6 Tracks from North East Artists you need to know!

In today's article, I am going to share with you my 6 personal favourite songs fresh from The North East! With small and local bands all available on all streaming platforms for your days inside! I am really missing the gigs and small performers in Newcastle's fabulous venues and really cannot wait to get back into it again after this global pandemic malarky. In no particular order, I am going to break down in a few lines my feels on the track and band followed by a quick few lines from some of the bands.

Baby you're a nightmare- Motel Carnation

Newcastle lads at Motel Carnation are flourishing in today's top new music. A band I discovered through someone wearing a T-Shirt of theirs in Dog and Parrot smokers. I am so glad I did because since then I have been a huge follower of the music they have released. A really new feel to the indie scene and truly great to vibe too! The first time seeing Motel Carnation live was when they supported 'FEVA' at a hometown gig in the Riverside Newcastle. With a great setlist and a bouncing crowd, my love for the band only got bigger!

In February the band released their newest track,'Baby you're a nightmare' produced by the legend, Bramwell Bronte, of Fender's Hypersonic Missiles. The band explain the track as a move out of their comfort zone from the brash, summer-infused indie rock and it is the sound of a night out that stretches into the early hours; with a beat that matches each crooked step towards home, mulling over romantic conflicts. Austin wrote the following about the track too, ''It's about perception mostly, the gap that's sometimes there between your version of events and another person's; and how that can have explosive consequences romantically. The song itself is an exercise in finally putting yourself in that other person's shoes, and not pulling any punches about what you see. There's still some tenderness in the hopelessness of it all, but whether that's how things really transpired is down to perception again.''

The Great Wall- Infernal Bloom

Infernal Bloom are an Alt-Pop band from the North East of England and the South of France. They've spent the last two years developing their style musically to a more melodic vocal-driven sound. G Pearson (Lead singer) left France at 17 years old to study music and pursue a career in the industry, G and Sam French (guitarist) met at college and bonded straight away and still create together every day. To expand their projects together, they decided to start a band, so Sam introduced G to his childhood best friend, Daniel Hipkin (bassist) and all started an EP (Pathways) together and evolved to “The Great Wall” track! I really love this track with a really well mixed slow and relaxing track. Truly one of a kind! A centrepiece to any playlist and a really well-built track. I can imagine this will be an amazing track performed by the band live too!

Chances- The Tonalities

Next up is a band I love to talk about in the shop! A truly great live performing band whom I discovered through the charity gigs they take part in! The Tonalities attend The Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen Charity gigs and perform covers of bands of the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Queen. They are a great band to see perform and have just released their debut single 'Chances' on all streaming platforms! This single is so special and a great addition to the discography of the North East music scene.

When speaking with the band they explained the new track as an upbeat, catchy tune about taking risks in life and not being afraid to take chances. The first line "taking chances has gotten me nowhere" is supposed to be someone else's point of view and the rest of the song contradicts it by telling you to take risks, do things you want to do etc.

Trip Advisor- Primary Colours

Primary Colours are a band who I discovered and have loved since 2017 from the track 'Guava'. At the start of February, the band released their debut album, 'Tail Lights' with a fantastic lineup of 10 great songs fresh from the North East! Our top track from the album would have to be Trip Advisor, a really well-built track with an alternative indie feel! With fantastic drum build up the lyrics truly finish the track and land as one of my all-time favourites of theirs!

When talking with the band I asked them to explain the track and they told us,

''So trip advisor was written shortly after my first acid trip and it’s basically a review of what happened mainly the whole kaleidoscope effect made the stars seem like they were trying to tell me something about a major secret and the song follows me trying to uncover and I just thought it would make a cool story to match the sitar driven riff I had wrote a few months before it''

Nakka Committee- Lovejoy

Lovejoy are a band who simply explain themselves as a fine blend of the grim North and rock and roll movement. When seeing them live it was surreal to feel the energy in the room! The band have a great attitude to music and local love for the streets they live on shining light to different relatable situations for northerners. The track 'Nakka committee' is a fast-paced track and a hybrid of alternative indie and ska. Lyrically the song is really well built and catchy! When talking with the lads about the track they said the following to us: ''Nakka committee was the first song we wrote together and somehow it’s the one that has managed to stick with people the most. It’s just an energetic little tune about being young and stupid so pretty much everyone can relate to that. It’s been released for 1 whole year this month and we can't thank everyone enough for the support we have had from it. We’re hoping we have the same reaction with our new EP which should be out sometime this year.''

Into the Night- Keiran Bowe

Local Geordie Keiran is a great musician, with three released tracks, all being unique and brilliant! I discovered him through friends of a friend and have loved the journey through his tracks so far! A true favourite of mine would have to be his latest release 'Into the night'. A great track with brilliant structure and an indie feel. Lyrically and vocally Keiran is really strong and has a really bright horizon in the local music scene for sure! After speaking with Keiran Bowe about his latest track he said the following: ''So in a nutshell it’s about going out again for the first time in a while after going through a rough period, whatever that may be, and experiencing what it’s like to actually enjoy yourself again based on my past experiences!''

This is only the beginning of my journey telling you about the amazing hidden gems of the North East! Every week we will be doing our 5 picks of the week and featuring our favourite local acts!

Find all of the tracks from this week's artists in our collaborated playlist with our partners Come Together North East below:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5X7N9H3d7IZN8bmWUlygaX?si=WBjpCJNOQnye89lWD5kgfw