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 28th March: 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/batch442

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 442

Distant Shores is a song about long-distance relationships in an Easy Listening style that will feature on my upcoming debut album, Let's Join Hands released on the 30th April 2021.

All music & lyrics by Samuel Alexander Barbour

Sam Barbour - Main Vocals & Acoustic Guitar
Bass, Piano, Percussion-Stephen Bull
Electric Guitar & Backing Vocals-Paul Roth
Cello-Billy Houston
Produced by Stephen Bull
Mastered by Pete Maher

Distant Shores

At its core, INSIST is a love song. But unlike most love songs in the western romance vein, where the other person is seen as an object in the pursuit of self-actualisation, we wanted to explore how love is not about seeking somebody to complete us, but about finding somebody who makes us want to make ourselves complete.

Like many of our songs, this song could also apply to our planet. We must insist that we’re stronger and truer for it. There’s a trust that we sustain one another. Humanity has often broken that trust.

We're First Frontier, a Birmingham-based rock duo and this is Insist, our 4th single(ahead of our debut EP - Just Matter EP - which is out on 18th March, 2022). We like this tune a lot. If you’ve heard any of our previous singles, you’ll immediately recognise that Insist is slower and much less intense than some of our other songs. We wanted to explore a more vulnerable side of ourselves. We hope you enjoy going there with us and would love for you to take a listen and see if it’s something you’d like to write about and/or share.

Engineered and recorded by Nic Bueth (of the band TV Priest) in Hackney Wick, East London, and Dave Beauclerr at Brockley Studios, and produced by First Frontier, Insist opens with First Frontier’s gentlest ever riff, a delicate intro that picks up certainty and resolve as it progresses. Helena’s drums mimic a heartbeat, but also seem to reverberate like a conscience in the dark night of the soul. This is also the first song where Helena and Paul have shared lead vocals, something that you’ll likely be hearing more of in future tracks.

Just Matter EP

Insist

Folk duo Megson go back to their roots to find the inspiration for their tenth studio album UNKNOWN WATERS -  an imaginative compilation of songs by written by the songwriters who inspired them - all from their native North East of England. 

During the last fifteen years, Debbie and Stu Hanna have established themselves as “one of most original acts on the British folk scene” (The Guardian) by combining their own sensitive compositions with traditional music from the North East. Now, for the first time,  they have recorded nine songs written by their favourite north eastern songwriters, all arranged for guitars, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and accordion with typical Megson elegance. Their trademark soaring harmonies bring a refreshing bite to classics such as Chris Rea’s ROAD TO HELL as well as compositions from undiscovered aritsts like Middlesbrough’s Richard Grainger. 

And to top it all off included as a bonus track is their composition THROUGH THE WINTER. Written during the dark days of January 2020 it tells the emotional tale of a couple making the most of a tough winter - we all know what that was like!

Debs says ‘ Putting together this album has been a refreshing journey for us. We started with songs and songwriters we’ve always known and performed - like the wonderful Vin Garbutt’s ‘NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME’ and Lindisfarne’s ‘MARSHALL RILEY’S ARMY’  and it paved the way for us to record some songs from writers we’ve always admired but never found the reason to perform like Jez Lowe, Richard Grainger & Martin Stephenson.”

Megson will be performing songs from UNKNOWN WATERS during their UK Tour in Spring 2022.

03 - Megson - Marshall Riley's Army

Disguises

Comparison Club EP

Sail Away

'Daw Eto Haul', means 'the sun will come again'. The debut single from 'heddlu', which means 'Police' in Welsh, from the words 'peace-force'. 

Written, performed and recorded by heddlu, mixed by Enrico Berto & heddlu, mastered by Eddie Al-Shikari. Drums by Adam Thomas.

Diolch x

Daw Eto Haul

timeframe (demo)

‘Afterthought’ is an alt indie-pop banger that revisits and reflects on the red flags of a past relationship.

“I wrote Afterthought about dating someone who never thinks about you in their decisions, showing a clear disregard and disrespect to the person they are dating’s but wouldn’t dare treat their mates that way. They are the ones who can’t help dropping you a What’s app to ‘check in’, expecting you to ‘be mother’ as they drift in and out of your life refuelling their confidence. It has nothing to do with bitterness it is about self-reflection and growth. Time really is a healer and only on reflection do you realise that some people will never change or take responsibility for their actions. I really want people to feel empowered to say, ‘fuck that, if you don’t treat me right, you don’t get to be in my life”. I know that is easy said than done, especially when the heart is involved but I am trying to adopt that as one of my dating mantras for sure. “

Afterthought

Minimalistic piano

https://industrial-1.bandcamp.com/track/edit

Edit

Bellagio

My new single 'Face the Facts' released 25th March 2022

Face the Facts

'The Children of Scorpio’ is the first single and title track from Project Gemini’s forthcoming album. Project Gemini, aka Paul Osborne, has created a cinematic musical journey that plays out like a long-lost soundtrack (think cult B-movies of the 60s and 70s); 'The Children of Scorpio’ was formed from Paul's love of a myriad of genres; from European library music, acid folk, psych-funk, vintage soundtracks and the contemporary breaks scene. 

The single ’The Children of Scorpio' started life as a demo 12 years ago, when Paul's time playing in various bands had come to an end and he started recording music at his home studio. Paul took inspiration from many sources including his obsession with Lalo Schifrin’s soundtrack to the Clint Eastwood film, 'Dirty Harry’, and artists like David Axelrod and his work on The Electric Prunes 'Release of an Oath’ LP. Paul channelled these influences into his creation, titled it in a nod to the villain in 'Dirty Harry', shelved it and moved on. 

After the release of his first single as Project Gemini in 2019 Paul decided to start work on an album project and revisited the original demo. He described the process, “I stripped it right back to its bare bones and started reconstructing it from scratch (although the vocals and middle guitar break survived from that original 2010 demo), and once I’d nailed the bass sound it all came together. Haifa-based multi-instrumentalist Shuzin brought some serious heat on the drums, and Barrie Cadogan, aka Little Barrie, put the icing on the cake by adding the solo you hear at the tail end of the track. It turned out to be the creative trigger for the whole album, and for that reason, it’s a really important track for me personally.”

Download

Project Gemini - The Children Of Scorpio

C'mon is the sound of two broken people trying to make the best of things - if 'misery loves company' was a song. It follows in the proud tradition of juxtaposing sad, cynical lyrics with a jaunty, upbeat rock backing. It's not a breakup song, but perhaps a song about people who should breakup.

C'mon

Described as "Tuneful indie-flavoured slice of escapist pop" from NARC Magazine

Tranquility Lane

Sleep Deprived

Backing track, film/video score/soundtrack

"Secreasta"

Avalanche

LIFE CAN BE

Lyle inspired stripped back journey across three seasons... Mastered by Furious Labs Productions!

The Three Seasons

Pains in my Heart

Pains In My Heart - Pepe and the Bandits

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.

ENTIRE INBOX: Batch 442

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