Sick-Days Serve Up Raw Emotion on ‘Aniseed’ for Small Pond’s Emerging Volume V
With Small Pond’s much-loved “Emerging” project returning for its fifth year in 2025, the Brighton-based indie label has just dropped a second track from the forthcoming Emerging Volume V compilation—‘Aniseed’ by gritty alternative-rock trio Sick-Days.
Following the recent unveiling of Hollowpoint’s genre-blurring ‘wait til morning’, Aniseed dives headlong into grunged-up distortion, acid-laced guitar riffs, and a beat that pulses with discomfort and defiance. The track is available to stream now, ahead of the compilation’s full release on 14th November (both digitally and on wax).
Straight from the Gut: Sick-Days Share the Story Behind ‘Aniseed’
“Aniseed is about feeling sick and nauseated — a song that comes straight from the stomach: raw, unsettled, uneasy,” say the band. “It sits in that strange space where the body and the mind overlap, bound as much to the churn of physical discomfort as to the quiet, corrosive sickness of being misunderstood. It’s the kind of unease that makes the air feel heavy, the world slightly off-balance.”
The track perfectly encapsulates Sick-Days’ fusion of raw, emotional vocals, heavy grooving basslines, and distorted alt-rock energy—a sound rooted in vulnerability and urgency.
STREAM HERE
Small Pond’s Emerging: A Launchpad for the South’s Brightest Talents
Now in its fifth edition, Emerging continues its mission to support 16–25-year-old artists from Brighton, Crawley, and surrounding areas, providing access to studio time, mentorship, label services, and a full release campaign via Small Pond. With backing from Arts Council England, the compilation has a reputation for giving DIY musicians a real leg up in the scene.
Artists featured on this year’s release include:
Aeternum, Artemisia Nathair, Bedbugz, Bench Team, Carva, Fred Bennett, Had Sandy, Hollowpoint, IN HER EYES, Insectus, is this ok, Krumpets, M. Woodroe, Medium Sized Dog, Mirepoix, mydiary., Ned Ashcroft, Sick-Days, Spider, Swan Deep
Compilation Launch Show – Free Entry in Brighton
The Emerging Volume V compilation will celebrate its release with a free-entry launch event at The Green Door Store in Brighton on Saturday 15th November, including live performances and a special music industry workshop hosted by Sarah Maynard. Sick-Days will perform live alongside several fellow contributors.
Saturday 15th November – Green Door Store, Brighton
Free Entry | 18+
Workshop from 6:00 PM – “Being Industriously Independent” with Sarah Maynard
Live music from 7:30 PM featuring:
- Had Sandy
- Sick-Days
- M. Woodroe
