My name is Lauren and I’m the newest walrus to haunt these parts. I’m based in Norfolk, England and my city of Norwich produces some pretty great music. I’m privileged enough to be located near some fantastic venues, such as Norwich Arts Centre, Wensum Lodge Music House, and the Queen Charlotte pub. We get some great underground folk and indie, and so much of this unsigned talent goes unnoticed by the rest of the world. Thus, my hope here is to show you some of that fantastic talent!

I approached The Blue Walrus to start writing because Tim had noticed Alex Sheppard, who is an indie gem from Norwich, whose career I’ve been following for quite some time. Alex is an amazing musician and a particularly good lyricist and she’s gaining increasing recognition now that she’s relocated to London. Now at uni in London, she’s hanging out with Carl Barat and Zane Lowe, which has made me feel quite privileged to have been the first person to ever review her! You can listen to some of Alex’s music on her MySpace page and her first album ‘Fairy Lights & Lairy Nights’ can be bought at any of her gigs, or you can email her directly to get your hands on a copy. It’s one of the best albums I’ve ever bought.

Another fantastic little band from Norwich is Adelaide’s Cape. They mesh folk and indie sounds together, and strangely enough, it really works. Adelaide’s Cape is the sort of band that imprint themselves on your brain; from just one listen, you’ll be humming their ditties for days. They play gigs around Norwich, and are currently recording some new tracks. You can visit their MySpace page here to have a listen. They currently have no material for sale, but an EP release has been announced for this summer.

One band that I have to mention, though not local to me, is Bonnie Dune. This Los Angeles-based band is currently unsigned, but they ooze talent and potential. Frontman Justin Wilczynski has recently been on MTV’s TV show Kaya, which is how I discovered Bonnie Dune. They’re really worth a listen; think an American version of The Kooks, but with smoother edges.