Joy to the world! It’s the return of our favourite festive tradition, the Joyzine Advent Calendar, back for its 22nd consecutive edition, which as far as we’re aware makes it the longest running on the net.
As always, every track is completely free to download and we don’t require you to sign up for a mailing list (though you can if you want to) or hand over your personal data – it’s our way of saying thank you to everyone who’s visited the site during 2025 and to hopefully bring a few more listeners to some very deserving artists.
However, if you do enjoy the tracks we would love you to consider making a donation to our chosen cause, which this year is HOPE not hate, and their stirling work researching, campaigning, and supporting communities to build HOPE and oppose far-right extremism. You can make a donation here.
Stephen Evens is quite likely the drummer for your favourite artist. If not, your favourite artist probably rehearsed and/or recorded at the wonderful Brixton Hill Studios, which he founded. In fact all of this is moot, as if he’s not already, Stephen Evens should and will be your favourite artist once you’ve taken a moment to enjoy today’s advent calendar offering and rummage through his back catalogue. A back catalogue which has in the past seen him scoop my pick for favourite song of the year as well as jostling for position in our album of the year stakes. With a new album due in 2026 I should probably start writing his entry in my end of year list now to save me the time later.
When he’s not creating wondrous, pop psychedelia and penning pithy lyrics, both personal and political, he’s also been a key part of Perfect Pitch, a Community Benefit Society aiming to secure a community owned building in Brixton for use by music creatives, communities, charities and independent businesses. The campaign officially launched in September with an event at Brixton Hill Studios with a mix of live performances, music lessons and talks, including a keynote speech from Tom Robinson. It’s a fantastically exciting project and we can’t wait to see what happens next. You can find out more, express an interest and have your say here.
Today we have an exclusive sneak peek of a track from the forthcoming Stephen Evens album, I won’t give any spoilers other to say it bodes very well for what is to come.
We caught up with Stephen for a festive q&a session:
Tell us a little bit about your track please
This is a demo of a new track that’s going to be on the album. It’s called ‘Are We Expecting Guests?’ The lyrics are based around my experience of staying in the worst B&B I have ever been subjected to. It was on the outskirts of Ramsgate staying after a Monochrome Set gig at the Music Hall. I don’t know where to begin with this place. It was unfriendly, the pillow on my bed was “stained”, it smelt like death and the toilet door had one of those toilet stall “engaged” locks on it. I had to lay a towel on the bed to be able to sleep on it without being overly grossed out.
I don’t really feel like I’m selling this to you? Anyway, it’s quite spiky and quirky and got lots of cool synth mucking about on it. Enjoy!!
What have you been up to in 2025?
Stephen Evens wise I have mostly been writing and demoing this album. It’s the first album I have done with the full band. I usually do most of it on my own and add bits and pieces from various people who I think might add something. But I think it would be nice to have the current band all over it. So the last few months I’ve been cajoling them into learning to play the tunes.
And what are your plans for next year?
Onomatopoeia have kinda agreed once more to release the album. When that is done I would like to do more shows. However it is a very costly thing to do these days. I invariably end up losing a fair bit of money, which is fine, but I’m not so flush that I can afford to do that very often. But I really want to go out and play more because I really love it once I’m there. I know it’s been talked about a lot but the state of touring is really dire. It shouldn’t be like this. There needs to be more support for the performing arts. It brings in a significant amount of revenue for the UK but musicians are treated like idiots who are made to think they should be grateful for the privilege. We are grateful and we appreciate the privilege, that doesn’t mean we are ripe for exploitation. Blah blah blah etc.
What have been your musical highlights of the year from other bands/artists?
2 of the best gigs I’ve seen this year have both been Glasgow’s Slime City. Perfect Devo inspired pop with a beautiful big heart to boot. I love them dearly. ApatT at JT Soar was a sublime musical experience and Roscoe Roscoe at The Social. These are all bands that reach no.1 in my house and are playing the biggest stadiums in my heart. Oooh, can’t forget Collapsed Lung who have produced the finest comeback album and follow up of any group of artists I’ve known in a long time. If you haven’t got Collapsed Lung Weekend Television or Zero Hours Band, remedy this immediately. Is it too late to mention Charley Stone and the Actual Band?
Christmas: The most wonderful time of the year or a big bag of humbug?
I absolutely love Christmas. Not feeling it quite yet (it’s been a bit of a year …or two), but I’m sure once I hear the Charlie Brown Christmas album I’m sure it’ll kick in.
Stream and download ‘Are We Expecting Guests?’ below
Make a donation to HOPE not hate
Stephen Evens: Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Photography by Ashley Jones
Check out more fantastic free music on this year’s calendar:
1: Piney Gir & Parenthesis Dot Dot Dot
2: Syd Howells
3: The Happy Hollow
Check back tomorrow for another free festive download!
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