Author: Lisa Hafey

Lisa has been writing for over 20 years, starting as the entertainment editor on her university newspaper. Since then she's written for Popwrapped, Maximum Pop, Celebmix, and ListenOnRepeat. Lisa loves all good music, with particular fondness for Jedward and David Bowie. She's interviewed Edward Grimes (Jedward), Kevin Godley, Trevor Horn, Paul Young, Peter Cox (Go West), Brendan B Brown (Wheatus), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), among many many more. Lisa is also available for freelance writing - please email lisa@essentiallypop.com

Battle Tapes Are ‘Brand New’ With The Video For Their Latest Rock/Alternative Track

July 24, 2023

Los Angeles band Battle Tapes have so far released 2 albums, 4 EPs, and quite a lot of singles, and so you’d believe it if I said they know what they’re doing. Not only that, but they’ve composed music for classic video games, such as the bracing, ‘Feel The Same’, which was featured prominently in ‘Grand Theft Auto V’. Their latest single, ‘Brand New’, continues with their stock-in-trade rhythm guitar and synth rock, accompanied by instantly memorable melodies, and serves as the centrepiece for ‘Texture’, their latest album, released this year.

The Train Is Coming: Bill Crews and the Crews Cartel Cover The Classic, ‘People Get Ready’

July 21, 2023

You will no doubt start humming this song from the very title – originally released in 1965 by The Impressions, from their album of the same name, ‘People Get Ready’ was voted the 122nd greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2021. It’s been covered by countless artists all over the world, including Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, U2, Bob Dylan, and Rod Stewart with Jeff Beck. Now it’s the turn of Bill Crews and the Crews Cartel, and in their hands the track takes on a more country feel, without losing any of the soul of the original.