Coffee House Sessions ft. Germein and Matt Carstens

Head down to Tommy's Kitchen as we serve up some freshly brewed music from the UK's most exciting new artists. This week is a special edition of Coffee House Sessions, where we are joined by not one - but two artists: Germein and Matt Carstens!

Germein

Having just wrapped up a 15-date UK stadium tour with Little Mix, Australian newcomers Germein confirm their return to the UK this October following the release of their addictive new single ‘Talking’.

As siblings growing up in Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Georgia (guitar, keys), Ella (electric cello, bass) and Clara Germein (drums) have been playing together for so long that the band has become second nature to them. Taking lead from strong artists like Haim, Chvrches and Tegan; Sara, the sisters aren’t afraid to explore a wide palate of musical styles, while keeping a firm hand on pop sensibilities.

Whilst they have previously toured the world and released music independently, the new single ‘Talking’ is the first taste of a new Germein, created and recorded and produced at home by Georgia Germein with mixing by acclaimed mixer John Castle (Vance Joy). “We realised it was time to take control for ourselves and really start making the music that we want to make on our own terms’” says Georgia. “We decided to record and produce ourselves in our home studio. When we hit play on ‘Talking’, we knew it was the musical vision we’ve had for ourselves finally coming to life.”

‘Talking’ shows Germein at their best, mixing their close three-part harmonies with a soaring break-out chorus. The song is a strong statement from the all-female act.

Facebook: @germeinsisters

Twitter: @germeinsisters

Instagram: @germeinsisters

Matt Carstens

Matt is a folk pop, singer/songwriter from South Africa (SA) who has been composing his own music since the age of 12, and who continues to mould his creations to deliver the captivating performances he is known for today.

He skilfully manipulates his guitar and knows his way around his looping pedals, charming audiences with his endlessly versatile repertoire of songs and gallant on-stage presence. With numerous festivals in Africa under his belt, he has gained invaluable performing experience. He recorded a 6-track EP before releasing his debut album "2D Heart" in April 2017.

Matt’s debut single, Paper Planes, has been playlisted by a number of prominent radio stations in SA, including student radio TUKSfm (University of Pretoria), MFM (University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town) and PUKfm (University of Potchefstroom). He has made television appearances in SA to promote his album on national shows such as

Expresso Morning Show (a national breakfast programme), and three more songs from his album have been playlisted by national radio stations, JacarandaFM and RSG.

In July 2017 Matt performed at Innibos Festival (SA’s largest music festival) where he won its Rock Rumoer competition, a renowned annual battle of the bands. He was awarded a spot on the main stage of the festival, a cash prize and a music video sponsored by Kyknet (the MTV equivalent in SA). Later that year he also won the #VanCokeColab Initiative, which offers young singer/songwriters the chance to collaborate with Francois van Coke (a celebrated SA rock musician). Their resulting single, Broken Society, was well-received by the major national radio stations upon its release in October 2017. Throughout his career, Matt has shared the stage with various well-known SA musicians such as Matthew Mole, Francois van Coke, Majozi, and Arno Carstens, to name a few.

Facebook: @mattcarstensmusic

Twitter: @matt_carstens

Instagram: @matt_carstens