Sound Scout: Kent Music Reviews March 2025
Featuring Kent musicians such as Lo Lauren, Werke, Thandii, Evan Williams, Strangeways and Sunshine Pony Finger.
REVIEWS:
BORN TO RUN - LO LAUREN / 2:41
Packed with bold, infectious melodies and synth driven production, her self-titled ‘glitter pop’ is quickly becoming unmistakably Lo Lauren. Taken from upcoming EP Wonderlust, the Rochester artist is speaking from the heart in new track Born To Run. In her lyrics, Lo is brutally honest and explores her dedication to her dream of making it as a music artist and letting that take priority above all else, no matter the cost.
Lo says: “Wanting to be an artist in the music industry means making that your sole focus
over absolutely everything and all kinds of relationships, be it friends, family or love interests. This song is about my feelings of ambition, lack of want to settle and constant battle of prioritising ‘real life’ vs my dreams. It’s so hard and pretty savage! But it’s also just the reality and the sacrifices that come with wanting the things I do, soz”. Fresh from playing live at The 100 Final last summer and radio plays amassing, Lo Lauren is about to shine bright. Twinkling.
PAST - THANDII / 4:12
Taken from their long-anticipated new album Halo, Thanet favourites Thandii have returned with a fustful of crackers, our favourite of which is the ethereal number Past.
With shades of Portishead, the duo continue to make absolutely infectious,dream-state music. In Past, lead singer Jess’ sultry tones skip across Graham’s basslines and beats in a perfect tandem.
“I cannot offer a lasting resolve, I cannot offer anything but love, Tell me is that enough?” as the beat drives you on and on to keep listening, again and again, and again. Thandii first featured in ‘cene Magazine, with a shoot at Margate’s Werkhaus clothing store in Spring 2019 and we had so much fun - we are delighted to see them back. Dreams.
ONE MORE JOKE - Sunshine Pony Finger / 2:52
Encompassing the garage rock spirit of their influences, Medway teenagers Sunshine Pony Finger exude youthful passion in their latest release One More Joke. Raw and authentic guitars are paired with syncopated drums and rhythmic bass patterns laying the perfect foundation for Oliver and Rosie’s distinctive and emotive vocals.
Building a name for themselves through caustic lyrics and ethereal synths, the band are building a sizable fan base of loyal supporters. Fresh.
RIDE ON - Evan WIlliams / 3:31
Kentish singer-songwriter-guitarist Evan Williams releases his hotly awaited debut album The View From Halfway Down through Peter Doherty's Strap Originals on April 11th. The preamble is a new single, and western-influenced track. If a Johnny Cash bass and beat met a Libertines lead guitar, you’d get somewhere close to ‘Ride On’.
Evan says: "I heard fragments of this song in a dream after a particularly heavy night. In the dream it was the theme for the opening sequence of an old western movie starring Ice-Cube. I woke up humming this melody, and the phrase ‘He was out there in the city eating western takeaways’ going round my head. I got out of bed and wrote the rest of the track in a few minutes." Take a ride.
GIMME SOME SPEED - Werke / 3:24
WIth an open-door policy to collaborating, Faversham based outfit Werke has already has a contributor list of 12 members and counting. Recording in the studios of renowned rockers Broken Hands, and including work from a number of their members, Werke is aiming to be a releasing machine across the next year. With tunes spanning a breadth of electronic genres as well as synthy indie and alt…everything, Werke is a project to watch. We picked out Fimme Some Speed as our favourite so far. Splice.
MODERN ART - Strangeways / 3:19
In Tom Turner (lead vocalist), Max Sheehan (guitarist), Tom Shaddick (guitarist), Harry Cook (bassist) and James Duffy (drummer), Strangeways’ trailblazing approach is on full display across Modern Art. Equal parts raw and rich, perfectly placed guitars, rhythmic bass melodies and nostalgic drum patterns set pace for Tom’s distinctively charismatic vocals. Exploring the impact of social media in the modern world, the band continue to build a name for themselves through their poignant lyricism and undeniable musicianship.
Max says: “I intended to write a song about the human race's new habit of social media and doom scrolling but as I wrote it, it became more about the act of ‘stalking’ someone's social media profile and detailing how casually you can find out so much about someone, ironically at their own discretion.” Social.
