// Part 3

EVVY

One of the better pop introductions of the year came from NYC native EVVY whose “Got Me Movin” had us up and moving more than once too. She followed up that instantly catchy single with her self-titled “EVVY” EP, which was also a joy to listen to.

We’re thinking that now she’s on a roll, a LP can’t be that far off?

Emerson Jay

It’s been an exciting 2014 for Emerson Jay who have managed to release their debut EP, as well as a handful of catchy singles too. The band who hail from Pittsburgh really do have us on the edge of our seat every time they upload something new to SoundCloud, as we genuinely have no idea what direction they are going to step in next.

It’s that kind of excitement that we hope they will continue to bring to us next year.

EKKAH

What happens when you put Rebecca Wilson and Rebekah Pennington together? Yeah you guessed it. Or did you? We were talking about a funky fresh duo from Birmingham, who have been impressing with their take on post-disco. “Last Chance To Dance” was a favourite of ours in 2014, and their debut EP of the same name was a refreshing sound for our ears.

Lets see what else they have in store.

VOYAGEUR

We were stunned in 2014 when we listened to VOYAGEUR’s acoustic single “Pharoahs”, which highlighted some simply amazing songwriting ability. Inevitably there was more to come from the London-based artist, which completely backed our initial observations.

We’ve had an EP from him, it looks like we might get another, but would it be too much to ask for an album too?

James Bay

Already chosen as the #1 pick by the Brit Awards Critics Choice panel and likely to place high on the BBC Sound of 2015 shortlist too, James Bay is undoubtedly going to make a big impact on the UK music scene in 2015. Is that thanks to the media self-fulfilling their prophecy? Maybe, but the kid does have some catchy stuff up his sleeve too.

Expect to see him and his hat more than you saw Pharrell with it in 2014.

// Part 4

Mick Jenkins

His beat selection is unconventional and his lyricism is complex to say the least. Mick Jenkins is one of the shining stars to come out of the red hot Chicago hip-hop scene in the past few years.

With three really strong mixtapes behind him now, we only look forward to what he can continue to produce in the future.

SLK

Rising female R&B star SLK cooked up some magic with fellow Artists To Watch in 2015 producer Embody when she dropped her “Form” EP in early 2014. Since then all has been quiet on the music front, but we suspect she is mustering something special for us in 2015.

We can only shake our heads in the knowledge that she is still unsigned…

Laurasia

Even though we don’t have much to go off from boy/girl Australian duo Laurasia, there’s a simple guitar riff that drives their inclusion on this list. “Rainmaker” was their low key entrance into our lives, and we immediately saw potential there.

“Rainmaker” is catchy as hell, and we reckon there is more to come.

1987

I think we probably have only one inclusion on the list where the material is written and sung in a language that isn’t English. Welcome then Swedish male 1987 who is so damn good at songwriting that we don’t care whether we can understand what he is saying or not.

Could he make the crossover and focus on a broader appeal to English markets? Yes. Does he have to do that to make his music enjoyable? Not at all.

Kero Kero Bonito

After a rise in appeal of ‘PC Music’ last year, it was inevitable that a group would come along to push the boundaries. Step forward Kero Kero Bonito, a London based trio who are unique in the fact that their lead singer Sarah is half-Japanese, and she delivers her vocals in crazy smooth mixture of Japanese and English.

It’s hard to describe their sound, but easy to label it as insanely catchy.