We've picked out the cream of the latest crop of new talent to join PRS for Music over the last quarter. Get to know them below...
London Grammar’s debut album If You Wait is a bold statement from a new British act intent on writing its own musical language.
Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman are behind the group’s enchanting electronica. The three-piece kept their music bound and gagged until a year ago so it’s testimony to the potency of their songs that they gained a large and loyal following in rapid time.
If You Wait first punctuated the charts back in September after the buzz of singles Wasting My Young Years and Strong. Heartbreak, longing and the trouble of teenage years are central concerns of a record which almost bleeds with wrought emotion. Hannah’s voice is at its heart - imperious and vulnerable, her vocals beautifully underline the chill and drama of the band’s music. Their collection of both ambient and angst filled songs debuted at number two and remained in the top ten of the album charts for a full five weeks until going gold.
The band’s 2013 achievements are continuing to mount up alongside their impressive debut. A collaboration with Disclosure – Help Me Lose My Mind – from the duo’s Mercury Music Prize nominated Settle, has also gained them much love while their latest release, Nightcall, is a reworking of French electronic producer Kavinsky’s cut from the brilliant Drive soundtrack. It shows off the group’s exemplary taste and winning way with a cover.
Live London Grammar have a reputation for leaving audiences transfixed and are back out on the road in the new year with sold out gigs lined up on both sides of the Atlantic. It’s unsurprising that everyone is talking about a hard-working band whose music so strikingly blends lyrical weight with raw emotion. With more material expected in 2014, it’s a conversation only set to get bigger.
www.londongrammar.com
Gogo Pengiun are a bold musical combo making music as striking as their choice of name. Pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner draw on influences as diverse and rich as Aphex Twin, Brian Eno and Debussy to inspire their rich, groove-laden, freeform blend of jazz and electronics. Their debut album Fanfares, was released to universal acclaim on Gondwana Records in November 2012 and was named jazz album of the year at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards. Their as yet untitled follow-up album is completed and expected to drop in early 2014.
www.gogopenguin.co.uk
www.gogopenguin.co.uk
Al-Hakam El-Kaubaisy, better known as Komi, is an artist, composer, music producer and songwriter from London. He is best known for producing and co-writing Naughty Boy’s smash hit La La La, an achievement which has seen him ranked as one of Music Week's highest selling songwriters in 2013. More recently, his production skills have also featured on X-Factor winner James Arthur's self-titled debut album. When he’s not writing songs or tinkering in the studio, Komi also studies Medicine at Kings College London with an eventual aim of researching the use of music in medicine.
The Wytches
Kristian Bell, Dan Rumsey and Gianni Honey are the Wytches, a three piece band from Brighton who make music somewhere in the darkness between goth and garage rock. The likes of Digsaw, Beehive Queen and Robe for Juda have helped them gain a swelling fan base in love with their raw showings and ‘surf and doom’ sound.
Earlier this year, the Wytches were announced as one of the first groups to benefit from the PRS for Music Foundation and Arts Council England’s Momentum Music Fund alongside the likes of Floating Points and These New Puritans.
www.thewytches.com
Emi Green
Aussie/Brit Emi Green is a new songstress to watch. Since inking her first publishing deal with Alberts Music (Gotye, ACDC, etc) back in 2011, she has travelled the world thrice over as a songwriter for hire, being behind a huge variety of releases from folk to hip hop.
With this wealth of musical experience under her belt, Emi is currently holed up crafting her debut album Letters and preparing to launch as an artist in her own right. Echoes of esteemed songwriters and artists Dusty Springfield and Leonard Cohen reverberate through her music while she is fast sounding like a season pop artist. Look out for a full length effort in 2014.
www.emigreenonline.com.
Aussie/Brit Emi Green is a new songstress to watch. Since inking her first publishing deal with Alberts Music (Gotye, ACDC, etc) back in 2011, she has travelled the world thrice over as a songwriter for hire, being behind a huge variety of releases from folk to hip hop.
With this wealth of musical experience under her belt, Emi is currently holed up crafting her debut album Letters and preparing to launch as an artist in her own right. Echoes of esteemed songwriters and artists Dusty Springfield and Leonard Cohen reverberate through her music while she is fast sounding like a season pop artist. Look out for a full length effort in 2014.
www.emigreenonline.com.
