Huw Meredydd Stephens is a Welsh radio presenter, broadcasting on BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 6 Music.
SONS Records is an independent record label based in Stoke-on-Trent. The company was formed in 2004 by Seb Clarke, who was shortly after joined by: Neil Graham, Al Padmore, James Wakefield and Tangwyn Davies. The label consists solely of bands native to the North Staffordshire area and has become a noted figure both locally and nationally, having recently received attention from Chris Hawkins, Steve Lamacq, and Huw Stephens as well as Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie SONS has earned comparisons to Factory Records for its DIY ethic and its unique 'SONS sound'. In May 2020 following a decade long hiatus, SONS announced the launch of their streaming service Sonstream alongside a string of new releases by This Is Seb Clarke, The Novellos, as well a series of tracks from their new roster of artists. The first of these tracks to receive national airplay while remaining entirely exclusive to Sonstream, was 'College Days Over' by Jayne Taylor. Chris Hawkins commented on his show that "this sounds like a great old tune, but it's brand new... Muscle-Shoals-on-Trent, great song and arrangement. Classic Americana with a twist of English melancholia."
The Lovely Eggs are a two-piece lo-fi psychedelic punk rock band from Lancaster, England. They consist of married couple Holly Ross and David Blackwell. Ross was formerly the lead singer and guitarist in the all-female band Angelica.
Little Comets are an English indie rock trio from Jarrow and Washington, Tyne and Wear. They are described as playing "kitchen sink indie" music. In early 2009 the band were signed to Columbia Records following numerous gigs in strange locations such as lecture theatres and various modes of public transport and support from DJ Huw Stephens. After departing their major record label they released their début album, In Search of Elusive Little Comets, on 31 January 2011. The band released their second album, Life is Elsewhere, on 15 October 2012 under Dirty Hit records.
"Under the Sheets" is the debut single by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights (2010). Produced by Starsmith, it was released as the album's lead single. The song premiered on Huw Stephens's BBC Radio 1 show on 30 September 2009 and was released on the UK iTunes Store on 15 November 2009, peaking at number fifty-three on the UK Singles Chart. It was also used to promote the second season of 90210 on E4 in the UK. According to Goulding, the single was released on independent label Neon Gold Records rather than Polydor so that she would not be put under too much pressure.
Hurts are an English musical duo formed in Manchester in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and multi-instrumentalist Adam Anderson. They have released five studio albums: Happiness (2010), Exile (2013), Surrender (2015), Desire (2017) and Faith (2020). Their first two albums both reached the top 10 in several countries.
The Vaccines are an English indie rock band, formed in West London in 2010 by Justin Hayward-Young, Freddie Cowan, Árni Árnason and Pete Robertson.
William George Sinclair, better known by his stage name Willy Moon, is a New Zealand-born musician, singer, songwriter and producer. He is known for his 2012 single "Yeah Yeah" which appeared on the 2012 Apple iPod advert and peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. In March 2015, Moon and his wife, Natalia Kills, were fired as judges from New Zealand X Factor for their comments and behaviour towards one of the contestants.
The discography of The Vaccines, an English indie rock band, currently consists of four studio albums, one live album, sixteen B-sides, and seventeen singles.
AlunaGeorge are an English electronic music duo from London, consisting of singer-songwriter Aluna Francis and producer George Reid.
Graffiti on the Train is the eighth studio album by Welsh rock band Stereophonics. Produced by the group's lead-singer and guitarist Kelly Jones and Jim Lowe, it was released on 4 March 2013 on their own Stylus Records. It was the first Stereophonics album since Keep Calm and Carry On (2009), marking the first time they had not released a record within two years. It was intended for an October 2012 release date and took nearly two years to complete. This is the last record to feature drummer Javier Weyler, who was officially replaced by Jamie Morrison on 24 September 2012.
Facedown is the debut extended play by English rock band the 1975 released on 6 August 2012 through Dirty Hit. It is the debut of four EPs released before the band's self-titled debut. Each song was accompanied by a music video. The lead single, "The City", and "Woman," were performance videos, while "Facedown" and "Antichrist" were more conceptual pieces. All videos were in black and white and directed by James Booth.
Will Varley is an English singer-songwriter, musician and visual artist. He is one of the founding members of the arts collective Smugglers Records. Since self releasing his debut album Advert Soundtracks in 2011 he has toured extensively across the world as a headline act and opened for the likes of Billy Bragg, Valerie June, The Dead South and The Proclaimers. He has headlined venues including Union Chapel and Shepherd's Bush Empire. Will’s songs have been covered by acts as diverse as The Pretty Things and Frank Turner. In recent years Will has co-written songs with numerous artists including Skin of Skunk Anansie and Shae Dupuy. His fifth studio album The Spirit of Minnie was released in 2018.
Sam O'Neill, known by his stage name TCTS, is an English DJ and record producer from Manchester. He is signed to Chase & Status' record label, MTA. O'Neill is best known for his 2014 song "Games", which reached number 29 on the UK Dance Chart.
Coasts was an English rock band formed in Bristol in 2011. The group consists of Chris Caines (Vocals), Liam Willford (Guitar), James Gamage (Bass), David Goulbourn (Keyboards) and Ben Street (Drums). They are most notable for achieving two UK Top 40 albums, the second of which reached the Top 20. They are also known for their singles "A Rush of Blood" and "Oceans". "A Rush of Blood" was named Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record' in October 2014. The single has also featured on Made in Chelsea. "Oceans" has received international media attention and has achieved over four million plays on SoundCloud.
"Handsome" is a song from English indie rock band the Vaccines. The track was released in the United Kingdom on 8 March 2015 as the lead single from the band's third studio album, English Graffiti (2015). The track received its premiere on BBC Radio 1 when it featured as Zane Lowe's Hottest Record in the World on 19 January. "Handsome" was written by Young, Cowan, Árnason and Robertson and produced by the band alongside David Fridmann and Cole MGN.
English Graffiti is the third studio album by English rock band The Vaccines. It was produced by Dave Fridmann, with co-production from Cole M. Greif-Neill at Fridmann's New York studio. The album was released on 25 May 2015 through Columbia Records and charted at #2 upon release. The album marked the band's first release in two years, following the Melody Calling EP, and their first full studio album release in three, following Come of Age in 2012. Young stated that Fridmann was chosen due to both his track record in making "consistently fantastic records". It is the last album recorded with drummer Pete Robertson, who left the band after completing their 2016 U.S. tour.
Trampolene are a Welsh alternative rock band from Swansea, now based in London, England. They are Jack Jones, Wayne Thomas and Jay Bone.
The Sherlocks are a British alternative rock band from Bolton upon Dearne, Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The band consists of brothers, Kiaran and Brandon Crook, Trent Jackson, and Alex Procter. The name derived from an inside joke between the band mates.
Combat Sports is the fourth studio album by English indie rock band, The Vaccines. The album was released on 30 March 2018 through Columbia Records. It is the first album recorded with keyboardist Timothy Lanham and drummer Yoann Intonti, both of whom had originally joined the band as touring musicians during the English Graffiti album cycle, with Lanham added from the campaign's inception, while Intonti—who was still a member of Spector at the time—replacing the departed Pete Robertson in the last phase of the campaign. Both were then promoted to full members during the making of Combat Sports, with Lanham pictured wearing a T-shirt with the album title featured on the front cover, an idea inspired by the album's opening track, "Put It on a T-Shirt". The overall cover art concept is an homage to the band's debut album, albeit a "more of an abrasive version of that". The album title itself came out in the immediate aftermath of a fight that broke out in the studio between Young and Cowan towards the end of making the album.
