FOCUS Wales to shine a spotlight on the best new music

06 April 2023, 10:00

(Trypas Corrassão) (LEMFRECK) (Hannah Grae) (FOCUS Wales)

FOCUS Wales puts the best emerging talent that Wales has to offer alongside a selection of the best new acts from across the globe.

2023 sees the twelfth edition of the biggest music industry event in the country, with over twenty thousand people set to hit Wrexham for a series of interactive industry sessions, arts events, film screenings and more than 250 sets.

Among the more well-known names playing are Jeffrey Lewis, Billy Nomates, Squid, Dream Wife and Wales' very own The Joy Formidable. They join some of the most exciting new artists around right now, including Mauvey, Baba Ali, Edie Bens, Prima Queen and Hannah Grae.

You can listen to the best of the bunch on our FOCUS Wales playlist and below we meet three incredible talents hoping to make a mark when they play at the event in May.

We also have a pair of tickets to give away for FOCUS Wales for one lucky reader - enter the competition here.

Trypas Corrassão

Who
Brasilians Ágatha Barbosa (Cigarra) and Tita Maravilha, who both live in Lisbon.

Their sound
Brazilian electronic music made by female voices with powerful performance.

Their influences
We are influenced by popular music, by how Brazilian music appropriates pop references, transforming it into something unique and how it all gains power within a strong and engaging rhythm on the dancefloors: the voices of our ancestors screaming with heavy kick and strong lights.

Playing live
It's been incredible, each show is unique because we're performing in different contexts, from festivals like TREMOR in the Azores to Fusion in Germany as well as finally debuting in Brazil on the stages of Mamba Negra (our partner for releasing the album) and nightclubs that we usually go to.

This diversity of contexts makes us feel that our music reaches and touches different audiences.

Their plans
In June we will celebrate one year since the release of our first album Beleza Como Vingança, and this year we still have two singles to release, in addition to new performances that we are developing.

We want to be able to explore Beleza Como Vingança in more and more countries, making connections with other dissident artists around the world and forming partnerships for the coming year.

Portuguese artist we should listen to?
You can listen Fado Bicha, Aurora, Dianna Excel, Herlander, Judas to understand more about queer culture from Portugal. And here we have a lot of immigrant artists like Puta da Silva. Venga.Venga, Madu and Rezgate.

Hannah Grae

Who
22-year-old Hannah Grae – living in London but originally from Port Talbot in South Wales.

Her sound
If I were to describe my music/sound in one sentence it would be “Bratty pop rock with a bit of musical theatre mixed in there."

I have learned so much about myself through my music. It’s actually kind of crazy. I’ve learned about how fearless and how strong I can be. I never thought of myself as someone who is as powerful as my music has made me feel, so I am endlessly grateful for that.

Her influences
The most obvious influences on my music are bands like Paramore, Green Day, My Chemical Romance and Alanis Morissette. I was inspired by the live instruments and powerful voices and took those ideas into my own music.

The least obvious influences are probably Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana. I love Taylor’s ability to phrase things in unique and intelligent ways and I love the innocence and brattiness of Hannah Montana contrasted by the punk pop guitar music. I’ve always been inspired by the two.

My music is also extremely influenced by TV and film. For a lot of my songs, I wrote them to a muted scene in a movie or TV show. This makes my music sound more cinematic, enhancing the stories that I want to tell.

Playing live
My first show was in April 2022, so I was lucky enough to start fresh after the pandemic. I was still extremely grateful to be in a room full of people having fun and enjoying live music. After spending almost two years sharing my passion on YouTube and TikTok, I was so ready to know what it felt like to perform to real people.

Her plans
I’m about to release a mini album called Hell is a Teenage Girl, a project that I wrote in 2021. It’s an eight-track mini album about my teenage years and I’m so excited to finally share it. Aside from that I have a whole other body of work waiting to be released and I’m currently writing my third project. I have such an exciting year ahead in terms of live shows and I think that’s something that I’m looking forward to the most.

In the next twelve months, I want to develop the incredible community that I’ve managed to create. Whether that means it gets bigger, or I build deeper connections with my existing supporters, I will have succeeded. I want to be happy and proud of everything I will have done, from releasing music to playing incredible "dream come true" festivals.

If I can do all that, then I would have had a pretty memorable year.

Welsh artists we should listen to?
Greta Isaac is a great example of how special Wales is. I love her music and aesthetic a lot and it’s so inspiring to see something so unique and powerful come out of my hometown. It makes me feel so much pride.

LEMFRECK

Who
Welsh artist, producer and writer LEMFRECK.

His sound
An inspiration from what has come before me and what can be after me. Organised beautiful chaos almost.I can't quit. This game is hard and there are many times I think I should have given up but I can't do it – so I don't even try anymore. I need it.

His influences
Obviously the whole Grime movement is deep in my music. Skepta, Ghetts and Kano are the guys I learnt my craft from as a kid. What's weird though is that i was a huge fan of the classics: Marvin, Prince, Stevie. So my songwriting leans on them a lot. I'm obsessed with sound though, I really love how sounds make people feel so if the music isn't hitting i'm not interested.

Playing live
It’s insane, I can't really explain it. I'm one of those artists that really started pushing stuff during the pandemic so playing things and seeing that people know the words and all of that honestly is indescribable.

His plans
My project Blood, Sweat and Fears! Obviously FOCUS Wales too. I was so gutted I couldn't do it last year, serious FOMO, so I'm ready to make up for it.

Welsh artists we should listen to?
There are a million but the ones I spin? Kiddus, Luke RV, BUZZARDBUZZARDBUZZARD, Greta Isaac, Mace the Great, Kelly Lee Owens, Gwenno and Alaskalaska.