Here are our first set of Ones to Watch from Wales. Listen below for another eclectic selection of emerging artists we tip to do good things in 2024!
MONET
Monet, from the seaside town of Swansea, create the kind of aural chaos not seen around these parts since early Mclusky. The band consists of Puss (vocals and guitar), Garden (bass and vocals), Ciggy (guitar), and Dishpit (drums), a musical quartet who create post-punk embellished art rock, combining strange musical concepts with catchy melodies and weird grooves.
They’ve released a string of awesome singles some with the legendary Repeat Records(that turns 30 this year), including last year’s ‘Wallace’ from their three-track chaos train of an EP You Need Worse Lies Man.
A raw, spasming and clanging assault on the senses, ‘Wallace’ is a stomping, melodic cry for change that fuses raw barrage of caustic guitar riffs and surreal screams of the likes of the Dead Kennedys with the twisty turny relentless energy of early At the Drive-In. It’s a rattling call to arms that challenges at every turn and will ensure any predator falls. More recently singles include the lurching ‘Pitfall’ with its early Pixies basslines, guitars that sigh off stage right and insidiously tumbling vocals it’s like trying to recover from disorientation and confusion, there’s a bittersweet almost prettiness to it that belies their other works. See the brutal new single ‘Albasore’ that’s absolutely righteous, laced with screamed refrains like a preacher shouting atop of mountains, punctuated by clattering assaults of drums and lucid guitar licks like angry looking storm clouds rolling in. (Bill Cummings)
RAINYDAY RAINBOW
If you dream and breathe in the intoxicating purple smoke of deep psychedelia, if your brain spits and sparks at unhinged jazz and if your meat suit turns hot n heavy and all the other sins at risky rhythm and blues, if you spread hallucinogenic marmalade on your toast in the mornings and enjoy all the flavours brought to heel with subtle vibes before returning full throttle once more, if you like your Beefheart, then Rainyday Rainbow are the magic mush-mish-mash for you. The combined talents of Egg Spectrum, Tom Emlyn, Evan Collett, and Osian Boland blow the 1960s and 70s dust from record collections, let 2024 right in, and ruthlessly, wittily, cleverly add a multicoloured rainbow of their individual selves.
‘We’ve been trying to figure out what kind of band we are, and part of that was brought about with how we wanted to present these songs. Like a chef cooking a meal, we had to decide what spices and ingredients to add, and in what order. Rainyday Rainbow is the culmination of each member contributing their favourite spices, adding more balance to the flavours, but unsure of the meal we’ve created,’ says Egg.
As Tom Emlyn explains, ‘It’s music without limitations; A wild fantasy ride to the other side, a circus trip into the colours of your mind.‘
Landing in – or is it on – the new year like aliens from a universe far away (not that one over there, it’s the one behind the one behind that) with the ‘Masters Of The Cosmos’ EP/mini album, take your pick n mix, Rainyday Rainbow seem intent on converting us. What plans they have for we humans, who can tell?
Top tracks: ‘Heir of the Dog’ may be a playful pun but brings to mind a classic Jefferson Airplane jam; ‘Baby In The Basement‘ is as unsettling as hell, as reflected here. (Cath Holland)
MR BEWLAY
Alt pop star in the making Mr Bewlay is not a year zero artist exactly, but one ever evolving for sure. After all, if anything stays in the same place for long enough it starts to stink, doesn’t it, so moving forward is the healthiest path to tread. 2022 saw the synthy Electric Reason EP; 2023 Black Reason as per the name, darker and mischievous in nature. We’re to experience the third and final part of the Reason trilogy from March onwards.
Cardiff-based Mr Bewlay has a background in theatre and it shows, both in live performance and the high drama of the songs themselves, ‘Bewlay the Tormentor‘ a fine example. ‘Samurai Dancer‘ is an absolute bop which descends – or ascends, depending how you view the world – into an intense chaos; ‘Live Life Love’ is laced with insolent humour.
In the past year Mr Bewlay has played both inside Wales and out of it – his sold out show in Liverpool in November was a high point – and bagged airplay on 6 Music and BBC Radio Wales. (Cath Holland)
THE FAMILY BATTENBERG
What a pleasure it was to observe Ethan Duck, Eliot Jones, Celyn Thomas, Billy Stillman – aka The Family Battenberg – at 80-capacity Wrexham venue The Parish as part of 2023’s FOCUS Wales, stripping paint from the walls with their tea time set.
The Cardiff garage-psych upstarts over the past year released a trickle of singles and built up a gold standard live reputation, reaching outside Wales, including Manchester,
We loved the reverb coated ‘Runny Hunny’, from over the summer, the glam stomp of ‘Fuzzy Features’ , the more recent ‘Rock Dustbin’ exploring the quartet’s wild side.
The band already gained attention from Steve Lamacq, Amy Lamé, Huw Stephens, Adam Walton, alongside Amazing Radio.
You can read our recent interview with The Family Battenberg here. (Cath Holland)
GUILTY PARTY
Guilty Party made a splash with their debut single last year part of a batch of songs recorded with producer Gethin Pearson, Cardiff. ‘Lemonade’ is a big hearted rock song that laces huge riffs and bouncing airy percussion, with personal girl/boy vocals that chart diaristic lyrics, into an explosive, fists aloft singalong chorus, the soundtrack for a big night out and regretting it in the morning. They say: “Lemonade’ follows two would bes on a night that could be, endless pre-drinks, come ups, comedowns and middle ground. You can get lost, found and hit the floor, but you’ll wake up in good company – maybe with something to sip on for the hangover.”
Formed at the turn of 2023, Guilty Party (Jen, Dan, Ceris and Ty) put their weekend playbook to music; it’s a bittersweet anthemic beginning from Guilty Party whose modern rock/pop sound is infused with a personality, fun and hooks that offer shades of Paramore. They’ve since released the follow up ‘unwound‘ that bounds into a party anthem with elements of post hardcore and power pop, and a vocal switch up which shows they have more than one string to their bow. Highly promising. (Bill Cummings)
SIULA
Siula is a brand new Cardiff based cinematic pop project from Llion Robertson (Cotton Wolf) and Iqra Malik (Artshawty). Their vivid sound pallet evokes a nostalgic yet futuristic dive into a world of poetic optimism and romantic vulnerability. Siula’s songs are dream-like soundtracks to modern film noir. Signed to Libertino Records, the two tracks they’ve shared so far hold a lot of promise their debut single ‘Ischia’ with its pulsing beat and dappling synths reminds one of early Chvrches, it’s a earworm, that shows of Malk’s flexible delivery and Robertson’s ability to craft illuminating synth pop tracks. ‘Golau Gwir’ is a more delicate and soulful groove that simmers with keyboard lines and Malik’s delectable vocal offering, there are echoes of Kelly Lee Owens about the scope and potential of these alt pop songs, that make us eager to hear more in the next year. (Bill Cummings)
MANLIKEVISION
Born in Newport Wales, ManLikeVision is laying his own path with his inventive sound, intricate flow and lyrics packed with his personality and experiences. Vision, who represents his lyrical talent on Hip Hop/Grime beats, started writing at a very young age, greatly influenced by his father, veteran MC, Pun Ra. Since his explosive entrance onto the scene with Best Believe in January 2021 and his Welsh Music Prize-nominated debut album Boy from the South, he’s since released a string of excellent singles including the fiercely personal and witty earworm ‘Doing Better’. While his brilliant second album Love Letters he expanded his palette, splashes of pianos, soulful singing and horns, decorate these expertly put together tracks, Vision takes his wordplay and personal storytelling to new levels. Standouts include the brassy sway of ‘Risk’ as he strikes out boldly with illuminated bars, juxtaposing the sunny soundtrack with the cost of creativity, struggles of growing up and the barriers in the way of being heard. He’s performed at various events including Immersed!/BBC Radio 6 Music Fringe and has supported artists like D Double E, Young T and Bugsey and Lady Leshurr. With a set slated for Focus Wales this year, we can only see upside for this prodigious emerging talent. (Bill Cummings)
ADJUA
ADJUA is a r&b, Latin and funk influenced artist from Cardiff. ‘FYS’, which is lifted from a excellent debut EP called Self, seamlessly melds laid back funky rhythms, jazzy percussion scattered with her excellently soulful delivery that switches from meditative soulful bars to self empowering chanted refrains. There’s echoes of Little Simz and Erykah Badu., it’s a really impressive and chilled suite of songs that soundtracks sweltering summer evenings. Very promising and wonderfully immersive, I am looking forward to hearing more from this impressive Welsh artist. (Bill Cummings)
GENERATION FERAL
Generation Feral is the stage name of Izzy Liddamore, a female solo artist originally from a dead-end town in Essex, now based in Cardiff. Last year she released a excellent debut EP life looks best sideways , standouts include perky juxtaposition of perky strums and broken homes of ‘the kids are not alright’. Plus ‘new born adult’ that’s ushered in on a looping ukulele motif and backed by saxophones, this sprawling poetic monologue about growing up in her generation and all of its struggles and closed opportunities and tiny flashes of joy, it flowers with self discovery and playfulness reminding one of early Black Country New Road and Kae Tempest, “everyone writes about nature but they don’t go outside….in the middle of it all i found myself dreaming in colours of light/in the middle of it all I find myself healing I might just be alright” Liddamore emotes above a gyrating saxophones, and plunges back into a narrative.
She describes music as her outlet (as cliche as that sounds) for a lot of the negativity of 2023, and anxieties that come with it, and believes that sometimes chords and notes can describe the slew of emotions associated with the 21st century better than our own words can. Wonderfully unique, intensely personal and universal I am eager to hear more and see her live.
The name Generation Feral is an ironic take on how older generations often view Gen Z as ‘feral youths’ or ‘snowflakes’ for having emotions and talking about them, a topic her music often touches on. She grew up busking, and now plays piano and loop pedal for her ukulele – describing her sound as ‘emotionally stirring punkish piano ballads for tender scumbags’. (Bill Cummings)
