Matthew Lunan Music, Aberdeen (2026)

16/09/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ SOMBR⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is pop newbie sombr!🎤

🗽Shane Michael Boose was born and raised in New York, USA in July, 2005 and was into music from an early age, describing himself as a musical theatre kid through his teens. His father was in several bands and introduced Shane to many rock artists, like Radiohead, which went on to influence Shane’s music taste and style

🎼The stage name ‘sombr’ came from a mix of Shane’s actual initials ‘SMB’ and how he was feeling at the time he started creating and releasing music, reflecting an unhappy period of time in his life. Shane attended a prestigious performing arts school called LaGuardia High School, specialising in vocals. He started writing songs as early as age 10

🎛️sombr started releasing music as singles in 2021, and had been posting on TikTok previously gaining a good following - he even described being bullied for posting his music, but persevered anyway. His first viral hit came in 2022 with his song ‘caroline’, leading to several record label deals leading him to drop out of school at 17 to pursue his music career

🏆sombr writes the majority of his music solo, and even produces it completely solo sometimes too. sombr’s first major award was at the 2025 MTV Awards, he was nominated for three awards, taking home the one for Best Alternative Video for his song ‘back to friends’. He was since been nominated for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, alongside artists like Olivia Dean, Alex Warren, Lola Young etc.

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from sombr, including hits like ‘12 to 12’, ‘Homewrecker’, ‘back to friends’, ‘My Body Isn’t Ready’, ‘caroline’, ‘would’ve been you’, and many more!🎧🎶 sombr is among the newest generation of music artists taking over the pop charts and using social media as a powerful tool to connect with audiences and fans all over the world 🌍🎵

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

09/09/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ SAM COOKE⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is soul music pioneer Sam Cooke!🎤

🇺🇸Sam Cook was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January 22 1931. One of 8 children to a Baptist minister and his wife, showing musical potential from a very young age, frequently singing in the church choir and forming a group with three of his siblings called the Singing Children. As a teen Sam was a member of the Teen Highway QCs, a gospel group which led to his introduction to the Soul Stirrers, one of the top gospel groups in America, of which he joined in 1950

💒Sam exclusively recorded gospel tracks with Specialty Records until 1957, but was eager to move into the pop sphere, so signed with Keen Records, going on to have several No.1 hits. In 1960 Sam became the first major black artist to sign with RCA Record with whom he continued to write & record a slew of No.1’s

💽Cooke established his own label in September 1963, Tracey Records; under which he produced a record for his friend Cassius Clay - better known as heavyweight champion boxer Muhammad Ali. Cooke was the first black artist to establish his own record company, signing gospel artists to pay tribute to his gospel roots

💪Cooke’s efforts in the Civil Rights Movement became a crucial in history, particularly with his refusal to perform at segregated concerts

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Cooke, including hits like ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, ‘You Send Me’, ‘Wonderful World’, ‘Nothing Can Change This Love’, ‘Cry Me a River’, ‘You’re Always On My Mind’ and many more!🎙️🎵 Cooke was one of the most important soul singers in history, from being one of the first Black performers to be involved in the business side of music to engaging heavily in politics - specifically the struggle over civil rights in America. Cooke’s music helped to bridge the gap between Black & White music communities, his influence continuing to touch musicians of any background to this day🎧🎼

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

07/09/2026

One of our very talented tutors showing off his skills!🎹🎤

Matthew Tosh has lots of availability for mobile music lessons - book yours today! ⭐️ At https://www.mlmusic.co.uk/SignUp 🎵🎶

And make sure to get tickets to see him in the lead part in the link in the shared post! We can’t wait to see him take the stage once again! 🎭⭐️

02/09/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ JONI MITCHELL⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is folk legend Joni Mitchell!🎤

🇨🇦 Roberta Joan Anderson was born in Fort McLeod, Alberta, Canada on November 7th, 1943; she contracted polio at 9 years old and while recovering in a children’s hospital, began singing to the other patients. Mitchell was a self-taught guitarist and went on to attend art college as a teen, gradually becoming a staple in the Alberta folk music scene

🎵Anderson began performing as Joni Mitchell after marrying folksinger Chuck Mitchell and relocating to Toronto in 1965, her first significant press attention came a year later however, after separating and moving to Detroit, Michigan. Mitchell signed to Reprise in 1967 after a few high-profile performances in NYC, her debut studio album was released the following year

💽Mitchell’s big success came with the release of her 1971 folk album Blue, her most commercial and critically acclaimed album. Mitchell explored stylistic changes throughout her career from this point, turning more to pop and jazz for her next few releases

🏆In her career so far, Mitchell has received 18 Grammy Award nominations, winning 10 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002; she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in May, 1997

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Mitchell, including hits like ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, ‘California’, ‘Help Me’, ‘A Case of You’, ‘Both Sides Now’, ‘Cactus Tree’ and many more!🎶🎸 Mitchell is among music history’s most influential songwriters, her songs notoriously difficult to learn due to their innovative nature and bizarre guitar tunings. At 82 years old Mitchell performed as recently as 2022 at Newport Folk Festival alongside notable performers like Brandi Carlile and Marcus Mumford; Mitchell was among the pioneering front women in 1960’s-70’s music, changing the game for future female artists to come🎪🎫

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

26/08/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ IRON MAIDEN⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is metal pioneers Iron Maiden!🤘

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Formed by bassist, Steve Harris in Leyton, East London on Christmas Day in 1975; Harris is the only member who has stayed with the band continuously since its formation, the line-up has seen several changes over the years

💽Iron Maiden have sold over 130 million records worldwide. Their first UK number 1 album came in 1982 with the release of their third studio album, The Number of the Beast which sold 20 million copies around the globe

🎬The band name was inspired by the 1939 film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' The Man in the Iron Mask, which featured a medieval torture device called an iron maiden

🍻Iron Maiden have their own branded beer called ‘Trooper’ which has sold tens of millions of pints across many countries, they also have their own video games. Their beer and every other piece of merchandise often features their fictional mascot, Eddie, who also appears on their album covers and on set design at live shows

🎫Iron Maiden have toured the world multiple times with no plans to stop; their 2008 Somewhere Back In Time Tour took the band 50,000 miles around the world in 45 days, all in their own branded airplane ‘Ed Force One’, piloted by their very own singer Bruce Dickinson

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Iron Maiden, including hits like ‘The Number of the Beast’, ‘The Trooper’, ‘Run to the Hills’, ‘Fear of the Dark’, ‘Speed of Light’, ‘The Red and The Black’ and many more!🎸🎶 With a discography spanning over 50 years and counting, Iron Maiden have created a fearless creative space with a devoted fanbase of people of all ages; inspired by heavy rock, Iron Maiden became pioneers of the New Wave British Heavy Metal scene in the ‘80’s, which has continued to influence and inspire musicians & bands from all over the world to develop the world of metal music🌍🎵

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

19/08/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ THE 1975⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is the iconic The 1975!🎸

📚Hailing from Manchester, UK this four-piece band met as teens in Wilmslow High School, Cheshire and formed a band in 2002. They originally performed punk cover songs and began writing original music between playing at local all-ages venues

📻In 2012, their track ‘Sex’ was played by the very influential DJ Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 which massively helped to spread awareness of their second EP release

💽 The band released their first album in 2013 and launched them into stardom, topping the charts in the UK. Their second album in 2016 reached No.1 in both England and the USA; they have been frequenting the charts with each release ever since even with their evolving musical style

🏆Although not yet winning a Grammy award, The 1975 got their first nomination in 2018 for their single ‘Give Yourself a Try’ as well as a nomination at the Brit Awards in 2023 for Album Of The Year

🔊The 1975 have been featured heavily in headlines over the years for being outspoken about controversial topics; their 2020 album even featured a spoken word track of Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s 2019 "Our House is on Fire" speech at the World Economic Forum

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from The 1975, including hits like ‘Chocolate’, ‘About You’, ‘Somebody Else’, ‘Robbers’, ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’, ‘The Sound’ and many more!🖤🎶 This band were a huge inspiration for music, fashion, aesthetic and pop culture in the 2010’s and continue to grab attention from new and longtime fans through their catchy riffs, bright synths and controversial lyrics🎵🎤

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

22/07/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ JAMES BROWN⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is soul legend James Brown!🎙️

🇺🇸 James Joe Brown Jr. was born on May 3, 1933, in South Carolina, USA. He was born into poverty and worked odd jobs to make money to feed & clothe himself

💒Brown was introduced to music through church for which he sang in the choir; as a teen Brown was jailed for stealing, and formed a gospel choir in prison - it was here he met Bobby Byrd, an aspiring piano player & R&B singer, forming one of the most successful duos in music history

🎧Brown joined Byrd’s gospel group in 1955 following his release from prison and quickly dominated with his soulful vocals and energetic performance style. They renamed The Famous Flames, reaching No.6 in the R&B charts the following year with their first and only single

🗽Brown toured with the Flames, supporting legends like B.B. King but their success soon fizzled out. Relocating to New York to find inspiration, Brown recorded with different musicians and achieved a No.1 hit in the R&B charts, the beginning of his superstardom. Brown constantly toured, performing as much as 6 nights a week through the ‘50’s/60’s, earning him the nickname “The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business”

🎫As a devoted musician and ruthless business man, Brown craved musical perfection from his band - sometimes fining players for playing a wrong note. Brown wrote some of his most popular songs in the ‘60’s, ushering in the era of funk music with his song ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag’. Brown is now the most sampled artist of all time, with 5,200+ samples

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Brown’s huge discography, including hits like ‘I Got You (I Feel Good)’, ‘It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World’, ‘Get Up Offa That Thing’, ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag’ and many more!🎶🎸 Brown’s undeniable influence on pop music changed the course of music history as well as being one of the leaders of the creation of the funk genre🕺🎵

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

08/07/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ SAM SMITH⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is Sam Smith!🪩

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Sam Frederick Smith was born in May, 1992 in London, England and raised in Cambridgeshire. Smith became interested in musical theatre from a young age and began a singing career as a teen while studying music from greats like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder

🎹In 2012, 21 year old Smith sent their vocals to electronica-dance duo Disclosure ahead of their single release ‘Latch’, reaching the top of the UK singles chart and kickstarting their career as a solo singer. Shortly after, Smith released their debut single ‘Lay Me Down’. Their next No.1 came in early 2013 with a feature on a Naughty Boy track ‘La La La’, later that year they released their debut EP

🎤Smith’s debut album was released in the UK in May 2014, the same month Smith publicly came out as gay; Smith has since identified as non-binary. The following year Smith found huge success at the Grammy Awards, bringing home four awards for their debut album. The same year Smith wrote & performed an original song for the James Bond film Spectre, gaining No.1 in the UK and receiving both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in 2016 - Smith dedicated the win to LGBT communities across the world

🎵In 2022, Smith teamed up with German transgender artist Kim Petras to record and release the single ‘Unholy’, both artists became the first openly transgender & non-binary solo artists to reach No.1 on the Billboard 100 chart

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Smith discography, including hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’, ‘Latch’ with Disclosure, ‘La La La’ with Naughty Boy, ‘Unholy’ feat. Kim Petras, ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ and many more!🎤🎶 Smith is an iconic part of UK music and has been a charts & radio staple, collaborating with some of the hottest DJ’s in music and working hard to represent LGBTQ+ communities through music🏳️‍🌈

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

01/07/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ PHOEBE BRIDGERS⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is Phoebe Bridgers!🎸

🇺🇸Phoebe Lucille Bridgers was born August, 1994 in Pasadena, California USA and began playing the guitar at age 13, graduating from Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Bridgers was then accepted into Boston’s Berklee College of Music but dropped out after the orientation, instead focusing on her music career

🎸Around this time, Bridgers was part of a punk band called Sloppy Jane, when a talent scout saw her perform - this led to her starring in adverts, namely two for Apple, in one of which she covered ‘Gigantic’ by the Pixies. These roles earned her enough money to record her debut solo album, released in 2017. The next year, Bridgers teamed up with Lucy Dacus & Julien Baker to form supergroup boygenius

💽Bridgers signed to indie-label Dead Oceans after her successful debut release and was able to make music her full time job. Releasing her second studio album in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement when many artists chose to postpone releases, was a risk that paid off; the album earned her four Grammy nominations. Bridgers went on to collaborate with some huge artists on songs and as support act for tours, like SZA, Taylor Swift, Lord, The Killers and Kid Cudi

🗞️In 2023 boygenius reunited to record & release their debut full-length album, which won three out of six Grammy nominations, sold out arena shows, landed them on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Bridgers’ solo career as well as band work, including tunes like ‘Motion Sickness’, ‘I Know The End’, ‘Moon Song’, ‘Cool About It’ and ‘Me & My Dog’ with boygenius, ‘Lost Boys’, ‘Georgia’ and many more!💀🎵 Bridgers’ has earned several Grammy awards and nominations for her solo work and work with band boygenius, solidifying her place in the singer/songwriter sphere and connecting with fans worldwide🌍🎶

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

24/06/2026

⭐️ARTIST OF THE WEEK⭐️ ~ OLIVIA RODRIGO⭐️

⭐️Our artist of the week is pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo!💜

🇵🇭Olivia Isabel Rodrigo was born February, 2003 in California, USA and is Filipino American. As a child Rodrigo was introduced to alternative rock by her mother, and showed an affinity for music at an early age, starting singing lessons at the age of 5; soon she was competing in local singing contests/talent shows and started piano lessons at 9 years old. Rodrigo admitted to initially hating the piano, but learned to appreciate it as she began writing songs

🎭Rodrigo also had a passion for acting, taking classes as early as 6 years old. Her big break came at age 10 when she was cast as a lead role in ‘American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success’; two years later she was cast on a Disney channel show which required her to learn the guitar and move to Los Angeles with her family

🎹After landing a role in Disney’s ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ at 15, Rodrigo wrote an original song for the show called ‘All I Want’, this was a charting success and gained the attention of record labels, ultimately signing with Geffen Records. Rodrigo recorded and released her debut single ‘driver’s license’ in 2021 to huge commercial success debuting at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making the 17 year old the youngest performer to accomplish this so far

⭐️This week our students have been listening to a variety of tunes from Rodrigo, including hits like ‘vampire’, ‘driver’s license’, ‘deja vu’, ‘the cure’, good 4 u’, ‘All I Want’ from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series soundtrack, ‘lacy’ and many more!🧛‍♂️🎶 Rodrigo’s emotion-packed songwriting has connected with millions of fans around the world, many of whom have grown up alongside her music; from Disney star to releasing her own No.1 Grammy winning hits, Rodrigo is the 26th highest listened to artist in the world on Spotify right now🌍🎵

⭐️Our students are encouraged to listen to a variety of music genres, styles and eras to broaden their knowledge and inspire them to experiment in their own musical journey 🎶

Matthew Lunan Music

16/09/2026

09/09/2026

07/09/2026

02/09/2026

26/08/2026

19/08/2026

22/07/2026

08/07/2026

01/07/2026

24/06/2026

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