RotD featured artists at Latitude festival

Occasionally we like to take stock here at RotD and shout about some of our early spots continuing to do well. The Latitude line-up is full of our favourites, old and new, from both our weekly Compass column and/or as our Record of the Day.

You can buy tickets to Latitude here, taking place at Henham Park, Suffolk on 22-25 July. 


First featured:
Rudimental - RotD - May 2012
One of the headliners at July’s festival are Rudimental, who back in 2012 wereRecord of the Day with Feel The Love . We said: “as good a pop song as you're likely to hear all year. Surrounded by an extended family of young fresh talent… this could well be one of the biggest hits of the summer…”

Bombay Bicycle Club - RotD - March 2009
Always Like This was the track first featured as a RotD, described as: “...an exciting glimpse of what's to come from Bombay Bicycle Club's debut album…”

Mabel - with Not3s - RotD - Dec 2017
Due an imminent new release, Mabel was featured here in 2017 via the remix of My Lover, featuring Not3s. We said: “The remix sees the track maintain its tender and downbeat nature with Mabel’s soulful vocals adding a luscious counter verse to this beautiful song.”

Declan McKenna was one of our early tips here at RotD, after winning the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Comp in Pilton with the PRS Foundation, aged just 16. Eventually going with Columbia, Declan has since made a worthwhile impact on young, modern pop.

Alfie Templeman - RotD - May 2019
Chess Club signee Alfie Templeman, still in his teens, was snapped up by RedLight Management early doors. His debut releases, all recorded in his bedroom, found their way to high profile fans, resulting in his appearance on numerous ones to watch lists. We described Stop Thinking (About Me) as a “gorgeous indie banger, swapping his dreamy MGMT vibes for an angsty, early Arctic Monkey-esque feel. The track was named Jack Saunders Tune of the Week on Radio 1 and was featured heavily across streaming services editorial playlists at both Spotify and Apple Music.”

Billie Marten - RotD - Nov 2015
An artist who we’ve loved to see excel, As Long As was the Record of the Dayback in 2015, written during Billie Marten’s GCSEs. We said: “...this feels like it’s only the beginning for an artist to cherish for decades to come.”

James Vincent McMorrow - RotD - Nov 2010
Prior to his Ronnie Scott’s show back in 2010, we were suitably impressed by the debut album on Believe. If I Had A Boat was a free download at the time, the start of an effective career to date. “A fragile-sounding yet stirring introduction to a superb new talent.”

JC Stewart - RotD - Nov 2018
County Derry’s JC Stewart is another success story we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing. Like I Did was described as: “an emotionally rich and heartfelt song… beautifully crafted, with gentle guitar melodies building in intensity as JC’s pure and plaintive vocals hit home in this anthemic and gospel-tinged number.”

KAWALA - RotD - Nov 2018
Out via Mahogany Records, Moonlight was a highlight of November 2018: “their latest single is an absorbing and gorgeous twilight jammer with harmonious, lilting vocals and a storytelling narrative.”

Maisie Peters - RotD - Oct 2019
Prior to her Shepherd’s Bush Empire show that November, we featured West Sussex’s Maisie Peters, and her latest track via Atlantic, Adore You: “another gorgeous collection of accessible and perfectly formed observational pop nuggets.”

Nadia Rose - RotD - Jan 2017
MOBO award winning Nadia Rose featured in the Top 5 of the BBC Sound of 2017 poll, with January seeing yet more coverage for latest single Tight Up. “This track combines grime, hip-hop, R&B and pure playground-chant pop into one frothy energy burst right from the off.”

Sea Girls – December 2017 saw our first coverage of London’s then-unsigned Sea Girls in the weekly Compass column, shouting about debut track  Call Me Out. We loved the Larry Hibbert produced What For , as did the majority of specialist shows at R1. Now signed to  Island Records.

Hot Chip - RotD - Sept 2006
Waaaay back in 2006 we covered Over and Over, the new one from future facing Hot Chip, which was actually a (smart) re-release around the time of their Mercury nomination. We said: “The Warning is a deserving winner, an album of groundbreaking and inspiring music, our favourite on the shortlist.”

Akala - RotD - June 2006
Another throwback, and a man we’re ecstatic to see still being as passionate and engaging as ever. Shakespeare was Akala’s single back in June of that year, part of a debut record that still stands up: “The wit, intelligence and scathing lyrical ability on display make It's Not A Rumour one of the strongest debut albums of 2006.”

Dream Wife - were one of our Tips for 2017, signing with Lucky Number Music after being featured in Compass back in May 2016. Their incredible energy witnessed in what were then impossibly tiny venues was more than enough to win us over. They’ve excelled in the last few years, making uncompromising music that connects with multiple audiences, with their latest Top 20 album - produced by Marta Salogni - truly reflecting their ethos as a band.

Holly Humberstone - RotD - July 2020
Overkill was one of our favourite tracks of 2020, raising the bar for Holly’s future releases. We said: “Overkill is a gorgeous track, ramping up the songwriting to the next level as she sings about falling in love and overthinking… Set to be one of the biggest breakthrough acts of 2020, Holly has a big future ahead.

Lucia & The Best Boys – just Lucia when we first featured them in the weekly Compass column back in January 2018, the Glasgow based band had numerous A&R’s heading north to meet them, eventually signing with Sony. Now a couple years on and with a more solid sound, Lucia & The Best Boys are still ones to watch.

LYRA - RotD - Feb 2019
Falling by LYRA had a fair amount of plays from us here at RotD, featuring the track in our daily mail out back in Feb 2019. “The track is a dramatic and striking number with its sweeping orchestral movements, tribal percussion and lush electronic production offering a rich soundbed for LYRA’s stunning vocals to soar.”

Squid – First featured in December 2017 in the Thursday Compass column, we saw Squid at a show in London and loved Terrestrial Changeover Blues. While still unsigned we went on to feature their next few singles too, until they were cleverly picked up by Warp Records.

Willie J Healey - At the back end of May in 2018 we featured the then 23 year old Willie J Healy, recently a free agent after his deal with Columbia/National Anthem came to an end. We’d heard enough demos to know that his next release would be killer, describing him as “an always respected songwriter and musician, WJH has been working on a set of songs that mark a whole new chapter for him as an artist, one we’re already deeply impressed by.” Eventually signing with YALA! Records, WJH’s album tour is rescheduled for October this year.

Dry Cleaning - in May 2019 we wrote about London four-piece and now Top 5 UK album makers Dry Cleaning. Back in May they’d recently played a show at the Waiting Room in Stoke Newington, one of the busiest we’d seen at that venue. With no music online and only some vague Instagram posts to their name, we were impressed enough to feature them regardless in the Thursday Compass column, giving info on their next shows (including a set at the Walrus in Brighton). Unsigned and unpublished at the time, their partnership with 4AD will no doubt be a lengthy, mutually beneficial arrangement.

CMAT – a more recent addition, Dublin’s CMAT had us  deep in our feelings with her blunt but sunny outlook on life and love, and modern approaches to both. Her voice is a one off, if you didn’t hit play on I Don’t Really Care For You back in February, now is the time. CMATs London shows are all sold out. “CMAT is a super smart songwriter, a perfect blend of tragedy and comedy, currently unsigned for records and publishing.”

Fenne Lily - RotD - Jan 2018
A stunning start from Fenne Lily, described as: “an exceptional new artist with an amazing 30 million+ streaming plays from her first few self releases. Creating a close, intimate atmosphere with her delicate voice and soft guitar work, For A While, is the latest in a series of superb singles.”

Goat Girl – back in 2015/16 and playing at Field Day, Goat Girl were impressive watch. Their subsequent break is well documented; it’s wonderful to see their name back on line-ups like Latitude.

Gracey - RotD - May 2020
Signing to Universal at 16, Gracey was known as a solid topliner for the likes of RAYE, Sub Focus and MJ Cole among others. The release of her own debut EP Imposter Syndrome won praise from cooler corners of the internet. Empty Love feat. Ruel was named Record of the Day, “a stonking straight-up pop anthem that doesn’t pack any punches when talking about the pressures that come with social media.”

Joesef - RotD - Feb 2020
Glasweigan Joesef was highly sought after by a number of labels, before sticking with AWAL and their vastly improved backing. In Compass we described his ability to “communicate more visceral human emotions in a calm, captivating way, over lo-fi nostalgic production.” And as Record of the Day back in February 2020 , Think That I Don’t Need Your Love more than won us over: “ Think That I Don’t Need Your Love is a beautiful ode about past love and moving on. Full of soulful tones over a smooth jazz-pop style reminiscent of the raspy authenticity of Amy Winehouse.”

Lola Young – it was April 2018 when we first saw Lola Young perform, during a Future is Female event at the Hospital Club, new management in the form of Nick Huggett in tow. We highlighted her previous successes, despite such a young age, and the impressive covers on her YouTube page.

Mae Mueller - RotD - January 2020
An “honest and sublime moment of neo-soul tinged with soft jazz and R&B melodies” was our description of Therapist by Mae Mueller, back in January 2020.

Martha Hill – another more recent addition to Compass, North East based Martha Hill won a whole load of new fans via her 6Music playlisted songs from the debut EP Be Still, and Summer Up North. With exceptional support from BBC Introducing too, Martha’s live show has continued to develop despite lockdown.

Mega - Featured in both Compass and our Ones to Watch section back in 2018, North London’s MEGA has set aside her nerves and continued to write and record new work. Her debut single Chariot was a highlight of ours towards the latter half of that year,  listen back here.

Chubby & The Gang - one of our Ones to Watch earlier this year, it wasn’t long before Partisan snapped up old school punk influenced  Chubby & The Gang, now a firm feature on many confirmed line-ups.

Julia Bardo - Early October 2019 saw our first coverage of Julia Bardo in Compass, though she shared interests and influences with her previous band Working Mens Club, Julia’s solo debut was in a league of its own, with  Desiregetting a lot of love prior to any records or publishing deal. Back on 15 January 2021 we made “It's OK To Not Be OK'' our Record of the Day, saying “this contemplative song about survival, self-acceptance and positivity is her latest release. Doused in lashing of '60s tinged flavoured vibes, it is just one of the many beautiful tracks, including  Please Don’t Tell Me and I Wanna Feel Love,that if you haven’t heard yet, then you must.”

Swim School – a highlight of our Wide Days conference coverage back in 2018, Edinburgh's Swim School make impeccable indie-pop, with a future star of a lead singer in Alice Johnson.


Ruth Kilpatrick 

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