Now Hear This: Alex Baker On The Best New Pop-Punk, Emo And Goth-Pop

Hi, Alex here, absolutely stoked to be back with Now Hear This! There is nothing quite like the almighty slap in your face that you feel when you discover your new favourite band. Without meaning to sound like a masochist, I love that feeling, and believe me when I say, you’re going to feel it too when you get your ears around this little lot right here...

Newcastle’s Creak are one of the most exciting heavy bands on planet Earth right now. There, I said it. They’ve only been together for a little over a year and half, but in that time they have crafted the most unreal, crushing sound that will unite fans of bands as diverse as Slipknot and The Bled. Their debut EP, Bitter Picture, has been produced by Connor Sweeney of Loathe fame, and his deft touch is clear to hear. Cinematic enormousness.

Harpy is an artist who struck me straight out of the gate. Her talent is visceral, and from the moment I played her on my show my inbox filled up with people from the industry who were just like, “OH.MY.GOD. SHE IS AWESOME!” They're right: she is. Through her beautifully constructed goth-pop songs, Harpy creates an almost dreamlike texture that’s both floaty and atmospheric, while also being incredibly powerful. Believe me, there is only one way that Harpy’s career is going: up.

All genres need a kick in the arse from time to time, and pop-punkers Meet Me @ The Altar (I so hope that’s an old-skool Jagged Edge reference – I used to LOVE that song!) are doing just that. With shimmering guitar lines that intricately weave through their sound, vibrant and laser-precise drums, and utterly infectious toplines from vocalist Edith Johnson, these guys leave you thinking “WTF?! HOW IS IT THE CASE THAT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS BAND!?” So, get to know them!

There are some artists that skip my ears and just take up home in my soul. Two-piece Morning Angle are one such band. When I listen to them, I can feel it in my chest instantly. They create delicate, thoughtful music that fans of the softer side of Enter Shikari and the timeless songs of Deaf Havana will feel exactly the same as me about. They create the sort of music that makes you feel that perhaps, despite how it seems, despite how utterly breathtakingly awful life can sometimes be, that there’s peace and beauty in the chaos. I know that seems like a lot of hyperbole, but listen to them and see what I mean.

Bands: write from the heart. Always. Whether you’re an emo band, a death metal band, a post-rock band, it doesn’t matter. For the love of goat, just always write from the heart. Whatever genre, whatever style, for me, artists who aren’t afraid to put their full selves into their music just make better records. Simple. Lyrically, Brisbane’s Waxflower wear their hearts on their sleeves and will, I’ve no doubt, help a whole generation explore and make sense of some of the hardest of emotions. Emo, brilliance.

Hear Alex Baker present the Fresh Blood Show on Kerrang! Radio, Wednesday nights from 10pm.

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