Charlie Ashcroft’s Musosoup Round-Up January 2025
Charlie Ashcroft: Presenter @amazingradio, DJ @SomebodyTM_Club. Also a @QPR fan, a @RecCollMag columnist + #Spotify Playlist curator with @music_gateway
Hello! A belated Happy New Year to you all. Starting 2025 with a bang, here are 10 gems that landed in my Musosoup feed over the last few weeks.
No better place to start off than with a vital, exciting, post-punk band. This month saw Luna Drift unleash their incredible second single ‘Dawned’, ahead of a pair live shows in Manchester (supporting Mezcal at 33 Oldham St on 8th February) and in Liverpool, where they’ll be playing The Jacaranda with Big Wizard on 15th February.
Slung have been a mainstay of my show on Amazing Radio since emerging with their debut single ‘Neurotic’ last year. Now they’ve announced details of their debut LP, ‘In Ways’, set for release on 2nd May. New song ‘Laughter’ is a riff-laden colossus, showcasing the sheer power of Katie Oldham’s vocals and setting the tone for the record brilliantly. You can also catch them on tour around the UK throughout May.
‘Waiting For The Sun’ is the first new material from Birmingham-based duo Phwoar since they put out their ‘Just Matter’ EP under their previous name (First Frontier) in the spring of 2022. This fresh offering is a superb combination of addictive indie rock melodies and grungier textures, to excellent effect.
On the subject of melodic indie, January Sixteen are definitely another outfit to keep an eye on in the months to come. ‘What You Waiting For’, fittingly released on January 16th, is a high-octane rallying cry, with an unfailingly anthemic, stadium-ready feel.
Another great artist who I’ve had the pleasure of spinning on the radio airwaves recently is Los Angeles resident, Edie Yvonne. You may remember a cover she did of ‘No Rain’ by Blind Melon, which I featured in this column at the tail-end of 2023! Fast forward 13 months and we’ve been treated to her track ‘I Might’, which is an excellent, slow-burning slice of alternative pop.
I was also really pleased to discover some new music by Yoji for the first time just a couple of weeks back. Based in Suffolk, Yoji had a great end to 2024 and has been going to strength to strength with each passing release. ‘Paint The Clouds’ is an undeniably bright slab of soulful R&B.
Hayley Savage has kicked off 2025 in wonderful fashion with the release of ‘Everything’. It’s a gorgeous piece of pastoral folk balladry, backed by some beautiful strings. I was excited to learn there’s a full album from Hayley on the way soon!
Siblings are a South London-based band, containing actual family members in their midst. ‘The Garden’ is an absolutely stunning track, transporting us to the realm of 70s folk and introspective pop, with shades of Harry Nilsson, Neil Young and Fleet Foxes.
Sacramento group Bummer, Dude! certainly win the award for best bandname of the month. Their new one, ‘Barefoot’, is a post-punk tour de force with some infectious melodies at its core, bringing to mind fellow legends like The Strokes and Queens of the Stone Age.
Finally, we round off the column this month with Australian crew, Helena. Their brand new single is called ‘P’s Get Degrees’ and straddles the worlds of emo and punk pop beautifully. Excited to hear more from the Perth band as the year rolls on!