Blimey! I must say that local promoter ‘Hidden Herd’ are most certainly doing their thing in order to promote grassroots music here in Brighton at the moment. Not only have they been running their monthly ‘Hidden Herd Presents’ new music showcases at The Hope & Ruin on Queens Road, but now have started to add in other nights at the iconic Prince Albert venue located a stone’s throw away from Brighton mainline railway station. Having tested the waters with one or two previous concerts at ‘The Albert’ of late, ‘Hidden Herd’ have now taken the breaks off and secured four new music nights over the next four months. These dates being Thursday 25th April, Thursday 23rd May, Wednesday 19th June and Wednesday 17th July.
Let’s see what they have got planned for us in date order…
Thursday 25th April will feature performances from Lonnie Gunn + Soft Top + Sasha Assad.
Lonnie Gunn
Lonnie Gunn captivates with an irresistible allure, creating soft rock dreamscapes that unfold like a cinematic journey. The Brighton-based, New Jersey-raised artist exists in a unique realm, connecting with her devoted queer following through raw, emotive lyrics that cover everything from tragic romance to unrestrained lust. She has amassed a strong organic following over the past two years, unveiling five stellar singles that recall the likes of Angel Olsen, Mitski and Weyes Blood, including 2023’s mirrorball-swirling slowburner ‘Honeymoon Suite’ and its dreamy recent follow-up ‘Looney Tune’. Experiencing a surge in traction in the latter half of 2023, Lonnie Gunn shared stages with other exciting emerging artists like Trudy and the Romance, Viji, WOOZE and Welly, and she’s poised to kickstart 2024 with the release of her latest queer anthem, ‘Jessie’s Pitbull’.
www.instagram.com/lonniegunnbulliedme
Soft Top
Formed in March 2023, Soft Top began as the brainchild of singer-songwriter Miles Goodall, before evolving into an expansive baroque pop seven-piece featuring members of Hutch, Ideal Living, SAD DADS, TINMAN, SLANT and bobbysmiles. Drawing on influences such as Andy Shauf, Matt Maltese and Grizzly Bear, the Brighton-based group have released two incredible singles to date, ’Voiceover’ and ‘Runaway’, via brilliant tastemaker label Crafting Room Recordings. Last year, Soft Top delivered captivating performances aplenty at venues like Green Door Store, Folklore Rooms and The Rossi Bar, along with standout performances at ‘234 Festival’ and their very own Mumfest all-dayer, raising funds for the Liverpool cancer unit where Miles’s mother underwent treatment. Looking ahead in 2024, the band is set to release a concept album inspired by a near-death experience, with recording underway and a release pencilled for autumn.
www.instagram.com/softtopmusic
Sasha Assad
Egyptian-British artist Sasha Assad seamlessly blends her indie-rock influences with emotive lyrics and ear-worm hooks. Signed to Fierce Panda Records, Sasha has recently delivered two standout singles, ‘Still’ and ‘Bad Nature,’ setting the stage for her highly anticipated upcoming EP ‘Tearstick.’ Her journey so far includes airplay on Radio X and BBC Music Introducing, acclaim from This Feeling as a ‘Big in 2024’ artist, and multiple features as Gigslutz’s Track of the Day. On the road, she has graced festivals like Truck and Dot To Dot, supported Enjoyable Listens and Noah and the Loners, and recently played DIY Magazine’s Class of 2024 Launch Party at Colours in Hoxton with Divorce.
Purchase your tickets for this night HERE.
Thursday 23rd May will feature performances from Low Island + ELI + Moon Idle.
Low Island
Tucked away in their Oxford studio, UK quartet Low Island have been carefully honing a unique combination of stirring electronics, explosive indie and infectious pop across two albums and a host of EPs. It’s a balance they’ve been devotedly fine-tuning over the years, releasing everything on their own label, Emotional Interference, which has seen them championed by BBC Radio 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, who described them as an “incredible band…if you were to put together Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Caribou and Glass Animals”. The band are fresh from their second album campaign, which included packed-out dates in Berlin, Hamburg, Prague and more for their first EU headline tour, as well as a sold-out show at London’s Lafayette and appearances at SXSW 2023. Recently, they have also supported Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs for Christine and the Queens’ Meltdown at the Southbank Centre, as well as Hot Chip, Friendly Fires, Django Django and X Ambassadors. Low Island have also been busy on the festival circuit as well, previously performing at Glastonbury, Latitude, Wilderness, Truck, Kendal Calling, Lollapalooza Berlin and more.
ELI
South London singer, songwriter and musician ELI is an alternative artist who combines ethereal vocals with melodic guitar riffs and syncopated beats to form her own distinctive sound. Drawing inspiration from a wide array of genres, including indie, soul, trip-hop and pop, ELI’s versatile and unique releases have already garnered support from Afropunk, KALTBLUT Magazine, DIY Magazine and Fred Perry Subculture. Her debut EP’s standout lead single, ‘Promises’, was also premiered by Abbie McCarthy on BBC Music Introducing as ‘Record of the Week’, and received the backing of Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6 Music. On the road, ELI previously embarked on a huge 15-date EU Tour with Lauren Mayberry of CHVRCHES. She’s also performed at iconic London venues like Scala and KOKO, as well as supported Art School Girlfriend at Brighton’s Komedia and Sorry at London’s Moth Club.
Moon Idle
Moon Idle are an alternative band who formed in Brighton in 2022. Influenced by Massive Attack, Mazzy Star and Radiohead, the four-piece draw on a wide variety of genres, including trip-hop, Latin jazz and dream pop. Despite only emerging at the start of 2023, the relative newcomers have already unveiled a steady stream of superb singles in ‘Moments’, ‘Makeup’ and ‘Mirror’, which ramped up to the release of their five-track debut EP ‘Kindly’ at the end of August. As well as being championed by Alyx Holcombe on her BBC Music Introducing Rock show on Radio 1 and Melita Dennett on BBC Music Introducing, they’ve also shared stages with the likes of KEG, Modern Woman, L’objectif, Porchlight and DAMEFRISØR, and have played both Mutations Festival and Sofar Sounds.
Purchase your tickets for this night HERE.
Wednesday 19th June will feature performances from Dog Race + Media Giant + Paris Blue.
Dog Race
Channelling the menace of early Bauhaus, Dog Race are a London-based five-piece who have built an enviable word-of-mouth reputation in the capital and beyond. The BBC Radio 6 Music favourites recently unleashed their third single ‘It’s The Squeeze’ via Ali Chant’s Fascination Street Records (Oslo Twins, Pem), which they describe as “a cold-sweat invocation of modern anxieties and personal suffocation”. Following the Jessica Winter-produced debut single ‘Terror’ and its successor ‘There’s A Mouse In My House’, they’ve found loyal champions in DIY Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, Notion, Dork, So Young Magazine and more. As well as being playlisted on BBC Radio 6 Music and touted by Steve Lamacq and Lauren Laverne, they were recently invited to play a New Music Fix live session for Deb Grant. They’ve also been backed by Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1 and Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music. Since their inception, they’ve created further intrigue around their name on the live circuit too, with feverish sets alongside Fat Dog, Maruja, Voka Gentle and Nuha Ruby Ra, in addition to gracing the stage at Visions Festival and recently headlining the Bad Vibes All-Dayer.
Media Giant
London-based trio Media Giant hark back to the golden age of new wave, fusing funk, disco and punk elements reminiscent of Bowie, Talking Heads and The Rapture. Bringing a mix of earworming hooks, playful experimentation and consumerist satire, they stand out from their peers with a bold and vivid sound, deservedly earning fervent support from a host of influential tastemakers. The singles from their dazzling debut EP ‘Market Research’ – released via Brace Yourself Records (home to JOHN, Nuha Ruby Ra, Panic Shack) last year – were embraced by Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1, Radcliffe and Maconie on BBC Radio 6 Music, Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music and John Kennedy on Radio X. They also garnered glowing praise from Elton John, who declared his love for them on his Apple Music Rocket Hour show. Since then, the band have been making waves on the road with their dynamic live performances, playing alongside bands like Bodega, The DSM IV, Mush and Langkamer.
Paris Blue
Paris Blue are an exhilarating post-punk band with a taut, anthemic and danceable sound. Across four infectious releases, including the maturer-sounding new singles ‘Remedy’ and ‘Honestly’, the razor-sharp Hastings quartet have gone from strength to strength. They combine introspective lyrics, tightly-wound instrumentation and angular guitars, bridging the gap between Talking Heads, Bombay Bicycle Club and ‘Silent Alarm’-era Bloc Party. The band have been championed Clash Magazine, Earmilk and Melita Dennett on BBC Music Introducing, with multiple spins culminating in them playing the BBC Music Introducing Live Lounge. Live, they’ve supported Kid Kapichi at The Crypt and, more recently, were invited to join The Enemy at De La Warr Pavilion.
Purchase your tickets for this night HERE.
Wednesday 17th July will feature performances Children of the Pope + Canned Pineapple + Red Ivory.
Children of the Pope
Psych-tinged rock ‘n’ rollers Children of the Pope emerged in 2019, forming in the grimiest corners of South London among the dimly-lit pubs and dilapidated ballrooms. The band was founded by songwriter Juno Valentine, a scuzzy guitar fiend, and drum virtuoso Guilherme Fells. Through relentless live appearances, Children of the Pope have earned a reputation for their electrifying performances, playing sold-out shows alongside the likes of Black Lips, Fat White Family and Insecure Men, as well as a European tour in early 2024 that saw them pack out Windmill Brixton and Supersonic in Paris. Their first run of independent singles, which culminated in the release of 2023’s debut EP ‘Committed To Cynicism’ via Isolar Records (Bishopskin, The Ringards), drew attention from Totally Wired Magazine, Hard of Hearing Magazine, Clunk Magazine and Lost and Found Magazine.
Canned Pineapple
Canned Pineapple are a scuzzy, slacker rock quintet based in Brighton. Drawing inspiration from bands like Pavement, Built To Spill and The Bug Club, they unveiled their captivating debut EP in 2023 through renowned tastemakers Goo Records (Owners Club, The Stanford Family Band, Jopy and previously Welly). Exhilarating singles from the four-track collection garnered support from BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and NME’s New Bangers playlist, as well as Melita Dennett on BBC Music Introducing who invited them to perform in the Live Lounge. Known for their oodles of charisma and electrifying live performances, Canned Pineapple have sold out headline shows across the UK and Ireland, while also sharing stages with renowned acts like The Wedding Present, The Love Buzz, Blood Red Shoes, Cardinals, Arxx and Jealous Nostril. In 2024, they played three packed-out shows at The New Colossus Festival in NYC and are already announced for Left of the Dial in Rotterdam.
Red Ivory
Inspired by The Cardigans, Mazzy Star, Elastica and PJ Harvey, Red Ivory are an exciting four-piece hailing from South East London, championed by DIY Magazine for their “contemporary take on 90s grunge.” Since their formation in late 2021, they have crafted a distinctive sound characterised by strong basslines, melodic vocals, “big riffs” and “whiplash drums,” resulting in indie rock and post-punk compositions that feel fresh and uniquely theirs. Despite having only released two lo-fi singles to date (‘No. 7’, ‘Answers’), they have garnered support from DIY Magazine and So Young Magazine, and were recently hand-selected as one of the six artists for ReBalance’s latest initiative alongside Festival Republic.
Purchase your tickets for this night HERE.
