Artists You Need To Know About Right Now
Four unmissable artists, all in one place. The team at Slow Motion Panic Masters has four more suggestions for you all to pay attention to right now, or regret missing out on some of the most exciting music the world has to offer.
But first, make sure to follow our spotify playlist here and tune in soon to see what our favourite tracks of April 2020 were...
I was getting ready to write about Katy J Pearson out of a deep love for her 2019 single ‘Tonight’, but two days ago she surprised me with a new single release, and ‘Take Back The Radio’ was such a pleasant surprise. Thank you, Katy! This rainy quarantine week just got a whole load better!
This is a dancing-in-your-underwear-in-your-bedroom kind of song. It’s a song that won’t forgive you if you keep still while listening to it. And neither will I! With four singles as a solo artist under her belt, this self-described ‘west country girl in a west country world’ sings to a funky beat and her voice is not one you hear everyday. It feels… witchy. Which is fair, given she puts her music out with Heavenly Records, who also give off wonderfully witchy vibes.
If there is such a thing as a west country cowgirl, Katy J Pearson is it, and I really do mean it as a compliment. In these times of isolation we all deserve the company of good tunes, but with Pearson now doing weekly live streams every Saturdays at 5pm singing covers and originals, you have to ask yourself, what more could you possibly want?? Find her at @katyjpearsonband on IG and stop missing out already.
- MARIA ORLANDO (@romeoandweirdo)
Featuring on SMPM's Best of March Playlist with the gorgeously brief 'Will I See You Soon,' I have now been long enamoured with the stylings of this Austin-based singer/songwriter. With a voice that fuses sincerity, vulnerability and a capacity for provoking introspection, there are very few artists crafting songs to a standard that competes with fuvk.
New single 'Little Spoon' continues the outstanding track record of releases that fuvk has maintained over recent years, and will again be featuring in our playlist in back-to-back months. The tunes simply are that good, and you are doing yourself a disservice by not paying attention to them. Find fuvk on spotify, facebook and instagram immediately.
- BEN WHEADON (@wheadsauce)
‘Wych Elm birth a macabre string of stories with their ear shredding fragile guitar parts and rattling drums’
That's how Bristol-based alternative rock quartet Wych Elm describe themselves. It couldn’t be more accurate.
Beginning as the solo outlet of front woman Caitlin Elliman, Wych Elm deliver a signature brand of grungey, moody alt rock with lyrics drawn from dark folklore and disturbing true stories (see EP closer ‘Susan Smith’). Their debut EP Rat Blanket was released in 2019 and the first fifty vinyl copies sold out. They were also delivered in hand-stitched cadaver bags. Wicked. As well as beig an exciting recorded artist, Wych Elm are also no strangers when it comes to the live circuit. Playing approximately fifty gigs in ten months shows that this lot aren’t just doing it for fun; they clearly know they’re capable of taking over the British alternative scene.
Hit single ‘School Shooter’ has mustered over 310,000 streams on Spotify alone. All of the group’s tracks are under three minutes, so you are constantly left hungry for more. My personal favourite is ‘Greasy Fringe’, a sub-two minute track with a haunting yet catchy melody in the chorus. Rumour has it that more music is on the way, and we at Slow Motion Panic Masters absolutely cannot wait.
Check out the EP on Spotify here, and keep up the date with the band on Instagram and Facebook (at @wychelmband and @wychelm666 respectively).
- JAMES MELLEN (@jjamesmellen)
Oxford-based band Self Help are my pick for this month's “Ones To Watch”.
Tipped by Oxford’s notorious music zine Nightshift as ‘new local band most likely-to-be’, this two-male, two-female line-up have made their mark in the local gig scene for their catchy garage rock and frenzied live performances. Bassist Lizzie and drummer Silke provide thumping rhythm, while frontman Danny keeps his vocals consistently interesting, alternating between screaming confessionals and throwaway one-liners at the flick of a switch.
I’ve seen these guys live and frequently wonder if guitarist Sean “Wheezy” Cousins’ ability to induce a healthy dose of whiplash through his head banging while still managing to rip his licks and solos is only capable by a madman hopped up on ADHD meds and 6 cans of red bull. But when you meet these guys off the stage while they’re nursing their battle-wounds and settling down for a recovery pint, you realise they give so much energy to their gigs simply because they love making music. These warriors have stolen the hearts of Oxford indie-heads and you should give them a listen too.
- TOM KEOGH (@tomkeogh98)
Maria Orlando is a bookworm and writer that traded Italy's mild weather for London's constant drizzle. All to study literature. Oh well.
Ben Wheadon is editor and founder of Slow Motion Panic Masters. He is a Welsh musician and English Literature student at King's College, London and he should be writing a dissertation instead of creating a blog.
James Mellen is a very bored student in his final year of compulsory education, waiting to study music production and performance at degree level. He is passionate about music, guitars and music. He also watches films sometimes.
Tom Keogh is a 21 year old English Literature student at King’s College, London. He enjoys making music, visiting the bin and supporting shit football teams because he got into the sport late.
Thanks for reading! Slow Motion Panic Masters is a music, arts and culture blog created and edited by Ben Wheadon, a literature student and musician based in London, England.
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