Never In Fashion, Never Out of Fashion: Ocean Colour Scene Get Reflective

No matter what anyone says, or how much certain curmudgeons have tried to rewrite history, Britpop was quite simply a golden age for British music. Aligning with fashion, art and politics, those who lived through it were fortunate enough to experience a truly great cultural movement. Such was the importance of the scene that, even when it fell from commercial grace and casual followers jumped ship, many groups from that era have remained alive and kicking thanks to the unswerving support of lifelong fans.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 30 November 2023

We Hit Something: The Inspiration Behind The Coral's Triumphant Second Act

When creative lightning strikes, any artist would be wise to grab such a gift with both hands. After returning from a five year hiatus, The Coral were already on a roll before lockdown allowed them to go into overdrive and craft 2021’s epic double album ‘Coral Island’. Clearly in the zone and determined to capitalise on their momentum, the retro quintet only went and bested that effort with two more exceptional concept-driven records released earlier this year.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2023

'There's Such a Duality': Against The Current Embrace Their Nightmares and Daydreams Era

Photo: Izzy Lux “I love an era,” Against the Current vocalist Chrissy Costanza says with a smile, reached over Zoom during a gap between tours. Alongside drummer Will Ferri and guitarist Dan Gow, she is throwing around one of music’s buzziest words to describe an important transition for a band who have become adept at navigating them.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 28 November 2023

Risks and Reflection: Emeli Sandé Keeps Moving Forward With 'How Were We To Know'

Photo: Jack Alexander  Whether she’s crafting hits for some of music’s biggest names, collaborating with game-changing legends or delivering genre-splicing solo offerings, Emeli Sandé has always bled for her art. But even by past standards, the kaleidoscopic emotional journey she unveils on her exquisite fifth record, ‘How Were We To Know’, required the singer to attempt to answer many of love’s most eternal, confounding questions.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 16 November 2023

Greta Van Fleet On Becoming The World's Biggest Garage Band

Photo: Neil Krug It’s no secret that rock ‘n’ roll sounds absolutely dynamite in huge venues. It’s also no secret that all the legendary rock ‘n’ rollers who’ve been gracing such enormodomes for as long as most of us can remember are slowly but surely coming to the end of the road. But if you’re fearing that might lead to an extinction level event for such anthemic music in such atmospheric communal settings, you’d be well advised to holster your grieving process and embrace one of the genre’s most promising, not to mention divisive, young groups.

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

Fountain of Youth: Citizen on Staying Young With 'Calling The Dogs'

Photo: Jonathan Weiner It’s been a long time since Nick Hamm has had to pitch his band but, even so, when prompted to do just that he hits the nail on the head. “Citizen is more or less a rock band, but the definition has changed over the years,” the guitarist says. “We are an ever-evolving group rooted in friendship.”

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

The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear at Green Day's Electric Ballroom Show

Pop-punk legends Green Day are back with a new album — that’ll be ‘Saviors’, which is out on January 19 — and a massive stadium tour slated for next summer. Dates in mainland Europe and North America will sandwich UK and Ireland shows at Manchester's Emirates Old Trafford, Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, Dublin's Marlay Park and London's Wembley Stadium (fingers at the ready, tickets are on general sale at 9.30am on November 10) but before all that Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool have something more intimate in mind.

Written by: Jack Terry | Date: Wednesday, 08 November 2023

In The Rear-View: Ketch Secor on 25 years of Old Crow Medicine Show

Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins Considering the turbulent factors involved, it’s a minor miracle any band has managed to survive in the music business for more than two decades. But where that thought mainly springs from witnessing more conventional and accessible acts battling to last the distance, if we turn our focus to old time Americana string band Old Crow Medicine Show, the only word to describe their 25 year triumph over the odds is phenomenal.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Monday, 30 October 2023

From The Magic Eight Ball: The 10 Songs Fall Out Boy NEED To Play Live

Photo: Pamela Littky Not content with delivering their best album in a good while with this year’s ‘So Much For Stardust’, throughout Fall Out Boy’s recent US tour the band have also gifted fans some very special surprises during the ‘magic eight ball’ section of their set. Blindly pulling out and performing deep cuts, B-Sides and rarities, many of which have never been performed live, is a delightful idea. We'd love them to continue during their forthcoming UK tour, and here are some ideas should they have time on their hands to resurrect a few more old-stagers.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Thursday, 26 October 2023

Love What You Do: Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett on Going Solo Again with 'Lost at Sea'

Photo: Joey Martinez Humble, grounded and a man of many talents, Chris Shiflett is someone any level-headed musician should strive to emulate. He might be the lead guitarist in the world’s biggest stadium rock band but, whether he’s tearing it up with the Foo Fighters, riding solo or creating superbly insightful podcasts, ‘Shifty’ always puts his passion for what he does, and the people he does it with, ahead of the spotlight.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 24 October 2023

Rare Birds, Moon Dust and Masked Alter Egos: Welcome To The Wonderful World Of The Bug Club

Is there an ideal album length? How about short, sharp and to the point? What about grand, unspooling and fit-to-burst with ideas? Maybe somewhere in between? There’s no objectively correct answer. The album concept is loose and ill-defined. However, like a recipe with many ingredients, too much or too little of something can spoil the end result. Finding an elegant balance when arranging a record poses a challenge for musicians; a process of killing your darlings in order to find a perfect aesthetic balance.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 18 October 2023

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