Each week, there are 10 great acts in our playlist, all with a connection to Reading or Wokingham. As always, we have a wide variety of musical styles, but we think they’re all worth a listen, and we think you will find something new to enjoy as well as maybe getting out to experience the thrill of live music. We have three new entries this week, all with a local connection of one sort or another.
1. Rose Rey – baddest habit –
Readipop Fiesta was packed full of quality music acts, and this week we lead off with Rose Rey who headlined on the Mojos stage, with an energetic and engaging performance, and switching from electric guitar to bass halfway through. Originally from Venezuela, Rose was a crucial part of Reading-based Indie band The Valeras, and is now putting out excellent solo work. This track is her latest single and deals with an obsessive relationship with a former partner, but over a danceable synth-pop soundscape. https://www.instagram.com/rose__rey/
2. Los Fastidios – Back to Blackpool –
Fans of punk and related music have been annually flocking to Rebellion Festival for nearly 30 years now. Italian band Los Fastidios are one of the hardest-working bands on the music scene, travelling all over Europe, spreading their message of love and tolerance through their street ska and punk influenced sound, and reclaiming the image of the rudeboy/skinhead from some of its right-wing associations. They’ve recorded this track as a celebration of the Rebellion experience, and you can see them live (highly recommended!) when they play at the Face Bar on 21st October for Future Transmissions. https://www.losfastidios.net/
3. Sundaughter – Upstairs –
Formed only just over a year ago in Reading, Sundaughter have nevertheless been getting rave reviews from BBC Introducing and local music cognoscenti. They’ve just released this, their latest single, and they are appearing on Friday 3rd October at The Butler for Please Ban Music, and again on 17th October at South Street Arts Centre for Heavy Pop, and we’ll be checking them out if we can. https://www.instagram.com/sundaughterband/
4. Stealing Sheep – Dancing in the Rain –
We continue with band that was on the main stage at Readipop Fiesta, Stealing Sheep from Liverpool. They’ve been around for fifteen years now, but flying under the mainstream radar by doing their own thing, known to various sub-communities online, and they’ve just released their sixth studio album. They describe their style as ‘visual pop’, and their set indeed showcased a very visual approach. https://www.instagram.com/stealingsheep/
5. Áine Deane – alice (living looks good on you) –
Áine Deane was a big hit headlining on the second stage at last year’s Wokingham Festival, and she continues to produce music with compassion which resonates with her thousands of followers on TikTok and other social media. This track, addressed to the titular Alice, is an expression of sisterly love for her friend, and urges her to realise that while life might be bad at the moment, things will get better, especially with the support she has around her. https:// www.tiktok.com/@ainedeane
6. The Outliers – Gotta Get Gone –
September saw a sad landmark for local grass roots music, with the final closure of The Acoustic Couch in Bracknell. The Outliers are one of the many bands to have benefitted from its existence, with the opportunity to hone their performing skills in a supportive venue. This is their latest release, and we’ll continue to follow their progress, wherever they find to play in future. https:/ www.instagram.com/theoutliers_band/
7. The Amazons – Joe Bought A Gun (At Fiction Studios) –
Readipop Festival took a fallow year for 2025, but in response to demand they mounted Readipop Fiesta, a one-day celebration of musical talent, much of it locally grown. There was a great line-up and the obvious headliners for such an event were Reading’s own The Amazons, and they played a triumphant set to a packed hall. It was touching that Steven Siddle (universally known as Sid) of Future Transmissions got a name check from the stage for putting on The Amazons’ first gig, sixteen years ago – keep an eye on grass roots events, you may catch the next big thing!
This track is their latest single from their album 21st Century Fiction, and explores the effects of toxic masculinity and the role of men in a changing world. They are on tour from October. https:// www.theamazons.co.uk/
8. Nicole Allan – Find Me –
Nicole Allan is someone who is very active on the local music scene, performing and hosting events. She’s a singer songwriter, singing Country and Americana, both classic numbers and her own compositions. Her latest single, Find Me, hit the top of the UK Country charts when it was released at the beginning of this month! Give it a listen, and you’ll know exactly why it’s doing so well. https://www.facebook.com/nicoleallan95
9. Petrea – Breathe –
Petrea are from Cornwall, and take the inspiration for their dark and atmospheric heavy alt rock, with soaring vocals by Ellie Horton, from ancient myths and divine feminine figures. We saw them play a set by the side of the Kennet, at the Oracle, for the recent Riverbeats session curated by Readipop, and were impressed. This is their latest single, out earlier this year. https://www.instagram.com/
petreaband/
10. That Joe Payne – Love (not the Same) –
We had another road trip, down to The 1865 in Southampton, to see the start of That Joe Payne’s latest tour, and what a show it was, catch it if you can! Joe has performed at Wokingham Festival a couple of times now, most recently with a full band, as he has on this tour, which includes Graham Brown on keys – Graham may hold the record for the most appearances with different bands at Wokingham Festival! The band also includes Sarah Bayley on vocals, and the show included this duet, which they segued into a version of James Brown’s It’s A Man’s World, which was every bit as good as when they did the same at Wokingham Festival last year. https://www.facebook.com/ ThatJoePayne
You can listen to all the songs featured in our Spotify playlist at https://bit.ly/rawsoundstoday
