From the unstoppable stars taking over the charts, to the buzziest bands to catch in London’s best music venues, here’s our guide to all the new music you should be piping directly into your ears this drizzly summer.
Artists
Chappell Roan
Remember when Lorde released ‘Royals’? Or when Lady Gaga put out her electropop debut ‘Just Dance’? We’ve been due a mind-bogglingly brilliant pop star for ages, so thank God for Missouri’s Chappell Roan — who Emma Stone just admitted she can’t get enough of. From her superb debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, to an iconic appearance at the Governors Ball dressed as the Statue of Liberty, the huge moments just keep on coming, each one more camp than the last.
Hit play on: ‘Red Wine Supernova’
Tsatsamis
The George Michael vibes are superstrong on London-based Tsatsamis’ new EP Our Shame — fittingly, it even contains its own banger called ‘Faith’. Here, though, the syncopated guitar strums are traded in for an updated spin on Noughties electro-house, and the stand-out EP delves into queer lust, desire and shame.
Hit play on: ‘Faith’
Doechii
Momentum has been building around this über-talented Tampa rapper since she signed to Top Dawg Entertainment: home to SZA and the label that launched Kendrick Lamar. Whether she’s turning her hand to nostalgic TLC vibes on viral hit ‘What it is (Block Boy)’, wafty-house banger ‘Persuasive’, or the brilliantly feral ‘Crazy’, Doechii’s vision is impressively singular. Fingers crossed for a debut album soon.
Hit play on: ‘What it is (Block Boy)’
Kenny Mason
Atlanta’s Kenny Mason is another of the most exciting names in rap right now, fusing the genre with his own unique, trap-inflected spin on alternative rock. Grunge and shoegaze influences loom large on recent album, 9 — a genre blurring release that features a curveball guest spot from 2010s indie darling Toro y Moi alongside fellow trap-rap star Veeze.
Hit play on: ‘SLIP’
Fat Dog
London’s buzziest word-of-mouth live band might only have a few singles out so far, but they’re gearing up for a September album debut (titled Woof, obviously) following a chaotic Glastonbury. Expect honking sax, nonsensical, surrealist lyrics, and a liberal dollop of post-punk.
Hit play on: ‘King of the Slugs’
Labels
Chess Club Records
For spot-on new reccs, London stalwart Chess Club is always a solid bet; the label is often ahead of the pack and signed Wolf Alice, Jungle, Mumford & Sons, MØ and Sundara Karma for early singles. Skewing towards indie, its current crop includes Alfie Templeman and Coach Party.
Local Action
Originally founded in 2010 alongside Soho record store Phonica as a place to celebrate all things UK Funky, Local Action is a dependable source for huge dancefloor fillers from sexy stomper purveyor Martyn Bootyspoon, filter house champ Finn and garage and bassline legend DJ Q, among many others.
Rhythm Section
Peckham dance collective Rhythm Section — founded 10 years ago by DJ and producer Bradley Zero — helped launch the careers of Pinty and Chaos in the CBD, and throw consistently great parties alongside hosting a fortnightly NTS radio show. There’s plenty to love about their eclectic roster: Wallace, Nicola Cruz and Paula Tape are just three highlights.
Communion
Starting out as a club night before evolving into a label, one of Communion’s co-founders is Ben Lovett from Mumford & Sons — who also runs London live venues Lafayette and Omeara. From alternative rockers Wunderhorse to pop artist Laurel, it’s a definite destination for hunting down new favourites.
Lucky Number
Home to HMLTD, Middle Kids, Sunflower Bean and Dream Wife, London-based indie Lucky Number is a sure bet for seeking out new music — its selections, which lean towards the artier end of the musical spectrum, are often second to none.
Venues
The Windmill
This staple of the south London postpunk scene has kick-started the career of countless bands: The Last Dinner Party, Shame, The Big Moon, Goat Girl and Squid all played some of their earliest gigs here.
Avalon Cafe
Hidden away among South Bermondsey’s industrial zone, Avalon Cafe puts on all manner of eclectic parties by night, and transforms into a cosy café the rest of the time. From the affordable bar to consistently high-quality DJ billings, what’s not to love?
Paper Dress Vintage
This unassuming clothing boutique on Hackney’s Mare Street puts on one hell of a party after dark: previous gigs have featured the likes of Arlo Parks, Squid, Sam Fender, Dream Wife and Fat White Family.
Under-the-Radar festivals
Rally
This affordably priced Southwark Park bash on 24 August focuses on all things grassroots and underground, and accordingly you’ll find plenty of leftfield bookings: Actress, Fabiana Palladino, Chanel Beads, Mount Kimbie and Danielle are just a few stand-outs.
Field Maneuvers
A self-proclaimed ‘no frills rave’ somewhere in Norfolk, Field Maneuvers (16-18 August) trades in showy soundsystems for a tight-knit community feel; the dance fest has a capacity of just 700. Interestingly, the 2024 edition is being billed as ‘the final Field Maneuvers (in this current form)’, so don’t miss out.
