Keeping It Real (ft. Carrion Moth, Luke Clerkin, Docksuns and Artio)
It’s the second week of June and I’m dealing with hayfever, how about you? To make this warm weather and lots of sneezing bearable, it’s time for another Keeping It Real! This week we feature artists from the indie, rock, pop and metal variety. So put on your speakers and get ready for some awesomeness!
JOAN SMITH AND THE JANE DOES – ‘SUNBURN’
Hailing from Toronto, Joan Smith and The Jane Does are a mish-mash of artists who came together after playing in different bands. Founders Joan Smith (vocals) and Tom Juhas (guitars) came together to form the Jane Does. Reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age and early PJ Harvey, but often recognised for being on the soundtrack of Orange Is the New Black, the band describes themselves as a band that “wants you to dance”. The latest single from this Canadian group is ‘Sunburn’.
“‘Sunburn’ is an intense, danceable rock track about heartbreak and regrowth. Left on the side of a desert highway, exposed and ruined, accepting that healing will come with the ongoing absence of the ex-lover. However, with regrowth comes the dark hope that the heartbreaker will return to destroy everything once again.” – Joan Smith and The Jane Does on ‘Sunburn’
CARRION MOTH – ‘NATURAL LAW’
Founded in a basement of a Birmingham (the one in New York) home in 2020, Carrion Moth is the brainchild of artist Nick Donatelli. It’s true, he was sitting in the basement drinking while panicking about his pending fatherhood, but isn’t that where all the great ones begin? Drunk and terrified is quite a creative combination; thus, Carrion Moth was borne! While originally intended to be a one-man recording-only project, Donatelli had a plan to begin collaborating with other artists and put together a live band. Unfortunately, this plan was derailed by the Covid-19 global pandemic, but it by no means deterred Donatelli from releasing music. Natural Law is Donatelli’s debut release as Carrion Moth.
Comprised of four tracks, each over seven minutes in length, Natural Law is a testament to life in general. ‘The Knot’, ‘The Cage’, ‘Fallow Fields’ and ‘Dead Reckoning’ may be separate songs about hope, abuse, uncertainty and cowardice, but need to be viewed as a whole discussing the ups and downs of life. Reminiscent of Napalm Death, Carcass and Morbid Angel, Natural Law is a mix of magnificent metal melodies.
“I tried to write a memorable record that acknowledges and honours the spirit and influence of heavy music I love but isn’t necessarily confined by the same conventions of any subgenres of heavy music. The record is intended as a cathartic reflection on the loss of one’s self and learning how to live with the ugliness of the past.” – Carrion Moth on ‘Natural Law’
CHASING GHOSTS – ‘BRING ME SUFFERING’
Using clean vocals with clever lyrics, Chasing Ghosts can evoke emotions of sadness, fear, loss and regret with each song. A combination of We Came As Romans, Bring Me The Horizon and Of Mice & Men, Chasing Ghosts are an energetic and enigmatic force in the UK metal scene.
Nelson Cancini (vocals), Lee Brueton (bass and synths), Ashley Clark (rhythm guitar), Harry Mitten (lead guitar) and Richard Still (drums) began their musical career as Chasing Ghosts in 2016 with a debut EP featuring the track ‘Fallen From Grace’. In 2018, the Milton Keynes-based fivesome released a debut full-length album These Hollow Gods via Mighty Music, Denmark’s premier metal label. This year, they will be releasing another EP Bring Me Suffering preceded by the title track and a music video.
A brooding track, ‘Bring Me Suffering’ is an exquisite combination of Cancini’s throaty vocals with the haunting female harmonies of ex-Eden House singer Meghan Pettitt. Placed atop an intricate layer of bass, drums, guitars and piano, the track is an evolution from a dark catharsis to a hypnotic perplexity.
LUKE CLERKIN – ‘NOCTURNAL’
In a sentence, Luke Clerkin is an award-winning musician from Dublin, Ireland. Defining artists can be difficult nowadays with the plethora of subgenres, but I would say Clerkin’s sound is somewhere between UK indie-rock and folk-pop. Known for playing over 250 gigs in 2015 as a means of honing his craft, this singer/songwriter has performed internationally including festivals in the USA, the UK and Ireland.
Following the success of his single ‘Stones’, Clerkin released ‘Nocturnal’ in June this year. As with many tragic songs, ‘Nocturnal’ is emotional, addictive and very easy to listen to. This was my introduction to the Irish musician and I know I’ll be coming back for more!
“‘Nocturnal’ is quite a personal song. It’s about me reflecting on a past relationship from the first night of meeting the person to it becoming something that turned into ‘almost love’.” – Luke Clerkin on ‘Nocturnal’
DOCKSUNS – ‘DANCING ON THE RADIO’
Described by Narc Magazine as a “slick, up-tempo indie band that you can’t help but sing along with”, Docksuns is one of the most exciting indie-rock bands in the UK at this moment. Founded in 2019, Docksuns is the brainchild of guitarist Neil Doutwaite and vocalist James Baxter. Joined by guitarist Stephen Keogh, bassist Adam Dawkins and drummer Glenn Laws, the five lads from North East England dove headlong into the music industry almost immediately. Regular appearances on BBC Introducing North East with sold-out shows across the region, this quintet has built a name for being energetic and rambunctious without causing their listeners to go deaf.
The latest release from Docksuns is ‘Dancing On The Radio’ – a merging of unpolished vocals, peaceful guitars and a steady drumbeat placing them on the level of Dodgy and Toploader. ‘Dancing On The Radio’ is assumedly about an old relationship where the ex became a popstar. While the lads do not deny or confirm the existence of this ex, what we do know is that ‘Dancing On The Radio’ shouts out the sentiment that there is no place like home.
SHYAWAY – ‘NOBODY HAPPY’
A pop-oriented punch in the ear, Shyaway is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Adam Macaulay. Before this project, Macaulay performed with female-fronted punk rock band Swoon and supported acts like The Blinders and Pussy Riot. The past decade also saw Macaulay perform as one half of the band Curxes, as well as remixing the song ‘Recover’ for the indie band CHVRCHES. Combining these experiences and influences, Shyaway is Macaulay’s platform to merge different genres is single tracks.
Shyaway’s latest release is the EP Emigre including the tracks ‘Emigre’, ‘Always Spoiling For A Fight’ and ‘Happy Nobody’. Using world-music, baroque-pop, electronica and indie-pop, Shyaway takes a political stance looking at issues of immigration, conflict, racism and the state of the global nation.
“‘Happy Nobody’ is a song which celebrates the avoidance of social media and today’s pressures of feigning success at every turn. One which states that it’s okay to live a life separate from the digitally-obsessed one we’re currently presiding in.” – Shyaway on ‘Nobody Happy’
ARTIO – ‘ALL THINGS END’
Hailing from Leeds and signed with Monomyth Records, Leeds-based alt-rock group Artio have been working to establish themselves as one of the most prolific bands in the UK. Reminiscent of Anavae, Bad Seed Rising and Tigress, the female-fronted trio combines alternative rock with a melodic metal undertone. Already gaining massive support from BBC Radio 6 and BBC Introducing, Artio released their debut EP Sedative EP in July 2019. 2020 saw the release of a second EP Backbone, as well as ‘All Things End’.
“‘All Things End’ is about the fear of losing someone after they die. It’s about being so in love with someone that you’ll wait for them wherever they go after death, no matter what spiritual plain you end up in.” – Artio on ‘All Things End’
HARRY DEVEREUX – ‘STONE COLD HEART’
Hailing from Brentwood, Essex, Harry Barnes (also known as Harry Devereux) is considered the Essex indie-rock version of Lana Del Rey. After leaving the indie-rock group Flares, Barnes has been learning to compose and produce music for the past two years. Influenced greatly by Queens of the Stone Age, Nothing But Thieves and Radiohead, Harry Devereux released debut single ‘Stone Cold Heart’ at the end of May 2020.
“Tackling emotions head on and rocking out whilst locked down, ‘Stone Cold Heart’ is meant to air feelings and get everything out in the open. We’re all locked up but it doesn’t mean your feelings and music has to be; it’s a way to express ourselves and give everyone something to sing along to with whatever personal issues they’re facing.” – Harry Devereux on ‘Stone Cold Heart’
MS. M|CHL – ‘ANAXIPHILIA’
Ms. M|CHL (pronounced as Mz. Michael) is the personification of contradiction. Growing up as a black girl in Oklahoma, Ms. M|CHL found solace in performing as part of the church choir with her mother, brother and grandfather. At age 12 she began writing songs and discovered the cathartic element of making music. While her early songs were largely inspired by Whitney Houston and Prince, the tunes she had penned by age sixteen were influenced by Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Ms. M|CHL started singing backup vocals for different hip hop artists, blues bands and even the Latin popstar Mychaela. In 2017, Ms. M|CHL collaborated with singer/songwriter David Moriarty; a year later, her first EP Unrequited was released. Her most recent release is the debut full-length album Anaxiphilia. Anaxiphilia showcases Ms. M|CHL’s ability to fuse soul, RnB, pop, rock, grunge and indie into a neatly packed thirteen-track album.
“Anaxiphilia is an expression of the ‘hopeless’ in all the hopeless romantics out there. It is meant to be a full spectrum journey to all the corners of our hearts.” – Ms. M|CHL on Anaxiphilia
All the music in this article can be accessed on our SPOTIFY and DEEZER
