Category Archives: Blog

Reviews on Jacob D Edward

“Through thought-provoking images and emotions, this beautifully written exploration soars with some of the most poetic lines possible. With nods towards the inevitability of death and both the fears and comfort that come with accepting it, there’s so much depth to behold. The slow acoustic guitar plucks gently push things along akin to life itself, a little groove behind their intermittent strings while Jacob’s soaring rich vocals captivate front and centre. With a little Frank Sinatra reminiscence, it’s hard to turn this new elaborate single off.” – Review on Existential Magazine

“The manufacturing is minimalist yet impactful, with ambient layers that underscore the uncooked emotional weight of Edward’s performance. The track’s pacing mirrors the journey it describes, ebbing and flowing just like the chapters of a unique.” – Review on Kindline Magazine

“Folk songwriter Jacob D. Edward, hailing from The Netherlands, showcases his skill with acoustics on his latest single ‘Musings’. As a lyrically rich melody, the deeper meaning is a fascinating one to follow, highlighting the concept of a ‘secret love’ and underlining feelings of envy and frustration.” – Review on LaMusique

“Jacob D. Edward’s latest single, ‘Musings’, is a great folk track that delves into the complexities of hidden love and unspoken emotions. With bluesy guitar modulations and raw, vulnerable lyrics, the song invites listeners into a world of secret desires and unexpressed feelings.” – Review on NottsRocks

“Opting for unnatural harmonics in the intro, Jacob proves that sometimes less is more. With just his guitar, haunting backing vocals, and deep voice, he crafts a reflective, yearning atmosphere—capturing what he describes as “melancholia with a smile.”” – Review on Right Chord Music

Behind the music: Jacob D. Edward on ‘Musings’

‘Musings’ is Jacob D. Edward’s song about hidden desire. It is about the miscommunication that can occur when feelings are not expressed. ‘Musings’ is the sound to the frustration, envy.

On ‘Musings’, Jacob D. Edward adds: “The focus on the song is how the instrumentality connects to the lyrical meaning. The song is about hidden romance. Secret loves comes with a variety of emotions, and this song envelops them all.” This song is about the romantic feelings that Jacob D. Edward harbours for his backup singer. “Because the song is about my singer, I felt completely naked while recording it. I recorded the album with her as well and I knew she is going to hear it for what it is, which scares the crap out of me. The song is both literal and symbolic. Throughout I paint metaphors that explain to the listener how I feel about my backup singer and about how our relationship works. When I sing ‘As she is struggling to dance on her wire’ I made a mistake while singing and we decided to keep it into the recording. It felt a bit daunting to put out something that is not entirely polished.”

Reviews on Harrison Rimmer’s ‘Cold’

“Bringing back more of that bold and anthemic indie-rock energy he is known for, ‘Cold’ makes for a stellar return to form for him. With its bright and shimmering hooks layered throughout, he is certainly looking to get us up and out of our seats with this one.” – Review on FLEX

“Harrison Rimmer’s new single, Cold, is a powerful mix of rock energy and raw honesty, showing the artist’s journey through personal challenges.” – Review on Rock Era Mag

“Lyrically it dwells on the work required to get better mentally and was written partly after Harrison had his first panic attack. Yet, it’s also a track that you can dance to and draws from the likes of Springsteen and Frank Turner. Its tempo is relentless and its acoustic riffs lively. Harrison really goes for it with his expressive vocals, particularly during a singalong chorus.” – Review on York Calling

Behind the music: Harrison Rimmer on ‘Cold’

Harrison Rimmer is following up the release of his last single ‘Tough Love’ with new single ‘Cold’. The single is taken from his upcoming sophomore album ‘Cheaper Than Therapy’. This song is raw, angsty, and has teeth. Musically it draws inspiration from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Frank Turner and City & Colour, a musical pallet many Harrison Rimmer fans have grown to know as his bread and  butter, but the difference this time around is in the lyrics, it’s a style some Harrison Rimmer fans haven’t heard for a while.

Harrison’s mission with ‘Cheaper Than Therapy’ has been to have the music be fun and energetic, to be the listener’s escape, but the lyrics to be the crack in the door with them being raw and honest. ‘Cold’ displays this perfectly. Harrison says, “If ‘Tough Love’ was the rallying cry, ‘Cold’ is what happens when you’re in the thick of doing the work. I used to call this my Frankenstein’s Monster. Some of the lyrics were written after my first panic attack and some were written later during a time in my life when I despised myself and the man I was becoming. So I pulled the mirror up and began to start putting the work in. I started to plot and move on with my life and to be more true and authentic to who I am, no matter how uncomfortable it made me. I feel like I’ve captured that moment in ‘Cold’.”

Musically it’s fun and punchy, hell you can sing and dance to it if you wanted, but lyrically, lyrically is where Harrison really wanted to get listeners. “Did those words make me uncomfortable? Absolutely, but in writing them I set myself free. I got stuck into conversations with my friends, family and started therapy, and even exercising regularly. Those factors became driving forces for not only this song and album, but for myself going forwards.”

Reviews on Bakersongs’ ‘Turn a Blind Eye’

“Frontman Ruud Bakker’s distinctive voice, accompanied by his skilful guitar work, delivers a contemplative track that resonates deeply.” – Review on Little Garden

“Moving the spotlight towards the music, the music has this smooth, melodic flow, almost like a conversation, not just in the vocals but with the instruments too.” – Review on Melodymine

“An elegant, classic take on Americana and alt-country infused by traces of European Folk, ‘Turn a Blind Eye’ signals Bakersongs’ impressive and meaningful latest effort. Embarking on playful yet vivid storytelling, the Dutch project explores the difficulty a lot of us have when dealing with negative news, day after day.” – Review on Mesmerized

Behind the music: Bakersongs on ‘Turn a Blind Eye’

The announcement of Bakersongs new full-length release received a lot of positive response from Americana journalists in the Netherlands. One even called him the perfect combination of Ryan Adams and Paul McCartney. With the second single from the record, ‘Turn a Blind Eye’, Bakersongs shows such compliments are well-deserved.

On ‘Turn a Blind Eye’, singer Ruud said: “For ‘Turn a Blind Eye’ I was musically inspired by the lethargic feel of The Band. The chorus is of course meant ironically, in regards to everything that is going on in the world. It can also be interpreted in a way that gives you a bit more peace with looking the other way and not to concern yourself too much with the overwhelming amount of news that is shared with us daily.”

The music of Bakersongs is characterized by smart, creative approaches and excellent, crafted musicianship. In terms of influences, think of American Folk and Americana artists such as The Band, James Taylor and The Milk Carton Kids, but influences of The Beatles, and Damien Rice are also undeniable.

Curating Sofar Sounds

When I’m asked what it is I do, I usually simply answer “I work in music and events”, as that is a safe way of saying “a shed load of different jobs”. One of my favourite jobs, however, is one that doesn’t take up much time but always delivers in pure magic. Curating Sofar Sounds Newcastle’s monthly shows is the most gratifying volunteer role I’ve ever fulfilled. There’s a wonderful team of volunteers supporting myself and co-city leader Jay on the evening s of our events by being on the door, checking attendance, liaising with artists, helping on sound, and introducing our artists.

This week we headed to Gateshead’s co-working and independent studio space Orbis Community for another sold out evening. One of the owners of the business, JP, brought his enthusiastic self and made us feel right at home. I had met JP through one of our incredible Sofar Sounds volunteers, which is how we got the space for our event. With one of our initially confirmed artists cancelling his performance on the morning of our show, we had to find a replacement very quickly and found that in Teesside-based singer songwriter J.W. Darwin. He performed a great set of soft but exciting pop tracks, with a good amount of stage chatter in-between songs.

Next up was York/ Newcastle-based singer songwriter Jeremy M who’d sent his music through us and who we got captivated by. His softly spoken voice combined with a warm guitar sound made for a fantastic live experience, a bit more experience and stage presence and we’ve got a star in the making. Last up were Leeds-based outfit VICTORS who performed in acoustic trio form. With influences taken from Jungle and jangly pop outfits they created a very exciting and powerful performance that left us all softly swaying until the very end.

The Sofar Sounds audience is like no other; they sit and listen, interact, and appreciate. They have sold out our shows for the past 24 months, and keep showing up, either we’re doing something well, or they’re just too kind for this world. I think it’s a combination of both. It’s not always easy finding the right space for our events, as we look for the unfamiliar, the slightly odd; hairdressers, cafes at night, cinemas, cocktail bars, wherever we can fit our sound system and audience! Though not always easy, incredibly fun, it’s a task I do with pleasure, as well as finding the right artists for our line-ups, and when all’s been found, it’s meeting our wonderful audience. Every single month, Sofar Sounds is what I look forward to!

We need your art

Music and politics are intrinsically entwined. Making music is an act of revolution. Using sounds and lyrics to share your thoughts, your feelings, and your perspectives on the world is a way of inspiring, mobilising others. Artists shouldn’t be afraid and fear what is thought of them, or to be disliked. Music and art should make people think and feel, be that about love, loss, or politics.

The world is on fire, she is burning because of us. We should be angry and up in arms to take back the reigns and show them how to lead compassionately. Our world leaders, they depend on us. Our multinationals, they need our hard-earned money to survive. When you decide to spend differently, their pockets will eventually start to empty. I have written before about part-time punks, and this is an extension of that point of view. What we need is more full-time punks, those truly living and breathing their music, their art. We suffer for our art and passions, because they are what makes us human.

Sadly I recently spoke to a well-known Dutch music journalist who found that artists shouldn’t bring their live show to a stand still to talk about politics. I was rather surprised to hear this from someone who is a fan of bands such as IDLES and Fontaines D.C., very much political acts. Artists have a stage, a platform, to share their views and to educate those that would not have been educated if it wasn’t for their favourite artists, a song they liked, a sound they were able to relax to. Artists, musicians, they decide to share their views, in their lyrics, their ethos, and on their stage. Frankly, I don’t think that anyone has anything to say about what an artist decides to do on stage as it is their show, their programme.

I am a fan of the bands I listen to and enjoy because of what they stand for. Their music, and their views are undeniably connected, and I don’t think they should be seen as separate. It is a privilege to be able to say that you would rather not hear about war, ethnic cleansing, and death. Most importantly, it is a privilege to be able to express yourself artistically, to share your thoughts and emotions into a language we all speak; music. We need your music, we need your thoughts, we need your art.

ALLSAINTS for London Fashion Week X Sofar Sounds

I am a big fan of musical instores, ever since I can remember my family and I would seek them out when growing up in the Netherlands; Record Store Day is more of a highlight than my birthday, and I would never miss out on an up close and personal event with musicians I admire. So when I received the request to sort some live music for ALLSAINTS‘ London Fashion Week event, the answer was always going to be yes. I was asked to book two artists for thirty minute slots, create some social media content, and provide a sound system, and so I did.

One of my favourite local artists is outstanding singer, songwriter, and cellist Taliraw, and Leeds-based, Hexham-born artist Gemma Gates wowed at this year’s Aelius Alternative so the line-up was quickly chosen. Both performed as duos and all four musicians received, aside from their performers fee, a stipend for a free ALLSAINTS outfit! Ahead of their performances they went shopping and picked stunning outfits from the ALLSAINTS Newcastle store, after which we set up, soundchecked, and enjoyed captivating performances from both Gemma Gates and Taliraw.

ALLSAINTS’ Newcastle store offered plenty of ways we could position our stage and sound system, but against the back of the side wall, in front of the small seating area ended up being the perfect place for it. With an attentive audience enjoying some complimentary bubbly we enjoyed the music of two incredible grassroots artists and combined with being in a rather fashionable place, I loved every minute. I could have booked four more artists and stayed there all day if they would have let me! Incredible photographer Celia Medina attended the instore and captured the event perfectly, you can find some of her photos below.

Highlight on… Music Conferences

With festival season behind us, we are now looking forward to tour and music conference season, simply to fight off the festival blues. Here are some music conferences we thought worthy enough to share with you.

From the 9th until the 12th of October brand new and high end music conference Beyond The Music is landing in Manchester showcasing new talent, highlighting its grassroots music venues, and giving its visitors, you, a genuine say and the opportunity to take part in conversations and discussions regarding our music industry. On the other side of the country, as part of Middlesbrough’s Twisterella, (Un)Conference will be taking place on the 12th of October, with local music industry professionals joining the conference line-up, this event will give the local industry the chance to connect and come together.

From the 16th until the 18th of October, international festival and convention MaMA is taking over Paris for its 15th edition! With live music, listening sessions, networking, and workshops, the event showcases a great big chunk of what the French industry has to offer. Presenting music and talks at several venues all over the city, MaMA doesn’t just highlight, but also supports its industry and put its money where its mouth is.

On the 21st and 22nd of November we return to Manchester for our favourite music conference, Un-Convention, which is taking place at iconic music venue Band On The Wall. With speakers including the organisers behind End Of The Road Festival, members of Blossoms, international label owners, and representatives from the Music Venue Trust, the conference is promising to be another inspiring and horizon-expanding event!

Resonate Music Conference is a new event that has recently landed on our radar, on the 28th of November the conference will be taking over Platform in Glasgow. The conference aims to help Scotland’s music industry grow, and offers insightful talks, networking, and an open mic for artists.

For those of us already looking ahead to 2025, find some music conferences taking place in spring here:

30-04 / 02-05 Wide Days, Edinburgh
03-05 / 04-05 Sound City, Liverpool
08-05 / 10-05 FOCUS Wales, Wrexham