Tag: birmingham

OUT TODAY: Artist/Producer/Writer Christof Jennings returns with sensual earworm ‘Taking Over’

After a short hiatus from producing critically-acclaimed projects, including ‘Ghostin’ and ‘Excuse Me’ from his debut project ‘The Damian Mixtape’, CHRISTOF JENNINGS makes a sensuous return with single, ‘Taking Over’, released today (14th February) on Bandcamp.

Perfectly timed for a Valentines release, ‘Taking Over’ is a steamy slow-burn that has been quietly waiting in the archives for its moment. Originally produced for an indie record label, the track was shelved due to creative and personal differences, leading Christof to part ways with the label before the song ever reached the spotlight — until now.

Reimagined and reclaimed, ‘Taking Over’ is a stripped-back, Motown-esque soul offering that drips with intimacy and restraint. The track pulses with raw desire — an overwhelming attraction so powerful that words begin to fail. Serving as a tantalising preview of his forthcoming EP ‘XLV’, slated for release later this year, the single signals a confident and seductive new chapter for Christof.

Beginning his career as a vocalist, Christof toured across the UK with function bands The Young Drifters and The Benidorm Stylistics before turning his focus to music production. He honed his craft at ACM Birmingham and Tileyard Education London, earning both a BA (Hons) and a Master’s degree in Music Production. His creative momentum surged after securing a place on the Sony Writing Camp in 2021, where two of his co-written songs were later featured on hit TV shows, Love Island USA and Hollyoaks.

Puffed with a new-found confidence from his time at Sony writing camp, Christof dropped his debut project, ‘The Damian Mixtape’ in 2022, collaborating with various upcoming artists from and around his home city in Birmingham. ‘The Damian Mixtape’ received widespread accolades from reputation blogs, magazines and radio stations across the globe. Standout R&B track ‘Ghostin’, performed by Nigel Hinds, topped the CHBN radio’s The Playlist chart for four consecutive weeks while ‘Excuse Me, performed by Zara Sykes, was aired on BBC Radio London, where Jacqueline Shepherd praised Christof’s production prowess.

After a brief sojourn in his native Canada, where he collaborated with a number of artists further expanding his skill as a composer and writer, Christof felt it was time, invest in HIMSELF.

Despite his burgeoning music journey, Christof occasionally allowed the demons to creep in with insecurities and low self- esteem, which held him back. Now that he has pushed those demons aside, Christof Jennings is more than ready to step into the limelight. His new sultry single, ‘Taking Over’ – out today(14th February) exclusively via Bandcamp – marks a bold and unapologetic  chapter in his journey. Check out the lyric video below:

Follow Christof Jennings via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/christof.jennings
IG: https://www.instagram.com/christofjennings
Website: https://durhamrecords.com/

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OUT TODAY: Nigel Hinds closes 2025 with Soulful New single, ‘No Ordinary Love’

UK’s R&B crooner NIGEL HINDS ends 2025 with a sensual and heartfelt declaration of devotion with emotive single, ‘No Ordinary Love’, out today (18th December) across all leading music platforms.

Radiating a warm, soulful glow, ‘No Ordinary Love’ weaves vulnerability with passion, capturing the moment when two people are drawn together by a love that resonates in the soul; a celebration of love that truly stands apart.

‘No Ordinary Love’ follows Nigel’s single ‘Ghostin’, which earned firm support from radio stations across the UK, US, Canada and Australia. The 2022 edgy R&B cut spent four consecutive weeks at #1 on CHBN Radio’s The Playlist chart in the UK.

Hailing from the culturally-rich city of Birmingham, Nigel Hinds discovered his passion for music at a very young age. Raised in a local Seventh-day Adventist church, he developed both the discipline and deep appreciation for vocal artistry that continues to shape his career today.

Nigel first gained national attention performing his feature single ‘Fire’ alongside Corey (S-Man) Campbell on a UK tour in partnership with the West Midlands Fire Service, raising awareness on fire safety. He later expanded his reach internationally with a solo tour in China, further showcasing his global appeal.

His debut EP ‘Gotta Get’ (2014) introduced listeners to his smooth, distinctive R&B style—one that has since earned him repeated invitations to perform at prestigious venues and theatres across the UK. Throughout his career, Nigel has shared the stage with iconic British acts including Lemar, Mica Paris, Heatwave, Soul II Soul, and Basement Jaxx.

Now, Nigel returns with renewed confidence and clarity, delivering a bold and intimate declaration of love with ‘No Ordinary Love’—a fitting close to a landmark year and a compelling preview of what’s to come.

‘No Ordinary Love’ is available from today (18th December) across all major music platforms.

Connect with Nigel Hinds via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/nigelghinds
IG: https://www.instagram.com/nigelhindsofficial/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nigelhindsofficial


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New Lease Music’s New Music Round up – 05/12/25

Welcome to the fifth edition of NEW LEASE MUSIC’s New Music Roundup, your new weekly snapshot of great music from indie and unsigned artists! This week, we have two standout upcoming singles, so be sure to pre save and share like crazy!

NEW LEASE MUSIC’s New Music Roundup will now be featured on Fridays. If you are a indie or an unsigned artist and would like your music featured on the list, send your music links and a short info about the release to submit@newleasemusic.com, with NEW MUSIC ROUNDUP in the subject line.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy the music!

MARYAIANNE & ME – CHRISTMAS WISHES

MARYAIANNE & ME have taken us on an emotional journey through love, heartbreak, and toxic, one-sided relationships. Now, the duo are switching things up and bringing some festive cheer with their new single ‘Christmas Wishes’, available this Sunday (7th December) on all major platforms. Why not get into the Christmas spirit and pre save here.

NIGEL HINDS – NO ORDINARY LOVE

UK’s R&B crooner NIGEL HINDS ends 2025 with a sensual and heartfelt declaration of devotion with emotive single, ‘No Ordinary Love’.

Radiating a warm, soulful glow, ‘No Ordinary Love’ weaves vulnerability with passion, capturing the moment when two people are drawn together by a love that resonates in the soul; a celebration of love that truly stands apart.

‘No Ordinary Love’ is coming out 18th December. Pre save it here.

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OUT TODAY: British R&B artist Ricardo Williams returns with his latest project, ‘4×7 (Four by Seven)’.

RICARDO WILLIAMS‘ new project, ‘4×7 (Four by Seven)’, was created in a remarkable 7-day challenge. Featuring a unique mix of Christmas and R&B sounds, the EP includes two soulful R&B tracks alongside two festive songs, each offering a fresh twist on Christmas music. Known for embracing challenges, Ricardo has previously pushed the boundaries by writing, recording, and releasing a single within 24 hours. However, ‘4×7 marks his boldest venture yet: completing an entire EP in just seven days.

The EP’s focus track, ‘Till The Day We Die’, showcases Ricardo’s rich R&B sound and storytelling style that fans have come to love. With 4×7, Ricardo set out to source the instrumentals, write the lyrics, record vocals, and publish a full EP in a single week.

He describes the experience as both exciting and freeing. “I just really wanted to jump back into the swing of things, and how better to set myself a challenge to create a body of work or EP in a short amount of time,” Ricardo shares. “Letting go of perfection and just giving the audience exactly what they want is good R&B music.”

With a distinct take on Christmas, 4×7 blends the festive warmth of the season with Ricardo’s signature R&B soul, creating a genre-blending experience that is both celebratory and introspective. The EP reflects Ricardo’s artistic growth, exploring the contrasts between festive cheer and deep R&B grooves.

‘4×7 (Four by Seven)’ was released today (26th November) on all major streaming platforms…why not check it out below…

Must Listens: ‘Till The Day We Die’, Coming Home For Christmas

Follow Ricardo Williams via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/iamricardowilliams
X:https://x.com/iamricardow
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamricardowilliams

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Genevieve Miles returns with shoegaze-y broken-hearted catharsis in ‘howl’

GENEVIEVE MILES’ psychedelic indie fusion continues to take on new levels of depth with shoegaze and rock influences taking the forefront in new single ‘howl’. Inspired by the likes of Talking Heads, Slowdive and Courtney Barnett, this new single continues her evolution and maturity, as “a true artist of today’s generation” (Local and Live). This single marks the first time Genevieve has recorded with her whole band in the studio, as she finally moved back to her spiritual home of Birmingham at the start of this year. The grit of recording in Digbeth truly shines through on the track, produced by Jo Cartledge, amongst a scene of exciting upcoming bands in Birmingham such as Gingham, Jazzcat and pip.

On the single, Genevieve says: “this has always been our favourite to play live, I am beyond excited that we can all finally cry and scream together at home to this song, one I wrote at ground zero of a broken heart.”

After the triumphant release of last year’s EP, So heavy, so hard to hold, Genevieve has been busy forging new expressions within her music. The EP, which offers “a sonic embrace to all who listen” (Unrecorded) was featured in BBC Introducing’s Top Tracks of 2023, listed in Dead Good Music’s top ten EPs of 2023 and gained spots on Amazing Radio’s Indie and Easy Listening playlists. Lead single ‘Good’, was first launched on a Hyundai advert in 2022 and has since accumulated over a million views.

Following the success of this EP, Genevieve has spent the past year in the studio, as well as performing around the UK, including notable festival slots at Camp Bestival and Wychwood Festival, supporting Megan Wyn in London, and headlining a packed out show at Birmingham’s renowned Hare and Hounds. She’s also received endorsement from exciting brands such as Goose and Gander.

BBC Radio have consistently supported Genevieve since 2019, including a slot at BBC Introducing Live, their joint showcase with Birmingham Music Awards (2020), the digital BBC Airwaves Festival (2021). All this support culminated in playing their stage at Truck Festival (2023).

Overall, 2023 was an exciting year including her first UK tour, a slot at a fringe event of The Great Escape Festival and playing Big Retreat Festival. Her wide range of influences was also celebrated when Fontaines D.C. shared her acoustic cover of their song ‘I Don’t Belong’ for the online Rock the Breadline fundraiser.

On the live experience, Genevieve says: “I love throwing myself around on stage and shouting as loud as I can: it’s for all those years that I stayed quiet, didn’t get mad, people pleased. This is the time of the wild woman: we are loud, emotional, ALIVE.”

Genevieve is also celebrating the release of ‘howl’ with a gig held at The Yard, a cosy space in Moseley, Birmingham. It promises to be a stripped-back set next to a log burner, an intimate night which will mirror the raw intimacy of the new single.

Upcoming gigs:
3rd November – Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath (supporting Danny Mellin)
13th December – The Night Owl, Digbeth

Connect with Genevieve Miles via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/genevievemilesmusic/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/genevieve_miles/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@genevievemilesmusic
X: https://x.com/genevievemiles_

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