Nottingham has a pretty impressive reputation as one of the best music scenes in the UK. I honestly knew very little about this when I chose to study at Nottingham, but since being here I’ve discovered a few little gems. Some are very well known and others less so, but every Notts student should get to know!
1. London Grammar – https://soundcloud.com/londongrammar/london-grammar-wasting-my#t=0:00
You probably recognise the name London Grammar from chart toppers such as ‘Strong’, ‘Nightcall’ and ‘Wasting My Young Years’. They’re massively popular, with catchy pop songs and a style that was described by Gigwise as being “a blend of ambient, ethereal and classical sounds”. Their debut album sold 300,000 copies in the UK alone. Though the members aren’t technically from Nottingham, they met in halls at university here so I feel like they still deserve a place on this list.
2. Amber Run – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHRrTiaOBiA
Amber Run is a five piece Nottingham-based band, who also met at The University of Nottingham. They were featured during Reading Festival on the BBC Introducing stage, and supported their label-mates, the Irish group Kodaline, on their March 2014 tour. Their debut album 5am was released in April and they’re currently mid tour, playing at the Rescue Rooms on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th December.
3. Jake Bugg – https://soundcloud.com/jake-bugg/05-simple-as-this
A lot of people are aware of who Jake Bugg is – a Nottingham native, he also gained recognition through BBC Introducing at the young age of 17. Citing his influences as The Beatles, Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers and Jimi Hendrix, among others, he has released two albums and is currently working on a third, with music in the soundtracks of blockbusters such as The Fault in Our Stars, Dumb and Dumber To and The Giver already under his belt.
4. Saint Raymond – https://soundcloud.com/saintraymond/lean-on-major-lazer-cover
Saint Raymond is an indie singer-songwriter from Nottingham and is on the up in the music scene as of late. Another artist supported by BBC Introducing, his 2014 Young Blood EP title track was named as Zane Lowe’s “Hottest Record in the World.” His debut album under the same title is available to buy now.
5. Kagoule – https://soundcloud.com/kagoule/gush
Kagoule are a Nottingham native three piece whose music is heavily influenced by 90s alt rock. They met in school and have been frequenting the Nottingham gig scene for a while now, moving up to bigger things and supporting Johnny Marr for a few shows. They are signed to Earache, a Nottingham based record company.
Edited by Sarah Holmes
Sources:
http://www.gigwise.com/features/82510/london-grammar-weve-been-given-tim…
Image sources: