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 4th March 2024: 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/batch521

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 521

2024 1st Quarter

A View from the Garden

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

Nadia Garofalo - vocals, juno, wurlitzer
Ben Shillabeer – bass, bass vi, guitars, programming, synths
Ben Turner – drums, percussion

Recorded at home, Bristol and Axe & Trap Studios, Somerset.
Nadia’s vocals recorded by Brian Fox at Altered States, Chicago.
Mixed by Ben Turner at Axe & Trap Studios - axeandtrapstudios.com
Mastered by Shawn Joseph at Optimum Mastering, Bristol.

Background loop on 'Bootlickers' courtesy of Charlie Andrew & Cyrus Bayandor. Cover art by Amelia Teixeira.

catalogue number HFBTS006

releases March 1, 2024

Noctalgia

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

Prepare for an adrenaline-pumping experience as these two hip-hop heavyweights bring the heat.

From the gritty streets to the studio, witness the journey as Kidd Kidd and B.G. lay down their unapologetic verses against a backdrop of street life and undeniable authenticity. 

Kidd Kidd, known for his razor-sharp flow and gritty storytelling, teams up with the legendary B.G., whose influence on the rap game is undeniable.

Yellow Tape ft. B.G.

Ramblin’ along with the help of ukulele and simple percussion, the optimistic, summertime vibe of ‘Happy Place’ summons a longing for simplicity and the comforting familiarity of a favourite holiday spot or childhood memory. Influenced by the light, bouncy sounds of artists such as Ed Sheeran or George Ezra, this song captures the contentment of standing still for a moment in this mad world and the beauty of simple pleasures.

Liverpool based duo APRIL MOON met Brighton born Kirzy on the Canary Island while playing music at local bars several years ago and knew that their music styles would be an interesting combination although this is the first time they’ve attempted songwriting together.

Happy Place

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

It says 'The shorter the better' here.  So I'll take that literally.

A View from the Garden

Alexys