Indie singer-songwriter Darren Burdis’ new single will certainly get hearts fluttering with a gorgeous, personal track.
The Newcastle songwriter has turned in a clever and touching acoustic ballad, hitting hard from the moment the needle drops.
The shimmering guitar line that floats atop the acoustic opening is a gorgeous way to start showcasing Burdis’ talent with the instrument and setting the track on the right path.
I particularly enjoyed how the drumbeat mirrored the rhythm of a heartbeat, reflecting the meticulous attention to detail in the production.
In terms of the overall vibe of the song I could hear the influences of indie folk artists such as Elliot Smith, particularly evident in the heartbreaking lyrics.
This is beautifully intertwined with the glossy guitar work which reminded me of the heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen and the North East’s own Sam Fender.
The vocal delivery is hoarse and husky perfectly suited to this track giving Burdis the perfect tools to paint this emotionally raw piece onto the record.
The gorgeous backing vocals towards the backend of the song evoke early Radiohead, and if you’re into similar acoustic indie music with a lot of heart, this single is definitely for you.
Boy Found Sound’s latest single is a touching indie pop ode, featuring gorgeous production and well-constructed songwriting.
The track sets off like a runaway train, bringing with a nice Americana feel reminiscent of the likes of Bruce Springsteen and The War on Drugs, with its combination of acoustic guitar with beautifully reverbed riffs layered on top.
With the mood set, Boy Found Sound is free to write touching verses about a girl with ultraviolet eyes, over the top of this musical bed.
Musically, the track acts like a continuous train of thought, with no let-up throughout the tune and only subtle changes in tempo between the verse and the chorus.
This momentum only pauses for an amazing guitar solo, which reminded me a lot of Sam Fender with its reverb-heavy distortion and brilliant technicality.
Overall, this is a great song that has been meticulously put together. If you’re a fan of Sam Fender, then this is for you!
Joyland brings the summer vibes with their slick new single, Leaving Tonight. Combining a number of different influences, the track’s shiny production hides a set of yearning lovesick lyrics.
Hailing from Newcastle, the five-piece has slowly gathered momentum over a number of years, something evident in their latest single.
Over three sun-kissed minutes, the group cultivates a catchy yet sophisticated vibe, drawing from various influences in the indie and pop genres.
The piano opening of the track echoes The 1975‘s If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know), with its stark, reverberated keyboard intro. This gives away to a guitar line washed in distortion and reverb straight out of the Sam Fender playbook.
The piano leads the track front and centre of the mix, alongside the amazing vocals, which are delivered with emotion and are well integrated into the track’s aesthetic.
As the buildup to the chorus begins, you can feel the band’s songwriting ability shining through as they expertly weave their way through the song, demonstrating their knack for producing a catchy indie pop melody.
The track’s strengths lie in its ebbs and flows, with various breakdowns building tension that is effortlessly released by the time of the chorus.
This gives way to a gorgeous guitar solo that sounds effortless. This is all enhanced by the excellent production, which boosts the track’s already strong songwriting.
This all leads to a really catchy, strong single from Joyland, perfect for the hazy weekends of festival season. The group are definitely ones to watch, and this is a bandwagon worth jumping on as they continue to head in one direction.
Freshly returned from their transatlantic odyssey, The Peevie Wonders are ready with new music and big plans for the future.
After a slew of shows in Austin, Texas, the group is back on home soil and ready to continue to build the hype, which has attracted the attention of the likes of BBC Radio One.
I caught up with frontman Mark Wilson to talk about their amazing experiences in the USA, as well as their exciting new track “Big Eczema Energy”, which features a solo from fellow North Shields resident Sam Fender, as well as production from Fender’s bandmates, Joe Atkinson and Dean Thompson.
The track showcases all that is good from the band, bringing big energy and unique lyrics. You can check it out here.
Bringing humour and terrific post punk energy, the track combines the wit and surrealism of bands such as FEET with the infectious energy of groups such as Shame. This addition to the growing catalogue of excellent singles released by the North Shields’ band so far further solidifies their status as ones to watch.
Sharing his thoughts about the new single Big Eczema Energy as well as working with Fender, Thompson and Atkinson, frontman Mark Wilson stated this: “This was the most fun I’ve ever had recording music. They are all good friends of mine, and it was class seeing professional musicians chipping in with writing and production on Big Eczema Energy.
They really brought it to life and helped us out beyond our expectations. It was a real North Shields collaboration. Sam’s solo was pretty much an improvisation, and if you haven’t heard it already, I would have a listen and prepare for a face melting rock n roll experience.”
The track builds upon the group’s influences, which can be heard throughout the group’s music, which mixes excellently crafted tunes with comedic lyrics often about the banality of everyday life. Past targets include the big shop at Morrisons, indie boys and gym lads, with the group delivering a unique twist on post punk.
I asked frontman Mark Wilson, about who and what inspired their uniquely brilliant music:
“Lyrically, artists like Johnny Cash, Tenacious D and John Cooper Clarke have been huge influences in the way they can add humour and make people laugh with the words they choose.
As a young boy, I was obsessed with Spike Milligan’s poetry, it’s so daft and surreal yet the stories spark something inside me that inspires me to this day to write something amusing. I love rough and raw music and The Fall are massively inspiring in how they break rules and the recordings can sound a bit shoddy and home made.
My music taste can only be described as Dad Rock, which isn’t really the sound that I have gone for, but if you break our music down the classical rock elements are all there, hidden beneath noisy guitar riffs and ranty vocals.”
These are all things which can be heard from what the group has put out so far. Since their formation in 2020, the band has gone from strength to strength. I asked Mark Wilson about what made them start The Peevie Wonders:
“I had COVID during the pandemic, and being locked in my room. I started messing around with some guitar ideas, which then progressed into songs. This was the first time I’d ever had vocals on a track, which was a weird experience whilst I was trying to find my voice. I’m still looking!
I asked Ben, who is my best pal, to get involved and help with some lead guitar. Before I knew it, we were in a rehearsal room playing these songs that were created during my self isolation.
To start with, we had my computer plugged into the PA, which had backing track drums and bass. The hardest part was having to play perfectly in time, and then pause the track at the end of the song.
The natural progression was to get some real humans to join the band. This is where Ollie and Joe were introduced. We practised quite regularly and I was adding new songs in for us to play. Our first gig was in Sunderland at The Independent, we played 5 songs and it was a lot of fun.
The band was started as a bit of a joke, the nature of the songs shows that. The first track I wrote was about people who don’t put butter on their bread when making a sandwich… The lyrical nature has only got more and more ridiculous as the band has aged and this won’t be changing anytime soon.
I have tried and failed to write about more traditional things such as love and relationships but that doesn’t ever come into fruition. I really struggle with that sort of stuff so I may as well write about the things that I have observed and find funny, it’s all I can do really.
I had never expected the music to take us to places such as Texas or BBC Maida Vale studios, and it still blows my mind as to how we have even been invited to have such amazing experiences. It hasn’t been easy and a lot of work has gone into this, but as long as it remains fun and exciting, I want to keep progressing and see what else us idiots can get up to.”
The Peevie Wonders’ unique approach led them this year to be invited to play SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The group participated in the boycott due to the sponsorship of the festival, however still managed to play some unofficial shows in venues around the city, who supported bands participating in the protest:
“CoCoTexas is absolutely mental, everything is bigger and worse for your health, which for a week was very nice to indulge in. I was crying out for some broccoli by the end of the trip. The reception was great, and we decided to keep the set pretty much the same as our home shows.
We took the dad joke book and the shopping scanner, which both went down a storm. We were playing to a brand new audience every gig so it was integral that we showed off what we are all about and didn’t hold back on any of the performances.
My advice to anyone going over there and playing their music would be to stay true to yourself. People will either love it or hate it, that’s the nature of the game, so you may as well remain unchanged and have fun with it.
After playing Big Eczema Energy one day, I had a member of the audience pull me aside after the show. They explained that they had been a dermatologist for 20 years in Texas, and we had a lovely conversation about moisturiser and steroid creams. That was fun.”
The group is keen to take advantage of the momentum, they have gained from their US experience. Over the course of the past few years, the band has attracted the attention of BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music as well as a handful of prominent support slots, I wanted to know what the future held for the band:
“We have our debut EP titled “Big Eczema Energy”, which will be 4 and a half songs. I think… That will be a huge box ticked for me, as this was one of my goals at the start of The Peevie Wonders.
The EP has very similar sounding songs on it which I have been very keen to do with very rocky and energetic sounding music, which will hopefully make for a body of work that will soundtrack your morning runs or drive to McDonalds on a Sunday morning.
I also have a few unfinished tracks which I am working on. I really want to write a 7 minute ballad which I’m hoping to sit down and finish, which will probably never see the light of day and is more for my own entertainment. We will see what happens with that.”
In addition to an upcoming EP the group have some exciting gigs in the pipe line:
“We are playing A Stone’s Throw Festival on the 25th May in my hometown of North Shields, and have a few more gigs that we can’t talk about yet. With our debut EP planned for early summer, we will of course be gigging to celebrate that around the North East.”
With all that to look forward to, you can check out The Peevie Wonders’ Instagram here, as well as their new single “Big Eczema Energy” here.
Heidi Curtis is ambitious for success and there’s no reason why her aims couldn’t become a reality.
The band after the Sophie and the Giants show – @heidicurtismusic
The singer songwriter has already supported Sophie and the Giants and appeared on Sam Fender’s amazing single, ‘Hypersonic Missiles’.
However, there is no standing still for Newcastle based artist. She has already begun to implement her manifesto for success with her band, who are currently rehearsing and writing with her.
‘My guitarist Josh is a massive Toon fan so I would just like to headline the arena so he could shout a chant and the crowd could shout it back.’
On her Career Ambition
Curtis has highlighted the importance of being prepared for anything and whilst no gigs are currently planned, she understands the need to be prepared for anything which transpire.
‘The past few gigs have been amazing and we’ve got a promoter involved but we know we have to wait for good support slots’
Her main aim is to build a passionate following, something she is currently well in process of achieving with over a thousand followers on Instagram as well as a growing YouTube community in which she highlights her work.
The singer songwriter is first concentrating on this rather than releasing music. However, she was quick to tease what it will sound like with demos described as if Blondie hit Fleetwood Mac.
The huge range of influences are already demonstrated on her YouTube channel in which she has reinvented popular favourites from acts such as Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and New Order, transforming them into her own unique style.
It is this and her sensational singing voice which has led to big things for her so far, supporting Sophie and the Giants at the Northumbria Institute last month.
‘It was a great experience, the whole thing was amazing and to play on a proper stage was great… They were super lovely’
However, this is just the start for Heidi who wishes to go all the way to the summit of music with ambitions to top the bill at Boardmasters as well as to have her own headline tour.
This may well become a reality for her with the excellent acoustic version of ‘AGAIN’ on her Instagram demonstrating her supreme talent for songwriting.
Describing herself as a ‘methodwriter’, Heidi often writes from her own experiences dreaming up melodies whilst painting, molding the impressive lyrics around them.
Her songwriting journey began as a way of trying to work her way into her brother’s inner circle, something which clearly worked with her sibling now managing the singer songwriter.
It is also through this that Heidi has formed a friendship with her brother’s best mate and inspiration Sam Fender.
‘He’s always been massively supportive, he’s like an older brother.’
The North Shields based artist has always helped Heidi, having a huge influence on her music as well as helping her to write her first song.
He also provided a memorable moment for the singer songwriter, with Heidi appearing on the spectacular ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, providing backing vocals on the track.
The singer songwriter also has ambitions to headline Mouth of the Tyne Festival like Fender did earlier in the year.
However, top of the to do list for Heidi Curtis is to eventually headline the Ultita Arena in Newcastle if only to provide a special moment for her guitarist Josh.
‘My guitarist Josh is a massive Toon fan so I would just like to headline the arena so he could shout a chant and the crowd could shout it back.’
With her immense talent there’s no reason why the dream couldn’t become a reality.
I know I’m over a month late to the party but it would be hard not to talk about this album with Sam Fender mania sweeping the North East.
The Limited Edition Picture Disk ft. bed
It’s been quite the month for Sam Fender, a number one album followed up by announcing huge gigs at the Utilita Arena here in Newcastle. There has even been talk of potential gigs at St. James’ Park it’s fair to say that Sam Fender is now amongst the biggest alternative artists in the country.
But is all the hype deserved: the short answer is definitely yes. The album starts with the title track, an arena ready song made to be performed live with smart socially relevant lyrics which perfectly combine. Despite this, one drawback is the ‘oh’ lines which feel forced in there to create a festival singalong which isn’t really needed when the song is so dramatic already.
‘The Borders’ and ‘White Privilege’ are both excellent painting Fender as modern day Geordie Springsteen, the catchy riff in ‘The Borders’ shows off the singer songwriter’s talent, immediately distancing himself from the array of acoustic guitar wielding artists, which are all over the radio like a plague of flesh eating locusts feasting on the corpse of originality.
‘White Privilege’ is lyrically the best on the album performed for the majority in one continual verse flowing like a rap or poem, confronting difficult social issues in an incredibly self aware way making this a great song for finding a unique spin on commentary.
The excellent social commentary continues on ‘Dead Boys’, which confronts male suicide in a heartfelt way whilst ‘You’re Not the Only One’ changes up the sound of the album adding in a drum machine creating the vibe of a sped up version of Iggy Pop’s ‘Nightclubbing’. Overall, this gives the song a welcome change to the rest of the album with it’s pulsating beat which sounds very different to the rest of the album of which, there is little variation from the core indie sound.
‘Play God’s looping guitars are effective in reflecting the dystopian narrative of the song lyrics and proving another excellent single showing off Fender’s talent of writing pop songs with an indie twist. This continues in ‘That Sound’ with a thunderous chorus and pounding guitar riffs forcing home the heaviest song on the album in triumphant fashion.
‘Saturday’ continues the anthemic nature of the album with yet another effective future singalong. This flows into ‘Will We Talk’, which is a far more bittersweet song with a beautiful underlying melancholy to the tune despite keeping an energetic outer shell of guitars and violins.
‘Two People’ is the most similar to an Ed Sheeran type song expected from most male singer songwriters having the vibe of ‘The A Team’ with an electric twist whilst delivering another amazing set of lyrics. The album takes a downwards turn on ‘Call Me Lover’, a very poppy song, that is not necessarily a bad thing but amongst this album stands out as cliche and repetitive.
However, the next song, ‘Leave Fast’ is the best song that Fender has released to date. It is hard to describe just how perfect this song is, the riff is beautiful and brims with emotion, which combines well with the perfect lyrics revolving around the monotonous struggle of living in a small town and the inability to separate yourself from it. The song is easily the best on the album.
‘Use – Live’ is a change up from the rest of the album if a little baffling described as being there to prove that he can perform well live which gives the impression of the album being more of a CV to the audience than an album of songs. Despite this, the song is a nice switch up from the formula of the album with the guitars ditched in favour of a piano and Fender providing a strong vocal performance to finish off the album.
Overall, I really like this album, it’s a really strong starting point highlighting Fender as an extremely good lyricist combining social commentary in an effective unpatronizing way. However, I do feel as though the lyrics are stronger than the music which is backing it up.
Whilst the music is good I feel like it is a little tame in some areas considering the content of the lyrics. This is mainly nitpicking however and overall this is a really solid debut backing up the hype of the North Shields artist.
Humbug North East 