It has been a big year for the album, pivotal, you might even say. World records have been set, historic numbers have been sold and creativity has been high. Not only have we experienced new works from some of the globe’s most prevalent stars (including Adele, ABBA, Billie Eilish and Coldplay) but there has been […]
Songs tell stories, sometimes these stories have the power to change perspectives, or maybe even inspire change to happen, or at the very least, they can inform and entertain. Opening our eyes to other ways of thinking, other ways of being, enlightening alternate paths to the ones we might currently be taking, but then again, […]
At this point in late October, in 2021, the Deaf Institute has been reopen for a number of months after a grueling year of uncertainty. Standing resilient after a near closure, not just due to a global pandemic, but a change of hands in ownership. The venue, more than ever, stands as a beacon of […]
My first encounter with Jessica Winter’s solo work was at a day festival in London, shortly after the lifting of Covid measures, which turned out, by the way, to be somewhat plagued by organisational woes. In the rather palpable frustration that accompanied said issues, then, it was even more remarkable that her set stood out […]
Partly because of the later relaxation of COVID rules in Wales, partly because of a series of personal circumstances, this early-October serving of alternative rock was my very first live music event in Cardiff in nearly two years; it felt odd, comforting, and slightly tense to be back queuing outside the familiar door of Clwb […]
Hailing from Manchester and now South London-based, The Early Mornings are an up-and-coming band with very clear ideas which they’re keen to put into practice. We got a first taste of that with their recent self-released EP, Unnecessary Creation, a record with a provocative title and enough ambition to bounce between different genres and suggestions, […]
Our memories are built on shifting sands. They’re not images in our mind conjured by time-travelling back to the original events we’re remembering. We rarely recall an event direct from the source. More often than not, our brains remember instead the last time we remembered it. And each time it’s filtered from a new perspective, a […]
Brimming with limitless innovation and confidence, Liverpool’s Natalie McCool lands a great artistic leap forward with her latest LP, Memory Girl. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has become an admired figure of the alt-pop scene, putting in the years constantly developing and honing her sound. Here, five years on since her last full length release, The […]
Even before you hear a note of Spud Cannon’s third album, Good Kids Make Bad Apples, the band already have a couple of things in their favour.
Even from its very first beats, Awake and Hungry, the debut EP by London-based collective Folly Group, sets out to challenge its listeners. Out this June for So Young Records, this is a hugely ambitious work by a group of artists who have a very clear idea of where they’re going and what they want to […]
Folk singer-songwriter Chloe Foy has been building up a steady momentum for several years now, and here she truly delivers with a dazzling set of versatile, emotionally reflective work on the wonderfully titled, Where Shall We Begin, her debut LP out this Friday, 11th June.
Squid are one of those bands whose output has been steadily growing in quality through the last couple of years, which makes their debut album Bright Green Field one of the 2021 records I was awaiting most eagerly. It contains some familiar tunes and a good number of bold new ideas, packaged together in an […]
Time has felt pretty weird over the last 12 months. Days last forever while months spin by in the blink of an eye. Yesterday can feel like a decade ago.
There is something undeniably frenetic about the razor sharp songwriting of Sydney based indie-punk outfit Human Noise. With strong ties to both punk rock and singer-songwriter roots, the songs of Eddie Boyd and the band (formerly known as Boydos) are agitated, witty, and above all else, incredibly clever.
Collaboration is something kindred, a bond of connection akin to nothing else in this world. When musicians join together, distant or close, the result can be invigorating and regenerative. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, approaches have had to shift and renegotiate—and live performance has been especially affected. Collaboration has become that much harder but equally […]
Some people were simply born to be in the spotlight. Having played bass since she was seven years old, Blu DeTiger recently in 2020 found herself something of a sensation. With the release of her debut EP How Did We Get Here? on 5th March, DeTiger is fully riding the wave of her breakout year.
Exeter based Jess McAllister has been busy through lockdown, not only releasing a full-length album in the last year but also sharing a magnitude of excellent homemade videos (including an inspired take on Sugababes classic ‘Overload’) and performing live wherever and whenever possible. Owning your own narrative and voicing personal experience is a large focus […]
Lostboycrow has always felt more than a simple musical identity, but a source for greater interpretation further than an artist moniker can surmise. Something more akin to a journey, a shared space, a state of home, which might be the reason why like-minded souls have latched on so tightly to the artist’s music. These are […]
2021 is already gearing up to be a very interesting year for the British punk scene. While some of the more established names in the genre have been delivering new music at a very high level of quality, it is just as interesting to take a look at the up-and-coming names and what they have […]
The highly anticipated second album by Shame has finally arrived, and it confirms the impression that 2021 has started with a bang and promises to be a very good year for UK music. The South London band has risen to the challenge of the sophomore long player with the same bold attitude they bring to […]