Following the long-awaited announcement of her sophomore album, Perverts, coming out in January, fans of Ethel Cain are on their knees praying for her new release to come as quickly as possible. After the emotional rollercoaster and enigmatic storytelling of Preacher’s Daughter in 2022, listeners can be hopeful for more dark and twisted stories sang with deeply ethereal vocals on top of an expansive blend of unique sound. We know well enough to expect some form of sonic excellence from the cinematically alternative singer.
Gaelige, the Irish Language, was gradually eliminated from much of Ireland by centuries of British occupation. Once the island's principal language, it is now often just a second tongue for many, or not spoken at all. One of the bands leading a Gaelige revival is Belfast's Kneecap - a republican hip-hop trio for whom 2024 saw massive growth. With 400k Spotify monthly listeners, a Glastonbury performance, and a remarkable feature film under their belt, there is a brilliant enthusiasm growing for the Irish Language group. I can't wait to see what 2025 has in store for Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap. Go n-éiri leat, lads.
With 2025 already upon us, the band I’m telling everyone to look out for this year, especially those of us here in Newcastle, is Park View. Having just done their first headline show at the Cluny 2 and having released banger after banger over the last year, I really believe Park View can make 2025 their year; nice for us who live in Newcastle and don’t have to travel far. My personal favourite song is 'sleeping on your feet' with its mellow sound and nice references to the metro and other Newcastle staples, but I know my flatmates could, quite rightly, give you a number of great hits from the up and coming band.