Music

The Publics release TV inspired single Young Hearts

12th Dec 2022 — Leave a comment

What is worse than a heartbreak? A heartbreak that happens on national TV. New single, Young Hearts,by indie powerhouse the publics recounts a friend of the band and their unfortunate date on Channel fours exceptional programme Teens First Dates.

The Publics, Elliot Stephenson, Ebony Broughton and Josh Porter.

Clothes pressed, hair done, speech prepped,a few deep breathes and its lights camera action. The room is lit but the spotlight is just on you then she walks in, and you don’t know what to do. The steady pace of the drum in this track echoes the stilted breath and heavy heartbeat of any first date goer. Crack a few jokes in the hope they’ll crack a smile, hoping the money you’ve spent on cocktails is worthwhile.

Conversation stunted and a few awkward silences,you start to realise they’re not looking at you but at the door, maybe this is not the one you’ve been looking for. Their phone rings as you ask for their number, she half mutters“I’ll catch you later’ and instead of calling her you call a taxi to take you home.

The optimism echoed throughout the track is aided by the influence of 80s synth that complement the lifted harmonies and evoke images of hopefulness, a bad first date doesn’t mean you can’t have a decent second one. The shredded guitar paces the vocals to the chorus build up which will have you bouncing on the dance floor. The poetic lyrics to this track juxtapose the frustration felt in the face of rejection with the determination to overcome and find salvation in the same arms that shoved you away. 

Young Hearts. The Publics

Once again, the narrative explores themes of heartbreak, rejection, and dancing through it all, this semantic is what gives The Publics their distinctive sound and recognisable identity. They stand as a reminder that hearts heal, adorned in audible armour, buttressing us for better. It is no wonder that on playing this banger on BBC Radio Nottingham Dean Jackson described it as “brilliantly written and wonderfully performed”


The song was recorded at Electric-Bear Studios in the band’s hometown, Mansfield, which has recently undergone a huge renovation. The studio improvements help further elevate The Public’s reimagined sound as ‘Young Hearts’ aims to propel the band into the limelight of the UK Indie Rock scene.

The Publics, made up of Elliot Stephenson (lead guitar and songwriter), Josh Porter (guitar and singer) and Ebony Broughton (Keyboard and Singer), are making moves in the indie genre. Within 5 months they’ve gone from playing at a garden party to supporting indie powerhouse The Reytons. Their previous release, Marathon in heels, saw them sell out their Nottingham headline show.

 They’ve also headlined Mansfield Wetherspoons, Stag and Pheasant, twice and have supported the likes of Corella, Deco and Overpass. This upward trajectory continues with their next gig set for the 21st of December supporting The Clause. With a flurry of gigs planned for 2023, the first in January supporting Albany,The Publics are a name to add to your playlist, so you can say you knew them before everybody else.

Links to upcoming shows:

The Clause– In Nottingham

Albany– In Lincoln

The Thieves- In Newcastle

To keep up to date with The Publics follow their socials!

To discover more sounds follow my instagram!

It must also be said that Teens First Dates does also lead to some finding true love and is a really entertaining show.

BLOODWORM leaves you ‘Alone In Your Garden’

2nd Dec 2022 — Leave a comment

Their latest single leaves you brave in the face of the unknown.

Though our dark and damp high streets may be lifted with twinkling Christmas lights and foggy with the smell of roasting chestnuts and melted chocolate,winter has not yet fallen upon us . Autumn tries to linger, clawed trees cling to the skies as stubborn as summer’s ghost, we are forced to watch as the final brown leaves fall through the veil. The gradual demise of a season as the year slowly comes to a close can leave us all feeling slightly forlorn as we reflect on the previous 12 months. This retrospective outlook we are gripped by is echoed perfectly in the gothic punk instrumentals of East-Midlands based band, Bloodworm.

Alone in your garden Bloodworm

Days fall short and shadows grow darker, this plummet into the inevitable unknown inspired the bands’s latest single ‘Alone in your garden’.Band members Chirs Walker, George Curtis ad Euan Stevens,perfectly capture an ear with an intro that echoes a train coming up to it’s station, a drum beat that promises you’re on track to your desired destination.

The foreboding doom and inkling of victory imbued in the melody lull a listener into themselves. We sit lamenting the loss of a longed for loved one, damning the inevitable burial or final wave as the train pulls away.But one must seek comfort in the potential of a garden. Amongst the trees and crowded shrubberies things are born while others are buried, there is grown in these leaves and defiance in the soil.

Inpirsed by greats such as The Cure and Siousxse and The banshees, Bloodworm protests for more punk antics. Heralding change and making space in the industry, perhaps the rebelliousness that punk breathes is what we all need as 2022 comes to a close.

The birth of Bloodworm began the band’s pattern of defying the odds when their identity blossomed in the unlikeliest of places; A shed, where originally, they started as a grunge band before finding themselves more fit for gothic punk.

From the shed the band have gone on to support acts such as the Lounge society and LIFE at sold out shows in Nottingham.They have headlined at The Bodega with support from OTALA and with 2023 promising more up coming support slots, (in January they are set to support household names The Cool Greenhouse,(tickets here) , it is no wonder why Dean Jackson from BBC Radio Nottingham said he “absolutely loved it” when he listened to one of their previous bangers’ Cemetry Dance”- listen and hear for yourself.

Ren makes music

10th Nov 2022 — Leave a comment

And you just have to hear it

Ren

In the latest instalment of Ren’s musical museum he gives us what we want by taking us on a walking tour of the 90s.

Ren’s new track echoes the likes of Fatboy Slim’s weapon of choice, The beastie boys, and kriss kross. The iconic influence of these industry legends and the sprinting of references to populate provide a peaceful place for a listener to just bask in the songs lyricism and have a good time. There is that much to explore that current time fades away and you’re back to bomber jackets and slip dresses, sipping snapple with your Mp3 in.

The power, the party and the revolution hosted by the 90s finds a home again in this track which begins with a bombshell of a verse. The jazz elements compliment the groovy guitar riff that give this track Ren’s distinctive twang. Each verse so individual it defies all genres leaving only the simplest message to resonate with a listener that this song gives us what we want, and what we need, just a bloody good time.

What you want MV

Filmed in the hotspots of Brighton, the video also nods to the days of The Big Push(Ren’s former band) and busking which lead him to be signed by Sony records in 2010. The simplicity of a setting tied with the cinematic nature of Ren’s storytelling make for a frenetic atmosphere from a live crowd. The passion and charm and charisma of Ren adds an extra layer to the usually foreboding nature of his songs, especially when the vibrant streets were set as a backdrop to Ren’s earlier narrative; Jenny’s tale.

Jenny’s Tale.

Released in 2019 the track takes us to the dark streets of london where we observe an unfortunate meeting between two grotesque characters; Jenny and a thief who goes by the name Screech. Ren stumbles around a desolate brighton setting the grim scene with each strum of his guitar strings. An omniscient narrator, he sets the stage. The guitar picks up pace when the situation starts to escalate as Screech demands;

“Give me all your money bitch, give it to me
If you co-operate, then you’ll soon be free
I want your purse, your phone
Don’t fucking look at me
I mean it bitch, are you listening to me?”
Jenny freezes, statue like, a lady shaped stalactite
Fear like liquid nitrogen in the dark night
She tried to find strength to move
But stayed as still as a statue in high heeled shoes

The puncture these lyrics leave you with will ring round your head for a while. The weight of lyrical talent in this one verse sets the tone for the entirety of Ren’s track list. He is a trailblazer, shedding hope to those of us who may not be able to afford PR, or costly camera equipment or have the laptop for high tech editing software, he shows us that with passion, patience and perseverance we can produce a song that will reach 1 million views on youtube-which Jenny’s tale did.

The final instalment in this tale came earlier this year in the form of Violets tale. The track’s opening is unsettling, a Spanish infused guitar and interruptive snapping strings bring us to a scene where a woman is ‘fighting to stay alive’. Once again this haunting tale paint Ren as a one man musical.An additional punch in this track comes in the form of the video itself. We see Ren, not in his usual exuberant Brighton backdrop but in a sterile blue hospital gown, picking his guitar from his bed. Ren was diagnosed with lyme disease 2016, spending most of his time bed bound and isolated, his songs allowed him to walk the streets again, setting scenes and and chasing dreams despite being dropped by his record label. You can buy Violet’s tale here.

Ren remains triumphant producing bangers and stunning listeners time and time again with his wordplay and banter. He appeals to all with his transcendent ability to echo old-time quality classic with his own acuity.

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