One of the exciting things about pop music is that nobody can predict the future – even though some music industry people think they can. Mind you, that doesn’t stop bloggers, music websites and magazines having a go every year, normally around late November / December time when we all start producing our Ones to Watch / Sound of lists for the year ahead. To prove how unpredictable the nature of music crystal ball gazing is, amongst the 10 artists I named as Ones to Watch for 2018 was the band Pink Kink. This week, after just two singles and a whole bunch of reviewers salivating at their live shows, they split up. They are no more. And they're undoubtedly not Ones to Watch any more. Ooops. I want my money back on that crystal ball. Of the other acts I named on the list the likes of Superorganism, Pale Waves, Confidence Man, Jade Bird and a certain Norwegian pop singer named Sigrid seem to be doing great guns though. One other that I’d put into the doing the good stuff category is an artist that perhaps surprisingly wasn’t on many tip lists aside from mine – perhaps because as of last November she’s only released one song – and her name is Grace Carter. Now with Silhouette, Ashes and Silence all under her belt Grace brings another cocktail of emotion in the form of a song to the world. The title might seem a little odd given her name, but Saving Grace is another smoky soul pop winner: “You told me not to hold hands with the devil, you warned me that I’d lose my faith, I never thought I’d leave my heaven but now I know you’re my saving grace,” she sings in a chorus that knows exactly how to bury itself in your brain. Every song she’s released so far seems to come from the heart and brings emotion and melody together absolutely perfectly. Keep watching her. Keep listening. Grace Carter - Saving Grace
Last year when I published my annual Ones to Watch tip list for 2018 one name that I picked that I was a little surprised not to see on lots of lists was Grace Carter. Why was I surprised? Because of two simple things. First, because she is a super talented and composed vocalist. Secondly her debut single Silence was the sweetest of perfections and if she got anywhere near that with any other songs then she deserved to be taken notice of. So now it really is time to take notice. Because she’s done it again. Working alongside Justin Parker, the man who is probably most famous for writing Video Games with Lana Del Rey and bagging himself and Ivor Novello award in the process, Grace has created Silhouette. It’s been out for a few weeks now but today she has released a video. Silhouette is a huge emotional pop ballad that will probably have you gentling sobbing in the corner by the end. Be careful here though, when I saw ‘huge’ I don’t mean that it’s bombastic or over produced – there’s no grand orchestras giving an extra sense of drama. Instead Silhouette strikes the heart with its subtle and tender piano backing and Grace’s soulful voice. It's huge with it's impact. “You keep blowing smoke till you fade to a silhouette. You should've told me you didn't want me,” she sings. Breathtakingly sad and beautiful. Nothing else is required. Grace Carter - Silhouette (Video)
With the 2018 Breaking More Waves Ones to Watch posts now complete, I’m wrapping things up with the full list of 10 artists selected and an accompanying spotify playlist which you can find by clicking here or stream below. It has one song from each of the acts selected. Whilst posting about these artists I’ve had a couple of comments made from readers about balance and how the selections were all mainly female and I’d just like to address this. First, so what? It’s the music that I'm concerned about not the artists sex. Secondly that statement is actually incorrect. Yes, 9 of the 10 artists I have selected have a female vocalist (when I introduced the posts here I noted that because of my tastes, the list wouldn’t be balanced in that way) but there were 31 musicians of which 16 were male and 15 were female. So in terms of that demographic the list was pretty much balanced - although this was more from luck than any judgement. Thank you to everyone who engaged with these posts this year. Whilst Breaking More Waves is written mainly for my own entertainment, the Ones to Watch posts are very much for others. Amongst my (real life) friend group some of my friends, who know I'm obsessed with music will often ask me ‘what are the latest new acts we should be listening out for then?’ My Ones to Watch list is essentially my online response to that real-life question. Here’s a summary of the 10 artists chosen and a playlist featuring 1 song by each act. 1.Sigrid 2.Jade Bird 3.Superorganism 4.The Blinders 5.Pale Waves 6.Grace Carter 7.Off Bloom 8.Confidence Man 9.Pink Kink 10.Maisie Peters I'll be updating the Breaking More Waves monthly playlist at the end of this month as per usual, but it won't include the Ones to Watch posts only the other new music that I have uploaded in November. If you want to follow the monthly Breaking More Waves playlist you can find that by clicking on this link.
There’s only one song from Brighton’s Grace Carter available on streaming services, but what a song it is. Since Silence appeared on Breaking More Waves back in May it’s racked up over 4 million plays on Spotify alone. It doesn’t surprise me. It’s a beautifully crafted and vulnerable soul number with hints of gospel in the chorus that despite its despondent lyrics sounds supremely uplifting. Grace grew up listening to the likes of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone and you can tell. There are further hints of what’s to come on You Tube where various live and session recordings can be found, and it’s clear that if you’re a fan of tear jerking soulful ballads, Grace Carter is a name for you. Having recently toured with Dua Lipa Grace will be stepping out again in the new year as part of Line of Best Fit’s Five Day Forecast event at The Lexington in London. Make her one of your Ones To Watch and catch her there if you can. Grace Carter - Silence
If I analysed the last 9 years (or rather nearly 9 years) of writing on this blog and where the artists that I’ve written about have come from, the chances are that Brighton, UK would be fairly near the top of the list. Today I’m adding another one from that seaside town just down the road from me. Grace Carter arrives fully formed musically with debut single Silence, a song about the classic destroyer of all relationships; poor communication. “All I wanted was you to speak to me, but you never did,” she sings, alluding to the frustration caused by someone not telling the truth. Warning – this one might start like a simple piano and electronic beats ballad, but watch out because there’s a big hooky multi-layered vocal pop chorus lurking within. An impressive start. Another winner from Brighton. Grace Carter - Silence (Video)
