Charlie Ashcroft’s Musosoup Round-Up February 2025
Charlie Ashcroft: Presenter @amazingradio, DJ @SomebodyTM_Club. Also a @QPR fan, a @RecCollMag columnist + #Spotify Playlist curator with @music_gateway
Continuing 2025 in a great vein of form, here are ten discoveries which landed in my MusoSoup submissions list during the month of February. Enjoy!
Let’s start with The Worry People. They're a band from Kent who have a strong sense of ambition and songwriting know-how. ‘Stamp’ is out now and sounds huge, channelling indie pop and post-punk energy in abundance. Catch them live at Ashford Festival in June!
With the release of new single ‘It’s A Shame’ on Valentine’s Day, Manchester-based artist Mhairi Jasmine has shown herself to be a wonderful talent, in possession of some brilliant songcraft. It’s a great collision of alternative rock and 00s-influenced pop.
Speaking of Manchester-based songwriting talent, I was hugely impressed by the new single from Elijah Jenkins as well. He has an absolutely stunning voice, which soars over the acoustic guitar and strings of ‘Stay Tonight’ in superb fashion. Definitely an artist to keep an eye out for.
Staying in a folk-leaning realm for a minute, the new album from The Color Forty Nine is another excellent release you should be considering. The San Diego group’s 3rd LP, ‘A Whisper’ is full of sweeping, self-reflective, understated anthems. I’ve highlighted my current favourite ‘Bathed In The Light’ in the playlist below.
Essex band The Trusted put out a great collection in February too, in the shape of their new EP ‘Iridescece’. Featuring previously-released singles ‘The Lightning’, Self Destruct’ and ‘Miracle Face’, this 5-track offering is a huge step forward from a band on great form. I keep on returning to the title track, having it heard for the first time a few weeks back.
The past month also saw Oreaganomics send us a soulful slice of sparse bedroom pop, displaying some wonderful innovation and creative spirit in the process. ‘Everything is legal’ is a highly addictive song which keeps getting stuck in my head! It’s the opening track on the recently released ‘And Introducing…..shane!!!’ LP.
Sleeping Together are a band who‘ve featured here in the column a few times in the past from time to time over the years. Their new single ‘The Essentials’ is an unashamed indie rock better, with a melodic build and a memorable chorus. A proper earworm!
Keegan Powell is a prolific artist, having released three great albums since 2022. His newly-unleashed ‘full band’ live EP called ‘…And The Jetpacks’ is a confident statement of intent, with his accompanying players in tow. The track ‘My Maker’, originally put out in 2023, has an exciting new lease of life here.
I also loved coming across Eleri Ward’s music a couple of weeks ago - her creative, innovative take on soulful, alternative pop is a refreshing discovery. Check out her latest release ‘Float’ when you can!
And we finish off with a San Francisco-based songwriter by the name of K Sea Ya, whose Portuguese-language rallying cry, against our current age of misinformation, is hugely poignant. Go and listen to ‘Dom da Magia’ now!