Ones to Watch 2015

Our favourite new artists

From soul and jazz to rock and pop, these are the nine new artists we’re most excited to hear more from in 2015. Get better acquainted below, and pre-order hotly-anticipated albums from an array of emerging and established acts.

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    Ibeyi

    The twin daughters of legendary percussionist and Buena Vista Social Club-collaborator Anga Díaz, Naomi and Lisa-Kainde moved from Cuba to Paris at the age of two, and grew up absorbing traditional Yorùbá folk songs alongside hip hop, jazz, gospel and electronica. Now 20, the duo seamlessly weave all these disparate influences into their work as Ibeyi, creating music that’s as innovative as it is emotive. Pre-order their eponymous debut below.

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    Kwabs

    Boasting one of the deepest, richest baritones in the business, Kwabs stole our hearts the second we heard his soulful SOHN-collaboration ‘Last Stand’. A year on, he’s added earworms like ‘Wrong Or Right’ and ‘Walk’ to his arsenal and claimed a place on the BBC’s Sound of 2015 longlist. His debut’s done too, apparently, and he’s told us to prepare ourselves for “a multi-layered and varied collection of songs.” We can’t wait.

    Kwabs - Walk (Remix EP)
    • 16-bit FLAC
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    Rae Morris

    Don’t let Rae Morris fool you: beneath that youthful exterior lies a seasoned talent. Signed at the age of 18, the Blackpool-born singer-songwriter has spent three years crafting her debut album, stopping only to tour, or to lend her tremulous tones to bands like Bombay Bicycle Club and Clean Bandit. Having previewed the bruised pop on Unguarded ourselves, we reckon Morris’ future looks brighter than the illuminations in her hometown.

  • Shamir - On the Regular (Explicit)Contains explicit content
    • 16-bit FLAC
    Hailing from the suburbs north of Sin City, a teenage Shamir Bailey became an overnight sensation back in June with the release of his debut EP. It’s not difficult to see why. Offering an intriguingly lo-fi fusion of disco, funk, soul and R&B – and showcasing his incredible, androgynous coo – Northtown was our favourite releases of 2014. Now signed to XL Recordings, the 20-year-old’s upped the ante and the fidelity with ‘On The Regular’, a brilliantly-brazen dancefloor cut, complete with cowbell and rapping.
  • Hinds - Barn
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    In an era where more down-in-the-mouth music is mistakenly deemed most “worthy” , it’s refreshing to discover a band who look, and sound, like they’re having a brilliant time. Dealing in ramshackle garage-rock, driven by loose-limbed grooves and lethargic, part-drawled, part-bellowed vocals, Deers spent 2014 establishing themselves as Madrid’s uppermost ambassadors for fun. If they can continue creating songs of the calibre of ‘Bamboo’ and ‘Between Cans’, they’ll be leading even more listeners in the dance during 2015.
  • D.D Dumbo - Tropical Oceans
    • 16-bit FLAC
    Armed with a 12-string guitar, a snare drum, some loop pedals and, occasionally, panpipes, Castlemaine’s Oliver Perry makes some of the most enthralling music we’ve heard in years. Inspired by “African desert blues, Tanzanian ilimba and transcendental Tuvan melody”, and showcasing his incredible Jeff Buckley-esque tones, this debut EP has us waiting with bated breath for the full-length effort, due at some point in 2015.

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