ECLECTIC PICKS - 2023 (Freshonthenet)

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 20th Feb 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/batch478

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 478

Presidential

What we was Banging

A X6402 Collaboration:
Six Four Zero Two x Emma Forman.

Inspired by the courageous women of Iran – fighting for their rights to live in dignity and against the atrocities.

CREDITS:
– Music, Instrumentation and Production: Six Four Zero Two.
– Lyrics & Vocals: Emma Forman.
– Engineering: 6402.

LYRICS:

Stay strong, stay strong
Stay strong, stay strong

They tried to silence her
One brave voice
They tried to silence her
One brave voice
One brave voice

Woman
Life
Woman, Life, Liberty!

Woman 
Life 
Woman, Life, Liberty!

For all womankind
For all womankind

Rise up, rise up
Rise up, rise up
Rise up, rise up
Rise up and let your voice be heard

Woman 
Life
Woman, Life, Liberty!

Woman 
Life
Woman, Life, Liberty!

One brave voice
One brave voice
One brave voice
One brave voice

Woman
Life
Woman, Life, Liberty!

Woman
Life
Woman, Life, Liberty!

Stay strong
Stay strong

ONE BRAVE VOICE (feat. Emma Forman)

Rising Tide

Written and performed by Sara Wolff
Produced by Sara Wolff and Adam Rothschild
Engineered by Adam Rothschild
Mixed by Adam Rothschild
Mastered by Jim Spencer

Out now on Small Matter Records

Don't Feed The Birds

A dark and atmospheric, progressive instrumental piece with electronic and organic instrumentation.

Outsiders

Demi O - Nightmare Trust

Dedicated to the 70s Health an Safety culture; or lack thereof. Those of us of a certain age should actualy be grateful for health & safety. The 70s for children - and adults - was a minefield, particularly in rural communities like the ones I lived in.... For many of us, our H&S advisor was a cartoon cat called Charley..... 
This ties in nicely with 70s children's TV, which featured lots of acoustic guitars, and was a constant source of joy and inspiration.

What Charley said

I tried to surf a duck pond 
Which went over my head
Although I ran the risk of being drowned
I bred some suspect germs
In the mess beneath my bed
Amongst half eaten scraps I left around
 
I kept a jar of angry bees
I captured in a net
Drank from puddles washed my hands in ditches
My skinny little legs 
Bore my Nettlebed encounters
I had my share of bruises, cuts and stitches
 
I made it to adulthood
Blemished but undead
I made it to adulthood
Despite what Charlie said
 
I wouldn't take lectures from a talking cat
Whose job it was to shield us from harm
He only had nine lives; I used up more than that 
But that's just life on a farm
 
So I'm sat here in my padded room
Wrapped in cotton wool
Knowing that I've pushed my luck so far
My healed bones are souvenirs 
And you can see my story
By joining up the dots which are my scars
 
I made it to adulthood
Blemished but undead
I made it to adulthood
Despite what Charlie said

© 2023

Demo

What Charley Said

Voted best band at the Shropshire Music Awards in 2022, Black Bear Kiss announced that their debut, self-titled album is due for release on 3rd March.

Showing their considerable faith in their new material, the band release a final single ahead of album release - Begin Again.
 
"This is really meaningful", says singer Chris Leech, "many years of blood, sweat and tears have gone into making this record. This was the last track we recorded with our late guitarist Rob Jones, so its very special to us. We’ve been through so much as a band and Begin Again shows what we are about”.

Begin Again is available from Friday 24th February on all streaming platforms

2. Begin Again

An undeniably growing name in the female pop world; Emilia Tarrant’s 2022 saw support from BBC Radio 1’s ‘Future Pop’, a performance at the UK’s most iconic festival Glastonbury and a plethora of sync’s across some of the nation’s most popular TV shows. Opening up a new chapter this year, Emilia share’s the final instalment to her forthcoming EP, with single ‘Best Friend Heartbreak’, out February 3rd.

Emilia’s radiant pop trademark has seen her work with some of the biggest industry names, including Grammy-nominated producer, Will Hicks, known for his work with Ed Sheeran, Lewis Gardiner (Ellie Goulding) and Kingdoms (JPCooper, R3hab), piecing together what will be her second EP.

Working with another distinguished producer Charlie Thomas (Little Mix, London Grammar, One Direction) on ‘Best Friend Heartbreak’, Emilia strips back her signature buoyancy and invites each listener to indulge in her celestial vocals and ingest her narrative of a friendship break-up.

In her own words Emilia explains;
“This is probably the rawest song for me that I’ve released to date. I’m not going to lie, it’s pretty sad…! It’s a story I’ve been trying to write about and get off my chest for a couple years now, and then ‘Best Friend Heartbreak’ came along. It’s not often you hear songs about friend breakups, but as such a relatable subject, there should definitely be more. It perfectly captures the pain I felt after losing a friendship and how much I miss them still! It turned into a letter to myself too; as someone who hates giving up on anything, especially people, the lyric “Em just give up” is a phrase that I tend to want to scream at myself over and over again. Anyway, these lyrics, the emotion, and the production too, feel very ‘me’, and I’m so proud of what Charlie, Joe and I created.”

Best Friend Heartbreak

I can’t miss you like I do
I can’t miss you like I do
I can’t hold you like I did before
But I do

I can’t need you like I do
I can’t need you like I do
Though I can’t see you anymore
I do

Wait for nothing
Wait for no one 
Who waits for you?

Say that something
To that someone
That's what I'd do

It’s been said before but you get no second chances
You’re lucky to get the first
No easy questions
Certainly no easy answers

I can’t miss you like I do
I can’t need you like I do
Though I can’t hold you like I did before
I do