With a title like Furious and lyrics that ask "when did you decide to let me down?" and "how could you do this?" you might expect Jade Bird to sound pretty angry on this song. Yet the opposite is true. Jade sounds almost calmly resigned as she questions what’s gone on. It’s only towards the end that this quiet acoustic lament rises up with Jade’s voice expanding with force to fill the space. The song is all the more powerful for its reposeful delivery. Furious is a heartbreaker for sure and that adds a new-found dimension of depth to Jade Bird’s output. Jade’s previous single Lottery recently spent three weeks at number 1 on Triple A Radio and she was the first new artist to reach the top of the Triple A chart in 2018. She’ll be touring extensively this summer and winter, first in America before she heads home to the UK for some dates which you can find by clicking here. Jade Bird - Furious
Towards the end of last year when I was compiling my Ones to Watch for 2018 list, there were 2 names that needed absolutely no thought before including them. One was Norway’s Sigrid. She ended up being heralded by about 95% of all the tip lists and, perhaps somewhat inevitably, went on to top the big one, the BBC Sound of 2018 poll. The second name, one who didn’t crop up on nearly so many of the lists, but then surprised me a little by being included on the BBC Sound of 2018 was Jade Bird. The surprise wasn’t because Jade wasn’t fully deserving of being on the BBC poll long list, she is, but more that she was on less other tip lists so logic would suggest wouldn’t be on the BBC one either. Whilst tips are all well and good, they are just that – tips. What really counts is the music and thankfully Jade has wasted no time releasing some quality new material. Her latest song Lottery was released last week and today Billboard premiered her new video. It’s a simple, colourfully lit, two and a half minute performance piece that allows us to focus on Jade and her punchy piece of country-pop, which demonstrates not only what a potent and raw vocalist she is but that she has some real writing ability as well. Listen to her bang out that chorus: “You used to tell me that love is a lottery and you got your numbers and you’re betting on me.” It’s hard to disagree with the statement that she’s one of the UK’s finest new songwriters. Jade Bird - Lottery (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.
Jade Bird first appeared on this blog back in 2016 before she’d even released a single, having come to my attention via a You Tube TEAFilms Live Session for a song called Madeline. She then impressed me when I caught her live at an early afternoon set at Brighton’s Great Escape playing to a room of mainly music industry representatives 2017. Then in summer there was the release of her debut EP Something American, which took the classic sounds of country, folk, americana and the delta-blues and framed them in the world of teenager in 2017 who has spent time in South Wales, Germany and Chesterfield. Jade’s impressive vocal delivery, musicianship and talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. A few months later she was the recipient of the prestigious ANCHOR award at the Reeperbahn Festival International Music Festival. This award identifies the most promising emerging music talent from the festival’s program and serves as a label of excellence and guide for fans and music professionals alike and is described as a springboard into an international career. More recently she took on the challenge of covering Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill for Radio 1's piano sessions and came out victor (you can see the video of that below). With bags of talent and a highly likeable chatty stage presence the only question with Jade is (as I’ve discussed before) where does her real audience lie? She’s very young but many of her songs are possibly a better fit for an older and possibly American audience, in the same way as say a band such as First Aid Kit are. As we go into 2018 and Jade releases more material, maybe that question will become clearer, but whoever’s ears her music falls upon the chances are they’ll be charmed. Jade Bird - Cathedral
Jade Bird - Running Up That Hill (Radio 1 Piano Session)
Has Jade Bird wowed you yet? She first wowed me back in August 2016 (in this introducing post). Then she gave more wows when I finally saw her live at this year’s Great Escape Festival in Brighton and then the wows were even bigger at Latitude Festival a few months later, where her name went into my book named Good Grief These People Have Got It. Around that time Jade also delivered Something American, her first EP proper and all the wows aligned together to make one even bigger WOW. At times passionate, vulnerable and beautiful Something American mixed country, blues, folk and other shades of Americana with commanding effect. Others have also begun to be wowed, with Jade winning the Anchor 2017 prize at the Reeperbahn Festival, the jury stating that she displayed an “impressively broad range displaying strong songwriting and musicianship, bringing something fresh and unconventional to her genre". If you still haven’t been wowed maybe this new live video from Jade will do the trick. Together with Will from the Mystery Jets Jade takes on Son House’s Grinnin’ In Your Face from her EP. It’s two minutes of raw power that I suspect will go down particularly well stateside – not bad from a girl from Hexham, a relatively small market town in the UK. Jade will be playing at Omeara in London on the 17th Oct, supporting Son Little in November in the US, plus one date with First Aid Kit and will be supporting Lewis Capaldi on the majority of his UK tour in November and December. Hopefully 2018 will see a full UK headline tour as Jade’s name and voice gets known. Get ready to go wow. This is special. Jade Bird - Grinnin' In Your Face
Back in the Summer of 2016 I introduced an impressive new artist on the blog called Jade Bird and wrote that she was recording her debut EP in London. Now nearly one year on that EP has arrived. It turns out that the majority of it was recorded in Woodstock – but irrespective of location it was very much worth the wait. The EP takes the classic sounds of country, folk, Americana and the delta-blues and frames them in the world of teenager in 2017 who has spent time in South Wales, Germany and Chesterfield. It’s a case of one foot in the past but one foot very much in the future as well. At points on the EP her music sounds hauntingly intimate whereas at other points, such as the bluesy holler of Ginnin’ In Your Face she sounds raspy bold and whisky swigging loud. The range of songs is strong but it all glues cohesively together. Where Jade Bird’s natural audience sits is still to pan out. Certainly in the UK it’s easy to suggest an older Radio 2 crowd, but her youth and some her other songs that I’ve seen her play live could perhaps cross over to a younger crowd – so maybe Radio 1 is in her grasp as well. Irrespective of age though, one thing is clear, Jade Bird has bags of talent and her EP fully displays that. Jade plays a number of festivals this summer (including Latitude next weekend) and has her own headline show at London's Omeara in October (tickets here) after recently selling out a gig at Servant Jazz Quaters also in London. Hear the song Something American below and the whole EP on Spotify by clicking here. Jade Bird - Something American
If there’s one word to describe West London’s Bushstock Festival it would be pleasant; and that’s not a criticism, it’s a compliment. Reading and Leeds this most certainly isn't. With just 7 venues (one of which is a church) all located within relative close proximity to each other, a programme that finds most stages done and dusted by 11pm and a line-up that this year includes the likes of The Staves, Nick Mulvey and Benjamin Francis Leftwich, it’s fair to say that it’s unlikely that there will be any gurning off-their-faces loons in attendance. This is an event for the more discerning music lover, or for those who just don’t want to push their bodies too hard whilst experiencing a day of quality live music - and the emphasis is very much on quality - you're very unlikely to experience a duff performance at Bushstock. Now in its 7th year, Bushstock is created by the people behind Communion music and has a reputation for putting on many ‘next big thing’ acts in intimate spaces way before they become household names. I’ve seen the likes of Bastille play in a small pub to less than 100 people, George Ezra opening the day in St Stephen’s Church and Josephine from Oh Wonder in her Layla days performing at this festival. It will be interesting to see if any of this year’s acts progress onwards and upwards to commercial success in a climate that is becoming increasingly difficult for new artists to break through. This year besides plenty of new artists Bushstock adds some new venues (The Library at the Bush Theatre and the charity clothes store Traid) to the likes of St George’s Church, the outdoor Courtyard stage and the chandelier and mirror lined Edwardian dance hall of Bush Hall for plenty of architectural / environmental variety in which to enjoy the live music. Whilst the beauty of any festival is stumbling across something out of the blue that you’ve never heard of before, it would also be a little strange if I didn’t provide at least one or two recommendations of lesser known acts on the bill for you to highlight on your timetable. So here below are five names I’ve picked for your consideration, all of whom have featured in past introducing pieces on Breaking More Waves. Mirror Fury (13.00-13.30 Courtyard Stage) There really is no excuse to not catch Carina Bragg aka Mirror Fury - unless she is ill, as she had to pull out of a show yesterday, so I'm hoping she's better for next weekend. After all she’s due to open the whole event, and the Courtyard Stage, where she will be performing, is also where the wristband exchange is. Need further convincing? Listen to her commanding and emotive cover of REM’s The One I Love below. Get there early.
Jade Bird (14.00-14.30 St Stephen’s Church) I featured Jade Bird in a preview piece for Great Escape Festival last month and I’m putting her forward again here. With just a tiny hint of Ed Sheeran meets Dolly Parton about her, it’s still very early days for Jade, but her acoustic mix of country, pop and folk and songs about relationships going wrong will be a fine way to open up the day in St Stephen’s Church.
Joy Crookes (15.30-16.00 The Library) “If David Lynch wanted a soundtrack for his Twin Peaks reboot, and Lana wasn't available (probably because she's still too busy putting on that red dress) this could well be it,” I wrote in February 2016 of the then seventeen years old Joy Crookes. Now that sounds like something not to be missed, especially when you slide in some sweet soul smoothness to the sound as well.
Fours (16.30-17.00 Defector’s Weld) They had to be my fourth selection didn't they? “If E4’s teen drama show Skins was still running I’d be pretty sure that Fours would be cropping up there to soundtrack a sweaty, sexy disco party,” were my words in January 2016. OK they might be playing in a Shepherds Bush boozer in the later afternoon rather than a hip shaking club, but this four-piece are still worth catching for some indie high fives and grooves such as Fade To Love which has clocked up over 2 million plays on Spotify.
Liv Dawson - (Bush Hall 21.00-21.30) I've seen Liv Dawson a couple of times now and she was listed in last year's Ones To Watch 2017 list on the blog. What strikes me about her is the way her songs are so full of yearning and her vocals so perfectly delivered, irrespective of if she's doing mellow dance pop like Open Your Eyes (below) or tender soulful ballads. Bushstock will be Liv's second show of the day - she's warming up for Bush Hall with an earlier gig at Wildlife Festival near Brighton.
Bushstock takes place next weekend in Shepherds Bush, London. It usually sells out, so get a ticket quick, by clicking here.
With less than a couple of weeks until 450 bands and solo performers and 1000s of punters descend to the seaside in Brighton for the annual orgy of new music that is The Great Escape, most music geeks will already have worked out their must sees, possible sees and might sees, with spreadsheets, apps and good old fashioned bits of paper being utilised to work out their timetables. If you’re one of those people then this post isn’t for you. However, if you are organised but haven’t been to Great Escape before you might want to check out Breaking More Waves practical tips guide for making the festival work for you by clicking this link here. If you’ve been less industrious in your timetabling or are looking at the full list of artists and are thinking ‘I only know about 4 of these’ then this post is for you. Put your trust in Breaking More Waves and allow this blog to act as your filter. With no messing, I’m recommending 10 acts playing Great Escape 2017 that come with the Breaking More Waves seal of approval – 5 are featured in this post and 5 in a further post published tomorrow. There should be no surprises that they’ve all featured in some form on the site before. 1. Confidence Man (Australia) The fact that the two front persons in Australia’s Confidence Man are called Janet Planet and Sugar Bones should be enough to recommend them to you without any further information, but if I add in on point dance routines, pop songs that buzz so hard with energy that they might explode into confetti showers at any point and more fun than you thought humanly possible, then you’ll understand why Confidence Man are one of the must sees of Great Escape. Take a look at the live video below and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Novelty pop maybe, but life (and therefore music) doesn't always have to be serious. Komedia 12.10pm May 18th Sticky Mike's Frog Bar 23.30pm May 18th Horatio's Bar 13.30pm May 20th
2. Jade Bird (UK) Jade Bird was the subject of an introducing post on Breaking More Waves in Summer 2016 and still there’s been no official single or EP release. Yet with slots supporting the likes of Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Tom Odell and Mahalia and a number of festival slots besides Great Escape confirmed (Latitude, Bushstock, Field Day) Jade is clearly working towards that. Catch her mix of acoustic folk, country Americana and pop early. Patterns (Upstairs) 13:15pm May 18th Prince Albert 22.30pm May 20th
3. Sigrid (Norway) In 2015 one of the main highlights of my Great Escape was Norway’s Aurora whose mesmerising performances were so good I ended up seeing her twice. Norway could win again in 2017 with another single named pop star. Sigrid’s Don’t Kill My Vibe has already been a huge on line hit and Great Escape is her’s for the taking. Coalition 20.00pm May 18th Wagner Hall 16.30pm May 19th
4. Rosie Carney (Ireland) Rosie Carney is another artist that first featured on Breaking More Waves in 2016. Making beautifully poignant songs awash with meaning and melancholy, Rosie will appeal to those who love the music of the likes of Billie Marten, Lucy Rose and Laura Marling. Jubilee Square - 13.45pm May 19th
5. Tom Adams (Germany) His debut album Silence was largely recorded in his one bedroom flat in Berlin and is already one of my favourites of the year. It’s a quiet and gentle record formed largely of soft piano, ambient electronics and Tom’s haunting falsetto that transports you to another place. Thankfully his one show at Great Escape is in a church – which seems the perfect location for his music. If you want something far away from the rock ‘n’ roll shenanigans of much of Great Escape, mark down Tom Adams as one to watch. Unitarian Church 22.30pm May 19th
Today I’m introducing a ‘new’ artist, who has two tracks up on Soundcloud. One is a Drake / Beyonce cover, the other is Find My Baby - a slow bluesy rocker that weighs heavy but in a good way. Both have been on line for a year, but as her original has picked up less than a thousand plays, the tag of ‘new’ still feels very appropriate – Jade Bird is going to be new to the vast majority of readers of Breaking More Waves. So what do I know about Jade? Only a little, because like many of my favourite discoveries on this blog she doesn’t come via an agent, a PR company, the artist herself or a tip from anywhere else, so I haven’t been supplied with any information except what I’ve sourced myself. What I do know (thanks Google) is that she comes by way of Brit School, a route that used to be much derided by a certain kind of music snob, but let’s put the place into perspective with one word; Adele. I also know she’s a fan of Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and is working on her debut EP in London. The most important thing aside from facts is that Jade Bird delivers and then some. Her songs, stripped down to an acoustic form (as you can see on the TEAFilms session below) are superb; full of soft stirring passion and surprises - just when you’ve got her nailed as a traditional country and blues singer songwriter she’s liable to throw in a near-rap (as she does on her Pixies cover). It's a technique not that dissimilar to Ed Sheeran - and he did quite well for himself didn't he? Adele? Ed Sheeran? Ok, with references to big names like that I'm almost certainly getting a little too worked-up, but Jade Bird is an undeniably big talent. I'm excited to hear more. Jade Bird - Madeline - TEAFilms Live Session
Jade Bird - Where Is My Mind - TEAFilms Live Session
