Sound check: Sep 23-29

Sound Check is an internet radio show I created to shine a little more light on just released bangers from unsigned, indie, and indie-adjacent bands and artists. It airs Tuesdays at both 4 am and 4 pm British time on Daz in the Hat radio. Since recordings aren’t available after the fact, I follow episodes up with these recap posts.

All songs featured here were released between September 23 and 29, 2023.

You can hear all of them – and many others that didn’t make it into the episode in the Sound Check: Sep 23-29 playlist.

Runaway Like Me – Northern Hospitality

Kicking things off on a high note! The band is based in north east England but the band members come from as far afield as South Africa. They quite correctly describe this song as a force of nature. They say it’s a personal journey of resilience and escape – a coming of age story of leaving behind who you were to become who you were always meant to be. What a tune it is! Love a good infusion of punkier elements on top of a catchy melody. What makes this even better is that this is only the band’s second single, so I think we’ve got lots to look forward to from these’s guys.

Make It Right – CRUZ

Time for some jangly indie-rock from Sheffield four-piece, Cruz! This is the second single off their debut EP, If Not Now, When?, due to be released on November 24. Showing off a slightly different side of the band with powerful vocals and a lead guitar line that really does just lodge itself in your brain. Again, very promising for what we can expect in November 🙂

Angeline – Keyside

This is the first we’ve heard from the Liverpool band since their March release, Paris to Marseille. The guys have shared that it’s a story about a woman who struggles to provide for herself and her family as she deals with her own bad habits and the pressures of her responsibilities, how it all pushes her to the brink of breakdown. I’m told the swinging hooks really get the crowd swaying when performed live, and I hope it won’t be too long until I get a chance to experience it myself.

Nostalgia – Keiran Bowe

Now officially a BBC Introducing track of the week, it was a big week for Keiran. In addition to releasing the single, he also supported The Covasettes in Newcastle last Thursday and played at Gathering Sounds fest in Stockton (which by all accounts was a phenomenal day of music from some of the UK’s best rising artists). Next up, he’ll be supporting Andrew Cushin in Leeds on October 29.

Down on Your Luck – Michael Blackwell

A relatable one for many, Michael says this is about coming to terms with the fact that, by your own hand, things haven’t really turned out quite the way you thought they would, and how even if avoidance seemed easier at the time, you were only kidding yourself. Likely the last sneak peek into Michael’s debut EP, to be released end of October. It’s a good thing Michael says he loves to explore and travel cause he certainly gets around as lead guitarist and background vocalist in Louis Tomlinson’s band. He’s currently in the midst of the European leg of the Faith in the Future World Tour at the moment, and when everyone else breaks before the UK leg, Michael will be doing some headline shows of his own at a few stops in Europe.

To the River – Dorsten

A dose of melodic indie folk rock – Americana directly from America – courtesy of siblings Sophie and Alex Dorsten. Sopie said they wrote this song about how there’s so much hate in the world and we should really be coming together, supporting each other and trying to live in peace. Sophie also once said in an interview that she loves the way James Bay writes songs and she wanted to write more like him but use the vocal power that she learned from growing up on Adele. That power – her versatility in her vocals – it only makes the message of this song come through all the more sincerely.

You & I – Slow Time Mondays

This West Sussex ska rock four-piece just released their debut album, Century this past May, so clearly they’re not resting on their laurels. I like the way GigSlutz put it: “smokey bluesy licks and a rip roaring chorus set to catapult the band to the next level”.

The Worlds in Need – Ollie Winder

This Lancaster lad just dropped a tight 8-track album called For The Like-Minded People on Sep 29 and he says he’s already got another single ready to go. That one is called Champagne Rain and it’s sounding ace so keep your eyes and ears open for it. Ollie says he’s absolutely overwhelmed by the response to the album, which he said has been a long time coming.

More Than Wishes – Skinny Living

Hmmm… I’m feeling a little euphoric right now. I get very giddy when I fall upon new bands I’ve never heard before and just immediately fall in love with their sound and what they bring to the table. 100% the case here. This indie soul band with origins in Yorkshire and Northern Ireland got to me with this one. They say this song is about recognizing when the people close to you need more than words, more than “shallow sentiments” to support them through dark days. It seems particularly poignant that this song started off in singer and songwriter Ryan’s living room a decade ago, but never saw the light of day as a proper recording because their former label didn’t deem it “good enough”. But after going their own way for a while, the band has gotten clarity about the important things, Ryan said, and made their way back to this and other songs in the development of their forthcoming EP, Acoustic Soul. I’m only disappointed my UK trip falls before their December run of gigs.

Love Fight – King’s Division

I knew I would be Sound Checking this song when I saw the guys joke on social media “Oh fuck, we wrote a song without a riff in it. I guess we really are just a basic indie band now.” The Bedfordshire alt rock trio based has described this as their most heartfelt and least heavy song to date. They characterize it as a relatable, yet introspective track about the difficulties in relationships. It references depression, unrequited affection and how people can start to feel trapped.

Grounded – Human Interest

Called by reviewers “a twisted lullaby” and “disarmingly touching”, this is the East London band’s second single that the band have shared from their debut EP Empathy Lives in Outerspace, which is due out in November.

Do you think I’m a robot? – Career Woman

The Grapevine EP is the first release for California musician Melody Caudil with her new four-piece band. Melody may be young but she comes from a musical family. She learned to play piano when she was just four years old, and she released her first EP when she was only 13!

In November, indie pop-punk project will supporting Trestles and mom car on several dates of their co-headlining west coast US tour.

Magic – Apollo Junction

This lovely number is the final prelude to the Yorkshire band’s eagerly awaited third album, Here We Are, out October 20. Lead vocalist Jamie has said the song is about finding yourself in the right place at the right time with exactly the right person, the moments that defy explanation when you know you’ve really found something special. Got that feeling about Apollo Junction? The guys are hoping to make a run for the top 75 in the UK chart as a DIY outfit so if you like what you heard and you want to give them a push, you can purchase a copy of the album on CD for just 5 pounds.

Falling Through Our World – Motel Thieves

Swansea-based indie psychedelic five-piece with one of my favourite songs that came out in September. With signal feedback and haunting slide guitar, Falling Through Our World has been described as a floating anthem brimming with heartbreak, paranoia, and a heavy dose of wrenching guitars. I recently had a great conversation with the guys about their just-released debut EP ‘Compos Mentis’ – Check it out!