SOARING temperatures, cold drinks and a bank holiday Monday: we were absolutely spoilt this week.

But don’t think that just because the Sun has decided to retreat back behind those pesky grey clouds that the thrill is over.

Friday has arrived and the Scottish music scene is rearing and ready to not only ramp up the heat but to keep you thirsty.

 

Dovv - Summer

Born in Kirkcaldy, surrounded by the influences of what rock’n’roll had to offer, Dovv quickly set out on his own musical journey, supported by what are known as some of ‘Fife’s best’ musicians. Now his name has been raising ears within the Fife music scene since his 2020 debut single ‘Backstreets of Your Mind’.

One-line review: “Far from the oversaturated and even further from the mundane, Dovv captures the fragrance and warmth that you can almost taste of everyone’s favourite season through his steady performance of soft, aromatic indie rock.”

FFO: Brandon Flowers, The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, Shambolics, The Snuts, Vistas

 

Cameron Barnes - Old Friend

With an impressive 2,400 monthly listeners on Spotify from almost every city in the UK, there’s no sign of Cameron Barnes’ slowing down. His broad accent that he sculpts so melodically to suit a soft rock/pop genre has started the ball rolling for Barnes in becoming quite the force to be reckoned with— especially with this new single that combines traditional folk elements.

One-line review: “Cameron Barnes has the ability to really make the Scottish accent sound so melodic, so gentle yet simultaneously so passion-fuelled.”

FFO: Steve Grozier, Chris Stapleton, Gerry Cinnamon, Skerryvore, Lewis Capaldi

 

Rachael Bisset - if it’s too soon, let me know

Dundee-based singer Rachael Bisset knows exactly the kind of elegance and glacé beauty that we need on the scene, with her instantly recognisable finger-picking acoustic. Bisset has also been featured on Amazing Radio, BBC RnG and Strictly Scotland Pulse. This certainly feels like only the beginning with Bisset.

One-line review: “Beautiful, transparent vulnerability running alongside the sweetest, stripped-back acoustic chord progression.”

FFO: Taylor Swift, Gabrielle Aplin, Rachel Jack, Abigail Pryde

 

La Club Royale - Vibes 

This indie/electronic duo is a rare but welcomed success story of how lockdown has transformed their musical talents by overcoming some of the hardest creative struggles the Scottish music scene has ever had to face. Experimental, free-spirited and with only the sky as their limit— this is just the beginning.

One-line review: “Nobody quite nails the 80s in the 2020s quite like La Club Royale with Vibes.”

FFO: New Order, Depeche Mode, Bronski Beat, Erasure, Soft Cell

 

Amy Papiransky - Summertime Blues

Glasgow-based artist Amy Papiransky has an equally interesting story as well as sound. A music teacher by trade, Papiransky has applied her knowledge in a more commercial setting and is ready to take the Scottish music scene by storm after making the final of the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year.

One-line review: “It’s refreshing to hear a beautiful soul-style piano and vocals against the backdrop of a modern trap beat — it’s simultaneously nostalgic and enlivening.”

FFO: Eleanor Hickey, Rianne Downey, Pretty Preachers Club, Mayah Herlihy, Beth Hart, Amy Winehouse, Alanis Morisette

 

ASK ALICE -  Free World

ASK ALICE is the project of Natalie Joy that captures the pits and peaks of ‘Joy’s experience of life, love and lockdown.’ From the age of 15, Joy has been a star in the making, performing and writing music. Now more than ever, Joy is ready for a major musical breakthrough.

One-line review: “Powerfully evocative, romantic and breathy enhanced by a voice that wisps past your ears and caresses your depths.”

FFO: Lana Del Rey, Paloma Faith, Lorde

 

Dot Allison - Can You Hear Nature Sing?

Dot Allison has an impressive discography as well as musical history, releasing her debut solo album Afterglow in 1999. A song titled Colour Me from the album acquired more than a quarter million listens on Spotify and it’s fair to say that Allison has kept the momentum up since. Can You Hear Nature Sing? is the perfect release to symbolise the magic of Allison’s incredible career.

One-line review: “Guitar played so delicately that at first, I thought it was an ethereal harp — the closest thing to a female Sufjan Stevens that you will stumble across.”

FFO: Sufjan Stevens, Birdy, Indoor Foxes, Bon Iver, Uninvited, Hannah Slavin

 

The Rah’s - If You Never Try (You’ll Never Know)

2021 is quickly becoming ‘The Rah’s Year’ as the band have been hard at work releasing banger after banger and a well-received album with a song from it, ‘The Time is Now’, racking up over 11,000 listens.

One-line review: “A motivating and encouraging message set to the back drop of a meaty rhythm section and explosive sounding guitar — exactly what we need to get back on our feet.”

FFO: Liam Gallagher, Oasis, The Snuts, Kasabian, Jamie Pollock

 

Jake Roberts - Don’t Wake Me

West Lothian has yet another rising star and that’s the young but very mature sounding, Jake Roberts. Fearless and bold, Jake’s mounting success can be attributed to the fact that he’s completely unafraid of pushing boundaries that have been recognised by the Daily Record, B12 entertainment and Belter Radio.

One-line review: “I’d like to think that if Ian Curtis and Lou Reed got together in 2021, this is exactly what you’d hear.”

FFO: Lou Reed, Ian Curtis, Joy Division, The Velvet Underground

 

Ali & The Parade - Love You Yet

You’d be forgiven for thinking with a clean-cut suit that Ali & The Parade would be belting out Frank Sinatra numbers and snapping his fingers to a deep walking bass but be fooled not. The Vans trainers and the black painted fingernails represent the edge that he has and the potential to be a big name within not just the Scottish music scene, but the pop world in general.

One-line review: “Love You Yet follows the perfect formula for a chart-topping pop song— bright, vibrant and really, really catchy.”

FFO: Charlie Puth, Shawn Mendes, Harry Styles, Michael Bublé

 

Charlie Clark - Late Night Drinking

Founding member of Glasgow's renowned indie quartet, Astrid, Clark gained acclaim as a well-known face around the underground music scene for over 20 years. His long and interesting musical career has seen Clark in various projects, as well as a first-chosen guest musician to bands such as Snow Patrol.

One-line review: “The immediate 60s Byrds-esque guitar twang quickly transforms into an optimistic indie-guitar jangle, making this is one of those tracks that will have your hairs standing on end when the sun beats down and the fresh air hits your face through the open window of your car.”

FFO: Day Glow, Jonah Eli, Buffet Lunch, The View, Jake Bugg