Internal Reference
UK Radio Promotion
arms around the world · Campaign Backgrounder & Strategy
1 · Top Line
UK strategy for radio and PR, starting with promotion for “Right Now.” The most efficient route is to reach out directly to a curated list of independent tastemaker programs, plus best-fit student and community shows. The idea is to build some traction that a promoter can use to get into better markets. At the same time, we will contract with a UK plugger to take advantage of their relationships with specialist, regional or national broadcast decision-makers. Separate consideration has been given to finding a publicist who might promote the album. Reaching out to Ever and Pirate! for their input and contacts.
Part I · The Plan
2 · What ↑ top
- Approve the plan and budget.
- Reach out to Pluggers. Meet and secure contract.
- Build list and verify the 15 first-wave DJ's names and information: watch recent broadcasts, find contact information, contact. Write one personalized pitch hook per first-wave presenter/show.
- Set up DISCO playlist and contacts (one owner per contact.) Launch the first wave with the ~7–8 top targets; use response to shape the rest.
- Research later-wave contacts only after first-wave response shows which sub-genres or markets to pursue.
3 · When ↑ top
| Date | Phase | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 11–21 | Build | Approve budget; shortlist 3–5 pluggers; verify Wave 1 targets and contacts; finish radio assets. Decision by Aug 21: plugger + spend level. |
| Aug 24–28 | Prepare · Week −6 | Finalize DISCO playlist; write one-line personalized hooks for Wave 1; reconcile team and plugger lists; assign one owner per contact. |
| Aug 31–Sep 4 | Wave 1A · Week −5 | Service roughly 7–8 strongest tastemakers. Test positioning, subject line and reference points before widening outreach. |
| Sep 7–11 | Wave 1B · Week −4 | Review DISCO activity and replies; refine pitch; service remaining high-confidence Wave 1 targets. Feed meaningful response to plugger immediately. |
| Sep 14–18 | Evidence · Week −3 | Follow up selectively; collect confirmed play dates/comments; choose the strongest Wave 2 prospects. Sep 18 gate: what story is emerging? |
| Sep 21–25 | Broadcast Push · Week −2 | Plugger becomes primary engine. Team focuses on warm direct prospects, supporters, interviews and introductions. |
| Sep 28–Oct 2 | Release Setup · Week −1 | Compile confirmed support and live prospects. Oct 2 gate: concentrate on conversations most likely to convert. |
| Oct 5–9 | Release Week | Friday, Oct 9: release. Use real support in release messaging. Prioritize conversion: listen → reply → play → repeat → advocate. |
| Oct 12–23 | Conversion · +1/+2 | Continue paid plugging; follow downloads, first plays and repeat support; convert warm relationships into interviews and sessions. |
4 · Budget ↑ top
Radio spend (estimated) in separate lines. Press publicity is a separate spend — see the single→album arc under Publicists.
| Layer | Planning range | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Direct tastemaker / selected student / community | Mostly internal time | Research and personalized servicing through DISCO. |
| Selective Groover test | ~£25–£60 | Only named radio profiles that pass genre and quality filters. |
| Budget plugger | ~£390–£850 | Useful only if target relationships are transparent. |
| Professional single campaign | ~£800–£2,500 | Specialist / regional / higher-level broadcast access and follow-up. |
Part II · Reference & Database
5 · London Tastemakers ↑ top
London belongs at the center of the active target universe. The first five are strong first-wave candidates for the guitar-rock single. Several are named-presenter shows, not station rotations — pitch the presenter directly and reference a recent playlist; the station music inbox will bury a presenter-led show.
| Pri. | Show / Presenter | Outlet | Lane | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | The Garage with MilkFresh punk, post-punk, indie and alternative; strong new-independent-music fit. | Islington Radio | Alt-rock / post-punk | Wave 1 |
| A+ | Artrocker RadioNew indie-rock releases and adjacent alternative; strong tastemaker value. | Resonance FM | Alt-rock / indie | Wave 1 |
| A+ | The Indie Spirit ShowNew releases, indie discoveries and artist conversation. | Soho Radio | Alt-rock / indie | Wave 1 |
| A+ | Sonic CathedralShoegaze, dream-pop and alternative; excellent for textured guitar material. | Soho Radio | Atmospheric / shoegaze | Wave 1 |
| A | Soph Nathan & Mina WoodAlternative music, new songs, gigs and guitar-oriented programming. | Soho Radio | Alt-rock / guitar | Wave 1 |
| A | Indie / new-music show (verify presenter)Strong North London independent-rock culture; verify the best current show before servicing. | Boogaloo Radio | Alt-rock / indie | Wave 2 |
| A− | GroovologyBroader indie/alternative palette, including indie-folk and lighter material. | Soho Radio | Indie / singer-songwriter | Wave 2 |
6 · Regional Tastemaker Database ↑ top
The regional list is deliberately uneven. Manchester, Brighton and Glasgow currently offer more compelling show-level opportunities than Leeds; the database reflects actual fit rather than geographic symmetry.
| Pri. | Show / Presenter | Outlet | Lane | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | LTW Editor’s Choice — Iain Key / LTW editorsHand-picked new releases across indie, alternative, punk and rock. | Louder Than War | Alt-rock / new music | Wave 1 |
| A+ | Left Of The DialGarage rock, neo-psychedelia, new wave and indie rock. | Louder Than War | Alt-rock / post-punk | Wave 1 |
| A | Chris Ball’s Stranger Tunes / UnderPlayedAlternative rock, indie rock, post-grunge and psychedelic folk. | Louder Than War | Alt-rock / atmospheric | Wave 1 |
| A | The Mixtape — The Lacking OrganizationIndie, indie rock and alternative. | Louder Than War | Indie / alt | Wave 2 |
| A− | Tangled Sounds — Jake SinetosNamed presenter-led show; inspect two or three recent playlists before assigning the single. | Louder Than War | Track-dependent | Wave 2 |
| A− | Widge’s Sonic EmporiumPsychedelic and alternative rock within an eclectic format. | Louder Than War | Atmospheric | Wave 2 |
| A+ | The Tara Rez Show — Tara RezDIY-alternative community; host is a punk/new-wave singer-songwriter. Strong cultural fit across two lanes. | RadioReverb | Alt-rock / post-punk / s-s | Wave 1 |
| A | The Modern Rock Show — Richard SheldrakeLatest modern rock; South-Coast emphasis, so pitch the show directly. | RadioReverb | Alt-rock | Wave 1 |
| A | Into The Haze — Ed LangleyShoegaze, psychedelia, psych-folk, ambient and the contemporary shoegaze revival. | RadioReverb | Atmospheric / shoegaze | Wave 1 |
| A− | Rock’s Rich Tapestry — Goatee PhilNew music alongside US/UK indie, DIY punk and post-punk; curatorial. | RadioReverb | Alt-rock | Wave 2 |
| A− | Weird Eggs and Ham — Shola KatijaEgg-punk, garage-punk, psych and DIY. Only for a scruffier / post-punk-leaning cut. | Slack City | Post-punk (scruffier) | Wave 2 |
| A | AudiophilesWeekly new-music show focused on new releases from the underground/alternative scene. | BCfm | Alt-rock / new music | Wave 1 |
| A | Sofar with MLY — MLYMusic-discovery hour; presenter has a post-punk background. Inspect before servicing. | BCfm | Post-punk / discovery | Wave 2 |
| A− | In-Tune — Phil VickeryIndependent music across countries and eras — not restricted to Bristol artists. | BCfm | Indie (not Bristol-only) | Wave 2 |
| A+ | Creative Distortion — Alasdair McDougallClassic indie through new bands; recent playlists include Slowdive, Interpol, Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub. | Sunny G | Alt-rock / indie / atmos | Wave 1 |
| A+ | Sunday Roasters — Gavin DunbarCamera Obscura’s Gavin Dunbar plays new music from Glasgow and beyond. Very credible fit. | Sunny G | Indie / singer-songwriter | Wave 1 |
| B+ | Mad Angle Radio — GerryRock, punk, new wave and indie from the 70s on; also plays unsigned artists. Secondary. | Sunny G | Alt-rock (retrospective) | Wave 2 |
| A+ | Big Condo Records Radio Show — Beale & RothschildGrassroots independent indie, rock/pop/folk, industry chat and artist interviews. | Islington Radio | Alt-rock / indie / s-s | Wave 1 |
| A | Soundtrack to a SoulIndie rock, indie folk, art rock and songwriter-focused material. Good for the quieter side. | Florrie Radio | Indie / art-rock / s-s | Wave 2 |
| A− | The Right Track — Tommy NoonActive with long-form broadcasts; needs one playlist-level check before outreach. | Florrie Radio | Track-dependent | Wave 2 |
| A− | Slipping — craggyland + soundhouse.patEdinburgh experimental/DIY ecosystem. Better for art-rock, noise or atmospheric than a straight s-s track. | EHFM | Art-rock / atmospheric | Wave 2 |
| B+ | Harping On — Dara DubhMusicians, original music and artist conversations; the singer-songwriter candidate. Verify non-local openness. | EHFM | Singer-songwriter | Wave 2 |
7 · Reserve ↑ top
Not automatic outreach targets. Held for a particular track, a roster update, or a second-wave expansion.
| City | Show / Platform | Reason held in reserve |
|---|---|---|
| London | NTS — relevant alternative/guitar host | High cultural value; identify exact show before adding. Named-host approach only, not a station submission. |
| London | Netil Radio / Balamii — relevant alt/indie program | Potential tastemaker value, but show-level fit must be established; heritage skews eclectic/electronic. |
| Manchester | Neil Crud on LTW Radio | Keep for heavier / punk / post-punk material only. |
| Brighton | Ears Wide Open — Paul Wilson | Eclectic alternative/post-punk; secondary. |
| Bristol | The Sunday Rockshow | Use only if the single is sufficiently heavy. |
| Edinburgh | FreshAir Music Hub / WYLTW (student) | Reconfirm autumn 2026–27 roster and openness to non-local music. |
| Leeds | Leeds Student Radio — Indie & Alternative | Reconfirm 2026–27 presenter and schedule after term starts. |
8 · What the City Research Is Telling Us
| City | Read |
|---|---|
| London | Core tastemaker market. Islington, Resonance and Soho provide several strong presenter-led first-wave targets. |
| Manchester | Much stronger than a station-by-station search suggests. Louder Than War Radio functions as a cluster of alternative/indie tastemaker shows. |
| Glasgow | Unusually strong at the individual-presenter level. Creative Distortion and Sunday Roasters are among the best non-London fits. |
| Brighton | Deep and culturally aligned, but presenter-level targeting matters because some station submission routes are locally focused. |
| Bristol | Better than the earlier station map implied; Audiophiles is a particularly strong new-release/alternative target. |
| Liverpool | Useful but more local-ecosystem oriented; Big Condo is the standout and Soundtrack to a Soul suits songwriter material. |
| Edinburgh | Smaller but interesting. EHFM offers cultural credibility and experimental/DIY overlap. |
| Leeds | Currently thinner at show level. Recheck after autumn programming settles rather than forcing targets. |
9 · Student Radio
Use student radio selectively, not institutionally. The Student Radio Association is useful as a directory and radio-industry development organization, but there is limited evidence that SRA-wide activity itself carries meaningful artist-breaking influence.
Use the SRA for
- Finding current alternative/indie programs
- Identifying music teams and presenter contacts
- Checking what is active once autumn term begins
Do not assume
- SRA affiliation itself adds meaningful reach
- Student-station spins aggregate into a recognized industry signal
- The network should be swept simply because it exists
10 · Paid Pluggers — Shortlist & Contacts ↑ top
A paid campaign is justified when the plugger can identify specific specialist, regional or national broadcast targets and explain what their relationships add beyond our direct DISCO servicing. Five vetted UK pluggers to approach for quotes on “Right Now,” ordered by fit for a guitar-driven rock single seeking specialist and regional access. Pricing at this level is quote-only and single-dependent — treat any figures as benchmarks, not rates.
Good Energy PR
Alt / indie / post-punk tastemaker + specialist
Founded 2019 by Jess Kangalee, with nearly 20 years across radio, TV and festival promotion. The past-projects list is the closest genre match to arms around the world of anyone on this shortlist — Dinosaur Jr, Phoebe Bridgers, Sharon Van Etten, Sleater-Kinney, Shame, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Bombay Bicycle Club, Angel Olsen. Start here if the priority is a plugger who already lives in the exact alt/indie/post-punk lane and knows the specialist DJs who champion it. A values-led shop (the only Global-Majority / LGBTQ+-run UK plugging company, prioritising those artists) — worth being straightforward about fit both ways.
Contact goodenergypr.com · site contact form
Hart Media
Specialist + regional + student/college
Founded by Jo Hart (ex-EMI regional plugger). Covers national, regional, specialist and — uniquely on this list — student/college/university radio as a named specialty, which dovetails with the student-media side of this campaign. Deep specialist-DJ and Heads-of-Music relationships; roster has ranged from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Björk to Enter Shikari and The Subways. The natural first conversation if you want one shop that can work specialist plus the UK student tier. Pricing bespoke/quote-only.
Contact info@hartmedia.co.uk · Tileyard Studios, London N7
Hesso Media
Specialist + 6 Music + regional/national
London-based national and regional promotions company (founded 2009, Chris Hession), 10+ years across BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 6 Music, specialist and regional radio, with a stated no-nonsense approach. Strongest as a specialist / 6 Music-consideration play with genuine national reach if “Right Now” over-performs. Small team (Chris, Tom, Ben) — you deal with principals, not account juniors.
Contact chris@hessomedia.com · +44 (0)207 636 9562 · London
RadioActive Promotions
Regional (loud guitars / indie-rock)
Set up 2008 by Julie Barnes and Jessica Hall (previously ran the regional department at Anglo Plugging). Explicitly indie/rock in taste — “loud guitars, classic songwriting and left-field pop” — working unsigned artists through to major names across commercial, local BBC, community, internet and student radio. The targeted choice if “Right Now” leans guitar-forward and regional BBC / commercial-specialist traction is the goal. Respected by music heads at Kerrang! and Planet Rock.
Contact radioactivepromotions.co.uk · London & Glasgow
Pluggin’ Baby
Guitar-based, budget-tiered, money-back
Run by veteran presenter Emma Scott, 13+ years, specialising in guitar-based artists across alt-rock, indie-rock, singer-songwriter and adjacent. Four budget tiers (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum), all with a money-back guarantee and the option to split payment across two months — the most accessible entry point on this list, and transparent that no plugger can guarantee national-station plays. A relationship-first, ~600-contact operation rather than a mass-blast service. Good budget option or complement; weaker for national reach than Hesso or Hart.
Contact plugginbaby.com contact form (Emma)
11 · Press Publicists — Small Specialist Shortlist ↑ top
Press publicity is a distinct lane from radio plugging — a different job, different contacts, and a separate spend. US press already runs through Big Hassle; this is the UK press counterpart, to run alongside whichever radio plugger is chosen. The Musicians’ Union guidance is the right filter here: prioritise genre expertise, smaller specialists, personal chemistry, and genuine passion for the music over roster size or reputation. The shortlist is ordered by how closely each publicist’s taste maps to the band.
The single → album arc
| Phase | Window | Press posture | Budget posture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single — “Right Now” | October 2026 | Lighter-touch: seed relationships, target one premiere plus a handful of features/reviews with best-fit writers, and use the campaign to test chemistry before committing. | Shorter (≈4–6 weeks), lower end — or a one-month engagement. |
| Album | Early 2027 | The main event: a full campaign — cover features, a review run, and the career narrative that a single can only hint at. | 2–3 months at full campaign rate; the larger, primary press spend. |
Use the single as a low-cost audition of the relationship and a warm-up of press contacts, then commit the album budget once chemistry is confirmed and the single has generated proof. Many boutiques prefer a continuous single→album arc, which is fine if the fit is already obvious — but leading with the single protects you if it isn’t.
Prescription PR
Alt / indie / post-punk press · single + album
The closest taste-match on this list. An alternative roster history spanning Interpol, Sonic Youth, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Guided By Voices and Placebo, plus Fontaines D.C. and Black Country, New Road — almost a mirror of the band’s own reference points. Label relationships at the tastemaker end (Sub Pop, Partisan, Mute, Speedy Wunderground). States plainly they work with budgets big or small and care deeply about each project — the passion-plus-flexibility the MU criteria point toward. Covers singer-songwriters and solo artists too, so the quieter facet is served. Strong candidate to carry both the single and the album.
Contact prescriptionpr.co.uk · London / Cambridge / Manchester
Stoked PR
Indie-rock boutique · careful roster
The archetype of the MU brief: smaller, focused on indie-rock and adjacent genres, with personal service and deliberately careful artist selection. A publicist who only takes records they believe in is applying the passion filter for you. Best approached directly to test chemistry on the single before an album commitment.
Contact site contact form (confirm current URL)
Public Display PR
Indie / alt / dream-pop · transatlantic
A genuinely small team (since 2013) whose stated genres — indie rock, alt rock, dream pop, post-rock, art pop, folk — overlap almost exactly. Runs a phased release opening with an exclusive premiere at the highest-profile outlet, then features and reviews across the US, UK and Canada. Because they already work both sides of the Atlantic, they can bridge the US/UK story rather than treating them as two campaigns — useful given the band’s transatlantic footprint and the US press already running through Big Hassle.
Contact publicdisplaypr.com
Bad Moon
Established indie · strong print press
Long-established with a broad indie roster; does print press as well as anyone in the country. A step up in scale from the true boutiques, so weigh whether a single would get senior attention — but strong if broadsheet and magazine print coverage is a priority for the album.
Contact site contact form (confirm current URL)
House of Usher
Boutique alt / indie
A boutique agency working closely with alternative and indie artists. Worth adding to the quote-and-chemistry round as a smaller-shop alternative to Prescription.
Contact site contact form (confirm current URL)
12 · Europe
Extend by musical fit, not by geography. Ferarock / Radio Campus France, BFR / free-radio networks, Nordljud and other federations remain useful maps, but the actual pitch should go to a specific show or presenter whose programming overlaps with the track.
13 · Tools
DISCO: existing delivery and tracking layer for direct radio outreach — build clean, well-labelled promo playlists and share tracked URLs per recipient.
Groover: optional gap-filler only if the live database exposes specific radio profiles we genuinely want and cannot reach more directly. A small £25–£60 test is enough.