Debut albums for 2018
6LACK
Atlanta’s finest 6LACK recently confirmed details of a European headline tour, and saw a London show at Brixton Electric sell out immediately. With co-signs coming from touring partner The Weeknd to to the likes of Snoop and Eyrkah Badu, breakout track ‘PRBLMS’ is approaching 100 million streams on Spotify alone, with additional support across Radio 1 and 1Xtra. Having recently become a father and played a sold-out tour of the US, 6LACK is currently working on his second long-form project, which is expected early next year and will dig deeper still into his richly complex personal history and atmospheric, instantly-identifiable sound.
Billie Eilish
At only 15 years old, Billie Eilish is one of the most exciting pop stars in the world right now. Her debut 8 track EP ‘don’t smile at me’, released at the end of the summer, is one of the most accomplished bodies of pop music to come from such a young talent – who has already received the highest praise from all corners of the earth. This year she’s performed live on James Corden as the part of the Apple Music One’s To Watch campaign, played her first ever headline show in London and from there played sold out shows across Europe and America, and found fans in all corners – including Charli xcx and Tove Lo. With tracks as good as ‘Watch’ ‘Copycat’ and ‘Bellyache’ sitting alongside the song that started it all off ‘Ocean Eyes’ – there’s nothing to stop Billie Eilish from total world domination next year.
Bishop Briggs
Returning recently with brand new music ‘Dream’, the first to be heard from Bishop Briggs since her debut EP back in the Spring, Bishop Briggs is on the cusp of announcing her long-awaited debut album. Born and bred in Scotland, but raised in Tokyo, she is now based in LA and has spent much of this year putting the final touches on her album. Currently on tour with Alt-J, she has already supported Coldplay in the US, released a track with Cold War Kids, completely her first ever tour of Australia and performed live on Jimmy Fallon – stealing hearts with her incredibly catchy dark-pop musings where she cleverly melds pop, electronic music and folk to create a wholly unique sound. As promised by Bishop Briggs herself, 2018 will see her release her record and return to the UK to tour. Bring it on.
Black Honey
Fronted by the ever fabulous Izzy B Phillips, Black Honey are refusing to conform. They’ve spent the majority of this year recording new music, and more recently putting the finishing touches on their debut record which, although it has been a long time coming, is now set for release in 2018. Currently preparing to head out on the road with Royal Blood on which Black Honey will play some of their biggest venues to date (including London’s Alexandra Palace), they’ve just finished their own European string of dates and this year they played their first ever Glastonbury on the John Peel Stage. They also graced Reading & Leeds, bringing their entirely unique brand of grunge-pop to adoring crowds. Earlier this year they released a brand new single ’Somebody Better’ and will follow it up soon with brand new music, and confirmed details of their debut album.
Daniel Caesar
22-year-old Canadian singer / songwriter Daniel Caesar is the enigmatic neo-soul artist on everyone’s lips. Having grown up singing gospel music with his father, it wasn’t long before Daniel found himself sleeping on park benches around Toronto. His music mixes woozy R&B, smoothed-out rock, and seductive soul – with his lyrics embracing themes of faith, love and personal reflection approached with a deep sense of yearning and heart-on-sleeve sincerity. His debut album ‘Freudian’ has received across the board critical acclaim with stand out track ‘Get You’ receiving over 40 million streams on Spotify and Apple Music naming him one of their coveted ‘Up Next’ artists. Daniel visits the UK in February 2018 having sold out two London KOKO dates as well as playing shows in Manchester and Birmingham.
Fickle Friends
This week, Fickle Friends headline a sold out Kentish Forum as their massive UK tour culminates. It’s been a remarkable year for the Brighton 5 piece who have released a string of brilliant singles including ‘Hello Hello’ and ‘Glue’, alongside the most recent track ‘Hard To Be Myself’ – their biggest and brightest statement to date. They’ve become household names both on Radio 1 and on the festival circuits, and their massive slot at Reading was one of the best moments of the weekend. All without releasing a debut album yet – however this has now been promised for a Spring 2018 release which only cements them as one of the most exciting British bands for 2018 out there.
HMLTD
HMLTD have emerged over the last twelve months to established themselves as the most thrilling and vital new band in years. Music, fashion and art collide to create an assault on the senses, their highly-individual pop a whirlwind of creativity and ideas. The band are currently embarking on a sold-out UK tour, with their infamously immersive live show stopping at London’s Electric Ballroom this week and Pitchfork Paris on November 3rd. Flamboyant and freewheeling, HMLTD will follow recent track ‘Satan, Luella & I’ with their next single in the coming weeks.
Jade Bird
Jade Bird, the tousled haired, next-gen cool girl, is one of the most hotly tipped artists around at the moment. She’s only released one EP so far but, at just aged 19 her, its her brilliantly realist songwriting and old-soul story-telling talent that has grabbed so many heads and hearts already. She’s already supported Stevie Nicks at Hyde Park, headlined a sold out Omeara in London, performed live on Stephen Colbert – always playing the tracks from her wonderful ‘Something American’ EP that twist big themes of disillusionment, divorce, cheating and sorrow, told through the eyes of an independent-minded modern British teenager, who is as clued up on the past as she is determined to learn from its lessons.
Liv Dawson
Aged just 19 years old, Liv Dawson’s affecting and effortlessly soulful songwriting has seen her win widespread plaudits (and over 20 million streams) ever since the release of her extraordinary debut track, ‘Tapestry’. Signed to Method and having already collaborated with the likes of Disclosure, Salute and Tobias Jesso Jr, Liv tours the UK this week – including two London shows at Oslo and The Borderline – fresh from dates with Miguel, and in support of new single ‘Painkiller’. Slowly growing in confidence from an unlikely musical background (her family run the local boxing gym), the growth of Liv Dawson suggests it’s always the quiet ones who pack the punch.
Mabel
It’s been a breakout few months for Mabel, with ‘Finders Keepers’ (originally uploaded in March, and emerging as of the slow-burning anthems of 2017) finally charting in the Top 10 this week. Currently playlisted across Radio 1, 1Xtra, Kiss and Capital following a sold-out European tour – and the release of her debut mixtape, ‘Ivy To Roses’ – this still-just-21-year-old has also just announced a headline date at Kentish Town Forum for April. Having recently made her TV debuts on Jools and Sunday Brunch, as well as being nominated for 2 Mobo Awards, ‘Finders Keepers’ confirms Mabel’s early promise as a bonafide pop star who’s only just getting started.
Not3s
‘Addison Lee (Peng Ting Called Maddison)’ announced Not3s as one of the UK’s most refreshing and charismatic young talents…though his story digs much deeper than just a forewarning for Uber. Recently nominated for two Mobo Awards and four more prizes at GRM Daily’s Rated Awards, Not3s’ hard graft on the underground scene and melting pot of multicultural sounds has seen him carve out 2 playlisted singles, over 18 million Spotify streams and a sold-out UK tour (which stopped off at Islington Academy this month). With a new single coming this week and his debut mixtape expected shortly, 2018 should be the year that even more people sit up and take Not3s.
Parcels
2017 saw perhaps the unlikeliest of big breaks for Parcels, the Australia-via-Berlin band who caught the eyes of two particular audiences members at a Kitsune they agreed to play in Paris: they were approached immediately afterwards by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel Homen Christo of Daft Punk, who asked to work with them on the spot (and had never previously collaborated with an emerging act). Co-produced by Parcels and Daft Punk, recent single ‘Overnight’ has since surpassed 13 million streams, seen Parcels make their US TV debut on Conan O’Brien, as well as tour Europe with Phoenix (including London’s Alexandra Palace). Parcels play a long-sold-date at London’s Koko on November 9th, with their joyous blend of funk, disco and modern pop set to deliver further good times next year.
Rhythm Method
Delivering sharp social and political commentaries woven into quintessentially British pop music, The Rhythm Method have been building up a steady reputation as one of the UK’s most important new duos. Placing 10th in 2017’s Dazed 100, the pair (comprised of Joey and Rowan) present their sound in a style similar to seminal acts such as the Petshop Boys or Prefab Sprout, with a vocal delivery in a similar lineage to The Streets (Mike Skinner produced recently single ‘Cruel’), while they draw their aesthetic from 70’s British TV classics as much as UK garage and Lovers Rock. Their new single ‘Something For The Weekend’ is an instantly addictive, feel-good ode to infatuation, the summer and a fresh haircut, and with a debut coming in 2018, The Rhythm Method are well on their way to landing themselves in the front row of classic modern pop.
Shy Luv
Shy Luv – the multi-talented purveyors of forward thinking psychedelic pop – have recently announced a brand new EP – ‘Lungs’, the follow up to to their brilliant debut EP ‘Shock Horror’. With a charge led by the incredibly catchy ‘Like A River’, the duo have already amassed millions of streams on Spotify, supported SG Lewis, Dua Lipa and Foster The People on various tour dates, played their own debut headline show in London and enjoyed mass radio support from Radio 1, 6 Music, 1 Xtra and Capital Xtra. With their debut album due for release on Black Butter next year, Shy Luv are gearing up to take the world on an intoxicating sonic cruise of infectious and energetic psych-pop which, while drawing on influences from Talking Heads to LCD to Friendly Fires, at once feels distinctly and vitally of the moment.
