2014 has been a big year for music of all genres, and it’s only going to get bigger as summer draws to a close. Due to the large amount of albums set for release and the highly anticipated Autumn/Winter tours, new artists will be exploding on to the scene left, right and centre. Here’s my guide to The Ones to Watch in the upcoming months.
1. SAINT RAYMOND:
19 year old Nottingham native Callum Brooks, known by his stage name Saint Raymond is about to make it big. His debut EP ‘Escapade’ featured as iTunes Single of the Week, shooting him into the iTunes charts and into festival line-ups across the UK. He has already completed a notable support slot for Gabrielle Aplin, his own UK tour, and is set to support Ed Sheeran on his X tour in England, Ireland, and Europe later this year. This singer/songwriter creates irresistible indie pop tunes that will leave you wanting more and more.
Most recent release: I Want You - single (August 2014)
2. CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN
Already marking their territory in the British rock scene, Catfish and the Bottlemen, formed in North Wales, are on the brink of becoming one of the modern greats. The rock foursome have had a multitude of successful EPs, with 3 singles released in both 2013 and 2014. They have been featured as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record in the World multiple times, and were voted number one hottest track on MTV with ‘Kathleen’ in April. Their debut album ‘The Balcony’ is due for release on September 15th.
Most recent release: Cocoon - single (July 2014)
3. LEWIS WATSON
Lewis Watson,is a 21 year old singer/songwriter from Oxfordshire. He already has a large following, which has grown hugely following the release of his debut album ‘The Morning’. However, with four previous EP’s, the amount of music released by Watson from 2012 is phenomenal, each song offering something new, and just as addictive as the next one. He manages to blend acoustic pop with elements of folk to create his tracks.
Most recent release: The Morning – album (June 2014)
4. THE RATELLS
Hailing from Sheffield in South Yorkshire, these four lads have been making indie rock anthems (as their current lineup) for two years. They have supported the likes of The Orchestra (ELO), The Boomtown Rats and Kaiser Chiefs, as well as selling out their first ever headline tour in October 2013. They have a 10,000 strong twitter following, and are known for the close relationships they develop with their fans on social media. The winner of the 2014 Exposed Award for best unsigned band have gathered nearly 40,000 views on the music video for their single ‘Faces’, released in June 2013.
Most recent release: Behind The Fire – single (April 2014)
5. SHANNON SAUNDERS
Shannon is a 20 year old English singer/songwriter. Her music is best described as indie-pop with electronic elements, however, she is a talented guitarist and plays a lot of acoustic versions of her songs. Her first single ‘Heart of Blue’ was officially released in January 2013 following a viral homemade music video released less than a week before. She followed her success with ‘Scars’ in June and ‘Atlas’ in December of the same year after supporting Lewis Watson and Lucy Spraggan on their UK tours. On August 11th, she released ‘Sheets’, the first single from her debut album, set to be released in 2015.
Written by: Lucy Hodgkin