Features

Debe by Alex Potton

21 for ’21: NN artists to break through

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Debe photo by Alex Potton There’s no doubting the difficulties 2020 presented for new NN music artists to further their careers. But with better times surely ahead here are 21 artists New Boots thinks are suited to taking it to the next level in 2021. There’s no doubting the importance and centrality of urban music to the pop landscape, and that’s no different in Northants. Half of this list contains rap, grime, R&B, and dancehall artists. FFSYTHO has already had big exposure via BBC Radio 1Xtra, and has amassed an online army hanging off her every word. She will shine...

Billy Lockett’s Wasting Time tops the New Boots ‘Best NN Single 2020’ poll

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For the second year running, we asked you to vote in the Best NN Single category of the New Boots annual Year In Review. We’ll be publishing the latter shortly, but this year we’ve decided to reveal the winner of our public vote separately – and from the photo, you already know who it is. More than 2,000 people voted for their favourite track from a Northants artist this year and Wasting Time by Billy Lockett took the top spot. Early on in the voting, the lead changed hands several times. However, in the end Lockett opened up what was...

Maddox Jones

Best NN videos, second half of 2020 – including the premiere for Maddox Jones single ‘World’s Gone Mad’

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As this strange year draws to a close let us at New Boots once again highlight some great videos that came out of the NN in 2020; this time focusing from the end of June onwards. That so many artists managed to film videos under covid restrictions is a testament to the passions of those involved. Video 18 on this list is the first look at Maddox Jones‘ new single ‘World’s Gone Mad’, directed by Rhys Dunstan. Jones says the song “is about being there for each-other in these crazy times. We’ve obviously been going through a lot this year...

Best Single 2020

Best NN single 2020 – Cast Your Vote Now

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It’s been a weird year, but over the last 11 months, there’s been some incredible singles released by Northants musicians. Here at New Boots, we’ve got our our annual Year In Review coming next month. (You can read 2019’s here). However, this year we again want to know what you think when it comes to the best single. Last year, we opened up the ‘Best Single’ category of our Year In Review to you – and we’re doing the same again. More than 800 of you voted and King Purple‘s Warning Signs took the top spot. So, without further ado,...

Violet's Gone

New Music Friday: Violet’s Gone

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Chris Fordham has lived a busy musical life in Northampton over the past decade plus. His latest project is Violet’s Gone. He wrote and recorded an EP with a seven day deadline, and explains the hows and whys to New Boots. How did you get into songwriting?From a young age music has always been in the family. My dad was always in bands as a lead guitarist and singer, playing fifties and sixties music. He would also record his own music on a four-track at home. How I got started was by picking up my brothers’ acoustic guitar when I...

The Moons

2020: best videos so far

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OK to be frank it’s been quite a weird year so far. Let’s cheer ourselves up and celebrate the NN scene for a moment. This delightful collection is the best singles-with-videos so far in 2020. Think of it as a stop-gap before our end of year poll.Don’t forget to support the artists however you can [buy the music, buy the merch].

Spiral Archive celebrates 20 years of making Northampton better

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This Saturday is a day to celebrate a Northampton music institution. Spiral Archive has been selling records and showcasing local bands for a whole 20 years now. In a world in which vinyl has taken a back seat to first CDs, and latterly streaming, that’s nothing short of miraculous. Inside an industrial-looking building on St. Michael’s Road lies approximately 50,000 items for sale. Seriously. New and old music-related records, CDs, tapes, DVDs, books, t-shirts, mugs, badges, it’s all there. The man to thank? Alex Novak of course. He’s been at the helm since the very beginning, the first shop location...

Video premiere: EGO

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We spoke to Milton Keynes/Northampton trio EGO recently about their eponymous EP. Well now’s time to bring you their spiffing new video for second single from said EP, ‘I Don’t Even Bite’. EGO effortlessly make raw and noisey bangers to help you awaken any dead soul. EGO is the brain child of Sean Grant [S.G Wolfgang / Fierce Panda Records] & his pals Phil [guitar] & Dazza [drums]. Click below and catch the lo-fi VHS stylings of the vid below; it’s going to make you happy, we just know it. https://www.facebook.com/egoegoband https://www.instagram.com/egoegoband https://www.egoband.co.uk The EGO EP is out now digitally...

Record Store Day 2019

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Record Store Day returns this Saturday April 13th, and Peter Dennis looks at what Northampton has to offer. In comparison to say Milton Keynes and Leicester, here in ShoeTown we are lucky to have three independent record shops who will all be participating in Record Store Day. I took a stroll around town to visit the stores. At the bottom of Gold Street you’ll find Spun Out records. In a nice piece of symmetry Spun Out occupies 57 Gold Street, the premises that previously housed the much loved John Levers record shop. Owner Chris Kent gives a brief history: “We’ve been...

Audio exclusive: Baby Lung ‘Casualty’

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Baby Lung are a fresh new Northampton quartet, mixing minimalist emotional indie with a hint of jazzy vibes. Their debut single from back in November, ‘She’, laid out the agenda: an atmospheric ’80s sound [like your man Ryan Adams might do], with a steady hypnotic rhythm backing dreamy guitars and synths to create a sum greater than its parts. New Boots spoke to singer/bassist Maxx Riley about these early days of the band, and we can exclusively reveal the audio to follow-up single, the harder-hitting ‘Casualty’, below. How did you guys get together? Back in November 2017 I was pretty...

The New Boots Review Of 2018

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It’s been a cracking 12 months for the Northants music scene, with musicians flying the flag for our county on a local, national, and international level. To celebrate, we’ve had a run though of some of our favourite things this year. Before we get going, a quick caveat. We love all the acts we write about, but we can’t include everyone and talk about everything. If you or your favourite are not in there, just remember; there’s always next year… So, without further ado here’s the ramblings of New Boots editors Phil Moore and David Jackson. Merry Christmas, and a...

Interview: Heaven 17

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Heaven 17 begin a ten-date UK tour this week with a sold-out show at Northampton’s Roadmender, performing their celebrated and acclaimed 1983 album The Luxury Gap. To mark the occasion Noel Draper spoke to founder Martyn Ware about his past and present. How did you and Glenn first meet? We met at an arts workshop that was created by the Labour council in Sheffield called Meatwhistle, and it was an opportunity to meet a lot of different people from different backgrounds who were interested in being creative. I was introduced to this by an old friend called Paul Bower, who was responsible...

Video premiere: The Keepers ‘You’re All I Need’

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Northampton quartet The Keepers release their fifth single ‘You’re All I Need’ tomorrow, Friday October 26th. New Boots is the place to exclusively see the accompanying video first. Shot by Alex Bass [and with single artwork by Nallie Simpson], there is a limited edition 7” version of the single available by contacting the band themselves on social media [£7 plus postage and packaging]. We asked singer/guitarist Jordan Jones about the song. “‘You’re All I Need’ was written back in February and we added it into the setlist that same month. We really knuckled down with releasing music this year. We recorded...

Ten Of The Best: Turin Brakes

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London indie-popsters Turin Brakes play Northampton’s Roadmender this Thursday, October 18th. The band have sold over a million albums worldwide since forming in 1999. Northampton fact: University of Northampton graduate Jordan Mackampa has recently co-written and recorded material with Olly and Gayle. Here’s ten of their best songs. ‘Painkiller’ [2003] ‘Rain City’ [2004] ‘Underdog [Save Me]’ [2001] ‘Fishing For A Dream’ [2005] ‘Keep Me Around’ [2015] ‘Save You’ [2016] ‘Long Distance’ [2002] ‘Dark On Fire’ [2007] ‘Mind Over Money’ [2001] ‘Sea Change’ [2010]

Ten of the best: Echo & The Bunnymen

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Ten of the best from Echo & The Bunnymen, who play the Northampton Derngate on Saturday October 20th. Don’t forget you can win a pair of tickets to the show by entering our competition here [comp closes midnight Monday Oct 15th]. The Killing Moon [1984] Lips Like Sugar [1987] Bring On The Dancing Horses [1985] Seven Seas [1984] People Are Strange [1987] The Cutter [1983] Bedbugs & Ballyhoo [1987] Nothing Lasts Forever [1997] The Game [1987] A Promise [1981]

Ten Of The Best: The Lovely Eggs

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Ten Of The Best, with The Lovely Eggs, who play the Northampton Roadmender on Sunday October 21st. Don’t Look at Me (I Don’t Like It) [2011] Have You Ever Heard A Digital Accordion? [2008] Fuck It [2011] Wiggy Giggy [2018] I Just Want Someone To Fall In Love With [2012] Magic Onion [2015] People Are Twats [2011] Allergies [2011] I Like Birds But I Like Other Animals Too [2008] Big Sea [2018]

Interview: Charlotte Carpenter brings us Babywoman Records

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Kettering singer-songwriter Charlotte Carpenter has earlier in the summer launched her own record label, Babywoman Records, and today announces the first release on it from Alessi’s Ark. New Boots Editor Phil Istine met up for a coffee and spoke to Carpenter all about it, in our first ever audio interview just below. Full single release details are below too. The Alessi’s Ark single is entitled ‘Devant Moi’, and is released digitally on September 27th. A fresh dreamy, French pop sound comes from Londoner Alessi Laurent-Marke, and is a follow up to her fourth studio LP Love Is The Currency [2017]. Delivered in French...

Video premiere: Sarpa Salpa ‘Smith’

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Northampton quartet Sarpa Salpa release their new single ‘Smith’ tomorrow, and we can exclusively reveal the video today. The band have also chosen to make this a vinyl release, on a limited red 7″. The video was shot by director Bella Evans. Bassist Ethan Whitby on ‘Smith’: “The song is about a relationship that was just starting before being split suddenly by one person leaving the other confused, upset and angry! So a really feel good track as you can imagine… We recorded this with Ben ‘Faz’ Farestvedt over at Damage Audio in Bedford back in early spring time.We’ve worked with...

Northampton shops ready for the return of Record Store Day

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Record Store Day returns this Saturday April 21st. Ahead of the annual race for limited edition vinyl New Boots contributor Peter Dennis took a trip around Northampton’s independent record stores to find out more about the day and what it means to local shops. Older readers will recall fondly the plethora of independent record shops that peppered the town centre. Abel & Sons on the Market Square, which at one time boasted the largest stock of records in the East Midlands. John Lever on Gold Street, with its popular listening posts and own record label. Memory Lane began life in...

Deaf Trap: interview and new video for ‘Real Nice Night’

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Following the release of their second EP, Miscreants, Peter Dennis spoke at length to Northampton alt-rockers Deaf Trap. The band comprises of Matthew Wetherill (guitar), Rob Gray (drums) and, rather confusingly, the band has two Tom Wrights: Thomas (vocals) and Tom (bass). The lads tell New Boots about their songs, their scene, and their plans for the future. Plus, the new video for Miscreants track ‘Real Nice Night’ is below. How easy was it to find three other guys with similar musical tastes who you could tolerate? Matthew Wetherill: For me it comes down to genuinely being really good friends....

New Music Friday: That Joe Payne

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Ex-frontman of The Enid Joe Payne launches his solo career on March 2nd with a single and accompanying launch gig at Northampton’s Picturedrome. Now going under the That Joe Payne moniker, ‘I Need A Change’ is the first shot across the bow in a new phase of the singer-songwriters’ life. New Boots sat down and got the skinny on how he got here. First things first: what’s your musical background – did your love come from family, school lessons, friends…? I grew up in the small town of Tring, Hertfordshire where they had a community theatre. I spent all my...

An interview with: Alex Novak

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Alex Novak has been entertaining Northampton and beyond with his esoteric sounds for forty years now, and to celebrate this milestone Northampton gallery Sanctuary are hosting an exhibition of his artwork, entitled “Meta Art/Music/Work 1977-2017”. New Boots speaks to the Spiral Archive proprietor at length about the musical journey from then to now. What was your musical upbringing? What influenced you as you got to 16 and joined Isaws? Pre-punk I listened to a wide selection of music from The Beatles, Roxy Music, Bowie, T.Rex, Black Sabbath, soul music. Then bang! – the punk explosion happened in 1976, so got...

Charlotte Carpenter offers us ‘Shelter’

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[Excuse that groan-worthy title, but no one has used it yet and that is a grave oversight] Kettering singer-songwriter Charlotte Carpenter has had a pretty good opening scene so far, releasing EPs and singles digitally since 2014, to much acclaim. And now she releases her best song yet, ‘Shelter’, as the lead track from her first vinyl release, the 10″ Shelter EP. New Boots had a quick chat whilst she is on her whirlwind promotional trail New Boots: This new song is something special. What’s is about? Charlotte Carpenter: ‘Shelter’ is about the push and pull of the early stages...

Solid Ten: British Sea Power

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Ahead of their appearance this Sunday [October 22] at The Roadmender in Northampton, here’s ten of British Sea Power‘s best singles, 2001-2017. Tickets

Interview: Scarlet.

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Hotly-tipped north-west quartet Scarlet are currently on a UK tour and finish their run at The Lab Northampton on Saturday October 14th. New Boots speaks to them about alt-rock, feminism and getting to America. New Boots: For the uninitiated could you let us know a bit of background about who are you as people and how you formed? Jessie: We are SCARLET, an unsigned DIY band that sounds like if Nirvana, Blondie and The Pixies had a band baby. I’m Jessie, the singer and guitarist, Adam is guitar man, Jake is our drummer and we have a bassist called G. Adam – We’re a bunch...

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