Ready for some new music, folks? Our top new band this week are Lawson, a four piece hailing from various parts of the UK. The foursome produce some wonderful, stripped-back acoustic tunes (as you’ll see/hear in a minute) and they’re being tipped as a band to watch in 2012.

Tell us more… The guys first met online through MySpace and YouTube and got together for a few rehearsals in real life later on. Legend has it on their first meeting they discovered two things: 1) they had an instant musical rapport and b) they were incapable of writing a duff song. They’ve been gigging across the UK ever since, building a name for themselves.

Why are they relevant? Well, for a start, the group have made a name for themselves on the YouTube with a mixture of popular cover versions and original tunes. They’ve got the boyband-grade looks, but they play their own instruments. And musically, they gel beautifully together. Oh, and they’ve supported Avril Lavigne and are scheduled to support Will Young in November.

What’s worth listening to? Their cover of Bruno Mars’ Grenade features some beautiful lead guitar work courtesy of Joel Peat, whereas their version of Firework showcases Andy Brown’s excellent vocals. And they’re offering the track Red Sky as a free download to everybody who ‘Likes’ their Facebook page. But of course, you can listen to it here too:

And here’s their version of Grenade:

The Lawson lineup:

• Andy Brown: Lead vocals & acoustic guitar
• Adam Pitts: Drums
• Joel Peat: Lead guitar & vocals
• Ryan Fletcher: Bass guitar and vocals

How To Stalk Lawson On The Internet!

Now you’ve got a taster for Lawson’s music, you want to know everything about them, lurk on their Facebook page and stalk the ban on Twitter? Here’s The Playlist’s handy guide to following Lawson online!

• Official Website: lawsonofficial.com
• Facebook page: facebook.com/lawsonofficial
• Twitter: @lawsonofficial (each member has their own twitter account too)
• YouTube (for moving picture goodness): youtube.com/user/lawsonofficial