Indiefferential Artists
SHIV
Introducing SHIV: A Fusion of Talent, Passion, and Diversity
SHIV, a dynamic musical ensemble, brings an extraordinary
fusion of talent, passion, and diversity. Comprised of seasoned
musicians with diverse backgrounds, SHIV promises to captivate
audiences with their unique sound and compelling narratives.
SHIV’s music transcends religion, culture, economics, politics,
race, and gender, touching the deepest parts of our hearts and
souls. With a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and storytelling,
SHIV aims to make each listener feel seen and heard. Their
fusion of talent, passion, and diversity promises to leave a lasting
impression on the music industry.
D’ZAH
D'ZAH released “That Time” featuring Doest. "That Time" is a short and sweet pop song with a classic vibe which features the powerhouse vocals of D'ZAH's nephew Doest. The track is co-produced by Stuart Brignell, Duava and D'ZAH. It captures the magic of a new romance through to the pain of a fresh breakup.
NICK CODY AND THE HEARTACHE
Nick Cody is a Leeds based artist whose creative work has received great
feedback from many successful and recognised established artists including
Jon Gomm, Jim Glennie founder of James, Bob Dylan’s violinist Scarlett Rivera
and Chris Catalyst from The Sisters of Mercy. Live shows planned for UK &
Japan in 2024.
The Ryan Express
Ryan Hubener delved into music at a young age, learning drums around the age of 14 which developed a strong sense of rhythm and timing. During the time (1997 - 2002) attending Kansas State University for a degree in Management Information Systems, interest was further cultivated in music, as Ryan explored guitar and songwriting. Completely self-taught with no tutors, Ryan took a unique approach to songwriting. The focus was not on music theory or scales, but instead rather, the sound, the emotion, and the artistic process of creation. Upon graduation from KSU and entering the IT workforce, Ryan realized work was not fulfilling, as his passion lied within music. At this time in 2004, Ryan founded the band Wave on the Barrage with band members Mike Ford (bass) and Marty Johnson (drums), and work began on the first album titled The Age of Ventriloquism. This album was particularly grunge in nature, evoking the spirit of a time when music was less commercial, and more focused on delivering intensity. This album received radio play in Lawrence, KS and Topeka, KS and some press coverage by The Pitch in Kansas City, MO. Several live performances followed around Kansas City, and surrounding cities. The musical project known as The Ryan Express was originally created in 2006 following the dissolution of Wave on the Barrage. Initially, The Ryan Express started out as an acoustic singer-songwriter project. At this time, exploration went into sound engineering which resulted in the creation of the recording, mixing, and mastering studio known as Fountainworks Recordings located in Kansas City, MO. The studio, operated by Ryan Hubener, provided a creative environment for the production of the first solo acoustic album titled “Please Be Seated” which was released in 2008. Over the next 10 years, songwriting evolved and new compositions were self-produced culminating in the 2nd studio album titled “Let’s Not and Say We Did”. With this album, instrumentation was filled out to create a full band production. All instrumentation performed by Ryan Hubener, except drums on “Judgment is Free” and “Black Out” performed by Craig Haning. During this time, Fountainworks Recordings also experienced advances and upgrades in technology which boosted the production quality. January 2021, a close friend passed away under traumatic and unexpected circumstances. This fueled the creative writing process, and many new compositions came forth again from The Ryan Express. From 2021 – 2023 recording, mixing, and mastering took place to self-produce the album titled “Underground” which was released December 2023. This album performed entirely by Ryan Hubener, reflects on the emotions and internal turmoil during this time. “I certainly suffered after the loss of my girlfriend, Emma Ray. I tried to think of the good times we shared, such as in the song Dents and Dings, which is actually in reference to an inside joke we shared about a local body shop. In other songs, such as The Abyss there is both a sense of hopelessness and hopefulness as I was trying to learn to swim again, so to speak. Underground is a concept album simply about life and death. When words fail, music has a way of expressing meaning, which is why I prefer to let the music speak for itself. It is open to interpretation, and it is likely many will draw different meanings from my lyrics. After all, this is art.” – Ryan Hubener
CIGARETTES FOR BREAKFAST
Cigarettes for Breakfast was founded by Matt Whiteford in winter, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA. Whiteford is mainly inspired by ’90s alternative bands, such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride. Cigarettes for Breakfast exhibits classic shoegaze elements, including a plethora of effects, intricate pedal-work and washy, droning guitars. “Philly’s Cigarettes for Breakfast draw on everything about shoegaze: the sound, feelings, and associated aesthetics while adding their contemporary take on the 90s sound.” - Regina Schliep, WXPN The Key.
The band's name, Cigarettes for Breakfast, is a nod to the often self-destructive tendencies of artists and musicians, and their music reflects this introspection and vulnerability. Their songs explore themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Despite the heavy subject matter, Cigarettes for Breakfast's music is ultimately uplifting, with each song imbued with a sense of hope and resilience. Their live shows are a testament to this energy, with the band delivering powerful, emotionally charged performances that leave audiences spellbound.
Cigarettes for Breakfast's upcoming album, Join the Circus, is a testament to the band's evolution and creativity, concepted around trying to find yourself in the "circus" of life. Recorded by Whiteford himself and mixed by Jeff Ziegler, the album is a stunning showcase of the band's talent and vision. The band's lineup has evolved over time, with Whiteford and drummer Tony Rossi serving as the only constant members since the beginning. Vocalist Donnie Coco will still be featured on the album, lending their haunting vocals to several tracks, but will not be playing with the band moving forward. Despite this change, the band is eager to continue creating and performing, with Whiteford, Rossi, and new bassist, Martin Buechler, poised to take their music to new heights.
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Proklaim
Katrina Maree
Katrina Maree is a Canberra-based musician and singer-songwriter who plays and writes music for enjoyment, meditation and healing. Writing deeply emotional songs on life’s ups and downs, Katrina Maree’s lyrics draw the listener in to laugh, cry and move through melodies that are not tied to a single genre. Katrina Maree was from a background that couldn’t afford music lessons. She was fortunate to have passionate music teachers at school that taught her singing in choir and basic piano in primary school and the bass guitar in high school, which is Katrina Maree’s primary instrument. After leaving high school, life had other plans and Katrina Maree had a music hiatus for about 15 years. She is now back on the music scene, making up for that lost time. This is the period when Katrina Maree has developed her song writing, both for her independent music and the songs she writes and performs with the band, The Black Souls. Katrina Maree writes lyrics that tell emotional stories that inspire hope, positivity, and drive against even seemingly insurmountable odds. Her influences are wide and range from classical music, blues, rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. Katrina Maree’s songs are not locked into a particular genre. Her debut EP, Unrealised Dreams, showcased three songs which could be described as a mix of folk, roots and blues with a touch of jazz. However, she also composes in a wide range of genres, including rock and progressive rock songs which are evident in her new EP, Travelling In My Mind.
Rebecca Downes
Birmingham-based Rebecca is a fully independent artist creating original blues/rock music with her co-songwriter Steve Birkett and releasing it on her own label, Mad Hat Records. She and Steve usually play live within a 5-piece band, performing tracks mainly from the stunning album More Sinner Than Saint (2019) and the superb second album Believe(2016), along with new material and one or two classic covers. Rebecca has also released an EP, Real Life (2013), another studio album, Back to The Start (2013) a live album, BeLive (2017) and in 2021 she released Stripped Back, re-presenting ten classic Birkett/Downes tracks along with two new ones, delivered in a laid-back style. Rebecca was voted Female Vocalist and Emerging Artist of the Year at the British Blues Awards 2016, Female Blues Vocalist of the Year in the FORM UK Blues Awards 2018 and Best Blues Band in the Black Country Music Awards 2019.
BLUES MARTIN
Treefingers
Treefingers is the stage name for Nick Pike, an electronic indie multi-instrumentalist originally from Blackpool, now living in Warrington. Having played in bands from the age of 13, he found local success with a Blackpool-based band, The Streetlight. He also attended the University of Chester to study Commercial Music Production, before playing guitar for Chester-based singer-songwriter Emma Wells and accompanying her on a UK-wide tour in partnership with Caffe Nero. In recent years he returned to the music production skills he learned at university and set out to produce solo material as Treefingers, culminating in the album 'loss', released in July 2021.