Albums - Hart Media

Spyres

Starting 2020 with a sold-out single launch for their second-ever single ‘Fake ID’ in early February, Spyres went onto support Lauran Hibberd on her UK tour before joining Nothing But Thieves as main support at the BRITs Week x War Child shows.

Thanks to the pandemic, Spyres celebrated their first anniversary as a band in April this year with live streams for Dork’s Homeschool Fest, Nordoff Robbins and Get Oan Wae It podcast’s ‘Sams Night’ fundraiser.

Spyres have added a new festival date and reconfirmed all their live appearances for 2021; they are set to support The Jesus And Mary Chain at Glasgow’s Barrowlands and make debut festival appearances at TRNSMT, Live At Leeds, Hit The North and Sonic Wave.

Only the third-ever offering from the young Scottish band, ‘I Don’t Care’ is a guitar-driven burst of vulnerability, rejoicing in the serene power of freeing yourself from seemingly inescapable toxic characters.

Pussycat Dolls

The multi-platinum pop sensations – Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Carmit Bachar – are bringing back Doll Domination. Their smash hit single ‘Don’t Cha’ is officially one of the UK’s best selling singles of all time. Having sold more than 55 Million records worldwide, been streamed over 3 Billion times, had two wins at the MTV VMAs and achieved eight UK Top 10 singles, the dolls have Stickwitu throughout the decades.

R.A.E

R.A.E (pronounced arr-ay-ee) is a singer, rapper and songwriter pioneering a new sound rooted in 90’s Nostalgia. Her artistry manifests itself in a unique blend of Hip-Hop and R&B, bringing a fresh but nostalgic sound with her easy melodies and uplifting raps.

Growing up influenced by the likes of Left Eye, Da Brat and Mc Lyte, her distinctive style matched with her ability to create feel good music captivates and inspires listeners worldwide. Through her music R.A.E illustrates relatable experiences, speaking to young, excited and label-less people of her generation.

The name R.A.E is a constant reminder of her determination and values: Rising Above Everything.

She was the winner of the 2020 Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition, and was one of the first acts to be announced for The Great Escape 2021.

Beverley Knight

Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistent artists for over two decades, highlighted by gold and platinum-selling albums, 14 Top 40 hits, sold-out tours, 3 MOBO Awards, several Brit Award and Mercury Music Prize nominations plus even an Olivier Award nomination for her more recent formidable parallel career in musical theatre. Wolverhampton born Knight was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2007 for services to British music and charity, and her outstanding live performances have seen her also collaborate on stage and on record with the likes of Prince, Chaka Khan, Andrea Bocelli & many other iconic artists.

Giant Rooks

They’ve come a long way from their humble beginnings. Formed in 2015 by Frederik Rabe (guitar/vocals), Finn Schwieters (guitar), Luca Göttner (bassist), Jonathan Wischniowski (keys) and Finn Thomas (drums). The band have toured around Northern Europe and earned themselves slots on high profile festival stages. Currently based in Berlin, the band continue to write radiant, euphoric art-pop songs with just the right touch of bittersweet sentiment.

Last year the band released their acclaimed EP, ‘Wild Stare’ which has already raked up over 50 million combined streams and cemented their status as ones to watch.

As well as releasing more new music, in 2020 the band will be hitting the road and bringing their sophisticated pop sound to stages across the continent, including 3 special headline shows in Brighton, London and Manchester. This mini-tour follows their sold out 2019 run of dates in the UK (including a sold out show at Hoxton Bar & Grill, now Colours) as well as their storming sets at the Great Escape, Y Not Festival, Kendall Calling and Neighbourhood Festival.

As if this wasn’t enough, they’re already starting to pick up awards despite not having released an album yet. Having previously received their home countries prestigious Pop Award, in November of 2019 they received another major German music award, the coveted 1-Live Krone. With more music and a stacked tour schedule, 2020 is set to be the year of Giant Rooks.

VISSIA

We all know it’s only the most on-the-pulse artists who are reviving the ‘80s right now. Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware and now, VISSIA are bringing back those sweet synth pop anthems, and ‘On My Mind’ is the latest ode to the disco beats of yesteryear.

Encompassing the sweaty momentum of the dancefloors which we all miss so much, VISSIA’s latest single is an ode to the simplicity of being in the moment with someone you love and appreciate – mind, body and soul. Tapping into the neo-disco beats of the 80s revival, VISSIA’s ‘On My Mind’ is reminiscent of the 2020 favourite JESSIE WARE’s What’s Your Pleasure? The subtlety of the synths used as soundscapes with a backing beat creates a nostalgic and heady atmosphere, reflecting the nature of the relationship which VISSIA sings about.

Keir

With a burning heart, a searing voice and explosive choruses, KEIR is not afraid to play with fire. At 25 years old, the singer-songwriter displays a bright mind and a dark soul, nourished on heartache, Weltschmerz and decades of pop-music history – ready to spit it all back out into the future like fuel on a flame.

KEIR may stand on the shoulders of soul divas and rock gods, but his craft shows no sense of retro fetishism. This is what the blues sounds like in the 21st century, and there’s barely a trace of those worn-out, 12-bar formulas. Instead, KEIR offers simultaneously a distillation and an innovation of that musical ritual: transforming inner turmoil into a tune – not to spread misery but to exorcize demons, and in the best case, incite compassion. “Shiver” is a shining example, a seductive groove that shudders with red-hot, angst-ridden sensuality.

In describing his own songs, the word that comes up the most is “heavy”. Musically, there’s enough mass that you start to feel a gravitational pull, and in lyrical tandem, KEIR reveals a heavy heart. But there’s nothing heavy-handed about his words – piercingly sharp when needed, yet bold enough to stay soft. Always honest but often ambiguous, like a painting made of poetry. Ambitious melodies that reach for the radio; a sonic rawness he’s unwilling to tame for the sake of pop appeal.

Sam and Sounds

After launching his music career in the depths of a worldwide pandemic, indie pop artist Sam & Sounds’ first six singles soared to over 1.3 million streams in the space of a few short months. He was also listed by Indie Music Central as one of their top three artists of 2020 and nominated for their ‘Indie Discoveries of 2020’ awards.

Papa Roach

Over the past two decades Papa Roach have established themselves as true trendsetters in rock music: They’ve been nominated for two Grammys, toured the globe with everyone from Eminem to Marilyn Manson and crafted the nü metal anthem “Last Resort,” which is still in heavy rotation on rock radio seventeen years after its release. However, the group’s ninth full-length Crooked Teeth sees the band returning to their humble—and hungry—roots.

The album was recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio with up-and-coming producers Nicholas “RAS” Furlong and Colin Brittain, who grew up listening to Papa Roach and inspired them to revisit some of the traits that personally endeared the band to them, most notably frontman Jacoby Shaddix’s remarkable rapping technique. From the instantly infectious nature of the title track to the atmospheric sheen of the ballad “Periscope” (which features Skylar Grey) and the hip-hop rock mashup “Sunrise Trailer Park” (which features an impassioned verse from Machine Gun Kelly), Crooked Teeth displays the various sides of Papa Roach and illustrates why they’ve managed to remain relevant while musical trends ebb and flow.

RESPONS

Growing up in Leighton Buzzard, Respons (Billy Crabtree) was raised among gospel music. Yet, like most teenagers, he quickly found his own favourites: music that sits somewhere between the youthful expressionism of Billie Eillish and Ed Sheeran and the honesty of old school rap music from across the pond, such as Mos Def, Dre and Eminem. Respons has garnered over 100k streams and gained press recognition from Class Magazine, Neon Music, Hype and the Official Charts.