A new year means a whole new load of music for us all to experience and enjoy. Our writers give their picks on the artists that should definitely be on your radar in 2021.
FUR
Four-piece indie 70s band, FUR, have been non-stop throughout 2020. Currently recording their debut album under a new record deal with 777 MUSIC, things are only getting better and better for the Brighton boys. Releasing a lockdown mixtape at the end of July, FUR showed themselves to be a band not afraid to experiment and dabble in different genres, giving us a taste of their full potential.
Not only do they have impeccable vibes (these guys are incapable of writing a bad song), their live shows are the definition of a good time and put you right in that place of good vibes and make the gig one you won’t forget. If you’re looking to jazz up your playlists in 2021 FUR are the band for you, with a debut album on the horizon of 2021, and a spring tour in the new year they’re a band to keep an eye on.
Olivia Dellar
‘Angel Eyes’ is available to listen to now via Nice Swan Records.
Goat Girl
DIY post-punk band Goat Girl will be making a splash this 2021. They have an experimentalist sound, merging 70s rock with psychedelic synths. This can be seen in their most recent single, ‘The Crack’. Goat Girl are constantly producing unique music that adds a new flavour to the post-punk genre.
The band have been using the multiple lockdowns of 2020 to constantly improve their sound and allow new creative juices to flow. They will hopefully be releasing their sophomore album in 2021 and after the tremendous success of their self-titled debut in 2018; I can’t wait to hear it!
Morgan McMillan
‘Sad Cowboy’ is available to listen to now via Rough Trade Records.
SLUGS
SLUGS are a 4-piece alternative band based in Los Angeles. Having just one EP under their belt, titled Cool World and released in 2018, SLUGS are only just getting started, and now is the perfect time to check them out.
‘Super Sane’ captures their talents beautifully, with a gorgeous melody and unique lyrical content. If you are a fan of indie/alternative music, this track will most definitely satisfy your tastes. If the soft, indie vibe of ‘Super Sane’ isn’t your cup of tea, Cool World might be. ‘Bad Twin’ is heavier but maintains a catchy melody, whilst ‘Hell No’ is the perfect track to capture all your sad boi needs.
The band have taken a two-year break since their last EP, so some new releases to join ‘Super Sane’ would surely prove very successful amongst their fans.
Georgie Holmes
‘Super Sane’ is available to listen to now via Wolf Milk.
Hometruths
In a year where live shows and touring have been more or less impossible, it has been especially difficult for up-and-coming pop-punk bands to make their name when live music is so key to the scene. Despite this, the Newcastle-based collective Hometruths have had a great 2020, and go into 2021 on incredible form.
Releasing three huge singles in ‘Daydream’, ‘Soundtrack’ and ‘Shimmers’, Hometruths have offered nothing but bangers in the year that never ends. ‘Daydream’ is easily in contention for pop punk song of the year, even amongst huge releases from Knuckle Puck and Neck Deep, and ‘Shimmers’ is a very late contender for the title, though equally fantastic.
While information is scarce on what Hometruths have coming in 2021, if they release anything even remotely close to what they have this year, they are certainly ones to watch! In the meantime, make sure to check out the pure pop-punk perfection they have gifted us this year!
Callum Holgate
‘Daydream’ is available to listen to now via Hometruths Records.
Alfie Templeman
Perhaps a less indie choice but an important one nonetheless. 17-year-old Alfie Templeman has been truly making waves in the UK music scene since the release of his latest EP Happiness in Liquid Form (2020). The EP boasts songs including the title song ‘Happiness in Liquid Form’, the ever-so-catchy ‘Obvious Guy’ which I have been playing on loop since its release, and the quirky ‘Wish I Was Younger’.
For someone so young, Templeman seriously knows how to make an incredible track, and there’s so much potential for the musician to take the national music scene by storm! Templeman himself describes his style as “indie R&B”, and this is something I can truly get behind – blending two of my favourite genres right now.
If there’s anyone you should be keeping your eyes on now it’s him, especially considering he’s lined up to perform at a wealth of exciting festivals next year including 110 Above and Barn on the Farm; it’s likely we’ll even see him at Reading and Leeds too so watch this space.
Katie Evans
Happiness in Liquid Form is available now via AWAL Recordings. Listen to the single ‘Obvious Guy’ below.
