MUSiC RE viE w S MUS i C

Backler, aka R I L E Y. Composed of an array of songs about diverse topics, some fictitious, some political, some about love, friendship, and Riley’s lowest days, there will be something that everyone will relate to on this ambitious debut project - which was recorded in its entirety in producer George Budd’s living room.

Gemma Cockrell

Cosmic Kat

Kicking up Stardust (Album)

In her homegrown record, Kicking up Stardust, Cosmic Kat explores the beauty of harmonicas and ukuleles as she sings to the hearts of hopeless romantics with lyrics about the magic of love. The folk-pop blend makes for a soothing, yet still upbeat, listen, and showcases the best of her musical abilities. The additions of layered vocals, tambourines, and what sounds like bird calls in Fly contribute to the record’s authenticity, and it’s great to see Cosmic Kat bring a hint of folk to the indie-driven Nottingham scene. Amrit

Virdi

Jiminil

Other Men’s Flowers (Album)

Other Men’s Flowers, the debut album from Nottingham-based folk artist Jiminil, is a carefully-crafted and sensitive collection of songs written and recorded in Nottingham - but looking outward to the wilderness. Focusing on the awkward juxtaposition of city life and rural idyll, Jiminal explores feelings of guilt comparison and the precarious city living, through the lens of pastoral-tinted folk. Delicate, transcendent and beautiful, this album is a rich tapestry of dark meandering folk, woven together with instruments and words, and textured like a hedgerow.

Freya Saulsbury Martin

Blondes

Love in the Afternoon (Single)

It’s rare for a band to enter the scene with an entirely new sound, but Blondes have managed to achieve it. The five-piece, a product of the University of Nottingham, feel fresh and inventive, yet familiar and nostalgic - and few tracks demonstrate this better than their latest, Love in the Afternoon. While it may not boast quite the same catchiness as a Coming of Age or Minimum Wage, it’s a more guitar-heavy, energetic release that’s just as easy to sing along to. Leading man Will Potter uses his unique voice to full effect, helping to create a tune that is bound to win over many an audience. George White

The Days of Tomorrow

Anywhere (Single)

Anywhere exhales all the complexity and frustration of personal and social tragedy. A turbulent, yet technically masterful, guitar solo finds resonance among layers of experimental synth beats, with a soulful baseline that functions as the unwavering heartbeat of the track. Amidst the landscape of heartbreak and confusion, it is Gareth Peel’s razor-sharp lyrics which prove that poetry is no longer the only mode of artistic expression with the agency to disrupt political order with such ferocity. Maddie

Dinnage

Celebrating fat bodies, folklore and feminism, we’ve been fans of Charlotte Thomson-Morley for a while. So when we spotted some bookish illustrations on her Instagram, we knew that she’d be the perfect artist to design our literature cover. Spotlighting some brilliant local authors, we hear more about her process…

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m a fine artist and illustrator based in south Notts, and I’ve been working as a full time creative for seventeen years. I grew up surrounded by books (my mum was a library manager) so my house is filled with them. I love illustrating books and I love reading to my six-year-old. So I was very excited to be asked to create this cover!

What was the inspiration behind the cover?

I love the bold, block colours and subtle textures that you get with relief print-making, and have been working to replicate that in my digital illustration. I aimed to make sure the books in the image showed a wide range of local authors and I also wanted to show how people create and interact with literature – from writing to audio-books to reading with children.

What was the biggest challenge that you faced in creating the piece? Keeping the books simple but getting the angles right. I ended up dragging an eclectic pile of books from one of my bookshelves and working from photographs I took of them.

What other projects are you working on at the moment? Or have worked on in the past?

Last year I was proud to create my first piece for LeftLion for an article on astrology. I’m currently working on two children’s book projects, plus working with some long-standing clients on oracle card and portrait projects. I’m also busy running a free after-school drawing club for Key Stage 1 pupils.

What have you got planned for the future?

I’ve just received a creative bursary to buy a printing press, so I will be developing a series of lino and intaglio prints for exhibition later in the year. I’m also planning to develop some community printing workshops.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?

Read and create what makes you happy! Don’t let anyone stop you from reading or creating comics, poetry, short stories, YA fiction or picture books.

@charlotteart