Interview with The Vampires: Creeper on Embracing Their Inner Jim Steinman on New Album 'Sanguivore'

Will Gould is faceless on the other end of a Zoom line. Battling jet lag, he faces a daunting week of promo for Creeper's new album, ‘Sanguivore’. But, even without being able to see the frontman’s expressions and body language, it is clear just how proud he is of what his vampiric horde has created. "If this came out when I was growing up, I'd really love it," he says, his giddiness obvious.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Monday, 16 October 2023

Reaching For A Higher Idea: The Menzingers on Authenticity, Evolution and 'Some Of It Was True'

Photo: Danielle Dubois One of the biggest challenges facing any successful band with plenty of miles on the clock is how to keep improving without falling into comfort zones or losing their identity and spark in pursuit of contemporary relevance. It’s a high wire act, yet, on their seventh record ‘Some Of It Was True’, The Menzingers make light work of it.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 12 October 2023

"Skindred is Not Just a Band for the Moment": Benji Webbe on Chart Battles and the Road to Wembley

On a Tuesday morning in August, Benji Webbe’s phone rang as he wandered through the inert surroundings of Membury services, just off the M4 in Berkshire. Skindred’s manager had some news, and the band’s vocalist quietly assumed something bad had happened. In reality, it was anything but that.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Tuesday, 03 October 2023

Plug These Babies In! 10 Deep Cuts Muse NEED To Play Live

Photo: Nick Fancher There’s no denying Muse’s albums have become more eclectic, experimental and, as a result, divisive over the last decade. But whether or not you’ve embraced the Devon trio’s ongoing evolution, or feel they’ve lost their way, Matt Bellamy and co. still have a huge arsenal of high calibre songs ready to enrich their spectacular live shows. So many, in fact, that these 10 rarely or never performed gems could easily slip into the set list for their forthcoming UK and Ireland tour without too many quibbles.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 27 September 2023

Mortal Rage: How Members of Biffy Clyro and Oceansize Made Empire State Bastard A Brutal Reality

“We've done the whole thing arse-backwards,” Mike Vennart says, his head bobbing with laughter in a Zoom window as he discusses his new band Empire State Bastard. “We had the name 10 or 11 years ago, then we wrote the songs, and then we formed the band. I don’t know if anyone has ever done it this way, except for maybe Nine Inch Nails.”

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Wednesday, 06 September 2023

'We Want to Be a Gateway Band': Meet Escuela Grind, Who Are Out to Redefine Grindcore's Fanbase

Upstaging Napalm Death at their own show would be a Herculean feat. It’s something that Escuela Grind very nearly pulled off the last time they were in the UK, though. Back in March, the American grindcore quartet supported their genre’s pioneers across Blighty and, despite only having half an hour to prove their worth, they smashed it.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Tuesday, 05 September 2023

All The Deep Cuts: 10 Lost Classics That Blink-182 NEED to Play Live

Short of trolling their audience for larks, pop-punk legends Blink-182 will always play those monster anthems every time they hit the live stage, so strap in for The Rock Show, First Date, All the Small Things, What’s My Age Again? and Dammit when they land in the UK next month. But, because we want more, obviously, we’d also love the reunited classic line-up of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker to dive into their impressive back catalogue and freshen up the band’s set list with these 10 rarely performed treasures. 

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 29 August 2023

'Let's Set Fire to the Stage': Bimini Talks RuPaul's Drag Race Werq The World Tour And New Music

Question: what do 10-inch, thigh-high Pleaser boots, a raunchily customised Norwich City F.C. strip, a zit suit and an amoeba-inspired dress have in common?

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023

Meeting Life on Life's Terms: Margaret Glaspy Talks 'Echo The Diamond'

Photo: Ebru Yildiz “I have learnt that life is short, that I want to follow my instincts and create things that I actually want to create,” Margaret Glaspy says of the process that led to her third LP ‘Echo The Diamond’. 

Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023

The 10 Acts You HAVE To See At All Points East 2023

All Points East is poised to return for six more eclectic days of music, covering a huge range of genres while offering plenty of star-wattage at the top of the bill. With headline performances incoming from Aphex Twin, The Strokes, Haim, Dermot Kennedy, Jungle and Stormzy (who caps his own specially-curated ‘This Is What We Mean’ day), there's going to be something for everyone at Victoria Park in London. Looking beyond those essential acts, we've selected our top 10 artists you simply have to see to help you plan your days.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Beauty in the Darkness: The Xcerts on 'Learning How To Live And Let Go'

Photo: Zak Pinchin “I’ve stayed strong in my belief that this is our best work yet,” a beaming Murray Macleod tells us just a few days after The Xcerts’ momentous festival set at 2000trees. The frontman is discussing their comeback record ‘Learning How To Live And Let Go’, which is set to emerge after a yawning gap since the release of their last full-length ‘Hold On to Your Heart’ in 2018.

Written by: Rishi Shah | Date: Wednesday, 09 August 2023

Follow Your Gut: Introducing South Wales Noisemakers Inerrant

There was no escape. As limbs flew and people young and almost-old barrelled into each other in the tight confines of the Cab in Newport, a one-year-old venue that has quickly become a hub for the local hardcore scene, a single can of beer met its end. Crushed between bodies, its final act was a spray of lukewarm liquid as Inerrant threatened to tear the roof off the place.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 08 August 2023

On The Cool Side of Rock: The Sherlocks Talk 'People Like Me & You'

Refusing to kick back and rest on their laurels, The Sherlocks have truly hit their stride over the past couple of years. Blasting back in double-quick time following 2022’s top 10-crashing ‘World I Understand,’ the band’s anthemic fourth record ‘People Like Me & You’ is the work of a  collective primed for the big time.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 03 August 2023

Death, Injury and a Global Pandemic: How Mutoid Man Made the Metal Album of the Year

“It’s like the radio edit of all things heavy music,” Stephen Brodsky says with a laugh. The singer and guitarist of Mutoid Man is reviewing his band’s new album and has instantly hit the nail on the head. ‘Mutants’ is a whirlwind of sludge, stoner, thrash and progressive metal that rages for only 38 minutes but leaves you feeling wrecked for much, much longer. For acolytes of all caps METAL, it’s an obnoxious, mangled, hideous must-listen that’ll cement itself as the album of the summer, if not the year.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Wednesday, 26 July 2023

'This is How I Feel, Take it or Leave it': Alicia Bognanno Talks Bully's New Album 'Lucky For You'

With ‘Lucky For You’, Alicia Bognanno has made the most powerful Bully record to date. Self-assured without being self-indulgent, it finds the Nashville-based singer, songwriter and producer operating with obvious confidence while remaining emotionally candid in a heartbreakingly matter-of-fact way. “I'm living in the same black hole, but there's flowers on your grave that grow,” she sings during one of the LP’s many highlights, Days Move Slow, a fizzing ‘90s radio-rocker with a poignant sting. “Something's gotta change, I know.”

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Tuesday, 11 July 2023

Nita Strauss on Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato and Taking The Next Step on 'The Call of the Void'

Try as you might, you won’t find a more appropriate title for guitarist Nita Strauss’s exhilarating new solo record than ‘The Call of the Void’. Referencing a scary concept known as ‘high place phenomenon’, where someone stands on top of a tall building and, for a brief second, wonders about jumping, it actually represents a subconscious decision to step back from the ledge, and take control of your life.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 05 July 2023

Written in the Stars: Rob Thomas on Matchbox Twenty's Illuminating Return

The old saying goes that, when one door closes, another opens. In the case of Matchbox Twenty, no sooner had their best laid touring plans been put on hold by the pandemic that a fresh chance presented itself. After over a decade without any new music from the US pop-rockers, and with both fans and band alike fearing that would remain the case, it took a confluence of events to finally end their prolonged recording hiatus.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 28 June 2023

The 10 Songs We Need to Hear on Incubus's Summer Tour

Californian alt-rockers Incubus are back in the UK for a pair of special headline shows this month at London's Eventim Apollo and Cornwall's Eden Project, before heading out on a massive North American tour. With almost 30 years of material and a slew of anthems to pick from, their setlists are full of genre-bending classics and must be no easy feat to select. So we thought we'd lend a hand and put forward 10 songs we NEED to hear over the summer.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Friday, 23 June 2023

'There Was A Connection': How Far From Saints Crafted an Album of Struggle and Beauty

He may have departed this mortal plane a number of years back, but Tom Petty is still bringing people together through the timeless power of his music. When American roots act The Wind + The Wave, comprising Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker, first supported Stereophonics in 2013, the Welsh rockers’ singer Kelly Jones was immediately taken by Lynn’s extraordinary voice. Yet it wasn’t until many years later, when the duo supported Jones on a solo tour that, courtesy of Mr Petty playing musical cupid, a wonderful collaboration was born.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 20 June 2023

'We Want To Be The Biggest Band In The World': Meet Stylish Punks Spiritual Cramp

“It’s weird, for a long time our band played either Oi! or indie-rock shows, but I guess now we play all types,” Spiritual Cramp’s Michael Bingham says, reflecting on his band’s recent (and judging by this video, absolutely killer) set at Punk Rock Bowling’s 2023 festival in Las Vegas. “Going out there, you’re playing to people who listen to Rancid and Pennywise. We’d never done anything fully in that lane before, but we played a 500 cap room and it was sold out.”

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Monday, 19 June 2023