Tom Robinson showcases his favourite new tunes by emerging and independent artists on The BBC Introducing Mixtape. This curated playlist goes out on BBC Radio 6 Music in the small hours of every Monday morning between 2-3am, and is also available via the BBC Music pages and as a BBC podcast.
These are the listings for the episode broadcast at 2.00am on Monday 20 February, featuring HEROINE HEART, SAIN GENEVIEVE, HUMA, BLUE JOHN VS SKY MOUSE, JOUSKA, BENTCOUSIN, SLIMMIE, THE JOHNS, ZEROWE, VARIOUS GUISES, PILES OF CLOTHES, TONY PENULTIMATE, CURSOR MAJOR, JIMMY LEE MORRIS ft BETHAN LEES, MACCA TAYLOR, LOUIS BAKER and JAMES DEY. All timings below are for the podcast version of the show...
HEROINE HEART - Use it Too Much [starts 00:16]
https://soundcloud.com/heroineheart
SAINT GENEVIEVE - L.I.M.B. [starts 04:17]
https://soundcloud.com/saintgenevieve
HUMA - Vertigo [starts 07:51]
http://www.hughreillysmith.co.uk
BLUE JOHN vs SKY MOUSE - Chivalrous Knight Ashamed [starts 11:50]
http://bluejohnbenjamin.com
https://soundcloud.com/sky-mouse
JOUSKA - Petrichor [starts 14:36]
http://www.jouska.co.uk
BENTCOUSIN - Uncertain [starts 19:11]
https://www.facebook.com/Bentcousin
SLIMMIE - From Above [starts 21:59]
http://www.slimmie.co.uk
THE JOHNS - Julia [starts 26:00]
http://thejohnsexperience.flavors.me
ZEROWE - Remember Me [starts 28:38]
https://soundcloud.com/zerowe
VARIOUS GUISES - Green [starts 32:36]
http://www.variousguises.co.uk
PILES OF CLOTHES - Blow Up Bed [starts 35:28]
http://www.facebook.com/pilesofclothes
TONY PENULTIMATE - I'd Like To Eat You All [starts 39:05]
http://www.tonypenultimate.co.uk
CURSOR MAJOR - Silent Disco Punch Up [starts 41:21]
http://www.cursormajor.com
JIMMY LEE MORRIS ft. BETHAN LEES - Amor Compartido [starts 45:26]
http://www.jimmyleemorris.com
MACCA TAYLOR - Together [starts 48:23]
https://soundcloud.com/macca-taylor
LOUIS BAKER - Gave It All Away (starts 51:36)
https://soundcloud.com/louisbaker
JAMES DEY - Another Year [starts 56:13]
https://www.facebook.com/jamesdeymusic
ARTISTS…
After being featured by BBC Introducing you may receive emails from PR companies with impressive client lists, saying they like your music and want to help you get further radio airplay. Please be aware this doesn't make you unique or special - lots of our artists receive these emails from companies who are simply seeking new customers for their paid services. Hiring a professional radio promotion team - just because they happen to send you an email - isn't neccessarily the best use of your money at this point.
In our experience emerging artists often achieve the same results as a plugger - sometimes very much better - by simply contacting radio shows and DJs themselves via social media. For suggestions on how to do your own music promotion see the free advice section at my Fresh On The Net blog (freshonthenet.co.uk)
If you do decide to pay a PR firm to do this work for you, there are over a hundred to choose from in the UK. Most of them have impressive-looking client lists - but not all of them deliver good value for money. Before paying anybody for promotional services of any kind, always contact at least two of their clients first to ask if they'd recommend that particular company. You can find the management, record company or booking agent for most artists using Google.
Further down the line - as your career gathers momentum - you may decide to invest serious money in a professional PR campaign. The most effective pluggers do charge a lot of money because they're good. But the ones that charge the most money aren't neccessarily the best, so do some research. Check which indie labels are regularly getting their artists played on national radio - then make a friendly phone call to their offices and ask which PR company they would recommend.
And whatever route you choose, don't forget to carry on uploading your new releases to BBC Introducing so that we can carry on supporting you as your future career unfolds.
Tom Robinson
