music as a platform to maintain a conversation on mental health, Aadarsh Gautam, Aka. Hyphen,​ frequently finds solace in songwriting and is not afraid to address and share his personal aperture. To spread a positive impact, he has single handedly raided over £6.5k for New Horizons a charity that works to alleviate homelessness in London. He also performed for Sanctus, a mental health charity, to raise awareness for depression in young men – given how close an issue it is to his heart.

Speaking on the track, Hyphen explains: “I’ve talked a lot about mental health in my music, and that always tends to focus on the bad parts (being depressed, anxious etc.) but I wanted to do something which is about feeling good about yourself, looking in the mirror and feeling like you’re doing alright. The world is terrible place in so many ways – I love how some songs can put you in a good mood regardless of that. I wanted to try make song that had that impact.”

In just six months he has gathered quite the collection of accolades. His single ‘We’re OK’, written during a dark time in Hyphen’s life when he was struggling with his mental health, was picked up by London Evening Standard and received national radio play on BBC Asian Network who tipped Hyphen as ‘The Future of British Asian Hip-Hop’. Hyphen also appeared on Metro’s Mental Health podcast Mentally Yours, to share his battle with mental health and how music helped shape his future.

Follow up singles, ‘​Ice Cold’ and ‘Feels Right’, also ​saw national radio play from BBC 6 Music, with legendary radio presenter To​ny Robinson saying, ‘You’ve got a great career ahead of you’. Further afield, all three tracks have gained momentum at ​BBC Introducing​, which led to ​Hyphen ​playing the ​BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals​, and ​BBC Introducing Live.

It’s time for you guys to ‘Stand Back’ and listen to the single…

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Brandon Rivers Returns With ‘Delete My Number’

Following his appearance on the blog with track ‘Girlplay’ last June, R&B smooth bad boy BRANDON RIVERS is back with his latest single ‘Delete My Number’.

Speaking of the release, the 23-year-old singer/songwriter says: “Delete My Number was written about the notion of ‘ghosting’ and the role it seems to play in attempting to form relationships within my generation. Like all my music, it was written from an autobiographical perspective. I think it’s now a normality that if someone is removed from your life completely from any social platforms, they are no longer a part of your life at all, how I used this track to translate this idea is through its imagery, using race, jealousy and fairly obscure references to William Blake, Byron, Richey Edwards and even Usain Bolt to convey the concept that it’s easier to get over someone by removing them completely from your life, as sad as that may be.”

Brandon has already been heralded by BBC Introducing as “One To watch” with his blend of ‘after-dark pop’ which have seen him grace the stages of Bestival and Victorious Festivals, building a loyal fanbase by performing at venues across the UK.

As a multi-instrumentalist, Brandon thrives on being different. Being alternative was something instilled at birth for Rivers, being a mixed-race kid from the New Forest on the South Coast of England. Growing up on 90’s R&B and House mixtapes along with early 00’s Indie, Brandon began making music from a young age. His unique mix of Trap, Pop and Alternative R&B has drawn comparisons to artists such as Drake and Ariana Grande.

This promising hot property has a packed schedule for 2020, with ‘Delete My Number’ the first of many releases, with a number of festival slots of be announced shortly.

‘Delete My Number’ is out now…check it out below…

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Song of the Day: Common Sense – Teri Eloise

Just in time for Summer with a perfect mix of laid-back island vibes and emotionally laden lyrics, British Trinidadian singer/songwriter TERI ELOISE presents her third single, ‘Common Sense’ into today’s limelight.

Speaking of her latest release, which received a seal of approval by BBC introducing, Teri says: “While writing Common Sense, I was reflecting on past relationships and remembering the many instances where my love/infatuation for others blinded me to a point where I was allowing myself to be used and mistreated. This song is me taking a step back and asking myself, where’s all my common sense? Why am I allowing this?”

Accompanied by colourful and trendy filter-infused visuals which highlights Teri’s playful side, ‘Common Sense’ follows her last release, ‘Lose Myself’ backed by a feel-good beat and infectious chorus.

Teri is set to perform this breezy banger alongside her female empowering debut single ‘Blossom’ and soulfully sweet ‘Lose Myself’ today (1st August) at Camden’s Dublin Castle.

Check out the video for single, ‘Common Sense’.

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Upcoming Release: Girlplay – Brandon Rivers

Having already been featured as a ‘One to Watch’ by BBC Introducing and having performed newcomer sets at Bestival, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist BRANDON RIVERS is set to release his flirtatious R&B afterhours number ‘Girlplay’ tomorrow (14th June).

Taking influence from the sexually charged vibes of Prince, the midnight sound of The Weeknd and the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, ‘Girlplay’ encapsulates the ‘boy meets girl’ sensationalism within East London nightlife, using the nightclub setting, which is commonplace in Brandon’s music, to help enhance the intimate yet tumultuous nature of his soundscape.

Speaking of this upcoming single, Brandon explains: ‘’Girlplay is a track I wrote during a period where I was going out a lot in East London, it’s inspired by a lot of the typical female characters I witnessed in nightclubs….The track is about a night in particular when I was finding myself being drawn to someone who was extremely narcissistic and using their own sexuality as a way to make people do as they pleased, I wrote the lyrics in the nightclub that same night.’’

Check out ‘Girlplay’ below:

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