Beabadoobee has never been afraid of reinvention, but her newly announced fourth album Pylon — out 18 September via Dirty Hit and Interscope, feels like the moment she rips up her own rulebook and starts again with sharper teeth, louder guitars and a far more confrontational emotional core.

The follow‑up to her UK No.1 This Is How Tomorrow Moves, Pylon takes its name from the looming electricity towers that shadow motorways across the world. For Beatrice Laus, those stark metal structures became a strange kind of comfort while touring, reminders of home, of the people she missed, and of the invisible lines that keep us tethered even when we feel completely disconnected. It’s a fitting metaphor for a record built on tension: between intimacy and noise, between self‑doubt and self‑possession, between who you were at 20 and who you’re becoming at 25.

If Beatopia was dreamy and This Is How Tomorrow Moves was widescreen, Pylon is something else entirely, serrated, wired, and emotionally unfiltered. Laus leans hard into the rock DNA she’s always loved, pulling threads from classic grunge, Midwest emo and ‘90s alt‑radio and twisting them into something rawer and more volatile than anything she’s released before.

The album’s lead single Sun Has Set, out now, sets the tone immediately. It’s a song that began as a diary entry, the kind of thing you write down because you can’t say it out loud, and it burns with the heat of unspoken resentment finally given a voice. “It’s like, I hate you. You’re gonna stay here and listen to how much I hate you,” she says. It’s tunnel‑vision honesty delivered with a clenched jaw and a wall of distortion.

The track arrives with a first‑person video directed by longtime collaborator Jake Erland, amplifying the song’s claustrophobic intensity.

One of the most striking things about Pylon is the calibre, and diversity of its contributors. Laus went straight to the source of her influences, and the result is a record threaded with voices from across the alternative landscape:

• Hayley Williams appears on Nothing To Prove, an anthemic reclamation of power aimed at fair‑weather friends.

• Brendan Yates of Turnstile lends his unmistakable force to Powerlines.

• Evan Stephens Hall (Pinegrove), Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Shane Moran (Title Fight) all leave fingerprints across the tracklist.

• And on Write Me A Letter, production comes courtesy of Matty Healy and George Daniel of The 1975 — longtime friends and collaborators.

It’s a testament to the respect Laus has earned in just a few short years: a young artist whose songwriting has already carved out a space big enough for her heroes to step into.

PYLON LP | TRACK LIST

• Pylon

• Sun Has Set

• Estranged

• Switchblade

• Write Me A Letter

• It’s Alright

• In Motion

• Memories

• Nothing To Prove

• Radio

• Powerlines

• Spark

• Despite That

• Satellite

To mark the release, Beabadoobee will take Pylon on the road for ger first ever headline arena run. The Powerlines tour spans North America, the UK and Europe, including landmark stops at Madison Square Garden, the KIA Forum and London’s O2 Arena.

UK dates:

November

Sat 14 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro

Mon 16 – Cardiff, Utilita Arena

Tue 17 – Manchester, AO Arena

Wed 18 – London, O2 Arena

Support comes from Wisp (US/Canada/UK) and Violet Grohl (Europe).

Fans who pre‑order the album via her webstore gain access to an exclusive ticket pre‑sale from Tuesday 30 June, 10am local time, with general sale following on Thursday 2 July, 10am. Full details at beabadoobee.com/live.

Born in the Philippines and raised in London, Beabadoobee has become one of British alternative music’s defining voices. Three Top 10 albums, a BRIT and BBC Sound Of nod, an NME Radar Award, more than 10 billion streams, and a social following north of 12 million — all before turning 27.

Her last album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, hit No.1 in 2024. Earlier this year she teamed up with Grammy‑nominated The Marías for the standalone single All I Did Was Dream Of You, a collaboration born from long‑standing mutual admiration.

With Pylon, she’s not just levelling up — she’s burning the old blueprint and building something louder, braver and more brutally honest in its place.

Socials

Instagram | TikTok | Spotify  | YouTube | Apple Music

The Isle of Wight Festival 2026 arrived with the kind of confidence only a true summer heavyweight can muster, four days of sun‑splashed chaos, emotional headline moments and a site packed with future stars, cult favourites and generational icons. From Thursday’s opener to Sunday’s finale, the island felt alive at every turn, and the cameras barely stopped firing. What follows is a full rundown of the weekend, the sets that defined it, the surprises that shaped it, and a whole lot of photos capturing the festival exactly as it unfolded: loud, bright, joyful and unforgettable.

Day 1

The Isle of Wight Festival 2026 didn’t ease into the weekend — it erupted. Under clear skies and with Sky’s new partnership giving the site a fresh sheen, Thursday night delivered a four‑act sprint that felt more like a Saturday.

Elvana lit the fuse in spectacular fashion, the Elvis‑fronted Nirvana mash‑up tearing into Territorial Pissings as the King declared they were “from the disgraceland.” It was chaotic, theatrical and exactly the kind of unhinged joy a Thursday needs.

Hot Dub Time Machine kept the ignition burning, Tom Lowndes turning the Big Top into a time‑hopping, guilty‑pleasure rave. Take On Me, Ice Ice Baby, Like a Prayer — every era, every hook, every voice in the tent raised.

Maximo Park followed with a tight, high‑energy reminder of why they’re still one of the UK’s most reliable festival bands. Paul Smith leaned into the island setting with a grin as The Coast Is Always Changing rang out across Seaclose.

Closing the night, Joel Corry delivered a laser‑bright, hit‑stacked finale — Heart & Heart, OUT OUT, BED — each one engineered for maximum dopamine. For a Thursday, it felt absurdly huge. For the weekend ahead, it set the bar sky‑high.

Thursday Photo Gallery - Images courtesy of Day Rutherford, Sara Lincoln, Callum Baker, Sarah Louise Bennett & Dylan Roberts.

Day 2

Friday was the moment the festival truly roared into life. With a heavyweight weekend ahead, Day 2 delivered emotion, star power and a run of sets that felt like the festival hitting its stride.

Lewis Capaldi owned the Main Stage with his first UK festival headline since his Glastonbury comeback. Loose, funny and in full voice, he turned the field into a mass singalong and paused mid‑set to promise a new album — a moment that landed with real warmth.

In the Big Top, Perrie delivered a glossy, confident performance built around If He Wanted To He Would and Forget About Us, joking about her “head cold from Satan” after her wedding weekend. The crowd carried her through Punchline at full volume.

Tom Grennan closed the tent with a feel‑good, full‑throttle set, grinning as he shouted “we’re about to go Higher” to a crowd that needed no encouragement.

The undercard was stacked: Alessi Rose celebrated her leap from Big Top to Main Stage; Chloe Qisha delivered a standout Sky Arts performance before her own set; and across the site, Wet Leg, Ash, Two Door Cinema Club, Overpass, Good Neighbours and more packed out stages.

At Electro Love, Denise van Outen arrived in style — chauffeured by Caroline Giddings — before dropping a nostalgia‑rich DJ set that had the tent bouncing.

Friday proved why Isle of Wight remains one of the UK’s most beloved festivals — big voices, big moments, and a crowd ready for anything.

Friday Photo Gallery - Images courtesy of Day Rutherford, Sara Lincoln, Callum Baker, Sarah Louise Bennett, Dylan Roberts, Chloe Hashemi & Alan West

Day 3

Saturday felt like the festival hitting full stride. Sunshine, huge crowds and a run of performances that swung from pop brightness to punk ferocity.

Calvin Harris closed the night with a euphoric, career‑spanning masterclass — We Found Love, Sweet Nothing, How Deep Is Your Love — each drop turning Seaclose Park into a single, unified dancefloor. A proper Isle of Wight moment.

Earlier, Teddy Swims delivered one of the weekend’s standout sets, his voice tearing through Bad Dreams, The Door and a roof‑raising Loose Control. Marking Pride Month before Are You Even Real, he created a moment that felt intimate and enormous all at once.

The Main Stage ran the full pop spectrum: • Rita Ora basked in the sunshine • Rick Astley delivered feel‑good nostalgia and a surprise Raye cover • Five tore into When The Lights Go Out to huge cheers

In the Big Top, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter delivered a ferocious 50‑year anniversary run‑through of their 1977 album — loud, chaotic and utterly alive.

Circawaves set the tone earlier with a colossal, high‑energy set, while across the site Anastacia, Starsailor, The K’s, Nathan Evans and KT Tunstall with Jack Savoretti kept crowds moving.

Three days in, the festival felt electric — and Sunday promised a monumental finale.

Saturday Photo Gallery - Images courtesy of Day Rutherford, Sara Lincoln, Callum Baker, Sarah Louise Bennett, Dylan Roberts & Chloe Hashemi

Day 4

Sunday brought the festival’s legacy, history and future together in one beautifully curated finale.

The Cure closed the weekend with a majestic, career‑spanning headline set — Close To Me, Lullaby, Friday I’m In Love — each song greeted like an old friend. Tracks from their Grammy‑winning Songs of a Lost World added modern weight, while a sunflower on the drum kit — gifted by Mountbatten — offered a quiet emotional touch.

In a perfect full‑circle moment, The Lovecats was performed with Luvcat watching from the side of the stage, hours after her own Big Top breakthrough.

Before them, The Kooks delivered a joyous, hit‑packed set — Naive, Shine On, She Moves In Her Own Way — radiating the warmth of a band who feel at home on the island.

The day celebrated rising stars and festival icons alike: • Fugo Kid opened with hip‑hop‑jazz energy • Suzanne Vega was welcomed personally by John Giddings • Level 42 made their long‑awaited debut • David Gray added a 90s glow to the afternoon • The Molotovs headlined the River Stage after a breakout year • Shed Seven, Rose Gray, The Last Dinner Party and The Twilight Sad drew huge crowds across the site

As the final notes of Friday I’m In Love drifted across Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight Festival 2026 signed off as one of the strongest editions in years — four days of huge performances, rising stars, emotional moments and unforgettable nights.

Sunday Photo Gallery - Images courtesy of Day Rutherford, Sara Lincoln, Callum Baker, Sarah Louise Bennett, Oliver Roberts & Chloe Hashemi

Yard Act are stepping confidently into their next era. With their third album You’re Gonna Need A Little Music arriving on 17th July via Island Records, the Leeds quartet have dropped its second single, ‘New Beginnings’, a track that feels like a deliberate exhale after the darker, heavier tones of lead single Redeemer.

Listen HERE

Where Redeemer snarled, New Beginnings glows. It’s Yard Act at their most open‑armed, leaning into melody and warmth without losing the sharp observational edge that’s become their signature. Frontman James Smith frames it as a moment of clarity: a song about shedding old skins, often without realising you’ve done it, and choosing to celebrate the shift rather than mourn what’s gone.

If Yard Act’s first two albums were shaped by necessity, written on laptops, carved out in hotel rooms, assembled between relentless tours, this one is the sound of a band finally given space to breathe.

For the first time, the four members recorded together in the same room, splitting sessions between Leeds and Los Angeles with heavyweight producer Justin Meldal‑Johnsen (Nine Inch Nails, Beck, St Vincent). The result? A sprawling creative burst that reportedly produced 40–50 songs, distilled into their most dynamic and collaborative record yet.

Smith calls the process “freedom”, a five‑month uninterrupted stretch where the band could follow ideas without the pressure of a tour van idling outside. That sense of liberation pulses through New Beginnings: bright, rhythmic, and quietly triumphant.

To celebrate the album’s release, Yard Act will hit the road for a run of six UK in‑store and out‑store shows in partnership with independent record shops across the country. Fans who pre‑order the album through participating stores will gain access to tickets.

16th July - La Belle Angele, Edinburgh (in association with Assai Records) NEW
17th July - Baltic, Liverpool (in association with Jacaranda Records) NEW
19th July - Rough Trade East, London NEW
21st July - Rough Trade, Nottingham NEW
22nd July - Rough Trade, Bristol NEW
24th July - Chalk, Brighton (in association with Resident Records) NEW

These intimate shows land just ahead of a packed touring schedule that sees the band across Europe in June, North America in August, and back through Europe again in October, before a fresh run of UK headline dates in November.

6th November – O2 Academy, Leeds
7th November – O2 Academy, Leeds
10th November – NX, Newcastle
11th November – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow
12th November – Octagon Centre, Sheffield
13th November – O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester
15th November – Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
16th November – O2 Academy, Leicester
17th November – Rock City, Nottingham
18th November – Junction 1, Cambridge
20th November – O2 Academy, Oxford
21st November – Bristol Beacon, Bristol
23rd November – Plymouth Arena, Plymouth
24th November – O2 Guildhall, Southampton
26th November – O2 Academy Brixton, London

You’re Gonna Need A Little Music follows the band’s Mercury‑nominated debut The Overload and their UK Top 5 follow‑up Where’s My Utopia?. Early hints suggest this new record is their most emotionally varied yet, a collision of cynicism, curiosity, and catharsis, sharpened by the energy of a band finally working as a true unit.

FOLLOW YARD ACT: 

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

As I made my way up the M5 towards Bristol, I had to admit that beyond the one song everyone knows, my knowledge of SPARKS was embarrassingly thin. I knew the basics: two brothers, one a kinetic whirlwind, the other a stone‑faced synth operator with a scowl so permanent it should be trademarked. But stepping into the buzzing Bristol Beacon, it was clear I was entering a world where SPARKS weren’t just a band, they were more a cultural institution.

The steps outside were lit with their name, a reminder that SPARKS have been woven into UK music history for decades, from their early days as Halfnelson to their current cult‑nation status. Inside, the crowd felt like a living museum of fandom: barrier‑clingers in shirts from every era, from Kimono My House purists to Hippopotamus converts. Surrealism is often used to describe SPARKS, but for these fans it’s simply the language of home — Bosch‑like imagery, odd phrasing, and everyday moments reframed with wit and wonder.

Bang on 7:30pm, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer strode onto the stage looking like he’d stepped straight out of a 1940s boys’ adventure comic. His toff‑ish attire, clipped diction and ukulele charm were already familiar to me from a Glas‑Denbury appearance years ago, but tonight he leaned even further into the eccentricity.

His ukelele‑crunching, feedback‑laced take on Smells Like Teen Spirit was delivered with absolute aplomb. He riffed on Victorian eroticism (“show me your ankles”), looped Brompton into a Clash‑meets‑M.I.A. fever dream, and even milked a cup of tea mid‑solo. By the time he asked, “Are you ready to rock?”, the answer was obvious, the room was primed, warmed, and ready for the Mael brothers.

When the lights dropped, the stage revealed a three‑piece band perched on the upper tier, bass, drums and guitar forming a tight, disciplined backbonel, while Ron and Russell Mael commanded the front like the Penn & Teller of avant‑pop mischief. A screen‑grab‑worthy entrance unfolded: Russell in a polka‑dot suit and pink trainers, Ron’s unmistakable silhouette cutting through the lights. “So May We Start?” felt less like a question and more like a command.

The lighting rig, three rows of strobes pulsing to the drums, transformed the Beacon into a miniature stadium. The band had expanded to include female backing vocals, adding warmth and texture to the already dense arrangements.

By the third song, Reinforcements, the crowd was already losing it. Its jaunty “la‑la‑la” refrain and pure‑pop piano riff hit like a shot of serotonin. Ron, ever the deadpan sorcerer, concealed all the joy behind his stoic façade, delivering chords that made the room levitate.

SPARKS’ music is a kaleidoscope of styles, veering from 80s synth stabs to sampled horns, from church‑organ‑like textures to riffs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a heavy metal record. Running Up a Tab at the Hotel for the Fab even flirted with Metallica‑grade heaviness. At one point, something about their theatricality made me think they might be German, clearly not, but the eccentricity was that convincing.

One of the night’s early highlights came when Ron stood up, a rare and momentous occasion, to introduce Let’s Get Funky. With minimalist dance moves and a brief vocal cameo, he set the room alight before Russell joined him for a burst of synchronised choreography that had the Beacon joining in.

Porcupine landed with immense power, while Jansport Backpack delivered the kind of deliciously humorous storytelling SPARKS excel at. Music That You Can Dance To turned the venue into a full‑scale disco, with purple and blue LEDs pulsing as Russell bounded across the stage. Even my colleague’s injured knee forgot itself.

Beat the Clock had the rows of seats physically rocking. Number One in Heaven turned the venue into a photographer’s dream — lasers, silhouettes, and a crowd moving as one. Every song felt like a set‑ender, yet SPARKS kept escalating. Ron even clapped more than the audience at one point, a rare sight indeed, before returning to his trademark rigidity for Oh Yeah, shuffling left to right in what can only be described as rigor‑mortis rock.

The set never built to a climax because it was the climax. A standing ovation rolled straight into Number One in Heaven (again, trimmed of its seven‑minute intro), sending the room into orbit. A man who’d gone to the bar returned at the exact wrong moment, missing a vocal delivery that felt dropped from the gods. Then came This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us, infused with Queen‑like theatricality, ‘Sparks Will Rock You’, if you will, with Russell firing off ten million syllables at impossible pitch. Why stop now? They’ve got 28 albums under their belts to draw from!

The encore showcased SPARKS’ meticulous craftsmanship, from the whistling solo in My Devotion to the violin‑like synths that closed the night. The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte played like a caffeinated opera, while Max Whipple (bass), Darren Weiss (drums) and Eli Pearl (guitar) held everything together with precision.

Ron received the loudest chants of the night, “Ron! Ron! Ron! Ron!”, and responded with the smallest, funniest gestures. SPARKS’ quirks have become anthems in their own right. They ended with a full‑room sing‑and‑clap‑along, clearly reluctant to leave the stage. Honestly, so were we.

I dropped off my colleague and then drove the two hours back to fog‑soaked Devon with a SPARKS playlist on repeat, newly converted and already planning a deep dive into their wonderfully weird back catalogue. There’s something irresistible about them, something theatrical, eccentric and defiantly left‑of‑centre. SPARKS are more of an institution than a musical outfit. A celebration of the strange. A reminder that pop music can be clever, funny, emotional and completely unhinged all at once.

And after witnessing them live, I finally get it.

Words by Steve Muscutt and Matt Barnes

Pics by Steve Muscutt

Setlist

So May We Start

Do Things My Own Way

Reinforcements

Sherlock Holmes

Beat the Clock

Mickey Mouse

Running up a Tab at the Hotel for the Fab

Let’s Get Funky (Ron Version)

Porcupine

A Walk Down memory lane

JanSport Backpack

Music That You Can Dance To

When Do I get to Sing ‘My Way’

The Number One Song in Heaven

This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us

Whippings and Apologies

My Devotion

Encore

(Baby. Baby) Can I Invade Your Country

The Girl is Crying in her Latte (followed by band intros)

All That

Download 2026: “Bigger, better, louder than ever.” With the capacity increased by 20,000, it seems the punters agreed. For me, this journey started decades earlier, a one‑day Monsters of Rock in the early nineties, headlined by AC/DC and Metallica, plus a 14‑hour round trip from Penryn in Cornwall. So how would a four‑day camping marathon with ten times the number of bands stack up? We set off in the rain on Thursday to find out.

Thursday

Arriving painlessly and pitching the tent with military efficiency, we headed straight to District X, already heaving and buzzing. Liam and the Cancer Bats were in full “Bat Sabbath” mode, feeding off the crowd’s energy. Chants of “Ozzy!” rang out as they tore through Sabbath classics, the pyros firing hotter with every chorus. They peaked with War Pigs, the crowd belting out the first verse with confidence… and the second with enthusiasm if not accuracy.

Friday

After a surprisingly good night’s sleep under clearing skies and the flight path of some enormous jets, we hit the main stage for Scene Queen. A vision in pink and glitter, she strutted through her adult‑themed set, warning children to cover their ears while the crowd lapped it up. A perfect party‑starter.

P.O.D followed with a punchy, nostalgic, rap‑rock blast, saving the big hitters for mass singalongs and even celebrating the guitarist’s new baby mid‑set.

Backstage, we caught up with Native James, fresh off his Avalanche Stage performance with Professor Green. He was buzzing — and repeatedly reminded my colleague that she “dropped him” when he played Torquay last year. True or not, I’ll leave that to the courts of memory.

Pendulum were my number‑one bucket‑list band until last year, when I finally saw them in a Plymouth rainstorm. But this? This was something else entirely. Huge key swells, seismic bass drops, and a sound so massive it challenged the PA. The crowd erupted into joyful moshing, and Rou Reynolds (Enter Shikari) joined for a collab delivered with style — and some excellent dance moves.

Electric Callboy brought Eurovision‑grade weirdness to the main stage. I’d been warned about costume changes, but nothing prepared me for glitter‑ball helmets, matching bowl cuts and more shell suits than an 80s sports shop. High energy, relentless fun, and crowd surfing galore. Hot weather, silly clothes, banging tunes — job done.

Limp Bizkit closed the day despite tragic news involving members of their crew. They pushed on professionally, delivering the hits, but understandably the spark felt dimmed.

Saturday

The day began emotionally at the Opus Stage with The Wildhearts. Ginger, the band — and Ginger’s dog — delivered a cracking sunshine‑soaked set. I last saw them 35 years ago in Bristol; time really does fly.

Back at the main stage, South Arcade transported us straight to the early 2000s with bouncy energy, crystal‑clear vocals and a graffiti‑themed stage setup complete with spray‑can dry ice. Highlights: the car‑alarm breakdown in How to Get Away With Murder, the very British stage banter, and the drummer’s hair — Hellraiser via blue rinse.

Landmvrks hit the Apex Stage looking razor‑sharp. In a world of sound‑alike metalcore, they stand out: trebly, tight guitars, huge vocal range, and choruses that refuse to leave your head. Pop vocals, French rap, screams upon screams — all delivered with precision. If you haven’t seen them yet, fix that.

We caught up with Jack and Becca from Marmozets backstage. With their new album Cowardice on repeat for me, it was great to talk future plans, Primus, Mr Bungle, and the fact they keep bumping into bassist/YouTuber Danny Sapko because he lives nearby. Small world.

Guns N’ Roses played for over three hours, giving us plenty of time to explore merch stalls and side arenas, soundtracked by Slash solos echoing across the site.

Sunday

Unpeople opened the main stage with a huge sound and an even bigger crowd. Their alt‑rock harmonies twisted beautifully through each track, and the choruses were built for mass singalongs. Luke’s trip into the crowd — guitar in hand, perched on someone’s shoulders — during The Garden was a highlight. With a new album finally on the way, excitement is high.

Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth delivered a polished, powerful set full of soaring vocals and impossible‑sounding solos. The crowd were just warming up when the set ended; I’d happily have taken another half hour.

Then things got surreal. Keanu Reeves and Dogstar walked on almost apologetically. Despite constant heckling, Keanu handled it with grace. Their mellow, QOTSA‑tinged set went down well, but the biggest cheers came when Keanu spoke — once to say “We need to do a line check,” and once to say “thank you.” We got Ted “Theodore” Logan, not John Wick.

Back at the Apex Arena, Bloodywood unleashed one of the most powerful sets of the weekend. East‑meets‑west metal, traditional instruments, and animated graphics that were genuinely stunning. The crowd were feral — in the best way.

After catching up with Conjurer and Annisokay, we headed to the top of the arena to prepare for Linkin Park’s headline set — and managed to secure a spot on the infamous Ferris Wheel (Google it, but maybe not at work).

Suspended above the site, we watched 120,000 people erupt as the band opened with Emptiness Machine. Much was made of Download’s first female‑fronted headliner. It shouldn’t matter — but it did. The performance was masterful: tight, emotional, powerful, and absolutely deserving of the moment.

A perfect end to a festival I loved from start to finish. Here’s hoping I don’t leave it so long next time.

Words - Phil Bales

Pictures - Martha Fitzpatrick

The Snuts are stepping into a new era, and they’re doing it with clarity, heart, and a renewed sense of purpose. Today, the West Lothian four‑piece announce their fourth studio album, Joy In Short Moments, landing 23 October via Happy Artist Records in partnership with Virgin Music Group. Alongside it comes a brand‑new single, ‘Defibrillator’, a euphoric, drum‑driven jolt of life that sets the tone for what might be their most personal work to date.

And because The Snuts don’t do things by halves, they’ve also confirmed a 16‑date UK headline tour for November and December, their biggest and most ambitious autumn run yet.

If The Snuts have always had a knack for writing songs that feel communal, ‘Defibrillator’ pushes that instinct to the front of the stage. Inspired by the idea of a living wake — celebrating your life with the people you love while you’re still here to feel it, the track is a rallying cry for connection over ego, joy over heaviness.

Frontman Jack Cochrane frames it simply:

“I wanted to write a track that detailed a conscious decision to live and love more. To take life less seriously and dilute ego as often as possible.”

Produced by Cochrane and Scotty Anderson, the single bursts with the kind of energy that made The Snuts festival favourites, but there’s a new emotional weight beneath the shine.

Where their previous albums were forged in the chaos of constant touring, Joy In Short Moments was written from a place of stillness. Cochrane moved back home, became a father, and found himself confronting the questions that relentless momentum had kept at bay.

The result is a record rooted in real life, its mess, its beauty, its contradictions.

Cochrane explains:

“Success, failure, parenthood and loss all found their way into these songs. Joy in Short Moments is the sound of reconnecting with what matters and learning to find meaning in the small things.”

Across its eleven tracks, from the reflective title track to the stormy ‘Warsaw’ and the widescreen ‘Summer Rain’, the album captures a band growing into themselves with honesty and intent.

The Snuts’ rise has been nothing short of remarkable. A Number 1 debut with W.L. in 2021. A Top 3 follow‑up with Burn The Empire in 2022. A self‑produced, independently released third album, Millennials, that still smashed into the Top 2, making them the first act since One Direction to land three Top 3 albums in three consecutive years.

Add to that sold‑out tours across Japan, Australia, Europe and North America, plus a triumphant Scottish arena headline at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, and you’ve got a band operating at full velocity.

This summer they hit TRNSMT on 20 June, broadcast by the BBC, before diving headfirst into their biggest UK tour yet.

THE SNUTS — UK HEADLINE TOUR 2026

November

19 — Dundee, Livehouse

20 — Aberdeen, Beach Ballroom

21 — Edinburgh, Corn Exchange

23 — Dunfermline, Alhambra Theatre

24 — Newcastle, O2 City Hall

26 — Sheffield, Octagon Centre

27 — Nottingham, Rock City

29 — Norwich, UEA

30 — Bristol, The Prospect Building

December

1 — Hull, City Hall

2 — Leeds, O2 Academy

3 — Manchester, Victoria Warehouse

4 — Manchester, Victoria Warehouse

8 — Birmingham, O2 Academy

9 — Portsmouth, Guildhall

10 — London, Brixton Academy

Artist pre‑sale: Monday 23 June, 10am

O2 & other pre‑sale: Wednesday 24 June, 10am

General sale: Friday 26 June, 10am

TRACKLIST — JOY IN SHORT MOMENTS

1. In Motion

2. Youth Ain’t Easy

3. Defibrillator

4. Joy In Short Moments

5. PTS

6. Get Up, Get Out

7. Country Music

8. Summer Rain

9. Motherlands

10. Warsaw

11. Little Marathon Man

With Joy In Short Moments, The Snuts aren’t reinventing themselves,k they’re refining, refocusing, and reconnecting with the world around them. It’s a record built on small truths, big feelings, and the kind of songwriting that only comes when you finally stop running.

This autumn, they’ll bring that renewed spirit to stages across the UK. Expect catharsis. Expect community. Expect a band who know exactly who they are.

CONNECT WITH THE SNUTS
Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter

Blossoms are back in technicolour, unveiling their brand new single “Meet Me In Love”, a shimmering, disco‑kissed rush of romance, alongside a cinematic video starring none other than Maya Jama. It’s the band at their most playful, most widescreen, and arguably their most instantly addictive in years.

WATCH HERE / STREAM HERE

The track follows recent single “Joke About Divorce”, but where that song leaned into bittersweet storytelling, “Meet Me In Love” is pure dopamine. Built around a two‑chord groove that refuses to let go, the song glides on a buoyant bassline, glossy strings and a chorus that feels tailor‑made for late‑summer nights. Declan McKenna drops in with backing vocals, adding an extra layer of sparkle to the whole affair.

Frontman Tom Ogden reveals that the track was born almost by accident during a writing trip to the Lake District with Natalie Findlay and Jules Apollinaire. It was the final day, the point where most bands would pack up and call it a week, when a simple disco loop sparked something bigger.

Within hours, the song had taken shape. Ogden recalls driving home with the demo on repeat, unable to shake the feeling that they’d captured something special. The final version, recorded live to tape with Shawn Lee at Tilehouse Studios, still carries the DNA of that first demo, loose, warm, and full of that “first spark” energy.

The accompanying video expands the cinematic universe Blossoms began with “Joke About Divorce”. Directed by Ogden himself and shot on 16mm film at Chad’s Theatre in Stockport, it blends old‑Hollywood romance with 70s disco glamour and a dash of surreal theatre.

Maya Jama takes centre stage, stepping into a role that feels both glamorous and knowingly tongue‑in‑cheek. Ogden explains that after meeting her at the MTV EMAs, the band simply took a chance and sent her a DM — and she said yes immediately. Actor Callum Scott Howells returns as narrator, stitching the visual world together with charm and character.

The result is a video that feels like a love letter to vintage Top of the Pops performances, classic cinema and the kind of bold, colourful storytelling Blossoms have quietly mastered.

With “Meet Me In Love” now out in the world, Blossoms are gearing up for a huge moment on the festival circuit — including a Main Stage slot at Leeds Festival on Friday 28 August, where this track is destined to become a crowd‑swaying highlight.

For more information: https://www.blossomsband.co.uk/

The second single from rising singer‑songwriter Bella Cutts does more than just build on the momentum of her debut, it sharpens her voice, her perspective, and her place in the new wave of emotionally intelligent pop. Curious is a bright, rhythmic, quietly devastating look at modern connection, wrapped in a hook that refuses to leave your head.

Bella’s debut Run Like a Child connected. with 30,000 streams in four weeks, 2,500 playlist adds, and BBC Introducing calling it their “easiest first pick ever” it’s the kind of early traction most independent artists dream of.

With Curious, she proves that debut wasn’t a fluke, it was her, laying a solid foundation from which to build from.

If Run Like a Child was introspective and expansive, Curious is its confident, lightly sarcastic older sister. Produced by Shane Shanahan at Westpoint Studios, the track leans into a warm, upbeat groove, the kind of rhythm that feels effortless but lands with precision.

Bella’s vocal sits right at the centre, clear, expressive, and quietly cutting. Fans of Olivia Dean, Adele, Taylor Swift and Raye will find plenty to love here, but Bella’s tone is distinctly her own, warm, wry, and emotionally articulate.

The genius of Curious lies in its duality. On the surface, it’s breezy and melodic. Underneath, it’s a razor‑sharp exploration of what it feels like to be with someone who never really sees you.

Bella’s lyric, “I bet you are on your mind as much as you are on mine”, is delivered with a smile that barely hides the sting. It’s funny because it’s true, and it’s painful because it’s familiar. The song asks a simple but devastating question: What did you love if you didn’t know me?

In a world of swipe‑fast intimacy and relationships built on surface-level connection, Bella argues that curiosity is one of the greatest acts of love. Not passive interest, but active, intentional, sustained curiosity. The kind that takes time. The kind that builds something real.

Bella’s chosen artwork, posing beside an empty suit, is a perfect visual metaphor. The polished exterior. The emotional vacancy. The closeness that never becomes connection. It echoes one of the song’s most poignant lines: “You held me while I hoped that you’d show me, one day you would be… curious to know me.” It’s clever, striking, and instantly communicates the emotional tension at the heart of the track.

Born in Switzerland to British and Argentine parents, raised across Sudan, Myanmar, Turkey and Switzerland, and now splitting her time between Devon and London, Bella’s worldview is shaped by movement, resilience and cultural breadth. You can hear it in her writing, the emotional intelligence, the perspective, the sense of someone who has lived many lives before her twenties have even finished unfolding.

With more original music lined up for release this year, live shows with guitarist James Davies, and a full band now in rehearsal, Bella Cutts is busy building a world, one rooted in honesty, curiosity, and connection.

Because Curious is that rare thing: a pop song that makes you move, makes you think, and makes you feel seen.

Because Bella Cutts is emerging as one of the most quietly compelling new voices of 2026.

Because curiosity, real curiosity, is something we could all use a little more of….

"Curious" due out on the 26th June - Pre-save link is HERE 

Live Dates:

30th July, Morocco Bound, Wandsworth

7th August The Sail Loft, Dartmouth

8th August, Goosefest, The Wild Goose, Combeinteignhead, Newton Abbot, Devon

15th August, The Puffing Billy, Exton, Exeter

HENGE don’t do things by halves. The Manchester cosmic‑rock travellers have announced the most ambitious mission of their decade on Earth: a 75‑date world tour spanning the UK, Europe, Canada, the USA and Mexico, with even more territories still to be revealed. For a band who’ve built their reputation on euphoric, intergalactic live experiences, this feels like the moment everything goes supernova.

The first wave of dates includes 18 shows across the UK and Ireland, taking in some of the country’s most beloved independent venues. From The 1865 in Southampton to Village Underground in London, New Century in Manchester and the legendary Brudenell in Leeds, HENGE are plotting a route that reads like a love letter to grassroots culture.

The announcement follows a sudden surge in global attention. A live clip of their track “DNA” recently blasted past six million views, sparking a run of sold‑out shows and introducing HENGE’s “Cosmic Dross” to a whole new audience. It’s a reminder that some bands are simply built for the stage, and HENGE’s blend of rave energy, prog‑rock ambition and sci‑fi theatricality makes far more sense in a packed room than it ever could on a phone screen.

Their shows are part gig, part ritual, part interplanetary summit, joyful, immersive and utterly unlike anything else in the UK underground.

The tour marks HENGE’s first‑ever North American dates and their most extensive European run to date. Undertakings of this scale rarely happen without a bigger plan in motion… and the band have already hinted that new music is on the way.

Given their track record — from 2018’s debut Attention Earth! to 2020’s ExoKosm and their most recent release Alpha Test 4 (produced by Jim Spencer and mastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright), expectations are high. Critics have praised their “stimulating extra‑terrestrial sounds” (NARC ★★★★) and “blissed‑out, retro‑futuristic madness” (PROG), while fans continue to multiply with every festival they conquer.

And conquer they have: Glastonbury, Boomtown, Bluedot, Shambala, Beatherder, Fusion, Down The Rabbit Hole, Jungle Love and more, even picking up Best Live Act at the Independent Festival Awards.

UK & Ireland Tour Dates — 2027

• 10 March — The 1865, Southampton

• 11 March — Phoenix, Exeter

• 12 March — The Globe, Cardiff

• 13 March — Trinity, Bristol

• 14 March — The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

• 17 March — Crookes Social Club, Sheffield

• 18 March — Cambridge Junction, Cambridge

• 19 March — Chalk, Brighton

• 20 March — Village Underground, London

• 21 March — The Waterfront, Norwich

• 24 March — Saint Luke’s, Glasgow

• 25 March — The Grove, Newcastle

• 26 March — New Century, Manchester

• 27 March — Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

• 31 March — Rescue Rooms, Nottingham

• 1 April — The Invisible Wind Factory, Liverpool

• 3 April — Academy, Dublin

• 4 April — Belfast Empire Music Hall, Belfast

HENGE have always existed slightly outside genre, outside trend, outside the usual gravitational pull of the UK music scene. But this tour — vast, international, and arriving on a wave of viral momentum — feels like a genuine turning point. A band that once felt like a cult secret is now stepping into a much bigger arena, figuratively and literally.

For fans, it’s a chance to see one of the UK’s most inventive live acts at the peak of their powers. For newcomers, it’s an invitation to join the cosmic caravan.

And for everyone else? Consider this your warning: HENGE are coming. Prepare to be uplifted.

Fletchr Fletchr are having a moment, and they know it. Fresh from the momentum of last autumn’s breakout EP We All Feel the Same, the fast‑rising indie outfit return with ‘Fucking With My Head’, a widescreen, emotionally charged new single that cements their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting young guitar bands.

LISTEN HERE

Rolling Stone UK recently tipped them as “on the path to the big time”, and this release feels like the sound of a band stepping confidently into that prediction.

‘Fucking With My Head’ is Fletchr Fletchr at their boldest: a soaring, cinematic indie‑rock cut that pairs shimmering guitars with lyrics that cut straight to the bone.

Vocalist Rohan Fletcher describes the track as an attempt to personify anxiety itself, to make something abstract feel tangible.

“It’s turning anxiety into a person. Giving that feeling a presence so it’s easier to understand” he explains.

The accompanying video, directed by Maisy Banks, leans into that idea. A lone dancer moves with frantic, expressive energy, embodying the tension and unease threaded through the song’s narrative.

Fletchr Fletchr’s story is rooted in connection. Rohan Fletcher and guitarist/songwriter Adam Sanders have been creating music together since sixth form, navigating early solo projects, heartbreaks, and personal upheaval side by side.

The loss of Rohan’s father — the band’s biggest champion — deepened that bond further. “That’s when he became a Fletcher,” Rohan says of Adam. “We’re doing it in the name of something now, rather than just for ourselves.”

Joined by drummer Oli Williams and bassist George Green (who contributes to the writing for the first time on this new material), the band’s chemistry is unmistakable. Their songs feel instinctive, lived‑in, and emotionally wired.

The band’s ascent has been rapid. After selling out a string of grassroots venues last year, they closed their debut headline tour with a packed‑out show at London’s Dome in Tufnell Park.

This summer sees them hit a run of major UK and EU festivals — from Isle of Wight to Prague’s Metronome — before they return for their biggest headline run yet.

Summer Festivals

• Friday 19 June — Isle of Wight Festival

• Sunday 21 June — Metronome Festival, Prague

• Friday 31 July — Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire

• Saturday 1 August — Kendal Calling, Lowther Deer Park

• Friday 21 August — 110 Above Festival, Gopsall

• Saturday 22 August — Rock ’n’ Roll Circus, Norwich

• Friday 28 August — Tunes in the Park, Cornwall

Headline Tour

• Tuesday 22 September — Exeter Cavern, Exeter

• Thursday 24 September — Chats Palace, London

• Saturday 26 September — The Gathering Sounds, Stockton

• Sunday 27 September — McChuills, Glasgow

• Monday 28 September — Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

• Wednesday 30 September — Lions Den, Manchester

• Thursday 1 October — The Waterfront Studio, Norwich

• Sunday 4 October — The Cornish Bank, Falmouth

Tickets go on general sale Friday 19 June via fletchrfletchr.com

With a debut album already in their sights and a growing fanbase hungry for more, Fletchr Fletchr’s trajectory feels unstoppable. ‘Fucking With My Head’ isn’t just a new single — it’s a statement of intent from a band ready to level up.

Follow Fletchr Fletchr:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE

A bruised, funny, painfully honest ode to pub gardens, purgatory, and the tiny joys that keep us going.

Oswald Slain has always written like a man trying to make sense of the mess, the chaos of youth, the slow creep of adulthood, the uneasy truce between ambition and anxiety. But on his new single ‘Heaven Is The Place’ (out June 26th), the Bristol songwriter turns his gaze somewhere far more sacred: the local pub.

It’s a track that feels both lived‑in and strangely transcendent, a love letter to crisp summer afternoons, Guinness, Marlboro Golds, and the fleeting moments where life briefly stops spinning. It’s also one of his most candid pieces of storytelling to date, bruised, self‑aware, and quietly euphoric.

The song began, fittingly, in a pub garden. After a year‑long writing block, Fitz, the voice and pen behind Oswald Slain, found the breakthrough he’d been waiting for the moment he started drinking again.

“Crisp Summer’s day, pub garden, four pints of Guinness, 20 Marlboro Golds, a couple of mates. Done.”

That blunt honesty is the beating heart of ‘Heaven Is The Place’. It’s not romanticised. It’s not dressed up. It’s simply the truth: sometimes heaven is a moment of stillness, a familiar table, and the people who know you best.

The track’s namesake pub, Sugar Loaf in Bristol, becomes a symbol, not of escapism, but of acceptance. A place where clarity arrives uninvited, pint in hand.

Musically, the single sits in that sweet spot Oswald Slain has carved out for himself: Americana with a British twist, all rolling rhythms, fuzzy guitars, and a chorus built to be shouted back at him from festival fields.

Critics have already clocked the evolution:

Backseat Mafia called his sound “Americana with a British twist… and one of this year’s best choruses.” - Babystep Magazine praised its “raw energy… nostalgic and refreshingly bold.” - 1883 Magazine dubbed it “the sound of rebirth: messy, honest, and utterly captivating.”

Recorded at his DIY home studio with Ryan Rogers (Mumble Tide), mixed by Jon Logan, and mastered by Pete Maher (Pixies, Paul Weller, Nick Cave, Jack White), the track carries the warmth of old retro rock records but with a modern, self‑effacing wink.

At its core, ‘Heaven Is The Place’ is a song about purgatory, the strange middle ground between success and failure, clarity and confusion, ambition and burnout.

Fitz puts it plainly:

“I often feel trapped in purgatory waiting for something to happen as an artist… Though there are moments where clarity, acceptance and a humbling gratefulness step in.”

That tension, between surrender and hope, is what gives the track its emotional weight. It’s funny, but it’s not a joke. It’s sad, but it’s not self‑pitying. It’s honest in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally recognisable.

Since the release of his debut EP ‘KISS ME ON THE MOUTH’ in 2025, Oswald Slain has been steadily building a reputation as one of the UK’s most compelling new voices. Support from SiriusXM, Apple Music editorial, Rough Trade’s Counter Culture, Ones To Watch, RTÉ, KUTX, and ASBO Magazine has helped propel him from Bristol’s DIY scene to festival stages across the UK.

His debut album ‘BUCKY’, released just six months after the EP, cemented that rise, earning him slots at Shambala, The Great Estate, Kendal Calling, and Wilderness Festival.

Live, he’s a force: funny, soulful, unpredictable, and capable of breaking your heart and fixing it again in the space of a verse.

More than anything, this single feels like a moment of grounding. A reminder that joy doesn’t always arrive in grand gestures, sometimes it’s a pint, a cigarette, a friend, a breeze, a moment where everything feels briefly, beautifully fine.

‘Heaven Is The Place’ lands June 26th on all major streaming platforms.

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Trashcan Sinatras have always occupied their own corner of the musical universe — a place where poetic lyricism, intricate guitar work and emotional honesty quietly outshine trends. With Melodramatic, the latest reveal from their forthcoming seventh album Ever The Optimist, the Irvine‑born five‑piece prove that time has only sharpened their instincts.

The single arrives as the band continue their long‑awaited return, following the campaign‑opening The Bitter End and the warmly received duet Bad Husband featuring Tracyanne Campbell. Where those tracks hinted at renewed momentum, Melodramatic digs deeper — a gently propulsive, harmony‑rich meditation on the uneasy dance between mind and body.

Frontman Francis Reader has long been one of Scotland’s most quietly incisive lyricists, and Melodramatic finds him wrestling with self‑awareness, anxiety and the pitfalls of overthinking. What began as a song about hypochondria soon widened into something more universal: the danger of becoming trapped inside your own head.

“It’s destructive to always be looking inward,” Reader reflects. “I’m exhorting myself to look outward more, especially at a time when so many people are under genuine and immediate existential threat.”

It’s classic Trashcans territory — introspective, yes, but never bleak. Reader’s words sit atop a warm, buoyant arrangement: honeyed harmonies, a leading bassline, and the kind of melodic glow that has defined the band since Cake first turned heads in 1990.

Produced by Paul Savage (The Delgados, Mogwai, Arab Strap), Ever The Optimist lands on 31 July 2026, marking the band’s first album in a decade. Early singles suggest a collection that balances gentle experimentation with the melodic instincts that have carried them through 40 years, six albums and a fiercely loyal international fanbase.

The record also promises notable collaborations, including a still‑to‑be‑released track with Green Gartside of Scritti Politti — a meeting of two of Britain’s most distinctive voices.

Sessions for the album unfolded in typically unhurried Trashcans fashion: mountain cabins, late‑night poker games, and the quiet rhythms of everyday life. It’s a process that mirrors their ethos — “less careerist and more careering” — and one that continues to yield work of rare emotional clarity.

For a band whose debut single Obscurity Knocks became a cult classic, the Trashcan Sinatras have never chased the spotlight. Instead, they’ve built a catalogue that rewards deep listening: I’ve Seen Everything, A Happy Pocket, Weightlifting, Wild Pendulum — each one a chapter in a story defined by craft, care and quiet resilience.

The rediscovery of A Happy Pocket in 2023, which returned them to the UK charts, proved that their music continues to resonate with new generations. Melodramatic feels like a continuation of that revival — a reminder that few bands blend introspection, wit and melodic brightness quite like they do.

Melodramatic is vintage Trashcan Sinatras: thoughtful, tuneful, emotionally literate and deceptively uplifting. It’s a song that peers inward but ultimately points outward — a perfect encapsulation of a band who, after 40 years, still find new ways to illuminate the human condition.

With Ever The Optimist on the horizon, the Trashcans’ latest chapter looks set to be one of their most resonant yet.

For pre-order information and to be the first to hear about future live appearances and events, connect with Trashcan Sinatras online at:
 
https://trashcansinatras.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thetrashcansinatras
https://www.instagram.com/thetrashcansinatras/
https://x.com/thetrashcans

Macclesfield’s Dead Wells have been a name whispered around the North West for months, the kind of band people talk about before there’s even anything to stream. Sold‑out Manchester shows, early backing from sharp‑eyed promoters, and a signing to rising label Home Taping all helped build the rumour. Now the curtain finally lifts with Stain, their first official release, and it lands like a blunt impact.

Stain doesn’t introduce itself, so much as rupture the silence. A jagged, metallic guitar line tears through the opening seconds, “the chaos of metal and memory” rendered as sound. Beneath it, the rhythm section locks into something tight and unyielding, only for the whole thing to suddenly pull away into colder, more distant territory. It’s a track that feels like momentum abruptly severed — a moment suspended in shock.

There are echoes of Drenge’s raw force, the sheer density of Pigs x7, and the stark, hollowed‑out minimalism of The Murder Capital, but Dead Wells aren’t chasing comparisons. Their live shows are known for their volatility, tenderness one minute, fury the next, yet Stain chooses a different entry point. It’s fleeting, disorienting, and deliberately unresolved.

At the centre of the song sits a single moment: impact, then absence. The lyrics sketch the outline of a flash of headlights, a brush with mortality, the instant where youthful recklessness collides with something far more permanent. Noise folds in on itself, leaving only the imprint.

For a debut, there’s a surprising sense of self‑assurance. Dead Wells sound like a band who know exactly what they want to say, even if they’re choosing not to say all of it yet. Stain marks the beginning of a run of releases and live dates set to roll out over the coming months, and if this is their opening statement, it’s one that thrives on ambiguity.

Dead Wells are Oli Mellor (vocals/guitar), Dan Smith (drums), Ed Warrington (guitar) and Kevin Lujano (bass).

To keep up with Dead Wells and future releases, connect with the band online:
 
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Taunton is gearing up for one of its biggest nights of the year as Stuff on the Stage returns to the Somerset County Cricket Club on Saturday 12th September 2026, a perfect late‑summer blowout packed with soul, disco, funk, and dancefloor‑ready energy.

The iconic Cooper Associates County Ground will transform into a vibrant open‑air party space as four heavyweight names, Soul II Soul, The Brand New Heavies, Norman Jay, and The Beatles Dub Club take over for an evening of timeless grooves and feel‑good classics.

Tickets and packages are available now, with options ranging from standard standing to premium seating and full hospitality experiences.

Soul II Soul

One of the most influential British collectives of all time, Soul II Soul helped define the sound of late‑80s and early‑90s UK soul, blending R&B, reggae, and club culture into something unmistakably their own. Led by the visionary Jazzie B, their music remains a staple of dancefloors, radio playlists, and festival stages.

Expect a set filled with nostalgia, positivity, and that unmistakable Soul II Soul swing.

Essential Tracks

The Brand New Heavies

Few bands embody the spirit of acid jazz quite like The Brand New Heavies. Since the late ’80s, they’ve delivered a fusion of funk, soul, and jazz that feels both retro and fresh — the kind of music that makes crowds move without even realising it.

Their live shows are famously tight, brimming with brass, basslines, and irresistible grooves.

Essential Tracks

Norman Jay MBE

A true national treasure, Norman Jay is one of the UK’s most respected DJs, a pioneer of the Good Times sound system, a champion of rare groove, and a master of uplifting, feel‑good selections.

Expect a set that blends soul, funk, disco, reggae, and house with the kind of effortless flow only Norman Jay can deliver. He doesn’t just play records — he curates moments.

Essential Tracks / Signature Moments

The Beatles Dub Club

the most unique live experiences on the circuit, The Beatles Dub Club reimagines the Fab Four’s catalogue through the lens of reggae, dub, ska, and dancehall. It’s playful, inventive, and surprisingly emotional, a celebration of two musical worlds colliding.

This is the act that will catch newcomers off‑guard in the best possible way.

Essential Tracks / Live Favourites

Stuff on the Stage has quickly become one of Somerset’s standout late‑summer events, and 2026’s edition looks set to be the strongest yet. With a lineup that spans generations and genres, it’s a rare chance to see soul legends, acid‑jazz pioneers, a DJ icon, and a wildly creative live mash‑up act all on the same bill.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Soul II Soul, a crate‑digging Heavies devotee, a Good Times regular, or simply someone who loves a great night out, this is one of those events that promises memories long after the final beat drops.

From standard standing to premium seating and full hospitality, there’s something for every budget and every type of gig‑goer.

👉 Buy tickets HERE

London indie-pop stalwarts Spearmint are back, and they’re not just releasing another record. They’re unveiling a full-blown story. Their new album ‘Chase Me’, out 24 July 2026 via WIAIWYA Records, is a bold, ambitious concept piece that folds thriller, allegory and emotional resurrection into one of the band’s most imaginative works to date.

And it all begins with a dancefloor in 1986.

The first single, simply titled “1986”, landed on 5 June on digital platforms and as a limited, numbered 7-inch. It’s a warm, widescreen reflection on a pre-digital world — when Newcastle and Madrid could feel spiritually linked not by algorithms, but by the same song spinning in two different rooms.

The vinyl edition includes an exclusive B-side, “Is It Just Nostalgia?”, a time-travelling detour past The Tube, Soul Train and the neon-lit promise of Friday nights gone by. A second single is already lined up for July.

Spearmint have been quietly, consistently brilliant since their 1999 debut A Week Away, which gave us indie-pop staples like Sweeping The Nation, A Trip Into Space and We’re Going Out. Remarkably, the line-up remains unchanged:

• Shirley Lee – vocals, guitar

• Simon Calnan – vocals, keyboards

• James Parsons – guitar

• Ronan Larvor – drums

‘Chase Me’ marks their eleventh album proper and the 65th release on their own hitBACK label — a testament to their longevity, independence and refusal to fade into nostalgia.

Reuniting with producer Rhodri Marsden (Scritti Politti, Cardiacs), Spearmint have crafted an album that plays like a film you can only experience through headphones.

The narrative arcs across:

• Three nocturnal chases through a city

• Two out-of-body experiences

• A journey from success to disillusionment, peril to rebirth

• A final suite of uplifting love songs

Shirley Lee puts it best:

“The story would make a good movie… but we don’t know how to do that, so we did this”

It’s Spearmint at their most cinematic — a concept album that feels both intimate and widescreen.

‘Chase Me’ arrives on:

• Digital platforms

• Limited edition CD

• Limited edition vinyl via WIAIWYA

The vinyl edition includes a 24‑page full‑colour lyric book with photos and illustrations — a proper artefact for fans who still love the physical experience of an album - Pre-orders and more info: spearmint.net

Spearmint will debut songs from ‘Chase Me’ plus deep cuts they haven’t played in years (and one they’ve never played).

29 September 2026 – Colours, Hoxton, London Tickets on sale NOW

Spearmint have always been a band who write about real life with warmth, wit and emotional clarity. With ‘Chase Me’, they’re stretching their storytelling further than ever, building a world, a narrative and a sense of cinematic scale that feels both nostalgic and sharply contemporary.

If 2023’s This Candle Is For You was a reminder of their craft, ‘Chase Me’ is the moment they turn that craft into something bigger, stranger and more ambitious.

Two of the most disruptive forces in the US rocktronic movement, HIGHSOCIETY and Micah Martin, have reunited for their most explosive collaboration yet. Their new single ‘Tomorrow’s Over’ is a blistering fusion of metal riffs, EDM power, and emotionally raw vocal work that pushes the hybrid genre into even heavier, more ambitious territory.

LISTEN HERE

WATCH THE VISUALIZER HERE

Built on crushing guitars, pounding rhythms, and brutal breakdowns, the track cuts through with shimmering synths and a chorus engineered to level festival fields. Martin’s unmistakable voice, soaring, cracked, desperate, defiant, sits right at the centre of the storm. This is rocktronic at its most volatile and most vital.

HIGHSOCIETY describes their partnership as something deeper than a one‑off collaboration:

“Micah and I feel like musical soulmates… we’ve really developed our own sound and continue pushing the rocktronic space forward”

That shared vision is obvious. ‘Tomorrow’s Over’ pulls from metalcore, dubstep, alt‑rock and electronic production, yet never feels stitched together. Instead, it hits with a bouncy heaviness that leaves room for Martin’s vocals to cut through the chaos.

Martin’s perspective brings the emotional core into focus:

“This song is about feeling stuck in your own head and trying to fight your way out of it… battling complacency, anxiety, and self‑destruction while still holding onto hope.”

It’s a track built for the pit, but written from a place of vulnerability, a combination that has become the duo’s signature.

HIGHSOCIETY and Micah Martin first collided on ‘Going Under’ in 2023, a metalcore/dubstep hybrid that quickly became a fan favourite. They followed it with ‘Voices’, a darker, more propulsive anthem that cemented their chemistry.

Both artists arrive at rocktronic from different angles:

• HIGHSOCIETY — a producer pushing the boundaries of metal‑infused electronic music, with collaborations spanning Escape The Fate, From Ashes to New, AWOLNATION, Attack Attack!, Celldweller and more.

• Micah Martin — a dual‑career powerhouse, known for his work with SLANDER, Zomboy, Kayzo, PhaseOne, Rebelion and Sub Zero Project, while simultaneously carving out a rising rock identity.

Martin’s 2025 self‑titled solo EP marked the beginning of his “debut rock era”, blending nostalgia, heartbreak and resilience across four tracks. ‘Tomorrow’s Over’ feels like a continuation of that evolution, heavier, louder, and more unrestrained.

The rocktronic scene is expanding fast, and HIGHSOCIETY and Martin are among the few artists shaping its identity rather than simply participating in it. ‘Tomorrow’s Over’ captures the genre’s core tension: the collision of emotional vulnerability with sonic extremity.

It’s music for the mosh pit and the midnight spiral. It’s heavy, but human. Chaotic, but cathartic. And it hits like a defibrillator.

FOLLOW HIGHSOCIETY
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FOLLOW MICAH MARTIN
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Olivia Rodrigo has entered a new chapter, and she’s kicking the door off its hinges. Today, the GRAMMY‑winning, multi‑platinum phenomenon releases her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, a record that finds her leaning deeper into vulnerability, chaos, humour and heartbreak than ever before. It’s out now via Geffen Records, accompanied by a wave of limited‑edition merch, vinyl variants and curated collectibles that are already flying off shelves.

The album lands alongside the official music video for “stupid song”, directed by Mitch Ryan and filmed in New York City. The clip features choreography from Prima Ballerina Tiler Peck, with dancers from both the NYC Ballet and American Ballet Theater swirling around Rodrigo in a dizzying, theatrical release of emotion. It’s a striking visual statement that hints at the album’s wider themes: self‑interrogation, romantic delusion, and the messy beauty of being young and painfully human.

Rodrigo’s run of dominance shows no sign of slowing. Lead single “drop dead” made her the first artist in history to debut the first three singles from their first three albums at No.1, a stat so wild it barely feels real. Follow‑up single “the cure” also hit No.1 across multiple Billboard charts, including Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Alternative Digital Song Sales.

Just weeks ago, Rodrigo took the stage at Spotify’s Billions Club Live, celebrating nine songs surpassing the billion‑stream mark. The concert film is now available on the platform, capturing an artist who has become one of streaming’s most unstoppable forces.

And because she loves a surprise, she also popped up at Primavera Sound, debuting the Robert Smith–assisted “what’s wrong with me”, a collaboration that feels both unexpected and completely perfect.

Rodrigo’s upcoming Unraveled Tour doesn’t start until September, but it’s already a phenomenon. Over 1 million tickets sold. Multiple added dates. Venue records shattered across the US and UK.

She’s now set for a 10‑show residency at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, a record‑breaking 10 nights at LA’s Intuit Dome, and an extraordinary 11‑night run at London’s O2, placing her in the same rarefied air as Prince, Rihanna, Elton John, and The Spice Girls.

UK 2027 O2 Dates

Mon, Apr 5 — London, UK — The O2~
Tue, Apr 6 — London, UK — The O2~
Thu, Apr 8 — London, UK — The O2~
Fri, Apr 9 — London, UK — The O2~
Mon, Apr 12 — London, UK — The O2~ - ADDED DATE
Wed, Apr 14 — London, UK — The O2= - ADDED DATE
Thu, Apr 15 — London, UK — The O2= - ADDED DATE
Mon, Apr 19 — London, UK — The O2= - ADDED DATE
Tue, Apr 20 — London, UK — The O2= - ADDED DATE
Sun, May 9 — London, UK — The O2= - ADDED DATE
Mon, May 10 — London, UK — The O2= - ADDED DATE
 
Support Key
~ Grace Ives
= Die Spitz

Rodrigo’s third LP is structured as a two‑sided emotional arc, Side A (girl so in love) and Side B (you seem pretty sad). It’s a clever framing device that mirrors the album’s push‑and‑pull between infatuation and insecurity.

Tracklist

SIDE A — girl so in love

1. girl so in love

2. drop dead

3. stupid song

4. honeybee

5. maggots for brains

6. u + me = <3

7. my way

8. purple

SIDE B — you seem pretty sad

1. you seem pretty sad

2. the cure

3. begged

4. what’s wrong with me (feat. Robert Smith of The Cure)

5. less

6. expectations

7. cigarette smoke

LISTEN/BUY HERE

Limited-edition merchandise, curated collectibles, vinyl and more are available now.

With 36 million albums sold, 14 GRAMMY nominations, and a trophy cabinet that includes AMA, BRIT, Juno, NME and Billboard Awards, Rodrigo has become one of the defining artists of her generation. Her debut SOUR became the longest‑running debut album in the Billboard 200 Top 10 this century, while GUTS debuted at No.1 and cemented her as the youngest artist ever to debut three singles at No.1 on the Hot 100.

you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love feels like Rodrigo’s boldest step yet, a record that embraces contradiction, humour, self‑doubt and emotional honesty with the confidence of an artist who knows exactly who she is, even when she’s singing about not knowing at all.

It’s messy. It’s theatrical. It’s painfully relatable. And it might just be her most human work to date.

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The Black Country duo, vocalist Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney, have spent the last few years tearing through the UK’s underground with a sound that fuses working‑class fury, bleak humour and bruised tenderness. Now they return with a full UK winter headline tour and a brand‑new EP, O’JOY!, out now via SO Recordings.

It arrives with a stark animated video for its closing track “HOTEL”, a song that captures the band at their most exposed, exhausted, reflective, and painfully human.

O’JOY! isn’t a B‑sides dump; it’s a reckoning. The ten‑track collection gathers the songs that didn’t fit the emotional architecture of BIG SPECIAL’s first two albums, the “fallen parts”, as the band put it. Tracks that were too dark, too heavy, too sprawling, or simply too raw to sit comfortably elsewhere.

Rather than leave them behind, Hicklin and Moloney dragged them back into the studio, reshaping them into a standalone body of work that reflects everything they’ve lived through so far.

In their own words, the EP is:

“A smirking eye roll to dread and discomfort… Shit out the demons, turn them into music, then get everyone together for a big old bash. Then crack on. As you were.”

It’s a mission statement that sums up BIG SPECIAL perfectly, catharsis through noise, honesty over polish, and a refusal to hoard material for some future payday. When O’JOY! lands, the slate is wiped clean. Time to move on.

The EP’s closing track, “HOTEL”, arrives with a new animated video and a story that mirrors the band’s evolution. Written years before they ever hit the touring circuit, the song has taken on new layers as their lives have shifted.

What began as a meditation on mental health, medication and shifting states of mind now feels eerily like a tour diary, the strange intimacy of temporary rooms, the loneliness between shows, the emotional toll of constant motion.

The band say:

“It’s been interesting for us to see how songs we’ve written can even change meaning to us over time… The main way to relate is to be honest and open.”

It’s a fitting end to O’JOY! — not a triumphant finale, but a quiet acceptance. A deep breath before the next sprint.

Before the winter headline run, BIG SPECIAL are set for a packed summer of festivals including TRNSMT, Boomtown, Beautiful Days, Valley, Moseley Folk Festival and more still to be announced. They’ll also head to North America this autumn, playing headline shows and joining Lambrini Girls as special guests.

The winter UK headline tour promises to be their biggest yet — a culmination of years of graft, grit and growth.

BIG SPECIAL’s rise has been rapid, but never rushed. Their work is rooted in lived experience, class, community, frustration, hope, and O’JOY! feels like a necessary purge before the next chapter begins.

They’ve emptied the clip. Now they’re ready to reload.

June 12th: Bradninch Music Festival, Devon, UK
June 20th: TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
July 13th: James Borrer Tribute Concert, O2 Indigo, London, UK
July 31st: Valley Fest, Chew Magna, Bristol, UK
August 14th: Boomtown Festival, Hampshire, UK
August 22nd: Beautiful Days Festival, Devon, UK
August 30th: Dreamland, Margate, UK (w/ Babyshambles)
September 4th: Moseley Folk Festival, Birmingham, UK

WINTER HEADLINE TOUR

November 24th Stoke Sugarmill
November 25th Cardiff Tramshed
November  26th Liverpool Arts Club
November  27th Hull Polar Bear
November 29th Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
November 30th Scunthorpe Cafe Indie
December 1st Blackpool Bootleg Special
December 2nd Hebden Bridge Trades Club
December 3rd Sheffield Crookes Social Club
December 5th Coventry Kasbah
December 6th Milton Keynes Craufurd Arms
December 8th Oxford Bullingdon
December 9th Brighton Chalk
December 10th Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
December 11th Exeter Cavern Club

Tickets to all shows available HERE

O’JOY! Track list

PLAINTIVE NATIVE
ONLY FREE WHEN SLEEPING
LAZARUS
THE WAKE
FAMILY BONES
GARDEN OF FOOLS
SLUGLIFE
DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side)
HOTEL

O’JOY! is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl via SO Recordings. Stream it HERE 

DISCOVER BIG SPECIAL
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Kodaline have never been a band to shy away from emotion, but their newly announced fifth, and final studio album We Were Only Young feels like something deeper. Out October 2nd via Concord, the record marks the end of a journey that began over a decade ago with In a Perfect World, taking the Irish quartet from intimate acoustic beginnings to global stages and platinum‑selling success. This time, though, they’re signing off with a collection shaped by reflection, closure and the kind of life changes that force you to take stock of everything you’ve built.

Alongside the announcement, Kodaline have released ‘Without You’, a tender acoustic love song written by frontman Steve Garrigan for his wife on their wedding day. Originally intended as a private moment, a speech, a first dance, a personal vow, it’s now become one of the emotional anchors of the album.

“I’ve never been much of a talker, but I can write a song” Steve explains. “I wanted to do something special for my wife on our wedding day, so I wrote her ‘Without You’. It became my speech, it was our first dance, and it felt too special not to share.”

It’s a beautifully understated track, and one that sets the tone for a record built on honesty, vulnerability and the quiet power of love.

We Were Only Young captures a band taking a long, unflinching look at the road behind them. Written over four years, the album reflects Garrigan’s own period of transition: marriage, loss, uncertainty, and ultimately the decision to bring Kodaline’s story to a close. “The record became a way of making sense of a really important period in my life” he says. “Some of the songs are deeply personal, while others found their meaning over time”

Kodaline stretch themselves across a wide emotional and musical spectrum on We Were Only Young. The soft, soaring acoustics of ‘All I Ever Need Is You’ tap into the band’s gift for intimate, heart‑first songwriting, while ‘Learn To Lose’ brings a piano‑and‑gospel warmth that feels both comforting and quietly devastating. In contrast, ‘It’s Not Over’ bursts forward with bright, widescreen pop energy, and ‘Get Me High’ leans into propulsive harmonies that lift the record into more euphoric territory. There’s a jubilant folk bounce running through ‘Vultures’, offering a moment of lightness before the album returns to its more cinematic edges — opening with the bold, brooding ‘Who Will Save You Now’ and closing with ‘The One For Me’, an uplifting yet solemn finale that feels purpose‑built for a band signing off with grace.Earlier this year, fans got their first taste of the record with the anthemic title track ‘We Were Only Young’, which has already clocked over six million streams and picked up airplay across the UK and Europe.

Kodaline’s farewell doesn’t feel abrupt or unfinished — it feels intentional. A band choosing to close the book on their own terms, with a record that honours everything they’ve lived through together.

“For something I never thought I’d do, or even get through, I’m very proud of it,” Steve says. “And I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved as a band over the years.”

The announcement arrives just ahead of their Farewell World Tour, which kicks off next week and is set to be an emotional celebration of a decade‑plus of music that has soundtracked weddings, heartbreaks, road trips and quiet late‑night moments for millions.

We Were Only Young isn’t just Kodaline’s last album, it’s a closing chapter written with clarity, gratitude and heart. If this really is the end, they’re leaving behind a catalogue that meant something to people, and a final record that feels like a gift rather than a goodbye.

WE WERE ONLY YOUNG TRACK LISTING

1. Who Will Save You Now

2. We Were Only Young

3. Back To Me

4. Without You

5. Get Me High

6. All I Ever Need Is You

7. Vultures

8. Last Forever

9. Learn To Lose

10. Hindsight

11. It’s Not Over

12. The One For Me

Kodaline will be treating fans to songs from the new album live on their extensive Farewell World Tour this year. The shows promise to be huge celebrations with sets spanning the breadth of their cherished chart-topping, multi-platinum and multi-billion streamed catalogue.

The band kick things off with massive outdoor shows in Ireland, performing to 50,000 fans next weekend. Before setting off across Asia, Australia, Europe and the UK. The shows are widely sold out including the entirety of their UK leg in December. Full dates are listed below and remaining tickets are available via kodaline.com

FAREWELL TOUR DATES 2026
 
IRELAND
Wed Jun 17       Belfast – Ulster Hall **SOLD OUT**
Fri Jun 19            Cork – Virgin Media Park  **SOLD OUT**
Sat Jun 20          Dublin – Malahide Castle **SOLD OUT**
 
ASIA
Tue Aug 04        Beijing - Rana Minima Music Factory
Thu Aug 06        Shanghai - Vas Est
Sat Aug 08         Singapore - The Star Theatre
Mon Aug 10      Manila - MOA Arena
Wed Aug 12      Seoul - Olympic Hall
Fri Aug 14           Tokyo – Summer Sonic Festival
Sat Aug 15         Osaka – Summer Sonic Festival
Wed Aug 19      Hong Kong – TIDES **SOLD OUT**
Thu Aug 20        Hong Kong – TIDES
Sat Aug 22         Jakarta - LaLaLa Festival
Mon Aug 24      Tapei – TICC **SOLD OUT**
Wed Aug 26      Kuala Lumpur - Idea Live Arena
Fri Aug 28           Bangkok - UOB Live **SOLD OUT**
Sat Aug 29         Bangkok - UOB Live
 
AUSTRALIA
Tue Sep 01        AU, Perth - Riverside
Thu Sep 03        AU, Sydney - Enmore Theatre
Sat Sep 05         AU, Melbourne - Forum Melbourne **SOLD OUT**
Sun Sep 06       AU, Brisbane - Fortitude Music Hall
 
EUROPE
Sun Nov 22       FR, Paris - L'Élysée Montmartre
Tue Nov 24        NL, Utrecht – TivoliVredenburg
Wed Nov 25     FR, Paris – Trianon **SOLD OUT**
Thu Nov 26        BE, Brussels - Ancienne Belgique **SOLD OUT**
Sat Nov 28         DE, Hamburg - Grosse Freiheit 36 **SOLD OUT**
Sun Nov 29       DE, Berlin - Huxleys
Mon Nov 30      DE, Frankfurt - Batschkapp
Wed Dec 02     CH, Zurich - X-Tra **SOLD OUT**
Thu Dec 03       IT, Milan - ALCATRAZ
Sat Dec 05        CZ, Prague - Forum Karlin
Sun Dec 06       AT, Vienna - Gasometer
Tue Dec 08        DE, Munich     - Muffathalle **SOLD OUT**
Wed Dec 09     DE, Cologne - Carlswerk Victoria
Thu Dec 10       NL, Utrecht     - TivoliVredenburg **SOLD OUT**
 
UK
Sat Dec 12        UK, London – Roundhouse **SOLD OUT**
Mon Dec 14      UK, Glasgow – 02 Academy **SOLD OUT**
Tue Dec 15        UK, Manchester - Albert Hall **SOLD OUT**
Wed Dec 16     UK, London – Shepherd’s Bush Empire **SOLD OUT**

FOLLOW KODALINE
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The Jacksons’ 2026 UK tour lands at the perfect cultural moment. With the recent Jackson 5 biopic pulling audiences back into the raw, relentless, and often heartbreaking rise of the world’s most famous musical family, this tour arrives like a living epilogue. A chance to see the legacy not as a museum piece, but as something still breathing, still moving, still dancing. This November, Manchester, Cardiff, Wolverhampton and London will feel that legacy up close.

The new biopic has done something remarkable: it reminded the world that before the moonwalk, before Thriller, before the diamond‑studded glove, there was a band of brothers grinding their way out of a two‑bedroom house in Gary, Indiana.

It showed Joe Jackson’s unyielding discipline, Berry Gordy’s Motown machine, and the moment the world realised that the smallest Jackson, shy, soft‑voiced Michael, was something else entirely. A once‑in‑a‑generation force who could turn a three‑minute pop song into a cultural earthquake.

The film’s emotional punch comes from its duality: the joy of watching a family rise together, and the weight of watching one member rise so far, so fast, that the world would never let him come back down and that context makes this 2026 tour feel different. More poignant. More powerful.

This November, Jackie and Marlon Jackson return to UK stages, joined by two performers who bridge the past and present in a way that feels almost cinematic.

• Mitchell Zhangazha, fresh from portraying Michael in MJ The Musical, steps into the spotlight not as an imitator, but as someone who has studied the craft, the movement, the emotional precision that made Michael Jackson the most electrifying performer of the 20th century.

• Haydon Eshun, a singer and dancer with the kind of charisma that defined the Motown era, rounds out a lineup that honours the original Jackson 5 while pushing the show into new territory.

Expect the hits — Can You Feel It, Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground), Blame It on the Boogie — but also expect something deeper: a celebration of the Jackson 5 years that shaped the King of Pop long before the world crowned him.

Exclusive video footage from the early days will anchor the show, echoing the biopic’s most powerful scenes: the rehearsals in the living room, the first Motown audition, the moment Michael stepped forward and the world tilted.

Supporting the tour are British‑American funk icons Heatwave, best known for Boogie Nights. It’s a perfect pairing: two groups who defined the sound of dancefloors across continents, now sharing a stage in 2026.

The Jackson’s have always been bigger than pop music. It’s about ambition, family, pressure, genius, and the cost of greatness. The biopic reminded the world of that — and now the surviving brothers are stepping back into the spotlight to reclaim their chapter of the story.

This tour isn’t about replacing Michael. It’s about honouring the era that made him who he was, it’s about celebrating the songs that turned five kids from Indiana into global icons and it’s about reminding audiences that before the solo superstardom, before the world tours, before the record‑breaking albums, there was The Jackson 5 — a band that changed everything.

THE JACKSONS — UK TOUR November 2026

Manchester • Cardiff • Wolverhampton • London

Tickets on sale Friday 12th June at 9am

👉 www.jacksonslive.co.uk