After rattling off the annual Breaking More Waves Ones to
Watch (here) and a few end of year lists it’s about time this blog got its act
together for the new year and put a few posts online, right?
For the time being the format remains the same; introducing new or relatively new artists, not too many posts to clog up your feed and only one
about each. Effectively each post is the musical equivalent of a tinder one night stand; but if you
want you can have a long lasting relationship with the artist; the choice is yours.
Let’s start with Connie Campsie. You can see her in the picture above, staring up at the sky on what looks like the top of a concrete multi-storey car park.
What is she thinking I wonder? Has she lost her car? Can she not remember what
level it’s parked on? Or is there a really good view from up there? Or is she just thinking the most British of thoughts: "Looks like rain and I haven't got my bloody coat."
Now just in case you’re confused, yes this is the second British relatively young and new Connie in music with a surname that begins with C in the last few years. The other is Connie Constance, who to be fair isn’t that new now having been doing the rounds since 2015. Also, although the surname isn't a C, a quick shout out to Connie Talbot who was the runner up on the very first series of Britain's got talent in 2007 - remember the sweet little girl singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow. Except she's now 22 and a fully grown adult. Which if you're like me just seems wrong. In my head she will forever be that small child.
But before I go to far off at a tangent, back to Connie. It’s
a cool name in my books. So cool one of my daughters is named as such.
Returning to the real subject of this blog post: Connie Campsie. Connie released a couple of
songs in 2021, a couple in 2022 and has just last week dropped Uneasy, a tune which
will feature on her debut EP I’m Still Talking To Myself out in February. It’s
my favourite so far, a really intimate piece that floats to your ears with a gentle caress
that whispers ‘I’m a beauty.’ Hints of Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor
Swift sweep through Connie Campsie’s music, so if that's your thought of thing, add Connie Campsie to your list.
The very sharp amongst you will of course be shouting at
your screens that Connie has put out music even before that though. Prior to
recording under her full name she released some songs under the name Campsie
(now deleted from streaming services) and before that if you cast your mind
back to 2017 and you may recall a band that featured on these pages called
Sugarhouse. They had a delightful indie pop tune called Love Anyone Else
that brimmed with the joys of young romance. “It will probably make you want to
start a fanzine. Or a record label. Or a music blog. Or just give someone a big
hug – maybe even a kiss,” I said at the time. One of the vocalists in that band
was one Connie Craven Campsie. Yes the same Connie Campsie who features here
now.
Connie’s dropped the Craven bit (her mother is Beverley
Craven – the Brit award winning Beverley Craven who had two top 5 albums in the 90’s)
and just taken her father’s surname to release under. But don’t hold the famous
parent against her, except to say that the talent is clearly in the genes as
her latest songs demonstrate – they’re the most mature and compelling she’s
released so far and so for that reason Connie is our first ‘new’ artist of 2023.
Connie Campsie also features on this week's Breaking More Waves New Music Weekly playlist, which you can find by clicking here or searching New Music Weekly on Spotify.
Connie Campsie - Uneasy
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