Playwriter
Origin: Plymouth, Devon
For fans of: Mac Demarco, DOPE LEMON and Palace.
These guys have been super busy recently, playing shows across the South West and receiving strong endorsement from BBC Introducing. They’ve been treating us to new singles to break up those horrid winter blues, replacing them with their calm, freeing signature sky-blue brand. On January 16th, they finally quit teasing and released their full EP, ‘Everyday’, which is widely available to stream and on CD on Bandcamp.
Their sound mixes jazz-inspired ambience with bleep-bloopy, calm tones, giving you the feeling of a lovely walk to the Daymark on a spring day. Easy-listening and mellow, while carrying a unique fun-ness that keeps you engaged.
The project grew out of Leo Cunningham and Tom Parker’s solo ambient work, before the pull of playing with other people took over. With Norman Buchan joining on drums in summer 2024 and Jon Fazal on bass in early 2025, the band fully came together.
Playwriter are melodic and low-key, sometimes a little melancholic, but always carrying a thread of playfulness and optimism. They’ve been quietly making their mark across the South West, with more shows and spotlights on the way.
Kate Hall
Origin: Plymouth
Latest release: ‘Evanesce’ with Gwillz DNB
Kate Hall has been quietly building something special over the past few years. Based in Plymouth, her songs sit comfortably between indie pop, R&B and soul, led by her piano and a velvet voice.
She’s currently recording a solo EP in Cornwall, and doing it in a way that feels very connected to her fans and her roots. Rather than starting from scratch, Kate’s been asking fans which songs they’ve heard her play over the years that they’d love to hear properly recorded. It’s a nice full-circle moment, pulling together ideas and tracks that have lived in sets and demos across the last three years and finally giving them the attention they deserve.
One of those long-brewing moments came to life this January. Three years after producer and label manager Gwillz first sent Kate an audio asking if she’d be up for adding vocals, the track has finally landed. Released on 6 January, and the title track of Gwillz’s upcoming EP, it’s already picked up a BBC Radio Devon and Cornwall Introducing play, showing how far a simple demo can travel with the right voice attached.
Kate’s solo releases so far have steadily raised her profile. ‘Take A Minute’ put her on the BBC Introducing radar in 2024, with ‘Helpless’ going on to be recognised as Track of the Week last year. Songs like ‘Just A Girl’ show her ability to move between soulful restraint and rawer indie moments, drawing natural comparisons to artists like Amy Winehouse, Adele and KT Tunstall.
Whether performing solo or with a full band, Kate Hall feels like an artist still unfolding in public, letting people in on the process rather than presenting a finished version of herself. With an EP on the way and a growing catalogue finally being captured properly, this feels like a timely moment to tune in!
Tummyache!
Origin: Texas, now South West based
For fans of: DIY indie, post-punk
Tummyache! is something of a personal outpouring. It’s the long-running project of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Soren Bryce, and it’s never been interested in smoothing things over. Since starting the project in 2018, Bryce has built a body of work that’s raw, somewhat confrontational and deeply honest.
The project found new weight when UK-based bassist Linus Fenton joined in 2020, followed by Bianka Baranová a year later. Together, they’ve helped expand Tummyache!’s live presence without losing the closeness and intensity at its core.
Second album ‘Egosystem’, released in 2024, took aim at ego, class, and ambition within Western society, examining how those forces shape relationships and self-worth. The latest record, ‘FAKE NEW’, examines that questioning into the digital world, digging into the psychological and social impact of technology and asking what it might take to step away from it. It’s uncomfortable in places, deliberately so, and all the stronger for it. Recent BBC Introducing support for ‘Softening’ shows that people are still hooked.
Tummyache! are currently on the road, with dates stretching across the UK, including a Bristol show at The Exchange Basement on 10 February and a South West appearance at Morvala Festival of Arts in Torpoint this summer. If you want music that feels lived-in, unfiltered and bracingly real, catch them live while they’re passing through.
Frey
Origin: Plymouth, Devon
For fans of: jungle, electronic, pop, dance
I just listened to Frey’s new track ‘Disconnect’ and wow. It’s SO fun! I had to keep pausing to write this just to bop my head. It’s light, girly and makes you wish you were at the club!
Her September 2025 single “Game Boy” received nationwide attention, earning multiple BBC Radio 1 plays and a feature on the Boardmasters stage.
2025 featured strong releases, from Game Boy to Grow and her brand-new track Disconnect, demonstrating her ability to consistently deliver genre-defying tracks that feel fun, immediate, and unmistakably hers. Her jungle-inspired house blends are playful and a little space-agey. Bright and full of life, she’s well-positioned for bigger moments in 2026.
