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

Modern Fencing

i know i know i know

Bloom

STREAM - https://found.ee/THEGUYINTHESUITANDTIE

WATCH 'LYRIC VISUALISER' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDabUA-WXB8

PRODUCED/RECORDED BY THOM SOUTHERN
MIXED BY TOM LONGWORTH
MASTERED BY KEVIN TUFFY

https://www.instagram.com/thomsouthern__/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/thomsouthernmusic/
https://twitter.com/thomsouthern
https://www.tiktok.com/@thomsouthern

THE GUY IN THE SUIT AND TIE

Clean Cut

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

Pluto

I'll Take Your Word For It

Repercussions

Simple and old fashioned singer / songwriter piece, first penned when I was a fresh faced 18 year old! Re-released in 2024 and remixed and mastered Oct 2025 by Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove Studios, Isle of Mann

Slight Country flavour in this version but originally influenced by The Velvet Underground's "Lisa Says" and "Sweet Jane" :-)

Jane

Jane (2024 rework)

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

Stay For A While

Life’s a b*tch but good people do exist.

Good People

Hiroshima

Black Feels Right

The Fades is an unrelenting post-punk garage indie rock four piece from South West London. Combining a tongue in cheek sense of humour, songs of love and loss, anxiety and introspection with fierce and energetic raw energy, they create a scintillating mix of post-punk indie and garage rock. 

"It’s like someone fired a surf-punk into the sun at warp speed while a heavenly choir rejoices in the shredding with their beatific 'aaaaahs'.” Fresh on the Net

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.

Looking for Keanu

The Fades

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