Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke
In the run up to the Bank Holiday Weekend, Gemma and Kiah review the latest releases from Mrley, iDontEvenTrap, Cathy Jain and Ragsy.
Mrley – My Side Of London (Gemma)
Mrley, aka Lewisham’s 23-year-old Marley Rutherford, has released his debut single My Side Of London. After spending some time as a grime MC, Mrley has reconnected with the heavier records that he listened to during his youth. Growing up, he felt that the rock genre was not representative enough, and he is hoping that he can help to change this for future generations.
It combines a multitude of sub-genres and influences to craft an interesting and ear-catching track
His new track is an ode to the borough of South-East London that he grew up in, and how the internet and social media have made it fashionable to be “struggling”. He believes that those who are unfairly profiting and thriving off street culture should be reminded of the fact that this culture is “not something to play with”, a message which is reflected directly through the lyrics of the track.
My Side Of London was released alongside a music video that is reminiscent of the days of cable music TV, fitting perfectly with the defiant punk energy of the song. It combines a multitude of sub-genres and influences to craft an interesting and ear-catching track which is definitely worth a listen.
iDontEvenTrap – 28 (Gemma)
Following his recent Anxiety Freestyle, Fulham-based rapper iDontEvenTrap is back with his new single 28, alongside a music video for the track. This is his eighth music video in the past year, demonstrating his incredible work ethic.
The track’s Calypso-infused rap instrumental is courtesy of producer LTTB. iDontEvenTrap manages to bring his signature flow and unique, thick vocals to this beat. Influenced by artists such as Kano, P Money and 50 Cent, he continues to blend these grime inspirations with elements of his Caribbean culture. He is now working on his upcoming EP, which is set for release later this year.
Cathy Jain – artificial (Kiah)
Cathy Jain, the Salford based alt-pop newcomer, has released her second single – artificial – the soft and dreamy title track of her upcoming EP. Jain’s releases so far have blended indie and pop together with undertones of R&B and psychedelic pop.
jain has definitely set the scene to become a popular upcoming indie pop artist
At just 17, Cathy Jain has experienced a multitude of cultures from her upbringing based in China, Australia and the UK, which her debut single cool kid explored. This can also be seen in artificial as Jain incorporates the guzheng, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, into the track.
After her debut single cool kid, Jain has sparked the interests of BBC Radio 1 and NME, who featured her as a new artist on their First On series. With her debut EP set to be released in November, Jain has definitely set the scene to become a popular upcoming indie pop artist.
Ragsy – Summer (Kiah)
Welsh singer-songwriter Ragsy has released Summer as the latest single from his upcoming album, ‘One More For The Road’, which was produced at Northhouse Studios in South Wales. Since appearing on The Voice in 2013 and being mentored by Sir Tom Jones, Ragsy has written and created acoustic inspired tracks about his life experiences.
When discussing what Summer is about, Ragsy said the song was inspired by a conversation with his child: ‘‘The imagination, excitement and those big smiles as they explain everything they see, everything that they believe, it’s so infectious.’’
Over his musical career Ragsy has constantly been performing and touring, developing his take on classic acoustic storytelling. Supporting several artists such as The Proclaimers and performing at Glastonbury, Ragsy has worked hard to spread his easy listening acoustic tracks across the UK.
Gemma Cockrell and Kiah Tooke
Featured image courtesy of Nina via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @idonteventrap and @ragsy78 via instagram.com. No changes made to these images.
To listen to all of these tracks, check out the New Releases Roundup playlist on Spotify.
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