Hit Me Up, the final single from Lou Price’s debut solo EP, Parkside Grooming (out now on Hand in Hive), sees the Swimming Tapes’ songwriter following up the addictive Figure It Out. And it only furthers our previous claim that Price is one of the most exciting songwriters around, as he buries his vitriol at the state of post-Covid politics in Britain under Nick Valensi-alike guitars.

To tie in with the EP’s release, we caught up with Lou to find out what new music has caught his ear recently. These are his Five Right Now picks:

John Myrtle – Just Can’t Seem to Say Goodbye

I first heard of John when Get Her Off My Mind came out which is another wonderful song, but I love this song taken from his newly released album, Myrtle Soup. There’s an effortless and classic nature to his songwriting – the whole album floats over you in a delightful fashion and has lovely vintage production throughout. If you told me this song was recorded in 1967, I honestly would believe you and I love that.

Blackaby  – Warm and Sweet

Will is a good friend of mine, and I was lucky enough to recruit his backing vocal services throughout my whole EP. I think this song (taken from Everything’s Delicious) sums up Will’s ability as a songwriter perfectly; he has an ability to create a world and occupy a space all of his own, and he holds a truly unique quality to his songwriting and is one of the most talented musicians and nicest humans about. On this track, he got John Victor from Gengahr to do the guitar solo – it’s epically good.

Mui Zyu – Pour a Brain

Eva also plays in a brilliant band called Dama Scout but, like a lot of artists during pandemic life (including myself), she has just started a solo venture and recently put out this awesome debut single. It again holds a space all of its own and is a truly unique sound. She sets a slightly uneasy chord progression against some soaring pulses of synth strings, wonky distorted guitar hits with a vintage 909 esque beat and her gentle vocals – it works so well! It almost has hypnotic qualities. I get to the end and I want to play it again every single time.

Batchelor – Stay in the Car

Can’t remember how I first heard this track, but I keep going back to it. It conjures imagines of driving down a Californian coastal road sipping on an ice cold shake. Some of the chorus guitar work is reminiscent of the Pixies to me; it’s just a nice little catchy guitar bop. A perfect summer jam.

Wyldest – Monthly Friend

Again, I’m lucky enough to call Zoë a friend and she helped me out with some lovely backing vocals on a couple of my EP tracks and also shot the Love Can Pass You By video. Zoë just put out her own album, Monthly Friend, this year – completely self written, engineered, produced and mixed which is something I’m in awe of to be honest. I self produced most of my stuff, but have to get in my friend/producer/mixer, Paddy Baird, to help me with drum production. I’m gonna have to pick her brain about drum stuff soon ’cause they sound fab across the whole record. This is the title track and I can hear why, as it sums up the recurring themes in the album perfectly – luscious picking guitar work building up, a pulsing yet dreamy beat and her lovely breathy vocals tying it all together.

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