Music review of 2012

December 2012


WHEN Jake Bugg’s debut album shot straight to the top of the chart in October, denying Leona Lewis, Mumford and Sons and others the coveted spot, it was the crowning glory on a year that has seen unprecedented success for homegrown musicians.
Even without Jake, there were more record deals, TV appearances, radio plays, award wins and national press than in any other year.
Among the names helping throw a spotlight on the city were Dog Is Dead, Natalie Duncan, Sam Beeton, Indiana, Harleighblu, Shide Boss and RAM1.
And then there was Jake, just 18 years old, scoring the first ever No. 1 album by a Nottingham musician or band.
Added to that, the Clifton boy toured the US and Europe with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, made the cover of the NME, had relentless plays on Radio 1 and appeared on Later With Jools Holland. And he’ll be joining Emeli Sandé, Adam Ant and Paloma Faith for his annual New Year’s Eve Hootenanny on BBC 1.
He sold out the Rescue Rooms last month and has already sold out his Rock City show in February.
West Bridgford indie band Dog Is Dead released their major label debut album, All Our Favourite Stories, also in October, after which they embarked on a headline tour of the UK and picked up an Artrocker award. During the year they had numerous plays on Radio 1 and appeared at 25 festivals over the summer including T in the Park and Leeds and Reading.
Next year they’ll be venturing into Europe and the US.
Jake Bugg wasn’t the only Notts musician to appear on Later With Jools Holland this year. Natalie Duncan, who was raised in Lady Bay and The Meadows, made such an impressive debut on the show in November, that fellow guests, Muse, invited the 24-year-old jazz and soul singer to open for them at the iTunes Festival in London.
Her debut album, Devil In Me, received widespread acclaim, with the Sunday Times describing it as “one of the greatest debut albums of the year”.
In recent weeks she’s been hanging out with Dionne Warwick at the MOBOs and appearing on Terry Wogan’s Radio 2 show.
The station also aired self-released songs by folk pop musician Sam Beeton earlier in the year, with Graham Norton playing Under The Fence and The Storyteller, after which the 24-year-old from Carlton appeared on BBC 2’s The Review Show.
Natalie Duncan was just a guest at the MOBOs but reggae musician RAM1 was there to potentially pick up an award. 20-year-old Ramone Williams from Top Valley had been nominated in the Best Gospel Act category, although sadly he missed out this time.
But there was an award-win for Notts in October at the Asian Music Awards, where Shide Boss, 24, from Basford took the Best Newcomer gong.
And let’s not forget those locals hitting the charts as part of pop groups, such as Jay McGuiness corr from The Wanted.
The Farndon singer, 22, a graduate of the MADD school in Carlton, was at the Capital FM Arena with the group as part of a sell-out UK tour in February, after which they cracked the US with their single Glad You Came reaching No. 3 in the chart.
Their EP, The Wanted, hit the top ten in the US and Canada.
Joel Peat, the 20-year-old Ravenshead guitarist with pop/rock quartet Lawson, saw their debut album, Chapman Square, hit the Top 5.
And 2013 is looking promising for two of our ladies. In recent weeks Indiana, a 25-year-old from Long Eaton, who was an unknown name until her first gig in April, has signed to Sony, while 20-year-old city-based soul singer Harleighblu, was snapped up by Brighton-based independent label TruThoughts.

RAM1 - MOBO nominee

October 2012

LINING up alongside the likes of Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Rita Ora, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West, in this year’s list of Mobo award nominees is a 20-year-old student from Nottingham.

Reggae singer RAM1 will head to Liverpool next month for the star-studded awards ceremony, after being nominated in the Best Gospel Act category.

“It was quite a shock,” says RAM1, better known to his friends and family as Ramone Williams.

“I was on the way home when I had a quick look on Twitter and saw a tweet from the MOBOs saying that I was one of the nominees. It was surreal. I didn’t quite believe it.”

He adds: “I don’t know how they came across me but I understand that they have scouts looking for new talent all the time.

“I’ve been played on local BBC and community radio stations like Kemet but nothing as big as this.

“This is quite a milestone for me.”

Ramone, who is in his final year at the University of Nottingham studying for a degree in humanistic counselling, self-released his debut album, One Way One Truth One Life, last year.

Already confirmed to appear at the MOBO Awards, at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on November 3, are Emeli Sandé, Plan B, Trez Songz and X Factor judge Tulisa.

Past awards have been attended by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Amy Winehouse.

“Coming from a Jamaican background, reggae was always being played at home and by my grandparents, aunties and uncles,” says Ramone, who was born in Bestwood but moved with his family to Top Valley ten years ago.

“When I first started singing it was R&B and soul but that didn’t really click with me,” he says.

Ramone turned to music and Christianity at 16 as a means of getting off a road that he now sees was leading him to a life crime.

“I got into a lot of trouble at school. I was fighting and smoking a lot. I had a lot of anger and I wanted to rebel against everything. It was a dark time.

“Many of the friends I hung around with then are either in prison or have been in serious trouble. I think it would have been inevitable that I would have gone down that road.”

He adds: “My aunty was a mentor at my school, Bluecoat School, and also ran the gospel choir there. She tried to get me into the choir to keep me out of trouble but I hated it.

“But then a friend invited me to join him on a trip to London with his Christian youth group to a conference. I went along and it touched my heart. I turned to Jesus.

“It gave me the confidence to do music. I could sing before but I was quite shy.”

Ramone was nominated in the Best Gospel Act category because of his faith.

“In my music I speak about my belief and my passion in God,” he says.

“That is very dear to me and I try to share that love.

“But I also sing about social issues.”

His mum is a careers advisor, while dad works at Pork Farms.

“They have been really supportive and they’re really proud of the MOBO nomination,” says Ramone.

He has yet to decide who will be getting his VIP guest ticket to the awards.

“That’s the hard part,” he laughs.

“Because everyone wants to go.”

You can vote for him until the end of October at mobo.com/voting.