Iconic British duo Tears For Fears have released “No Small Thing,” the second single off their highly anticipated first studio album in seventeen years.

The album called The Tipping Point releases on February 25th, 2022 via Concord Records. Written by both band members, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the guitar strums pull you in with its folk-like tone, but slowly morphs into controlled chaos, as Roland and Curt push the song’s sonics as far as they can go.

“In early 2020, Curt and I sat down together with just a couple of acoustic guitars. The first time in decades. We needed a meeting of minds, a coming together psychically. We were literally going back to the drawing board looking for some depth, heart and soul with which to complete our album. Curt came up with this simple folk/country riff, a little bit Dylan, a little bit Johnny Cash, and then we were off. It was the complete opposite of what we had been trying to do for many years – searching for the elusive, modern hit single. We felt suddenly unencumbered, free if you like, no longer worrying about the market, about success, but drawing on influences from our childhoods. It was at this point that the whole album started opening up. ‘No Small Thing’ was the key, the thing that turned a red light green,” Roland said.

“‘No Small Thing’ feels like it could have been a song from a seventies or sixties acoustic folk album with how the track starts. The fact that we felt confident enough to go from there to the end of the song to where it’s just absolute mayhem speaks to that sense of freedom, and that’s our comfort zone musically,” Curt added.

Inspired by Koyaanisqatsi, the “No Small Thing” music video was made using solely found footage showing the conflict between individual freedoms and collective responsibility.

In November, the band also announced The Tipping Point World Tour, with support from Garbage on the U.S. leg. Kicking off in Cincinnati, OH on May 20th, 2022, these dates will see the band performing in over twenty cities across North America before capping off with their last show in Wantagh, NY on June 25th, 2022.

These dates will mark the band’s first U.S. tour since 2017. See below for a full list of dates, and for tickets and more information, visit the band’s website HERE.

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Kilkenny based singer and multi-instrumentalist Ali Comerford is releasing her second single ‘Knots’ on May 27th, 2021 and is announcing her debut album, of the same name.

‘Knots’ will be released everywhere July 29th, 2021. Having toured the world performing viola in classical ensembles for 14 years, Ali moved back to Kilkenny in 2020 and has recorded her debut album of original folk based but classical influenced songs.

About the song ‘Knots’ Comerford says “Knots is a song I wrote about anxiety, something we all struggle with at one time or another. At the time, I was going through a stage of intense anxiety. I worried about the fact that I hadn’t released any music, about whether people would enjoy my songs or not and also overanalyzed every little thing I had ever done wrong. I wasn’t sleeping properly and found I was lying awake at night replaying old conversations and feeling ashamed and embarrassed.

Anxiety is an extremely isolating thing because when you’re in it, you believe that you are the only person who feels like this. I think it’s powerful when people can speak about their own struggles and maybe eventually it will help us all feel less alone.”

Born and raised in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, Ali started playing and studying classical music at the age of 4.

After obtaining a Masters of Violin Performance from London’s Royal College of Music, she relocated to New York, completing a Masters of Music in Viola Performance at the Manhattan School of Music on scholarship. Ali’s journey in music has seen her grace the likes of New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Dublin’s National Concert Hall. She has toured the world with Lincoln Center Stage, playing sold out shows around Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

After years as a freelance musician for various string ensembles and chamber orchestras in New York, January 2020 saw Ali come home to her native Jenkinstown in Co. Kilkenny. Faced with her biggest stretch of free time in 14 years, Ali used her artistry to process and bring closure to the various ups and downs of life she experienced during her time traveling the world with her craft.

Ali has spent the last decade of her life playing other peoples music and the time has come to share some of her own. She wrote, sang, played and produced every note on the album, finally exploring the full scope of her musicality.

The single was recorded at Crossroads studio Kilkenny with recording and mixing engineer Shane Tobler.

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Dublin indie folk rock band, Blue Fish Diamond are releasing their new single ‘Sunshine In My Brain’ February 10th 2021 across all platforms.

Produced by Gavin Glass in Orphan Recording studios, Sunshine In My Brain uses vivid imagery to speak to the desperation that many people experience and the hope that each new day will bring some sunshine to their lives.

About the song Jim Murphy says; “We live in a time where anxiety and despair are increasingly commonplace but also a time where there is greater openness about mental health issues and where hope exists through communal support. A song for today’s world, I hope listening to Sunshine In My Brain has a cathartic effect against the challenges that we all face whether ongoing or from time to time.”

Formed in 2016 by Jim Murphy, Blue Fish Diamond released their debut album From Dark to Light in 2018, which Hot Press Magazine described as “essential listening for those who like their music powerful and heartfelt”. Their music has been played on radio stations across Ireland, including on RTE Radio 1, Radio Nova, Cork’s Red FM, KCLR and Shannonside/Northern Sound. They’re also a staple of the Irish live scene having played Electric Picnic, Whelans, The Workmans and The Grand Social to name a few.

With several singles and an album planned for 2021, Jim Murphy (rhythm guitar & lead vocals), Shay Sweeney (drums), Ronan Quinn (bass), Laura Ryder (piano), Axel McDonald (lead guitar), Matilda O’Mahony (backing vocals), Ella Ryan (backing vocals), aka Blue Fish Diamond, are a band to keep a firm eye on as they are sure to rise the ranks over the coming months.

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This year, 2020 has been one for the records.

A pandemic touching the entire globe and as we get to the closing out of this year, the legendary UK pop group STEPS return, thus saving 2020.

Even if you weren’t around in the 90’s (or too young at the time) you would’ve heard STEPS songs.

Chart toppers; Tragedy, Last Thing on My Mind, Chain Reaction and the line-dancing anthem 5678.

This month, November, STEPS are releasing their new album, the first in almost a decade.

The new album aptly named What the Future Holds has already had two singles release that have sky-rocketed up the charts and become some of the most streamed songs on Spotify.

Thanks to BMG Music and STEPS, Shane from STG has a virtual sit down and chat with Lee Latchford-Evans, one of the five members of the group on their upcoming album.

Lee Latchford-Evans. Photo by Jamie Hughes – © Lee L Evans

Shane: Hi Lee, thanks so much for talking to us at STG. What prompted the new album and return of STEPS (other than to save 2020).

Lee: Ha, I’m not so sure about saving 2020 but the single ‘What the Future Holds’ which was written by Sia landed on our managers desk almost 3 years ago. Once we heard it we knew we had to record it and that was definitely the deciding factor for us to continue making new music and another new album after ‘Tears on the Dancefloor’.

Shane: To reflect back real quick, fans will remember Tragedy, 5678 and Last Thing on My Mind. How much of the new album is inspired by these mega-hits?

Lee: I wouldn’t say that any new song is inspired by those hits but I do think we have an album that definitely has a nod to the old STEPS as well as the new.

Shane: We have already experienced tasters of ‘What the Future Holds’ by way of now two singles having been released. What can we expect from the full album?

Lee: With ‘Tears on the Dancefloor’ I always say that album was like a bullet train, full of upbeat floorfillers and once you pressed play it just didn’t stop. ‘What the Future Holds’ is more of an emotional rollercoaster hitting you with some great uptempo tracks, more mature ballads and definitely a nod to the older STEPS with some properly fun pop.

Shane: Things are extremely busy for you right now. What do you like to do in your downtime?

Lee: I enjoy the gym, running and kickboxing you can check out @LLEFitness on Instagram for my workouts.

I also like to play video games. I’m a PS4 man.

I’m a keen actor and I’m looking forward to theatres opening again so I can audition but also go and watch some amazing shows.

STEPS – 2020

Shane: STEPS had a long break between 2000 – 2012 and then again from 2012 – 2017. What were you all doing during that time?

Lee: We always say that we never split up (the 2nd time), so this is not a comeback but more a return. After 2012 we always kept in touch but we were off doing our own things, finding our passions, searching our interests and having adventures within our own solo projects. It’s just great that we always have STEPS and such a strong supportive loyal fanbase to come back to.

Shane: Finally, beyond ‘What the Future Holds’ and beyond the upcoming UK tour, if you can see in to the future, what does the future hold for STEPS?

Lee: Hopefully another incredible album, tours and maybe a few trips abroad. We love what we do and we love STEPS. It’s not just our jobs it’s our lives and we are grateful and blessed to have the success and support that we have.

Long may it continue.

Well as long as you want us anyway. 😉

Shane: Thanks again Lee for taking the time out of the album release schedule to chat with us.

STEPS What the Future Holds will be available worldwide on the 27th of November 2020 on all major streaming and music purchasing platforms.

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London-based newcomer, Lo Lauren, returns with her third single ‘Easier’, out now via Spinnup.

Making her debut earlier this year with ‘Just Friends’, and then following up ‘Raw’, Lauren has quickly asserted herself as one of the most exciting alt-pop artists to emerge this year. Her innate ability for song-craft and lyrical depth shines through once again with ‘Easier’, a song about moving on from a relationship.

Lo Lauren explains, “I wrote Easier on the keyboard in my bedroom during lockdown and it’s a song about the vicious cycle in toxic relationships and realising your worth. When you keep on going back to someone cos you feel so attached to them, like an addiction, this song is that moment where you start to understand that the more you do that the harder it is to walk away.

I sent it to an amazing production duo called Brave New Audio who really brought the track to life and I recorded my vocals with my long-term collaborator, wenyoukno. It was mixed by an amazing mixer called Darren Heelis (Sam Smith, Mae Muller) and mastered by Kevin Tuffy out of Alchemy who’s worked on records for Headie One, Sinead Harnett, JC Stewart and more.”

In keeping with Lo’s theatrical side, a short film will be released shortly after the release to accompany the song. This is to be directed by Alex Thompson (Liam Gallagher, Mahalia, James Blunt) and Richard Dunton (Rudimental, Grace Carter, Sam Smith).

A student of Musical Theatre at the BRIT school, Lo Lauren had her sights set on the stage from an early age. Her artist project has been a natural segue, and one which looks set to gain further momentum with more singles to come soon.

Lo is relatively new in the game, having only taken up song-writing at the age of 17 “It’s quite late for a songwriter,” she admits “most people have been at it since they were 10 years old.” Her CV, on the other hand, tells a different story altogether. Having written songs with the likes of Call Me Loop, Blithe, Hannah Jane Lewis and Jack Vallier, it’s crystal clear that Lo is anything but lacking in experience.

Although she was a child of the 00s, Lo grew up listening to music from the 80s. “When I was a baby, I used to cry at night. My dad would put headphones on me and always play 80s music – it stopped me crying” and her love affair started there. Rather than singling out genres or movements – Lo points to specific songs and artists that have shaped her passion for song-writing. Early Madonna, the saccharine melodies of Stock Aitken Waterman, Sister Sledge and Dexy’s Midnight Runners have helped Lauren develop a sharp ear for a strong song, and as she grew up, this inclination has kept her listening habits broad and diverse.

Through her teenage years, Lo developed a taste for the songs from bands including Two Door Cinema Club, the Wombats, White Lies, and FOALS (whom she references in one of her own songs). A later obsession with electronic music has created the melting-pot required for Lo’s uncategorizable yet ice-cool sound and style.

Lo admits a unique tool for creating these moods, citing her own case of Synaesthesia as an influence on her writing. “I have a strange ability to feel colours,” she explains “and each of my songs has its own colour which relates to an emotion”. Working these colours into the visual accompaniments to her music is just one example of how Lo intends to break the pop mould this year. Her debut single ‘Just Friends’ was introduced with a spoken-word monologue video, rather than a traditional music video. “Theatre is deep-rooted in me, and I love performance on every level, so I want to do something bold for every song.

Having a monologue as your opening statement as an artist is something unique.”

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Motown president Ethiopia Habtemariam and EMI Records president Rebecca Allen have announced an exciting new chapter for one of the world’s most iconic and influential record labels, with the launch of Motown Records UK.  The expansion of Motown Records into the UK reflects the continuing influence of the storied label and its artists in the global marketplace and its particular influence on UK music and culture.

In her first appointments since taking over as President of EMI Records last month, Allen has promoted Rob Pascoe to the new position of Managing Director of Motown Records UK and Afryea Henry-Fontaine to Marketing Director. Motown UK’s team will be completed over the coming weeks as it draws on the label’s rich heritage to become EMI Records’ dedicated home for releases from Motown’s revitalised US operation alongside a new generation of British Black music.

Ethiopia Habtemariam

Pascoe and Henry-Fontaine have been integral to the success of the Motown repertoire in the UK over the past nine years, championing the likes of Lil Yachty, Migos, Lil Baby, who have become global superstars, as well as burgeoning stars City Girls, and the impactful soundtrack to Queen and Slim.  Motown recently marked its 60th anniversary with a year-long celebration that included a globally-released documentary film, a robust reissue program and a rebranding/marketing campaign that included brand partnerships with Better Gift Shop and Carhartt.

Since taking the reins of Motown in the U.S. in 2014, Habtemariam has revitalized the storied label, emphasising its renowned tradition of finding and developing great artists, releasing memorable songs and fostering a strong work ethic. She has also strengthened Motown as a platform for entrepreneurship in the spirit of Motown founder Berry Gordy, as exemplified by its hugely successful partnership with the Atlanta-based Quality Control Music (QC).  Since striking the deal with QC in 2015, Motown has released hugely successful projects from the likes of Lil Baby, who has amassed nearly 20bn global streams, sold over 10m track-equivalent albums over the past four years, and whose My Turn album is the #1 biggest seller of 2020 in the US.  That venture has also spawned enormous hits from the aforementioned Migos, City Girls and Lil Yachty—some of the world’s most important music releases of the past five years.  Motown has also recently entered into agreement with entrepreneurs such as Corey Smyth (representative of Vince Staples, Dave Chappelle), whose Blacksmith Recordings features a diverse array of artist talent, and since the 80s, a young and innovative collective out of Atlanta.

Rob Pascoe and Afryea Henry-Fontaine (Credit: Nicky Kelvin)

Motown has also achieved new levels of success and enhanced the careers of its established superstars, including Ne-Yo, Erykah Badu and Kem, while refocusing its efforts on artist development across a diverse array of burgeoning artists that includes London-based Tiana Major 9, whose new EP, At Sixes And Sevens,  was recently cited by NME as showcasing the artist’s “potential to join the greats” with an “ability to push traditional genres out of their traditional shapes and into something fiercely new and original”.

EMI President Rebecca Allen says, “The music of Motown has long influenced British culture and continues to provide the ultimate creative inspiration for generations of artists and fans. With the launch of Motown Records in the UK, with a dedicated team and resources, we’re looking forward to bringing the music of this culture-defining label and its artists to the widest possible audiences as well as building an energising and inspiring new roster at the label. Rob and Afryea are two of the most inspiring executives within the music business. Having already worked incredibly closely with the Motown team in the US, I have no doubt that their energy and ambition will lead this label into a very exciting new chapter in its history.”

Motown president Ethiopia Habtemariam says: “The past five years have been a period of tremendous global growth for Motown, through artist development that’s central to our company’s 60-year history and via entrepreneurial partnerships that have greatly expanded our reach.  The timing could not be more perfect for the launch of Motown Records UK, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Rebecca, Rob and Afryea as we sign and develop exciting new British talent, expand our platform for Black entrepreneurship in the UK and guide Motown towards even greater global success.”

The promotion of Pascoe, who will continue in his wider ambassadorial role for EMI with a particular focus on supporting the label’s US repertoire, comes after 18 years with Universal Music, where he has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Jay Z, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and The Killers, for the past two years as General Manager of Virgin EMI. Afryea Henry-Fontaine’s promotion from Senior Marketing Manager to Marketing Director comes after eight years with the label, having risen quickly up the ranks after joining Universal Music in 2012. She has worked with Krept & Konan, Lethal Bizzle and MoStack to name a few.

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After 3 extremely successful single launches, Finnian is now announcing his debut album ‘Under The Influence’ will be released everywhere July 24th, 2020.

In a musical landscape of instant but short fleeting rewards, Finnian’s ascension in the Irish musical landscape is a welcome return to the more authentic evolution of an artist. Growing up in Dundalk, Ireland, Finnian has carefully nurtured his songwriting to the point where he is now being lauded by his peers as one of the most exciting talents in the country. His music is honest, concise and textured in a way which few have achieved with such conviction.

His forthcoming album is an introduction to the wider world, to an artist that many have already latched on to. Under the Influence is the culmination of 2 years of work which has been honed into one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Already praised for his lyrics, Under the Influence marries this lyrical prowess with a musicality that few in the genre can claim to possess. His beginnings as a folk based songwriter have now truly evolved into a fresh interpretation of the genre but also Finnian’s established standing within it.

The recording of Under the Influence was a typically ambitious project. Not content with the honesty of his message, Under the Influence was recorded directly to tape in Black Mountain studios under the guidance of Producer Peter Baldwin and Grammy Award Winning engineer Ben Kane ( D’Angelo, The Roots, Nora Jones, Emily King). It also sees him collaborate with some of Ireland’s finest talent including Jess Kav of Barq and Booka Brass to name a few. While the process mirrors the validity of the forgotten vulnerable approach of creativity it also rejects any of the short cuts now accepted within modern music. Each of its nine tracks crafted to express a stand alone expression of real human emotion and carved from his own experience. Under the Influence knows that live performance is the real way in which music should be consumed.

It is a work that effortlessly displays the vitality of his critically acclaimed live performances this year with David Keenan and many others.

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Following the release of their debut single ‘The Man’ – which saw support from the likes of New Music Friday, Fresh Finds & The Other List (Spotify UK), New Music Daily (Apple Music), Soho Radio, Hoxton Radio & more – 88/89 are excited to release their next single. ‘Wide Open’ was released Friday 19th June 2020.

A delicate flow of guitar hooks and catchy vocal melodies, ‘Wide Open’ is a festival sunset ballad that urges you to let go of any fear – something we could all benefit from indulging in right now.

Both ‘Wide Open’ & their debut single ‘The Man’ have been written, recorded & produced by 88/89, mixed by Tim Rowkins [Maribou State, Mura Masa, Rina Sawayama] & mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Alchemy Mastering. They form part of a 5-track EP from the band which will be released in due course. Stay tuned for the lyric video for ‘Wide Open’, further single releases, plus news of the EP release date & the bands first headline show.

Speaking on ‘Wide Open’, the band recall “We were writing a lot of songs that were really busy sound-wise. The idea with this track was to pair a simple song with more traditional sounding instruments to create a sickly sweet sound. A sort of Lou Reed Transformer production style. So we gave ourself the limitation of more live drums, acoustic guitars, Rhodes etc. It sounds simple but we had to modify a bunch of guitars to get the sound we were looking for and devalue them a fair bit in the process. We really wanted to do a guitar solo as well; so much so that original was about a minute and half long, which we fought for until the last moment. The lyrics came into play quite early with this one and started with the chorus.

The first line fell out and we built from there. Once the words ‘Wide Open’ came into play it dictated the rest of the song. It’s a pretty simple song musically so melodically we wanted to switch it up in the verses. Wide Open for us is about those fleeting moments in time when everything fits into place. When you can drop all of those insecurities and fears and just love truly.”

88/89 is a hybrid of synths, guitar riffs and sentimentalism. Formed in London, the duo is carving out a space between psych-pop and psychedelic rock – creating a sonic landscape of their own.

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