These Fresh Faves were picked by our readers over the weekend – and reviewed by Fresh On The Net’s SHERRY SAHAYARAJ this week. You can hear all these tracks in a single Soundcloud playlist here.

A word from Del: Hey everyone, here we are with another batch of fab fresh faves! To the artists that are selected here, please remember a couple of things – first of all, you are now under an embargo so you can’t submit another track for 90 days. Please help us out by sticking to this, if you have any queries email me directly.

Secondly, please remember we are a team of volunteers – we have a very quick turnaround when writing reviews usually less than 24 hours after the listening post closes, and our end goal is to support you the artists – please make it easy for us to find your socials so we can tag you and for your potential new audience to find you.

Lastly, we would like to appeal to you to come and support your fellow artists, likes and reposts are all very well but if we worked on likes and reposts then FOTN wouldn’t exist. Why don’t you come and spend thirty minutes between Friday morning and 6pm Sunday evening and vote for your favourite tracks?

We would be eternally grateful.

Over to you Sherry.

ANNA BLAISE – We’ll Be King

Hailing from the North East of England, Anna Blaise is, as far as I can see, a first timer in the fresh faves and, to date, has only released this one track on Spotify so she is wasting no time getting her music in front of key audiences. She has also put together an impressive video for the single including a cast of dancers.

The track feels really calm but powerful at the same time. It’s not loud or dramatic, but the emotion is there in a quiet way. Her voice is soft and kind of pulls you in, and the whole song has this dreamy, slightly cinematic vibe. It feels like it’s about confidence and believing in yourself.

Official | Instagram

AUSTEL – White Linen

With a 7 year history of being a fresh fave numerous times, Austel will be a very familiar name to regular readers. Originally from Devon in the English South West but based in London, Austel is Annie Rew Shaw. She has had support from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Introducing and others including a lot of written media and she released the album Dead Sea in 2024 plus an extended version a year later.

White Linen feels a lot more raw and emotional. It’s slow, a bit heavier, and kind of sits with you in a real way. The lyrics feel personal, like memories and things left unsaid, and the whole song has this quiet, almost fragile atmosphere. It just feels honest. The kind of track you listen to when you’re in your thoughts.

Official | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

CAT ROSE – Nothing Ever Happens Here

Neurodiverse Northerner Cat Rose is based in the far South West, Plymouth to be precise, and was awarded funding by Youth Music and had BBC Introducing support from early career. 2025 saw her play a successful first UK tour and she has played festival stages. Her lyrics explore issues of mental health and social class and she has been compared to a young Laura Marling.

This track feels like an uplifting Disney soundtrack, kind of like Moana. The vocals and overall tone really give that same uplifting, cinematic energy. The strings and piano build it up in a way that feels emotional but still powerful. It has that movie-like vibe that makes it easy to picture a whole scene around it.

Instagram | YouTube

EMILY MERCER – Flatlining

Manchester’s Emily Mercer is another returning fresh fave, this being at least her third time in the past two years alone. Her career itinerary to date includes a growing list of cool collaborators. Last month saw her back on BBC Introducing in Greater Manchester and there is an album in the offing soon too.

Emily Mercer’s voice is soft but carries a lot of emotion, and the whole track just feels really honest. With vocals that feel like honey melting, this track has a really soothing, effortless flow. Her voice just glides through the song, making everything feel soft and easy. It’s calm, warm, and kind of wraps around you without trying too hard.

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Bandcamp

FLOE BROWN – Through Your Veins

Young singer-songwriter Floë Brown has been building a reputation for her live performances and has an impressive array of live shows in cool venues behind her already. She has had support from WeCanBeHeroes and was performing for them again this weekend in Walthamstow.

This track feels really uplifting, like that moment when you finally come out of something heavy and the air just feels lighter again. It has this flowing, emotional build that slowly lifts you up and leads up to a catchy chorus. The ending really stands out. It shifts into something more uplifting and fierce. This is the kind of track one would need in those moments when you’re trying to reset and rebuild.

Official | Instagram | YouTube

MAMAS GUN – Joy

Londoners Mamas Gun are returning fresh faves and that rare thing, a band at FOTN who have a Wikipedia page! They took their name from an Erikah Badu song and their founder A P Platts has worked with legendary musicians including Rod Temperton and John Oates. They have an illustrious history of international success and they have written hits for other artists. Last month saw the release of Dig!, their sixth studio album since 2009, the year they had a No 2 single hit in Japan. The band members all have accomplished CVs too.

This track feels like instant sunshine. It has that warm, feel-good energy that just lifts your mood without even trying. The groove is smooth and soulful, with a cool background gang vocal. It kind of reminds me of those moments when everything just clicks for a second and you can’t help but smile. This is the kind of track you put on when you need a little reset of happiness.

Official | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | YouTube

MT JONES – I Don’t Understand

It was Neil and I who reviewed MT Jones when he last made the fresh faves in September 2025. We noted then that his Instagram and Spotify numbers were very impressive. He was also touring extensively across the UK and Europe. March 2026 saw the release of his album Joy and this very track is heading for one million streams already. Clearly he has been building a rock solid following for his brand of bue eyed Soul music.

This track has such an expressive way of conveying emotion. The vocals are brilliant, full of subtle shifts . At the same time, there’s this smooth melodic groove running through it that makes you naturally move with it. Every pause feels intentional, that’s what makes it feel so alive and textured.

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

NX PANTHER – Shabana

Friend and fellow Fresh on the Net moderator NX Panther scarcely needs any introduction. Owner of the Tava Records label, beneficiary of an extensive live schedule across the UK, Panther also opened the last Fresh on the Net Live festival in London. She is hugely respected and revered in the independent music scene where her collaborations with other artists have seen her successfully fuse Hip Hop, Afrobeat, R’n’B and other genres.

This track has an atmospheric energy to it. The production has a dark rhythmic pulse that instantly pulls you in. The vocals sit really well in the mix, carrying this cool confidence. Personally I have long admired NX Panther’s voice. It feels powerful. The track’s catchy chorus stays with you from the first listen. If you’re into immersive, dark soundscapes, this track is a must listen.

Official | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

THOMAS WALLIKER – Embrace You

This track was submitted as Thomas Walliker but, when I click on it, the name is shown as Wally so some confusion about the artist name! Spotify says Thomas Walliker anyway. At the time of writing, his Soundcloud page has no location and only one link so not much to go on! Hopefully that will change soon as more people discover his music. He hails from the North East of England.

This track has a dark, lo-fi kind of vibe that feels really understated but intentional. The space between the sounds, those quiet pauses creates this subtle tension, like you’re constantly waiting for what’s coming next, but in a calm, almost hypnotic way. The track slowly unfolds till the end, keeping things minimal.

Instagram | YouTube

V-SIGN OLAH – Rhythm Of The Motherland

V-Sign’s track is Rhythm Of The Motherland although which motherland is not entirely clear as they are based either in Hong Kong if you believe their Soundcloud or Nigeria if you believe their Spotify. They do appear to be singing about Africa anyway! Finding links seems to be a challenge so I am unable to tell you anything else about them.

This track feels deeply rooted and powerful, carrying culture and history through the rhythm. The vocals are absolute sunshine and their texture is very addictive. The track unfolds a story of the motherland with raw emotions, talking about culture, tradition and languages. The percussion and layers give an ancient folky vibe but with a modern delivery. Overall it is a kind of track that just locks you into a groovy flow.

Instagram

PS from Del: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t been picked for the Listening Post, our team has definitely listened to it and there’s no need to send it again: feel free to send us an even stronger track another week. The same goes if you were picked for the Listening Post but didn’t feature in our Fresh Faves.

But if we’ve recently featured you in our Fresh Faves – please wait three months before sending us another track, so we have space to help other deserving artists… For more info see Robinson Has A Good Old Moan.