Scott Gray – ‘Maybe It’s You’

April 30, 2018

Scott Gray grew up in a small town in rural Illinois, in an extremely sheltered community, without much access to discovering popular music. He saw a local news story about Christian singer/songwriter Amy Grant, and suddenly found he had a favourite artist. He started playing piano, and chose to learn every song by Amy, and her contemporary Christian artists, such as Michael W Smith. All changed however when Gray’s step-uncle said to him – “If you ever want to make something of yourself in the music industry, you’re gonna have to write your own songs” – and started working on his own tunes immediately.

Trevor Hall And Nahko Bring Their Message Of Love And Hope To London’s Omeara – 23 April 2018

April 29, 2018

It was a sold out show at London’s Omeara, a club built under the arches of London Bridge railway station. Owned by Ben Lovett, of Mumford & Sons, it opened in late 2016 and has swiftly become a popular venue for alternative artists. You don’t get much more alternative than Nahko and Trevor Hall – the latter on his first visit to London – but we knew what to expect and got all of it and then some.

Hop Along – ‘How Simple’

April 26, 2018

When Philadelphia quartet Hop Along released their second album, ‘Painted Shut’ back in 2015, their fans have wondered what they would come up with next. The mesmerising album which was denoted by frontwoman Frances Quinlan’s storytelling, found its way to “best of” lists from the likes of Vice, Stereogum, and Consquence Of Sound, and much was made of their idiosyncratic sound – classic songwriting albeit with alternatively humorous and horrifying lyrics, subtle intricacy in terms of their rhythm section, dark production, and Quinlan’s voice itself.