Photographer: Francesca Paolozzi

But I doubt even George himself expected 2013 to go the way it has done. Upon hearing Get Lucky by Daft Punk earlier on the year, George uploaded his own version of the song to YouTube, where he would play every instrument, synthesisers, as well as sing. Quite a lot of work it sounds, but it definitely seemed to be worth it, with the video nearing the eight million play mark. He has received praise from all over the world, praising his talents and some revealing they enjoyed his version more than Daft Punk’s. Not a bad way to make a name for yourself.

Tonight we are at the Garage in London, just off of Highbury and Islington station. One of those delightful little venues that has more character and history than the Emirates Stadium, it is dark, quaint, and a bit of a sweatbox. So, a perfect venue for a night of music, one which contains three of the brightest up and coming singer songwriters in the UK. Barnett is sandwiched between Orla Garltand, an equally fresh faced singer from Dublin, who warms up the crowd with her youthful energy and upcoming single Roots garnering a cracking reaction from the slowly building crowd, and Frank Hamilton, famed for his One Song A Week performances last year, who is also celebrating his birthday by playing his biggest London show to date.

By the time Barnett and his stage band The Ninth Wave takes to the stage, the crowd has moved up to about one hundred and fifty strong, with people still pouring in off the windy London streets. People are scattered around the room, grabbing another drink at the bar, admiring the decor of the place or rushing for a quick inter-band toilet break, heads are turned when this young lad and his entourage set themselves up. With Barnett sat at his keyboard, they are off and running, and within seconds he has got out his seat and is barking into his microphone. The enthusiasm this lad shows is out of this world, and with an energy that seems to never be running dry, the following half an hour is one that the crowd will remember for a long time to come.

One of the brightest parts of Barnett and The Ninth Wave’s performance is the amount of diversity on show here. Second track Cassi has a 90s pop feel to it, with the keys allowing for a bouncy backing tune whilst Barnett sings about people he’s encountered throughout his life. “I’ve seen the sights, I’m on that page, life and times, day and age, I’ve seen the sights, I’ve passed that stage”, he sings, showing a wiseness and maturity that most 29 year olds would struggle, let alone a 19 year old. But then as soon as you’ve finished enjoying the dance pop, he can shoot straight into Light A Fire, complete with it’s grunge-era riffs and bellows of “Higher and higher, show me how to light that fire”, an anthem destined to be at the heart of many indie nights up and down the country any time soon.

Photographer: Francesca Paolozzi

As his set comes to a frantic end with recent song Animal Keeper getting an airing, Barnett shows no sign of his relentless energy stopping. He bangs aggressively on his trusty cow bell, as he roars through the track which seems a hybrid of dance pop, indie and a dashing of hip hop, there is no ground left uncovered. There are times tonight that his music sounds like a merging of Kasabian, Razorlight and Kanye West strangely enough, as he goes through the motions of his music that is surely going to take him far.

Even though the season of sunshine and warmth might be behind us, Frank will do his best to ensure that everyone stays very much in a summer kind of mood. Shot near St Ives, Cambridgeshire, the video tells the tale of two young lovers who enjoy a long summer romance, before heartbreakingly going their separate ways once the leaves begin to fall. It will throw back memories to all who watch it, taking you back to a time where you had no worries except seeing that special someone as much as possible. Despite the bleak ending, it is an upbeat, chirpy song by Frank, the man who just cannot sit still.

Summer was one of the 52 tracks released by Cambridgeshire chap last year, as he embarked upon a musical journey that would see him releasing one song a week, tentatively titled One Song A Week. The record would go on to reach number 21 in the official album charts, as well as grabbing top spot in the iTunes singer/song-writer chart upon it’s release, beating fellow acclaimed artists including Ed Sheeran and Jake Bugg. Considering the fact that he might not be as known as those aforementioned just yet, it was an astonishing feat and just the beginning of what promises to be a long and fruitful career.

As if a new video wasn’t enough, Frank also has a covers E.P available to download (http://www.musicglue.com/frank-hamilton/), completely free of charge. Consisting of tracks originally penned by blink 182, The Smiths and Fleetwood Mac, it further proves the theory that Frank is the gift that keeps on giving, regardless of the time of year. And to top it all off, he’s heading out on tour this September and October. A work rate we are all immensely jealous of, share some motivation please!

You can check out Frank Hamilton at any of his dates below.

September

Friday 20th – The Cluny, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Saturday 21st – The Arches, Glasgow

Sunday 22nd – 53 Degrees, Preston

Monday 23rd – The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

Wednesday 25th – Plug, Sheffield

Thursday 26th – Sound Control, Manchester

Friday 27th – The Cockpit, Leeds

Saturday 28th – Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

Sunday 29th – Junction, Cambridge

October

Tuesday 1st – Waterfront, Norwich

Wednesday 2nd – The Temple @ The Institute, Birmingham

Thursday 3rd – The Garage, London

Saturday 5th – The Thekla, Bristol

Sunday 6th – Boileroom, Guildford

Monday 7th – Komedia, Brighton

Tuesday 8th – Joiners, Southampton

Thursday 10th – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff

If you’re missing the warm weather, watch the video for Summer below. You’ll forget the drab outside immediately.