Abrasive Trees
Origin: Totnes, Devon
For fans of: Swans, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Slint
Abrasive Trees take their name from a Buddhist description of a nightmare realm, which should give you some sense of the atmosphere they like to work in. The project sits somewhere between experimental rock and post-rock, built around shifting textures, weighty guitars and songs that feel more like immersive soundscapes than traditional structures.
Led by Matthew Rochford alongside Jay Newton and Will Tyler, the band draws on a long list of collaborators from across the alternative and experimental world. Since forming in 2018, they’ve built a reputation for music that explores heavier emotional themes without ever losing its sense of curiosity.
Their latest release, Carved Skull, arrived on February 13th (and a Friday no less) and immediately stands out as one of their most striking pieces so far. The track unfolds slowly, almost hypnotically at first, before distorted guitars surge forward with real force, like meteors. The beginning of the song felt like being pulled through something vast and slightly disorienting, as if I were in retrograde.
Beneath the atmosphere lies a message about division, empathy, and the choices people make about the kind of world they want to live in. The lyrics encourage you to think about the kind of world we want to create and remind you that we absolutely can still find peace and unity in these dark times.
With their debut studio album set for release in May 2026 through Argonauta Records, Abrasive Trees are a force not to be reckoned with right now!
Marianne Joyce
Origin: Dartmoor, Devon
Latest release: ‘Inventing Something’
Emerging from the edge of Dartmoor, Marianne Joyce is establishing herself as a thoughtful new voice within the South West’s indie folk scene. Her songwriting melds vivid storytelling and traditional folk melodies, but suits the contemporary sound of the current modern folk scene.
Saying this, there’s no doubt that her music and voice are timeless. Gentle melodies and very carefully shaped lyrics carry songs that explore love, grief, identity and the strange details of everyday life. Some tell the tale of local lore and historical fragments, while others look deeply, dissecting her soul.
Her debut single Inventing Something is a beautiful introduction. It has the tune of an old music box; the wood engraved, every detail beautiful, you carefully lift up the lid to reveal a beautiful ballerina, slowly twirling in front of her mirror. It’s absolutely entrancing.
The song explores discovering queer identity and falling deeply in love, capturing the mixture of excitement and vulnerability that comes with both. There’s warmth in Joyce’s writing, and she depicts the heaviness of carrying love in your heart so well.
She’ll be performing in Plymouth at Nook Houseplants on 21 March, supporting Ollie Dixon, a great chance to hear these songs in the intimate setting, perfect for her songs.
Haytor
Origin: South West England
Latest release: ‘ Need To Know’ (Oct 2025)
Haytor is a four-piece indie rock band made up of Austin Robison, Jonny Lewis, Will Smith and Cal Verney – whose bright, fun guitars were exactly what the South West scene was craving, and we didn’t even know it!
Their breakthrough moment came with ‘Osaka’, which helped them land festival slots at Boardmasters, Lakefest and Oceanfest, while also picking up support from BBC Introducing. Since then, they’ve become well known for their dynamic live shows, where the crowd becomes part of the experience as much as the band themselves!
‘Be Somebody’ was released last June and is so fun and nostalgic. Layers of boundless, flying guitars accompanied by the voice of a starling – clear and true. Listening through their recent releases, there’s a clear love of big, uplifting indie rock. You can hear shades of Sam Fender and Catfish and the Bottlemen for sure, but also early 2000s pop-punk energy! ‘Need To Know (When You’re Coming Home)’ gives more of a The 1975 vibe. It’s yearning, but still elevating, with the little electronic touches making the hairs inside my ears tickle!
Haytor continues to stay busy on the live circuit, with a show at Exeter Phoenix on 20 March, a slot at Sound Festival at DEPO Plymouth this summer and is part of the incredible line-up at Kernowfornia Festival on East Looe Beach in September.
Robi Mitch
Origin: Cornwall
Latest Release: Hanging On, released March 4 2026.
Cornwall-based songwriter Robi Mitch returned earlier this month with Hanging On, the first single from his upcoming album and a beautifully offbeat introduction to the world he’s building.
Mitch describes the track as a bedroom-pop space odyssey following a character he calls “the postman”, who unexpectedly finds himself travelling through space while trying to make his way back home. The idea might sound unusual, but the song carries it with ease, wrapping the story inside hazy synths and gently drifting melodies.
Much of the track was recorded at Mitch’s home in Penryn, with additional sessions in Bristol. Synth parts were created in Ableton alongside sounds from his dad’s RD700 keyboard, while friends helped fill out the recording. Leroy (Liam Owen) added bass from his own home setup, and drummer Mike Griffiths tracked drums in a guest bedroom, reportedly hiding under a rug to soften the room sound.
Released on 4 March through Trapped Animal Records, ‘Hanging On’ has already picked up BBC Introducing support and an interview with Daniel Pascoe. It’s a dreamy listen, full of soft textures and psychedelic colour, the kind of track that invites you to lie back and drift somewhere else for a few minutes.
The full album is expected to arrive in June!
Tarn Matthais
Origin: France/Cornwall
Tarn Matthais (of Tarn Francois Power Trio) is a musician whose connection to their instrument is clear the second they begin playing. An accomplished guitarist with a deep love of the craft and the art of learning, Matthais has always moved easily and freely through genres and styles.
His new EP ‘Cold On The Inside’, released last February, is a perfect example of him taking his deep knowledge of rock and blues sounds and shaping them into something that is his own, properly his own, for the first time. Across the record, I get glimpses of classic blue phrasing and expressive tones associated with Rock Gods like Jimi Hendrix, but they don’t stick around for too long. It’s just enough! There are also hints of country and definite moments of Americana storytelling. The blues and country influences are taking centre stage.
What’s tying it all together so beautifully is Tarn’s masterful guitar playing. It’s distinct, and confident, and rightfully so! His vocal mastering kept me interested – they had a slight 80’s synth feel to me. It’s all totally original.
It’s an absolute pleasure to see him live – his genuine enjoyment really shines through, he’s always smiling through his set. His sound is robustly built around a shared language between player and instrument that only years spent studying the dialect can give you; it’s an absolute spectacle.
Recently, Matthais has been playing shows around the country, including performing in-stores and live sessions for Soundgrove Sessions, which can be found on YouTube.
Keep your ear to the ground for future live shows!
