Tue 8 Apr 19:30pm
Spring Showcase time! Karousel Music, SESAC and the Music Managers Forum (MMF) showcase another 4 brilliant acts from both inside and outside of London.
ETHAN HODGES
Ethan Hodges is a 23 year old, London based singer-songwriter. In 2024, Ethan won ‘International Rookie’ at the Denniz Pop Awards in Sweden for his songwriting. The jury described him as having “an amazing voice, amazing songs and extraordinary talent.” They’re not wrong. We heard two tracks and fell off the revolving chair.
Ethan’s latest single ‘Let Me Let You Go’ released by Mahogany Songs has gained over 100k streams in just a few weeks, and his previous track ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’ is pushing 20 million. He’s not even started yet.
ERNIE
‘ERNIE’ is the brainchild and solo project of singer-songwriter Joe Ernest Allan.
Sonically, ERNIE takes influence from a blend of the folksy, old-timey music of small-town America and the lo-fi indie rock and electronica music of the present day. At their core, his songs are folk songs driven by brooding, heartfelt vocals and finger-picked acoustic guitar. However, the ERNIE live show is so much more, with fuzzy guitars, warbly synths, and glitchy drums in tow. In recent months, ERNIE and the band have been honing their live show, supporting the likes of Sam Fender, Wunderhorse, English Teacher, Baxter Dury, Goat Girl, Runnner, and many more across the UK, alongside festival performances at Live At Leeds, Boardmasters, The Great Escape, and more.
Produced by Josh Ingledew alongside Thom Lewis (Sam Fender), and mixed by Grammy award-winning producer Catherine Marks (boygenius, Foals, Wolf Alice), ERNIE’s debut EP Cold Cuts was released in November 2023 via Gravity Records (Divorce), receiving widespread praise across the broadsheets (The Sunday Times, The Independent) and key indie champions (NME, The Line of Best Fit, Dork, DIY, Rough Trade, La Blogotheque, Clash), as well as support from BBC Introducing, John Kennedy (Radio X), Matt Wilkinson (Apple), Huw Stephens, and Radcliffe & Maconie (6 Music).
Hailing from a sleepy suburban town just outside of Newcastle Upon Tyne, ERNIE’s lyrics read like diary entries, looking back nostalgically and humorously on his turbulent, misspent youth, as well as touching on themes of love, toxic masculinity, working-class life, the inner workings of the anxious mind, and tales of eccentric characters encountered in the kitchen over the years at his day job as a professional chef.
MALIMBA
“Anthemic and powerful. Soulful and impactful in perfect halves.” – EARMILK
“Interweaving gospel and indie-rock to astounding impact.” – NOTION
“Soulful, angelic, powerful, with anthemic drops.” – LINE OF BEST FIT
“Epic as ever… Very exciting new talent”. – BBC INTRO
Ash has opened for Friendly Fires, Tom Walker and Elderbrook, giving a small glimpse into the potential and ambition of this new, revamped MULIMBA. Gospel & Hip-hop inspired beats laced with electro Daft Punk-style hooks provide one of the most aggressively original soundscapes for MULIMBA’s indie vocal to shine on. A true artist with his hands firmly wrapped around a sound that he’s spent his whole life trying to find, it seems like everything in Ash’s life up to this point has been research and development for this very moment in his career.
BLUE RINGED BABY
Blue Ringed Baby is a London-based producer, DJ, and visual artist blending ambient jazz with the raw energy of U.K. jungle. Inspired by the early internet era, their sound design creates immersive, genre-defying experiences best felt live. Known for expertly curated parties that fuse music and visuals, Blue Ringed Baby also boasts a discography of edits played in underground spaces worldwide. Their work is a visceral journey through nostalgia and innovation, inviting listeners to explore the intersection of chaos and calm.