As The Guide celebrates its 100th On The Radar star (see page xx) Duncan Hall looks at three more city-based acts who could break through nationally in 2016.

Black Honey

JUST before Christmas Tom Robinson announced Black Honey were the country’s most blogged about band in 2015.

The specially created chart by Hype Machine for his BBC 6Music show Now Playing saw the band beating the likes of Wolf Alice, Oh Wonder and Years & Years in terms of blogosphere interest.

When The Guide’s Dan Miller reviewed their Great Escape show at the Green Door Store in May he talked about the band’s elusiveness alongside their adrenaline-powered garage rock and psychedelia-infused set, which culminated in guitars being hammered on the stage.

Now, with features in NME and DIY magazine among others the Brighton four-piece has let the veil slip a little. The music which has already been revealed shows a band which knows how to write a classic indie rock song – as on EP title track Corrine.

Their closest comparison is Mercury Music Prize-nominated Wolf Alice, although Black Honey feels more vintage Americana-tinged and edgier. Frontwoman Izzy B Phillips’ distinctive vocals are the killer ingredient which could take them over the top.

The four-piece have said their debut album is already written, and may see the light of day this year. Last time they played Brighton was in support to another city band done good The Wytches. There may be a hometown return in March.

Red Emperor

IT might be hard for Red Emperor to top their biggest show of 2015 – which saw them open the mainstage for Kasabian, Jessie Ware and Craig David at Dubai’s Blended Festival.

That experience has just been captured in their video for new single Animals, which has been released this month.

Having formed in 2013, the indie-rockers had already played Guilfest in 2014 before being invited to Dubai after organisers heard one of the songs from their self-titled three-track debut EP on social media. Their sound combines a knack for a good singalong chorus with an indie-guitar sensibility as on lead track Kink In Your Soul.

Although currently unsigned, the band have supported the likes of The Hoosiers and The Coronas on their Brighton dates.

“Brighton has always been good to us and we’ve always been offered regular gigs playing with a multitude of great bands and performing to some great crowds,” says lead singer Charlie Herridge. “With the exception of a couple venues, we’ve played all over the city.”

The band has also been picked up by new music discovery app Tradiio. The music they posted on the site earned them investment from 8,000 new fans which funded a recording session in London’s Miloco Studios last June. Look out for its release later this year.

Mura Masa

HAVING tipped the likes of Adele, Ellie Goulding, Years & Years and Sam Smith for success over the last eight years, the BBC’s annual Sound Of poll created by the country’s top critics has become something of a starmaker.

And one act which might follow last year’s longlisted Royal Blood to international success is Guersey-born bedroom pop artist Mura Masa.

While he studies English at the University Of Sussex the 19-year-old songwriter is calling Brighton home.

Earlier this week Mura Masa, real name Alex Crossan, was placed joint fifth in the annual poll alongside R&B outfit WSTRN.

His sound combines glitchy electronics with Asian flutes and thumb piano, usually overlaid by a soulful guest vocal.

His ballad Love For That, featuring singer Shura, earned more than a million plays on SoundCloud in just two months.

His debut EP Someday Somewhere, released earlier this year also features vocals from Nao on the track Firefly. The Hackney-based producer and songwriter scooped the number three spot on the poll on Wednesday, suggesting Crossan’s ear is as good as his own production skills.

His mixtape Soundtrack To A Death was picked up by BBC Radio 2’s Jo Wiley and Radio 1’s Huw Stephens last year. He is currently halfway through penning his debut album To Fall Out Of Love To, which he says has a story arc behind it.

“I want to hit the target of really good music and really meaningful lyrical content,” he told BBC music reporter Mark Savage.

“At the end of the day, my personal ambition is just to make really, really, really good music that's culturally relevant and stands the test of time.”