Dream Wife
In a sentence: We couldn’t think of any better way to start than with Dream Wife, the red-hot trio who’ve already smashed 2018 with a debut full-length that’s a sharp possibility for album of the year.
We’ve picked: Let’s Make Out, the fierce single that opens Dream Wife. For something more melodic, try Somebody or Hey Heartbreaker.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Rakel Mjöll
Spotify followers: 14,109
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Dream Wife (2018); EPs – EP01 (2016)
Calva Louise
In a sentence: Sure to stir loudly in the future, this buzz band are building a reputation as a must-see live act, combining grungy foundations with gripping punk wrench that makes them our ultimate tip for 2019 and beyond.
We’ve picked: Getting Closer, their quirky second single.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Jess Allanic
Spotify followers: 426
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Singles – Getting Closer (2017), I’m Gonna Do Well (2016)
Anteros
In a sentence: Bright indie rock with a pop touch, starring Laura Hayden – who often draws inevitable comparisons to Blondie’s Debbie Harry – on vocals.
We’ve picked: Love, the latest single, with their debut album expected sometime later this year or early in 2019.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Laura Hayden
Spotify followers: 7,112
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Drunk (2017), Breakfast (2016), Anteros (2015); Singles – Love (2017), Bonnie (2017), Hot Mess (with GIRLI, 2017), Blue (2016)
Yonaka
In a sentence: Strongly-backed Brightonians producing bold alternative music inspired by hip-hop beats and finished with snappy rock riffs.
We’ve picked: Run, first revealed in 2015 on SoundCloud and later reproduced for their Heavy EP.
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Theresa Jarvis
Spotify followers: 5,102
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Heavy (2017); Singles – Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya (2017), Drongo (2016), Ignorance (2016)
Black Honey
In a sentence: The striking Black Honey compose alternative rock that’s often catchy, occasionally dramatic, and always insatiable.
We’ve picked: Somebody Better. Headspin (on the EP of the same name) and Dig reveal alternate sides to their sound.
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Izzy B. Phillips
Spotify followers: 25,619
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Headspin (2016), Black Honey (2014); Singles – Dig (2017), Somebody Better (2017), Hello Today (2016), Corinne (2015), Madonna (2015), Spinning Wheel (2015)
Nova Twins
In a sentence: Tough to pigeonhole, London’s Nova Twins are best described as urban punk, combining elements of rock and UK grime to create stupefyingly unique music that we need more of in our lives.
We’ve picked: Mood Swings, the opening track from their self-titled first EP.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Amy Love
Spotify followers: 2,312
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Mood Swings (2017), Nova Twins (2016); Singles – Thelma and Louise (2017)
Bang Bang Romeo
In a sentence: With a theatric vocal style you rarely encounter in alternative music, it’s powerhouse frontwoman Anastasia Walker’s thriving pop gloss that provides the golden touch for this Sheffield band.
We’ve picked: The band’s stunning rock ballad Chemical. Their debut, Johannesburg, is arguably even better.
Hometown: Sheffield, UK
Vocalist: Anastasia Walker
Spotify followers: 840
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Singles – Natural Born Astronaut (2017), Chemical (2017), Invitation (2016), Carnival (2016), Johannesburg (2015)
ZZ Tiger
In a sentence: One the UK’s most shamefully underheard bands, Lea Emmery’s Kid Wave first surfaced with a rich output of moody, wistful jangle, returning recently with a new, poppier imprint.
Addendum: Lea Emmery announced shortly after publication that she’s now going to be releasing music under a new name, ZZ Tiger.
We’ve picked: New single Twenty-Four, complete with a shift in sound away from her previous output. Last year’s aptly-named Everything Changes was one of our singles of 2017, but recently disappeared from streaming services.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Lea Emmery
Spotify followers: 4 (4,189 as Kid Wave)
Links: Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Wonderlust (2015); EPs – Gloom (2014); Singles – Twenty-Four (2018), Everything Changes (2017), Shelley / Freeride (2013)
BLOXX
In a sentence: Much-hyped London foursome producing rousing grunge-pop, popping up as support for seemingly everyone and looking well on the way to becoming one of the next generation of breakthrough British bands.
We’ve picked: Coke, released as a single back in September.
Hometown: Uxbridge, UK
Vocalist: Ophelia Booth
Spotify followers: 4,311
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Singles – Novocain (2018), Coke (2017), Curtains (2017), You (2017), Your Boyfriend (2016)
Our Girl
In a sentence: A mixture of plush grunge and fuzzy pop featuring Soph Nathan – The Big Moon guitarist and scene heroine – sublime on vocals.
We’ve picked: Self-titled new single Our Girl, produced by Bill Ryder-Jones.
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Soph Nathan
Spotify followers: 2,009
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Normally (2016); Singles – Our Girl (2018), Sad Fuzz (2017), Sleeper / Level (2015)
Thyla
In a sentence: With driving, glazed over guitars and whimsical vocals, Thyla are one of the Brighton music scene’s shimmering gems.
We’ve picked: Pristine Dream, with its touch of the theatrical and euphoric chorus, but all four of their recent singles are just perfect.
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Millie Duthie
Spotify followers: 339
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – War (2014); Singles – I Was Biting (2018), Tell Each Other Lies (2017), Pristine Dream (2017), Ferris Wheels (2017), Motherlode (2016), Car Crash (2016)
Frøkedal
In a sentence: Glowing, creative indie pop from Norway with a stripped back, folk feel.
We’ve picked: Her beautiful new track Believe. It’s been confirmed for inclusion on her second full-length, which we’re expecting later this year.
Hometown: Oslo, NO
Vocalist: Anne Lise Frøkedal
Spotify followers: 1,601
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Hold On Dreamer (2016); EPs – I See You (2015); Singles – Believe (2018), LTF / Cracks (2017), Stranger (2017), The Sign (2016), Kid (2015)
Pink Kink
In a sentence: Eccentric gang of party punks that, after two years as the best kept secret of the Liverpool music scene, finally look set to astound a wider audience.
We’ve picked: Bubblebutt. It’s just such good fun.
Hometown: Liverpool, UK
Vocalist: Bridget Mayer
Spotify followers: 263
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Singles – Munchie Magic (2017), Bubblebutt (2017)
Harlea
In a sentence: A enigmatic fledgling making rock-and-roll on her own terms, leaving her identity in the shadows to instead reveal herself through bold riffs, bluesy swagger and sultry pop vocals.
We’ve picked: The debut single Miss Me. She’s been quiet recently, but we’ve got our fingers crossed for more to come.
Hometown: London, UK
Spotify followers: 1,769
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Singles – You Don’t Get It (2017), Miss Me (2016)
The Van T’s
In a sentence: Garage rock that’s rooted in the indie aesthetics of the ’90s, starring the vocal melodies of sisters Hannah and Chloe and a unique frizzy gloss.
We’ve picked: Fresh Meat, a single released last year. For something less polished, track down their chilled debut EP.
Hometown: Glasgow, UK
Vocalists: Hannah Van Thompson, Chloe Van Thompson
Spotify followers: 1,259
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – A Coming Of Age (2016), Laguna Babe (2015), The Van T’s (2013); Singles – Bittersweet (2017), Fresh Meat (2017), Fun Garcon (2016)
L.A. Witch
In a sentence: A fuzzy Californian trio basking in a diverse range of influences to create smoky, reverb-drenched rock stamped with Sade Sanchez’s trademark warble.
We’ve picked: Untitled, the popular single from their self-titled debut album.
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA, US
Vocalist: Sade Sanchez
Spotify followers: 11,934
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – L.A. WITCH (2017); EPs – L.A. Witch (2014); Singles – Drive Your Car (2016), Kill My Baby Tonight (2015); Demos – Your Ways (2012)
Honeyblood
In a sentence: Scottish heavyweights who’ve blossomed from gutty lo-fi janglers into anthemic indie rockers, becoming an exceptional live band in the process.
We’ve picked: Latest release Swell Love, but make sure to bask in their entire back catalogue, right back to their early work with Shona McVicar on drums.
Hometown: Glasgow, UK
Vocalist: Stina Tweeddale
Spotify followers: 23,793
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Babes Never Die (2016), Honeyblood (2014); Singles – Swell Love (2017), No Big Deal / The Black Cloud (2015), Killer Bangs / Drowsy (2014), Bud / Kissing On You (2013), Thrift Shop (2012)
Girl Ray
In a sentence: Tranquil indie pop from a trio of ladies still in their late teens, producing music that burgeons beyond their years.
We’ve picked: New single The Way We Came Back, released last month but penned by vocalist Poppy Hankin at the age of 16.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Poppy Hankin
Spotify followers: 6,520
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Earl Grey (2017); Singles – The Way We Came Back (2018), (I Wish I Were Giving You A Gift) This Christmas (2017), I’ll Make This Fun (2016)
whenyoung
In a sentence: whenyoung – all lower-case – produce incessantly catchy, fresh-faced indie pop and have been cherry-picked to support Dream Wife on tour next week.
We’ve picked: Pretty Pure, the new single, released on former Maccabee Felix White’s imprint Yala! Records.
Hometown: Limerick, IE
Vocalist: Aoife Power
Spotify followers: 874
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Singles – Pretty Pure (2018), Fairytale Of New York (2017), Actor / Silverchair (2017), See How They Run / Show Me How (2016)
Yassassin
In a sentence: A fiery post-punk quintet featuring Anna Haara Kristoferson, formerly of shoegazers LUST, on vocals.
We’ve picked: Cherry Pie, the opening track from Vitamin Y. They’ve just tweaked their lineup, so we’re expecting material with the new members soon.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Anna Haara Kristoferson
Spotify followers: 772
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Vitamin Y (2017); Singles – Social Politics (2016)
Family Friends
In a sentence: Warm, hazy pop from a melancholic duo comprised of siblings Rebecca and Tom Fitzsimons.
We’ve picked: The jangly title track from their Look the Other Way EP.
Hometown: London, UK & Melbourne, AU
Vocalist: Rebecca Fitzsimons
Spotify followers: 722
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Look The Other Way (2017), Across The Water (2015)
Tokyo Tea Room
In a sentence: Fuzzy psychedelic pop that sparkles under the radar, compelling not least for frontwoman Beth Plumb’s fanciful, often euphoric vocal style.
We’ve picked: Auto-Phobia from Another Place, Another Time, an EP that represents a serious step-up in sound.
Hometown: Canterbury, UK
Vocalist: Beth Plumb
Spotify followers: 152
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Another Place, Another Time (2017), Key Philosophy (2016); Singles – Worlds Apart (2017), Like A Drug (2016)
Baby In Vain
In a sentence: A moody Danish take on alternative rock, typified by fat drums, scorching guitars and sweltry vocal stylings.
We’ve picked: To Heaven and Back, taken from the long-awaited debut album More Nothing and featuring some of their chokiest riffs.
Hometown: Copenhagen, DK
Vocalists: Lola Hammerich, Andrea Thuesen Johansen
Spotify followers: 3,296
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – More Nothing (2017); EPs – For The Kids (2016), Sweetheart Dreams (2012); Singles – For Whom The Bell Tolls (2018), Seize The End / Alien Arms (2013), Taught By Hand / Cowboys (2013), Corny #1 / The Thrill (2013)
Dead Naked Hippies
In a sentence: Accomplished post-punk from three Leeds scene prospects that clamour and barb with unabashed in-your-face style.
We’ve picked: Drain You, the standout single released last year.
Hometown: Leeds, UK
Vocalist: Lucy Jowett
Spotify followers: 315
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Dead Naked Hippies (2017); Singles – I Can’t Wait (2017), Drain You (2017), Lights Out (2016)
Pink Milk
In a sentence: One of Scandinavia’s countless hidden gems, Pink Milk are an occultish cross between raspy post-punk and dark dream pop.
We’ve picked: Not to take away from their originals, but we’ve plumped for their simply mesmerising cover of Foreigner’s I Want to Know What Love Is. Detroit and Kill 4 U are two of their own that you ought to hear.
Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Maria Forslund
Spotify followers: 381
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Purple (2017)
Part 2 of FEISTY’s Women On Vox will be published on Tuesday 13 March 2018. Liking what you’ve heard? Let us know, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
