// Part 4
Juce
Georgia, Chalin, and Cherish have had quite the time in 2014, attracting attention from music blogs and record labels alike, culminating with them signing a record deal with Island Records later in the year. The tropical pop trio have impressed us with their music videos videos and dance routines, but most of all with “Taste The JUCE!” – their debut EP which officially announced their arrival on the scene.
We think a debut album could be on the way in ’15.
Jack Garratt
We were delivered one hell of a surprise in early 2014 when we were struck by a heart-wrenchingly beautiful debut single called “I Couldn’t Want You Anyway“ by UK ‘newcomer’ Jack Garratt. Since then he has continued to pull at our heartstrings with a number of high profile releases that have always maintained that original quality.
He has since signed to Island Records and purged the original tracks which were responsible for his original popularity. We can’t help but feel that these are being hidden away for a repackaged release in 2015.
Laurel
Southampton siren Laurel really came to prominence last year after releasing her impressive “To The Hills” EP in early 2014. Labelling herself as “London’s last sweetheart”, she continued to show artistic development after unleashing her heartfelt “To The Hills” EP, which started to garner her comparisons to the likes of Lana and Banks.
She’s definitely built her own lane though, and we can only hope her rich, husky vocals will be getting a workout on a 2015 debut album.
RIVRS
We may feel like we have have London based opposite sex electronic duos coming out of our ears sometimes, but one group we can’t forget about is RIVRS. Formerly known as Thief, the duo haven’t actually got that much music available on their SoundCloud account anymore, but thanks to some technical issues we have heard some of their forthcoming work, and it’s pretty special.
Their music is delicious on the ears, and their interpretation of En Vogue‘s “Don’t Let Go” was one of our favourite covers of the year.
Lisbon
If you want some music to distract yourself from the drudgery of everyday life, then look no further than four-piece Lisbon who seem to have completely forgotten that they originally hail from Newcastle, England. Be it their tropical sounding debut single “BLUELOVE“, or their South American inspired followup “Rio“, these guys are guaranteed to transport your mind to somewhere gorgeous and sunny.
Expect these guys to pick up a huge following in the UK next year.
Harts
Aussie solo artist from Melbourne not only attracted our attention in 2014, but also managed to gain a fan in the form of the one and only Prince (who we understand requested a meeting with the young superstar after a show of his). Why was he so impressed you ask? Probably because he can play the shit out of a guitar better than any artist on this year’s list. Not only that but he’s a multi-instrumentalist, who produces all of his own work from start to finish.
He may already be popular in the oceanics thanks to his debut album “Daydreamer“, but 2015 could be the year where he strikes worldwide.
Vérité
During CMJ last year, New York native Vérité managed to wow crowds with her stunning take on electro-pop. Working closely with drummer and producer Ethan Jacobson she impressed further with her debut EP, “Echo“, which is a four-track strong platform from which she will now orchestrate her pop dominance in 2015.
Based on the strength of the EP, we have very high hopes for her.
Honne
Honne are a duo from Somerset/Wiltshire who unbelievably work as schoolteachers by day, but deliver soulful new age R&B by night. They recently released their EP “Warm On A Cold Night / Baby Please” to a rapturous welcome by music bloggers everywhere.
Thankfully the former track is still aptly named for the current season, but we are expecting a wave of new material from them in 2015.
Lincoln Jesser
Listening to Lincoln Jesser was like love at first sight as we discovered there is a new rising star from LA, who is armed with a shitload of synth laden instant classics. In September he dropped his impressive debut album “Modern Colour“, but we get the feeling that with his rate of musical output, there will be much more for us to hear in 2015.
Sonia Stein
We were very impressed when we clapped ears on Sonia Stein‘s first SoundCloud release “Friendly Ghost“, but she has since surpassed herself by dropping an incredible Liam Howe produced 4-track EP called “Closure“. Her r&b/pop hybrid sounds amazing to our ears, and we can only imagine what direction she will head in 2015.
