Never heard of them? You will soon!
Eight of Britain’s brightest new hopes for 2019
WITH a wave of fresh-faced singers set for stardom, 2019 looks like being a vintage year for new British talent. ADRIAN THRILLS looks at the young pretenders. SAM FENDER
WHO IS HE? A classic heartland rocker — as long as those heartlands are nearer Newcastle than Nebraska.
WHAT’S HIS STORY? A hard-gigging singer-songwriter from North Shields, Fender, 24, was working in a call centre when he started creating his arena ready anthems in his garden shed. Lauded by Elton John, he put his gritty lyrics and soulfully strummed guitar to good use on November’s Dead Boys EP.
Featuring the Simple Minds-like atmospherics of That Sound and the withering Poundshop Kardashians, Fender’s six-track release propelled him to this year’s prestigious Critics’ Choice BRIT Award.
WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? Dead Boys is out now. Fender plays Gorilla in Manchester on February 25 and Electric Brixton, London, on February 28, samfender.com. FOR FANS OF: Springsteen, Tom Petty.
FREYA RIDINGS
WHO IS SHE? Singer and pianist with the tender touch.
WHAT’S HER STORY? North Londoner Ridings, 24, has already struck a chord with her powerful piano ballads, securing a Top Ten single last October with Lost Without You.
The daughter of actor Richard Ridings (who voices Daddy Pig on the TV series Peppa Pig), she studied at the BRIT School and cut her musical teeth by singing her raspy-voiced songs of lost love — and her forlorn but fluent cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ indie classic Maps — at open mic nights. Her two live albums, from the London venues Omeara and St. Pancras Old Church, are available from her website.
WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? Her first studio album is out on May 31. She starts a tour on February 28 at Cyprus Avenue, Cork, freyaridings.com. FOR FANS OF: Florence + The Machine, Dido.
MAHALIA
WHO IS SHE? Slow-burning R&B star ready to break out.
WHAT’S HER STORY? Mahalia Burkmar began writing songs on guitar at 12 and signed a deal with Atlantic a year later.
After moving from Leicestershire to London, she sang on Rudimental’s chart-topping second album We The Generation, took her supple soul vocals on tour with Ed Sheeran and was shortlisted for this year’s Critics’ Choice. Still only 20, she gave a potent indication of her talent on last year’s five-track Seasons EP.
WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? Seasons is out now. Mahalia is a guest of Rudimental at a Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall on March 25, mahaliamusic.co.uk. FOR FANS OF: Emeli Sande, Jorja Smith.
TOM WALKER
WHO IS HE? Honest and soulful singer-songwriter.
WHAT’S HIS STORY? Born in Glasgow and raised in Manchester, 27-year-old Walker worked as a chef — ‘a really bad chef’ — while honing his talents on a songwriting course.
The hard work paid off when he landed a record deal with Sony’s Relentless label and secured a Top Ten hit with his anti-drugs anthem Leave A Light On. He has since toured incessantly while finishing his first album with producer Jim Abbiss, who has worked with Adele, and Naughty Boy. ‘If you can sing a song on an acoustic guitar at a party, you’re onto a winner,’ he says. WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? Tom’s first album, What A Time To Be Alive, is out on March 1. He starts a tour on April 23 at Rock City, Nottingham, iamtomwalker.com. FOR FANS OF: Tom Grennan, Paolo Nutini.
JADE BIRD
WHO IS SHE? Backwoods soprano putting a homespun slant on classic Americana.
WHAT’S HER STORY? An itinerant upbringing as the daughter of Army parents saw Bird, 21, move between Northumberland, Germany and South Wales before she settled in London. Studying at the BRIT School, she perfected a winning fusion of clever British pop and American blues and country that led to her getting a record deal with U.S. label Glassnote.
She has since toured the States with folk-rock duo First Aid Kit and is working on her first album with Americana producer Simone Felice in New York.
WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? Her album is due in the spring. Bird plays the Neighbourhood Weekender festival in Warrington on May 26, jade-bird.com. FOR FANS OF: Dolly Parton, Haim.
SAMM HENSHAW
WHO IS HE? Soul man with gospel leanings.
WHAT’S HIS STORY? Londoner Henshaw, 24, began singing in church before developing his instrumental prowess — he plays guitar, keyboards and drums — by completing a three-year music degree at Solent University.
Blending hip-hop, gospel and feel-good soul, he signed to Columbia and has since toured with Rag’n’Bone Man and James Bay.
Last year’s How Does It Feel was a glorious slice of soul music inspired by an ageold concern.
‘It’s a conversation about what love really is,’ says Samm. ‘Are we truly living it, or is it just something for Instagram memes?’ WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? The singles How Does It Feel, Broke and Doubt are out now, sammhenshaw.com. FOR FANS OF: John Legend, Drake.
GRACE CARTER
WHO IS SHE? Emotional exponent of piano-based pop and soul. WHAT’S HER STORY? Growing up in Brighton as a fan of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, Grace Carter taught herself piano by watching YouTube tutorials and made her live debut at 14. Now 21 and signed to Polydor and the same management company as Dua Lipa, her stripped-down, jazz-tinged pop is best sampled on debut EP Saving Grace and last summer’s Why Her Not Me, a song written as a letter to an absentee father.
‘Writing is a way for me to process my feelings instead of punching pillows,’ she says. WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? Saving Grace and Why Her Not Me are out now. Grace starts a tour at Gorilla, Manchester, on March 24, gracecarterofficial.com. FOR FANS OF: Dua Lipa, Adele.
LEWIS CAPALDI
WHO IS HE? The boy next door with lots of blokeish charm.
WHAT’S HIS STORY? An acoustic guitar-toting singersongwriter from Bathgate, West Lothian, Capaldi, 22, paid his dues by singing on various pub stages, and he has all the approachability of Ed Sheeran.
Shortlisted for this year’s Critics’ Choice, he has released a string of strippeddown, folk-pop songs online and seen one of them, Grace, featured on Strictly Come Dancing.
WHERE CAN I HEAR MORE? His Breach EP is out now and his Virgin EMI debut album is due in March. Capaldi supports Bastille on a tour starting on January 27 at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, lewiscapaldi.com. FOR FANS OF: Ed Sheeran, George Ezra.