HEY!25 are a group of creative sound and music students making music together and trying to do something fun and new.

Isabel Stead - Vocals, Piano, Ukulele
Jason Savory - Guitar, Orchestral
Lewis Dallimore - Bass, Synthesis
Gavin Vella - Drums, Percussion

Photos by Liam Taylor (http://tinyurl.com/qakoz37) 
and Gavin Vella (http://tinyurl.com/pts8vul)



“Kidsmoke’s songs to-date are like exquisite, detail-rich pastoral-pop miniatures” - The Sunday Times

Kidsmoke are Lance (Vocals/Guitar), James (Bass/Vocals), Sophie (Guitar/Vocals) and Ash (Drums). Their shimmering brand of dreamy indie-pop has seen them make waves in their native North Wales.

With a sync-feature on Charlie Brooker's Netflix series Black Mirror under their belts, they burst into 2018 with single Sister Sadness (named one of  Steve Lamacq’s ‘6Music Recommends’ tracks of the year), were featured as The Sunday Times’ ‘Breaking Act’, supported Gaz Coombes (formerly of Supergrass)and were invited by Robert Smith (The Cure) to play his Meltdown Festival in support of  The Joy Formidable.

The band have spent the summer in the studio with long-time producer Russ Hayes, working on their forthcoming debut album. The lead single Rising Sun marks the start of a campaign that the band have been eager to get underway, with the album taking shape for release in early 2019. 

For Rising Sun, they took a trip out to sunny West Kirby to record with Domino Records artist and for The Coral guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones - the track is due for release 2nd Nov 2018.

In October 2018, Kidsmoke head out to Western Canada with Wrexham’s FOCUS Wales Festival to showcase at Breakout West Festival, where they will play to a host of international delegates and North American industry professionals. Speaking of the band’s trip, Andy Jones (FOCUS Wales co-founder and music booker) said: “It’s great to see Kidsmoke making this important step in their career, and we’re really pleased we can play our part in their journey”.

"I bloody love Kidsmoke. No fuss or stupid melodrama, just great, great songs." - Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales

Aaron Wright sings and writes songs, but he is no run-of-the-mill singer-songwriter. There is an adroitness here, a pop lightness of touch, that elevates him beyond the usual folk troubadour fare. He was born to a Canadian mother and Scottish father, and developed an early love for quintessentially American folk (Neil Young) and classic British pop (John Lennon's Beatles demos). Aaron moved from Canada to Edinburgh as a child, pausing only to run away to London, aged 15, to see a Simon and Garfunkel concert. He later dropped out of university, intent on throwing himself into music, and seemingly unable to function without it (he still doesn't have a bank account, for instance).

Thankfully, Aaron was spotted two years ago by a new Glasgow-based label, DSet, who promptly signed him. They helped him record an album that feels inspired by early-70s Paul McCartney, Harry Nilsson or Ronnie Lane, together with the classic British and American greats on which he was raised.

“House of Hats revel in complex simplicity…behind vocal pyrotechnics that suggest a younger Crosby, Stills & Nash, there’s a solid songwriting heart and the production by Pete Smith transcends any folk clichés.” —Q

"A Brighton quartet whose often dazzling close harmonies sugar some extremely incisive songs" - Sunday Express

Brighton’s House Of Hats are Alex Gigante (vocals guitars), Al-Anoud Al-Omran a.k.a ‘Noddy’ (vocals, guitar, piano), James Kuszewski (vocals ukulele,), Rob Gigante (bass, percussion, vocals).

Surfing a musical wave out of Brighton are House Of Hats, with their debut album, This Love co-produced by the band and Grammy winning Pete Smith. The most immediately striking thing about This Love is the ensemble singing. With Noddy and Alex alternating in the lead role and James adding a third voice, they create lush and richly layered harmonies.

They are a tight knit bunch and Alex recalls meeting Noddy and James at college, some eight years ago with all of them studying music. They each had their separate musical endeavours going, but became firm friends. Alex then coaxed his brother Rob down to the south coast with the promise of a new bass guitar and a place in his band. Rob duly immersed himself in music making and also the whirlwind social scene centred around a big shared house called The Blatch. James described their lives as like an endless Mad Hatter’s tea party and The Blatch became the House Of Hats.

When the fates conspired in 2012 and all of the various bands they were individually involved with ended, it was actually Rob who joined the dots and realised that rather than all heading off in different solo directions they should work together. They each brought their own songs and ideas to the table as they met up musically for the first time. From that very first encounter the magic flowed and the unexpected harmony of their singing proved the glue. Noddy describes it as an explosion – the big bang that set the House Of Hats in motion.

Armed with nothing more than the inspiration they took from each other The Hats sound started to take its own unique shape. They quickly and collectively realised the merits of putting their sumptuous harmonies to the fore and not burying their gift under layers of music. A shared love of the raw power of acoustic guitar and voice proved the template that had the benefit of unifying their sound, whether recording or playing live.

The reaction to a hastily organised gig confirmed what they were feeling and The Hats turned the creative tap to full juice. A superb set of songs emerged and they busied themselves recording. But when Alex, on his old day job in a mobile phone store, met and befriended Pete Smith, the final jigsaw piece slotted home. By their own admission The Hats benefitted from the combination of experience, passion and energy that Pete Smith introduced in helping them finish what they had started.

They are now at the heart of the buzzing Brighton music scene and The Hats have their own quarterly night called the Harvest Sessions, to showcase local talent, friends and other acts gathered up on the road. They’ve found their place and in doing so found each other, bonding over parties, heart to hearts, highs, lows, food, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan – they are family. Having just returned from touring Europe together with Will And The People and with more gigs scheduled in Holland and America, This Love is already picking up strong reviews and radio support. Q Magazine and Acoustic Magazine have called them the new Crosby, Still and Nash. 2014 could well be the year of the Hats.



ShiftyPOP is an independent singer, songwriter, ukulele player, music producer and musician based in Monmouthshire (UK) and she specialises in writing pop music with a TOYtastic twist. Her upbeat and catchy jingles are guaranteed to put a smile on your face! She has composed the music and sings on many adverts, including Tiny Tears, My Friend Cayla & Blopens!

You can find Shiftypop on TIKTOK.com/@shiftypop where she performs live and uploads videos regularly of gigs and open mic nights. 

Sarah’s top-rated seller status on Fiverr.com has attracted the attention from various individuals and businesses. Authors approach her for music to accompany their books, entrepreneurs require jingles to advertise their products and websites, teachers request sing-a-long educational songs. She writes music almost daily, fulfilling a wide range of briefs and projects put forward by her clients.

Soundcloud has been her playground since 2011. She was featured on the front page of SC for over a month and crowned Soundclouder of the Day on July 11th, 2011. SC is used mainly for original work and covers for fun. Look carefully and you might find the TOYPOP! EP and the Come What May TOYPOP! Album.

timstead is following