FIFTY3FRIDAYS: BACK FROM THE BREAK
- Jul 3
- 4 min read
So, after a two week break in beautiful Croatia, we are back ready to re-engage your synaesthesia with a tuneful selection of songs that otherwise I might have featured in the past fortnight. I have also picked 12 bonus tracks representing some of my favourites from recent Fresh On The Net submissions to add to the monthly F3F Spotify Playlist and compensate for missing two weeks in June. You’ll find that at the end of today’s issue. Warning: I am not mentioning the football this week, other than it was fun watching England beat Croatia 4-2 while over there. Our hosts were most hospitable despite the result. PS. They were robbed v Portugal. [I thought you were not mentioning the football – Ed].
Let’s kick off with a favourite new find in the shape of Brighton’s Cello, who we first encountered in April via her commanding single, “We Do What We Want (When We Want When We Want To)”, which went on to be voted a Fresh Fave on Fresh On The Net. Once a cello student at London’s Junior Royal College of Music, the post-punk songstress is back with a wild new single, "Like A Tiger", a third offering from her upcoming album, Kung Fu Disco.
With a heady rush of freedom, Cello embraces feelings of alienation, learning to love the strangeness of it all and baring her teeth like a tiger. Blazing more of a pop than punk trail with this song, the crunchy guitars and synths lend it a 70s glam flavour with even a touch of disco Madonna to it.
Regularly featured in these columns, Guildford alt. rock four-piece The Lunar Keys has carved a niche for itself as a band with a social conscience, ready to call out injustices and shortcomings while delivering anthemic tunes and compelling live shows. The band frequently links its releases to charitable giving, continuing this tradition by pledging £1 to Shelter for each of the first 250 reviews or airplays that its latest single, “Everything”, receives.
Perfectly self-described as “modern panic wrapped inside an alt. rock anthem”, “Everything” challenges the pressure to want it all instantly. This actually delivers nothing meaningful. The song benefits from a few spins - a grower that takes The Lunar Keys’ core sound into energising, new territory.
Photo of THEATRE by Cian Mac Coille
I was intrigued when I saw the song title from my next choice, THEATRE. The five-piece band hailing from Limerick, Ireland released its debut EP, Incarnate, in June and is undertaking a UK headline tour in the autumn. While the band name itself must present something of an internet search challenge in these days of AI, the title of the latest single from the new EP caused some intrigue here. I will always associate the 16th-century carol, “Gaudete”, with Steeleye Span’s 1973 version and notably with the Midlands radio DJ who once announced it nasally as “This is Stoiloi Span and Gord-ette.”
THEATRE’s own “Gaudete” is however an original song which marries the carol’s haunting melody with accomplished guitar work and which illuminates the song’s darker lyricism, perhaps a little at odds with the concept of rejoicing. Maeve O'Shea’s highly individual voice brings it all together perfectly.
While THEATRE is a new band to me, [The] Music of Sound will be a name familiar to Fifty3Fridays readers. The South London trio continues to delight with a succession of single releases. The latest of which, “Ebbw Vale”, brings the characteristic grace and flow associated with the band’s music to bear on its anti-fascist messaging. The song takes inspiration from the titular town in the Welsh valleys with its roots in industry, trade unionism and political activism. There is an underlying lushness to it, reflective of the natural beauty of the valleys, to counterbalance the themes of resilience and resistance. It is also blessed with a particularly strong chorus.
Anyone who read my last issue will recognise the name of Mia Wilks who I am greatly looking forward to hearing when she opens the Fifty3 Curated night at The Bedford, Balham on 22 September. The SE London-rooted singer-songwriter began writing and recording songs on an iPad in her bedroom at a young age. Aged 8, a teacher told her she couldn’t sing, since when Mia has been disproving that snap verdict. Her dedication and journey have been quite remarkable and last month she released possibly her strongest song to date in the shape of “Drive”. A direct response to how she felt aged 8, the song answers those feelings with positive determination, choosing to move forward with her dreams in music. This is songwriting of the highest order, capped by a distinctive, naturally emotive and soulful vocal.
We close this week’s selection with another outstanding young singer-songwriter, Bella Cutts. I was knocked out by the quality of Bella’s debut single in May, “Run Like a Child”, and blimey she has done it again with her follow up, “Curious”. Fresh On The Net readers agreed and chose the song as a Fresh Fave last week. Now settled in Devon, Bella enjoyed an itinerant childhood living all over the world and her experiences may well have brought a maturity and confidence to her writing. The new song is blessed with some cool acoustic guitar, skilfully paced and topped by a rich, smoky yet relaxed vocal while Bella cleverly plays with the notion of superficial love in her lyrics.
FIFTY3 FRIDAYS SPOTIFY PLAYLIST JUNE 2026
On the first Friday of every month, I publish a Playlist on Spotify which reprises all the songs included in this column over the previous month – in order, should you wish to check! As indicated in today’s intro, I have also added 12 bonus tracks to the latest F3F Spotify Playlist which represent some of my favourites from recent Fresh On The Net submissions to compensate for missing two weeks in June.
You can listen to the Playlist here, or head to Spotify @TonyHardy53, for this one and many more of its bedfellows. Our Fifty3 Fridays Spotify Playlist June 2026 includes 12 songs from the month’s Fifty3 Fridays plus an extra 12 bonus tracks. It opens with the gut punch of “Camera Shy” from the marvellous sundayclub and reaches halfway with the beautifully nuanced “Clearing” from Park Hills Circle.
The 12 bonus tracks then follow from Louise Aubrie, The Happy Somethings, Maximum Fun Club, Izzie Yardley, Test Card Girl & David Scott, Hazy Waters, Andrew Eaton Lewis, JJ Lovegrove, Saturday Sessions, Taylor D, Josaleigh Pollett and Dark Tropics.
Enjoy!
