James Emmanuel ‘A Time to Heal’ 

Nigerian-born and Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter James Emmanuel has shared his debut EP ‘A Time To Heal’. Appropriately named after his own personal journey and the difficult times we live in, the EP is a big milestone for the artist who first found his love of soul music at the age of five in Benin City, Nigeria. Since then, his journey has taken him all over, first learning his craft in his father’s gospel choir before travelling to South Africa and then the UK, where he found home in Edinburgh and joined many open mic nights, late-night jams and busking sessions. Discovered in the city’s Jazz Bar, he caught the attention of Decca Records after self-financing his first release and the EP was born. ‘A Time To Heal’ is therefore imbued with lived experience and deeply personal themes – from his concerns for his daughter on ‘Brothers and Sisters’, to the ode to Edinburgh on ‘Nothing But Love’ to the reassuring ‘Healing’, sung for his brother in a time of struggle, to the intimate and vulnerable closer ‘A Little Rain’, a recognition of past mistakes and a promise to do better. It’s an EP that’s striking in its honesty and vulnerability as James lays his heart bare – delivering each track with his timeless, soulful vocals and with the backing of a stellar band. Channelling the likes of Marvin Gaye, his music transports us to a bygone era, yet it feels so vitally current – soulful, emotive and deeply moving.

Tomorrow Kid ‘Dream I Had’ 

Last month, we shared ‘Take The Dive’ from Tomorrow Kid – the new project from Dundee-based songwriter Ross McQueen, previously known for indie-pop band PLASMAS. Making a quickfire return, he’s now shared ‘Dream I Had’ – a track that sees him team up with songwriter and producer Johnny Madden once again. Centred around a punchy, chanting chorus, it’s a pop-punk gem – full of hooks, high-energy guitars and yearning vocals. Busted fans take note.

FAEDA ‘SOUTH PAW’

Following the release of their debut single last month, FAEDA are back swinging with a new follow-up track ‘SOITH PAW’. The Thurso outfit already have a formidable live reputation, and they lay that energy down on record with an onslaught of driving guitars and pulsing drums. Featuring a huge chorus, it’s gritty, anthemic and unapologetically loud.  The band say, “it is about drawing a line with someone who drains you, it’s sharp, unapologetic and about refusing to give your energy to people who don’t deserve it. It’s the satisfaction of walking away and never looking back. It starts off as a catchy hooky song then slaps you right in the face with an enormous heavy riff around the bridge.”

Cardinals ‘The Burning of Cork’ 

Cork outfit Cardinals appeared in Glasgow earlier this week in support of NewDad – the day before they dropped a brand new track called ‘The Burning of Cork’.  Set to feature on their debut album ‘Masquerade’, out on 13th February via So Young Records, the new track is a biting, politically charged return that shows them at their most dark and menacing – frontman Euan Manning’s pained vocals set against a tangled, searing wall of guitars and drums as they reflect on the atrocities committed by the British Army. He says: “The song takes its name from the act of terror inflicted upon Cork City by the British Army’s Black and Tan forces in December 1920. It’s the record at its heaviest and most menacing.”

Jasmine 4.t and Jacob Alon ‘Find Ur Ppl’ 

Jasmine 4.t and Jacob Alon have teamed up for a moving new song called ‘Find Ur Ppl’. The track is featured on a special All Things Go compilation which celebrates ten years of the festival – all proceeds will be going towards The Ally Coalition, a non-profit organisation that supports LGBT+ youth. Both known for their raw and intimate songwriting, it’s a powerful song about finding beauty and strength in difficult times and finding strength and comfort in your community.