Any artist is welcome to send us a track via freshonthenet.co.uk anytime between Monday lunchtime and Wednesday evening (or when we receive 200 submissions, whichever is sooner) - and all our moderators, including Tom Robinson, will listen to every track. This is our full inbox from the week beginning Mon 2nd May: from Friday afternoon you'll be able to hear our shortlist and pick your favourites on this week's Listening Post which will appear at freshonthenet.co.uk/batch445

If a track you submitted does not appear in this list, it’s probably because another of your tracks appeared in our Fresh Faves or on the BBC Music Introducing Mixtape during the last three months — we ask that artists featured on either wait three months before resubmitting to give others a chance. 

We also don’t accept short previews or SoundCloud Go tracks that can only be heard as 30 second previews, and tracks made private after submission, which cannot be included in playlists. You will be able to resubmit the track in future. Tracks (and remixes of tracks) that have been previously submitted, and tracks from banned artists will also be removed.

ENTIRE INBOX: Batch 445

„Nigel The Gannet“ by The Burning Hell 
off forthcoming album Garbage Island (June 24) https://bbislandmusic.com/shop/the-burning-hell-garbage-island-vinyl-cd


The Burning Hell preview the upcoming and highly anticipated opus/epic Garbage Island with a sweet-hearted examination of the life of an individual in society, a world filled with good intentions but inevitable misunderstandings. 

It just so happens that it’s the story of a bird: Nigel The Gannet. 

(Nigel the Gannet is the true story of a gannet in New Zealand, who briefly became an international media star when he died of old age next to the concrete decoy gannet he had chosen as his mate. Though the press spun his story as a lonely one, the band takes a different perspective:)

Gently referencing XTC’s own Making Plans for Nigel, but trading the capitalist alienation and dread for a warmer new wave of synth hooks and programmed swing, The Burning Hell celebrate the loner, the non-conformist, and a life on the edge, aware of the difference between being lonely and being alone.

The animated video for the song was done by Ariel Sharratt, who says: "Ultimately, as a smallish band if there's something we want to do, we usually have to do it ourselves. That was the case for this video, where I learned some basics of animation and then taught myself on the job. This was my first animation project, and I absolutely loved the process of creating a world for Nigel to navigate -- a world that's like ours: full of incredible beauty, colossal waste and destruction, and hopefully some sort of happy ending."

Video: https://youtu.be/ST4BCEu88po

The Burning Hell - 2. Nigel The Gannet

The first single from The Blackheart Orchestra's forthcoming album. Set for release 26.08.22.

Under The Headlights (Radio edit)

Some Call This Normal

Ultraverse

Neck-Deep in the Blyth

Denied

Our second professional studio album done at Empire Sound Studios in Dallas, TX, with our favorite engineer Matt Kennedy! If you like what you hear, come see us on Facebook!

01 Together Alone

Fresh On The Net is a music blog hosted by Tom Robinson and Team Freshnet, offering independent artists an open door and a level playing field for their music. Our inbox is open at http://freshonthenet.co.uk every Monday to Thursday morning - if you share a track with us there it will be heard by every member of our moderation team.

IMPORTANT: 
Only send ONE track, and make sure the dropbox says "OPEN".  Sorry, but tracks sent while the dropbox is closed - or shared drectly with this Soundcloud account - will not get heard.

Calum Baird is an emerging Scottish folk, punk and story-telling singer-songwriter and musician featured on BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Scotland and Amazing Radio.

Calum’s music is characterised by its honesty and authenticity, with lyrics that are often introspective and personal. His songs explore social commentary, modern life, relationships, alienation and social change. Calum’s influences include Neil Young, Billy Bragg, The Pogues and Dick Gaughan.

Calum has been featured on radio stations across the UK and internationally, and he has performed at festivals and events throughout the UK, Europe and Cuba. He has been featured in online media and the press, including in Scotland on Sunday as their Artist of the Week.

In addition to touring and writing his own music, Calum wrote and composed the musical score for the award-winning feature-film Exiles (2021) written by Glasgow poet and writer, Victoria McNulty. 

“Echoing early Billy Bragg with his dogged optimism” – Tom Robinson, BBC 6 Music

“A rising Scottish folk star“ – Jim Gellatly, Amazing Radio

“A wonderful songwriter” – Charlie Ashcroft, Amazing Radio USA