Sonic Alchemists: How Judah & The Lion Turned Suffering Towards Salvation
You haven’t truly lived until you’ve heard someone rapping over the bluegrass strains of a banjo. Or until you’ve experienced the sound of a band who smash together folk, hip hop, EDM, and punk beneath stirring lyrics that make you feel 10 feet tall. Luckily, Judah & the Lion are the wildly talented and eclectic US trio who do all the above and much more.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 25 November 2019
All This or Bust: Band of Skulls Reflect on 'Baby Darling Doll Face Honey'
To outsiders, it often seems that any fresh faced group who ‘suddenly’ arrive on the scene with a bang, and subsequently reap the rewards their newfound status commands, have had it easy and somehow fluked their way out of obscurity. But before hit singles and worldwide tours, there often lies a story of hard graft, setbacks and intense frustration, making that eventual breakthrough taste even sweeter.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Friday, 22 November 2019
What Comes Naturally: Pigs x7 Talk Following Up 'King Of Cowards'
Newcastle, a city perched on the Tyne river in the north east of England, is a relatively small place. A 10 minute taxi journey is all it takes to get from one end of the centre to the other, and Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs vocalist Matt Baty and guitarist Adam Ian Sykes credit those intimate surroundings with helping to usher along the assembly of the uncompromising band, who take an alternative, almost noise-rock, approach to metal.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 14 November 2019
The Magic and the Mundane: Earth Moves Discuss the Enigmatic 'Human Intricacy'
Photo: Leo Solti “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a phrase so old and frequently utilised that it’s basically become a cliché. However, for Earth Moves, its repeated usage doesn’t make it any less true. On their second album, ‘Human Intricacy’, the noisy wrecking crew create music that’s intentionally ambiguous, designed to draw wildly different reactions from different people.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Exorcise Your Demons: False Advertising On The Communal Spirit Behind The Abrasive 'Brainfreeze'
Something that binds together those clustered on stage and those massed in front is the fact that music is an outlet: a mechanism to help us face or forget our problems. “It’s the equivalent of a punchbag,” is how False Advertising’s Jen Hingley puts it.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 08 November 2019
Tomboy To Tear Jerker: Growing Up With Avril Lavigne
Growing up is a process that everyone must endure, whether we like it or not. Some of us change radically, while others change in more subtle ways. Over 17 years since her debut release Avril Lavigne is back, and the one-time pop-punk icon has completed the latest in a long series of stylistic shifts with her new album, 'Head Above Water'.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Thursday, 07 November 2019
Not Quite Hella Mega: How 'Warning:' Quietly Set The Table For Green Day's Blockbuster Era
When the Hella Mega tour rolls into stadiums next summer, Green Day will be right at home. From its name on down the trek—which will find the pop-punk veterans joined by emo survivors Fall Out Boy and alt-rock provocateurs Weezer—is poised to embrace spectacle at each turn, wringing every available drop of goofy grandeur from the headliners’ latter day sense of pomp and circumstance.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Past Meets Present: Inside The Glorious Return of Alphabeat
Just over a decade ago, Alphabeat’s trend-defying brand of classic pop lit up the indie world like an explosion of neon rainbows across a dreary winter sky. And now, history looks set to repeat itself. After a five year hiatus that followed a painful decline in their fortunes, ‘Don’t Know What’s Cool Anymore’ is a luminous comeback record overflowing with the purest gloss you’ll hear this side of the ‘80s. As well as hooks. Lots and lots of sparkling hooks.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 31 October 2019
That's The Deal: The Emotional Pact Nick Cave Makes With His Audience
Photo: Matthew Thorne Glastonbury, 2013. Nick Cave feels compelled to meet his public.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Wednesday, 30 October 2019
The Long Road: Daughters Unravel The History Of Their Intense Live Shows
Photo: A.F. Cortes “I don’t normally do anything on Halloween. I don’t get dressed up or anything like that. I have kids, so I try to take them out, but it doesn’t mean a whole lot to me. It’s just a day.”
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Going Overboard: Palm Reader On Following Up 'Braille' and Their Split Covers EP With Conjurer
At the end of this year Palm Reader will wind up the touring cycle for their 2018 album ‘Braille’. The hardcore band plan to celebrate by playing the record in its entirety during a hometown show at Nottingham’s Rough Trade in December, also known as “the place that welcomed us with open arms when we started to write it” according to drummer Dan Olds.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 25 October 2019
'It Feels Very Fierce To Me And Very Open': Common Holly Talks 'When I Say To You Black Lightning'
Photo: Alex Apostolidis The soothing tones of Common Holly’s instrumentals dance innocently alongside the singer’s unfailingly pretty vocals. The accomplished, creative Montreal native Brigitte Naggar trades in thought-provoking music for anxious lovers.
Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2019
They Never Rest: Cultdreams Talk 10 Years Together
“Neither of us are the same people, are we?” Cultdreams vocalist and guitarist Lucinda Livingstone says to drummer Conor Dawson. “Both of our lives have changed so drastically from what they were. When we met I was 17, and then when we started a band together we were 18 or 19. Think how much you change from being a teenager to then being...I don’t know if I would call either of us an adult, but when you think about it, it’s mad.”
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 16 October 2019
Between Two Worlds: Alcest Discuss The Psychic Crisis of 'Spiritual Instinct'
“I had some flashes and visions of a place that didn’t look anywhere close to something real. I have no idea why I had this, or where it came from. It was somewhere very magical—the most beautiful thing you could ever think about. I don’t know what to call it, I don’t know what it is. I just know it has transformed me.”
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Monday, 14 October 2019
'We Just Want To Be Bigger Than Oasis': Heavy Lungs Talk Self-Worth And New EP 'Measure'
Thanks to their explosive live set, storming singles and kinship with Idles, things are as exciting for Bristol-based band Heavy Lungs as they are for the noise-driven post-punk scene that’s thriving across the UK at the moment: very.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Wednesday, 09 October 2019
'It's What You Do Going Forward': Everclear's Art Alexakis is Singing in the Sun on His Solo Debut
In many ways, Everclear frontman Art Alexakis is the walking, talking, rock ‘n’ roll-loving embodiment of the American Dream. The idea that success and prosperity can be attained by anyone, regardless of their background, is certainly a wonderful ideal. But it can only be achieved through serious hard graft, a fierce sense of determination and the ability to get back up and keep fighting.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 09 October 2019
Days of Misfortune: We Lost The Sea Discuss The Pressure and Depression Behind 'Triumph & Disaster'
On their new album, ‘Triumph & Disaster’, Sydney post-rockers We Lost The Sea tell the story of a world past the brink of collapse. The six-piece use their emotive, ever-building and ultimately climactic compositions to illustrate dystopian landscapes, where climate change and depleting natural resources have finally caught up with us, rendering humanity’s days numbered.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Friday, 27 September 2019
Risk and Reward: Laurence Jones Talks Musical Evolution and Defying the Blues Police
Photo: Rob Blackham It’s well known that if certain sharks stop moving they’ll swiftly meet their maker. Laurence Jones’s desire to continually improve and expand his musical game suggests he feels much the same way about his career. Now 27, and with over a decade’s experience under his belt, the calibre of the guitar prodigy’s material has grown stronger, and stylistically more bold, with each record he’s released. His excellent new album hasn’t bucked that particular trend.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 26 September 2019
Rock 'n' Roll is Philosophy and This is Ours: Introducing Dreamers
Let’s say you’re in the market for a new favourite band and have your checklist at the ready. You want to hear a group who effortlessly incorporate classic rock ‘n’ roll, grunge, electronica, psychedelia, hip hop and power-pop into a shimmering skyline of modern delights. A collective that boast hooks the size of asteroids, indie dancefloor grooves and lyrics that offer a little more intellectual depth than your average pop clone. If that’s the case, Dreamers may be the band you’re looking for.
Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 24 September 2019
Wet Plate Portraits: Camp Cope At Clwb Ifor Bach
td#right {display:none !important;} Photo: Gareth Jarvis As Camp Cope rattle towards the end of The Opener, the capper to their set at a packed Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, vocalist and guitarist Georgia “Maq” McDonald yells into the mic: “Yeah, tell me again how there just aren’t that many girls in the music scene!”
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 20 September 2019
A Very British Sort of Americana: Introducing Ferris & Sylvester
Home-grown, organic. Find something stamped with words as wholesome as these and watch as it quickly leaves the shelves. By British standards, blues-folk duo Ferris & Sylvester could wear this label very comfortably.
Written by: Anna Ghislena | Date: Thursday, 19 September 2019
Rock 'n' Roll Star: Liam Gallagher's Commitment To Being Liam Gallagher
There’s a line in the film version of High Fidelity, delivered by John Cusack’s sad sack music nerd/primo arsehole Rob Gordon about one of his many exes: “Some people never got over Vietnam or the night their band opened for Nirvana. I guess I never got over Charlie.”
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 19 September 2019
This Is Just The Start: Spielbergs Talk 'Running All The Way Home' And Life On The Road
Regrets, like inches around your gut or degrees of despair behind your eyes, tend to stack up as you get older. That Frank Sinatra’s full of shit, man.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Less Than Jake: Ska-Punk Greats Still Fired Up After All These Years
Take it from Garth Algar: we fear change. We all do. It’s something that makes the longevity of a band like Less Than Jake deeply comforting. For almost 30 years the Gainesville outfit have been racking up the miles playing ska-punk tunes that have ricocheted from the heart of the zeitgeist to the outer rim of cultural relevance—and they don’t give a shit how anyone sees them.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 03 September 2019
Politely Taking Over The World: Gender Roles Talk Debut Album 'Prang' And Living For Live Shows
Most bands don’t set out with a grand plan in mind, and Brighton’s Gender Roles were no different. “We’ve never had a mission,” guitarist and vocalist Tom Bennett says. “We just wanted to start playing music, and we really wanted to play shows because all our mates were doing it.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 29 August 2019
What's Your First Line Going To Be? The Futureheads Discuss Their Long-Awaited Return With 'Powers'
The stars of mid-2000s indie discos are frozen in time in the memories of a lot of people—their music might as well be an advert for sticky floors and test tube shots. And that’s where the Futureheads, who had a couple of songs that were students’ union staples, might still reside in the eyes of some.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 27 August 2019
If You Know, You Know: ArcTanGent Festival Proves Bigger Isn't Always Better
Photo: Coheed and Cambria by Sam Lees We’ve all had one of those chats over a beer, where we put the world to rights and share plans for our latest pipe dream. The difference between us and Goc O’Callaghan? She actually went out and did it, creating one of the world’s best small festivals for fans of math-rock, post-rock, noise-rock, and all you find in between.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 22 August 2019
Everything Considered: The Murder Capital Talk Debut Album 'When I Have Fears'
“It’s about a fear of life and an acceptance of maybe not being able to finish everything you wanted to do. We thought that was a really beautiful statement. It worked with our mentality. So we thought we’d move forward with that and we put that as the pillar for writing songs.”
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 14 August 2019
Foo Fighters: How 'There is Nothing Left to Lose' Changed Dave Grohl's Fortunes
The end of any decade is, essentially, meaningless. We attach poignancy to it because we’re all narcissists in some way—we want this decade, our decade, to stand for something. Musically, the ‘90s did a better job than some of its peers in allowing us to think that: young people were swept up by grunge, or the gloss of modern R&B, or punk’s chart explosion, or the battle between the east and west coasts.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 13 August 2019
How To Make A Sadcore Hit: A Lana Del Rey Recipe
Lana Del Rey really has nailed her hazy, retro vibe and a nostalgic sense of sadness. Far from the usual feel-good factor of pop hits, the New York vocalist and songwriter has carved a niche for herself in the shimmery, summery genre of luxurious, melancholic songs that we like to call sadcore.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Friday, 09 August 2019
Lego House Or Penthouse? What Global Domination Means For Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran makes his own rules. After a decade of working his way up from busking in small towns and playing local pub gigs to now dizzying, chart-topping heights, life for Teddy has reached the point where he’s in the enviable position of creatively being able to do whatever he wants.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Tuesday, 06 August 2019
An Ocean of Hours: Bear's Den Delve Into 'So That You Might Hear Me'
“I wanted to make an album that talked openly about issues that I have and am still working through,” Bear’s Den vocalist Andrew Davie says. “The whole theme of ‘So That You Might Hear Me’ is about looking for a sense of connection and often a conversation is where that starts.”
Written by: Milly McMahon | Date: Monday, 05 August 2019
Love Letter To Their Youth: Dude York Talk New Album 'Falling'
Exposure to early 2000s emo, nu-metal and pop-punk usually results in one of two reactions: a disgusted sneer, often accompanied by an exasperated sigh, or a knowing smile followed by overly enthusiastic headbanging. Dude York’s members would choose the latter.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 24 July 2019
So Emotional: Seven Standout Christina Aguilera Moments
You know as well as us that Christina Aguilera needs no introduction, but we’re going to give her one anyway. Eight albums. Over 100 awards. A soundtrack. A Spanish-language LP. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bangers aplenty.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Thursday, 18 July 2019
Always Knowingly NSFW: Rammstein's History in Video Nasties
Photo: © Jens Koch They aren't for everyone, apparently, but honestly what’s not to love about German industrial metal giants Rammstein?
Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Thursday, 11 July 2019
Melting Into Lunacy: Inside the Mad, Mad World of Phoxjaw
“I had an ice-cream a minute ago. It was, like, a tiramisu. It was nice. I like choc-ices, too. I find them very silly. They remind me of my grandad.”
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Crystal Tumblers and Beer Pong: KISS, the Music and the Merch
Few rock bands have ascended to the iconic heights that KISS currently occupy, but their legacy is a complicated one. On one hand they are a huge arena draw, famed for fire, blood and good times, and on the other they are largely critically derided and dismissed as gimmicky, sleazy, over-the-top t-shirt salesmen.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 09 July 2019
Nothing Lasts Forever: Prince Daddy and the Hyena Talk 'Cosmic Thrill Seekers'
Sometimes you just have to drop everything and do what you have to do. And right now, Kory Gregory is going to pet the dog that’s just walked by. Once he’s back on the phone, the guitarist and lead singer of Albany punk band Prince Daddy and the Hyena returns to describing the pop impulses that underpin their spectacular new record, ‘Cosmic Thrill Seekers’.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Monday, 08 July 2019
Spinning Around: Kylie's Iconic Pop Journey
Fresh from leading the Sunday afternoon crowd at Glastonbury through a pastel-hued, witty, celebratory set in the now traditional legends slot, Kylie Minogue is about to turn her attention to a series of summer shows in the UK that promise plenty of pop sunshine (even if the real thing is yet to RSVP). Here we take a look back at some of the biggest hits and most important turning points in a storied career. Hot pants optional.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 02 July 2019
Wet Plate Portraits: Taking Back Sunday At O2 Academy Bristol
td#right {display:none !important;} Photograph: Gareth Jarvis It’s been 20 years since Taking Back Sunday formed on Long Island, New York. From where we stand right now, we can look back over two decades of thrills, spills, emo classics, mosh pits, long hair, short hair, loud guitars and unadulterated singalongs that helped define the listening habits of a generation. Such a milestone is worth celebrating, and these guys know the perfect way to do so.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2019
Don't Stop: Fleetwood Mac's Ongoing Evolution
Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes, and members of Fleetwood Mac falling out with one another.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 14 June 2019
The Accessible Festival Revolution
Photos: Educational Life Accessibility is a word that has been bubbling under in music for years but now, hand in hand with equality, independence and inclusivity, major measures are being embraced by increasing numbers of forward-thinking festival organisers after years of ground-level work. In fact, the move to improve accessibility for deaf and disabled music fans is becoming something of a revolution.
Written by: Anna Ghislena | Date: Wednesday, 12 June 2019
House Parties To Headliners: Foals' Guitar Riffs Through The Ages
In the 10 years since Foals released their debut album, ‘Antidotes’, Yannis Philippakis, Jack Bevan, Jimmy Smith and Edwin Congreave have naturally evolved.
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Monday, 10 June 2019
Rocket Man: Elton John's Long Farewell Only Cements His Legend Further
You know the scene: the Sweetwater tour bus towards the end of Almost Famous; Penny Lane telling Patrick Fugit’s Cameron Crowe proxy that he’s home while the broken ensemble sings Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 06 June 2019
Gimme Five: The Jonas Brothers' Best Moments
Rejoice, pop lover: the Jonas Brothers are heading to the UK in 2020! It’s been six long distraught-filled years since their split in 2013, but finally the boys are back with a new album, ‘Happiness Begins’, a memoir and even an Amazon documentary called Chasing Happiness (which FYI is all we’ve been trying to do since their breakup).
Written by: Helen Payne | Date: Wednesday, 05 June 2019
"Keep It Hydrated, Keep It Fresh, Keep It Real": All Points East Misses The Mark In 2019
Photo: PM Legrand “Keep it hydrated, keep it fresh, keep it real.”
The First Time Around: What Muse Got Right On 'Showbiz'
Look at the name ‘Newport Centre’ from any angle and you won’t find a lie. It’s a leisure centre in Newport. You’ll smell the chlorine from the swimming pool on your way in, and see glimpses of badminton court markings between rows of Converse once the crowd assembles in front of the stage. It’s an honest venue: no frills, no pretence, no attendant sense of theatre. It’s a blank canvas.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Friday, 31 May 2019
Pass The Baton: Five Seminal Festival Moments
Every festival season brings with it the same hopes and fears. Most of them are toilet-related, naturally, but the optimists among us are always chasing that era-defining high. A great set in perfect surroundings with the correct lubricants (or none at all) can be transcendental, fuelling years of pub reminiscing and I-was-there-whens.
Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 30 May 2019
The Sound of the Underground: Tourmates Ithaca and Leeched on Forging Their Path in UK Metal
Ithaca “It’s difficult to be objective about something that was happening while you were at a young age,” ponders Djamila Azzouz, the lead singer of London-based hardcore upstarts Ithaca.
Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Friday, 24 May 2019
Wet Plate Portraits: Alex Lahey At Clwb Ifor Bach
td#right {display:none !important;} Photograph: Gareth Jarvis As Gareth Jarvis sets up for the fourth edition of Stereoboard’s wet plate portrait series in the green room of Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, Alex Lahey eyes his vintage camera with curiosity. “How old is it?” she asks, before getting excited that the antique brass lens has Melbourne engraved on it. “That’s where I’m from!” she exclaims, before listening intently as it’s explained that we’ll be taking her picture with equipment from the 1800s.
Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 23 May 2019
