14 LONDON ARTISTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

We’ve headed to the capital as part of VOCAL GIRLS ON TOUR! Here are our top London picks that you should check out.

It goes without saying that London is one of the most influential pop culture hubs on the planet due to its history and vast diversity. Being the genre-defying music capital of the UK, London is home to the likes of many iconic artists such as Amy Whinehouse, David Bowie, The Clash and Queen - not to mention some of today’s favourites, including Adele, Dua Lipa, and Wolf Alice. From legendary venues like the Royal Albert Hall, The O2 and The Roundhouse to the best backstreet independent venues like The Social, The Windmill and Moth Club, there’s a place for everyone. So let’s take a look at some of the best new talent from the city!

Arlo Parks

Indie-Pop; R&B; Soul

Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, professionally known as Arlo Parks, is a 20-year-old singer-songwriter, poet, and someone we just had to include within this list! If you’ve not heard of Arlo Parks, where have you been?

This year saw the release of her debut studio album ‘Collapsed In Sunbeams’ - of which Parks received critical acclaim reaching number three in the UK Album Chart and winning Breakthrough Artist at this year’s BRIT Awards. There’s no question that Arlo’s future looks bright as she continues to connect with listeners with her ruminative musical interpretations.

Big Joanie

Alternative; Punk

Big Joanie formed amidst London’s DIY punk scene back in 2013. Describing themselves as a black feminist punk band, the trio have toured with the likes of Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinny and Gossip. Their authentically raw and gritty sonic footprint is reminiscent of the punk genre at its origin in the mid-70s. Made up of Stephanie Phillips, Estella Adeyeri and Chardine Taylor-Stone, what you see is what you get with these badass ladies!

dexter

Indie-Pop; Lo-Fi

Since last year, Indie newcomer dexter, has broken into the London music scene with a series of unpolished singles; all recorded using just her phone! dexter’s confessional style of songwriting blends R&B and indie-pop tendencies, packaged with a lo-fi twist. Since her initial self releases, dexter has connected with Common Knowledge via AWAL with her latest track, ‘Blue Skies’, where we get to take a deeper dive into the expansive world of dexter.

Dry Cleaning

Alternative; Post-Punk

Still relatively new to the scene, Dry Cleaning are a South-London band making lots of noise. Composed of Florence Shaw (vocals), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass) and Nick Buxton (drums), the four released their debut album ‘New Long Leg’ just this year. 

Known for their unconventional and unorthodox style, the group’s formation was also rather idiosyncratic. Initially, the band was an instrumental three-piece. It was visual artist, university lecturer and picture researcher Florence that brought her off-kilter poeticism to the table with her spoken word pieces. At Florence’s first band rehearsal, she showed up with a copy of Michael Bernard Loggins’ ‘Fears Of Your Life’ to read over the music, and it wasn’t long before she was then the official frontwoman.

Ekkah

Disco; Funk

Multi-instrumentalists Rebekah Pennington and Rebecca Wilson formed Ekkah with a mission to bring good vibes to dancefloors worldwide. The pairing met in school, and after the collapse of a previous indie-rock band, they chose to pursue the industry as a disco-driven duo. Infectious, groovy and simply lots of fun, it’s impossible to listen to Ekkah and not break out into dance.

Eloise

R&B; Soul

Another of London’s newest additions, Eloise has been sharing her bluesy sentiments since the release of her 2019 debut EP, ‘This Thing Called Living’. With a heart-on-sleeve ethos, her witty writings and effortless performances are timeless. Unguarded and capturing the hearts of many, Eloise’s mini-album ‘Somewhere In Between’ is out June 18th.

Goat Girl

Alternative; Indie; Post-Punk

Forming in 2015, Goat Girl have become a fixture within the formidable South London music scene over the past few years. After continually crossing paths in and around the city’s south end, the quartet came together through their shared love of music and interests. The initial line-up (Lottie Cream, L.E.D, Naima Jelly and Rosy Bones) wasted no time in claiming their rightful space in venues like the iconic Brixton Windmill with their defiant sound and conscious lyricism, later garnering the attention of legendary British record label Rough Trade. 

 Now joined by their new bassist Holly Hole, Goat Girl dropped their much-anticipated sophomore album, ‘On All Fours’ earlier this year. The second full-length offers an insight into the group’s more vulnerable workings, highlighting their growth and ever-maturing perspectives. Unafraid of discussing social prejudices and global injustice, the latest release somewhat steers away from the previous angst and confrontational vigour we saw with their self-titled debut in 2018. However, it is still warped, woozy and definitely worth a listen!

Greentea Peng

R&B; Neo-Soul

Take a combined love of green tea and some London lingo, and you get Greentea Peng. The alias of Aria Wells, Greentea Peng has released a mass of singles and EP’s since 2018, dropping her first studio album ‘MAN MADE’ earlier this month. Aria describes her music as “psychedelic R’n’B” - it’s eclectic, all-embracing, and frankly, it’s an experience. Full of personality and character, Greentea Peng is one that it would be quite difficult to miss.

Maripool

Bedroom-Pop; Lo-Fi; Shoegaze

Self-described as a “one girl band”, Maripool is the moniker of songwriter Natasha Simões. Releasing songs straight from her bedroom, Maripool’s melancholic lustre emits feel-good DIY vibes. Her candid approach to songwriting is one that you don’t want to miss out on, and with just two singles to date, the prospect of what will come next is incredibly exciting!

Matilda Mann

Folk; Indie

From support tours with Arlo Parks, Beabadoobee and The Staves, Matilda Mann’s effortless displays of delicate songcraft is something you do not want to sleep on. Growing up in West London, her contemplative storytelling has been heavily influenced by the city surrounding her. If the endearing hush of Matilda’s vocal isn’t enough for you to fall in love with, I don’t know what is.

Molly Burman

Dreampop; Indie

After the success of her 2018 single ‘Happy Things’, 19-year-old singer/songwriter Molly Burman is indefinitely one of London’s ones to watch! With an aim to make music people can relate to so they feel less alone, she’s like a big sister to confide in. Described as ‘an unfiltered expression of emotions,’ Molly sings of experiences with unrequited love and unwanted attention and everything in between. Dreamy and alluring Molly presents a mirror of the many experiences lots of us go through, magically capturing the essence of feeling.

Olivia Dean

Pop; Soul

Equitably heartfelt, Olivia Dean’s soulful depictions are the result of her perfectly honed songwriting craft. Released in a string of singles and EP’s, Olivia’s silky vocal married with her empathetic lyricism have produced a collection of delicately tender offerings. Soulful mellow-pop at its finest. All we need now is that debut album!

Sorry

Alternative; Indie

Best friends Asha Lorenz and Louis O’Bryen began making music together in their teens, experimenting with beat-making and guitar-based rock. Joining forces with bassist Campbell Baum and drummer Lincoln Barrett, the four began gigging around the London scene under their previous domain, Fish. With the threat of legal action, however, the group soon rebranded as Sorry. 

 Surfacing in 2017 with their first homegrown, mixtape-style collection of demos titled ‘Home Demos/ns, Vol. 1’ North London’s Sorry caught the attention of renowned record label Domino Records. 2018 then saw the release of their second instalment, ‘Home Demos/ns, Vol. 2’, followed by their third record, ‘925’, which came out last year. Drawing influence from genres including 90’s alt-rock, trip-hop, and early trap, Sorry’s multi-faceted and mercurial sonic identity has solidified them as a staple of London’s music scene.

Winnie Raedar

Soul; Gospel

As an artist whose feelings go deeper than most, Winnie Raeder’s soulful brand of catharsis will have you head to toe in goosebumps almost immediately. With every rise and fall of breath, there’s so much emotion to be felt. Soaking up the contents of her father’s record collection throughout her early years, Winnie is influenced by sounds of blues, gospel, soul and funk. She has expressed that, “The beauty of music is when you feel something that resonates with you…A song is capturing an honest moment, trying to figure out what you feel as you write it.” A form of virtuous self-reflection, intertwining with the hearts of many.

So there we have it, that’s fourteen of London’s top female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ talent that we think you should give a listen. With the constant hustle and bustle of the London music scene, it’s always so exciting as to who will pop up next! But whether you fancy chilling out to some soulful remedies, getting your boogie on with some disco anthems or rocking out to some post-punk headbangers, we hope there’s something on this list for you!