When people talk about British musicians, they sadly seem to focus mostly on acts from England, ignoring the rest of the United Kingdom. I decided recently to try and change this, using this review to instead putting the focal point on artists and bands based from Ireland and Scotland.

Who knows, you could just find your new favourite artist here!

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Marky Wildtype

Marky Wildtype – The Hole

Up first is Edinburgh native Marky Wildtype and new track, The Hole. Marky is influenced in equal parts by both pop and rock, and you can really hear the influences of both genres in the song. It starts out slowly with some nice guitar work, before the first chorus kicks in, simply bursting out of the seams with energy. The production is a little raw, but this only makes the track sound more relatable – particularly with the soulful vocal style Marky has. It’s nice to hear a rock song with such a melodic bent too!

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Burnt Log – To The Sea

To The Sea is a lovely little ditty taken from Burnt Log’s new album release, Time Is A Heron Waiting For Prey. The Scottish band is a bedroom pop project, but I also felt there were elements of folk, rock and indie also mixed in, making for a cool sound altogether. The piece starts out with a lovely flowing guitar melody that carries throughout most of the tune, although some distorted guitars kick in later on to add a little more edge. The production is a tad raw at times, but it just makes it all sound more genuine, as this is one song that simply oozes emotion.

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Ross King – Never Know

Next up is Scottish artist Ross King with his new release Never Know, written in the midst of a break-up. Despite the melancholic themes of the tune, the music itself is quite upbeat in parts, featuring some funky guitar melodies that match the beat and bass well, making for something incredibly catchy! However, the lyrics make the tune sound really relatable, drawing the listener in on the very first verse. There’s some fantastic songwriting o offer here, showing Ross to be one of Scotland’s greats!

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Ewan Patrick – Okay / Not Okay

Edinburgh rocker Ewan Patrick has only worked within the music industry for a few years, but already his music sounds incredibly accomplished! Okay / Not Okay is a rock song that harks back to the noughties days of the genre, having a palpable rock and roll energy that continues through the entire piece. The energy never lets up as the killer guitar licks play through the music alongside the rhythm section – I bet this song would sound awesome live! Ewan is also blessed with a decent vocal range, slipping through the music with ease on this track.

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The Castros – The 90s

The Castros are a five piece band from Fife, performing the form of indie rock that became so popular in the noughties. The 90s is a great example of their sound, posing great things for the band’s future. It all sounds perfectly produced and the bass is surprisingly prominent against the drums and guitars, sounding amazing! Lots of little spidery guitar licks tail off from the music, keeping your interest constantly piqued, as the smooth vocals croon along to the music in glorious style. The chorus ramps things up a little, adding a little more rock into the tune, balancing heaviness and melody in a great way.

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Bicycle Trip – Change Your Mind

Bicycle Trip is another Edinburgh-based band, specialising in a form of indie-rock that is displayed well in their track, Change Your Mind. It’s another upbeat tune with a great deal of energy, characterised by the cool clean guitar chords that play effortlessly against the drums and bass. The vocals are smooth ans clear throughout, having a playful quality that fits with the music perfectly. The chorus drops things down a little at first, but it’s really catchy, making you want to sing along to this anthemic number immediately!

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The Exhales – kick the chair

If you like your indie-rock and pop-rock, we have another cool outfit for you from Scotland – The Exhales. Their song kick the chair sounds perfect in terms of the production quality, as it’s clean but not ridiculously over the top. The songwriting is absolutely top notch here – some lovely little guitar motifs play through the verses, building the music up to the slightly heavier choruses, getting right underneath your skin. The vocals are on point too, singing beautiful lyrics about mental health issues and other such subjects that resonate with a lot of people.

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Colm O’Mahony & the Hot Touches – Damage

Now it’s finally time for an Irish act, with Colm O’Mahony & the Hot Touches and their awesome new tune Damage. Damage is a rock and roll song by nature, reminding me of the sort of rock that became popular in the 1970s. It’s jam-packed full of intriguing guitar licks, adding a bluesy, folksy, country sound into the mix, particularly with the little solos that appear on the chorus. I absolutely loved Colm’s vocal style too – it’s got a bit of grit behind it, but it’s still really clear, making this one of my favourite songs on this entire list!

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Marky Wildtype – Place of Peace

Yep, you read that right, it’s time for another song from Scottish artist Marky Wildtype, this time titled Place of Peace. It starts out with some interesting vocal effects – something I’m not normally a massive fan of, but they work really well here, creating some gorgeous harmonies with the music. It’s more of a piano-based song than The Hole, and despite the poppy nature of the track, I also felt the classical and chamber pop influences were rather prominent, making for something very unique!

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Celtic Faves – playlist by York Calling | Spotify