French is the fifth most spoken language in the world. It is used across swathes of Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Thus, Francophone music encompasses a myriad of genres. Today, we will explore only pop and rock. Moreover, all the artists I am showcasing are from either France or Belgium. Nevertheless, I hope this article inspires you to discover the breadth of Francophone music, and to support these new artists on their journeys. Turquoise – ‘Le Bruit’ (The Noise) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLWYNUrZ3Wc ‘Le Bruit’ is the latest single from Belgian powerhouse, Turquoise. Its message is ..read more

From Finsbury Park Station, a trail of bucket hats stretched into the distance. This could mean only one thing: Community Festival had returned to London. After two years of COVID, London’s day-long celebration of indie music was back. This year’s headliners were Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats and Nothing But Thieves. Meanwhile, the N4 stage featured emerging talent. This all took place on the 16th of July as a heatwave swept the country. First on the N4 stage was Big Image. Two songs in, Matt Bates, their frontman, had to laugh: “You can tell it’s hot when half the crowd are in the shade ..read more

Formerly Super Inuit, Slim Wrist is an exciting, left-field pop duo from Edinburgh. Its members, Brian Pokora and Fern Morris, joined me over Zoom last week to discuss their latest single, ‘The Soft’, their upcoming album, Closer for Comforting, and their experience playing on The Skinny Stage at the Kelburn Garden Party. How did you meet? Fern: One of us advertised on Gumtree for someone to work with. I can’t remember who. It feels so long ago… Maybe I advertised but didn’t get a response? Then, later, you did? Brian: It was my fault we never connected. I was flaky. But eventually, it came t ..read more

Rarely do bands include both husband and wife. After all, music is inherently personal. Sharing one’s innermost thoughts is difficult, even when it’s with the ones we love. Ben Sauer and Madeline Star of Widows Gold explain how they overcame this hurdle. “We were together for four years before we married,” remembers Madeline. During that time, they composed separately. “It was scary to let someone in,” she admits. Nevertheless, division didn’t last long: “Once I opened up, it was pretty much all the time." Ben highlights the group’s cohesiveness. “Once we met our bassist, Ian, it became easie ..read more

Before we start, Minh explains that she has just recovered from COVID. “Sorry if I cough,” she sighs, gripping a glass of water. Yet, COVID was kinder to Minh than most. Whilst other artists lost momentum, Minh was at her most productive. Endless lockdowns allowed Minh to focus on music – a passion she had hidden for twenty-seven years. Previously, Minh considered music an impossible career. “It always seems the arts are an alternate route,” she muses, “I watched the Spice Girls on TV and they looked so heroic… so unreachable.” Minh’s parents fled from Vietnam to Australia during the Vietnam W ..read more

“You’d think we’d be used used to Zoom by now”, laughs Jocelyn as I try to start the recording. “I still have no idea how that works”, jokes Chris. The brother-sister duo sits in front of a wall of guitars. Yet, Chris finds another to hold. Fiddling with the strings, he resists the urge to play. Jocelyn takes a sip of coffee and we get straight into business. “Is your family very musical?”, I ask. Jocelyn pauses. “Our parents wouldn’t describe themselves as musicians but they are definitely music lovers”, she decides, “we grew up dialled into classic rock, jazz, blues and pop”. A smile lights ..read more

A long queue encircled the Victoria Place Theatre last Tuesday as audience members waited impatiently to see Hamilton. Since its debut in 2015, Lin Manuel Miranda’s creation has become a cultural sensation. Its combination of hip hop and musical theatre has attracted audiences unaccustomed to Broadway shows. Moreover, by casting non-white actors as Founding Fathers, Lin Manuel Miranda has allowed America to celebrate its diversity. Despite the musical’s distinctly American story, Alexander Hamilton’s tragic tale has captivated audiences across the world. Recently, the musical has gained even g ..read more

Once a solo performer, Ty Gallaway realised his music needed a little extra oomph. Since then, he has massively expanded his sound and now fronts the Denver-based quintet, Shady Oaks, whose latest single, 'Numb', caught my attention. Other than Ty, the group comprises of Jonah Samp (drums), Loren Dorland (vocals), Isaac Vance (rhythm guitar) and Brendan Lamb (bass). However upbeat and bluesy their new track may be, its lyrics explore some heavy themes, emanating from Ty's personal experiences. Here, Ty explains his writing process, the song's meaning and the band's plans for the future. 1. Fi ..read more

His Lordship – All Cranked Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc5ZyTZnQ2A Experienced musicians make up His Lordship. Kristoffer Sonne has worked with Chrissie Hynde and Willie Nelson, whilst James Walbourne has played guitar for the Pretenders. Nevertheless, ‘All Cranked Up’ is their 1st original song. Reminiscent of the Fratellis, the track is saturated with the classic sound of grumbling guitar, distorted vocals and deranged falsetto. Its agitated guitar solo perfectly fits Welbourne’s description of the song: “the music is loud; the options are few. I’m all cranked up with nowhere to go ..read more

Stefano Miella’s solo project, Nother, takes his career in an exciting new direction. Having worked for years as a drummer, producer and film composer, Miella has come out of the shadows. His latest single, ‘US feat. Moon Leap’, is a wondrously cinematic take on trip-hop and lo-fi music. The Italian artist’s experience in writing soundtracks for documentaries and films explains the track’s atmospheric sound. Miella has worked with companies like National Geographic, History Channel and Fox, as well as scoring short films like South is Nothing and There Is a Light. However, the song’s driving m ..read more