love the guitar, love the vox, suuuuper nice

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 5 December 2022: 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/batch470

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.

Christmas songs and the like are also not eligible for the Listening Post, although we will collect these into a playlist that will be published on 24 December.

ENTIRE INBOX: Batch 470

elkyn has announced his debut album ‘holy spirit social club’ and shared its lead single ‘everything looks darker now’. 

Set for release via Curation Records on 18th March 2022, ‘holy spirit social club’ sees elkyn aka Joey Donnelly put his uncensored inner dialogue on paper, bravely airing the thoughts most wouldn’t dare expose. Whether that’s hurtful messages to one’s self, vague and elusive memories or lingering lessons from childhood, it’s all here on ‘holy spirit social club’, unfiltered and searingly honest. 

This sincerity is matched in the music. While the arrangements on ‘holy spirit social club’ are far more expansive than those heard on 2020 EP ‘beech’, tender finger picks and elkyn’s distinctive half-whisper still remain at its heart. Though the pain is palpable, its impact - as you’ll hear on new single ‘everything looks darker now’ - is meditative, enveloping the listener in a safe haven where you feel free to acknowledge the darker parts of yourself. 

Speaking about the single, Donnelly said: “This is about a rainy gig I played in Manchester. I invited someone and didn’t expect them to show up and when they did I shied away from them for most of it. We had a big catch up over a cigarette outside but when I left I realised how much I missed them”.

Rainy regret-tinged evenings, like this one, dominate ‘holy spirit social club’. ‘last night’ concerns the final night he spent with a friend, considering the ensuing loneliness that awaits. While ‘change’ finds him on the streets of Yorkshire, revisiting his family home and wondering whether he had fulfilled his father’s desire for him to ‘become a man’ - a sore point that resurfaces again and again on ‘holy spirit social club’. 

This unflinching honesty has seen elkyn become a streaming success in recent months, with the one-off singles that followed ‘beech’ making it on to a number of Spotify editorial playlists. After a lockdown spent demoing, he entered Nave Studios with Producer Mark Gustafson, creating more complete songs than ever before. The process was so cathartic for Donnelly that he went on to name the album after the social club that once existed in the basement below the aforementioned studio. 

Whilst elkyn isn’t exactly kind to himself on ‘holy spirit social club’, it does see him lift a monumental weight from his shoulders. In elkyn’s words, it’s “an interim into writing nicer songs and being nicer to myself”. In creating ‘holy spirit social club’, he has faced demons that he’s shied away from for too long, finding a way back to himself that previously felt impossible. It’s only by sitting with your darkest moments that you can begin to glimpse the light - ‘holy spirit social club’ is proof of that and a whole lot more.

everything looks darker now

‘Fight Fire With Fire?’ is the new single by Tribes of Europe & Barbara Stretch, out 4th November 2022 via Integrity Records on all digital platforms and limited edition, hand numbered 7” lathe-cut black vinyl.

With the classic vocal of Barbara Stretch, former frontwoman of Pye Records’ soul sensations The Vernons, to the fore, the Ely Fallen Angels Choir led by CREEPY NEIGHBOUR’s Max Taylor add layers of joyous harmonies to this building 60’s style space pop stomper with a strong political undertone.

Tribes of Europe, the alter ego of Fenland-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Martin Elsey, are joined on ‘Fight Fire With Fire?’ by Andy Gangadeen (Massive Attack, Chase & Status) on drums, Phil Cambridge (Kensington Symphony Orchestra) on trombone & trumpet, and Chris Taylor (Poison Girls, The Bays) on bass and co-production duties amongst the resident chickens at the wonderful Bluebarn Studios in the Cambridge countryside.

Martin describes the thinking behind the new single: 

“The motivation for the song was the creeping fear watching democracy across the world get more and more squeezed and ‘played’ as we get further into the 21st Century. Populists, oligarchs, autocrats … all seem to feel like their moment has arrived. Sooner or later each individual has to decide how they’re going to respond to that.”

Previous singles by Tribes of Europe & Barbara Stretch have enjoyed national support on BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Ulster, BBC Radio 3's Late Junction and various regional shows.

 “An instantly catchy and uplifting retro-futuristic creation” - Get In Her Ears
“Unashamedly ‘60s but with a new twist” - Steve Lamacq, BBC 6 Music
“The whole goddamn super-group bring their A game on this one” – LWM 

https://tribesofeurope.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/EuropeTribes
https://www.facebook.com/TribesOfEurope/
http://integrityrecords.co.uk/

Fight Fire With Fire?

After spending the summer bathing in the warm analogue waters of 70's fuzz rock, Villanelle & The Northern Wonder return with brand new single 'December Bloom'. A head turner, a sound to reanimate Bolan, a melody to make Fleetwood Mac swoon. This hook is sure to be so deeply embedded in your mind you'll forget your mums birthday.

December Bloom.wav

The 'it figures demos ep' closes out the 'holy spirit social club' campaign.

‘if figures’ is the final track from elkyn's debut album, 'holy spirit social club', released in March 2022. The track is presented here in it's original demo form. It's backed with two other demos of previous elkyn singles.

'holy spirit social club's release was backed by an extensive UK tour alongside ST Manville followed by dates with LOVE and festival appearances at HowTheLightGetsIn, Long Division, Wild Paths, Yours To Keep and an instore at Rough Trade East . The vinyl release came courtesy of Curation Records, the label run by Brent Rademaker of Beachwood Sparks. Media and retail support came from the likes of Record Collector, Shindig!, RnR Magazine, Americana UK, Atwood, Secret Meeting, For the Rabbits, God Is In The TV, Joyzine, BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X, Amazing Radio, Absolute Radio, Rough Trade, Norman, Record Store and more.

it figures demos ep

1. it figures demo

Charles Shomo composed the music and recorded the instrumental track in Wake Forest, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Martin H. Samuel wrote the lyric about the Alamo and Rick Livingstone recorded the song, with the Caffeine Creek Band, in St. Augustine, Florida, U.S.A.

'Red Banner, No Quarter' was a Best Outlaw Song Top 10 Finalist in the Fall 2022 World Songwriting Awards contest.

★ RED BANNER, NO QUARTER ★

EARLY ON A COLD MARCH MORNING
 A HANDFUL OF MEN THEY TOOK A STAND
 IN THE YEAR OF EIGHTEEN THIRTY SIX 
WHEN A SABRE DREW A LINE IN THE SAND

AND IT WAS SANTA ANNA WHO GAVE THE ORDER
 FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER
 SANTA ANNA GAVE THE ORDER 
FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER

EVEN AS THE DAY WAS DAWNING 
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE MEN STOOD THEIR GROUND
 THIRTEEN DAYS IN SAN ANTONIO 
SUCH A FEARFUL SIGHT A DREADFUL SOUND

WHEN SANTA ANNA GAVE THE ORDER
 FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER
 SANTA ANNA HE GAVE THE ORDER
 FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER

IT WAS VICTORY OR DEATH FOR THE VALIANT FEW 
OUTNUMBERED AND OUT-GUNNED 
AS SURRENDER AND BE SPARED AN ULTIMATUM THEY KNEW 
WITH A CANNON SHOT BY TRAVIS IT WAS SHUNNED

SANTA ANNA GAVE THE ORDER
 FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER 
SANTA ANNA GAVE THE ORDER 
FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER

A BLOODY BATTLE TO THE BITTER END 
WHILE THE MEXICAN BAND PLAYED EL DEGÜELLO 
NOW THE GUNS ARE SILENT AND THE SMOKE HAS CLEARED TO THIS DAY TEXIANS ALL SAY REMEMBER THE ALAMO

IT WAS SANTA ANNA WHO GAVE THE ORDER 
FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER 
SANTA ANNA GAVE THE FINAL ORDER 
FLY THE RED BANNER SHOW NO QUARTER

Music: Charles Shomo & the Caffeine Creek Band
Lyric / Music: Martin H. Samuel  – ASCAP IPI: 216450985
 © 2022 Malaika Music  – ASCAP IPI: 336609064 
Composer: Rick Livingstone – ASCAP IPI: 48485843
Zabra Music – ASCAP IPI: 447850726
ASCAP Work ID: 918966912
ISWC: T3142543366
 ℗ 2022 MHS

Red Banner, No Quarter

Follow Heir - https://linktr.ee/heirtheband

Written by Ste Fisher, Tom Hammond and Sam Perry
Produced by Ste Fisher, Tom Hammond, Samuel Newham, Sam Perry and Harry Vernon
Mixing and additional production by Hugo Meredith-Hardy
Mastering by Kane Whitelam

© 2022 Love vs Fear
℗ 2022 Love vs Fear

Picturing Mother

John Williams - Star Wars: Duel of the Fates (DIONICEST Dubstep Remix)

Get Back on Your Horse

Fool's Paradise

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.

Born in an old brewery, formed in a Leeds basement, and refined since 2019, elkyn is an acute reflection of Joseph Donnelly's beautiful heart. Carefully crafted lyrics erupting with honesty and intricately finger-picked guitars make this Yorkshire-based songwriter's unique brand of music equal measures of affecting, compelling, and deeply addicting.

1. it figures demo

elkyn

Recent comments

Sable

Related tracks