The lowdown on Inner City Waves #17

With the third Inner City Waves of 2019 on the horizon, it’s time for an in-depth look at the four artists taking to the stage on 21st March. Each has unique attributes and a creative assurance beyond their years. With singles and EPs capturing their creative flare and artistic potential, we’re excited to hear what each artist has in store for the free entry night, which you can sign up for here.

MDP

The Mercury Prize-nominated outfit Everything Everything have played an important role in MDP’s development. First meeting at a Levi’s music project, the Manchester-based outfit helped the hip-hop and grime-influenced duo to hone their studio and music business skills prior to selecting them for an artist-curated live bill during Off The Record festival last year.

MDP aim to make grime music accessible for a diverse audience through the subject matter they address. Having been brought up in Bradford and moved to Manchester to pursue their musical ambitions, they’ve recognised the importance of shedding light on experiences involving mental ill-health and drug abuse.

The conscientious artists released their first music video for single Loner in January and are ‘preparing an immersive performance like no other’ for their set at ICW.

Shantelle King

With her forthcoming single Sweet Melody lined up for inclusion in her ICW set, singer-songwriter Shantelle King is bound to impress from the Band on the Wall stage. Her warm and assured tone and complementary keyboard playing lend themselves to covers and originals alike – the melodies she pens reflecting her capability as a singer and songwriter.

Work by artists such as Moses Sumney and The Fugees have factored into her previous sets, giving an indication as to the sort of music she appreciates and that has informed her own writing. Whether exploring the tension and nuance of relationships or the personal growth born of those experiences, her writing is mature yet developing all the time. She dropped the smooth and rich R&B cut Take Time in November, and we’re excited to hear the follow up.

Jade Parker

With two EPs and a remix for Katbrownsugar under her belt, Jade Parker has already shown her vision and determination as an independent artist and producer. Though raised on neo-soul and the work of artist like Sade and Erykah Badu, a more steely and austere sound has come to define the South Manchester-based artist’s work. Call it downtempo electronica or leftfield RnB, the artist’s reverence for the Hyperdub sound defined by artists like Burial and Jessy Lanza, not to mention the individual and inventive nature of artists like Georgia, has seen her praised by the MEN and invited to perform at Bluedot festival, later this year. Her DIY live promo captures the sharpness and energy of her beats as well as the Ableton-based live setup that gives her the freedom and control to construct a great performance.

Rosebud

Rosebud’s delicate brand of RnB has won her praise from BBC Introducing Manchester, while her collaborations with Don Zulu and Cul De Sac MC Truce have cemented her within the crop of young Manchester-based artists on the come up. Her acoustic rendition of River I Run indicates her accomplishment as a writer and vocalist: a light melody weaving around unexpected guitar changes.