Unsigned acts from across the country submitted their demos to T Break this year in the hope of landing one of 16 highly coveted slots on the T Break Stage at T IN THE PARK, and Tennent’s Lager have announced the acts that made it through.

A judging panel of 14 of Scotland’s most respected and influential music industry experts listened to each and every track before coming together to deliberate their shortlists and ultimately choose the final sixteen acts to join the line-up for T in the Park 2013, alongside the likes of headliners Mumford & Sons, Rihanna and The Killers, plus Stereophonics, Calvin Harris, Kraftwerk, Snoop Dogg, alt-J and Haim.

The 16 acts who will play the T Break Stage at T in the Park this year are:

Arches
Blindfolds
DARC
Fake Major
Hector Bizerk
Honeyblood
Machines In Heaven
Michael Cassidy
Poor Things
Pronto Mama
Seams
Sunshine Social
The Merrylees
The Velveteen Saints
Vasa
Waiting For Go

Fatherson have been in lockdown recording tracks at Gorbal Sounds for their debut album and a single which may well be forthcoming soonish…but they’re bona keep us guessing for now. We are told it’s all sounding very, very, very good though – bigger and tougher and stronger and other.

Having just headlined Brew At The Bog, the band will be keeping their hand in by playing a few wee “intimate” shows at the Great Escape and Hebfest and Belladrum and opening the main stage on Sunday at Rockness.

Those dates :

May :

15th – Vintage Lounge, Dumfries

17th - The Great Escape, Brighton (Dome Studio at 12:30 pm and Prince Albert at 11 pm)

18th - Stag & Dagger, Glasgow (ABC1, approx 8 pmn)

June :

9th – Rock Ness, Inverness (main stage)

July :

20th – Hebfest, Stornoway

August :

2nd – Belladrum, Inverness-shire

London Grammar will release their new single ‘Wasting My Young Years’ on 16th June, which follows their debut EP release ‘Metal & Dust’.

London Grammar are Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman who formed the band while at university together. After being holed up in the studio for most of 2012 working on their debut album, London Grammar dropped their first offering ‘Hey Now’ on their Soundcloud in December which has almost 370,000 plays to date.

The song garnered up a huge word of mouth buzz online and strong support at radio with plays from the likes of Zane Lowe (Next Hype), Phil Taggart & Alice Levine (ROTW), Huw Stephens, Rob Da Bank, Giles Peterson and Annie Mac to name a few. The title track of their EP ‘Metal & Dust’ was released in February, receiving its first play on Radio 1 as ‘Hottest Record’ on Zane Lowe’s show, before being added to the Radio 1 In New Music We Trust List.

‘Wasting My Young Years’ is an emotional and passionate track featuring an intricate piano hook and haunting vocals that lead into a beautiful and powerful chorus backed by escalating drums and guitars. ‘Wasting My Young Years’ received its first play on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show last night and can be listened to on the link above.

London Grammar recently performed their first London headline show at a sold out Electrowerkz and will be performing a second sold out headline show at London Islington Assembly Hall on 15th May.

Look out for Scottish dates soon.

Emma Swarbrick

Having played a SOLD OUT Arches in Glasgow the previous night the much smaller Electric Circus was packed for hottly tipped band Peace’s dynamic presence. Nursing a heavy hangover from a very late night in Glasgow the Birmingham-based quartet arrives fresh off the release of their debut album, In Love, with a sound that smacks of something between early Blur and the Foals (one of several bands the Guardian compared them to after they began receiving critical acclaim in 2012).

The crowds are chanting and cheering before the four-piece have even emerged from backstage and the vibe truly is electric. The catchy percussion of ‘Delicious’ kicks things off and there’s chaos as we move on into Follow Baby. The set is packed full of shuffle beats and catchy riffs and the crowd screams and bounces along from start to finish. Interaction with the audience is limited but interludes between songs are by no means silent, instead being filled with chants of “Sam, Sam, Sam” as bassist Sam Koisser laughs along. Things come down a gear or two with ‘Float Forever’ and as a female duo twirls in front of me, others wave their hands slowly from side to side while smart phones capture the atmosphere.

An education in crowd-pleasing follows, with renditions of some more of the album’s signature tracks, ‘Toxic’,’Higher than the Sun’ and ‘Wraith’, and as the set nears its end, the floor is shaking underfoot to the rhythm of the moshpit. An announcement of the last song is met with a chorus of “NOs”. But the encore doesn’t disappoint and as final number ‘Bloodshake’ builds to a crescendo of dance/funk delirium, it’s a battle to keep the crowd off the stage. Peace are back in Scotland for T in the Park in July and don’t be surprised to see a larger show announced for close to the end of the year.

The debut album from Pete Roe,‘Our Beloved Bubble’, will be released on Monday 6th May 2013 through Middle of Nowhere Recordings. A highly respected musician, both by his peers in the London Folks scene (Laura Marling as a band member and Mumford & Sons) and US artistes such as Ryan Adams, the album represents Pete’s boldest artistic statement to date. Whilst his playing style owes much to British folk guitarists of the 1960’s such as Bert Jansch and John Martyn, his songwriting owes more to American songwriters such as Paul Simon, Neil Young and indeed Ryan Adams- whom he cites as an influence and now a fan.

The album features full versions of recent Double A-side taster, ‘Midnight:Mystery’, with the remaining seven tracks covering a broad range of themes, all highly evocative offerings which trawl Pete’s encounters, ruminations, pub studies, love and friendships; at times in awe, at times angry, and all set against rich, sometimes delicate musical backdrops. The album was recorded in a remote studio in the Highlands of Scotland with final touches added by acclaimed producer Ethan Johns.

To support the release, Pete will set off on a headline tour of the UK and Ireland accompanied by members of Hot Feet. The tour starts in Leicester on Thursday 2nd May and takes in ten cities before closing in Brighton on Monday 13th May. Pete plays Glasgow on Sunday 5th May at SWG3, Glasgow tickets HERE.

The Scottish Music Industry Association [SMIA] is delighted to announce the longlist of twenty albums for the 2013 Scottish Album of the Year Award. The albums on the list represent a dazzling range of genres and musical styles highlighting, once again, the extraordinary depth of talent being produced in Scotland.

Open to Scottish artists who released albums in 2012, the longlist is the product of a rigorous and thorough nomination process, with submissions received by 100 specially invited nominators from the Scottish and UK music industries as well as elsewhere in the arts and media.

It will be possible to stream every one of the twenty longlisted title before a 24 hour public vote takes place on Monday 27th May. The album with the most public votes will secure an automatic place on The SAY Award Shortlist of ten, with the other nine titles being chosen by an independent panel of judges.

The SAY Award Longlist is: (in alphabetical order)

Admiral Fallow: Tree Bursts In Snow
Auntie Flo: Future Rhythm Machine
Calvin Harris: 18 Months
Dam Mantle: Brothers Fowl
Django Django: Django Django
Duncan Chisholm: Affric
Emeli Sandé: Our Version of Events
Errors: Have Some Faith In Magic
Human Don’t Be Angry: Human Don’t Be Angry
Karine Polwart: Traces
Konrad Wiszniewski & Euan Stevenson: New Focus
Lau: Race The Loser
Meursault: Something For The Weakened
Miaoux Miaoux: Light of the North
Paul Buchanan: Mid Air
PAWS: Cokefloat!
RM Hubbert: Thirteen Lost & Found
Stanley Odd: Reject
The Twilight Sad: No One Can Ever Know
The Unwinding Hours: Afterlives

Emma Swarbrick

Following a stream of support slots with the likes of Feeder, Idlewild, Frightened Rabbit and Twin Atlantic, up-and-coming Celt-rock group Fatherson headlined Edinburgh’s Wide Days showcase at Electric Circus on 11^th April. Kicking off the set with old favourite ‘Hometown’, the band swiftly had the crowd up off their chairs, chanting about stumbling over bridges and blindly throwing faith.

Despite a comparably short set, the quintet quickly captured the room with their catchy rhythms and choruses that will still be spinning around your head hours later. New single ‘First Born’ provoked a surge of excitement and propelled hands into the air, making it easy to see how this band has such a strong following.

Their folk-rock sound is given a real edge by the satisfying Scottish twang that weaves through the vocals. The atypical use of the cello, though sometimes lost amongst the heavier riffs, provides yet another interesting dimension to what is already a unique stage presence. The band showcase their musicality, switching up instruments and serving up just the right balance of tempo and dynamics; at one point, a bow is swept lightly across the guitar strings and the hauntingly rich tone is captivating.

Interaction with the crowd is limited but the audience is unfazed. This is a group that can let their music do the talking for them – with a growing fan base and some prestigious gigs under their belts, this is one to look out for. A dash for the last train after the band leave the stage only confirms the obvious – that this is definitely something worth travelling to see.

T in the Park festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager have announced that some of the most exciting breakthrough acts around have been added to the line-up for the festival’s 20th year celebrations.Local Natives, Swim Deep, Theme Park, Lewis Watson and Sons & Lovers are heading to Kinross over 12th – 14th July, joining some of the biggest acts in the world on the T in the Park bill.

LA indie rock outfit Local Natives will bring a California vibe to the Scottish countryside with their glorious harmonies and epic, soaring melodies. The band’s second album Hummingbird – produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner – is being widely tipped to take them to stratospheric new levels after they made a big impression at SXSW this year.

Birmingham four-piece Swim Deep also caused quite a stir at SXSW this year, wowing the crowd with their sun-kissed indie pop anthems. Swim Deep are one of 2013’s brightest stars, and they’re sure to showcase tracks from their hotly anticipated forthcoming debut album Where the Heaven Are We, due for release this summer, in their T in the Park set.

London-based Theme Park burst on to the scene in 2011, when their track Milk topped the Amazing Radio chart for an impressive three consecutive weeks. The band released their long awaited, self-titled debut album in February – a collection of indie-dance gems with a distinctly tropical flavour. One of the hottest new guitar bands around, they’re sure to get the T in the Park crowd going.

The debut EP from Oxford singer-songwriter Lewis Watson It’s Got Four Sad Songs On It BTW topped the iTunes singer-songwriter chart on its first day of release, outselling the likes of Adele, Madonna and Ed Sheeran in the process, and attracting the attention of just about every record label in the land. Excitement is continuing to build around this bright young songwriting talent, with tracks from his latest EP The Wild receiving airplay on BBC Radio 1. His T in the Park debut is not to be missed.

London four-piece Sons & Lovers kicked off the year with a four-week residency at Club NME, and things aren’t showing any sign of slowing down. With tracks such as Set My Heart and King earning the band a dedicated following, if you’re into your new bands then these rising stars are ones to watch.

Manchester indie legends James and Glasgow rock prodigies Twin Atlantic have been booked to headline the party to celebrate Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival’s tenth anniversary (Beauly, Inverness-shire; 2nd and 3rd August 2013)

James’s headline appearance at Bella in 2007 has gone down in history as one of the most celebrated moments at the event, leading to an invitation to the band to make a return visit this year. Formed in 1982, James have racked up more than 25 million sales worldwide from their 12 studio albums with hits such as ‘Come Home’, ‘Sit Down’ and ‘She’s A Star.’ They will close the festival on the Saturday night (3rd August)
Twin Atlantic’s story at Bella began with a legendary gig in the goNorth Seedlings stage in 2008 when the show had to be stopped and the rest of the gig was conducted with the enthusiastic audience sitting on the floor! Since then, the band has progressed to becoming one of Scotland’s most acclaimed rock acts with Bella proud to be giving them their first festival headline.

Saturday Hothouse Stage headliners are stellar garage rockers The Horrors. King Charles and Scots indie artists Admiral Fallow feature at the event and Rumours of Fleetwood Mac are also booked, together with Celtic rockers Peatbog Faeries who played the first Belladrum Festival way back in 2004
Lucy Spraggan brings her acoustic-folk-hip hop mix to Bella for the first time as does emerging soul artist Jacob Banks, who comes fresh from touring with Emile Sande. Scots folk star Dougie MacLean will headline the Black Isle Brewery Grassroots Stage, supported by folk legend Martin Carthy. Gavin James, an impressive young singer-songwriter from Ireland and Rick Redbeard of the Phantom Band in singer-songwriter mode are joined on the Black Isle Grassroots stage by the pagan pop-folk all-girl trio Stealing Sheep will also feature, together with: folk rockers Treetop Flyers who won Glastonbury’s 2011 emerging talent competition; Scotland’s much loved Celtic rockers, The Dangleberries; Jericho Hill – three ex-punks and a cowboy playing Johnny Cash; Victorian Trout Conspiracy, great ska from Edinburgh; Scotland’s most tipped unsigned band, Fatherson; local heroes Scooty and the Skyhooks, Brown Bear and the Bandits from Largs. Skerryvore, Feis Rois, Caledonian Ceilidh Trail and Toby Michaels Rolling Damned from the Highlands

“We are really delighted to be announcing such a mix of old friends and new talent at Bella for our tenth birthday,” said promoter Joe Gibbs. “It is very rewarding to see Scottish artists like Twin Atlantic progress from unsigned stage to top of the order, but also to see the longevity of many of the acts which come to Bella and have held the affections of the crowd over the years. In that vein, we are particularly please to welcome James back to the headline slot. With our dressing-up theme of ‘carnival,’ it’s going to be one hell of a party for Bella’s 10th.”

Belladrum 2013 takes place in the beautiful Highland surroundings of Belladrum Estate, near Beauly in Inverness-shire. The independent festival has built a reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its offbeat non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach. The festival won a VisitScotland Thistle Award in 2009 and is a past winner of the Grassroots Festival Award at the UK Festival Awards, the festival industry’s ‘oscars’.

Advance adult weekend tickets are £95. They include parking and camping, except for campervans and caravans which will be charged £50 per vehicle or £130 to include electrical hook-up.. As in previous years, tickets for children 12 & under are free. Online e-tickets are available from Skiddle.

Doune The Rabbit Hole takes place between August 22nd -25th and brings a psychedelic summer to The Cardross Estate Stirlingshire with a musical line up headlined by cult Liverpool band Clinic, Scottish folk-rock troubadour Alasdair Roberts & Friends and 60s psych heroes July. Glasgow indie legends The Pastels and punk-pop trio PAWS will also join in the fun.

The popular Inspire Stage will run all weekend as well as the Low End Dance Stage – with guests including Rebecca Vasmant and The Line Of Best Fit DJs. Expect a cinema tent, art trail and lots of workshops suitable for the whole family.

“We’re thrilled with our new location,” said Jamie Murray, festival director. “Cardross Estate is on the boundary of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. It’s a beautiful site which has experience of hosting outdoor events meaning we can make the production better than ever, suffice to say it’s a lovely flat, oak and beech-filled pasture!”

Doune The Rabbit Hole is a small-scale festival where music, art, spoken word performances, workshops and activities for a family audience are the focus.

Tickets for the festival are available now from Brown Paper Tickets. Full adult weekend camping tickets cost £78, children under 12 go free and day tickets are available, (see http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/305937 for full details).

This year car sharing is being actively encouraged, with parking fees reduced for those with full vehicles, the car share service is provided by goCarShare, who can be joined via the festival website.

With a universally acclaimed sophomore album and sold-out UK tour already under his belt, April is proving to be a stellar month for James Blake. Now he bolsters this even further with the announcement of a new string of UK live dates for September, followed by visits to some of Europe’s premier venues in October, which will ensure the rest of 2013 continues to shine as brightly.

The follow-up to his Mercury-nominated eponymous debut, ‘Overgrown’ has drawn glowing reviews from across the board, already placing it as one of the best-received records of 2013. While the recent string of British shows sold out rapidly, the announcement of a further set of dates this Autumn will give fans another chance to witness the spine-tingling power of James’ live realisation of the album’s tracks when he performs at six cities across the country. James plays Glasgow’s ABC on September 18th

Tickets for the shows will be available via pre-sale on Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th April through James’ website, with general sale from Thursday 18th April.

Glasgow Folk Rock quintet Washington Irving will release ‘Palomides : Volume 1′ on April 22nd, with the second half of the 2-part album dropping later this year.

Lead single ‘Wandering Wits’ which surfaced in live form a few months back, drops on the same day.

Having toured the country with Frightened Rabbit in February, the band play Glasgow King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut on 30th April, tickets here.