Nottingham

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.

Meet Mollie Ralph

15th Nov 2022 — 1 Comment

Described by the BBC’s Dean Jackson as a “Soul Queen”, this stirring singer is one to add to your Spotify playlists.

Mollie Ralph taken by Daniel Roizer photoshoot for her EP Old Cafe 2019

Nottingham based singer songwriter Mollie has performed in some of the most musically renowned venues including The Royal Concert Hall where she supported the Gypsy Kings and Rock City as part of the 2019 Future Sound of Nottingham night.

With a vocal range that echoes that of Amy Winehouse and Paloma Faith it is no surprise that Ralph has collected a catalogue of accolades since finding her voice in 2016. Three years later she would release her debut EP titled Old Cafe, in 2020 she released a slew of singles including breakthrough track traitor which reached over 80,000 streams.

Traitor is an emotional ballad, lifted with soulful jazz instrumentals, about a relationship gone wrong. A lover’s decision to defy their foreseen future for the embrace of a temporary hand. This selfish surrender of someone else for one’s own gain stings and you can hear both the pain and rage in Mollie’s powerful vocals. Those of us who have felt this blow of betrayal realise soon enough it is not just about this other person’s decision, in once choosing to trust them you slowly betrayed yourself. Everything you had with this person everything you perceived it to be based on a forced fed false reality. You betrayed your worth for someone you can no longer see. This person you once loved died in the arms of a stranger and now stands before you with an unknown face.

Mollie Ralph Music Video Traitor 2020 filmed by Simon Stewart

This piece of poetry catapulted her to the stages of the Isle of Wight festival where she stunned crowds enough to land her extended performances on two more stages. It was here she performed her album Dealbreaker. The same titled song itself explores the narrative of too many second chances, a torrent of torture that breaks a heart enough for it to crack but to also keep coming back, the hand that holds is also the one that lets go. Love becomes a commodity instead of a meaningful exchange where both feel wealthy, one heart turns to greed, another to self-debt spending all they can to keep their so-called lover in check.

As well as developing her own distinctive style she has used her range to refresh old classics. Most recently covering Nina Simone’s 1965 I put a spell on you. Fittingly released on the eve of Halloween Mollie’s haunting vocals and mystic persona posess the bewitching narrative of the song.

Mollie RalphMusic video for I put a spell on you filmed by Jessica Ralph

Not only is her music powerful due to the strength of her voice but also due to the meaning of her message. In 2020 she performed her single Give it up, in what I am assuming is her neighbourhood, to raise money for the NHS. The music video includes faces of friends, family, frontline workers during the lockdown all lip syncing her song. As a nurse herself Ralph felt first hand the impact of the pandemic and the desperate situation of our health service. The song itself was very fitting with the poignant lyric ” I want to be your hero, when the days get rough”. The song herald’s resilience and optimism conquering all,

Mollie Ralph Give It Up