Entertainment

The Ones To Watch In Music 2016

By Andy Morris

29 October 2015

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These are the bands, singers and songwriters

you're going to be hearing a lot more of in 2016. From sloppy

Spanish garage rock to surreal cinematic French pop, via a feminist

Chicago MC and a 16 year old folk act from North Yorkshire, this is

your chance to check out your future Spotify favourites.

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Lapsley
Electro artist Låpsely (Holly Lapsley Fletcher) had a stellar 2015 thanks to her original summer single Hurt Me and being named as one of BBC’s Sound of 2015. Raised in Merseyside and signed to XL Records – the label where Adele and The xx come from – the 19-year-old writes, sings, produces and happens to look great in a custom kimono. Her unique sonic identity has been the talk of the internet for months and the one-two punch of her hugely-anticipated debut album has been well worth the wait. Long Way Home is an honest, lyrical masterpiece with beautiful glass-like vocals and deep, hypnotic beats. She’s also done knockout cover versions of Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon, New Order’s Blue Monday, and Zayn Malyk’s Pillowtalk. Plus, her Bestival set was so emotional a couple got engaged in the middle of it.
Sunflower Bean
Given that singer Julia Cumming has already modelled for Hedi Slimane, you’d expect something cutting edge and unconventional about this New York band. What makes them so exciting is that their songs (described as “neo-psychedelic for the digital age”) are based on the band’s shared love of Velvet Underground and Led Zeppelin. Signed to Fat Possum Records, home of The Black Keys, Sunflower Bean are without question one of the most promising acts of 2016.
Frances
It feels so self-evident that Frances will follow in the footsteps of Adele that we might as well book her appearance at the Brit Awards now. A 22 year old from Newbury, who is already a firm favourite of Sam Smith, Frances produces piano-led, expertly crafted pop with crystalline vocals that soar in all the right places. Signed to Communion Records, it’s the raw emotion that comes through on record - lines like “Any breaking wave could lead you home” is the sort of lyric that Chris Martin would be proud of. All she now needs is a romantic comedy soundtrack/X Factor montage and she’ll be a megastar.
Aaron Serrano
Hinds
Seemingly generated from a Spanish teenager’s Instagram feed, Hinds’ debut album Leave Me Alone is out in January. This Madrid band are scrappy, exuberant and a touch shambolic: it’s not that surprising that their support slots for the Libertines went down a storm. If you think Taylor Swift’s squad looks fun, Hinds’ Madrid girl group perpetually look like they are having the time of their lives - tracks like Bamboo have the drunken confidence of a Friday night Caitlin Moran tweet. As singer Carlotta Cosials put it recently: “We love to have as much fun as we can, basically. That's the point of music.”

Tink
At the 2015 BET Awards in June, it took less than 90 seconds for Tink to steal the show. Freestyling as part of a cypher, Tink (real name: Trinity Home) truly showed why she’s one of the most talked about MCs in rap right now. Blessed with production by Timbaland (listen to her Aaliyah reboot Million for proof), the Chicago 20 year old effortless combines intricate storytelling and verbal dexterity (if you’ve ever felt like your partner is cheating listen to There’s Somebody Else). After six hugely acclaimed mix-tapes, her debut album #ThinkTink deserves to be enormous.
Gem Harris
The Big Moon
A grungy all-female London four-piece, The Big Moon, at their best sound akin to Sonic Youth circa 1986 or Elastica circa 1995. They’ve already supported dress-wearing rocker Ezra Furman live and were the highlight of DIY Magazine’s recent Neu tour. The video for their single Nothing Without You is akin to a school anxiety dream brought to life and if their buzzy, scuzzy breakthrough single Sucker is anything to go by, expect The Big Moon to be the female festival headliners that the industry needs so desperately.
Kelela
Combining striking visuals with otherworldly sounds, Kelela makes futuristic soul music. Hugely inspired by Bjork, her latest EP Hallucinogen is a rarity: an electronica project with a beating emotional heart. Rarely has a track captured better the impending feeling of a night out than Rewind - it’s pure Janet Jackson in her prime. Washington-born Kelela is currently working in the studio with Ariel Rechtshaid, the producer who crafted some of Haim and Brandon Flowers’ purest pop moments. If everything goes right she could be next year's FKA Twigs.
Rex Features
Christine and the Queens
Currently supporting Marina & The Diamonds on tour, singer Heloise Letissier is a besuited style icon in the making - the audio equivalent of a Helmut Newton portrait. Inspired by the drag queens she met in London’s Soho, her debut album Chaleur Humaine has an effervescent elegance about it (the English language version is out in February). Sounding like a combination of cult French singer Camille and Kiwi pop titan Lorde, Heloise also performs a beautiful take on Kanye West’s auto-tune lament Heartless.

The Staves
Now that Haim has been enlisted as full-time Swiftian besties, we need another all female country influenced trio to take their place: The Staves fit the bill admirably. Produced by Justin ‘Bon Iver’ Vernon, their stunning album If I Was combines a tonne of close harmonies with a considerable amount of heartbreak. The Hertfordshire trio also do a killer Bruce Springsteen cover and recently supported Florence & The Machine: 2016 is theirs for the taking.
Nao
Championed by Radio One’s resident tastemaker Annie Mac, Nao specialises in what she calls ‘wonky funk’. Her single Bad Blood (no, it’s not about Katy Perry) shows that working with Disclosure has taught her how to make an emotionally intense dancefloor banger. An escapee from Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Nao’s single Inhale Exhale is pure Nineties R&B and Golden has the kind of slap bass that’ll make you think you’re in a Seinfeld episode. Nao is adamant that she doesn’t want to fit in - and with tunes this strong she won’t have to.
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Cherry Glazerr
One of the most hyped bands of the year after their support slots for the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, this LA punk trio met at music school. Signed to Burger Records, they share a love of St Vincent’s snarly guitar tracks - and you can tell by their delivery that, like Annie Clark, they mean every word they say. They recently parted company with drummer Hannah Uribe but once the new line-up is confirmed, expect them to make a huge impact. Note: if you’ve ever wanted a snack you would be willing to swap your first born for, make sure you listen to Grilled Cheese.
Billie Marten
With a depth of feeling and conviction in her voice that belies the fact she’s only just finished her GCSEs, Billie Marten is truly gifted. The 16 year old has already supported country singer Lucy Rose, is a firm favourite of Radio One’s Huw Stephens and her stripped-back tracks are more akin to Fiona Apple’s early work than any TV talent show balladry. Her track Bird has a glacial beauty to it while her unlikely cover of Royal Blood’s Out Of The Black even got the seal of approval from the band themselves.

Petite Meller
Heavy on the rouge, light on her feet, Parisian performer Petite Meller is bonkers. Having produced the most surreal videos of the year (the pitch for Baby Love appears to be “Giraffe tea party with a lingerie dress code”), Meller’s full-length debut album is expected in early 2016. Inspired in equal measure by the works of French philosopher Charles Deleuze and the Eighties films of Ron Howard, she was one of the standout performances at this year’s Latitude festival. If Lady Gaga’s template of “Weird visuals, great outfits, sweet tunes” works a second time, Meller is going to be massive.
Kacy Hill
With a haircut resembling The Fifth Element’s Milla Jovovich, Phoenix-born, former American Apparel model Hill had one piece of good luck. Despite being a self-confessed “terrible dancer” and an “extroverted introvert”, Kacy was picked by Kanye West to accompany him on his Yeezus tour and was subsequently signed to his label GOOD Music. She grew up listening to the Cranberries, Moby and Third Eye Blind (!) before selecting her own musical blueprint: a female take on the heart-wrenching machine soul of James Blake. She aims to make songs you can "dance to and cry to”. She succeeds.
Verite
Waitress-turned-singer may not be the most revolutionary career path but that doesn’t stop former Applebee’s employee Verite (aka New Yorker Kelsey Byrne) from making supremely forward-looking pop. She stunned at 2015’s The Great Escape and is set to be one of the key performers at this year’s Community festival. What makes her so special is that in a world of non-descript downbeat electronica, she produces proper solid pop songs: Weekend is the sort of longing and lust track that you can imagine Ellie Goulding craving. Her recent tour with fellow next big thing Jack Garratt confirms she’s one to watch.
Anne-Marie
Following in the footsteps of John Newman, Jess Glynne and Ella Eyre, Anne-Marie is the latest Rudimental guest vocalist to step out on her own. Her martial-arts inspired first single Karate showed promise but it’s her latest track, the glorious Lily Allen-esque Boy that really shows what she’s capable of. Incidentally she survived a tour of duty with legendary hard partying dubstep trio Magnetic Man - so underestimate her at your peril.

Emma Ballantine
For fans of Laura Marling, Emma Ballantine is a godsend. Folky without the whimsy that plagues open mic nights, she plays with a real conviction and passion. Originally from Salisbury and now based in north London, she self released her own EP on Shut Up Jo in June. Supported by BBC 6 Music and Q Magazine, she also does a surprisingly strong cover of Suzanne Vega’s The Queen and The Soldier: it’s the sort of track that somehow sounds like every single poignant part of a Sunday night ITV drama.
Beau
Given that they’ve already been shot by legendary photographer Ryan McGinley and earning comparisons with Stevie Nicks, New York duo Heather Boo (21) and Emma Jenney (20) look set to have a great festival season next summer. Having met at what they describe as “Hippie school” in New York (there was an existentialism class), they learned to play guitar on a stoop in Macdougal Street and bonded over a love of Joni Mitchell. Their debut album That Thing Reality was recorded in both Nashville and Shoreditch is set for release in March. No wonder the style set has already taken note: they’ve already played a gig for Chloe at Paris Fashion Week.
Dua Lipa
Twenty year old Londoner Dua has got one of those classic Brit soul voices - less Jessie J hysterics and more Jessie Ware-style seduction. Having dropped out of drama school (“I didn’t have all the jazz hands and s***” she explained), Dua was discovered after posting Youtube covers (including Alessia Cara’s peerless Here and a bold take on Jamie XX’s Good Times). Currently working with Lana Del Rey’s producer Emile Haynie and Mark Ronson collaborator Andrew Wyatt, she seems destined for greatness.
Laura Welsh
Given that one of her biggest hits appeared on the 50 Shades soundtrack, no wonder Welsh’s latest track is called Sex & Violence. A powerful ballad sounding like Roisin Murphy covering Sade, it confirms Welsh as one to watch for 2016. Having already worked with super producer Dev Hynes on her debut album Soft Control, the Staffordshire born Welsh has recently started recording her second LP in London, Stockholm and LA. We can’t wait to hear the results.