The folks at SoundOn have asked us to compile a playlist of our tips for 2022,
so we've selected 22 of the artists and bands that we think will make their
mark over the next twelve months and who we're looking forward to hearing what
they do next. We've selected artists and bands that haven't yet released their
debut album. We'd love to hear in the comments who you recommend and who you
think we've missed.
VLURE
The Glaswegian five-piece are the band we're most anticipating in 2022. With
their debut EP Euphoria due for release in January and a tour supporting White
Lies running from March, the first few months of the year look set for them
already. High-energy, fusing the best of rock and dance music into something
that hits you hard and immediately and makes you move involuntarily and with
lyrics that really get to the crux of the human condition and the insecurities
and fears that affect us all, seeking music and friendship as the most
powerful and often only release, they look set to be one of our favourite
bands of the year - as indeed they were in 2021.
VLURE are on Facebook and Twitter. The Euphoria
EP is out on January 14, with vinyl to follow in March. They tour with White
Lies in March.
FIKA
Fika, aka Alanah (guitar and vocals), Eva (bass and vocals) and Gracia
(drums), hail from Leeds and whilst they only have one release to their name
so far, they're high on our must-see bands in 2022 such is the overwhelming
power of their single Change that was released in August. Friends who've seen
them in Leeds attest to the fact they've got a raft of other great songs to
compare with it and can cut it live too. Looking forward to catching them
early in the new year.
ODD MORRIS
Dublin's Odd Morris have been on our radar for a couple of years and like most
upcoming bands had their progress checked by the pandemic. Their May 2020 show
in Manchester finally happened in November as did the release of their
wonderful debut EP Cityscape The Ballet that followed up a series of singles
that made their mark. Like many of their Dublin contemporaries they sing about
their city and the mental health issues facing people these days, but they do
it in a more restrained manner that gets under your skin and is even more
affecting for it. Silhouette, a song about not living up to the expectations
placed on young men by society, was one of our favourite songs of 2021.
WYCH ELM
wych elm are a Bristol four-piece fronted by Caitlin who
utilises violent and uncompromising imagery in her the lyrics that
makes them a hard listen if you pay it the attention it warrants but they
paint a true reflection of how misogyny and violence impact the lives of
women. The music will draw you in, sparse one second, claustrophobic and
cloying the next, unpredictable enough to ensure your undivided attention as
to where it goes next or whether it’ll suddenly come to a crashing halt.
Their songs often last less than two minutes - as on this year's powerful
Rabbit Wench EP - but less is very much more.
THE RED STAINS
"You'll either really love The Red Stains or despise them with a passion" was
a statement we made way back in November 2019 as the formative band played
their early shows. A couple of years on, plenty of lipstick graffiti around
the toilets of the Northern Quarter and a line-up change behind them, 2021
culminated in a sold-out show at Manchester's Castle Hotel and a growing sense
of community as well as purpose around them. Their live shows are still as
chaotic as ever, with Natalie very much living for the moment each time she
steps on stage, but there feels like the momentum is finally behind them as we
head into 2022.
HATES TALKING
Hates Talking have only released one single and played one gig - a sold out
debut at Gullivers in Manchester in November, but those of us who've heard
some of their demos think this might be the band that allows front man Sam
Carson, formerly of Lunar, to finally fulfil the potential we've always seen
in him. Stepping out the shadows of some of his influences with a band that
matches his ambitions - Alix Marriott (guitar and backing vocals), Lewis
Belle (bass) and Chris Storer (drums) - they will be looking to unleash new
music and more live shows onto a yet unsuspecting public.
SOOT SPRITE
Soot Sprite describe themselves as "shoegazey bedroom rock" and the Exeter
trio - Elise (guitar / vocals), Sean (bass / backing vocals) and Tom (drums) -
already have three impressive EPs under their belt since they formed in 2018.
Their most recent Poltergeists has pretty much sold out of its initial run of
500 and showcases a band that is finding its stride and creating music that's
more than a match for more celebrated proponents of the genres that they label
themselves with.
BULLET GIRL
Describing themselves as "noise punk" from Dublin, Bullet Girl are a ferocious
live band as evidenced on their recent first tour of the UK and securing
number 3 in the Irish Times list of live gigs of 2021. Their 2021 single The
Hunt followed up four in 2020 and set their bar higher. With a number of yet
unreleased tracks ready to unleash on an unsuspecting public and people in the
know on the Dublin scene tipping them for great things, it's going to be
difficult to ignore them in 2022.
SOLIS
Solis has been our radar for a number of years since we saw her support
Blossoms at a tour warm-up show at Yes in Manchester. Since then she's played
a number of impressive support slots as well as the open mic circuit as she's
recorded her debut album which is finally scheduled for release early in 2022.
With singles Jigsaw and more recently Sunday making a favourable impression
this year thanks to her rich evocative and emotional vocals coupled with the
ability to craft songs that accentuate them, it's one of our most looked
forward to releases of next year.
PIXIE CUT RHYTHM ORCHESTRA
Dublin's Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra released two singles - I Didn't Love You
When I Said I Did And Don't Know and Empty Envelope - in 2021 after a
two-year gap. Comprising of singer / guitarist Sarah Deegan, drummer Danni
Nolan and bassist Alice Grollero, the band, named after a haircut, combine
softer vocal melodies with harder instrumentation to compelling effect.
SPRINTS
Sprints are another band to cross the Irish Sea and make their mark in the UK.
Signed to Nice Swan Records with who they released their Manifesto EP earlier
this year, the "garage noise four piece" as they describe themselves are also
proving to be prolific as they ready the release of their follow-up A Modern
Job in March from which they've already previewed the title track and How Does
The Story Go as well as another UK tour to build on the rooms they sold out in
October and November.
They play Manchester Yes Basement (February 24), Leicester Soundhouse (25),
Cambridge Blue Moon (26), Brighton Hope & Ruin (28), Bristol Strange
Brew (March 1), London Moth Club (2), Dublin Whelan's (4) and Belfast Voodoo
(6)
ENGLISH TEACHER
Six singles in, including 2021's trio of R&B, Wallace and their most recent Good Grief, and a series of support slots have won English Teacher lots of new fans and plaudits as a band to keep a very close eye on in the next twelve months. The Leeds four-piece fronted by Lily Fontaine stand out from the crowd by dint of her vocals and the drama that the band put into these three-minute assaults on the senses.
TEEN JESUS AND THE JEAN TEASERS
Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers hail from Canberra, Australia and the
four-piece have been around for six years since forming whist still at school.
With infrequent releases since then that helped build a fervent local
audience, they've really stepped up their game with their two 2021 singles
Ahhhh!, which has been on rotation on Australia's number one indie station
Triple J, and its follow-up Miss Your Birthday.
BLANKETMAN
Signed to PIAS for the release of their debut EP National Trust that spawned
singles Beach Body and Leave The South, Blanketman have continued to develop
their sound and their live presence since bursting onto the scene with their
debut single The Long Arm Of Entrapment back in 2018. New single The Signalman
has already had Radio 1 and 6 Music airplay and is set to be released as part
of a double A-side package with as-yet-unheard track Yard Sale in early 2022.
PROLETARIAT
2021 was the comeback year for Proletariat, who disappeared off the face of the earth just as it seemed they were about to become a dominant force. Powered on by front man James Cummins' seemingly irresistible desire to prove a point, the prolific band have released a series of singles that have shown that there's more to them than met the eye with their first incarnation. Recent single Losing Control Is A Beautiful Thing took the foot off the accelerator pedal and showcased a softer side than we're accustomed to. They've been recording down at Carl Barat's studios in Margate so a lot more is expected from them in 2022 including their biggest headline date so far at Gorilla in Manchester in May.
ROSELLAS
Rosellas are another prolific band from around Manchester and they recently finished a productive 2021 with their biggest headline show, a sell-out night at the Deaf Institute. Championed by Saul Davies of James after appearing at the Music Feeds Festival that he curated online at the start of the year, they've released an impressive set of singles - The Face Of Many Others, Before The Storm, Common Ground, When This Has All Blown Over and Damaged - as well as that rarity b-sides which stand up to the lead track.
NEWDAD
Galway's NewDad (one word) have seemingly burst on to the scene out of nowhere and seem to be heading on a steep trajectory, moving from Yes Basement in Manchester straight to Gorilla bypassing the standard circuit venues in between. Having achieved 6 Music playlisting with debut single How in 2020, their single Blue preceded their debut EP Waves this year and they finished the year with a new track Ladybird which has won them even more admirers after a sold-out UK tour. Another new single Say It is out January 11 and precedes their Banshee EP that is out in February to coincide with another tour.
CRUSH
Crush describe themselves as "fuzzy euphoria fresh from Dreamland" and are not afraid to reference their love of the shoegaze scene in their social media. Their music has progressed across six singles since they formed after meeting at BIMM in 2019 with their latest singles Chewed and So Strange winning them more admirers and lifting their name from support slots to headlines in Manchester and further afield, starting with a show at Yes in February to follow-up their triumphant support to NewDad there late this year. With a raft of unreleased songs that surpass their recorded output to date, they look set to make waves in 2022.
SEB LOWE
Seb Lowe burst onto the scene via Tik Tok where he has over 100k followers.
It's a format ideally suited to his short acerbic observations on the nature
of humanity, politics and people's love of self-promotion above everything
else. His ability to perfectly craft them to music is apparent from his debut
EP Half Decent which came out late in the year. With live shows planned for
early 2022, he's very much one to keep an eye out for to see how he develops
from an internet artist to people being able to see the whites of his eyes.
SISTERIX
Sisterix - sisters Ornait and Siomha - hail from Dublin and recently
released What Will I Wear To The Revolution - their first single in over a
year, a scathing look at the contrast between wanting to look good on social
media and also making the right noises politically at the same time. They've
previously taken aim at the oppressive nature of church-dominated society and
the way women are treated in that on singles The Family and Asking For
Trouble.
LOOSE ARTICLES
Loose Articles have had a busy 2021, appearing on Football Focus and securing
an opening slot with Foo Fighters at Old Trafford next summer as well as
releasing singles Buses and Kick Like A Girl and launching their own line in
Loose Articles FC football tops. They've also developed from a chaotic live
act to something more polished and powerful without losing the raw
energy of their early shows.
EGYPTIAN BLUE
Like many of their contemporaries Egyptian Blue deal with the toxic male
behaviour of keeping their emotions inside and not dealing with them. Across
two EPs Collateral Damage and Body Of Itch, they've proved themselves to be
direct and abrasive. After a year or more of radio silence they re-emerged
with Salt in the autumn of this year, the first taster from their debut album
scheduled for early next year as well as a nationwide tour.
Egyptian Blue are on Facebook and Twitter.
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