It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeeeeeear! Yes, the Joyzine Advent Calendar is back once again to bring you 24 days of fantastic free music downloads from a amazing array of our favourite artists. This year marks the 21st edition of our online calendar making it (as far as we’re aware) the longest running on the net (though we’re always happy to be corrected). 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 2024 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 the wonderful First Timers Fest, a brilliant grassroots DIY organisation helping people take the first step into making music. Alumni include Joyzine faves Big Joanie, Panic Pocket, Charmpit and Breakup Haircut, with many more great bands coming through every year. We asked First Timers for a few words about what they do:

First Timers Fest is all about supporting new people into music! Yes that’s right, we mean you! We demystify the music making process through a series of beginners workshops that encourage people to try something new, no pressure to start a band after. The festival is open to everyone, but we particularly want to encourage people from marginalised groups to apply.

Next year we will be hosting our workshops at the Cavendish in Stockwell but following a sell out festival at the Victoria in Dalston we have decided to host the festival at a much bigger venue: The Oslo Hackney! This will take place on 4th May 2025. See you there!!!

Make a donation to First Timers

We’ve got a sleigh-full of fantastic tracks for you again this year, including some festive tunes, plenty of exclusives and some of our favourite songs of 2024. Let’s get crack(er)ing!

Black and white photo of the band Forming

We’ve heard from many an old friend on this year’s Advent Calendar, but today it’s the turn of a new acquaintance. We sent out the annual festive call to arms back in October for bands to submit their tracks for this year’s calendar and amongst those to respond were Forming, who released their second album Everything’s Brilliant last month – a record that mixes alt country, shoegaze and classic indie to dreamy effect, picking up plaudits from Louder Than War, amongst others, along the way.

Today they’ve provided us with non-album track ‘You What’ as today’s Advent Calendar treat. We caught up with the band to find out more.

Tell us a little about your track please
‘You What’. A jangly pop tune all about trying to walk down the street and not get hassled.

What have you been up to for the last twelve months?
2024 has been spent playing numerous gigs, playing songs from our 2nd album Everything’s Brilliant, that came out November 2023. We have also been recording some new tracks, including ‘You What’.

And what are your plans for 2025?
The next 12 months will be spent finishing our 3^rd album and playing numerous shows to promote it.

Christmas songs – love them or hate them?
We do love a good Christmas song, especially the ones from the 1970s.

Download ‘You What‘
Make a donation to First Timers

Forming: Facebook / Instagram / Bluesky / Bandcamp

Catch up on all of this year’s Advent Calendar Tracks so far:
1: Piney Gir – Reindeer
2: Gabriel Minnikin – Said Information
3: LOUD WOMEN ft. Smallways, Butterknife, Daddy Issues, Witch Spit, R.U.B, Vipersnatch, Worm Girlz, Lady Lazarus and Stabbitha & The Knifey Wifeys
4: First Timers Fest ft. Gay Skeleton Club and Skutterfly
5: Goo Records ft. Jopy, The Stanford Family Band, Owners Club and The Roebucks
6: Dead Horse – Historic
7: Gemma Rogers – Never Have I Ever
8: Umarells – Closer
9: MJ Hibbett – Moshi Twistmas
10: The Indelicates – Mom Is Waking Up (acoustic)
11: The Fades – Caca (BBC 6Mu...