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日本のTop 10 Edinburgh Music Acts in 2023
15 February 2023
From the 1970’s when the world was entertained by the swinging melodies of The Bay City Rollers, (aka “the tartan teen sensation from Edinburgh”) the 1980’s with Edwyn Collins, 1990’s with Idlewild through to the current day with the likes of Hamish Hawk and Callum Beattie, Edinburgh has long been the home of musical greatness.
And it shows no sign of slowing down, with emerging local musicians taking centre stage in the months and years to follow. Read on to discover our Edinburgh Music Watchlist – 10 Edinburgh acts that show why the capital is such an exciting music city to visit in 2023.
No Windows
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It was a strong end to 2022 for the teenage duo of Morgan Morris and Verity Slangen.
They played two gigs at Sneaky Pete’s - the first to support Bonnie Kemplay and then their own sold-out headline show shortly after. This amidst the release of their first EP ‘Fish Boy’ too.
Named in ‘The NME 100: essential emerging artists for 2023’ this is just the start for this exciting pairing.
Redolent
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Redolent’s experimental sound is one to listen out for in 2023.
The five piece - a mix of live samples, drums, keys and vocals -are another to feature in the NME list with the lyrics of frontman Robin Herbert serving as a snapshot into the life experiences of the band and societal reflections also.
Hamish Hawk
Hamish Hawk shows no sign of slowing down after a very busy, and hugely successful, 2022.
His new album ‘Angel Numbers’ was released on 03 February and there is a tour to support this. With several dates already sold out it is clear to see that Hawk’s popularity continues to increase and 2023 is sure to be another exciting year.
Vistas
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Vistas took to social media as December drew to a close to thank fans for “…such an amazing 2022.” It was a year of ‘firsts’ for the band as they played Europe and stadium shows for the first time as well as surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify. Despite this, the band hope 2023 will deliver even more and inform fans “…we have so much music planned for you and can’t wait till you can hear it.”
Well fans don’t have long to wait with the band’s EP ‘The Beautiful Nothing’ released on 10 January.
Callum Easter
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Callum Easter is impossible to ignore. Signed to Lost Map Records - established by Pictish Trail (Johnny Lynch) - it feels a perfect fit for Easter.His impulsive nature is reflected in his music and performance but doesn’t detract from his obvious talent, musicianship and lyrical prowess.
Starting 2023 with a recently announced performance at the intimate Leith Depot - a show not to be missed- Easter is absolutely one to watch over the next twelve months and beyond.
Swim School
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2022 was a great year for Swim School. Sold out headline shows at Sneaky Pete’s and King Tuts bookended sets at TRNSMT and Connect Festival. The band released single ‘Kill You’ in November receiving regular airplay on BBC radio.
Not resting on their laurels, 2023 began with a set as part of Edinburgh’s ‘First Footin’ Hogmanay celebrations. Expect more new music to follow in the coming months.
Midnight Ambulance
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Two sold out headline shows - Sneaky Pete’s in October and The Caves in December -as well as the launch of their debut EP ‘Smoke and Mirrors’amongst a host of award nominations would suggest a successful year for the duo.
A hugely engaging band to witness live, keep an eye on their social as they have teased some news coming later this week.
Grace & The Flat Boys
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Grace and The Flat Boys almost feel as if they’ve been flying under the radar a little but don’t be surprised when that changes over the next twelve months.
Various shows at venues such as the Voodoo Rooms, the Jazz Bar and the Old Royal High to name a few have seen awareness of the band and their unique jazz, RnB, soul and rock fusion rise. The band’s scheduled single release is in February and an EP later in the year.
Quiet Houses
The Edinburgh duo - Jamie Stewart and Hannah Elliott - look to be busy in 2023 with support shows for Tide Lines across the UK in March.
They released single ‘Hot and Clumsy’ - perfectly encapsulating their signature indie folk sound – on 06 January and if it can follow the success of ‘Cold Water Swimming’ which has achieved over one million streams on Spotify, then it’s fair to say Quiet Houses could be in for a very successful year.
Posable Action Figures
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These boys - Gareth Goodlad (guitar/vocals) and Kyle Grieve (drums/samples) - have been around a few years now and built quite the following of loyal fans always keen to see what they’ll do next.
With Kyle still on a high after playing on stage with The Killers last year the duo have somehow managed to find the time to release a new single ‘Shank’ on 08 January. Hopefully it is the first of many new songs to enjoy over the next twelve months.
This is a paid article, written by Forever Edinburgh’s music reviewer Stuart Niven in partnership with Edinburgh Music Lovers.