1. Immigrant - Love, Sweet Love (This is the stunning opener from former Fence-r Immigant's 2012 album Talisman. One of my standout releases of the year. Buy it here.)
"I think it was this track that convinced me of the need to make the next album a simple, two-track affair! I'm up in the twenties with this one and it got a bit ridiculous, but it was a lot of fun to put together. As the title suggests, the song's largely a celebration of love, albeit with a slightly bittersweet coda. Clocking in at over four minutes, it's an Immigrant epic - another state of affairs I was keen to rectify on the new platter!" - Graeme McNab a.k.a. Immigrant
2. Flutes - Ironmonger (Demo) (Auld Archie and Sand were two of my favourite songs this year. Both came from this band. It goes without saying I'm chuffed to bits to have this brilliant non-album demo on this EP. Speaking of album... get theirs here.)
"Back in the spring of 2011, we recorded a set of demos with a friend of ours in his small studio in South West London. The output of these recordings went on to become our debut album (released 6th December). 'Ironmonger' didn't quite make the cut on the record. But having finally completed the album process, we listened back to some of the work from last year and this track is one which still sounded pretty good. So much so that we're now looking at working it back into the live set." - Rob (Flutes)
"I did a remix for a friend, that has completely disappeared from the internet. It was when I was booking gigs etc. through The iAm booking agency; the guy Ross who ran it decided to put out a track under his DJ moniker, and the B sides to it were remixes from a few of us on the booking roster." - Niall Morris a.k.a. CUR$ES
4. The King Hats - Us (One of the first, and now last, bands I featured in 2012. This is a demo which didn't quite make the cut for their First Light EP. God knows why! They're just fussy I guess. You can get that EP here.)
The King Hats' spiel will be with us in due course!
5. Insect Heroes - King Fabulous (Alternate Version) (I raved about this album, and this song earlier in the week. The brothers Thomas have been kind enough to contribute this alternate version of this f**king fabulous album track.)
"This version was done in the first session for the album in 2011. I'd always conceived of it without the guitar as the main instrument though (like our version of a Timbaland production or something,) which was why we re-did it for the final album. When we were listening back to the things we were discarding though we realise we quite liked this take on it. It's actually closer to how we're playing it live at the moment. The song itself was inspired by Kelis's full set of gold false teeth, which I once saw her displaying on a talk show, with the explanation that 'sometimes you've just got to show people that you're fabulous.'" - George Thomas (Insect Heroes)
6. Little Things Like Kiwis - Oscar Wild (This may well be the first track from the wonderfully-named Little Things Like Kiwis to appear online. If that is the case, I'm chuffed to bits it's on here. Expeect to hear their name a lot more in 2013.)
"The track is just my take on writing a fast moving indie/rock song with a hint of a surf vibe (so we've been told). We haven't finalized the name yet but as we have called it this for so long now I can't see myself changing it haha!" - Callum Hickie (Little Things Like Kiwis)
I don't have a favourite one of these EPs, but even I'm more chuffed than usual with that line-up! I really hope you like it. Each artist on there has really impressed me this year. A huge thanks to each of them for contributing. All you have to do to get your FREE copy is to click the artwork above, or here... whichever takes your fancy. While you're there, there's another 29 of them for your listening pleasure.
Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. See you again in the New Year if not before.