FEATURE ON A FEATURE: Linn Loves

My blogging comrade The Pop Cop recently covered Linn Records and their Studio Masters, now I bring you Linn Loves - a new series to highlight the best up and coming and unsigned talent.

Linn Loves will be a fully encompassing series, featuring live reviews, articles, interviews and of course, for the first time Studio Masters from these artists. This series will allow industry professionals and music lovers alike to discover new artists, and learn more about championed unsigned talent.

What makes Linn Loves different is that it will be a full series on the artists, not just your usual 'Get to Know' article. With everything from live reviews, question and answers with the artists and their music to share, you'll be able to fully discover new talent and those behind it. It is going to offer a look into what it takes to create something unique, how to survive the tough music industry and just exactly what your favourite unsigned artists do to unwind.    

Linn Loves will debut soon at Linn Records. 

And if you think you've got something they might love, or know a local artist that deserves recognition then demos are still being accepted to linnloves@linnrecords.co.uk. So, by all means, get yourselves involved in a great project that will bring the best in new talent the exposure they deserve.

GIG REVIEW: Amy Duncan at Stereo 20/04/2013

There are few better ways to end your Record Store Day than at a gig and Stereo was home to the Glasgow album launch of singer-songwriter Amy Duncan on Saturday evening for an acoustic affair. 

Taking the stage just after 9pm and joined by Fiona Rutherford on harp and Lawrie MacMillan on bass, Amy Duncan begins a set that will bring the crowd to a complete stop where you could hear a pin drop and shows a talent that has a full range and power. 

The set starts off slow, with songs performed in a way that whilst showing the promise of the act display a little need for nurturing to take full advantage of the talent on stage. By the third song of the set, the title track from her new album Cycles of Life, things take a turn for the better as the songs begin to come alive, through the layering of the music and the strong vocal talents of Duncan. The set goes from strength to strength, with a highlight being 'Song to Myself', also from the new album and choosing to end on a newer song with a completely solo performance is a very bold choice, that proves to go down very well. 

There are many choices on a Saturday night in Glasgow but those who chose to come to Stereo were greeted with a beautiful performance by Amy Duncan. The live performance showed off her incredible vocal talent, as well the ability to craft songs with great structure and melodies and left you wanting more by the end. 

You can buy 'Cycles of Life' now on Linn Records, including in Studio Master Format that my fellow blogger The Pop Cop covered recently.