Ain't It Fun: Paramore Throw Arena-Sized Party In Cardiff

Photo: Zachary Gray I wasn’t a fan of Paramore back when they broke through in 2005. I’d see them emblazoned on the covers of my favourite rock-leaning magazines during my teen years and dismiss them out of hand. I was too cool to like a group that appeared to be so mainstream. I was more concerned with “edgy” bands like Queen Adreena and Babes In Toyland. But what a fool I was. Better late than never, though, right?

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Monday, 17 April 2023

Quality Lasts: How Kenny Wayne Shepherd Reinvented 'Trouble Is...'

What makes for a classic album? Why does some music age like the finest of wines? And how can anyone craft a defining body of work when they aren’t even old enough to get legally drunk in their country of birth? Having created the enduring ‘Trouble Is…’ at the  age of 18, and then re-recorded it with equal fire and flair more than two decades later, blues-rock icon Kenny Wayne Shepherd is definitely the man to answer such pressing questions.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 17 April 2023

The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear on Limp Bizkit's UK Tour

Nu-metal royalty is on its way back to the UK, with Limp Bizkit about to embark on a short tour culminating in massive shows at the OVO Arena Wembley. A band that led the field when it came to brute force riffs and scatalogical rhymes at the turn of the millennium, they've sold more than 40 million albums worldwide off the back of songs that ramp up the energy at every turn. So, in anticipation, we compiled the 10 songs from their back catalogue that we are dying to hear live in the coming days.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Wednesday, 12 April 2023

Connecting With The World: Joshua Radin Talks Songwriting, Intimacy and Searching for Honesty

If the last few years have taught us anything of value, it’s that life without connection is really no life at all. Combine our desire for kinship with a passion to explore everything this world has to offer and you have a recipe for a happy and satisfied life, as well as the formula that helped Joshua Radin become one of the most honest and relatable singer-songwriters of the modern era.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 11 April 2023

Top 10 Moments Of BBC 6 Music Festival 2023

Photo: BBC 6 Music Ah, it’s that time of year again. After spending their gap yaaah(s) travelling to cities across the UK, the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival has recently made a return to its spiritual home of Manchester.

Written by: Sophie Pengelly | Date: Thursday, 06 April 2023

'Nothing is off limits': Trinity 'The Tuck' Taylor Talks UK Haters Roast - The Shady Tour

Trinity 'The Tuck' Taylor is an Alabama-born, Florida-based drag queen, well known for jointly winning the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars with Monet X Change in 2018, having placed in the final four of season nine just the year before. During the confessional accompanying her intro look for the latter, Trinity promised us she, “can do anything from beautiful to way outside the box”, and she’s stayed true to that ever since.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 23 March 2023

Underneath the Mask: Inside Black Honey's 'A Fistful of Peaches'

Photo: Jamie Noise Off the back of their triumphant third album ‘A Fistful Of Peaches’, which unleashes a widescreen barrage of cinematic indie sleaze anthems, it’s tempting to reclassify Brighton’s Black Honey as more movement than band. Hell bent on giving a sense of belonging to every outlier in search of connection, it’s a communal and unflinchingly truthful record that looks set to further strengthen the  bond between the group and their devout followers.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 22 March 2023

The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear on Lamb Of God's State Of Unrest Tour

It's been a long time coming, but Lamb Of God are back in the UK for their State Of Unrest tour, which was originally booked for 2021. Of course we all know what's happened over the past three years, and while the Richmond, VA five-piece kept things ticking over with global live streamed shows, nothing quite compares to being in the room with their brand of ferocious and politically-charged metal.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Tuesday, 07 March 2023

Why Couldn't It Be Us?: Meet Me @ the Altar On 'Past // Present // Future' and World Domination

Photo: Jonathan Weiner Téa Campbell can’t help but smile when recalling Meet Me @ the Altar’s stratospheric 2022. “There were so many moments where it was like, ‘Are we awake or are we dreaming?’ When we were kids idolising all these people and listening to this music, we didn’t know that one day it would become such a huge part of our lives,” the multi-instrumentalist says. “It’s insane to think about. We opened for Green Day—who the hell gets to do that?”

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Monday, 06 March 2023

'We Are The Voice For Everyone Who Can't Shout So Loud': Introducing Death Pill

Death Pill vocalist and guitarist Mariana Navrotskaya is feeling subdued. She’s based in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, and on the day of our interview, there’s just been another deadly Russian missile strike. Attacks like these, she says, cast a shadow over her entire day. Midway through the conversation, her shaky internet connection falters, but she returns when she’s been able to get a signal and find a light source.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Tuesday, 28 February 2023

Building Back Brighter: The Slow Readers Club Rebound With 'Knowledge Freedom Power'

Photo: Trust A Fox Photography Contrary to fantastical teenage dreams about forming a band and achieving life-changing fame and fortune, for most musicians the reality of their profession is a constant, unglamorous struggle. But even by past tribulations, the last few years have been especially hard on artists operating at a certain level without a financial safety net. Yet, if you had to put your money on one act to battle through such a tumultuous period, The Slow Readers Club would represent a pretty safe wager.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 23 February 2023

Reaching the Highest Level: John Petrucci on Dream Theater's Crowning Glory

Photo: Rayon Richards It doesn’t matter what you’re striving to achieve in this life, or which particular brand of music floats your boat, everyone can learn something from Dream Theater’s remarkable story. Whether it’s matching undoubted talent with a phenomenal work ethic, fighting outside perceptions or navigating crushing setbacks, the prog-metal legends have embodied everything that’s required to triumph with integrity over seemingly unbeatable odds.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Friday, 17 February 2023

Darker Shades: Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Talk New Album 'Land Of Sleeper'

What do you do to make an impact when the majority of your output is already renowned for melting faces? That’s the question Newcastle noise-smiths Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs were forced to ponder while writing their fourth album, ‘Land Of Sleeper’. The answer they summoned from the void delivers the usual strain of unabashed Sabbath-esque heaviness, but here it’s juxtaposed against more atmospheric, experimental and contemplative moments.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 16 February 2023

Billy Lunn on Myth-Busting With The Subways' 'Uncertain Joys'

Photo: Laura Lewis Rock ‘n’ roll’s outrageous lifestyle has always been something of a dream destination for disenfranchised loners and wannabe rebels. Often seen as the ultimate emancipation from society, idealised perceptions of ‘live fast, die young’ and bullshit notions of eternal youth are seductive for  eager souls who, without even knowing it, are often seeking an escape from a troubled existence. As such, when reality crashes into fantasy, the results can be disastrous.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 14 February 2023

The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear on Enter Shikari's Upcoming Tour

​ Photo: Jamie Waters Enter Shikari are back! The St Albans quartet recently announced their seventh studio album A Kiss For The Whole World (out April 21 via So Recordings / Ambush Reality) as well as a set of monthly residencies across the UK. So, ahead of their dates in London, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Bristol and Glasgow between February and April, we sifted through their six studio albums, three compilations, two remix albums and stack of singles to choose the 10 songs we NEED to hear them play.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Monday, 13 February 2023

Step Into The Light: Narrow Head On Finding Hope Within 'Moments Of Clarity'

Photo: Nate Kahn Time is a funny thing. Sometimes it can pass us by unknowingly, but there are other times when its effects are much more discernible: situations that once felt unsettled can regain clarity, and wounds that once felt raw can begin to heal. This is something that Narrow Head frontman Jacob Duarte came to realise over the past few years.

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Thursday, 09 February 2023

Fearless Again: You Me At Six Redefine Their Future By Looking To The Past On 'Truth Decay'

​ There’s a lot to be said for a reset, just ask You Me At Six. When the five-piece hopped on a plane to Thailand in late 2019 to work on their seventh album  ‘SUCKAPUNCH’, frontman Josh Franceschi believed it could be their last. However, over the course of just a few weeks, a lot changed.

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Monday, 06 February 2023

Very Us: White Reaper on Sticking to Their Guns with 'Asking For a Ride'

Photo: Jimmy Fontaine We all know cherished cult bands who, after experiencing a little success, immediately abandon their roots. Such acts strive to capitalise on their newfound recognition by heading further down a commercial path that feels all kinds of wrong. Thankfully, White Reaper won’t be joining those misguided souls anytime soon.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Nice Things: Stereoboard's 2023 Gig Guide

​​   It’s all been a bit up and down the last few years (translated: an absolute bloody nightmare), but if all of these exciting shows aren’t evidence that live music is well and truly back, we don’t know what is. Now that things are seemingly a little more stable, it’s been a bit of a mad scramble for everyone and their dog to announce events that have hung in Covid-controlled limbo for some time, so you’d be forgiven for finding it all a bit overwhelming. But take a deep breath and count to three, as we’re here to help with the live events side of your diaries, with a full round-up of the biggest shows for the rest of the year. Can’t help with the excuse for getting out of your mate’s baby shower/cousin’s wedding/nan’s bingo night though, you’re on your own there.

Written by: Sophie Pengelly | Date: Monday, 30 January 2023

Adding to the Rock Lexicon: Looking Back and to the Future With The Darkness

Ever since they illuminated the beige, post-millennium guitar scene with a fashion-be-damned explosion of vintage glam metal, Carry On-esque humour and Liberace-styled attire, premature obituaries have circled The Darkness. They appeared to be primed for a trip to the printers after the four piece came, saw, conquered and spectacularly imploded, but since reforming over a decade ago they have steadily amassed a catalogue of fine albums that have kept the doom-mongers at bay.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 25 January 2023