Kerrang! Radio host Sophie K brings you the new bands you need in your life right now, including Kelsey Karter, Saint Agnes and Sydney Fate.
Is it just me or does Download feel complete now that Skindred have been announced? You know when you find out your most fun friend is gonna be at the party and you realise shit just got extra fun? Yeah, it’s that.
It’s been a rough few years and the return of full-size Download is going to be epic – I can’t wait to see Spiritbox there for their first UK shows too. But my favourite thing is just wandering around and discovering new talent. Anyway, here’s some fresh talent for you right now…
Kelsey is one of those artists where you may say “your reputation precedes you”. She went viral a while back for tricking the world into thinking she got a Harry Styles face tattoo, one of the best media campaigns for a song I have ever seen.
Kelsey has an amazing energy, I feel like she was born in the wrong decade. Hailing from New Zealand, she has a different sound to Courtney Love and Brody Dalle but she has that same dangerous energy. She says this is her last pop-punk track, and I hope that she's going heavier and more challenging.
I was going back through my notes assuming I'd written about Saint Agnes already and realised I hadn’t?! Probably because I talk so much about them in day-to-day life, as they are a really exciting band. You see journalists struggling with their arsenal of genre-defining adjectives, trying to decide where to box Saint Agnes, but the truth is they are a real mix. For today I am going to settle with punky rock. You need to see them live to fully appreciate the music, and Kitty their frontwoman, seems possessed onstage. She has this swagger and ability to fill a stage that seems so opposite to her gentle personality offstage. They will be touring the UK in April, make sure you pop by.
I miss this kind of post-hardcore so much! This band made it to the finals of a new band competition we were doing on Kerrang! Radio and I am a huge fan. The mix of clean and heavy vocals are used in a masterfully emotive way. The clean vocalist Bailey Edwards has beautiful vocal control which is half the battle with a new band. I will definitely be keeping an eye on them.
Telltale are due to release their new EP on March 25. The journey of this band has been a strong one, and they have clearly been experimenting and refining their sound. The singer John has a very dynamic voice, I could hear that it would easily lend itself to a pop, R&B style but he is able to add a grit and emotion that gives Telltale a much deeper sound. This is one to keep an eye on as they are going to blow up fast.
I noticed these guys when it was announced that they were going to be opening for In Flames, and a bit of digging revealed that they are a collaboration of past members from bands The Raven Age, Wild Lies, Shvpes and She Must Burn.
This makes sense because they do not sound like a new band. Their track End Of Days is a techy and hard-hitting metal track, but they have managed to add a massive radio-friendly chorus, which usually equates to a band that are loved live. I genuinely hope this is the start of something massive, as they deserve it.
Listen to Sophie K present the Breakfast Show on Kerrang! Radio, weekdays from 7am
