Ding Frisby is an intergalactic, guitar-wielding drag thing writing songs for queer aliens everywhere. Combining the radical campery of classic sci-fi villains with cosmic loop pedal tunes, Ding tells shape-shifting stories of life on Earth.

Described as a “spaceage thrill ride,” "Bowie meets Victoria Wood" and “The Jam (but northern)” they’ve brought their glam-punk anthems to dive bars, protests and theatres across the country, from opening for Ginny Lemon, to the grand final of Europe's biggest drag king contest.
He’s loved sharing his DIY music videos at local film festivals, devising a queer music history tour for Bradford's St George’s Hall, and workshopping a solo gig-theatre show with support from Unlimited, Kirklees Year of Music, Come Play With Me, Sheffield Theatres, Theatre in the Mill and more.

Originally crash landed in Huddersfield, Ding’s all about local queer history and community, having hosted Out + Loud queer open mic since 2019.

Dan Loops is a Sheffield-born, Leeds/Bradford-based writer, acoustic rap artist, poet, producer, multi-instrumentalist and videographer. Known for blending witty lyricism with intricate guitar work, beatboxing and live vocal loops, Dan has carved out a distinctive place in the UK’s alt-hip-
hop scene.

His debut album, An Album, launched to a sold-out crowd in 2016 and is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and all major platforms. Before that, Dan had already made waves supporting Kae Tempest at the Lyric Festival in Sheffield (2012) and performing at the O2 Arena in 2011. Between 2011 and 2014, he gigged relentlessly, honing his live craft on stages big and small across the country.

A festival regular, Dan has played events including Y Not Festival and Tramlines. During lockdown, he wrote, recorded, and independently released his follow-up project, Self Titled (2022). With fresh
material and a renewed drive, Dan Loops is back on the road, gigging up and down the UK.

Leeds-based Contrail are a five-piece alt-rock fusion band that combines moments of melancholic introspection with chaotic excitement resulting in a unique blend of wispy vocals, blazing saxophones and crushing guitars. Their deeply personal lyrics convey the existential dread of modern life touching on topics such as relationships, mental health and grief. Drawing inspiration from 90s music including Radiohead, The Sundays, and American Football as well as modern alternative bands such as Black Country New Road, Title Fight, and Feeble Little Horse. Contrail creates an eclectic blend of genres unlike any other band.

One of the "ones to watch" artists currently at Leeds Conservatoire, singer/songwriter/composer/musician Romy Taylor was British born but raised in the south of Spain. Taking inspiration from artists Daniel Caesar, Eloise and Lucy Rose, she combines atmospheric dreamlike flavours with eminently listenable and memorable melodies full of hooks. Her latest single "Nectarine" got picked up on Spotify for the Fresh Finds playlist and she sold out her debut single launch party at Oporto Leeds, as well as her following headliner at Hyde Park Book Club . She's already appeared at Gilles Peterson's We Out Here Festival in 2024, supported future soul crew Heritage at Belgrave Music Hall, performed an unplugged Brudenell Piano Session and packed out various Leeds venues. A unique pop artist with her own spin on jazz, soul, and heart-felt ballads.

Kenzo Jae is an alternative rap artist, singer, songwriter, and poet from Bradford, England. Blending old-school hip hop with alternative indie and punk, he delivers music that is both honest and raw—self-deprecating yet egotistical—balancing vulnerability with swagger. He describes his work as “Tales of the Arrogant Samaritan,” drawing inspiration not only from lived experience but also from conceptual films he creates, which he transforms into immersive visual and audio mixtapes.

Known for their blasts of stomping fuzzed-up guitar, savage riffs, hook-heavy choruses and wild rhythmic drums, South Yorkshire’s FloodHounds deliver tight rabble-rousing live shows. Lyrically catchy, the Indie rock trio’s punk-infused, darkly melodic tunes, stay with you long after the gig.

FloodHounds have opened for Kid Kapichi, The Family Rain, The Blinders, PINS, Projector, King Nun, Strange Bones, and Calva Louise across the UK, as well as headlining their own shows and hitting the festival circuit with Tramlines (BBC Introducing slot winners), Y-Not, Isle of Wight, Brighton Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Live at Leeds & more. This momentum has extended beyond UK shores, with successful performances in Paris at iconic venues Supersonic and Le Truskel.

FloodHounds have received repeat spins on BBCintroducing, numerous blog "Track of The Week" spots, and they landed coveted editorial playlists Apple Music's All New Rock and Amazon Music's Breakthrough Rock.

Recent highlights include a Japanese film crew independently creating their own music video for 'Quicksand,' capping a year of headline shows and summer festivals, including Y-Not. 2025 began with the release of an animated video for 'Near-Life Experience' by VFX artist Grainfreeze (Oasis, Noel Gallagher) plus new single ‘One Horse Race’.

Layers of expansive minimalism and carefully crafted thematic progressions are what create the unique yet familiar sound of Elia Tomé. Blending the organic with the electronic, the Greek-Lebanese songwriter and producer seeks nostalgic reverie in future soundscapes.

With the official support of Help Musicians UK , Elia Tomé released his new project "Beginning Again" which captures the complex emotions tied to letting go of the past and stepping into something new. The nostalgic electronica is a heartfelt exploration of the delicate balance between holding on and moving forward.

Athens born Elia Tomé is an independent songwriter and producer currently based in Leeds, UK. Elia has marked his sound with his debut EP “Taïta”, an eclectic fusion of alternative and RnB driven soundscapes with flavours of electronica and rock. 'I can see a lot of the West Yorkshire scene falling in love with this artist' - Emily Pilbeam @BBC Introducing. Elia’s music is intricately constructed blending a broad array of influences such as Radiohead, James Blake, Bon Iver and Floating Points - all incorporating hints of his roots.

Elia Tomé is now working on a new project which will encapsulate his wider creative universe.

Newcomers Aunty Freeda are a Leeds based six-piece, using their training at Leeds Conservatoire to fuse art-pop, Georgian folk, jazz and classical influences into a unique and otherworldly amalgamation. Inspired by Kate Bush, Black Country New Road, Fiona Apple, and the theatricality of live performances from the 70s/80s, they are quickly becoming one of the most intriguing projects to emerge from the Leeds music scene in the past 12 months. Anna Alfreda Gudushauri Emmerson, half-Georgian singer-songwriter, directs the music, using her experiences as a queer woman to write deeply personal yet immediately relatable songs. Aunty Freeda is almost certainly a name you will be hearing more of in the future.