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 6th 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/batch528

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 528

Written and Produced by Francesca Louise
Recorded, Produced and Mixed by Al Groves @ Motor Museum Studios
Mastered by Rogan Kelsey @ Kelsey Mastering

Vocal - Francesca Louise Fairclough
Backing Vocal - Francesca Louise Fairclough
Drums / Percussion - Josh Neale
Bass - Aaron Stout
Strings - Alexandre Abbühl
Piano - Francesca Louise Fairclough
Electric Guitar - Francesca Louise Fairclough
Acoustic Guitar - Francesca Louise Fairclough

Second Time - Single

No Note, No Telephone

Modern Fencing

The opening track on the new Echo Machine album "Accidental Euphoria" which crashed into the Scottish album charts at no.2 in April 2024, and hit no.5 in the UK Record Store Chart. 

A song about feeling like you are being followed. All the time. By some unnamed presence. Some kind of 21st century fog, making everyone on edge.

Anticipation

We’ve all been there at times… losing faith in life, questioning who to turn to for solace and meaning – and this time it’s lead singer and guitarist Dave Lightfoot of South London garage rockers The Fades. Having heard a rumour that Keanu Reeves was filming around the corner from their rehearsal studios just after experiencing a midlife breakup, Dave’s imagination was set alight thinking: imagine bumping into Keanu on the street, hanging out and going back to the studio with him for a jam together – then an amazing lifelong relationship can begin, but before that there’s a song to write and here it is…

Looking for Keanu is a 90’s inspired slice of slacker indie rock that features The Fades at their most reflective and self-effacing.

The naked honesty in the verse lyric is plain to see but even in the darkest moments there’s always hope to guide us through to better times and then comes the chorus: it’s powerful, catchy and you can’t help but be lifted up by its energy. There’s the video too, jam packed with ‘Easter eggs’ from Keanu’s various films, all shot around the area where Keanu was filming in South London when Dave came up with the song.

With DJs like Steve Lamacq, John Kennedy & Marc Riley supporting various releases & glowing write ups in Louder Than War, Fresh on The Net & alike throughout their career, The Fades are a band who’ve consistently turned adversity to their advantage, finding the best in life while not taking themselves too seriously.

#lookingforkeanu

Looking for Keanu

Music and lyrics by Laurence Morgan and Luke Deacon
Mixing and mastering by Luke Deacon

LYRICS
One, two, three
We double bluff
When times turn tough
We don't open up
An eye for an eye
Leaves everyone safe and sound

But now I have hope
That you'll read me my horoscope
Until my ears go blind
We'll find it so profound

Could you ask me again 
Why I never needed this before
Suddenly I don't think I'm so sure

Laughing loud and proud just like a babbling brook
Made your eyes explode with jokes I forgot I took
It was just a look but it was done by the book
By the book, by the book, by the book

By The Book

The Art of Letting Go

Pluto

Bollo Bollo’s most expressive and expansive piece to date! A mixing pot of jagged instrumentation and seething vocals, it brews into a face-melting concoction guaranteed to put your portable terminal speakers to the test."

Portable Terminal

Lost in the Shuffle

Wallflower

Nothing on You

Morpho Butterfly

This is my first solo project, paying homage to the soul greats of the 60s that I love so dearly :)

Make Yourself At Home

Everybody Wants It Now

The M.E Scandal
I’m about to tell a story, a true story
I was Living life, music in my bloodstream
Then I got flu & it  vanished like steam 
Who knew flu could evaporate a dream
I never knew what it was all gonna mean?  
But I’m still Shackled to illness like I’m its b#tch 
Still scratching this 30+ year frickin itch
Kicked by exhaustion & lack of belief
All these stolen lives by the invisible thief
I need to escape to somewhere the wind blows
I don’t wanna  become yet another blue rose
On the social media posts of some
Let’s light a candle there goes another one
It’s become normalised an acceptable fate
The lingering death that we live and await
And I absolutely hate this, did I create this
Stressed til I burnt out, I struggle to face this
Denied point and purpose, rhyme or reason
Every day, week &  month every year, every season
Cancelled appointments, damn disappointments
And a default sorry well that’s the only ointment that we have to offer
With guilt & frustration
And with limited ways out of this situation.
It’s a lingering death that we live and await
And WE ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS.

Chorus
Doctor
(You’ve been playing a god so long you believe it yourself)
It’s the M.E Scandal
Doctor
(You’ve been playing a god so long you believe it yourself)

They never believed us, they all deceived us
Government, medical, media teased us
Decades of promises, words without action
The crumbs of their biscuits, huh, just a distraction
Allergic reaction all taken its toll
And the shrinks try to shrink us to the size of a pinhole
Oh no you don’t, we’re building the ark, 
Stronger together sailing out of the dark
Barking this is physical, co-operation critical 
But typically politically I have to spit it lyrical
They’re criminally sick but it’s of their own choosing
To neglect and abuse us, refuse the improving
I’m loosing my sh#t, get a grip, there’s still a way to go
I swear it’s gonna happen just not in my lifetime though
A  test, treatment maybe a  cure 
& future generations won’t suffer anymore
Get down off ya  cross and lay down ya crown 
Give back the award, there’s a real god in town.
Called truth, been here since the beginning
Standing in the shadows waiting for that winning moment
Our voices heard and apologies given
Watch this space for the next lyrical edition
Coz we ain’t going nowhere. It’s time. 

Chorus
Doctor
(You’ve been playing a god so long you believe it yourself)
It’s the M.E Scandal
(You’ve been playing a god so long you believe it yourself) 
Let’s get down to facts

It’s the M.E scandal, It’s the M.E scandal
It’s the M.E scandal, it’s the M.E scandal

Yeah it’s time the world knew, what people like me and you
Have been going through. It’s The M.E Scandal

You’ve been playing a god so long, you believe it yourself.

The ME Scandal Radio Edit

after eight

Palo Alto - Holding On

Written & produced by Michael Featherstone

TWENTY FOUR SEVEN

Twenty Four Seven

Vocals: Francesca Payne
Guitar: Robert Clayton
Written by: Spice (Vincent Raison, Caroline Knott, Ralph & Robert Clayton)
Produced by: Mike Westergaard
Mastered by: Nigel Palmer/Lowland Masters

Lyrics:
Waking up in a stranger’s bed
I can’t read this face
I’m staring at the ceiling
Knowing this was

Just another night
Just another night
A blessing or a curse
This dream of what we were
For just another night

This briefest love affair
Is what we came to share
I want no more from you
I doubt you really cared

One night of passion
And dressing whilst he’s sleeping
The stranger in his bed
I close the door behind me
‘Cos we both know this was

Just another night
Just another night
A blessing or curse
This dream of what we were
For just another night

Just another night
Just another night
A blessing or curse
This dream of what we were
For just another night

The smudged mascara
The broken heel
A cliché has been born
Rag of bone and a hank of hair
Can’t help myself for

Just another night
Just another night

Just another night
Just another night
A blessing or curse
This dream of what we were
For just another night

Just another night

Night Tales

The Stranger

Buy track

OUT FRIDAY MAY 10TH
PRE-SAVE AVAILABLE NOW ON ALL PLATFORMS

A song very close to my heart, written with the wonderful Steve Balsamo and produced by Ben Robbins at The Umbrella Rooms. 

A song of reflection, hope and support for anyone struggling with mental health and/or addiction. 

Written in support of mental health awareness week (13th-19th May).

We spent a wonderful day in wales shooting a music video for this single. I can’t wait to share this all with you. 

🙏

Download / Stream here: 

https://ditto.fm/life-needs-no-reason-but-love

—————————
GJ Artist Services 
Steve Balsamo
@furballfilmsofficial 
Mental Health Foundation

#newmusic #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #mentalhealthfoundation #movement #support #hope #changeyourstars #lifeneedsnoreasonbutlove #neveronyourown #notalone #

Life Needs No Reason But Love

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 528

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