5 Songs from Emerging Artists & Bands

These days, there are hundreds of new, upcoming artists; bands each week who create great music, yet do not get enough attention or recognition from the public. These musicians are not in the spotlight nor are they the guests of talk shows on television. That is why I decided to give the following emerging artists, with their five different songs, some exposure in this article. I believe these musicians should be getting full support from the music industry.

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‘Crowd’ – Jo Nava (U.K.) Josephine Peppink, aka Jo Nava, is a half-Dutch, half-Danish singer-songwriter and rapper who is based in London, and mainly operates in genres like hip-hop and RnB. She released her single ‘Crowd’ on 28 January. Even though this single also has some pop elements, the influences of hip-hop and RnB are still more dominant in Jo Nava’s music. The rhythmic pulse of her rapping is impeccable; it creates and gives the tune a really nice groove as well. Besides her solo artistic project, Jo is also an active busker in London. In a post-covid era, you should stay sharp when walking around Richmond or the West End; there is a chance you may encounter this gifted young rapper and her lovely music.

‘DayBreak’ – Mateus (U.K.) It is a tune that was written and released by Matthew Moore, aka Mateus, on 30 March. Mat is a great singer-songwriter and session musician who has been doing his own solo project, Mateus, for a couple of years. ‘DayBreak’ is one of the songs that were included on his latest EP of the same title. It has got a strong RnB vibe, the vocals sound great, and the instrumentation and production are professionally executed on this record. All show the high quality of Mat as a songwriter and as an artist in general.

‘Cellophane’ – The Murder Capital (IE) The Murder Capital is an Irish post-punk band from Dublin and they released their song ‘Cellophane’ in May, 2020. They have been getting recognised rapidly as one of the major ambassadors of Dublin’s contemporary music scene. Even though they are into the post-punk genre and heavier sounds, ‘Cellophane’ contains certain psychedelic elements similar to the sound of Pink Floyd and The Doors. That makes The Murder Capital an avant-garde formation who are not afraid to boldly experiment musically, and explore different kinds of music.

‘Rat Race’ – TK Rhodes (US) This is a track by the LA-based TK Rhodes, endorsed by Bad Owl Records. It was released on 11 February and has a really smooth-sailing rocky vibe. Influences from The Black Keys can be sensed within. The vocals and the production are great, showing professionalism. If you are into listening to music whilst driving, then I would strongly recommend you to add ‘Rat Race’ to your playlist. It may take you closer to that feeling of freedom on the open road.

‘All Add Up’ – Josh Barry (U.K.) There are not many who have as distinctive a voice as Josh Barry’s. The London-based artist has been influenced by Ottis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown as well; ‘All Add Up’ is a perfect example of this. There are several genres that can be found in his music, but probably soul and blues music could be considered most dominant. The official video clip of ‘All Add Up’ premiered on 14 January. Furthermore, Josh Barry has also toured as the lead singer of the dance duo Gorgon City, and played at venues like Red Rock, Coachella, and EDC Vegas. He is one of those contemporary artists who clearly represents the renaissance of soul music.

All of the above-mentioned artists and bands deserve credit for the artistic work they have been doing. Nowadays the music industry is more competitive than it has ever been before and it is much harder for upcoming artists to get recognised by the public. Yet, I still think that if the created music has a high quality, artistic value, and a meaning that people can resonate with, then in time it will be valued by the public. It is up to us to support those creative minds who are not in the spotlight. Yet.