With words and music from our featured artist Shale
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BBC Radio. BBC Radio. BBC. BBC. Right now, it's the BBC Music introducing Mixtape with Emily Pilbeam. MUSIC PLAYS

♪

It's a triumphant new one from old pop artist Nadia. The track is called More.

Oozing with confidence and sass. Reminds me a little bit of Wet Leg, actually, which we love. It is the BBC introducing mixtape on Six Music. It's Emily Pilbeam with you. And this track is for anyone who loves a little bit of gothic pop. This is Michael Georgian and Fantasy. Is it just a fantasy? Am I in my own? Is it like a normal?

Such a good one from Michael Georgian. The track is called Fantasy. Michael is an artist based in London, inspired by 80s gothic pop and 90s acid. The perfect combo, if you ask me. You may have seen Michael has been supporting Bean's Stella, Nation of Language and Sorry as well down in London over the past year. Quite a strong list of support slots to have in your repertoire, I think.

Michael has got an EP coming out called Machine Music. That is dropping on the 30th of May. Two ace tunes to get the Introducing Mixtape started this week with me. Assembly Pill being with you for the next hour on six, bringing you the best new music from across the UK that have all been sent to me via the BBC Introducing uploader.

That is the only way you can get your music to me, bbc.co.uk forward slash introducing. I check the inbox every single week. So go upload in, please. Coming up in the next hour, I've got a brand new track of the week to play for you. And I think if you like that one from Michael Georgian, you will really love my new track of the week. And I'll play your last week's as well that came from West Side Cowboy, which I think you'll be hearing a lot on Six Music over the next couple of weeks.

And we've got a brand new featured artist for you this month. It is Cardiff band Shale. We've played them a lot on this show already. Another previous Track of the Week artist. They write this brilliant indie rock tunes that I think are so infectious.

I'm really looking forward to finding out a little bit more about Shale. That is coming up later on in the show. But before all of that, some excellent music for you. Like this latest one from British Birds. I think this band are getting better and better with every upload. If you don't know British Birds, they are a garage pop band from Chorley. Recently done a session with Riley & Co actually.

And this tune is the first track taken from their second album, coming out on the 13th of June. This is British Birds and Merry-Go-Round on Six Music. MUSIC PLAYS

Till the belly's found Till we die Till the afterlife Till the belly's found Till we die Till we die Till we die Till we die Till we die Till we die This is the BBC Music Introducing Mixtape with Emily Pilbeam. This better be something great

Clench your jaw, till you're too thick If the building doesn't sway, then concrete's gonna break You need to connect the dots, and find out where I got this In that time I could've died and felt perfectly There are shells, done enough to deserve grief

Now sadness this time could not mean any so I'll just with a gun. Bolts out in the police, it's out of my drive. The thing is I wish I were in Boston town. I can see it, can see it in your knuckle. Whites will fade and your grip will suffer. Shells in the wall, done enough.

to turn my sadness this time could not mean anything so I'll just sleep parts of me love every part you do and structures struck up to the wind and all time is gone shells in the water it's on me done enough in my life

♪

So my track of the week from last week, that is West Side Cowboy on Six Music with Shells. They are going to be playing our Six Music Introducing Showcase at this year's Great Escape Festival, which is happening this Thursday. We'll be down at Paganini Ballroom with Welly, The Nun, Fuzz Lightyear and West Side Cowboy. So do come down and say hello and check out all of the incredible acts that we have got playing for us. Right now, though, it's time for a brand new track of the week. Six Music.

The BBC Introducing Mixtape, Track of the Week. So this week's Track of the Week comes from an act that I had on as my Wands to Watch right at the beginning of the year. And it's taken me ages to release a new tune, but it's worth the wait. And also when I listened to this song, I kind of felt quite smug because I knew I was right about this band being a Wands to Watch.

So they're called The Itch. It is a project of Georgia Hardy and Simon Tyree, both born, raised and currently living in Luton. They've been building and aiming for themselves on the gig circuit for a while. Apparently, they were inspired to start this project after playing David Burns Night, which is quite obviously a Talking Heads tribute night happening down in London. And they said they wanted to put the fun back in music. And I think they have.

This track is called The Influencer. It's such a solid tune from the band. I think the way in which they can do this social commentary and turn it into a club banger is great. I really like this band. This is my track of the week this week from The Itch. This is called The Influencer. MUSIC PLAYS

Some kind of dance to stay alive

To keep justifying your To keep us alive, to keep us alive You're looking at me from the cover of a magazine Like you're up on Mount Olympus Looking down on Hercules No beautiful life, no poverty, no strife No climate disaster Unless it's an apoptical slide for your polaroids And aside And it smells damp

And everyone looks sad. Such a discomfort.

Really, really good that. That is The Itch, my track of the week, The Influencer on Six Music. They are going to be playing at the Castle in Luton on the 6th of June and Corsica Studios in London on the 12th of June as well if you want to check them out live. We'll play that for you again on the show next week and you'll be able to hear it on Hugh's show as well tomorrow evening. This next for you now on the mixtape from Teething, a new force emerging from the heart of Wales. They are a dance punk band

emphasis I would say on the punk band that formed in October last year. This is their second single and they say it's all about disillusionment with the country and the industry we found ourselves in. Listening to this in the uploader kind of made me want to lose myself in a sweaty dingy club in Cardiff. This is Teething and Lara Scoffed on Six Music.

God save the king now, aye aye, save a life

This is the BBC Music Introducing Mixtape with Emily Pilbeam.

My stomach is in knots and my head is full of bugs. My downfall is my muse. If you asked me, I would choose to stay the same as I am. I'm no fun on the subject, so that's just what I'll do. Cause my downfall is my muse. I'm the sweetest in the tree. All those shadows on me doesn't change a thing. It's my new life. It's my new time.

It's a fab new one from Lizzy Esaw on Six Music. That track is called Blast.

Lizzie Esau is supported by Introducing in the North East and has been for a while. She says that tune is an intimate dive into the mind of a tortured artist capturing the uneasy balance between creativity and self-destruction. Lizzie is going to be playing the Alternative Escape in Brighton alongside, I guess, the Alternative Escape is a sister festival to the Great Escape. Yeah, going to be playing that on the Thursday in Brighton this coming Thursday if you fancy it.

Got our featured artist coming up for you in a bit on the show. But this first, an exquisite new one to play for you from Sunkist Child. Sunkist Child is an artist and vocalist originally from sunny Lebanon, relocated to Leeds for uni and is now based down in London. What I like about Sunkist Child is she's always reinventing herself and her sound and

And this track in particular, it's got a real kind of hazy, hypnotic feel to it that I think is quite addictive. This is Sunkist Child and Sorry For Me on Six Music. SONIC MUSIC PLAYS

I said, stop calling me up when you feel sorry. I said, stop phoning me up, sorry. I said, why don't you just mind your business number? I said, just don't stress me out with that top energy, ma. Since you checked up on me and I try to forget what went down with me last year.

But you won't. They worked out in my favor and I cannot keep my head above water. And I see people staring down like I'm some kind of wounded. I don't need no pity, no bad. Your feels don't make you notice. And I don't need you to be quiet. The line that I'm feeling.

But I guess I understand I know you mean it well but your empathy is spent And I appreciate the help of stuff to tippy-toes Trying to show up for me but I just ignore the calls So please don't be mistaken I'm now weak, just bit broken So won't you give me some time And please just get off my back

I said stop calling me up when you feel sorry for me I said stop phoning me up when you feel sorry for me I said why don't you just mind your business, not my own I said just don't stress me out with that top energy mind Since you checked our bump and I tried to forget, you went down with me like

♪ Ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing, no ♪ ♪ And you keep feeling sorry for all I've been through ♪ ♪ And you keep ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing, ringing, no ♪ ♪ I guess thanks for calling out ♪ ♪ Call me, call me, call me, call ♪ ♪ Girl, I ♪

First time I hear the making of me like in you I was made. First time I hear the making of us like you like. It's a love like home in you. Godly unconditional. It's a love like home in you. Godly unconditional.

There she goes.

♪

Brilliant E1 from Nottingham-based songwriter and producer Jack Kenworthy, a.k.a. Colourin. That track is called Unconditional on the Introducing mixtape. Colourin has worked with fellow electronic musician O'Flynn on that tune, who is a frequent collaborator of Bonobo and Barry Can't Swim. I think you can hear those sounds coming through on that track. Bit of caribou in there as well. I liked it.

Semele Pearl being with you on Six Music and it is time now for our featured artists this month. So this is something we do on the show every single month and it's just a moment for us to get to know the artists that we've been really, really loving just a little bit more. And this month it is the turn of Cardiff band Shale who are just so great. I think I said this before about them but I feel like hooks and choruses just fall so effortlessly out of this band and

So, yeah, we just wanted to find out a little bit more about them. Our featured artist this month is Shale. BBC Radio 6 Music. The BBC Music Introducing Mixtape with Emily Pilbeam. You don't even try to hop, night drive. Realistic, demand the impossible. Being successful is being a work dog. We've come so far.

is

I've come so far. Goodbye star. You're the world of dark. I'm working to protect your skin. From all other places. You are the world of dark. It was never no fun. But it's always. I always thought you were. I never miss. It's over now. Goodbye star. You're the world of dark.

Hiya, my name is Samuel and me and my lovely band from Cardiff go under the name Shale. I started writing songs in lockdown when I was young and released the first Shale track, Green Light, Red Light, in March 2024 as my final project for school. Lights are green and lights are red or Lisa's head and her The lights are off but you say Come on, Sean, don't let yourself sniff If you keep on fighting

For the last eight months or so, we've been training up as a live band and releasing more music. And we were lucky enough to go on our first UK tour in April, celebrating our debut EP, which is out now. We've come so far to get my star, you're the one, you're the one.

This summer we've got new music coming along with playing Green Man Festival after being in the top five of their Rising competition, which is like an ultimate dream for us, something we've always wanted to play. In October we're then playing two massive shows with The Enemy in the Great Hall in Cardiff and The Electric Ballroom in London before hopefully going out on our first run of headline shows as well. So it's all very, very exciting.

I think in our sounds you can hear bits of Royal Otis, LCD Sound System, but we're kind of pop music with a wannabe punk persona. So at the core we believe in great songs, Beatles, Blondie and Catatonia, but we love a good heavy guitar or a scream too as well. No harm in that, we don't think. We have come so far, three by star, love the world of dark.

Our favourite band at the moment is probably Dead Letter. They were always a big inspiration when it comes to live performance. But also Maruja, Opus Kink, Feet, Thistle, who we had a pleasure of playing with in London recently. On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again.

Our go-to karaoke song has got to be On The Road Again by Willie Nelson, because even if we're going an hour down the road, we'll always want an excuse to whack it on. I thought you'd love me Well that's not the case, right Well that's not how it turned out It's not right It's not right It's not It's not to be so We're playing

I've been properly spoken in the sky. I'm so, so, so, so sorry. It's not right. It's not right. It's not. It's not right. It's not right. It's not right. I was meant to be. It's not right. It's not right. Supposed to be you.

It is our featured artist Shale with It's Not Right Before That You Heard Work Dog on the Introducing Mixtape on Six Music. Big thank you to Samuel for telling us a little bit more about Shale. Their self-titled EP is out now and they are going to be playing at Clubby for Back on the 20th of May if you would like to check them out live.

We will have another featured artist for you next month, but back to the playlist now. And I'm delighted to be playing this next act for you on the show. They are a band I've been playing on my local introducing show for a while. Usually that is where you can find me on a Thursday, introducing leads in Sheffield. And I think this band, to me, feel like a bit of a hidden gem in Leeds, to be honest.

So Far Caspian is a project of Joel Johnston joined when performing live by various great musicians from across Leeds. This is the first bit of new music from Far Caspian's upcoming album Autofiction which is coming out on the 25th July and this track is called First Day and I think it is just so full of love.

So Joel says,

The first time I went, my partner was the one to drive me. I wrote this song as a reminder of how we have each other's backs and best interests at heart, regardless of how unsure we may be about what is ahead. This is such a lovely song from Far Caspian. It's called First Day on Six Music. I don't know if I'm gonna know

You are not a satellite on a star forever. The curl of your changes can't avoid from the black light into the hot black street gold. You can crash there and out into the fast streets. Tell everyone about a life in total. Tell a man, a man's soul, a tale of God is told. But I need a lot of shadows. I want to tell you more. Leave it to the tide. Go straight from the car for your goal. Tell you more.

I really rate that tune and that band. That is Search Results on Six Music. The track is called Wrinkle. In the track notes on the BBC Introducing uploader, which is where you obviously send your music to me, bbc.co.uk forward slash introducing. When you upload a song, you can tell us a little bit about the track in the track notes. And I think it's a really good song.

And all they've put is two quotes from each of the people in the band. The Tupperware-inspired stadium rock anthem many search results gig attendees will recognise. And then the other quote, sometimes lunch comes in a box, sometimes in a bag, and this time it's in a song. I like that.

They've just kicked off a UK tour. If you want to find out where they're playing, just head to their Instagram and you will find it there. We're going to chill it out on the mixtape now with the Neo Soul Dream of a Track from Bastet, working with Namia and Nine Ik. I don't know if that's right. Working with Namia and Nine Ik, they are supported by the Ace Roche on Introducing in Manchester. This is comfy. ♪

Lovely.

But a soft move when I curl that, when I say those words, yeah I mean it. When I give you the world and I need it. Distance, I feel it, and I know that the time is creeping. Sea light and the finest weekend, truth set your mind for the evening. Something tells me, you might be a real one. Superficial feelings, I've come tired of me. Melt away my worries, fill myself with love. You, whenever you're with me, I'm mine.

This thing that we've learned. But I want you to tell me, when I jump up in a bassline melody, got a thing for the powerway remedy. Say it cut to the ground, but I'll never be what I want to be. Turns out all the lies when they cut up is, brother I'm broken, see right through me. Mumbelling bars on the bus seat arm, tracing styles on the back seat arm.

Low but a little bit high, I'm slow but a little bit wise I'm fighting my way but I'm lost in the rise Let me just stay from the start, I'm scared Lost in a room and my mind ain't there Step on a page and I catch that gaze High with a soulful snare Something tells me you might be a real one Superficial feelings, I've come tired of Melt away my worries, fill myself with love you Whenever you're at least, this thing that we find

Such a smooth one from Bastet. That is called Comfy, working with Namia and Nine Ick on that one, which we think is Nick because his name is Nicholas Hamilton Stevenson. Not 100% sure though. Right, got one more tune to play for you. I will be back with you next week and next week we will have all of...

All of the live music from our BBC Introducing stage at The Great Escape. We're obviously doing our six music introducing showcase with Welly, Fuzz Lightyear, The Nun and West Side Cowboy. That is all coming up on the show next week. Keep uploading bbc.co.uk forward slash introducing. Going to sign out with this one, the latest one from Jaden Clover. The track is called Four Letter Word and it is another gorgeous offering from Jaden Clover. Enjoy this. What if I say

What if I say, can I say What if I say, can I say Can I say, what if I And you don't wanna hear What if I do And you don't wanna hear You're not a fool The one with all the heart So low, you're low, oh

Give more, take more So I say it in the time And you don't wanna hear it Whatever I do And you don't wanna hear it Whatever I say And you don't wanna hear it I do And you don't wanna say it Say it back to me To me Say it back to me Won't you say it back to me

♪ Say it back to me, to me, oh ♪