Banks’ romantic, airy vocals hit even harder by Humberstone on their acoustic version filmed at Queen Caroline’s temple in Kensingston Gardens, right next to Hyde Park.

Banks originally entered the arts on the West End before hitting the screens in the BBC series, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, in July last year. 

She then made her break into music with her debut single ‘So Green’, released ahead of her 6-track EP ‘Untie My Tongue’. The sprinkly, indie-folk single floats over your ears in a stripped-back vulnerability that immediately has listeners hooked, pushing it to just under 1 million listens on Spotify. The rest of the EP has a similar acoustic, earthy style, particularly in her highest streamed song ‘Feel The Rush’ at over 3 million listens. 

With a feature on Humberstone’s hypnotic indie track, Banks is still teasing her own music, with a snippet of a potential new song posted to Instagram yesterday (July 27). 

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After Humberstone’s huge live success supporting Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour last year, the artist will be performing around Australia later this year. Find tickets and other exciting updates on her official website. 

The indie fusionist shared her excitement on Instagram about how the four-track project came to be, and how it contains ‘lost, older versions‘ of herself, commenting: “I recently went back through my archives and rediscovered these demos and felt that I wanted to release them as a project without overthinking too much. This EP is lost older versions of myself mixed up with the present. I’m very much a work in progress and I just really wanted to share these tunes with you guys cos I still love them ! Cant wait for you to hear the rest in March.”

Dive is out now and my EP Work In Progress will be yours on the 15th March. Cant wait for you to hear the rest in March ♪(๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)♡ pic.twitter.com/XcQmVhNeHP

— Holly Humberstone (@HolHumberstone) February 15, 2024

After a year cemented by collaborations with the likes of MUNA, d4vd and Del Water Gap, ‘Work In Progress’ will continue Humberstone’s streak of exciting features, including folk band Flyte’s Will Taylor and acclaimed producer Andrew Sarlo, known for his work with Big Thief, Dijon and Bon Iver. The remaining tracks on the EP are the title track, along with ‘Down Swinging‘ and ‘Easy Tiger‘.

Having already embarked on a mammoth 20-date UK and European tour with shows in Paris and Amsterdam under her belt, the London-based singer will be kicking things off in the UK leading up to the EP in Manchester on March 8, followed by a jampacked tour in Australia, Japan and a 17-date tour in North America this summer.

‘Work In Progress‘ is out on March 15, with tickets available for live shows here. You can listen to Holly’s new single ‘Dive‘ below:

UK/EU Tour 2024:

FEBRUARY

16/02/24 – Copenhagen – DR Studie 2
17/02 – Stockholm – Fryshuset (Klubben)
18/02 – Hamburg – Knust
20/02 – Berlin – Hole44
21 /02 – Prague – MeetFactory
22/02 – Vienna – Simmcity
24/02 – Munich – Strom
25/02 – Zurich – Mascotte
27/02 – Luxembourg – Rockhal
28/02 – Cologne – Gebäude 9
29/02 – Antwerp – Trix Hall

MARCH

08/03/24 – Manchester – Albert Hall
09/03 – Edinburgh –  Queen’s Hall
10/03 – Lincoln –  Engine Shed
12/03 – Leicester –  O2 Academy
13/03 – London –  Eventim Apollo
15/03 – Bristol – Beacon
16/03 – Dublin – Academy

The anticipation is particularly high for Jamie T, who organisers claim is “one of the most requested headliners in Truck Festival history.” Alongside this, Wet Leg, the Brit Award-winning “Best New Artist” of 2023, will be making their UK festival headline debut. Meanwhile, the Thursday night slot is reserved for the energetic and politically charged IDLES, who are expected to showcase tracks from their upcoming album ‘TANGK,’ set to be released on February 16, read more about ‘TANGK’ here. The festival’s grand finale will be brought by The Streets, alias Mike Skinner, who released the critically acclaimed album ‘The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light’ last year.

The diverse lineup also includes renowned acts such as The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Yard Act, Holly Humberstone, The Magic Gang, and English Teacher, along with emerging talents like Willie J Healey. Sea Girls, Black Honey, Peace, The Snuts, Sundara Karma, with many more set to grace the stages at Hill Farm. The Magic Gang’s presence in the Truck 2024 lineup has sparked speculation, given their recent breakup announcement and plans for a farewell tour. Despite confirming their final show, it remains unclear if the band will perform at the festival.

Truck Festival’s Head Of Marketing, Sam Harris, expressed his enthusiasm for the lineup, stating, “Truck 2024 is a landmark year for us, and we can’t wait to see everyone there!” Harris added, “Whether it’s discovering new favourites, diving into mosh-pits, or enjoying the amazing comedy and family entertainment on offer – Truck 2024 promises to be a special weekend.”

A ticket pre-sale is scheduled for 18:00 GMT on Thursday (January 25) with general sales opening at 10:00 on Friday (January 26). Tickets start at £140 for the weekend, with an early-bird option priced at £175, allowing entry on Thursday to catch the electrifying performance by IDLES. Both pay-in-full and payment plan options are available. Tickets can be purchased on the official festival website via this link.

Truck Festival, conceived by brothers Robin and Joe Bennett in 1998, has come a long way from its humble beginnings with an actual truck as the stage. More acts are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, building on the success of last year’s headliners Royal Blood, Alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, and The Wombats. For more information and to secure your spot at what promises to be “the ultimate summer party,” visit Truck Festival’s official website.

Beginning Monday, October 2nd, BBC Radio 1 hosts Rickie, Melvin and Charlie will air a new Live Lounge every Monday to Thursday throughout the month. Each performance will take place at 12pm. The Radio 1 trio announced the details of the new live lounge month, along with the line-up on air during their morning show on September 5.

Rickie, Melvin and Charlie are the new hosts of Radio 1’s iconic Live Lounge (Monday – Thursday, 10.30am – 1pm)!

Big up @RickieHW @Melvinodoom & @charliehedges. We know you’ll smash it! pic.twitter.com/0xze7rtyHW

— BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network Press Office (@BBCRadio1PR) April 20, 2021

  Yungblud shared a post on Twitter. He said “just wait you see what we got planned”

just wait till you see what we got planned@bbcradio1 #liveloungemonth pic.twitter.com/NlAjB3cNuv

— YUNGBLUD is a lowlife (@yungblud) September 5, 2023

Radio 1’s Live Lounge will be graced with the presence of some of the world’s most popular artists, performing both their own musical pieces as well as unexpected covers. We will have the pleasure of Olivia Dean’s performance, whose album Messy has been nominated for a Mercury Prize Award 2023.

Listeners of Radio 1 and BBC Sounds can tune in live to all performances from Live Lounge Month. They will also be able to view the performances on-demand on Radio 1’s BBC iPlayer and YouTube channels.

Olivia Rodrigo, whose new album GUTS  launches September 8, visited London and popped into the Radio 1 studio with host Melvin Odoom to make a very hot announcement. Melvin spoke to Olivia and said, “We are so excited to have you here today, because the real reason you’re in the studio right now is because you have a massive announcement, right?”

Olivia made here live lounge performance official and told the Radio 1 listeners in retort to Melvin “I’m so excited to announce, “I’m going to be kicking off Radio 1’s live lounge month 2023 and it’s going to be October. I’m very excited, I’m filming it in LA, and it’s going to be a ball.”

BBC Radio 1, invites listeners to test their expertise, in what they say is their “Ultimate Live Lounge Quiz.” Preparing listeners for an extravaganza of bejewelled performances for this coming October.

Below you can see the full line-up list for the Live Lounge Month 2023.

Artist Performance Date’s

Olivia Rodrigo –  Mon 2nd October
Troye Sivan  – Tues 3rd October
Jorja Smith  – Weds 4th October
Madison Beer  – Thurs 5th October
Declan McKenna –  Mon 9th October
Leigh-Anne –  Tues 10th October
Royal Blood –  Weds 11th October
Dominic Fike – Thurs 12th October
Holly Humberstone – Tues 17th October
YUNGBLUD – Weds 18th October
Becky Hill – Thurs 19th October
Usher – Mon 23rd October
Jax Jones – Weds 25th October
Doja Cat – Thurs 26th October

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This year, I was lucky enough to play the festival and get a chance to snoop around (I moonlight as a wannabe popstar), and to cut to the chase, was pretty blown away by what Josh and his team have managed to put together over the years. Scattered with 3 stages, Barn, Outdoor, and Main, and accommodating no more than 2000 people, the site is small but bustling with more charm and sincerity than most festivals I’ve attended. Taking advantage of it’s status as a working farm, you can find ostriches, alpacas, donkeys, enormous pigs, and horses casually walking amongst the fields whilst interested and usually inebriated festival goers look on both amused and enamoured. There are hammocks, outdoor beds, orchards, and even the curious new addition of “Grandma’s House” to enjoy as you wonder around the site, the latter being the creation of chief festival designer Harriet Lily. Grandma’s House, a tiny wooden shack with an overgrown lawn and bras and stockings hanging on a washing line, remained a mystery until it’s opening at 19.00 on the Friday night, when it soon became swarmed with people looking to enjoy the late night DJ set that went on inside. Only able to house 15 people at a time, you are allowed to enjoy an aptly designated 15 minutes of dancing before being kicked out for the next batch of clubbers, with 220 Kid even dropping by to play a surprise set this year. Elsewhere James Bay, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Vaccines, Maisie Peters, Easy Life, Maverick Sabre, and Tom Walker headlined across the various stages over the weekend, with Holly Humberstone, Beabadoobee, Griff, and many other hotly tipped rising stars playing just beneath them.

As an artist playing there, the first thing you notice is an overwhelming sense of acceptance and welcome on arrival. The green room is the same for everyone, whether you’re me or Bombay Bicycle Club, everyone is put under one big barn roof that I can only imagine houses tractors during it’s everyday running as a farm. On the first weekend of July every year though, it’s home to hundreds of creatives from around the world as they wait to get on stage. With beer, cider, food, coffee, tea, and even a very friendly man named Tom’s bake off worthy homemade brownies scattered around the room, anything you want- the wonderful green room staff have got you covered.

Unfortunately I only get 500ish words to write this article, so I’m going to have to stop prattling on, however I would highly highly recommend checking this festival out and going next year. I think it’s my favourite I’ve attended so far and can’t sing it’s praises enough. For more info click here.

the shortlist for the 2022 #BRITs Rising Star as supported by @BBCR1 is…

Bree Runway (@breerunway)
Holly Humberstone (@HolHumberstone)
Lola Young (@lolayounggg) pic.twitter.com/XKXIYe2u11

— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) November 30, 2021

British musician, Holly Humberstone, made waves with her first EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel. The 21-year-old singer released the EP on 14th August 2020 after signing with Interscope and Polydor Records. The singer caught the attention of industry professionals whilst performing at a local BBC Introducing show. The singer recently released her second EP The Walls Are Way Too Thin, the EP was released on on 12th November 2021 and sired five singles including “Scarlett” and “Friendly Fire“.

Speaking on her inclusion, Humberstone has provided the following statement, “Music has always been my entire life, and being nominated for such a prestigious award really means everything to me. Recognition from the BRITs is something I am struggling to comprehend at the moment! it’s truly an honour to be nominated for the BRITs Rising Star Award alongside two other incredibly inspiring female artists.”

Bree Runway is no stranger to accolades, earlier this year the British rapper and singer won a BET Award for Best International Act and was shortlisted for the BBC Sound of 2021 poll. The 29-year-old singer signed with EMI Records in 2018 and has released one mixtape and three Eps. The talented artist has been making music since a child and performed for Michelle Obama at age 14. Runway has gone on to work with many influential artists including Rhianna and Missy Elliott, the singer recently released the single “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” with British rockers Glass Animals.

Runway provides the following statement concerning her nomination, “I feel so honoured to be recognised by the BRITs in this way, it’s all so exciting especially as previous nominees have gone on to do such amazing things, I hope I’m struck by that same luck. Attending the BRITs alone has been something I’ve wanted to do for years, but attending as a Rising Star nominee is a DREAM.”

Lola Young has released a collection of Eps and has garnered critical success for her work. The 21-year-old singer got her start at open mics and won a national competition at the age of 13. Young recently rose to fan for her beautiful rendition of the 1984 Philip Oakley and Giorgio Moroder hit, “Together In Electric Dreams”. The cover was used in this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert and promptly captured the nation’s hearts.

The BRIT School alumni has provided a statement expressing her excitement to be nominated, “I can’t believe I’ve been nominated for this award. It feels surreal and completely unexpected. I actually have to pinch myself looking at the other artists that have been nominated previously. It is such a big step for me and I feel very excited to have been nominated!”.

The Rising Star award was previously known as the Critics’ Choice Award and has been included in the ceremony since 2008, the award’s first winner was Grammy-Award winning artist Adele. The accolade is supported and sponsored by BBC Radio 1 and has previously been awarded to Celeste and Griff. The award aims to celebrate and endorse British artists who have yet to chart within the top 20 with an album or have not achieved more than one top 20 single. The award’s winner will be selected by a panel of industry professionals and experts. The winner for the Brits rising star award will be announced on 10th December, the winner will be handed the award at the ceremony next year.

Holly wrote on her Instagram post: “I wrote this song about moving to London on my own and feeling very lonely & claustrophobic in my tiny lil room. Everything I knew to be normal had shifted, I didn’t really have any friends and felt quite lost so writing this song was hugely comforting and really helped me to cope with everything that was going on around me. The video is also out and it’s my fave one yet, Its a little stressful to watch but I wanted it to capture everything I was feeling at the time!!”. 

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A post shared by Holly Humberstone (@hollyhumberstone)

She also explained about the new song: “To avoid confronting how I was feeling I’d sneak out the flat and go on train journeys to see my mates, get drunk, then come back hungover through the night and early hours. I wrote most of ‘The Walls…’ and the songs that come next on those trains. It was my place of therapy, in the middle of nowhere, constantly moving with no destination.” New video has been directed by Raja Virdi and shows the singer stuck in an air vent of a burning building. He commented on the video: “This is probably mine and Hol’s tenth video together at least, and it’s been so great to see her insane trajectory throughout the past year. This video and song is my favourite so far, but it couldn’t have been made possible without a heap of very talented people”.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Raja Virdi (@rajavirdi)

‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ and previous single ‘Haunted House’ are part of Holly’s upcoming second EP set to be released later this year. New album will also include a collaboration with The 1975’s Matty Healy on ‘Please Don’t Leave Just Yet’ track. 

The singers debut album from 2020  received fife star review from NME calling it: “a perfect storm of hope, selfhood and pain”.

You can order the new track here.

The BBC #SoundOf2021 longlist is here!

Get to know the artists tipped for big things next year ⬇️@alfietempleman@berwynberwyn_@breerunway@dutchavelli1@_girlinred_@greentea_peng@wiffygriffy@HolHumberstone@TheLathums@KING_SALIEU

Find out more: https://t.co/9xxxAGfdJV pic.twitter.com/WhDS6BDpaz

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 7, 2020

Since the inception of the ‘Sound of…’ prize back in 2003, the BBC’s adjudicating panellists have honed a soothsaying knack for uncovering future stars. Previous winners of the award include 50 Cent (2003); Keane (2004); Adele (2008); Jessie J (2011); and Haim (2013). All is not lost for the long-listed artists who fail to scoop the top prize though: previous ‘unsuccessful’ nominated acts include Dizzee Rascal (2003); Scissor Sisters (2004); Lady Gaga (2009); Marina and the Diamonds (2010); Azealia Banks (2012); Chvrches (2013); George Ezra (2014); Stormzy (2015); Dua Lipa (2016); and Billie Eilish (2018).

The Sound of 2020 award winner was Celeste, who has gone on to secure further gongs this year at the Brits, BET and NME awards. The Saltdean-raised vocalist saw off stiff competition from the likes of Yungblud and Arlo Parks to claim the prize last year; telling BBC News she was “thrilled and so excited” with the win.

The full list of acts long-listed for the Sound of 2021, which will be awarded in a ceremony on January 7th, is as follows:

Alfie Templeman. Multi-instrumentalist Alfie Templeman’s fourth EP, Happiness In Liquid Form, reached number 22 in the UK Indie charts earlier this year. The Bedfordshire product, who only turns 18 in January, has been praised by DIY for his “boundless enthusiasm” which “bursts out in indie songs equally informed by R&B and bedroom pop.”

Berwyn. Trinidad-born, Romford-raised singer and rapper Berwyn Du Bois also features on Amazon Music’s One To Watch list for 2021. His debut mixtape Demotape/Vega was hailed by Pilerats as a “potent, defining record” and “a message on how even the ones with the world pitted against them can succeed.”

Bree Runway. Hackney’s Bree Runway has been described by NME as “a versatile pop star-in-waiting“, with her November mixtape 2000and4Eva acclaimed by Clash as “a bold, dynamic and cohesive body of work“. The genre-bending artist, who has also been nominated for the Video of The Year award at this week’s MOBOs for her track Apeshit, has also spoken out powerfully on the issue of colourism.

Dutchavelli. Dutchavelli’s debut mixtape Dutch from the 5th stormed to number 8 in the UK Albums chart last month. The Birmingham-born rapper also scored two top 40 singles as a lead artist (Bando Diaries and Cool With Me, featuring fellow West Midlander M1llionz); while he and Stormzy also popped up on Tion Wayne’s top ten hit I Dunno in May.

Girl In Red. Norwegian indie pop merchant Girl In Red – also known as Marie Ulven – has been described by the New York Times as “one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music, with a laser like melodic instinct that verges on the primal and lyrics that capture the sweat of real life.” The Scandinavian songstress recently scored a hit in the UK indie charts with her single Two Queens in a King Sized Bed.

Greentea Peng. South Londoner Greentea Peng – who featured on The Streets’ summer single I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him – was celebrated in Wonderland magazine earlier this year for “preaching honesty, self-confidence, and hope in the future.” The singer – real name Aria Wells – recently announced a European tour which kicks off in Berlin next April.

Griff. Hertfordshire artist Sarah Griffiths (Griff) was nominated for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in July. The vocalist, whose 2019 debut single Mirror Talk was described by Vice as “vulnerable, emotional, sincere and empowering“, is set to gain a new audience with her single Love Is A Compass, which is used on Disney’s 2020 Christmas advert.

Holly Humberstone. Lincolnshire singer Holly Humberstone’s quietly intense, otherworldly vocals evoke the stylings of Lorde, Phoebe Brid and Lana Del Rey. Her 2020 debut EP Falling Asleep At The Wheel was praised by NME for its “staggering emotional clarity and gut-wrenching tales of pain and catharsis.”

Pa Salieu. Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu’s debut mixtape Send Them to Coventry was described by Pitchfork as an “extraordinarily assured first offering from a young artist capable of surprising at every turn“, and an “invitation to a place and people unduly ignored.” Salieu’s unique fusion of West Midlands grime and African influences have seen him labelled a “compelling new voice” on the British music scene.

The Lathums. Wiganers The Lathums cite the rock and pop of the 50s and 60s as key musical influences, and fiercely resist being pigeon-holed as an indie band. In an interview with Far Out in October, frontman Alex Moore said “I just feel like we’re so different to everybody and we’re not like anybody else…We are a band and a guitar band but I don’t think there’s been anything like us.” Their EP compilation Memories We Make reached the top 20 in the UK Albums Chart this year, and the Lancashire outfit’s livestreamed gig at Blackpool Tower Circus this year saw them become the first act to play at the iconic venue since Madness in the 1990s.