10 Artists to Watch From Liverpool

The history and heritage of Liverpool’s music scene is undeniable with many of the UK’s best and most successful talents emerging from the city. 

Although much is rightly made of the Beatles and the Merseybeat scene, there are plenty of notable contemporary success stories - from Frankie Goes to Hollywood to The La's via Michael Head, Ladytron and the Coral. 

To mark the launch of our undergraduate courses in Liverpool, here's a run down of some exciting new talents creating new Merseyside success stories. 

The Mysterines

The Mysterines are a British alt-rock band from Liverpool and the Wirral featuring the talents of Lia Metcalfe, George Favager, Callum Thompson and Paul Crilly.

Taking inspiration from the Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Garbage, the Scouse love of a melody is evident in their music, balanced with a darker grunge sound.

Having supported Arctic Monkeys on their stadium tour of 2023, the band's new album - 'Afraid of Tomorrow' - is expected to make them one of the biggest guitar bands of 2024. 

Find out more. 

Pixey 

Hailing from Ormskirk, Pixey is a multi-instrumentalist and producer who has consistently been at the top of one to watch lists. 

Now signed to Chess Club, a label responsible for helping launch the careers of artists such as Jungle and Wolf Alice, Pixey is now looking forward to releasing her debut album, 'Million Dollar Baby' this August. 

Her breakthrough track was 'Just Move', a mix of nineties indie with distinct melodies that caught the ears of music supervisors and was used to soundtrack ITV's coverage of the Women's World Cup.

Find out more.

Jamie Webster 

Singer songwriter and Liverpool supporter, Jamie Webster used to be an electrician but is now one of the most popular artists in the North-West. 

From performing at fan-affiliated events and composing songs for the terraces, a video of him playing 'Allez Allez Allez' went viral in 2018 and became an anthem associated with the Liverpool team's European success. 

The Guardian has described Jamie as "the semi-official musician of the football club". 

With gigs at the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena and Sefton Park forthcoming, he released his third record, '10 For The People', in February 2024.

Find out more.

Zuzu 

From Eurovision to the first post-Covid trial gig in Sefton Park, Zuzu is an enduring Liverpool success story, a grunge-loving indie artist who balances her love for sci-fi with that of the pop styles of Cardi B. 

Her experimental sound, songwriting skills and talent is best heard on her debut album, 'Queensway Tunnel', a well-received record that bodes well for her and Liverpool's musical future love affair with melody. 

Find out more.

Red Rum Club

Six piece guitar band Red Rum Club are one of the hardest working outfits in the UK, releasing their 'Western Approaches' album in February which landed in the top ten in the album chart.

This promotional run has seen Red Rum Club tour the US, sell out the M&S Arena in Liverpool (and headline atop a bull of local talent), continue to play larger rooms in the UK and even grab the attention of Elton John, who had the band on his Rocket Hour show to talk about songwriting and the record. 

Their summer will see them take their sound to the festival season with their star very much in the ascendance. 

Find out more.

Katie Nicholas

Katie Nicholas is a homegrown songwriting talent who has caused a splash in 2024 with her Songwriter Diaries collection, a a 50 part YouTube series sharing 10+ years of unreleased music. 

Beginning in 2007 with her first song, the series journeys through a decade of musical creations made between 2010 and 2020, with the majority of tracks written between the ages of 18 and 21 (30 songs). 

Find out more.

Koj

Koj hails from South Liverpool and is a rapper with the support of 1Xtra behind him, with DJ Target a supporter of his fusion of genres and eclectic hip hop sound. 

With lyrical themes touching on mental health and life on the streets of Liverpool, his talent is up and coming and was initially heard with Manchester collective, the Mouse Outfit. 

His skills are best checked on his 'Villain with a Conscious' EP. Listen to his track, 'A Reminder', below.

Find out more.

Cheap Thrills

Rockers The Cheap Thrills have been steadily building their fan base in Liverpool, playing increasingly high-profile gigs to crowds in love with their energetic guitar sound. 

The group - which features Anton Eager, Callum Fitzpatrick, Terry Eaves and Lewis Pike - have worked tirelessly over the last ten years to develop their profile in the city, with an array of releases and performance slots at Tramlines, Liverpool's Sound City and with Red Rum Club at their arena show in 2024.

This November, the band will play their biggest Merseyside gig at the Olympia in Liverpool.

Find out more.

Eleanor Nelly

Singer songwriter Eleanor Nelly has been a mainstay of Liverpool's music scene, a regular at venues including the Jacaranda, Kazimier, Leaf and many more.

From country rock to blues and rock and roll, Eleanor was previously part of the Liverpool International Music Festival Academy and signed with Decca. 

She's continued to plough her own musical furrow with forthcoming support slots with local legends the Zutons on their intimate warm up gigs ahead of the summer. 

Find out more.

Courting 

Formed in 2018, Liverpool band Courting are looking to expand on the indie guitar band template, injecting their sound with post-punk and glitchier elements. 

Having worked with Cribs members, twin brothers Gary and Ryan Jarman, on their latest LP, 'New Last Name', the group has taken influence from a rich variety of sources, including pubs, electronic music pioneer SOPHIE and robot influencers. 

Find out more. 

Main image - The Mysterines Facebook