HIDDEN GEMS

TYCHO JONES

Written by Laura Weingrill / Photography by Tycho Jones & Globe Town Records

It’s not often that in a big city like London, an artist gets so ingrained in the place he comes from, that his heritage and artistry automatically go hand in hand. But that is exactly the case for indie-riser Tycho Jones, an up-and-coming musician from Hackney who has slowly but surely taken over the scene by storm, even far beyond the borders of the UK capital.

Despite still being a relatively new name for most, the now 20-year-old singer has already planted his feet firmly into the eclectic world of DIY indie music, the kind that famously always starts off back in someone’s bedroom with a few handy tools, a laptop and a guitar. It’s no surprise that this is also where Tycho Jones’ story once began: “My musical career probably started when I put my first song ‘Serotonin’ on SoundCloud when I was about 16 or 17. I didn‘t see it as a full-blown career back then, but I definitely knew what I wanted to do. I was never really interested in life at school and what my peers were doing, they were all focusing on exams and universities and things like that. So that was the start of me deciding that I wanted to work on music and do nothing else. And the hidden time my career started was probably when Globe Town Records found that song.”

Now a couple of years down the line since his official discovery by the Hoxton-based independent record label and management company, the artist has been drip-feeding his ever-growing fanbase his musical artistry in form of multiple singles as well as a mixtape titled ‘Tychonaut’, yet another record released in the chaotic times of the pandemic. But unlike many other musicians who were hit by the global tragedy, Jones feels that it was the right decision to release the mixtape during the lockdown, as, in his opinion, it gave his songs, with many discussing themes of anxiety, loneliness and uncertainty, an ever deeper meaning that could then be understood in a more general sense: “It was essentially my first body of work. To me, it felt like it gave my songs a bit of a context having the lockdown happen because I‘d already been feeling those emotions of existential dread and doubt. So when the pandemic happened, I felt like everyone got put in the same boat and it gave my music a relevance that people could understand.”

It’s those introspective themes that have long weaved themselves through Jones’ music and releases and that have made them so relatable for his listeners. Vulnerability, honesty to a level that others would often shy away from, and an openness with your own feelings and the people around you are just a few of the many parts that make Tycho Jones stand out amongst the masses of aspiring artists out there right now. To simply put it, his music is quite special, as Jones describes it: “I would say it’s quite thoughtful in terms of the lyrics and it addresses a lot of feelings of anxiety and emotions. But then in terms of what I‘m talking about, it‘s more of a London narrative, but still universal feelings that we all know. It’s uplifting and chill, but also melancholic as well.”

Long gone are the times when artists were confined to the area they live and grew up in, with social media nowadays offering everyone an almost global reach. But Jones has taken advantage of both, the option of being known on an international level, but still embedding his music in the stories and experiences he’s made in the UK capital: “I think people in London can relate to my narrative, like my experiences and stuff. I’m a London artist in that sense because I feel like the themes that I address are a bit more universal, I like to talk about things that we can all relate to. It’s got context from what I’ve seen and the people around me, but I think ultimately it’s expanding beyond London as I grow up.”

Looking through the artist’s discography, it’s become clear over the years that his music has and always will be a matter of personal thoughts and feelings. Firstly, there is the bouncy ‘Serotonin’, the one song that gave the young musician his first push into the spotlight, which was then later followed up by now fan-favourites ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ and the melodic ‘Level Head’ as part of his mixtape, amongst many others. But even throughout the pandemic and the pressures of today’s music industry, Jones has hidden kept a hold of the freedom of creating whatever he feels like, which can be particularly felt in the release of his latest single ‘Clouds’. Carried by a highly-addictive bass line, airy vocals and a radically danceable rhythm, the track is musically a shot away from his earlier records but still stays very close to the emotive depth of his previous hits, as Jones explains: “The reason I called it ‘Clouds’ is because people can be like the clouds sometimes, they’re here today and gone tomorrow. So the theme of the song is about the transients of life. It’s about the fact that it’s okay to fall in love with people and enjoy your time with them, but not to feel a sense of ownership over them.”

Hearing all those stories and paying closer attention to Jones’ lyrics and the ways he creates and lets his musical talents flow and grow, it comes as no surprise that the Londoner has been gaining more and more traction over the past year. It’s not often that you find a young artist who has, first and foremost, become part of the industry to share his experiences with the world and to let the music be his ultimate outlet, while never telling people what to feel or think when they listen to his songs. Of course, creative freedom can come and go at its own will, but it feels like the formidable indie wizard has found his place of ease and a sense of self that cannot be shaken. Looking into the future, be it the next couple of weeks – “stay tuned for more music to come soon,”, as he teases – or the unknown times that are a long way ahead, Jones stays as grounded and humble as ever when thinking about the peak he ultimately wants to reach in his career and the how-tos: “I want to stay happy. To honestly love yourself is the main way to grow. As an artist, the best way I can grow is just by staying transient and by letting the world flow over me and not affect me so much. And just cherishing the people that you have around you and playing into their strengths as well. As a musician, you have to be able to get the most out of the people you’re creatively collaborating with while not being too ego about it. You just gotta let it flow, that’s what it’s all about.”

VALENCIA GRACE

Written by Issy Todd / Photography by Joe Magowan

Having begun to “write prolifically during the first lockdown”, exciting newcomer Valencia Grace has emerged into the music scene, with beautiful, rich vocals, authentic lyrics and an inspiring drive to reach her goals. In spite of not setting out with the intention of becoming an artist, but using writing more so as a way to guide herself through the challenges she was facing at the time, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter found that “writing really helped me compartmentalise all my trauma, sadness and confusion. Turning instances from my past or present into art and something beautiful helped me a lot”. The honesty and vulnerability that are infused in Grace’s work have allowed many listeners to resonate closely with her work, therefore leaving the young virtuoso with the immense potential to become an exciting household name.

Despite being a relatively new name in the industry, this talented gem has already supported industry staple Sam Fender at his Los Angeles show this month, performed at the UK festival Barn On The Farm, and amassed over 2.6 million followers on TikTok due to her relatable GEMS content that allows her fanbase to feel supported, seen and connected to her. However, when reflecting upon her incredible journey of growth and discovery to date in order to cultivate the success she already has. “I honestly wouldn’t even visit my younger self. I wouldn’t even say a single thing to her. Every mistake that I’ve made has led me to the person I am right now,”, the up-and-coming talent admits without any hesitation, before going on to explain, “everything I’ve suffered through, everything that I’ve experienced, and every joy and every tear have led me to thinking the way I do right now so I wouldn’t give myself any advice - just keep doing your thing!”

Pondering for a moment of reflection over the greatest lesson that she has taken away from this exhilarating transitional period in her life, the London-based star wisely expresses: “Things take time. If you love what you’re doing, you need to remember to reward yourself for the little things. It’s very easy to pigeonhole yourself and think you’re not making enough progress. I’ve got a four-year-old sister and I don’t see her grow up until it has been a while and I’m like… oh my god! You’re bigger now! So, I think you need to give your life a bird’s eye view and just appreciate what you’ve done and the little steps it takes to get to your goals.”

Furthermore, with live music being a special part of an artist’s role and having almost hit the “double digits” with the number of live shows she has played to date, the 19-year-old has an exciting run of shows lined up later this year as she is supporting ‘renforshort’ on her European leg of the “dear amelia, tour”: “I get a little bit nervous at fi rst when I play live because I care so much about making sure that people have a good time and understand what I’m saying but as soon as I get into singing the songs, it’s just so magical and I feel the most myself on stage and so powerful!” Looking ahead to her fi rst “actual round of shows” and the experience of the “act of touring” with eagerness, curiosity and excitement, the artist explains: “I recently played Barn on the Farm and then the next day, I had another little gig. But for that show, there was no microphone, no amps, no anything, so normally that’s horrifying… I had no microphone to hide behind. Although, I found that because I had just done the festival before, the next day was really easy, so I’m excited to see my confidence grow as an artist on stage.” Chuckling, she goes on to express: “I feel like by the end of the tour, I’m going to be doing cartwheels and crowd-surfing to my sad ballads!”

Having only released two studio tracks to date but yet accumulated a fanbase desperate for new content from this rising superstar, Grace is eager to please with her stunning new single ‘What A Shame’. “To me, this track is about fear of failure and of letting yourself down. I wrote this one very early on. I had no demos but needed them, so I got a producer in a studio for 16 days so that I could record all of my work, and this is one of them. The vocal has stayed the same since then because it’s in its purest form and really special.” Moreover, with wisdom beyond her years, the singer goes on to explain: “I will always resonate with this song because it just reminds me that there is a lot that is going to happen in life, and you are allowed to have goals and you are allowed to want to achieve and push yourself towards them. I think the main undertone is don’t fear failure, fear regret and always stay true to yourself!”

“Acceptance, growth and truth,”, concludes the rising star as she describes what is to come from her. “I just want to be happy and proud of myself. I just want to feel like I’ve done and am going to continue to do everything I possibly can. All the cheesy sayings are true… you only have one life, and so if this is my destiny and what I’ve chosen to do with my life, I’m going to do it to my fullest!” With plenty of projects in the work already, it’s safe to say that this genuinely is only the beginning for the incredible Valencia Grace, and we cannot wait to see what is next.