Hello I’m Billy Lockett. I’m a piano man. I grew up in a small town in the UK called Northampton with my crazy hippy dad. He encouraged me to have a career in music. After a few years things started to happen, I was playlisted on Radio 1 and went on tour supporting Birdy, Lana del Rey and KT Tunstall.
Dad died. I stopped everything and came back home. Went off the rails a bit. Got a cat. Spent the next 2 years in the cellar of my dad’s house writing songs. Grew an afro accidentally.
Moved to probably the smallest room in London. Played every open mic night in the city for a year. Sold out my first headline show. Got signed. Cut afro off. Spent another 2 years writing. Went off the rails again. Got help. Performed on Made In Chelsea as Josh’s baby shower gift to Binky…. obviously.
Toured with Lewis Capaldi and Electric Light Orchestra. Put my own tour on sale. Sold it out. Blew my mind. Broke up with my record label. Broke up with my Girlfriend…. well… she dumped me… (on WhatsApp!). Broke my heart.
Moved back to my dad’s old house (with cat). Wrote and recorded an EP called Reset. Became mates with James Corden. Performed live on the Late Late Show. Got new managers. Wrote, recorded, performed and self-released a modern classical piano-only album. It charted and got played on Classic FM. At the same time a DnB track I sang on was getting played on Radio 1. Made History as the first artist to do that.
Put Reflections EP together. Loved every song. Felt empowered. The songs were written during a darker time. But now I’m feeling really good. This EP is me reflecting on how far I’ve come, and to celebrate where I’m going.
Set up a Patreon account and with the help of some amazing “super-fans” I recorded my first proper album title ‘Abington Grove’ which I recorded in my basement of my dad’s old house on that street. Couldn’t be prouder of how it came out. Started releasing the singles from the album in June 2022.
Went to the Big Apple, met everyone, got signed to a great US label, started releasing singles, got played on the radio all over the world. Hired bodyguards to keep crazy fans from trying to cut locks of my hair off when i'm shopping in Lidl. Become best friends with Beyonce. Buy a lifetime supply of pot noodles. Get asked by JustEat to feature in their next advert... (probably).
That’s the story so far (and a little bit of what's probably going to happen very soon), follow me to see what happens next….
Jeff Cohen is a Grammy and CMT award nominated, six time BMI award winning Songwriter/Producer/Publisher based in Nashville and London whose songs have appeared on over 20 million albums sold with over 100 placements in TV/Film. Jeff’s songs have been recorded by Sugarland, The Shires, Jake Bugg, The Band Perry, Spin Doctors, Josh Groban, Mandy Moore, Macy Gray, Nell Bryden and many more.
His songs have been in TV Shows such as Paw Patrol (Theme), Jack and Jill (Theme), Dawson's Creek, The Simpsons, One Tree Hill, Lego Masters and more plus Movies like Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants, Aquamarine, The Princess Diaries, Stuart Little 2 to name just a few. As a former Music Exec at BMI he worked with Jeff Buckley, Lisa Loeb, Spin Doctors, Joan Osborne, Kara DioGuardi and more.
Jeff is also founder of the critically acclaimed band Pancho's Lament and on the board of NSAI. 2024 sees Jeff release original music under his own name, expect the debut album to drop later this year.
The Wandering Hearts achieved their second consecutive #1 on the UK official Americana Chart as they built on the breakthrough success of 2018's Wild Silence debut with last summer's self-titled second album, recorded between Woodstock and Omaha with acclaimed producers such as Simone Felice, David Baron and Mike Mogis.
Arriving to a second wave of critical acclaim and again championed by Bob Harris at BBC Radio 2 (who previously awarded them his Breakthrough Artist at the UK Americana Awards), the album cemented the trio's reputation as one of the leading lights in British Folk-Americana - as underlined by their further nomination for Album Of The Year at the UK Americana Awards 2022, alongside Yola and The Staves.
The only British act to debut at both the iconic Ryman Theatre and The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in the same week, The Wandering Hearts have shared stages and tours across the UK and US with artists such as the late greats Tom Petty, John Prine and Justin Townes Earle, and Margo Price, Lukas Nelson, Robert Plant and Eagles.
Signed to Chrysalis Records for their third album, the band firstly will release an EP ‘Hesperus’ in May 2023. The new material puts sharp focus on their world-renowned three-part harmonies to explore their Folk-Rock influences, blending flavours that bring to mind Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac and contemporaries like Milk Carton Kids and First Aid Kit.
Jamie Cullum is a celebrated musician the world over with loyal fans in every corner of the globe. Over the last 18 years his legendary live shows have seen him perform at festivals alongside artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, St Vincent and Lang Lang. In addition to his enduringly successful recording career, with eight albums under his belt and number nine about to arrive, he has also established himself as a multi-award-winning music broadcaster. Jamie approaches all aspects of his career, as he has from the beginning, as both a fan and a student with seemingly boundless creativity and enthusiasm.
The success of his major label breakthrough ‘Twentysomething’ and its follow up ‘Catching Tales’ saw him nominated for a Brit, Grammy and numerous other awards around the world, but the most important outcome of the five years he spent in the tireless promotion of these records is an enviable live career that is truly global. Cullum’s world tour took in over forty countries. If you have seen him live, it’s hard to argue against the claim he is one of the best live entertainers working today. It is a reputation that, from Singapore to Sao Paolo and most places in-between has only continued to grow, culminating in a long-held ambition being fulfilled at that famous mud bath that is Glastonbury.
Jamie has even become the guest director of some of his favourite festivals, producing extraordinary shows such as orchestral specials at the Royal Albert Hall for two BBC Proms, the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic and a night of Jazz and Drum n’ Bass at The Forum in London.
One of Jamie’s most treasured ambitions was to work on music for movies, his interest in cinema runs deep having received a First-Class Honours Degree in Film and English Literature at Reading University. Most notable are the new commissions for film, his first being for Disney’s Meet The Robinsons, his last being the end credit tune for the recent heist movie King of Thieves, and the best known being his work with Clint Eastwood on the score for the award winning Gran Torino.
A curious songwriter and always eager to explore the building blocks of song writing, Jamie began a YouTube series of topical covers named ‘The Song Society’ which has been enjoyed in its millions. 'The Song Society’ Project feels like it will be a part of what I’m doing for many years to come. It brings together my love of other people’s songs, particularly from the pop world, with a sense of fun, spontaneity and a deep dive into some collective musicianship to try and deliver something great in just an hour.'
Jamie is also enjoyed by myriad radio listeners on his globally syndicated radio show. Based in jazz, but dipping into the world of hip-hop, electronic music and beyond, the show features music, interviews and live sessions. It initially airs on BBC Radio 2 and has garnered over a dozen awards since its debut in 2010. The latest and most prestigious is the gold ARIA he won as Best Music Presenter in late 2018. Jamie’s live prowess is matched by his skill as an interviewer. Paul McCartney, Gil-Scott Heron, Paul Simon, Cleo Laine, Clint Eastwood, Dave Brubeck, Martin Freeman, Kate Bush and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich have all been guests on his show, with fellow piano man Billy Joel joining Jamie for a Radio 2 special shortly after Cullum was invited by his hero to open for him at Madison Square Garden, eight times!
"The British duo defies genre definition. Their music is unapologetically empathetic, a force to be reckoned with regardless of subject matter or scope.” ATWOOD MAGAZINE
Ferris & Sylvester are songwriters. With clear references in their catchy setup to the mid-60s sounds of Greenwich Village combined with their meatier blues tones, the duo sit somewhere between Jack White and First Aid Kit.
The pair met five years ago in London’s best-kept-secret blues joint, Spiritual Bar and have since won over audiences across Europe and the US with their ever-growing live presence and songwriting. Obsessed with getting their music out there, the duo released their ‘Made In Streatham’ EP in 2018 which they recorded and self-produced in their South London flat. The duo have since released a collection of more expansive singles including 'Sickness' and 'Flying Visit' which range from the most intimate to the most enraged declarations of the human condition. Their timeless songwriting is impossible to ignore.
After a monumental 2 years of touring, including their debut Glastonbury + SXSW, and sharing the stage with the likes of Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, George Ezra and Jade Bird, Ferris & Sylvester have evolved their live sound into a distinct combination of Americana, Blues and Rock n Roll. In October 2020, the duo released their brand new EP ‘I Should Be On A Train’, earning them a spot in BBC Introducing’s Best of 2020 list and a nomination for UK Song of The Year at The UK Americana Awards. With their eyes fixed on their debut album, the duo continue to expand their sound into deeper and darker places.
UK AMERICANA AWARDS - EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2020 WINNER / UK SONG OF THE YEAR 2021 NOMINEE
'A masterpiece of Brit Folk' - MOJO
'Alt Simon & Garfunkel' - GUARDIAN
'Rage ridden brilliance' - BBC INTRODUCING
Alternative pop artist Viddy brings her seductive and distinctive vocal to the world of pop music. Working alongside producer Gingersnapps (BBC Radio 1, Fresh on the Net, XFM, Dork Mag). Viddy brings hypnotising basslines, swarve guitar, a sprinkling of electronica and tender vocals to create mellow pop songs that capture the audience, their imagination and invite them to share in all their ‘feelz’.
Pulling on influences including fellow strong female vocalists; Lana Del Rey, Lilly Allen, Kate Bush and Amy Winehouse but with the alternative swag whilst on stage of Banks and sprinkled with production references to Portishead and Massive Attack, Viddy is breaking down the barriers between female pop stars and being a traditional frontwoman of a band.
Aged just twelve and obsessed with Taylor Swift, the impressionable young Viddy wanted a new guitar. The deal was that she wasn’t allowed one unless she could prove that she’d use it. Fast forward a few months and not only had she written her own song, coerced her siblings into forming a band, but she’d won the local battle of the bands, gaining a spot at the local Bedfordshire festival that summer. Now convinced, her Dad bought her said guitar and since, the siblings went on to create their band Healyum which gained support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, BBC Introducing, Radio X and The Metro Now going at it solo, Viddy has launched her career on a more pop tip.
Writing about what is true to her and her relationship experiences, Viddy’s relatable matter contains all kinds of complexities involved in romance, heartbreak, frustration and desire. Having supported artists including Zuzu, Childcare, Sub Focus, Pigeon Detectives, Fickle Friends & Lily Moore.
Two time winner of best Female Vocalist at the British Country Music Awards, Laura Oakes has enjoyed some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals and stages including C2C, The Great Escape, The Long Road, Cornbury, Cambridge Folk Festival and Camp Bestival. As well as support for some of the most notable talent coming out of the UK and the US including Morgan Evans, Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen, Devin Dawson, The Shires, Ward Thomas and Sarah Darling.
Her 2020 EP ‘How Big Is Your World’ was released as the pandemic swept the world but non the less received playlisting from BBC Radio 2 and pick up across Chris Country Radio, Country Hits with feature pieces online across Popmatters, Maverick Magazine and Popdust. Reaching no.11 in the UK iTunes Country chart the EP also pricked the ears of Spotify and Apple on both sides of the pond securing playlists and amassing over 1.5 million streams.
In addition to creating and releasing her own material, Laura has started not just one but two radio shows. The first, on Chris Country radio, bringing the format of the increasingly popular format of ‘The Round’ to the ears of the listeners in lieu of no live shows and the second in a traditional show format available on Radio Alty. Forever productive, Laura has also been working on new material written with some of the world’s best song writers; James T Slater (Martina Mc Bride), Beth Nielson Champan (Faith Hill) and Jason Lehning (Alison Krauss). Stay tuned for further releases in 2021.