I've decided to start a monthly blog post where I'll name and briefly talk about a few new and upcoming bands that I've got my eye on, and that I think deserve some more recognition! If there are any bands that you think deserve to be on my next list, or you want your own band to be featured then head over to my contact page and shoot me a message!

Photo creds to Shaun Gregson Photography

As It Stands - The first band I want to shine some light upon are actually some good pals of mine, As It Stands. I may be baised but I'm super proud of what they have achieved within such a short amount of time. They formed in 2014 and since then have recorded and released two demo EPs and two studio EPs, aswell as filling up the supports slots for dozens of local shows around Devon and Cornwall  (including the Plymouth date of the WSTR tour) with the odd cheeky headliner here and there. They are for sure one of the most hard working and determined bands I have had the pleasure of knowing. You can find a link to their Facebook page here, go check them out!

Secret Keeper - Secret Keeper are a band that I've listened to for quite a while and I have a lot of love for them. Established in 2013, Secret Keeper released their debut self-titled EP and took part in tours across America before the release of their second EP 'Losing Sleep' in 2015, and third EP 'Ghost' in 2016. They then continued to tour filling up local support slots and headlining their own shows. Secret Keeper remind me a lot of an upbeat Being As An Ocean, their songs are filled with passion and emotion and I can't wait to see what 2017 holds for them! Check out their facebook page here.

Clipwings - Every band has to start somewhere, Clipwings have only released a handful of tracks but I was so impressed by the single 'Sink' that I wanted to give them some much deserved attention and hopefully help them to get their name heard. I hear clear relations musically and lyrically in there music to bands like Casey and Burning Down Alaska. They have a sound that many people are already comfortable with so I don't think they will have any problem at all with fitting into the scene, and if this is one of their first tracks they have ever produced then I am super excited to see how they progress as a band. Go visit their Facebook page here.

I started collecting vinyl about two years ago before I even owned a record player. I was kinda fascinated by all of the different patterns and colours and just how gorgeous some records can look, and I liked the idea of owning pieces that are sometimes a little bit rarer than CDs so I guess that's what drew me in initially. I went a bit crazy during the first few months of collecting, I must have racked up almost 50 records in that short space of time which really wasn't any good for my bank account, so as hard as it was I needed to slow down. I started off with quite a cheap little record player that my parents bought me to help me get into it, but once I realised that this could become quite a serious hobby I decided it was probably wise to upgrade to something a little more 'record-friendly' and robust. My current setup is a Project Essential II turntable which is hooked up to a Project pre amp, and then I just wired in my old stereo speakers and to be honest it sounds pretty darn good. I'd highly reccomend this setup if you're new to vinyl, or if you're just after upgrading your current turntable setup.

I'm now nearing my first 100 records (97 to be exact) which I'm pretty happy with, I have some pieces in my ever growing collection that I'm super lucky to have sitting on my shelf and I probably value them as I would a child to be honest. The first record I ever bought was a signed copy of Runes by Bury Tomorrow, which to this day is still one of my favourites! I also recently just scored my first test press  of Casey's Love Is Not Enough, which is quite an acomplishment. My main goal when I started collecting was to one day have a full Architects discography, complete with each variant of each album. If you follow me Instagram or Twitter I'm sure you will have seen that I'm pretty close now to acheiving that goal which I'm completely stoked about, until I realise how much money I've actually spent on my Architects records alone. If you want to expand your collection or try and find some rarities I would recommend joining vinyl trading groups on Facebook, or scouring eBay and other specialist sites such as Discogs and Deadformat.

Collecting records is great fun, I can't imagine not constantly being on the lookout for new pieces to add to the family, and the feeling of taking the shrinkwrap off and pulling a brand new record out of its sleeve for the first time is one of the most satisfying feelings ever. To me, listening to an album on vinyl makes it a much more intimate experience with the music. I'd encourage anyone to start collecting, although it's super addictive and definitley not a cheap hobby to take up! If you have any questions about choosing the right equipment then I'd be more than happy to try and help!