Ramble, rant or reminisce, this is an artist’s opportunity to pen their own Clash article. This month, Radio 1 DJ and new music champion Huw Stephens joins in on our January forecasting…
“Hello Clash readers. It’s an exciting time of year this. At least it can be. Apart from the debt, the weather, the grim reality of what the year ahead could mean for us, and so on. But in terms of music, it can be very optimistic. After a year of gigs and albums and tracks and tunes, it’s time, traditionally, to clean the palate and get focused on what’s going to be big in the year ahead. Sadly, it is normally big, rather than good. Music industry folks, in a state of controlled panic, often go to town on one band or artist or pop star, hoping it’s going to save their industry for the next few years at least. Sometimes it happens and the world catches on, more often the predictions are all but forgotten about by around mid-March.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about championing the new. Musicians need the leg up and encouragement by everyone, from their mates and family to blogs and broadcasters, to get their music out there and keeping the cosmic creative wheel turning. That thrill of finding a new song, hearing a new band, downloading that link from a producer’s site or occasionally discovering an entire new genre (2011 is going to be the year for Juke and Footwork, excitingly) is a brilliant one, and one that, thanks to various creative pockets around the world, continues to amaze and inspire. Trash Talk, Cerebral Ballzy, Chad Valley and Y Niwl are some of the bands that knocked me sideways last year, none of which I knew about or could have tipped for great things at the beginning of 2010.
The same goes for this year really. Of course, I hope Chad Valley and Fixers from Oxford do well, look forward to hearing albums by Frankie And The Heartstrings and Dutch Uncles, and I look forward to hearing more James Blake and The Vaccines too. Now that they’ve been tipped everywhere, more eyes and ears will be on them than they could ever have imagined. How wonderful to know that an audience is ready to lap up your music and will welcome it with open arms; that’s a luxury some bands and producers can only dream of.
It must be massive pressure on a band or artist to have everyone tipping them for big things for the next twelve months. I’m guessing that if they’re tipped for greatness by enough people, that there’s a determination, a belief in themselves and a confidence there that will carry them through whatever 2011 will bring. Exciting times!
I’m intrigued to know who’ll do an xx. Who will come up from behind, jump out (in whatever style they wish to do so), and say, ‘Hey, we could change your life’? That’s the beauty of it, that’s the excitement at the start of the year, the venturing into the unknown.”
Discover new music with Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1 Wednesdays 9pm-10pm and Thursdays 12am-2am.
