Have you heard all the Stroud Song Contest 2024 entries yet? We have eight more fantastic songs to tell you about. Votes are coming in fast so head over and check the results daily, and vote if you haven’t already!
Song 13, Father, written by Mike McSweeney and sung by Sharon Baker, takes a sad look at the relationship between a father and his and children in his final years. Sharon tells us, “I sing songs that I love. This beautiful song was written by Mike, and I hope it will touch people’s hearts. We both love Stroud and feel very lucky to live in this wonderful, vibrant community.” Sharon and Mike cover classics and play some of Mike’s original songs in local pubs and at private functions. And you might remember Sharon’s dulcet tones from their SSC entry last year, Single Mum.
Song 14, The Windfall by David Philip Ireland, is a moving and gracefully-crafted allegory, minimal but far from simplistic. David tells us, “The Windfall is a poem/song about the senselessness and futility of war. Inspired by a visit to the gardens of an old house at the heart of a Cotswold village, I could sense among the fallen apples the spirits of the young men who did not return from the fights…”
He’s back! Song 15 comes to us from a three-time finalist and ever-popular crowd pleaser. Layman makes a triumphant return to Stroud Song Contest with his new track Rad Attitude. Kick back and enjoy Layman’s trademark chill-hop beats but be prepared – this one is deeply funky.
We’re thrilled to say that Song 16 is a new song from Stroud’s ever-epic BRO. He’s back with a bang, and you can be sure he’s bringing the party with him. BRO is having another busy summer (as usual) including performing at Lakefest 2024 next weekend. But he’s made time to send us his new song GL5. Don’t miss this one folks! “It’s more than the postcode, it’s about where you’re from” – Bro
Have you heard song 17? Broken Hearted Party People follows in the footsteps of greats like The Smiths and Pulp by turning a story of urban loneliness into danceable indie pop rock. Songwriting duo Dominic Manning and Jon Collins formed twentytwentysix after a chance meeting in a Cirencester pub. Accomplished musicians and producers, the title track of their EP, The Silences, featured in Stroud Song Contest 2021 and they’ve just released their new album, Fake It Till You Make It, available on Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp.
Song 18, Between is an duet in English and Italian by Stroud duo Virgo about communication in the early stages of relationships. Do we ever really know what someone else is thinking?
Song 19 is Their Best Friend, by Helen Royall. Helen says she wrote this song in the 70s and became known for it amongst locals. These days Helen is still writing music and has an exciting stage musical project waiting in the wings, worth looking out for!
We hope you like spiders because these guys have become a cornerstone of Stroud Song Contest. Double finalists Careful Spider are back with another psych-rock epic. Song 20, See Me Now, was recorded by Ben Brockett at Route 49 Studio and is due to be featured on Careful Spider’s forthcoming EP. Keep an eye out for the next instalment of the Careful Spider-curated Psych Night in Stroud this autumn.