NO ONE really got the 2022 they were hoping for. Nothing quite went according to plan, but there were some real upsides.
Live music came back – and while it was well into August before shows went ahead, it was a welcome sight for sure.
Festivals returned also and many music fans were finally able to see ‘new tracks’ performed live for the first time. That it was more than a year after those tracks were released was of no real importance at that moment.
At the time of writing, yes, the live music industry has stumbled (or been plunged, to be fair) back into a state of uncertainty. Cancellations/postponements are still commonplace, though there is a greater feeling of optimism this time around.
READ MORE: The Weekender's 21 for 2021
Hopes of a vibrant 2022 are still on the cards. There should be no excuse – again, at the time of writing – for music fans to attend shows, of whatever size, in every month of the year.
Say it with me: 2022 will be a good year for live music. And it WILL provide a springboard from the many artists who have been patiently awaiting the full return.
And for those daring to look forward, The Weekender has compiled a list of a few bands and artists that are likely to take a huge step forward from where they are over the next 12 months.
We hope you won’t have to take our word for it… you WILL absolutely (very hopefully) be able to catch all of these acts in 2022.
Midnight Ambulance
‘Emerged from the lockdown era’ is a phrase that will likely come up often when discussing bands these days – and with good reason. It was a time for reflection for some and artists were able to kickstart projects they only wished they had time for. Midnight Ambulance had a productive 2021 in the end with three new releases a few fairly major live shows, including playing the main stage at Vibration Festival and supporting Fatherson. On top of that, a few nominations for The Weekender Awards is, if we do say so ourselves, a little bit of due recognition already. And if their recent output is anything to go by, 2022 could be a massive year for them.
Best of 2021: Singles in the form of Rust, Black Gloves and 5 AM.
Hopes for 2022: Ohhh, could we be hoping for an EP? A Scottish/UK tour most certainly…
Alex Amor
Alex came out the blocks pretty quick in late 2020 with her first single The Part with Each Other – a track that has recently accumulated more than 1,000,000 streams on Spotify. A follow-up EP and a few singles in 2021 and a little bit of momentum is starting to build once again. Expectations are rising as well as the singer aims to take that extra step up in 2022. With some high-profile shows already in the bank, the stage is certainly set for the Glasgow-based artist.
Best of 2021: The single mutual was a game-changer, with support slots for The Snuts also on the list.
Hopes for 2022: Fingers crossed for a follow-up EP and the odd festival slot.
The Dunts
A band that should be featuring on more tipped lists, The Dunts will turn heads in 2022. Their set at Sound City Liverpool was eye-opening: this is a five-piece that will handle the biggest of billings. Supporting the likes of Baby Strange and The LaFontaines in November certainly will have helped their cause. It is entirely possible to see an EP forthcoming or, perhaps, even an album. Definitely ones to keep an eye on over the next few months.
Best of 2021: Playing to huge crowds across the UK with key support slots.
Hopes for 2022: With no releases to their name for 2021, it HAS to be new material. EP? Album?
Fake Lips
Best not to sleep on these guys any longer… expect any new material to blow your hair back this year. They came in with two pretty solid releases (and quality music videos) before the pando but the breaks on. But in Sucker and Community, they have two power-punching follow-ups. There should be plenty of chances to catch this duo live over the new few months.
Best of 2021: As good as Sucker is… Community is something else entirely. Surely their best offering to date.
Hopes for 2022: The chance to shine on a festival billing is a must and an EP to perform as well.
VLURE
You could, of course, argue that VLURE have already made a breakthrough. But there is absolutely more to come. They have shown their potential, for sure, but you get the feeling they could shift into another gear over the next 12 months. If you haven’t managed to catch them live yet – you are missing out. Put them on your list for bands to catch in 2022 and you’ll find them at the top of your list by the end of the year.
Best of 2021: The TRNSMT set should go down in the memories of many for a long time to come.
Hopes for 2022: Fully expecting to see the band announce main stage sets for dozens of festivals.
Brownbear
Compose… GIF… Search… The Office… It’s finally happening! All things being equal, a new Brownbear album could drop in 2022. And the crowd goes wild. Now, I don’t want to be THAT guy, but I have heard one track and it is going to be massive. Of course, Brownbear following up on What is Home? will be a huge story for 2022. It’s not quite Chinese Democracy levels of anticipation, but it’s up there. Would be very surprised if this band were not inundated with festival slot offers either. The band's first show in three years is set for Greenock in March.
Best of 2021: A quiet year for sure, but recordings from the Pianodrome and the Tolbooth come to mind
Hopes for 2022: It’s all about that album… no official release date just yet… but it’s coming
Dead Sea Souls
Their return officially came about before lockdown, but was scuppered all the same. So they returned again, you could say, with their first single release in almost a decade with Two Houses last month. And there is the small matter of a massive gig in Glasgow coming up in April, so it’s fair to say 2022 will be a big year for the lads. There are plenty more tracks on the way, adding to that slight maturity in their sound. It won’t be easy to get back to their previous heights, but with the backing they have already received, it is very possible.
Best of 2021: A first new single release since 2012 and a slot at Vibration Festival… take your pick.
Hopes for 2022: A few more tracks in the vein of Two Houses.
Berta Kennedy
Sometimes you can tell raw talent straightaway. It hits you right in the face. Clear as day. Berta Kennedy and her band have everything they could possibly need to make a breakthrough – of that there can be no doubt. Kennedy is a singer with clear potential and her songwriting abilities have been clear for a while now, having worked with White Novels, Alex Thom and others in the past. Any new material released in 2022 warrants your undivided attention.
Best of 2021: Free-Swimming is an incredible single, but their tremendous set at EH6 stole the show.
Hopes for 2022: Another EP would be ideal, but a few more tracks being released would make my year.
Arcade State
There is something of a juggernaut brewing around these lads at the moment. They went into the Christmas period amid a wave of positivity and the release of their latest single Silence only helped to keep up that momentum. A few well-placed shows in early 2022 should help push them on again, but you get the feeling they could drop a game-changing track at any time.
Best of 2021: When It Hits Home maybe takes the prize but Follow deserves an honourable mention.
Hopes for 2022: A few festival billings should be on the cards – bookers take note.
La Club Royale
We got a taste of what these lads will offer but there is the expectation that this was only a sample of their potential. Anticipation is already building for their third official release (and their fourth and fifth…) to go along with the EP demo uploaded to Bandcamp recently. And with the mentioning of a music video being shot, the Ayrshire duo are gearing up for a productive year at the coalface.
Best of 2021: Rise over Vibes? No, wait, Vibes over Rise. Ahhhh! Bafe…
Hopes for 2022: Can’t wait to see what they have cooked up. New singles, for sure – maybe a full EP?
Dev Green
Dundee’s Dev Green will be turning a few heads next year. He has been releasing fairly regularly in 2020 and 2021 as he fine-tunes his sound. I think it’s fair to say there are more tracks on the way, as he makes a big push. Recently, the former Model Aeroplanes member has been performing as a solo act, but has recently put a band together to take his live shows up a notch. And if they can add that richness his sound deserves, he could be set for a massive 2022.
Best of 2021: Caught the eye during a support slot for Lavender Lane at Tut’s.
Hopes for 2022: Going full band will be huge; will be worthy of a festival booking if it all falls into place.
The Joy Hotel
Among the most intriguing albums to come this year will absolutely be the debut from The Joy Hotel. Recording was planned for October and we got an insight into the band when they performed at The Great Western Festival in November. It was a sleek and seamless set – continuous and expressive. It is certainly a band for the artists, but music fans who want something to open their minds will find all they could ask for with this outfit. A truly healthy addition to the scene.
Best of 2021: Take your pick of the live videos currently up on the band’s Facebook page
Hopes for 2022: A debut album, of course, but the chance to tear it up on the big stage.
Oh Romance
This is a band that always seems to impress. They emerged last year with two tremendous singles that certainly caught the eye. They took to the stage as the support act for The Capollos recently and were polished and commanding. We’re not ones to speak too soon but there is a good chance that Oh Romance will deliver something special in 2022. They aim to kick off early with their next single set for release in a couple of weeks
Best of 2021: All That You Needed and Are You Satisfied? Two singles to whet the appetite.
Hopes for 2022: A few more single releases with a headline gig to come
SILVI
A name that will likely feature on quite a few tipped lists – but one deserving. SILVI is primed to take that leap forward in 2022, all that is needed is the opportunity. She will support Dictator when their rescheduled sold-out Glasgow gig goes ahead but there is likely to be a few more sets to catch further down the line. Jodi Findlay now takes the reins as the main creative driving force and if the last single is anything to go by, a driving force it will be. New track drops in early February.
Best of 2021: Only one formal release from SILVI, but Wish You’d Stay is a fine tune.
Hopes for 2022: A few more live shows and, fingers crossed, some more new releases.
Ali & the Parade
A band that emerged in May of 2021 and came out fighting. A few teaser tracks and then the EP in November. Not a bad year at all for the Fife band, especially as they capped it off with a support slot for Luke La Volpe at a sold-out St Luke’s. If they bring the same energy to 2022, then it will surely be a bumper year for the band – starting with a trip to King Tut’s as part of the New Year’s Revolution line-up. For the time being, that show is set to go ahead.
Best of 2021: A debut EP that really showcases the band’s potential.
Hopes for 2022: A few headline slots, sure, but wouldn’t be surprised to see a few festival bills also.
Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves
Like last year, The Weekender picked a few bands that were already well on their way to something. But the criteria here is bands that will take a leap forward in 2022 – and this absolutely applies to Mark Sharp and The Bicycle Thieves. Time will tell just how far these lads can go, but they laid down a marker in 2021 with Sink or Swim and Today.Tomorrow.Forever. Clearly the time away in 2020 was good for the band who came back swinging. Aside from a bit of an ill-fated touring stint with The Snuts (and an actual bike theft), they took home a lot from the year. Perhaps, the sweetener was winning Video of the Year and Single of the Year at The Weekender Awards – it’s not for us to say, but, probably. In the meantime, we waited with bated breath for what comes from the band over the next 12 months.
Best of 2021: Storming back with Sink or Swim – not a terrible Vibration Festival set either.
Hopes for 2020: The live dates are already set (The Garage, April) but a TRNSMT slot is a must.
Poster Paints
To an extent, Poster Paints flew under the radar in 2021 – or, perhaps more to the point, they didn’t get the attention they deserve. A duo made of up the Carla J Easton and Frightened Rabbits member Simon Liddell was always going to be an intriguing prospect. And they didn’t disappoint with the release of their first two singles either. They hit the road for their first-ever shows in the autumn, supporting Teenage Fanclub across Scotland, before a headliner of their own. They are set to return to the stage in February.
Best of 2021: Hard to choose between their first two singles – both are huge tracks.
Hopes for 2022: Could be an EP on the horizon… or is that just wishful thinking?
Sixth Wonder
We definitely need a band like Sixth Wonder – it is something the Scottish Music Scene is lacking. Adding those tasty djent elements makes the band stand apart and there will never be too much said about the remarkable vocals from Rebekah Kirk. They are a relatively new band on the scene but I truly cannot wait to see what they bring to the table in 2022.
Best of 2021: Debut track Stay Away is an absolute monster.
Hopes for 2022: A couple of new releases and a few well-placed live sets.
Cloud House
When Cloud House take the festival stages this year, you can think back to that Weekender article where they were tipped for 2022 and say: “Yeah, they got that one right.” Some bands are made for those long summer days and this five-piece will make a tremendous addition to any billing this year. There was something a little special in the air when they played Tut’s in August – it was one of the first gigs back after the doors open and it reminded us all what we had missed. With a genuinely impressive live set, they are ones to catch on the road this year, whether a headline tour or in a field with thousands of other fans. Don’t miss out.
Best of 2021: Raising the curtain again at Tut’s and their Days Changed EP.
Hopes for 2022: A festival billing or two – it is a must.
Uninvited
They flew out the traps with one of the best songs of the year in Tomboy and never really looked back. A bit of a surprise package in 2021, but a welcome one for sure. And as good as their debut track was, they surpassed it in terms of streaming success with the follow-up Diet Cigarette. A third single is already down for late January. They are here to make noise and make noise they shall. Here’s to a massive 2022 for Uninvited.
Best of 2021: Some impressive support slots, but the release of Tomboy is the winner.
Hopes for 2022: Definitely hoping for an EP. A wee tour wouldn’t go amiss either.
Club Beirut
One of the many bands that caught the eye at Vibration Festival, they have all the raw ingredients to make a breakthrough. They had been due to headline Tut’s as part of the New Year Revolution line-up, but that date has been postponed. Most of the tickets were already sold for that show, with hopes of a future date forthcoming. That would have been an ideal springboard for 2022, but the opportunities will surely come. And when they do, Club Beirut will impress.
Best of 2021: An eye-catching set at Vibration and their single Eyes Wide Open.
Hopes for 2022: Getting the band in front of more audiences is key – a headline tour would be ideal.
Riley
Another act that caught the eye last summer with her support set at King Tut’s. And sure enough, the country-pop star in the making is on her way back to the iconic Glasgow venue – this time as the headliner. Indeed, that set was so impressive that it was clear then that she and her band would be back to play in the top slot sooner rather than later. It’s been almost a year since the release of the single Go-Getter and we’re hoping to hear a whole lot of Riley in 2022.
Best of 2021: An incredible set at Tut’s or the release of Go-Getter.
Hopes for 2022: Definitely some new releases and a few more live shows.
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