A segment that showcases unheard talents, CelebMix is releasing two articles per week highlighting some of the best musicians on the planet. These artists may be known to some, however, we believe they should be known by all!
If you missed our previous article in the series about British alt-pop duo Oh Wonder, then click here to find out about the artist. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for future articles, as you will soon find yourself a new favorite musician! For now, here’s Blossoms.
Blossoms
Back in 2013, indie rock band Blossoms was formed consisting of members Tom Ogden, Charlie Salt, Josh Dewhurst, Joe Donovan and Myles Kellock. The band became popular within their hometown of Manchester rather quickly, and are now on route to becoming one of the UK’s hottest indie bands.
From Stockport, Manchester in the UK, the alternative rock group grew up close to one another and began playing gigs at local pubs and cafe’s. Named after a public house in Stockport, Blossoms gained a rehearsal space in Charlie Salt’s grandfather’s scaffolding yard, where they began to practice and write music. In January 2014, their first single was released entitled ‘You Pulled a Gun on Me’ with a self-produced music-video on a budget of £60. The song was released independently, having been recorded at Eve studios in Manchester, before the group were signed to Skeleton Records in spring 2014.
Through March to August of 2014, Blossoms embarked on their first UK tour to promote their EP, ‘Bloom’. Here they played their first festival in Sheffield, before opening for James, a British rock band that has sold 25 million albums worldwide, to a crowd of 8,000 people. Shortly after this, all five members of the band quit their jobs to fully pursue their music career, heading on another UK tour in the autumn. The band managed to sell out the Manchester date of the tour, at Sound Control, a venue made famous by The Stone Roses and New Order.
In 2015, Blossoms supported The Courteeners and The Charlatans on tour across Britain, before being invited to play a set for the Official SXSW Showcase at Latitude 30 in Austin, Texas by BBC Introducing. This proved a huge moment in the bands career, as they were finally performing outside of their home country to hundreds of fans. In August of the same year, Blossoms signed with Virgin EMI and released another EP, ‘Blown Rose’. Summer festivals such as Y Not, Reading and Leeds and The Great Escape also featured Blossoms as performers in 2015.
The remainder of 2015 for the band was spent recording their debut album. On October 5th, Blossoms released the single ‘Charlemagne’ on iTunes and Spotify, before releasing the ‘Charlemagne’ EP a few weeks later. The single went on to be a success for the group, being featured as BBC Radio 1’s Track of the Day and on Spotify’s ‘Spotlight on 2016’ list. The song also reached No. 98 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 38 on the Scottish Singles Chart, the first time the band’s songs had featured on such publications in the UK. In December, the EP topped the Christmas vinyl chart, and the BBC announced the group as being apart of the Sound of 2016 poll, of which they finished fourth. This secured the band an impressive year in the music industry.
After the release of the ‘At Most a Kiss’ EP and numerous performances across the UK in 2016, including Glastonbury, Blossoms secured a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge performance, where they covered WSTRN’s ‘In2’ and performed their most recent song ‘At Most a Kiss’. This led to Annie Mac playing the bands song ‘Getaway’ for the first time on BBC Radio 1 and a supporting act slot for the Stone Roses at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, Blossoms biggest show to date. Ogden, Salt, Dewhurst, Donovan and Kellock were also featured on the NME magazine cover in August 2016.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIrWWUjgonu/?taken-by=blossomsband&hl=en
Their self-titled debut album was released on August 5th of 2016 with ‘My Favourite Room’ and ‘Honey Sweet’ being released as early singles. The album was met with favorable reviews, with many critics providing the album with a 4 out of 5 star rating. The album peaked at the top of the UK Albums Chart in its first week, while also charting on the Irish Albums Chart at No. 12. This was bands first number one album in Britain, marking a memorable achievement for all members of the group.
“Their debut album opens as radio-friendly as it can be; the irrepressible ‘Charlemagne’ is built around ‘Running Up That Hill’ rhythms, clubland synthpop and a hook worthy of Hall & Oates, A-ha and, yes, The 1975.” Mark Beaumont for NME pointed out when reviewing the album.
“Then something interesting happens. Midway through glacial, nostalgic piano ballad ‘Onto Her Bed’, the song dissolves in a swarm of poltergeist atmospherics before it hits the chorus and Blossoms begin exposing roots, prodding boundaries.”
It isn’t surprising that the album, which features 12 memorable tracks, has spread across the UK into the hearts of indie/rock fans. The band, which have been compared to the likes of Catfish and The Bottlemen, are creating a new sound in the large indie scene of the UK. Who knows what’s next for Blossoms, with their schedule for the next few months filled with tours and festivals. We here at CelebMix know the group are destined for global dominance, we’re just waiting for when that moment will come.
Do you listen to any unknown/rising musicians from across the world that deserve more praise for their work? Let us know by tweeting @CelebMix on Twitter and your favorite artists could be featured next!