Music opinion: Four UK artists that deserve more recognition

It’s easy to get into a rut and turn a blind eye to the smaller up-and-coming artists that could be the ‘next big thing’.

Here, Music News Blitz writer Amelie Da Costa looks at four Northern bands and musicians worth considering for your next music listening session.

Pale Waves

Pale Waves are a four-piece rock and indie band from Manchester who have released three studio albums since their 2018 debut My Mind Makes Noise.

The lead singer and the main face of the band is Heather Baron-Gracie who has often sung about her relationships with women, for example in ‘She’s My Religion’.

Pale Waves have been getting more and more recognition over the years, with sets at some of the big festivals across the UK.

Overall, their discography is great for fans of indie and rock music or the LGBTQ+ community.

The band has had the highest number of monthly listeners of the music artists in this list, scoring 443.4k.

Foxglove

Euphoric female-fronted indie pop band Foxglove from Manchester has been going for three years since their first single ‘Run’ in 2022.

They have performed at some festivals over the years such as the Neighbourhood Weekender - but have never gotten the recognition they deserve.

Despite them being small, they are still going and have released an EP in 2024 that contains three singles and two other separate songs, receiving a few thousand streams per song.

Their most popular song at the moment on Spotify is ‘Sometimes’ which has gained them 2,316 streams, containing a catchy drum beat and electric guitar melody that blends well with the lead singer's voice.

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Imogen Evans

Based in the North West, singer and songwriter Imogen Evans is a music artist from Blackpool who has been making music for years.

While attending college in 2023, she released her first single ‘This Insecure Mind’, which is her most streamed song to date, with over 10,000 streams on Spotify.

Over the past two years, Evans has officially released four singles and one album up until 2024, taking strong inspiration from the band ‘Mother, Mother’

Regarding her future plans, the musician stated that she and her new producer were “in the studio for three full days, recording three new songs”.

She went on to explain how she’s “not sure whether they’re going to be released as singles, or an EP or an album” just yet.

Despite only having 125 monthly listeners on Spotify, she still has a unique passion for music and being authentic to who she is.

Counting 7s

Moving away from streaming services, Counting 7s is a Yorkshire-based band who perform their own songs in nightclubs in Leeds.

The inspiration for the band is other small music artists that have been experimenting with the punk, emo and hardcore genre.

When asked about the advantages of being in a small band, Morgan, the rhythm guitarist and co-frontman of Counting 7s, said “it helps you get tight with a lot of people and opens up networking opportunities”.

The co-frontman also went on to say that “it’s nice to find other smaller bands that are also doing the same stuff you’re doing, so you can start working with them”.

Their plans in the future are to eventually perform in every venue in Leeds and perform at a festival for the first time, hopefully receiving support from bigger artists.

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