A definitive guide of all the artists to keep an eye on this year.

May it be artists you already know and love who are gearing up to release a much-anticipated album, an artist you’ve yet to delve into but have heard plenty about or an artist whom you have never heard of before, this list should — and hopefully will — be an accumulation of the sorts. 

This past year has been, well, a shit one and it’s only getting worse as 2021 gets into full flow. Throughout the dark, dreary, and lonesome days of 2020, there has been one constant, and that is the music we have been treated to in light of such a devastating time. With some spectacular albums from many different artists, comebacks, and albums that provided us with some light-hearted entertainment, it leaves a lot for 2021 to live up to.

With the recent dismissal of the arts from the Government (obviously, the Tories have never consumed a bit of media in their lives and, when Matt Hancock said he listened to Grime, that was clearly nothing but a fabrication) and the recent Brexit revelations, it’s safe to say the music industry needs your support now more than ever. Throw Covid-19 into the mix and you have a music industry on its last legs; the fall of independent venues and record stores is imminent if sufficient support isn’t shown by the Government soon. 

The pandemic has completely reshaped the way we absorb music as a whole, given that we can’t just pop down to our local grassroots venue and show our support. Will we ever be able to mosh with a bunch of sweaty strangers again? There’s something about sitting and watching a screen that just isn’t the same as having your body pushed and pulled in ways you never thought possible. Sure, you can pour beer over yourself and work up a sweat but, without the people you don’t know (who are all equally as passionate as you) in your personal space, will the ‘gig’ experience ever truly return to the way we knew it? 

For artists who had already honed the at-home makeshift studio set-up, they were somehow prepared for a future nobody else saw coming. On the other hand, we’ve seen numerous intriguing ways around this, with Phoebe Green setting up her family bathroom as a makeshift ‘studio’ for a live video and many artists (like The Rills) turning to TikTok in a time of boredom to earn themselves credit with a younger, impressionable target audience. We’ve seen the addition of Instagram reels; making it a lot easier for bands to upload videos on the social media site, with it allowing you to post longer videos, introducing a pause button, and even letting you go back and forth with ease, something the simple Instagram video upload won’t let you do.

Here it is, the ones to watch out for this year (2021): 

1. Arlo Parks 

I’ll be surprised if at some point this year you haven’t heard somebody mention the incredible, soul-baring bedroom-pop singer-songwriter, who has had a seriously successful 2020 if I do say so myself. From collaborating with everybody’s favourite resident sad-girl Phoebe Bridgers on a cover of Radiohead’s Fake Plastic Trees and the latter’s own Kyoto, to gaining recognition with her commendably honest songs Black Dog (a personal favourite of mine) and Hurt. Inspired by a mixture of King Krule, Portishead, and Earl Sweatshirt, Arlo Parks is set to release her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams on the 29th of January.

2. Fur 

Joining the likes of black midi, Peace and Jaws in choosing a name that is impossible to find on Google unless you add ‘band’ onto the end is the four-piece rock band with a 60s twist, consisting of William Murray, Harry Saunders, William Taverner and Flynn Whelan. They rose to prominence after posting the video for the masterful If You Know That I’m Lonely in November 2017, finding the video climbing in views after they played a gig in Brighton, and now it’s sitting at a rather impressive 17 million.

The band recently tweeted that they’re in the studio recording their debut album, so keep an eye out for that hopefully this year.

3. Phoebe Green

If you know me, you’ll probably be fed up with me mentioning the honorary Mancunian by now. I have to admit, I’ve been a big fan since 2016 and she’s up there with Radiohead as one of the artists I’ll never grow tired of. So, no, I won’t stop trying to get you to listen to her, especially not the newly released EP. Speaking of her aforementioned EP, released in December of last year and aptly titled I Can’t Cry For You, Phoebe proves she’s moved far away from her self-released album 2:00AM’s sound and progressed in a mature manner. If you just happen to be a fan, then grab some of her brand new merch and follow her on social media to stay up-to-date with all of her exciting future endeavours.

4. Strawberry Guy 

Alex Stephens, the incredible musician behind the alias of Strawberry Guy, parted ways with the funky indie trio The Orielles after joining them in 2018 and wanting to make his side project his main focus. It’s no wonder, of course, that he’d leave to work on his own project because, when you delve into his discography, it’s not hard to hear the effortless sound that sets him apart from so many other artists. There’s definitely a lot to come from the Liverpool-based musician if his debut EP, Taking My Time To Be, is anything like his future sounds. And, just for something to look forward to this year, he has teased the release of his debut album.

5. The Cool Greenhouse 

The five-piece post-punk outfit, who boasts quite possibly a record number of Toms in a band, released their incredibly well-received self-titled debut album just last year, after bursting on the scene only two years before. With a likeness to Sports Team, Squid, and Girl Band, The Cool Greenhouse are, well, the coolest indie band your headphones are begging to listen to. Mixing spoken word with eclectic beats, this band is one you want to keep on your radar for the future.

6. Black Country, New Road

Black Country, New Road are a band that will be on everybody’s ones to watch lists, ever since they made waves last year with the release of their exceptionally well-received singles. With the close support of experimental quartet black midi, they’ve cemented their feet firmly in the quirky indie band-land and are undeniably a band that will reach exciting new heights this year. Their debut album, For the first time, will be released on February 5th this year, which is only two weeks away.

7. Abbie Ozard 

Abbie is the breath of ethereal fresh air the music industry needs in a time like this; her music effortlessly illustrates the woes of a girl in her twenties, taking you on a journey through the twists and turns of her story so far. With a heavy pulse on telling tales of forlorn romance, she’s the voice this generation needs and one who vocalises situations we can all find a relation to. Particularly on her single, Crocodile Tears, she bares her soul to the lover who wasn’t there when she needed them and sings lyrics that are impossible not to resonate with: “I don’t want your crocodile tears / All I wanted was you here”. After releasing her latest Tarantino-inspired single, True Romance, she’s well on her way to treating us to a full-length album.

8. THE GOA EXPRESS 

When the cover art is so striking and captivating, you know the song is bound to be fantastic. And that’s the deal with this five-piece garage punk outfit. With cool cover art comes unforgiving, pungent vocals that bare a resemblance to the likes of VANT, Indoor Pets, and the previously mentioned Sports Team. Although they’ve only released two singles so far, they’re an exciting young band who are taking the music scene by storm and are set to have a busy year.

9. Indecisive 

Before I begin to excitedly tell you about the wonderful alternative rock band that are Indecisive, I’d like to say this is completely unbiased and their debut single made it into the top 20 of my most listened to songs of last year. I am incredibly certain that this four-piece, birthed in the concrete cow land that is Milton Keynes, are one of the bands you need to follow because they only have exhilarating things coming this year. Although the pandemic has pushed back the recording of their EP, we should see it released to the masses before the year is over. It’s worth the wait, so make sure you’re following them for updates.

10. Egyptian Blue 

Label mates with The Magic Gang and Willie J. Healey (to name a few), Egyptian Blue are the post-punk quartet that only gets better the more you listen to their impressive catalogue. Despite only having released two EPs so far, they’ve got potential that is clear to see within these few offerings. They are a band that are in the early stages of their career, yet have seemingly honed their signature sound.

11. Courting

Formed at school in Liverpool, Courting are a band I came to know ever since my Twitter feed flooded with constant chatter about the four-piece. I don’t think there’s a single day that goes by where somebody isn’t raving about them, and rightfully so. They’re a band who twang with nostalgia reminiscent of a late 90s indie band but with the modern edge of a post-punk revival group. Their debut EP, Grand National comes out on April 9th and promises to be one of your favourite releases of the year.

12. Squid 

Lastly, we have the post-punk offering from Brighton that saw the release of their 2019 EP, Town Centre, met with huge praise and rightfully earned themselves a fair few dedicated fans. There’s no doubt that 2021 will be the year they reach new heights, ever since they burst onto the scene in 2016, releasing Perfect Teeth on their Bandcamp and kickstarting an eloquent musical journey. The band have been hard at work writing their debut album last year and, as it’s already recorded and ready to go, we’ll be hearing it on May 7th.

In a time as truly unpredictable as the one now, we need to show our support for artists, record labels, and anyone and everyone in the music industry trying to make it out to the other end. If you are able to, consider buying a local artist’s merch or donating to a grassroots venue that desperately needs your support. And, if you want to help but can’t afford to buy merch, then listen to music, retweet a song a band posts, like them on their social media, champion them as much as possible and hope that everything will be okay.