Under The Radar: Res

For those who do not know of this artist or the work she has delivered within music, you have certainly been missing out. Res is a very talented individual, one who consistently delivers amazing material time and time again, despite not receiving the full credit that she deserves within the industry. Her album ‘How I Do’ from 2001 virtually slipped under the radar, despite it being an amazing album. So I am quite happy that another album is out now, an album which she is giving away completely free on her website.

It’s just such a shame that this artist isn’t heard of a lot more; she certainly has what it takes to be huge within the industry. In the meantime, you can download the album and the digital booklet that Res is currently allowing free downloads of by right clicking and saving via the links provided below.

Res – Black.Girls.Rock! (Free Album Download)

Res – Black.Girls.Rock! (Free Digital Booklet Download)

Rising Star: Melanie Fiona

Melanie Fiona is a talent within music who has been doing her own thing for quite some time now, having released her album here earlier in the year, she has been going from strength to strength.

Here is the latest video to come from her famous Subway collection, which shows Melanie in the UK this time showcasing songs from her amazing debut on Abbey Road, etc.

Melanie Fiona – Subway Series (London)

Underrated: Glenn Lewis

Glenn Lewis is an artist I have been a fan of for quite some time now, ever since he released his debut album numerous years back, ‘World Outside My Window’, an album that went virtually overlooked within the industry, despite Glenn being an amazing talent. Hopefully there will be bigger things to come from this artist.

In the meantime, here is an interview Glenn did for Leonn & Carlton Unplanned a while back.

Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Glenn Lewis Interview (Part 1)




Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Glenn Lewis Interview (Part 2)




Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Glenn Lewis Interview (Part 3)




Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Glenn Lewis Interview (Part 4)




Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Glenn Lewis Interview (Part 5)

Stepping Back Into The Limelight: Corinne Bailey Rae

Corinne Bailey Rae is stepping back into the limelight with the upcoming release of her eagerly awaited second album, the follow up to her amazing debut which was released back in 2006. It’s hard to believe it’s been over three years since that album was released, it definitely made a name for Corinne within music and rightly so, it was an incredible album. No doubt the upcoming project will be just as good, from what has been heard from it so far, it seems it will be just that. With that said, Corinne’s new album is due out this coming February and is said to be titled, ‘The Sea’. It will definitely be worth checking out.

In the meantime, here is a live performance she recently did on ‘Later... with Jools Holland’ here in the UK.

Corinne Bailey Rae – I’d Do It All Again (Live On Later... With Jools Holland)

Industry Is Sleeping On One Of UK’s Best Talents

Over the past weekend, I have been discussing with a couple of people how truly underrated and underappreciated Beverley Knight is within the British music scene. Not only does she hardly receive any support from TV, but a lot of radio stations seem to snub her music in favour of the more commercial friendly material, a style of music you could never imagine Beverley doing herself. She’s one of those few artists over here who truly stands by what she believes in and always will do, for that she deserves the utmost respect, especially in a time when most artists are compromising their sound in order to make it in the industry. You hear it all of the time, how an artist flips things around and comes back onto the scene different to how they were before, just to make that cash for their record labels.

On the subject of record labels, many Beverley Knight fans know how she was treated with her former major label, hardly promoting her material, etc. She’s an artist who deserves so much more respect and the thing that makes it even more frustrating is, with the right people behind her funding her talent, she could be one of the biggest names within the British music scene, we all know she’s worked damn hard for everything she’s achieved so far. It truly is sickening to know how underrated Beverley is and that she continuously slips completely under the radar in music, when she has so much to offer. A lot of really talented artists are truly being left behind, while the less talented people who flaunt their flesh to get somewhere are handed ridiculous amounts of money to promote their material, create ridiculously expensive videos and are paid stupid amounts of cash to feature on some product that is not in the slightest related to their music. When did music stop being about talent?

Well it seems that is becoming the case, as we hear of talented artists being snubbed on TV and radio in favour of artists whose claim to fame is doing some ridiculous dance or singing out of tune on some mediocre talent search show. We hear it all of the time, especially here in the UK with the success of the X Factor on TV. Now, don’t get me wrong, occasionally you do get some talented artists on these shows who deserve a break, but more often you hear stories of people given record deals just so fat cats in the recording industry can make a quick buck off the back of something that has pulled in the ratings on TV.

No one would blame Beverley at all if she turned her back on the music industry for good, but as fans of her work, we certainly don’t want that. She’s far too good to be left by the wayside, no doubt she will continue to work just as hard as she already is and continue making the best material she possibly can. You can always guarantee that when you hear of Beverley coming back with another album, it’s always going to be amazing. She really is an artist who consistently delivers within music, something that is fast becoming a rarity with many other artists.

Beverley Knight is an artist pretty much on her own terms with her music and for that she deserves a lot more respect, more than she’s receiving right now. TV and radio people who refuse to play her material should be ashamed of themselves for letting one of the UK’s best talents, one who has consistently delivered amazing album after amazing album for well over fifteen years, slip completely under the radar within music for so long. It’s time she received a lot more love and respect within music, infact, I think it’s well beyond time.

If you would like to check out Beverley’s amazing latest album, you can purchase it from here.

Exciting Talent: Melanie Fiona

In a time when most R&B that is surfacing within music bores many people to tears, it truly is nice to see such a talented artist delivering amazing material. Melanie Fiona’s amazing debut album, ‘The Bridge’, which was out earlier this year here in the UK and recently within the USA is definitely worth checking out, if you haven’t already. Melanie is such a talented artist; it’s nice to finally see her receive some love within music with her amazing debut.

Here is Melanie's latest music video for you to enjoy and if you get the chance to check her debut album out, I would recommend doing so, such a great album.

Melanie Fiona – Bang Bang

INTERVIEW SPECIAL: NICOLE JANE

Nicole Jane are a group consisting of brothers, Jace; Alife and Dieu Carriera who came from a musical background. While growing up, they listened to Soul/Latin/Pop music, which developed their hunger to perform and make music in the future. Singing in their local church developed their skills at a young age and helped in strengthening their vocals.

Since officially forming in 2006, Nicole Jane have gone from strength to strength and have won an award for Official UK Unsigned Contest, a nationwide talent competition that attracts musicians from across the UK, where one act will be crown best unsigned act across the UK. No doubt this was the start of something special within music and since then, Nicole Jane have gone from strength to strength, proving that they have what it takes to be huge within music. They deserve to be, these guys have truly worked hard for every second of their success.

With that said, I have recently interview them as part of my ‘Interview Special’ series that has seen me feature interviews with the likes of Syleena Johnson; Natalie Brown; Amy Serrata; Mamas Gun and many others. Nicole Jane are the latest addition to what has been a successful feature. Here is the interview with the guys themselves.

What can people who haven’t heard of you expect from your music?

Soul, groove, energy and sexiness

How did you get into music?

We’re from and African Latin background and music is a huge part of African and Latin culture, so it’s always been around us since we were knee high, we started singing in church - in our spare time we got together and made instruments out of anything that was lying around and formed our own band.

What plans do you have for the future with your music?

We have huge plans, but we also know that patience is key and we want to progress gradually, our next step is to create a buzz with our next release out on the 23rd November so we can get re-acquainted with the Brit’s, which we’ve neglected whilst concentrating on Europe.

What approach do you take when writing material?

We’re inspired by everyday situations that either we experience or witness, we write melodies and lyrics from scratch and then build the music around that as opposed to writing to a backing track, which a lot of people tend to do nowadays.

What song of yours do you feel has had the best response from listeners so far?

Our latest track ‘Is It Me’ which is available from the 23rd of November on all major download stores and can be pre-ordered now by texting nicolejane to 78789 (do excuse our plugging lol), is going down a storm EVERYWHERE at the moment. ‘From The Heart’ is synonymous with Nicole Jane and ‘One Last Try’ is a cult favourite that is really aimed at the ladies, but men LOVE it equally. So, I guess most tracks we present are well received because it’s always evident that we put our heart in all that we do and people always respond to anything that touches their soul. We believe anything that stems from the soul goes back to the soul.

If you had the opportunity to tour with anyone of your choice, who would you like that to be?

Dead? Michael Jackson; The Temptations and Elvis. Alive? Beyonce; Usher; Black Eyed Peas and Kings Of Leon.

What are your thoughts and feelings towards artists of today?

For a while the artistry in music was missing, but it’s slowly creeping back in with the likes of Lady Gaga and Kanye West, in terms of Britain, the calibre of artists that make it globally is at a low ebb; but improving.

Sexy Never Left believes in bringing real talent forward and giving them a chance to shine. Do you think talent gets a fair deal in music today?

Persistence is key, the cream always rises to the top, we need to change the now common perception that the only way to get into the industry is through talent shows like The X Factor, we have a lot of respect for acts such as N-Dubz who’ve been working the old fashion way for years and look where they are now. Besides, the fanbase is much more loyal that way; if u ever fell they’ll always be there to go back to because they were there from the beginning when you weren’t on MTV. So, no! Talent doesn’t always get a fair deal, but you need the struggle to add depth and strength to your craft.

Did you ever want to do anything else when you were younger?

Jace wanted to be a footballer, while Alfie wanted to pursue acting and Dieu has always been into music and a bit later he was into fashion.

Are there any artists in the industry today you would love to work with?

Kanye West; Jay-Z; Kings Of Leon; Leona Lewis; Lil Wayne; N-Dubz and James Morrison.

What do you believe you bring to music that is different from many other artists?

History will tell you that.

How do you feel your music is being accepted?

We’re constantly, genuinely, always overwhelmed with how our music is received and the wide range of people who love what we do, so without sounding cocky we know we can do serious damage and be a hit globally when we finally get out there.

Is there anything you’d like to achieve which you haven’t already?

Like most musicians, we’d like the number one albums, singles and Grammys. But our biggest goal would be to have a sold out world tour, it’s a bit far off but we’ll get there.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to say to the people reading this interview?

If you haven’t already, join Nicole Jane on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Bebo or our mailing list and witness the beginning of something special.

Stay Safe, Stay sexy and most of all Stay Beautiful

I would like to thank Nicole Jane for taking part in this interview, exclusive to Sexy Never Left. No doubt this is a group that will go far within the industry and they definitely have something to offer. If you would like to find out more on this amazing group or listen to some of their music, you can do so by clicking here.

So Underrated: Fried

Fried (pronounced ‘freed’) are incredibly talented and yet seemed to slip completely under the radar within music, despite having one of the hottest albums of the year with the incredible, ‘Things Change’. The album was originally self titled, but due to poor sales they were dropped from their previous label and subsequently signed with a new label, they reworked their debut album, adding new songs to the tracklist. But the album slipped under the radar and went unrecognised within the industry, which was a shame considering it really was one of the best albums released within that year.

The lead vocalist Jonte Short has such an amazingly soulful voice and provides such strength to each song on the album, it’s very hard not to sing along. It just baffles me how such an amazing album can virtually go unrecognised.

Here are a couple of Fried’s songs for you to check out and if you haven’t yet heard the album, I would definitely recommend doing so, such a fantastic album.

Fried – Sugar Water Days



Fried – Things Change

Under The Radar: Nate James

Nate James happens to be one of my favourite British artists and has been for numerous years now; he knows how to deliver fantastic music and quirk things up a bit with his style. For anyone who doesn’t know who he is, then wow you have certainly been missing out on some fantastic music, with two studio albums and a covers album under his belt, Nate has showcased himself as one of the finest underrated talents within the UK. I would seriously recommend that you check out his work, especially his incredible debut album ‘Set The Tone’ from a few years back, followed by his amazing follow up album ‘Kingdom Falls’. The covers album he released this year, ‘Revival’, is said to be a sweetener until his next studio album is released sometime in the near future. It’ll definitely be worth checking out, Nate has continuously been one of those artists who always brings the goods to music.

Even though I previously mentioned that Nate is very underrated here in his homeland, he does have a set following of fans across Europe and is pretty big in Japan also. Japan in particular seem to really appreciate great music, so the fact that he is popular over there comes as no surprise. A lot of really great talents seem to have a large following overseas, hopefully Nate can be just as big here at some point in the future.

Here is an interview that he did a while back, which shows you how down to earth this artist actually is.

Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Nate James Interview (Part 1)




Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Nate James Interview (Part 2)

The Future Is Bright For Mateo

I have been following this guys music for quite some time and he always seems to deliver great material, not surprising really considering how talented he truly is. He has definitely been making a name for himself over the past few years, luring in fans with live performances and his own material. There has to a lot more to come from this very talented individual, he has the potential to be huge within music.

Here is his official video for his latest song, which is taken from ‘Get To Know Me: Live At Swing House EP’, which is currently available on USA iTunes, etc for purchase.

Mateo – Get To Know Me

Janelle Monae Reveals All On Her Upcoming Album

This news is very exciting, especially as I have been a fan of this artist for what seems like forever and we finally have something new being released. It seems like such a long time since her last project, which wet people’s appetite for much more. Janelle Monae is one of the most creative people within the music industry today, it’d be a shame to see her art watered down, but we know she will never allow that to happen even though she is signed to the commercial machine that is, Bad Boy. Janelle will always stay true to her art, you can always tell that by looking at her and that is one of the reasons why so many people respect her, she always brings something new and different to music, always delivering something well worth checking out, each and every time.

Here is the video, courtesy of SoulCulture, in which Janelle reveals some information on what to expect with the upcoming project, ‘The Ark Android’, followed by a live performance she recently did in London. This is definitely something to keep your eyes open for; no doubt the new project will be well worth checking out.

Janelle Monae Reveals Name Of New Album




Janelle Monae – Smile (Live At Cargo, London)

Under The Radar: Vula

Vula is such an underrated talent within music, yet she is someone who consistently delivers amazing song after amazing song, showing just how really special she is within music, whether it’s providing backing vocals to more well known artists within the industry or doing her own thing, she is someone who consistently delivers in everything that she does. Obviously the people who have followed her music closely since she featured on a few Basement Jaxx hits numerous years ago, waiting for an album from this very talented lady. Hopefully something will be coming from this very talented artist, but no doubt we will enjoy the numerous songs she has blessed us with in the meantime.

Until then, here is an interview Leonn & Carlton did with the very talented lady herself a while back.

Leonn & Carlton Unplanned – Vula Rehearsals & Interview

Always Showcasing Her Talent: Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige is an artist who consistently showcases why she is rated one of the best artists within R&B music, showing why she has had lasted so long within the industry since bursting onto the scene numerous years ago. With that said, Mary is continuing to make moves within music and her upcoming album is sounding very interesting, from what has been heard so far.

Over the years, Mary has been responsible for delivering some of the best hits within R&B music and still continues to do so with the upcoming release of her new album, ‘Stronger’, which is rumoured to have been pushed back. No doubt it will be worth the wait, as the latest song to surface from the album shows just why fans are so excited for the latest project to come from one of music brightest stars.

Mary J. Blige – I Am

In Love & War, There’s Amerie

Amerie is back with a new album which has been released this week here in the UK and a very good album it is too, although I have already picked my favourites out from the project, as you tend to do when you get a new album. The song I’m about to feature on the site is definitely my favourite on the project and showcases why Amerie deserves a lot more love and appreciation from people in music, not only is she incredibly talented, but she also remains in the shadows of some other R&B artists who in my opinion aren’t as consistent as this artist. The potential is there for Amerie to be a huge recording artist, but unfortunately her previous record label, etc haven’t handled her talent correctly when it comes to promoting her music, which is a shame.

As mentioned above, here is one of my favourites from the album for you to check out.

Amerie – The Flowers

INTERVIEW SPECIAL: RACHEL HUGGINS

Rachel Huggins is a British singer, songwriter and musician who has consistently worked hard to achieve her dreams of becoming a well known artist within music, independently releasing her first album, ‘21st Century Love Story’, earlier this year. The album itself boasts a variety of songs and features one song where she duets with Kevin Mark Trail, who collaborated in writing the song too. So you are definitely in for a treat when hearing this project. Rachel is now said to be working on her next album, which is rumoured to feature many more collaborations with other UK talent.

Rachel has achieved many things since starting out in music, one of them having one of her songs recorded by Leona Lewis, who we all know from winning The X Factor, back in 2006. Rachel also works in education, fusing both her passion for music and education together and directing a Gospel choir in a local secondary school. Not one to sit back and wait for her dreams, she has also started her very own musical night called Hidden Treasure, which was nominated for its very own award. Rachel also is a member of the Lifted Voices Choir.

Rachel Huggins is an artist who should be a lot more well know within music, especially as she is so talented. If you ever get the chance to hear her album, ‘21st Century Love Story’, I would certainly recommend doing so. She deserves so much more love and recognition within the industry for the talent she truly is. Hopefully, you will be able to gain a little more insight into this very talented artist with the interview Rachel has kindly taken part in below, closely followed by a link to hear some of her amazing work.

What can people who haven’t heard of you expect from your music?

Something soulful and inspirational.

How did you get into music?

Music has always been something that I’ve been good at so although it was never necessarily a chosen career path, I did well at it at school, went on to study it further at college and university and now regularly perform and try to get involved in as many projects as time will allow. For example, teaching school gospel choirs, doing backing vocals for bands whilst managing my own projects.

What plans do you have for the future with your music?

I plan to take my music to the next level, I released my debut album, ‘21st Century Love Story’ independently summer 2009, which has opened up many opportunities for me to progress further with my musical ideas, so am currently working on a new album and hoping for it to be more successful than its predecessor.

What approach do you take when writing material?

I don’t have a set formula for writing songs; they come in many different ways. Sometimes I could have a little tune in my head or a riff which I develop, or I could be practicing at the Piano, make a mistake by playing the wrong combination of chords which actually sound nice together and then work on it to develop a song, or I could be listening to a new album and write to the back of a song which already exists and then rewrite music to accompany it.

What song of yours do you feel has had the best response from listeners so far?

I think the song that has had the best response from my current album is ‘Heart or Mind?’ Musically it’s a nice jazz styled piece and lyrically deals with the common scenario of decision making and trying to decide whether it would be better to go with your heart or with your mind.

If you had the opportunity to tour with anyone of your choice, who would you like that to be?

Jill Scott! She has continued to impress me with every album, always moving forward and progressing. I would love to work with her producers.

What are your thoughts and feelings towards artists of today?

Depends really, everyone is trying to make it. I feel that if you have a passion for what you do and believe in yourself, you can achieve. I do think that the work ethic has been blown out of the window a little though. By that I mean with the explosion of reality TV show music competitions, some people put all the hopes and dreams into making it that way, instead of the hard graft of developing as an artist, gigging, writing and trying to get noticed the traditional route. I do believe that the technological revolution has hindered this though.

Sexy Never Left believes in bringing real talent forward and giving them a chance to shine. Do you think talent gets a fair deal in music today?

Yes and No. I do believe that if given the opportunity, talent has a real chance to shine. However, unfortunately some genres of music will never develop properly because of a lack of understanding of the market and audience. Representation is really important and if you’re not marketed and promoted in the right way to the right people, it will never happen.

Did you ever want to do anything else when you were younger?

Yes, I wanted to be an athlete, an actor, a lawyer - the list goes on.

Are there any artists in the industry today you would love to work with?

Yes! I would love to write a song for Mariah Carey, get her singing a good old soul song. I would love to have D’angelo write some music for me and produce the track, he’s way too talented. I’d love Raphael Saadiq to play in my band and be the MD. I’d love to duet with Jill Scott and Boyz II Men.

What do you believe you bring to music that is different from many other artists?

I would like to think that I can contribute to a higher level of consciousness. Musically I like to experiment with different styles and instrumentation and create fusions.

How do you feel your music is being accepted?

Really well, so far, so good, I’ve had lots of positive feedback and take any constructive criticism on board.

Is there anything you’d like to achieve which you haven’t already?

I would like to be a full time musician. That would be the best job for me, making money doing what I love.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to say to the people reading this interview?

Thank you for reading to the end.

I would like to thank Rachel for taking the time to take part in this interview, I really appreciate it and I’m sure other music fans do as well. If you would like to find out more on this artist, you can do so by visiting her Myspace page, also Rachel has kindly directed me to a site where you can listen to her music and you can do just that by clicking here. There just has to be more wonderful things to come from this truly amazing talent within music.