'It's a Perfect Ending': Ville Valo on Signing Off From His 'Neon Noir' Era At The Royal Albert Hall

Ville Valo isn’t quite sure what to do with himself. When he speaks to Stereoboard, he’s had his feet in one place – home, specifically — for longer than normal, such is the fast-moving nature of touring life. The ordinariness is unsettling. Should he sing? Should he hoover? Both at once? (The latter is our suggestion, and as he laughs he promises to take note, thinking it could be a good vocal exercise).

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Tuesday, 07 May 2024

The Setlist Draft: Curating Our Perfect Bruce Springsteen Show

Life is full of thankless tasks. Chief among them used to be guessing where Bruce Springsteen might wander during one of his marathon setlists. Of late, though, the Boss has wound in the grand deviations in favour of something more streamlined and, one can assume, kind to 74-year-old joints. But that doesn’t mean he’s misplaced his appetite for the odd surprise.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 02 May 2024

Blueprints: The Nuts and Bolts of Olivia Rodrigo's Stardom

Photo: Supplied by the label Olivia Rodrigo occupies an interesting spot in our collective consciousness — she is both young and of the moment but also a keen observer and interpolator of classic tropes from the past four decades of pop music. It’s a heady mix that has made the California native one of the biggest stars on Earth, capable of internet-shattering virality seconds after talking about Bikini Kill with someone from a broadsheet newspaper. Basically, she’s an ideal candidate for the latest edition of Blueprints, our ongoing series that pulls apart the backstories of interesting writers to see what makes them tick.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Thirty Years in the Sun: Grant Nicholas Reflects on Feeder's Past and Present

Photo: Steve Gullick “If you’d asked me if we’d still be doing this at 56, I would have said we’d be retired by 40,” Grant Nicholas says with a laugh. His back wishes he’d stuck to that. The band’s frontman is speaking from a hotel room in Birmingham, midway through a month-long tour of the UK promoting their new double album, ‘Black/Red’. “I’m going to be walking about a lot if that’s okay,” he adds. “Every time I sit down, it seizes up again and, well, I have to play tonight.”

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Wednesday, 24 April 2024

Shine a Light: Kula Shaker Talk Positivity and 'Organised Chaos' Live Shows

Photo: Nicole Frobusch When mystical ‘90s mob Kula Shaker reformed their original lineup for their latest album ‘Natural Magick’, it was a matter of the planets aligning. “There was a long period where we would only do an album every few years, then all go off to do other things,” says frontman Crispian Mills, dialling in from the band’s rehearsal space. “We've played in other bands and we all have kids. But now Jay [Darlington, keyboards] is back and we are all 100% focused on being prolific and productive.”

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 23 April 2024

A Queen's Queen: Tia Kofi Talks RuPaul's Drag Race UK Vs The World Tour And New Ambitions

Earlier this year, Tia Kofi pulled off a remarkable comeback. The Essex-born drag queen and singer-songwriter, who is based in Clapham, south London, won the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World and was crowned Queen Of The Mothertucking World. It’s a far cry from her last brush with RuPaul’s smash hit show, where she placed seventh on Ru Paul's Drag Race UK in 2021. Back then, she was awarded the tongue-in-cheek but harsh title of ‘Baroness Basic’ in one task.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 18 April 2024

'I Want to Give People Hope': Vukovi on Growth and Facing Their Demons

It has been a whirlwind couple of years for the Scottish rock duo Vukovi. Last month, at a sold out Electric Ballroom in London, they celebrated their third album ‘Nula’ by playing it in full, capping off a rush of information that also included critical acclaim, riotous live shows and signing with SharpTone Records.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 16 April 2024

The 10 Songs We NEED To Hear At Dream Theater's Upcoming 40th Anniversary Tour

It was a long time coming. On October 25, 2023, the moment that prog-metal heads the world over had been manifesting for more than a decade finally came to pass when drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy made his triumphant return to Dream Theater. 

Written by: Dan McHugh | Date: Thursday, 11 April 2024

Never Standing Still: Metz talk 'Up on Gravity Hill'

Photo: Vanessa Heins There’s no hard and fast rule on how musicians should progress, because history has shown it to be a minefield. Those who push forward might alienate existing fans, but those who opt to shelter-in-place draw criticism for stagnating. Sometimes, though, the inverse happens. Playing to your strengths is regarded as just that, a strength, while creative evolution is hailed as vital risk-taking and reward for ambition. 

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 10 April 2024

Becoming the Modfather: The Evolution of Paul Weller

The recent buzz surrounding Paul Weller’s new record and accompanying autumn tour only served to underscore the Modfather’s reputation six decades into his career. Not only is he still finding fresh sonic avenues to wander along, his shows have become winding journeys into a past studded with some of the most important, exciting songs in British music history.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 02 April 2024

Better Together: Bob Vylan on Building a Community in Times of Trouble

From folk through blues, jazz, punk and hip hop, music and politics are inextricably linked by social conscience and the need for self-expression. Unfortunately, some political bands tend to lose their way over time, but not Bob Vylan. The reason, observes vocalist Bobby Vylan, is simple. “Bob Vylan isn’t a political band, we’re a community-based band,” he says.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Wednesday, 27 March 2024

The Return of a Joyful Noise: Gossip Are Back

Photo: Cody Critcheloe If you had a baby on the day that Gossip put out their last album, that child would now be in secondary school. That’s how long it’s been.

Written by: Matt Mills | Date: Monday, 25 March 2024

Glitter & Trauma: Why Biffy Clyro's Beginnings Are Worth Celebrating

As big as Biffy Clyro are today (and they’re massive, mate) thanks to their appetite for melding anthemic songs and a sense of spectacle, there has always been a sizeable section of their fanbase ready to get dewy-eyed about the good old days at the drop of a hat. It’s not without good reason.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 12 March 2024

'It Feels Like Those Years Apart Never Happened': Fightstar On Wembley and Two Decades Of Music

Photo: Chazz Adnitt Charlie Simpson was trying to tell an old friend some big news, but on the other end of the line something wasn’t clicking. “When I got the call, I was in Asia,” Fightstar drummer Omar Abidi recalls. “The word ‘Wembley’ just would not compute.”

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Wednesday, 06 March 2024

The 10 Songs We NEED to Hear on Judas Priest's UK and Ireland Tour

For more than half a century, Judas Priest has been at the forefront of British metal, staking their claim as one of the most important and enduring heavy acts on the planet. Having written some of the genre’s most iconic anthems, it’s hard to narrow things down when selecting a setlist that accurately captures their influence and undimmed arena-shredding power. 

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Monday, 04 March 2024

Editors: 'We've Taken People on a Journey'

Photo: Rahi Rezvani When they first announced themselves to the world back in the mid noughties, Editors were pegged in some quarters as just another indie-rock guitar band with a Joy Division fixation. Yet, in the years since that scene’s expiration, Birmingham’s finest miserablists have shown themselves to be capable of so much more. 

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Friday, 23 February 2024

Wildmen to Elder Statesmen: Five of Pearl Jam's Most Important Live Performances

Photo: Danny Clinch It’s not strictly a surprise but Pearl Jam’s longevity is something to marvel at. Emerging from the Seattle grunge scene with perhaps the most easily-aped style of all their contemporaries, the band have adapted and evolved across more than three decades to stand tall as one of the enduring modern American rock bands.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 22 February 2024

Rhythm, Playfulness: William Doyle On 'Springs Eternal'

‘Springs Eternal’, the new album from William Doyle, is imbued with a playfulness, a lightness of touch, revealing an artist unafraid to have fun even as the characters in his songs drown in the chaos of an uncertain world. It’s a vibrant, pulsating, euphoric ride that fizzes with a greater focus on rhythm than Doyle’s recent works.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Monday, 19 February 2024

'I Love Being The Band That Doesn't Fit': The Callous Daoboys On Standing Out From The Metal Crowd

Let’s start with a simple truth. The Callous Daoboys are the most exciting prospect in mathcore since the Dillinger Escape Plan hung up their instruments. Now, it’s time for some nuance. Yes, the bands share maniacal shifts in time signatures, stabbing panic chords, acerbic screeches and a disregard for rules and good taste, but this Atlantan sextet are still evolving. Their new EP ‘God Smiles Upon The Callous Daoboys’ takes the pop structures they have flirted with in the past and embeds them at the heart of what they do.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Thursday, 15 February 2024

"It's Important To Talk About These Things": Introducing Venomous Punks SNAYX

Photo: Bridie Cummings SNAYX vocalist Charlie Herridge has just compared his band to another group. Take 10 guesses which one. Hell, take 100. You won’t get it. “We’re like the punk Vengaboys,” he proclaims. But witness the Brighton trio live and you might quickly agree with him. On-stage, they fizz with life, strutting with confidence and attitude that belies their relative youth as an outfit. They’re spitting venom, but they’re also here to party. They also happen to have a van nicknamed the Vengabus. “It’s got disco lights and everything,” Charlie adds. Of course it does.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Monday, 12 February 2024