2020 Vision
20 Hopes for a new decade.
With the roaring
twenties edging ever closer and a heap of talent coming to the fore in in 2019, Encore NI wanted to look forward
to the new decade with open eyes and great expectations.Here we run through
some of our brightest hopes for the year ahead (in no particular order!).
So whether you’ve a hot date with a midnight countdown in the city, or an
even hotter date with Jools and the Big Band this New Year’s Eve, get these new
sounds into your ears and get ready for the next wave...
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| PC / Audrey Gillespie |
1. Wynona Bleach
It’s been a long old road for Belfast five-piece Wynona Bleach. Long
enough, in fact, to include most of the Russian peninsula. After years of hard
graft, marathon tours (including a Russian one), line-up tweaks and even a name
change, the alt-rockers teamed up with acclaimed songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones in
the producers chair earlier this year. They escaped to Portugal and began
working on their debut record, due for release next year. The hype is real.
2. Cherym
Derry City’s conveyor belt of quality pop/punk bands has shown no sign
of slowing down in recent years, with Oh Yeah Contender Award winners Cherym
leading the charge. Following 2018’s ‘MouthBreatherz’ EP, the trio followed it
up this year with ‘Super Queens’ and ‘Abigail’, two blistering singles adding
fuel to the fire.
3.
Jordan Adetunji
He may not have won an award at the NI Music Prize, but as the first hip-hop nominee to ever make it onto the shortlist, the young rapper stole the show. With an ever-growing fan base split between Belfast and London, Adetunji’s electric stage craft and dynamism behind the mic will continue to break boundaries in 2020.
4. Gin Palace
Selling out your first two headline shows off the back of one single
could suggest Gin Palace jumped aboard some sort of hype train to early
success, but these lads sound more like Van Morrison, than Van McCann. The
young Belfast band’s blend of jazz, orchestral embellishment and vocals
dripping in sincerity sets them firmly apart from the indie blueprint, but the
quality of their tunes suggests there’s more to come next year. Winners of
Translink Metro Sessions 2019.
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| PC / Ciara McMullan Photography |
5. Strange New Places
Last year proved monumental for queer-punk radicals Strange New Places.
The ‘Uncomfortable’ EP marked them as a voice for those on the fringes of society,
themes of isolation, fear and the ridiculousness of it all never far from the
lyrics sheet. A triumphant performance at the NI Music Awards capped a
brilliant year, with more sure to follow.
6. The Caged Hearts
Lead by troubadour frontman Eoin Agnew,
The Caged Hearts are the emotionally charged heirs to Belfast's indie crown.
Formed by Agnew with bassist Patrick Holmes after writing literally hundreds of
tracks, The Caged Hearts take the emotional vulnerability of songwriters like
Roddy Frame and blend it with the energetic charisma of The Vaccines or
Dublin's Inhaler. Never short on new material, this young band have the tunes,
the desire and the heart to go as far as they want to in 2020.
7. The Florentinas (Formerly Xiola Blue)
If you’d told The
Florentinas last year that they were less than twelve months away from their
Maida Vale debut, they might not have believed you. Not from any lack of
belief, they just weren’t a band yet!
It’s been a dizzying year for the teenage Bangorians, who’ve saw their first demo (‘Plastic Love’) smash the 9,000 mark on Soundcloud and honed their live chops with a run of well received gigs in the Oh Yeah Music centre and beyond. Crucially, they seem to be enjoying the journey as much as we are watching it unfold. More please!
8. Sister Ghost
As Sister Ghost, Shannon O’Neill has been a guitar slinging punk voice
for integrity for a while now. The band hit a new high this year, claiming
‘Best Live Act’ at the NI Music Prize and deservedly so. Starting life as ‘a
stolen eight track from my brother’, the band, which now includes Maeve
Mullholland, will embark on an Irish tour with Petrol Girls in January and are
planning a debut record for later in the year.
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| PC / Carrie Davenport Photography |
9. Joel Harkin
Ambient folk songwriter Joel Harkin has one of the most recognisable
voices in the scene today, his dry wit and forlorn stage presence the perfect
foil for his melancholy world. Taking influence from Bright Eyes, Jeff Buckley
and crying your eyes out, a Joel Harkin show promises so much more than just
beautiful tunes. He’ll probably tell you about his day and throw in a few
stories too.
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| PC / AVCunningham Photography |
10. Sasha Samara
On the opposite end of the folk-pop spectrum sits Sasha Samara, another
Scratch My Progress graduate. Samara’s gut-wrenchingly honest portrayals of
modern life and relationships have endeared her to a loyal audience, but it’s
her unflinching positivity in the face of it all that makes her really stand
out.
11.
Sad Tomorrow
Teenage four piece Sad Tomorrow have came through on a wave of excitement in 2019, helping to rejuvenate the North Coast scene with sweaty, packed out gigs again. Punk masterclass 'Reaction' was supposedly written during a jam in the
music rooms at lunchtime, channeling heartbreak, confusion and youthful rage into a two minute pop song. Though for Sad Tomorrow, it's songs yet to be recorded like emo-banger 'The Stars Collide and There You Go' and the monstrous sounding 'Sprint' that suggests they will continue evolving at a rapid pace.
Catch them if you can.
12. Happy Out
Ask anyone involved with the Derry
music scene who they’re excited about coming through and you’ll see Happy Out’s
name again and again. Operating the old fashioned way, Happy Out have
cultivated a following in the North through riotous gigging, often encouraging
their friends on stage to dance, mosh and sing with them. Falling somewhere
between American Football and Mom Jeans, Happy Out’s debut release ‘Is, Was, Wasn’t’ will drop January 17th.
13.
Alice LA
Pop songstress Alice LA has had a
strong year, featuring on Stephen McCauley’s ‘Sounds New’ show on BBC 2,
playing a host of shows across Ireland and dropping new single ‘Kiss To These
Riffs’, a first taste of the upcoming ‘PROSCECCO’ EP. Alice LA’s pop
potential will be no secret for those who have seen her live, a number set to
increase massively again next year.
14.
Leo Miyagee
Hip-hop artist Leo Miyagee is already
on course to release his second record, but the 22-year-old rapper has grafted
more than most to reach this point. Moving to Belfast from London as a very
young teenager, Miyagee first took to the stage supporting local hero Jun Tzu
after videos of him rapping went viral on Facebook. A swell of public support
came through hours of busking, where Miyagee’s following grew. Now signed to
Banjaxed Records, 2020 will be an important year for an artist coming of age.
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| PC / Betsy Bailie Photography |
15.
FERALS
A band keeping the spirit of their North Coast forefathers such as 'And So I Watch You From Afar' alive, FERALS have put together a a string of beautiful singles this year, culminating in the debut EP 'Always Watching, Never Watched'. Now sponsored by the PRS Foundation's 'Open Fund' scheme, the band have already announced they have massive plans in the works. Don't miss them on tour next year.
16.
Vale
Like a bomb primed and ready to
explode, Vale are a band of teenagers with the passion and tunes to have
a storming 2020. Glistening indie-pop is at the top of their agenda, with nods to The Smiths, The Libertines and The View in their euphoric live
shows. Frontman Luke Baxter is a star in waiting, commanding every sticky
Belfast stage like he’s stepping out at Glastonbury.
17.
New Pagans
New Pagans have emerged from this year
as one of the hottest new bands in the country, with the likes of Daniel P
Carter and Phil Taggart at Radio 1, John Kennedy at Radio X and many more quick
to play the beautiful ‘Charlie Has The Face of a Saint’. It was the riotous
‘It’s Darker’, however, which made people initially turn around and take
notice. They make a tremendous noise.
18. Gender
Chores
Their debut EP ‘Womansplain’ was filled
to the brim with punk energy, as three piece punk band Gender Chores tapped
into the cultural zeitgeist of the moment. The modern world, paranoia and
taking back control were all key themes across a record full of attitude,
pulsating riffs and rage. It was a welcome noise this year and remains vital
heading into a the new decade.
19. Pascalwillnotsurvivethis
Glistening, glacial pop from one of
NI’s most prolific songwriters. Pascalwillnotsurvive this is the moniker of
Danny McClelland, lead guitarist in Jealous of the Birds. His latest EP
‘Castaway’ was recorded while on tour across America, with just an Iphone and
Jealous of the Bird’s bandmate Jamie Hewitt helping out on drums. It’s an
outstanding record of emotional pop bangers, framed through McClelland’s
typically melancholy eyes.
20.
Blxxd
The alias of electronic producer Syeva Bondarenko, Blxxd delivered the goods on debut album ‘lxve’ this year and followed it with relentless touring across the capital. An array of synths, heavily distorted vocals and an incredible live band make seeing Blxxd live an immersive experience. If you’re looking for reference points, Crystal Castles, MGMT and Arvo Party are good places to start.
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