Staff Pick: Ten Fé

Following the release of their debut full-length EP, Hit the Light, indie pop duo Ten Fé will play Philly as part of their 2017 North American tour. The band is made up of Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncun, who first met each other at a house party in London, quickly becoming friends after discovering their shared taste in music. The two soon began writing songs together under the name “Fé” and released a single titled “Time” in 2013. The track was critically acclaimed, gaining recognition from large platforms such as BBC 6 Music. After this success, the musicians decided to relocate to Berlin where they would be immersed in a flourishing artistic atmosphere. It was here that the duo changed their name to Ten Fé, marking the beginning of a new era which resulted in their recent release. The new album itself is very diverse, each song has a vibe of its own that is unique from the rest. “Elodie” for example, is heavily piano-centered accompanied by somber vocals; whereas songs like “Twist Your Arm” are synth-based and upbeat in tempo, featuring funky slide guitar licks that are reminiscent of 80’s Prince hits. Ten Fé’s style can be traced back to the music of The Cure and Bruce Springsteen, artists they listened to quite frequently in the process of creating the new record. Their aura has also been compared to The 1975’s, as front-man Ben Moorhouse’s deep, nostalgic voice is similar to Matty Healy’s. Their sound has been positively received by many, such as Noisey, who described it as “wonderful psychedelic guitars and melancholic strings”, and NME, who called it “irresistible”. Make sure to come see Ten Fé play upstairs at WCL on Saturday, June 10^th to hear it for yourself!

-Devon Minuto, Marketing Intern

Staff Pick: Lewis Watson 5/21

Coming up on Sunday, May 21 is Lewis Watson, a London-based singer/songwriter with a smooth and soulful voice paired with a mellow acoustic sound. Watson began uploading covers of songs by artists such as Bon Iver, Bombay Bicycle Club, and the Knife to a Youtube channel which received little attention back in 2010, yet his music career did not fully take off until he started posting videos of his original songs. These original compositions received great responses from listeners, and it wasn’t long until he recorded his first EP, “It’s Got Four Sad Songs On It BTW,” produced by his former music teacher, Joe Porter. The buzz that the 2012 EP generated was enough to attract several record labels to Watson’s music, and he eventually decided to sign with Warner Bros. As he began performing at larger festivals, Watson’s fanbase grew, and another EP titled “Another Four Sad Songs” followed months later. I can appreciate the rawness of both EPs- they are not overproduced or written to fit a mainstream mold. Each feature Watson, who sings the melody as well as additional background harmonies, his acoustic guitar, and occasional extra instrumentation that compliments his performance. Watson’s lyrics are honest, original, and very relatable. His third EP, “Wild,” was made possible with the help and collaboration of artists and producers such as The Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine, Richard Wilkinson, and Mr. Hudson. The EP, which was released in 2013, contains a heightened confidence from Watson, as well as a more polished production value than the previous two. After releasing two more EPs in 2013, Watson created his first full length album, “The Morning,” which debuted in July 2014. Watson then parted ways with Warner Music in order to focus more on his songwriting, which is exactly what he did! “Midnight,” his next full-length album, was released in early 2017, and he signed with Cooking Vinyl, a well-established indie record label. Watson’s sound is the perfect blend of relaxing indie and upbeat acoustic pop. His powerful voice will undoubtedly fill our downstairs room- grab tickets here!

-Dana Schwartz, Marketing Intern