Artist Spotlight: Harmony-Soaked Indie Folk, Blistering Metalcore, and Grit-Driven Garage Rock
By David Weddle
Exploring the raw talent and resonant stories of the independent music scene.
Exploring the raw talent and resonant stories of the independent music scene.
With our regular spotlight articles, we love to highlight a massive variety of independent acts from across the musical spectrum. Today we are diving into three incredible projects that swap rigid, over-polished production for pure, raw human energy: Callum Pitt, Approaching Autumn, and Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature.
Independent alternative folk-rock artist and occupational therapist Callum Pitt hails from Newcastle Upon Tyne, an area that has a rich musical heritage. Drawing deep inspiration from his time working across mental health and acute hospital wards, his thoughtful, poetic songwriting voice reflects the natural beauty and industrial past of North East England.
His harmony-soaked, orchestral new single Dog Whistle is the brilliant second teaser from his highly anticipated sophomore album, White Lilies, On the Water. Honing his craft for over a decade from his early days singing in pubs to now amassing over 6 million streams, Callum beautifully blends his rich folk-rock roots with hints of post-punk, grunge, and chamber pop.
Listen here
His harmony-soaked, orchestral new single Dog Whistle is the brilliant second teaser from his highly anticipated sophomore album, White Lilies, On the Water. Honing his craft for over a decade from his early days singing in pubs to now amassing over 6 million streams, Callum beautifully blends his rich folk-rock roots with hints of post-punk, grunge, and chamber pop.
Listen here
Making a welcome return to Music News Monthly, Flint, Michigan metalcore heavyweights Approaching Autumn are back to shake up our radar once again. The dynamic seven-piece outfit fronted by the powerful dual vocal assault of Joel Pratt and Xzavia Rose, has built a formidable reputation sharing stages with national touring juggernauts like Bloodywood and Red.
Their crushing alternative metal / metalcore single, "Beware The Ides Of March," serves as a blistering taste of their from the band's 2022 album, DEATH. It delivers exactly what their fanbase craves: a visceral combination of bone-shattering riffs, immense rhythmic precision, and an unfiltered, explosive energy that refuses to take any prisoners.
Listen here
Their crushing alternative metal / metalcore single, "Beware The Ides Of March," serves as a blistering taste of their from the band's 2022 album, DEATH. It delivers exactly what their fanbase craves: a visceral combination of bone-shattering riffs, immense rhythmic precision, and an unfiltered, explosive energy that refuses to take any prisoners.
Listen here
We finish up with Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature, who return with their expansive new garage rock release and its hopeful centrepiece, ‘Night is Young’. Blending rough-edged blues rock with a restless indie spirit, 'Night is Young' is a track that has a real honest charm to it that may be something to do with the fact that it was partly recorded above a Scottish pub.
It is a great track with bright and catchy hooks with an raw, unpolished sound that gives it a real edginess to it. Lyrically it speaks directly to those who, like most people, struggle at times to find their footing in times of change, with a message of optimism that comes across in the music Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature's distinctive style is very infectious in the best possible way.
Listen here
It is a great track with bright and catchy hooks with an raw, unpolished sound that gives it a real edginess to it. Lyrically it speaks directly to those who, like most people, struggle at times to find their footing in times of change, with a message of optimism that comes across in the music Thomas Duxbury and New Mother Nature's distinctive style is very infectious in the best possible way.
Listen here
Keep an eye out for more artist spotlights, and if you have any new music that you think deserves a shout-out, feel free to send it our way.