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 27th March 2023: 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/batch483

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 483

'Shake It' Mastered

Released by:
amilost

Release date:
24 March 2023

P-line:
℗ 2023 Circumnavigate Ltd.
C-line:
© 2023 Circumnavigate Ltd. 

Lyrics:
Good morning
Good morning, friend
Put lights in the corners
I’ve been hiding thoughts in them
Wake slowly
Slowly today
The night was loud It woke me up again
Good morning
Good morning, friend 
Silence the night let it end 
Fill the air ultraviolet 
Good morning
Friend
Old morning
Bring rays with you 
Your silence 
Glows gratitude
Like you’re glad I’m still here 
Like your silence could speak 
Slowly shifting
Breathing life into me
Good morning
Good morning, friend 
Silence the night let it end 
Fill the air ultraviolet 
Good morning

Tread lightly my porous mind has not yet bounced back from the night 
Soon I’ll tuck my heart into my sleeve but right now I'll light up in peace
Good morning 
Good morning

Good Morning

** Embargoed until Thursday, March 23rd **

JAMES OR releases new single, ‘Wild’: a tribute to the lockdown moments that kept us going.

For fans of: Bear’s Den, Elbow, Frightened Rabbit, Blur & Counting Crows


Written during that time, JAMES OR’s latest single is one of endearing optimism: a celebration of the quietly beautiful moments that live on amidst headline-consuming chaos. 

Recalling the songwriting process, James says “We were a bit shell-shocked coming out of the first lockdown - but then our niece was born and things started to make sense again. It felt like taking in a big gulp of fresh air for the first time in months. She became a lifeline for us all”.

Opening with an uplifting guitar hook and Elbow-esque strings, Wild is a song of real heart that succinctly captures the mood of an unprecedented time (evident in lyrics like 'a crowd of strangers making up the rules as they go; odd jobs and favours', written about the frontline staff working tirelessly against unthinkable odds.) 

Wild’s infectious and instantly hummable chorus melody stays with the listener; as does its underlying message: that good things can still happen in shit times.

As the song builds, so does the reassurance and imagery of James’ lyrics (“gave us something to be hopeful for; a summer on the coast, somewhere on the coast”). 

“I wrote Wild for everyone that wasn’t there with us; for the people who had to witness special moments from afar. I know everyone was craving connection at that time, and I think our niece’s arrival gave us that.”

James plays Sofar Sounds, Bristol on Thursday, April 6th and a headline show at The Harrison, London on Wednesday, April 19th. For a full list of upcoming tour dates, see https://jamesormusic.com/epk

Wild

The air in the city was thick with smoke and ash, and the buildings were grey and towering. The streets were filled with people, all walking with their heads down and their faces covered. It was a dystopian world, where hope was rare and joy was even rarer. But on this foggy night, there was a glimmer of something different. The people had heard whispers of a firework display, something that hadn't been seen in the city for years. The display would be a celebration of hope, a chance to consign the bleakness of their lives to oblivion and momentarily revel in something beautiful.

As the sun set and the fog rolled in, people started to gather in the streets. They were cautious at first, not sure if the rumours were true. But then, they saw the first burst of colour in the sky, and they knew it was real. The fireworks were breathtaking. They exploded in the sky, sending showers of sparks raining down on the city. The colours were bright and bold, and for a moment, the people forgot about the darkness that surrounded them.

Edinburgh experimental composer Jordan Russell-Hall, aka Jordan Stanley, makes his debut on Bytes with his exceptional second album, A Cry For The Moon. There are shades of his Scottish contemporaries Hudson Mohawke and Rustie in these colourful experiments in microsampling. Like a magpie snaffling shiny objects for its nest, Jordan has procured samples from all corners of the electronic and pop music realm - from Charli XCX and Mr Mitch to Ariana Grande and Jimmy Edgar - to help form a vivid sound palette of vibrant synths, frenetic Jersey Club-influenced rhythms and lush ambience.

PREMIERE: Jordan Stanley - Impossible [Bytes]

BEST BEHAVIOUR CLEAN

The best riff I've come up with so far in my musical career!

The Heat

Ransom Note is an online music, arts and culture magazine. We provide a home for readers and writers with boundless enthusiasm, esoteric knowledge, fierce opinions and impeccable taste.

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