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 12th February: 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/batch518

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 518

Thanks to everyone who came by Fresh On The Net at the weekend to check out Listening Post 518 and tell us which tracks they liked best. Here, in alphabetical order, are our readers' top favourites. Our reviews are written by Fresh On The Net's Poppy Bristow - and you can read them at http://freshonthenet.co.uk/faves518

Fresh Faves: Batch 518

1st Song Music presents the 2024 April Indie & Alternative music playlist. Hope You All Enjoy It!

1st Song Music - Indie & Alternative | April 2024

2024 1st Quarter

Wide eyed and restless tonight.
From the album 'Sonder'

Sonder

Insomnia

From sixth Dusty Stray album "Fire Place" released on December 1, 2023.

Produced by Stuart Cullen
Mastered by Alfie Tyson-Brown

© 2023 Great Waters

I Thought About You

Have Some Shame

Last Chance For Romance

Beautiful Ordinary

Sometimes, a song comes together quickly with a sense of familiarity. In my experience, it is these songs that infectiously delight. 'It Starts Again' premiered on BBC 6 Music, has been described as "a moment, a buzz, similar to the likes of Arab Strap 'First Big Weekend' or 'Public Service Broadcasting ' where moreish energy paired with an understated spoken word vocal captivates and embraces".


A prelude to an EP. Four songs perpetuating the struggle against the frustrating lack of visibility and significant barriers faced by disabled musicians. 

Band Spectra: It Starts Again

It’s Perfectly Clear Right Now is the lead single from Alt-Mobeat, the new album by London-based producer DJ Counselling. Conceived in a Berlin art gallery, the track captures the laid back hip hop vibe of albums that inspired Ash during the 90s — yet with a darker edginess,  low synth bass, heavy drums and a cinematic atmosphere. Drenched in organic textures and layered beats, this song elegantly deviates from Ash’s more dancefloor oriented tracks and underscores his esteem as a musician.

Alt-Mobeat

It's Perfectly Clear Right Now

Sweet Escape

Johnny’s on the Water was learned from the singing of Appalachian folk singer Jean Ritchie (1922 - 2015). It twists the archetypal story of a woman left behind by a sailor, the singer rejecting grief and finding empowerment: ‘if he can live without me, I can live without him’. This line became the heart of our arrangement. 

We created this arrangement in residence at Snape Maltings in 2022. In slowing down the tempo, destabilising the rhythm, and replacing Ritchie’s sparse dulcimer accompaniment with an ensemble of modular synths, guitars and affected strings, we explore the way that the open sea warps our understanding of time and distance. The trumpet solo was played by Lissie Daly, a tireless campaigner for women in brass.

Musicians:
Lauren Spiceley - fiddle and vocals 
Joseph Woods - guitar and vocals
Martha Wiltshire - cello and vocals
Denis Wouters - electronics and vocals
Lissie Daly - trumpet
Tom O’Connor - fretless bass
Florence Brady - vocals 

Trad. arr. by Lauren Spiceley, Martha Wiltshire, Joe Woods, Denis Wouters, Lissie Daly, Tom O’Connor and Hannah Jacobs
Recorded at Pony Studios by Upcycled Sounds
Mixed by Denis Wouters
Mastered by Felix Davis
Artwork by Floortje Kattemölle, photographed by Martijn Petrus

Johnny's On The Water

THINK!

Daffodils is a song dedicated to a friend who passed away last year, losing her battle with cancer. Sam was 50 yrs old and loved this song when she heard us playing it in the rehersal room. It reminded her of her birthday in spring. We didnt know at the time of the rehersal that she was terminal. 
All proceeds from this track will be going to The North Devon Hospice..

Daffodils

Peaches and Wine

1974 (that's how it was in those days)

Some sax put through a distortion amp and some more sax in echo and reverb chambers, spurt some it through a synth, add some heavy bass, a dash of drone and a slow heavy kick beat. 

Throw in a tambourine, and it all comes spilling out in a sinful mess.

Apart from the bass, drums and tambourine, all the other sound is made out of saxophone.

It sounds like you shouldn't do this kind of thing to a sax. But I like it. And I should probably be ashamed of myself!

There is no more!

Berlin

JULIET x Max Ovenden 
I wrote this track with max ovenden late last year. 
It’s all about self love, not being so critical of yourself. 
Stop being your own worst enemy,
I chose to put this song out on my 20th birthday 
As I’m entering a new phase in my life and letting go of any pain from my teenage years 
I really trust I’m on my right path and being guided 
I see this song as me going from a caterpillar to a butterfly 🦋 
But most importantly another sign to focus and look after you, stop worrying about everything else! 
marks a year since my debut single 'manifester' it's been an amazing first year of releasing.

Guided

I wrote this song about falling in love with someone who I couldn't be with. I feel I can be seen as resentful in the song but towards the end of the song, as I'm singing, it's more of a cry for what could've been. The thought of 'what could have been' is one of the hardest heartbreaks of all. You've designed these hopes and dreams in your head with this person, and now you need to detach from them, and step back into a reality without them, when the comfort of them in your mind is a nicer place to be.

Meant to Be (With Me)

Meant To Be (With Me)



Pinky is the third track released by slumclub.
The tracks themes stem from information overload and the tendency for certain people to over share when sometimes you have enough going on in your head, without having others problems burdening you. Musically, there are influences from the likes of Softplay and Idles.

Pinky

Basement

Soul In My Pocket is an experimental project from the new producer FARRIN, not officially released anywhere other than this video. Taking inspiration from multiple genres including house, garage, techno and ambient, FARRIN set out to create a chuggy, chilled and uplifting deep house track with ambient sounds, representing his new entry into the music scene. With limited experience and knowledge, but full of ideas and energy the new producer is hopeful that the song will be well received to build his confidence and continue to experiment with music production and future releases. We hope you enjoy the music and video, don't forget to subscribe, comment, like and share to help support our channel and featured artists.. Video link: https://youtu.be/V1P01PtkI1Q

You can follow FARRIN on socials:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BFM1210
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Gaq0cx1KFILNyrQZVtXqd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bfm1210
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BFM1210

SOUL IN MY POCKET

Soul In My Pocket

Indie artists Kat Koan (Germany) and Freddie Dickson (UK) team up for their new song 'Time Alone.'

Release date - 20th March

Time Alone (Kat Koan & Freddie Dickson)

"A coldly furious diatribe." Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6Music.

LYRICS - Richard Pierce
MUSIC - Richard Pierce

Here
Here’s the real cost of living

These dead
In their cold houses
In their ambulances
In their hospitals
Their fire engines
Their post vans
Their trains
Their homesless tents
Their tentless homes
Their immigration centres
Their small boats
Their cold streets
Their food banks
Their starvation
Their disease

The real cost of living
The real cost of living

No public service
No public service broadcasting
No independent news
No education
No living wage
Epidemics
Pandemics
Failing healthcare

Here
Here’s the real cost of living

Profits
In billions
Public lies
Overflowing gutters
Sewage in seas
Seas in drinking water
Governments breaking the law
These dead 
Try to save lives
Do their duty
But duty doesn’t pay

The real cost of living
The real cost of living

Ghettoes next to palaces
Gates where streets should be
Castles where hospitals should be

Here
Here’s the real cost of living

These dead
In piles
In their mortuaries
In their uniforms
In their PPE
In their stiffened poses
In their body bags
In their cold houses
In their  ambulances 
In their hospitals
Their homeless tents
Their tentless homes
Their immigration centres
Their small boats

The real cost of living

Ghettoes
Palaces
Gates
Body bags

Cost Of Living

Richard Pierce - Cost Of Living

"Bright Spot II" is out now: https://fanlink.tv/brightspot-ii

Video by Ebony Davies: http://instagram.com/ebillustrates
Additional edits by Chase Wagner

Mixed by Far Caspian

~

Tell me that I'm always on your mind
I get the feeling I've been left behind
The ending wasn't spelled out in the leaves
Another chance to stitch slack memory
I warned you
I told you
I warned you
I told you
I'm the one that never gets it right
I'm the one that always starts the fight
I'm the one that ripped it from the ground
Threw it in to watch it ripple it out
You're the one who pushed me through the door
You're the one who brought me back to shore
You're the one who taught this how to grow
It time to lift it up to let it go

all links 🌙

Blue Canopy & A Beacon School - Bright Spot II

I'm Del, a musician, music blogger, producer, songwriter, DJ (The Songbird Sessions on Exile FM) lead moderator for Fresh On The Net. Check out my website and get in touch if you'd like me to play you on my show or review a track! Artists are welcome to send tracks to FOTN Mondays at 8am - https://freshonthenet.co.uk/submit/
Email me with an audio file  (CLEAN radio edits only) and a bio for radio play at del.owusu@gmail.com

1974 (that's how it was in those days)

Platinummind