Sleeping With Sirens are back, and they’re not just revisiting their roots, they’re sharpening them. The band’s newly announced album, An Ending In Itself, lands 12 June 2026, marking their first release with Rise Records since 2013’s Feel. For longtime fans, that alone is a full-circle moment. But the record itself promises something deeper: a reckoning, a reflection, and a revival.

Produced by Will Yip (Turnstile, Circa Survive, Movements), the album channels the urgency of the band’s early years while weaving in the emotional weight of their more recent work. Frontman Kellin Quinn describes it as both an ending and a continuation, the final piece in the thematic arc that began with How It Feels to Be Lost and Complete Collapse.

Alongside the album announcement, Sleeping With Sirens dropped their newest single, “Forever/Always,” a track that feels like a love letter to the people who anchor us through chaos. Quinn calls it a thank-you note to the friends and loved ones who show up in both the brightest and darkest moments.

The accompanying video leans into mid-2000s alt-rock nostalgia, high contrast, raw textures, and a stripped-back performance set in a haunting early-spring forest. It’s a visual echo of the band’s early era, but with a maturity that hits harder.

Watch the video now and feel that familiar SWS spark reignite.

The album features 12 tracks, each promising the kind of emotional punch and melodic intensity that defined the band’s rise:

1. An Ending In Itself

2. Forever/Always

3. God In My Head

4. Need You Here

5. Left On Repeat

6. House Of Matches

7. Waiting For You

8. Paralyzed

9. Process

10. PTSD

11. Looking Back At Me

12. Storm Clouds

If the early singles are any indication, this record is shaping up to be one of their most cohesive and cathartic yet.

This album marks Sleeping With Sirens’ first release with Rise Records since Feel, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Their earlier Rise era produced some of their most iconic work, including the gold-certified Let’s Cheers to This and the platinum single “If You Can’t Hang.”

Now, more than fifteen years into their career, the band are experiencing a resurgence, not just from longtime fans, but from a new wave of younger listeners discovering their catalogue for the first time.

Sleeping With Sirens will hit the road this spring and summer, including festival appearances at Welcome to Rockville, Warped Tour, Inkcarceration, Louder Than Life, and Aftershock. They’ll also headline select dates in Nashville and Raleigh, with more expected to follow.

Full dates are available at sirensmusic.co/tour

Sleeping With Sirens helped define the Warped Tour generation, but what’s remarkable is how they’ve managed to evolve without losing the emotional core that made them resonate in the first place. An Ending In Itself feels like a statement: the band aren’t just still here, they’re still pushing themselves creatively, still connecting, still hungry.

This is the sound of a band who know exactly who they are, and exactly where they’re going next.

Pixies are celebrating their 40th anniversary the only way a band of their influence could, by shining a spotlight on the songs that shaped their legend from the shadows. Complete B‑Sides: 1988–97 returns this June, remastered, expanded and finally pressed to vinyl for the very first time, giving long‑time fans and new listeners a chance to rediscover the band’s most iconic “other” tracks in their freshest form yet.

Originally released in 2001 during the band’s long hiatus, the compilation gathered 19 b‑sides from their classic 4AD era, a period that produced some of the most inventive, era‑defining alternative music ever recorded. These weren’t throwaways; they were the kind of tracks that proved just how deep the Pixies’ well of ideas ran. From the dreamy cult favourite Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf) to the fuzz‑kissed Into The White and the wiry brilliance of Bailey’s Walk, the collection captured a band whose b‑sides were often as essential as their singles. Pitchfork famously scored the original release a 9.6, calling Pixies “blinding visionaries” whose every experiment felt revelatory.

For this 2026 edition, every track has been remastered from the original analogue tapes by Kevin Vanbergen, completing his meticulous work across the band’s catalogue. The original tracklist fits neatly across three sides of vinyl, while a fourth side adds six bonus live cuts, pulled from later single releases, including the 1997 Debaser reissue, offering a raw, electrifying snapshot of the band in full flight.

Visually, the reissue also ties into last year’s Live at the BBC release. Designer Chris Bigg (v23) has crafted striking new artwork using previously unseen images from Simon Larbalestier’s archive, photos once intended for Pixies but shelved decades ago. The project doubles as a tribute to the band’s late visual director Vaughan Oliver, whose aesthetic shaped the entire 4AD universe.

 TRACKLISTING  
 
A1. River Euphrates
A2. Vamos (Live)
A3. In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song) (Live)
A4. Manta Ray
A5. Weird At My School
A6. Dancing the Manta Ray
B1. Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)
B2. Into The White
B3. Bailey’s Walk
B4. Make Believe
B5. I’ve Been Waiting For You
B6. The Thing
C1. Velvety (Instrumental)
C2. Winterlong
C3. Santo
C4. Theme From Narc
C5. Build High
C6. Evil Hearted You
C7. Letter To Memphis (Instrumental)
D1. Planet of Sound (Live)
D2. Tame (Live)
D3. Debaser (Live) 
D4. Holiday Song (Live)
D5. Cactus (Live)
D6. Nimrod’s Son (Live)

Tracks 1-3 Taken from the single ‘Gigantic’ (1988)
Tracks 4-6 Taken from the single ‘Monkey Gone To Heaven’ (1989)
Tracks 7-9 Taken from the single ‘Here Comes Your Man’ (1989)
Tracks 10-12 Taken from the single ‘Velouria’ (1990)
Tracks 13-15 Taken from the single ‘Dig For Fire’ (1990)
Tracks 16-18 taken from the single ‘Planet of Sound’ (1991)
Track 19-21 taken from the single ‘Alec Eiffel’ (1991, US)
Track 22 taken from the ‘Head On’ EP (1991, Canada)
Tracks 23-25 taken from ‘Debaser (Live)’ (1997)

Available on double black vinyl, double clear vinyl, a Brooklyn Vegan exclusive seaweed‑green pressing, and double CD, Complete B‑Sides: 1988–97 lands on 26 June. For collectors, completists, and anyone who understands that Pixies’ magic often lived between the lines, this is a release worth clearing space on the shelf for.

Pixies – Complete B-Sides: 1988-97
26 June 2026
[4AD0878]
PRE-ORDER HERE

PIXIES ONLINE
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Few artists shaped the DNA of Jamaican music, and by extension British youth culture, quite like Prince Buster. This summer, his legacy gets a fresh spotlight as The Blue Beat Label releases Prince Buster – Blue Beat Hits on August 7th 2026, a lovingly curated collection of some of his most iconic singles, newly remastered and wrapped in the label’s now‑signature retro‑modern packaging.

For anyone who has ever skanked in a sweaty club, fallen down a ska rabbit hole, or traced the lineage of Madness, The Beat or The Specials back to its roots, this release is a reminder of just how seismic Buster’s influence remains.

Prince Buster wasn’t just a star, he was a cultural architect. His early singles on The Blue Beat Label helped define the sound that would become ska, so much so that “blue beat” became shorthand for the entire movement. These tracks weren’t just hits; they were building blocks for a global musical language.

This new collection pulls together some of the most essential cuts from that era, each one a snapshot of Buster’s swagger, wit and unmistakable rhythmic pulse.

The album features a run of stone‑cold classics, including:

• “Al Capone” — a track that still sounds like a warning siren from Kingston’s streets.

• “One Step Beyond” — later immortalised by Madness, but here in its raw, original form.

• “Rough Rider” — cheeky, charismatic and later reimagined by The Beat.

• “Enjoy It (Enjoy Yourself)” — the timeless singalong that has crossed genres, decades and continents.

Every track has been remastered from the original Blue Beat releases, giving them a clarity and punch that honours the past without sanding off the edges that made them so vital.

Tracklisting

Side A

A1 Madness

A2 Cincinati Kid

A3 Sit and Wonder

A4 Wash All Your Troubles Away (Wash, Wash)

A5 Al Capone

A6 Wine and Grine

Side B

B1 Dance, Cleopatra

B2 Rough Rider

B3 One Step Beyond

B4 Sit and Wonder

B5 Enjoy It (Enjoy Yourself)

Blue Beat Hits is a reminder of how far Prince Buster’s influence stretches. From Kingston sound systems to British 2‑Tone, from punk clubs to modern ska revivals, his fingerprints are everywhere. For collectors, this is a must‑have. For newcomers, it’s the perfect entry point. For everyone else, it’s a chance to reconnect with the songs that helped shape the sound of rebellion, joy and movement.

Prince Buster – Blue Beat Hits is out Friday August 7th 2026.

Buffalo Traffic Jam’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric, and now the Montana folk duo are stepping into their biggest chapter yet. Today, Frankie Cassidy and Nathan Ross announce their debut album Pictures of You, arriving 31 July on digital and vinyl, alongside the release of its tender, windswept title track.

Listen to “Pictures of You” HERE

Watch the “Pictures of You” lyric video HERE

“Pictures of You” is the kind of song that stops you mid‑scroll. Built on soft acoustics, mandolin, and a slow‑burn swell into full‑band warmth, it captures the duo’s signature blend of raw storytelling and wide‑open Americana. Frankie’s voice, smoky, close, and lived‑in, sets the tone immediately as he sings of loss, dislocation, and the strange clarity that comes with looking back at the life you’ve lived.

The accompanying lyric video, filmed on their sold‑out Take Me Home Tour, mirrors the song’s emotional landscape: vast, lonely, beautiful.

The album’s emotional core comes from a deeply personal place. After losing his grandmother last autumn, Frankie returned to his family farm and spent days sifting through old photographs, a moment that became the seed for the entire record.

“Each song became a snapshot,” he explains. “They aren’t just songs. They’re polaroids — moments that shaped who I am.”

Across its 14 tracks, Pictures of You threads together heartbreak, resilience, nostalgia, and the quiet hope that sits between them. Fans will recognise recent singles “I Don’t Care,” “Hanging on Hope,” and the runaway hit “Fool’s Gold”, now at 94 million streams and counting, alongside new material that expands the duo’s sonic palette without losing their intimate roots.

Buffalo Traffic Jam are currently deep into their first-ever headline run, and every date is sold out. From packed rooms across North America to upcoming European shows in Dublin, London, Manchester and Glasgow, the momentum is undeniable. Even The Honey POP noted how naturally the pair command a room, calling them “your next favourite” if you’re into artists like Noah Kahan or Jonah Kagen.

Their summer is stacked with festival appearances including Bonnaroo, BottleRock, Hinterland, and Bourbon & Beyond, plus support slots with Ole 60, Dylan Gossett, and Goose. They’ve also announced a Down Under 2026 tour, marking their first trip to Australia and New Zealand.

All this comes after a breakout 2025 that saw them land on Amazon Music’s Best of Folk and Holler Country’s 20 New Artists for 2026, while surpassing 4.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Tracklist

1. Hanging on Hope

2. Older

3. Too Young to Die

4. Buyin Dirt

5. Pictures (interlude)

6. Pictures of You

7. Fool’s Gold

8. Luckiest Man Alive

9. Graves

10. How to Breathe

11. Still Alone

12. I Don’t Care

13. Daydreaming

14. Afraid to Fall in Love Again

Buffalo Traffic Jam Tour Dates

Jun 14 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2026 ^

Jun 21 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Button Factory [SOLD OUT] +

Jun 22 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Button Factory [SOLD OUT] +

Jun 24 – Camden, UK @ Electric Ballroom [SOLD OUT] +

Jun 26 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2 [SOLD OUT] +

Jun 27 – Glasgow, @ State Fayre 2026 ^

Jun 28 – Chelmsford, @ State Fayre 2026 ^

Jun 30 – Leeds, @ Millennium Square =

+ headliner

- supporting Ole 60

= supporting Dylan Gossett

~ supporting Goose

^ festival appearance

Formed in Bozeman, Montana, Frankie and Nathan built Buffalo Traffic Jam on the foundations of acoustic honesty and emotional clarity. Their early singles “Rescue Me” and “Forgot Your Roots” sparked their first wave of online momentum, but it was 2025’s Take Me Home EP, and the runaway success of “Fool’s Gold”, that pushed them into the national spotlight.

Less than two years in, they’ve already sold out their debut headline tour, made their national TV debut on CBS Saturday Morning, and earned praise from Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Ones to Watch, and more.

Pictures of You feels like the moment everything clicks into place, a debut album that captures who they are, where they’ve been, and the road still stretching out ahead.

FOLLOW BUFFALO TRAFFIC JAM

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Powderham Castle is gearing up for one of its biggest nights of the summer as Alanis Morissette rolls into Devon for a rare UK appearance, and the line‑up has just levelled up again. Joining the seven‑time GRAMMY winner are two of the UK’s most exciting guitar bands: Pale Waves and The Big Moon, with Skunk Anansie already locked in as special guests.

For fans of alt‑pop, indie, and fierce female‑fronted energy, this is shaping up to be a once‑in‑a‑summer moment.

Alanis’ Powderham show on Friday 26 June is the first of just seven UK dates this year, a tiny run considering the scale of her global following. It follows a huge 2025 for her live career, including a sold‑out O2 Arena and a widely praised, career‑defining debut at Glastonbury.

To sweeten the deal, organisers have launched a two‑day pass covering both Teddy Swims (25 June) and Alanis Morissette (26 June), giving fans the chance to turn the weekend into a proper summer weekender.

Manchester’s Pale Waves have never been a band to sit still. From the neon‑lit indie‑pop of My Mind Makes Noises to the pop‑punk bite of Who Am I? and Unwanted, and now the shimmering jangle‑pop of 2024’s Smitten, they’ve built a catalogue that refuses to be boxed in.

Across 500+ shows worldwide, including Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Lollapalooza, and headline tours across four continents, they’ve carved out a fiercely loyal fanbase. This year alone they’ve opened for Louis Tomlinson on his arena run and been announced for Yungblud’s Bludfest 2026.

Their addition to the Powderham bill brings a sharp, melodic edge that will land perfectly as the sun starts to dip behind the castle.

Opening the night are The Big Moon, one of the UK’s most consistently brilliant indie bands. Formed in 2014, the London four‑piece have built a reputation for clever songwriting, warm harmonies, and a sound that shifts effortlessly between dreamy alt‑pop and punchy indie rock.

Their debut Love in the 4th Dimension earned a Mercury Prize nomination, while 2022’s Here Is Everything became their first UK Top 10 album, powered by standout singles Wide Eyes, Trouble, and This Love.

Live, they’re magnetic, the kind of band that wins over entire fields at festivals. Powderham is going to love them.

TK Maxx presents Live at Powderham runs from 25–28 June, with headline sets from:

• Teddy Swims

• Alanis Morissette

• Lewis Capaldi

All set against the backdrop of the Powderham Castle estate, one of the most picturesque live music settings in the South West.

Cuffe & Taylor co‑founder Peter Taylor summed it up perfectly: this is “an unmissable night in an unmissable weekend”.

Final tickets — including the new two‑show pass — are available now at liveatpowderham.com

FOLLOW LIVE AT POWDERHAM

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

FOLLOW ALANIS MORISSETTE

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE

FOLLOW SKUNK ANANSIE

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM |FACEBOOK |YOUTUBE

CONNECT WITH PALE WAVES

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY

CONNECT WITH THE BIG MOON

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Bristol’s most deliciously unhinged art‑punks Erotic Secrets of Pompeii are back to spread more beautifully blasphemous chaos across the UK this September, announcing a fresh run of headline dates alongside the arrival of their brand‑new single Crowstepper.

After a summer spent haunting festival stages with their trademark cocktail of theatrical menace and sardonic wit, the band are gearing up for another pilgrimage — one loaded with new compositions, extracurricular disobedience, and full‑strength Black Mass appeal.

The band’s 2026 run takes them deep into the nation’s alternative underbelly, hitting grassroots venues that thrive on sweat, noise and unfiltered energy:

• Preston – The Ferret — 17 Sept

• Huddersfield – Amped — 18 Sept

• Stoke-on-Trent – Riff Factory — 19 Sept

• Norwich – Dead Wax — 20 Sept

• Swansea – Bunkhouse — 24 Sept

• Leicester – Soundhouse — 25 Sept

• Milton Keynes – The Crauford Arms — 26 Sept

• Winchester – The Railway Inn — 27 Sept

Expect ritualistic grooves, serrated riffs, and the kind of communal catharsis that only this band can conjure. And yes — the Tombola of Doom returns. Get your tickets HERE

The band’s next sonic hex, ‘Crowstepper’, arrives this Thursday, promising another dose of their signature dark‑art alchemy. If their recent output is anything to go by, expect something sharp, theatrical, and dripping with post‑punk swagger. Fans can pre‑save the track now to ensure it swoops straight into their library the moment it drops.

Erotic Secrets of Pompeii have also opened the gates to their Patreon, offering exclusive access to studio diaries, videos, musings, and whatever other arcane artefacts they feel like unleashing. With “so many irons in the fire” and “future‑excitement” brewing, it’s the closest fans can get to the inner sanctum without signing their soul away.

Erotic Secrets of Pompeii continue to be one of the UK’s most compelling underground acts — theatrical, mischievous, and impossible to ignore. With a new single incoming and a September tour that promises sweat‑drenched communion, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for the cult favourites.

There’s a particular kind of artist who only finds their voice once they step away from the noise, away from the scenes, the cities, the expectations. For Canadian-born songwriter and producer Joel Durksen, better known as Spouses, that moment arrived not in a studio, nor on a stage, but on a remote horse-breeding farm in southern Iceland. It’s here, in a loft above a stable, that I Could Be Your Dog was born, a stark, intimate, quietly radical alt‑folk record shaped by isolation, reinvention, and a refusal to compromise.

Durksen’s story begins in Saint Catharines, Ontario, but it rarely stays still for long. His childhood took him to the Cayman Islands, where he grew up far from the clichés of offshore wealth. His parents weren’t moguls; they were ordinary people, one of them a music teacher who sat him at a piano at age three and unknowingly set the course for everything that followed.

Church hymns, classical trumpet lessons, and a teenage obsession with 90s grunge, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, all collided to form the early blueprint of a restless musician searching for something that felt like home.

That search eventually led him to Liverpool, where he studied at Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and embedded himself in the city’s ever‑fertile underground. He played guitar for Brad Stank, Two Blinks, I Love You, and post‑rock outfit A Burial At Sea, learning the craft from artists who lived and breathed reinvention.

One summer, while “between living arrangements,” he crashed at the home of Liam Brown (Two Blinks, I Love You), who taught him Travis picking, a traditional fingerpicking style that would become the cornerstone of Spouses’ sound. A small moment, but a defining one.

By 2023, Durksen was performing at SXSW with Brad Stank, playing to large crowds and racking up streaming numbers most artists would kill for. But something wasn’t right. He describes it as a “deal with the devil”, the thrill of performing, but without the fulfilment of saying something that was truly his. A Burial At Sea, an instrumental band, let him hide from lyric writing. Session work let him stand in the spotlight without ever stepping forward. He knew he was capable of more. He just wasn’t doing it. So he made the kind of decision most musicians only fantasise about: he walked away.

Durksen moved to Iceland and built Kálfholt Studios, a makeshift recording space in the loft of a stable. No fancy gear. No amps. No distractions. Just a laptop, a few mics, and the determination to finally write the songs he’d been avoiding for years. His daily routine became almost monastic: journaling, transcendental meditation, poetry exercises, and long stretches of writing. Ninety percent of it was rubbish, he says, but the ten percent that remained was gold. The result is I Could Be Your Dog, a record that feels both ancient and modern, lo‑fi yet cinematic, rooted in folk but shaped by the electronic textures and post‑rock dynamics of his past life.

The album is steeped in religious imagery, not out of dogma, but because it’s the language Durksen grew up with. Catholic school. Hymns. A tragedy that left a mark. These symbols became the emotional vocabulary of his songwriting.

• ‘Unsaid’ revisits the suicide of a classmate during his school years.

• ‘Saint Christopher’ imagines a near‑death experience inspired by real family loss.

• ‘Lazarus’ confronts addiction and bipolar disorder through the lens of a friend’s struggle.

Leonard Cohen’s shadow looms large, not as imitation, but as inspiration. Durksen became obsessed with Cohen’s discipline, his willingness to wrestle with a lyric until it revealed its truth. He did the same with Beth, a song he calls the best he’s ever written. This is not a record of easy inspiration. It’s a record of work, of chiselling away at something until it finally breathes.

What makes I Could Be Your Dog so compelling is its sense of liberation. You can hear an artist stepping into himself, not as a guitarist for hire, not as a cog in someone else’s machine, but as a songwriter with something to say.

It’s raw. It’s vulnerable. It’s defiantly DIY. And that’s exactly the point.

Durksen’s message to other musicians is simple: “DIY! Don’t wait” - Start the label. Paint the artwork. Use the gear you have. Don’t wait for permission.

Coming from someone who walked away from the comfort of the scene to build a studio in a stable, it hits with the weight of lived truth.

A record born from solitude. A voice sharpened by struggle. A debut that feels like the beginning of something real.

Everyone Says Hi are easing into the year with a warm, woozy slice of psyche‑indie goodness. The indie‑pop supergroup, featuring members of Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks, The Dead 60s and Howling Bells, have dropped their new single “Just Like That”, the first taste of their upcoming sophomore album due later in 2026.

LISTEN HERE // WATCH HERE

Where last year’s self‑titled debut introduced the band as a tight, melody‑driven unit, “Just Like That” pushes deeper into texture and atmosphere. It’s a hazy, groove‑led track built on soft‑focus funk, shimmering guitars and Nick Hodgson’s unmistakably dreamy vocal. There’s a looseness to it, a sense of drifting into a daydream you don’t want to snap out of.

Hodgson says the song was sparked by a documentary binge that sent him down a rabbit hole of Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers and 10cc. You can hear that influence in the track’s silky chords and soft‑lit production, but it still lands firmly in the band’s world, all hooks and heart.

Lyrically, Hodgson leans into themes of new life, fragility and the strange wisdom that comes with getting older. The chorus line, “I can make my mind up, I don’t need to hold a sign up”, hits like a quiet manifesto, a reminder to trust your own instincts rather than chasing the noise of social media.

It’s been a fast rise for Everyone Says Hi. After debut support slots with Neil Young, The Cribs, Feeder and more, plus sold‑out headline shows in London and Leeds, the band have built a reputation for live sets that feel both intimate and electric. With more shows on the horizon and a new album in the works, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year.

Alongside Hodgson, the lineup features Pete Denton (The Kooks), Ben Gordon (The Dead 60s), Glenn Moule (Howling Bells) and guitarist Oli Swan, a cross‑section of UK indie history that somehow feels completely fresh when they play together.

If “Just Like That” is anything to go by, the next chapter of Everyone Says Hi is going to be bigger, bolder and even more addictive. One for fans of dreamy alt‑rock, soft‑focus nostalgia and songs that quietly get under your skin.

w/ https://www.everyone-says-hi.com/

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Just three days after the release of their latest EP, Wake Up, Sleepyhead, Colour TV are back with a bang, delivering their latest high-energy gig at the newly renovated Barbican Theatre. 

Following the recent closure of the much-loved B-bar, Barbican Theatre have proudly announced a new partnership with Sound Factory, bringing grassroots live music and youth music activity into the heart of Plymouth for local and touring musicians. The space that was once a spot serving Thai cuisine and hosting comedy nights has now been transformed into a perfectly intimate venue for Plymouth’s growing music community, and what better way to celebrate the new partnership than by welcoming the South West’s best post-punk band to perform here. 

With Sound Factory as a key partner in Barbican Theatre’s summer events, contributing workshops, creative activity and music performances across the launch of the new venue, Colour TV are the perfect headliners to celebrate the launch; having recently partnered with the pioneering music initiative, as they’ll be a key part of the Sound Factory Festival, on the Main Stage at THÊ DEPØ on Friday 10th July. 

Influenced by their friends and surroundings, Colour TV strike an angular and frenetic onstage presence, fronted by Sam Durneen (vocals) alongside Jack Yeo (guitar), James Elliott (bass) and Sean Goldsmith (drums). Since forming as a four-piece in 2020, the band has wasted little time in building a strong repertoire of songs and a loyal fanbase, shown in an abundance of support at each of their gigs, and this was a night like no other. 

Upon entering the venue, based in the heart of The Barbican, where it finds its namesake, the cosy venue is already alive, with a buzzing bar and the stage itself, softly lit with the twinkle of fairy lights. Photos of young artists supported by the launch of this grassroots venue adorn the walls, and soon, before we know it, our first act of the night takes to the stage. 

Despite being a last-minute stand-in for the previously announced Nick Diver, Colour TV can always rely on the support of their friends and fellow local artists, as we’re treated to a beautiful acoustic set from folk musician Olly Skinner, best known for being the frontman of Odd Socks and 1/4th of The Stone Tape Theory. Whilst the night is young, Ollie takes to the stage with just his guitar in tow, showcasing his songwriting abilities to stellar success, with a series of his originals ranging from On My Knees Again to Alibi, and fan favourite, Golden Touches. Equipped with his top-notch vocal and strumming abilities alongside his guitar and a microphone, there’s not much else he needs to immediately show the growing crowd what a brilliant night we’re all in for. 

What’s always a treat when gigs like these are organised in support of Sound Factory South West, who strive to promote and work with artists across the UK, is that the audience is always treated to some sensational support acts before our headliners take to the stage. On a night like tonight, it’s lovely to see all fellow artists around the venue; taking the time to support one another, allowing friends, family and fans alike the time to enjoy their company ahead of their sets. As Ollie ends his time on stage with a beautiful cover of Nick Mulvey’s Cucurucu and blends into the crowd, it’s time for the South West music scene to be set ablaze, with the introduction of Manor Close. 

Having recently released their debut single, You & I at the end of February, this is the newly established indie band’s first proper gig, and it’s clear to see just how many of their friends and family have come out in their support. The quartet, made up of Thomas Morgan (acoustic guitar & vocals), Leo Cioffi (electric guitar), Millésime Taylor (electric bass) and Isaac Stephenson (drums), is greeted with a chorus of their fans excitedly hyping them up with the repetition of the band’s name before they take to the stage. Exclusively playing their own material, including a track that’s so new that it’s unnamed, the twinkling fairy lights that light the band are quickly also partnered with the illumination of many phone lights swaying to the beat of their indie tunes, making them feel like real stars. 

Playing an array of tracks from Right Address to Can You Feel It?, as soon as their debut single is played, the crowd erupts into getting the party atmosphere started, in a massive performance that is bound to skyrocket their professional careers, having recently been played on BBC Introducing on BBC Radio Devon. Polishing off our supporting artists perfectly, the amount of energy bouncing off the walls is absolutely electric, as we eagerly await our headliners. 

Throughout 2026, Colour TV have gone from strength to strength, with some of their most recent singles already reaching over 1,500 streams on Spotify. With a strong array of gigs already in their repertoire this year, the band keep growing in loyal followers as they’ve not only been selected as one of eight acts selected for Plymouth City Centre New Music 2026, but also recently announced to be playing the Isle of Wight Festival in June, alongside the incredible honour of getting to play at the sold out Y Not Festival in Derbyshire this summer, alongside some of the biggest names in pop-punk, like Scissor Sisters and Two Door Cinema Club. 

They’re absolutely taking the South West music scene by storm, and all in attendance, feel lucky to be in their presence tonight. Securing a spot at the barrier, I catch a glimpse of Sam’s thirteen-strong setlist and already know we’re in for an absolutely amazing rest of the evening ahead of us. Taking it back to 2022 with one of their older hits, they establish their stage presence within seconds, as the familiar sounds of electric guitar begin to reverberate through the walls with the opening riff of Wherever You Need. With this song being a rarer one to appear in recent sets, long-term fans are immediately excited, and first time listeners' ears prick up as they’re drawn back closer to the stage. 

The energy created by Colour TV is always unmatched, but tonight, they were at their peak of excellence. In an exhibition of live music at its best, complete with Sam’s alluring stage presence, the crowd are completely alive as we enjoy a masterclass of how to headline in a brand new venue. 

In arguably the best live gig I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, we’re taken through the eras of the band’s incredible repertoire, spanning from the brand new in Apocalypse, heard live for the first time, to unreleased material with If You Chose Me For President, He Plays Guitar and La La Life Could Be Easy to their latest singles with the beautiful (Still We Share The Stars) and Wake Up, Sleepyhead. 

With the newer singles, we’re treated to a glimmer of what’s next to come for Colour TV, but it’s always lovely to see older singles being played live again too; with Billy Pilgrim (from the 2021 EP, Is That You) and the forever iconic Pavlova (from the 2022 EP, How To Ask) having the support of the crowd’s vocals too. Throughout their set, all of the band have an incredible way of connecting with the packed out audiences, and it’s a pleasure to not only see how those in attendance react to what’s being played, but seeing how much the band enjoy playing these tracks too. 

The evening concluded with an encore of a sensational rendition of For Belugas, a slower ballad that had everyone swaying along to the beat. In a beautiful celebration of live music, family and friendship, those within the front row of the stage were invited up on stage with them as they played the final bars of the track, with myself included - an utterly beautiful way to celebrate some of the best live music our Ocean City has to offer. With their two most recent tracks discussing the theme of urban loneliness, we feel a real sense of belonging amongst fellow fans as the crowd sing their hearts out and sway to the ethereal beat, complete with frontman Sam simply announcing “We’ve been Colour TV, thank you!” and blending off into the crowd. What an incredible moment to be a part of, and to celebrate their biggest gig of 2026 so far. 

I look forward to returning to this new venue soon and seeing what’s next for all of these acts in the year ahead, particularly with the announcement of both Colour TV and Olly Skinner’s announcements in partnership with Plymouth City Centre New Music 2026. Ensure that you don’t miss their next announced gigs by following @colourtvofficial on Instagram and securing your tickets for the Morvala Festival of Arts at Mount Edgcumbe this June, where they’ll be playing at Fozzy’s Lounge on Saturday 27th June. 

Words by - Holly Wigmore

Pictures by - Issey Rita

On Sunday 27th September, The Lemonheads roll into ARENA in Torquay, giving you a perfect excuse to dive back into Evan Dando’s bittersweet universe of slacker romance, self‑sabotage and accidental pop perfection.

Here’s a curated top 10 song by song, album by album, digging into where each track came from and what’s really going on under those jangling guitars.

1. Into Your Arms

Album: Come On Feel The Lemonheads (1993)

Originally written by Robyn St. Clare of Australian band Love Positions, “Into Your Arms” became The Lemonheads’ biggest US alternative hit and, in many ways, their defining love song. On the surface it’s feather‑light jangle pop, two and a half minutes of chiming guitars and a melody that feels like it’s always existed. Underneath, it’s about surrender: the relief of finally giving in to a love that feels safe after a run of chaos.

Dando sings it like someone who’s seen the wreckage and is stunned to find calm: “I know a place that’s safe and warm…” It’s not grand romance; it’s small, domestic, almost shy. That’s the magic, this isn’t rock‑star infatuation, it’s the quiet, ordinary miracle of finding somewhere to land.

2. Mrs. Robinson

Album: It’s a Shame About Ray (1992, reissue)

Their cover of Paul Simon’s classic was recorded almost as a lark, then became a breakout hit and, for a lot of casual listeners, the Lemonheads song. Where the Simon & Garfunkel original is sly and knowing, The Lemonheads’ version is all nervous energy, rushed, scruffy, slightly too fast, like a band trying not to overthink a song everyone already knows.

Thematically, the song’s still about disillusionment and generational drift, Mrs. Robinson as a symbol of faded ideals and private compromises, but Dando’s delivery reframes it. His half‑smirk vocal makes it feel less like a sermon on the 60s and more like a 90s slacker shrug: the kids grew up, the dream curdled, and we’re just trying to make it to the next chorus.

3. It’s a Shame About Ray

Album: It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)

Co‑written with Australian songwriter Tom Morgan, the title track is peak Lemonheads: bright, breezy, and quietly devastating. The lyrics sketch a character, Ray, who’s become a kind of ghost in his own life. We never fully learn what happened; we just feel the aftermath. That vagueness is deliberate: Ray is every friend who drifted, every almost‑story that never quite made sense.

Lines like “I’ve never been too good with names” hint at guilt and distance, as if the narrator is trying to talk around something he doesn’t want to admit. The song’s power lies in that gap between the sunny arrangement and the sense of quiet failure. It’s about the people who slip through the cracks while everyone else keeps moving.

4. If I Could Talk I’d Tell You

Album: Car Button Cloth (1996)

Written with Eugene Kelly (The Vaselines), this is Dando at his most self‑aware and tongue‑tied. The title is the whole thesis: here’s someone who can’t say what they mean, even as the song itself becomes the confession. It’s a portrait of emotional inarticulacy, wanting to apologise, to explain, to connect, but tripping over your own evasions.

Musically, it’s deceptively jaunty, almost nursery‑rhyme simple, which only sharpens the ache. The verses circle around regret and missed chances, but the chorus never quite resolves into catharsis. Instead, it leaves you with that familiar Lemonheads feeling: “I know I messed up, I just don’t know how to fix it.”

5. My Drug Buddy

Album: It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)

One of the band’s most quietly harrowing songs, “My Drug Buddy” is a hazy snapshot of companionship built on shared escape. It’s not a glamorisation of drugs so much as an honest look at how intimacy and addiction can blur, two people bound together by late‑night walks, shared habits, and the unspoken agreement not to judge.

The tenderness in Dando’s vocal is the point: he sings about his “buddy” with real affection, which makes the underlying sadness hit harder. The song captures that liminal space where you know this isn’t sustainable, but you’re not ready to let go of the one person who understands your particular brand of damage.

6. The Outdoor Type

Album: Car Button Cloth (1996)

Originally written by Tom Morgan, “The Outdoor Type” is a wry confession wrapped in country‑tinged alt‑rock. The narrator admits he’s been faking an outdoorsy persona to impress someone, claiming to love camping, hiking, all that rugged authenticity, when in reality he’d rather stay inside. It’s funny, but it’s also a sharp little song about identity performance and the lies we tell to be loved.

Underneath the humour is a more universal anxiety: what if the real me isn’t enough? By the final verse, the narrator comes clean, but there’s no big moral victory, just a shrugging acceptance that pretending to be someone else is exhausting. It’s one of Dando’s most relatable moments.

7. Rudderless

Album: It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)

“Rudderless” is the sound of drifting, emotionally, geographically, chemically. The title says it outright: no direction, no anchor. The lyrics are fragmentary, like half‑remembered scenes from a lost weekend: parties, hangovers, vague plans that never quite materialise. The repetition of “I can’t believe how far I slid” feels like a moment of clarity breaking through the fog.

Musically, the song builds from a gentle strum into something more urgent, mirroring that internal escalation from numbness to panic. It’s one of the clearest windows into the burnout and self‑destruction that would eventually push Dando into rehab, making it a key track in the band’s mythology.

8. Confetti

Album: It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)

“Confetti” opens the Ray album with a burst of jangling guitars and a story that feels like a breakup film compressed into three minutes. The song sketches a relationship in rewind, flashes of arguments, reconciliations, and the moment it all finally snaps. The title suggests celebration, but here the “confetti” feels more like emotional shrapnel: the little pieces left over when something blows apart.

Dando’s writing is impressionistic rather than literal; you don’t get a clear narrative, just emotional weather. That’s the point. “Confetti” captures how memory works after a breakup, out‑of‑order scenes, random details, and a lingering sense that you could have done it differently but didn’t.

9. The Great Big No

Album: Come On Feel The Lemonheads (1993)

If “Into Your Arms” is the hopeful side of love, “The Great Big No” is the comedown. The song barrels forward with crunchy guitars and a sing‑along chorus, but the lyrics are all about refusal and limits, what you won’t do, what you can’t promise. It’s a pushback against romantic idealism, delivered by someone who’s already seen how badly things can go when you say yes to everything.

There’s a streak of self‑loathing in there too: the narrator knows he’s difficult, knows he’s sabotaging something, but can’t quite stop. That tension between the song’s anthemic feel and its emotional pessimism is classic Lemonheads, hooky, but never simple.

10. It’s About Time

Album: Come On Feel The Lemonheads (1993)

Another Dando/Morgan co‑write, “It’s About Time” sits in that sweet spot between resignation and hope. The phrase “it’s about time” works both ways: it’s overdue, and it’s literally about time, how long you wait, how long you put up with things, how long it takes to finally move. The song feels like a letter to someone you’ve hurt and avoided, written just late enough that you’re not sure it still matters.

Musically, it’s pure 90s alt‑pop, big chorus, chiming guitars, a melody that sticks. But the emotional core is more fragile: it’s about trying to show up as a better version of yourself, knowing your track record isn’t great. That tension gives the song its staying power.

Treat this playlist as a pre‑gig “emotional primer”: not just what to play, but how to listen, do so closely, spot the cracks under the gloss, the regret under the jokes, and the strange comfort in knowing that even at their most lost, The Lemonheads always found their way back to a killer chorus.

See you in Torquay on September 27th! Tickets available HERE

Kiefer Sutherland has always lived in two worlds, the Hollywood icon with a face everyone knows, and the songwriter who slips into dimly lit venues to tell stories that feel far more personal than any script. With his new single “Goodbye California”, he leans fully into the latter, delivering a warm, wistful farewell to the place that shaped him.

The track arrives ahead of his fourth studio album ‘Grey’, out May 29th via Maple Creek Records, and follows the reflective recent single “Simpler Time.” If that song looked back with a soft ache, “Goodbye California” feels like the moment you finally close the door, take a breath, and step into whatever comes next.

Sutherland describes it simply: “‘Goodbye California’ is a fond farewell to a place that made a young man’s dreams come true.” It’s a line that lands with extra weight coming from someone who grew up inside the mythology of the state, and who has spent the last decade carving out a second life as a touring musician.

Produced by Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Laura Marling) and co‑written with Sutherland, the single carries the hallmarks of Johns’ organic, analogue‑leaning touch. The wider album also features production from Rocco DeLuca and Mark Neill, hinting at a record that blends Americana grit with cinematic warmth.

‘Grey’ will land on vinyl and CD, with pre‑orders now live. PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE HERE

Sutherland is currently deep into a European headline tour, with the UK leg kicking off imminently, including a special London date at Union Chapel on May 12th, a venue perfectly suited to the intimacy of his newer material.

From there, he’ll sweep across Norwich, Wolverhampton, Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast, Dublin, Exeter, Bournemouth, Oxford, Leeds and more before heading to North America in June. He’s also newly confirmed for Festival Les Grands Crus Musicaux in Saguenay, Canada on July 11th.

For fans who’ve seen him live, the appeal is obvious: Sutherland performs with the hunger of someone who still feels he has something to prove, and the gratitude of someone who knows he doesn’t have to.

MAY – Europe & UK

1st - Milan, Lime
2nd - Munich, Kesselhaus
3rd - Zurich, Plaza
5th - Barcelona, LA2
6th - Madrid, La Sala del Movistar Arena
8th - Paris, L’Alhambra
9th - Cologne, Live Music Hall
10th - Ittre, ZikZak
12th - London, Union Chapel
13th - Norwich, The Adrian Flux Waterfront
14th - Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
16th - Glasgow, Old Fruit Market
17th - Newcastle, Boilershop
18th - Manchester, New Century Hall
20th - Belfast, Empire
21st - Dublin, Ambassador
22nd - Cardiff, Tramshed
23rd - Exeter, Phoenix
25th - Bournemouth, O2 Academy
26th - Oxford, O2 Academy
27th - Leeds, O2 Academy

JUNE – North America

10th - Patchogue, NY - Patchogue Theatre
11th - Penside, PA – Keswick
12th - Mashuntucket, CT - Foxwoods Casino
14th - Boston, MA – Wilbur
16th - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head Group
18th - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
19th - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
20th - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage (The Loft)
21st - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl
27th - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
28th - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
30th - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up

JULY

1st - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
2nd - Las Vegas, NV - Durango Casino
11th - Saguenay, Festival Les Grands Crus Musicaux (JUST ADDED)

Sutherland’s music has always been rooted in storytelling, but the early glimpses of ‘Grey’ suggest a more reflective, lived‑in record, one shaped by distance, change, and the quiet clarity that comes with it. “Goodbye California” is a gentle closing of a chapter.

For an artist who has spent years proving he’s more than the roles he’s played, this album feels like the most confident version of himself yet.

Socials

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

Antony Szmierek has never been one to stand still. Eighteen months on from his breakout debut, the Manchester-born poet‑turned‑producer returns with Decoding Birdsong, a second album that pushes his sound into widescreen territory while keeping his trademark lyrical precision razor sharp. The record lands 21st August via Mushroom Music / Virgin Music Group and arrives with a cast of collaborators that reflects just how far his world has expanded: Pretty Girl, Los Bitchos, 1‑800 GIRLS, Imogen and the Knife, and rising indie-pop star Ellur all feature.

To mark the announcement, Szmierek has released ‘Chalk’, a sawtoothed, atmospheric electro cut inspired by the Ronnie O’Sullivan documentary The Edge of Everything. It’s a track about marginal gains and chaos theory — the tiny decisions that tip everything one way or another. As he puts it, “chalking a cue makes a marginal difference to the outcome, a metaphor for the win‑or‑lose nature of the music industry.”

Premiered on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6 Music show, ‘Chalk’ joins recent single ‘The Heron’, a disco‑flecked house track named after Ken, the 1920s taxidermied bird who also graces the album artwork. If Szmierek’s debut was rooted in Greater Manchester’s landmarks and late‑night characters, Decoding Birdsong feels like a step into a bigger, stranger universe.

Szmierek’s rise has been fast and surreal. His 2025 debut Service Station at the End of the Universe catapulted him from English teacher to festival stages, Jools Holland, and sold‑out rooms across the UK and Europe. Earlier this year he closed Solomun’s Alexandra Palace shows in front of 20,000 people, not bad for someone who was still marking assignments not long ago.

But success came with a strange side effect: suddenly everyone knew him. “Some days it felt good; other days it felt like I was in The Truman Show,” he’s said. The solution was a move to Bristol, distance, quiet, and a reset. Decoding Birdsong was built there with long‑time collaborator Max Rad, and you can hear the shift: more space, more colour, more risk.

Where the debut was a largely solo effort, the new album thrives on collaboration. Pretty Girl brings her signature shimmer, Los Bitchos inject their technicolour groove, and Bristol’s own 1‑800 GIRLS adds club‑ready pulse. It’s a record about belief, coincidence, and the strange symbols we cling to when life feels chaotic.

“Decoding Birdsong is about choosing to believe in something,” Szmierek explains. “Coincidence as a religion. Making your own luck in the face of loneliness and doubt… Should you listen to the birds, or are you only ever going to hear what you want to hear?”

Expect herons, dice, plummeting airplanes, late‑night TV gold hunters, and even a fibreglass Godzilla. It’s Antony’s world, surreal, sincere, and always dancing on the edge of something profound.

Fresh from a run of European dates and ahead of his first US shows, Szmierek has announced a UK headline tour for autumn 2026, including major stops at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town and Manchester Academy. He’ll also join The Streets for a series of summer dates and appear as special guest for John Cooper Clarke at Manchester Apollo in November.

Decodong Birdsong Tracklisting:
Chalk
The Heron
Bookie’s Favourite ft. Ellur
Godzilla Hotel ft. 1-800 GIRLS
Seminal
Flight Simulator ft. Imogen and the Knife
Dave’s Angling Superstore
The First Five Minutes Of Magnolia ft. Pretty Girl
The Same Heron Again
Commune
You’re Not Supposed To Do This Forever
Decoding Birdsong
Aussie Gold Hunters

Decoding Birdsong - album out 21st August - pre-save here
 

Upcoming Live Dates

USA

07/05 — Schubas, Chicago

09/05 — Baby's All Right, Brooklyn

15/05 — The Echo, Los Angeles

16/05 — Brick & Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco

Europe

27/05 — TRIX, Antwerp

28/05 — Rotondes, Luxembourg

29/05 — Melkweg, Amsterdam

30/05 — Dauwpop Festival, Hellendoorn

UK Festivals & Support Shows

04/07 — Westival, Tenby

10/07 — Castlefield Bowl (w/ The Streets), Manchester

11/07 — Castlefield Bowl (w/ The Streets), Manchester

24/07 — Kirkstall Abbey (w/ The Streets), Leeds

13/08 — Sziget Festival, Budapest

15/08 — Boomtown Festival

21/08 — Rock N Roll Circus (w/ The Streets), Norwich

28/08 — Big Feastival

UK Headline Tour

08/10 — O2 Academy Leeds

09/10 — The Level, Nottingham

11/10 — Cambridge Junction

12/10 — O2 Academy Oxford

14/10 — CHALK, Brighton

15/10 — O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

16/10 — O2 Academy Bournemouth

17/10 — O2 Academy Bristol

20/10 — Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow

21/10 — Newcastle University

23/10 — Manchester Academy

28/10 — The Button Factory, Dublin

Special Guest

21/11 — Manchester Apollo (w/ John Cooper Clarke)

Fresh from firing up 50,000 fans at Coventry City’s WE ARE BACK: LIVE promotion party in War Memorial Park, The Enemy have revealed plans for a celebration of their own, and it’s a big one. The Coventry trio will mark 20 years of their landmark debut album We’ll Live And Die In These Towns with a massive hometown headline show at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday 20th March 2027.

For a band whose identity is woven into the fabric of the city, this feels like a full‑circle moment. The Enemy last headlined the arena back in 2008, selling out the then‑Ricoh Arena at the height of their breakout success. Now, two decades on from the album that changed everything, they’re returning to the same stage, older, louder, and with a fanbase that has only grown more fiercely loyal.

Released in 2007, We’ll Live And Die In These Towns became a generational touchstone. The record went Platinum, delivered two Top 10 singles (Away From Here and Had Enough), and cemented The Enemy as one of the defining British guitar bands of the era. Its success opened doors to huge tours, festival main stages, and support slots with giants like Oasis and The Rolling Stones.

Speaking about the newly announced show, frontman Tom Clarke says the band are ready for something special:

“We’re all incredibly excited to return to Coventry Arena in March. Last time we headlined that space it was a great night, but this time with the added buzz around Coventry City FC we expect the atmosphere will be even more emotionally charged. It has all the ingredients for an unforgettable, once‑in‑a‑lifetime event.”

Given the scenes at War Memorial Park this week, and the band’s recent appearance on the pitch ahead of Coventry’s 3–1 win over Sheffield United, it’s hard to disagree.

After a period away from the spotlight, The Enemy reunited their original line‑up in 2022, sparking a new era that has been met with real enthusiasm from fans and press alike. Last year’s Social Disguises, their first album in over a decade, proved they still have plenty to say, earning support from NME, Radio X, Live4Ever, XS Noize and more.

The rest of 2026 is already stacked for the band: a homecoming show at Coventry’s HMV Empire this Friday, festival slots at Tramlines, Y Not? and Victorious, a headline date at Blackpool Winter Gardens in August, and a winter arena tour as special guests of Ocean Colour Scene. Please see HERE for a list of all shows.

But the Coventry Arena show stands apart, a celebration of legacy, community and the album that started it all.

Tickets for the show go on sale HERE from 10am on Friday, May 8th.

Follow The Enemy:
Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram

Scottish avant‑pop maverick Gurry Wurry, the wonderfully off‑kilter project of Dave King, is back with another slice of crooked, colourful pop in the form of new single ‘The Gun Was A Quaker’, landing 29th May. It’s the first taste of his third album Glue, a record that wrestles with the art of breaking things and the impossible task of putting them back together again.

Pre-Save HERE

On the surface, the track bounces along with a bright, Springsteen‑esque swagger, all sunshine and melody. But, as ever with Gurry Wurry, there’s mischief in the margins. The title nods to the pacifist Quakers and the “Quaker guns” they inspired, wooden logs painted to resemble cannons, a wartime sleight‑of‑hand that fooled enemies without firing a shot. That idea of deception sits at the heart of the song, which hides heartbreak inside its pop exterior and digs into the murky territory of conflict, mixed signals and emotional smoke‑and‑mirrors. As the press notes put it, the song “explores the messy world of conflict and deception in a relationship, leaving us wondering if it was ever real in the first place.”

Produced by Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit, the track brings together a small but heavyweight cast: drummer Phil Wilkinson (Ed Harcourt, Jon Hopkins) and backing vocals from Nani Porenta, known for her work with Jacob Alon and Katie Gregson‑Macleod. It’s a tight, warm, quietly ambitious production, the kind that rewards repeat listens.

Gurry Wurry has long been one of Scotland’s most quietly inventive oddballs, and the accolades keep stacking up. Support from BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, Triple R, and Apple Music sits alongside praise from The Skinny, Clunk, Is This Music and Snack Mag. His first two albums both landed in Vic Galloway’s Albums of the Year, while Hairline made Steve Wide’s Triple R Tracks of the Year. Not bad for an artist who describes himself as an “avant‑pop oddball”, a label he wears with pride.

Live, he’s shared stages with the likes of Bibi Club, The High Llamas, Florry, Dick Valentine, and cult bedroom‑pop hero Dent May, while also recording with Idlewild’s Rod Jones and Hamish Hawk. It’s a CV that reads like a love letter to the left‑field, the melodic and the quietly brilliant.

Glue arrives physically on 29th May (CD, vinyl, tape, download), with a full streaming release following on 30th October. If ‘The Gun Was A Quaker’ is anything to go by, it’s shaping up to be Gurry Wurry’s most emotionally intricate and sonically playful work yet.

Live Dates

• Kelburn Garden Party – 4 July

• Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh – 10 July (Album launch headliner)

• Belladrum Festival – 1 August

• Market Bar, Inverness – 11 September

Supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland, this new chapter feels like the moment Gurry Wurry steps fully into his own strange, shimmering universe. And honestly, it’s gorgeous to witness.

Socials

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Taunton is gearing up for a serious dose of nostalgia‑fuelled euphoria this August as Electric Summer, a brand‑new festival for the South West, prepares to roll out the neon carpet for three of the 80s’ most enduring icons: Howard Jones, Heaven 17, and Blancmange.

Between them, the trio have more than 80 tour dates booked across the UK and beyond this year, a reminder that the synth‑pop generation isn’t just alive and well, it’s thriving. But for Howard Jones, Electric Summer isn’t just another stop on a packed touring calendar. It’s a homecoming.

After headlining his THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER festival tour across the USA, Howard Jones will touch down in Taunton for his one and only UK performance of the year, and he couldn’t be happier that it’s happening in the town he’s called home for more than two decades. “Vivary Park is such a beautiful venue for this show and come rain or shine it’s gonna be a must‑see gig because of the incredible line up,” he says. “I’m very happy to be playing with my friends Heaven 17 and Blancmange, and can’t wait to see everyone on August 30th.”

Electric Summer is the latest creation from Souvenir Events, with organiser Jez Damsell aiming to build a festival that celebrates the golden age of synth‑pop while shining a spotlight on the new wave of artists inspired by it. “It’s a dream come true to create an event which not just celebrates that era, but also introduces some brilliant newer artists who loved the legends themselves and have gone on to create their own fantastic music,” he explains.

Joining the headliners are a hand‑picked selection of contemporary electronic acts including Black Nail Cabaret, Mesh, Agency V, and Neon Fields, plus DJ sets from Paul Dakeyne to keep the energy high between performances.

Electric Summer also carries a charitable heartbeat. A donation from every ticket sold will go to Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s leading music therapy charity, whose work helps people of all ages break through barriers and connect through music. It’s a fitting partnership for a festival built on the emotional power of sound.

With a heavyweight lineup, a picturesque setting, and a mission that blends nostalgia with discovery, Electric Summer is shaping up to be one of the South West’s standout events of 2026. Whether you grew up with these artists or discovered them through today’s synth revival, this is a bank holiday Sunday built for big choruses, warm memories, and a whole lot of dancing.

Electric Summer takes place on Sunday 30th August at Vivary Park, Taunton.

Tickets are on sale now: https://www.universe.com/electricsummer26

Essex punk duo The Meffs are not here to make anyone comfortable, and their new single ‘Disorder (Wake Up)’ proves it. Dropping as the second preview of their upcoming album Business (out 11th September via FLG), the track is a razor‑edged call to arms aimed squarely at the systems that divide us.

Across two and a half minutes of serrated riffs and breathless percussion, Lily (guitar/vocals) and Lewis (drums) tear into the political narratives that pit communities against each other. Their message is blunt, furious and painfully timely: the real enemy isn’t the people fighting for survival, it’s the establishment stoking the chaos.

“We should be angry that we live in a world where people need to seek asylum, not angry at the people seeking asylum,” the band say. “The establishment want to cause division… Wake up. We're not the enemy and nor are you.”

The single arrives with a video packed full of familiar faces from across the punk landscape, Frank Turner, Itchy, Bad Cop Bad Cop, Booze & Glory and more, all lending their support to The Meffs’ rallying cry.

🎥 Watch the video: https://youtu.be/UELKa_7jc5A

🎧 Stream the single: https://ffm.to/themeffs-disorder

💿 Pre‑order Business: https://ffm.bio/businessalbum

If 2025 was the year The Meffs became unavoidable, 2026 is shaping up to be the year they become unstoppable.

Fresh from a whirlwind run that included supports with The Sex Pistols, The Undertones, a string of sold‑out headline shows across the UK and Europe, and festival slots at Glastonbury, 2000trees, and Download, the pair somehow carved out time to write and record their most explosive material yet.

Their momentum continues this summer as they join Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on the rock icon’s first UK headline tour in 16 years:

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts UK Tour (supporting):

• July 2 – Glasgow, O2 Academy

• July 4 – Manchester, Academy

• July 5 – Leeds, O2 Academy

• July 7 – Wolverhampton, Civic Hall

• July 8 – London, British Airways ARC

Produced by Dan Weller, Business is shaping up to be a modern punk record with real bite. Fan favourites like ‘So Modern (Keep Up)’ are captured with all the grit and chaos of The Meffs’ live show, while the title track takes aim at the music industry with a level of honesty most bands wouldn’t dare.

There’s no shortage of speed or venom either.

• ‘Love To Lose’ is a full‑throttle adrenaline shot.

• ‘Fight’ compresses a festival’s worth of energy into thirty seconds.

• ‘Like Gravity’ digs into self‑doubt with surprising vulnerability.

• And ‘Disorder (Wake Up)’ stands tall as the album’s political centrepiece.

The Meffs have always been difficult to pigeonhole, and Business doubles down on that refusal. It’s political, personal, furious, funny, and defiantly loud.

Since exploding onto the scene, The Meffs have earned a reputation as one of the UK’s most essential live acts. Their DIY ethos has taken them everywhere from supporting Alice Cooper and Kings of Leon at BST Hyde Park to tearing up stages at Bearded Theory, Beautiful Days, and beyond.

They’re also proud Music Venue Trust patrons, consistently championing the grassroots spaces that shaped them, and they’re currently on the road with Stiff Little Fingers, further cementing their place in the punk lineage.

With Business, The Meffs are widening the circle, sharpening their message, and inviting everyone in for the fight.

This is punk with purpose. Punk with teeth. Punk that refuses to look away.

And it’s only getting louder.

The Meffs are:
Lily Hopkins (vocals/guitar)
Lewis Copsey (drums/backing vocals)

Upcoming tour dates:

23/05/2026    Melkweg    Amsterdam    NL
30/05/2026    O2 Academy Islington    London    GB

04/06/2026    The LCR    Norwich    GB (supporting Levellers)
06/06/2026    North West Calling    Manchester Academy    Manchester    GB
11/06/2026    The Brook    Southampton    GB
13/06/2026    God Save The Kouign    Stade municipal    Penmarc'h    FR

18/07/2026    ParaBôle Festival    Bôle    Switzerland
31/07/2026    Docks Club    Hamburg    DE

01/08/2026    Fährmannsfest     Hannover    DE
05/08/2026    Bootleg Social    Blackpool    GB
11/08/2026    Punk Rock Holiday    Tolmin    Slovenia
21/08/2026    Parkenfestivalen    Bodø    Norway
22/08/2026    Pstereo Festival    Trondheim    Norway

05/09/2026    The Foundry Burn It Down    Torquay    GB

03/10/2026    North East Calling    Northumbria University    Newcastle upon Tyne    GB
10/10/2026    Cretin Hop Festival    La Boissière-de-Montaigu    FR
16/10/2026    Live Music Hall    Köln    DE (supporting Levellers)
17/10/2026    Muziekgieterij    Masstricht     NL (supporting Levellers)
20/10/2026    The Picturedome     Holmfirth    UK (supporting Levellers)
22/10/2026    Mandela Hall    Belfast    UK (supporting Levellers)
23/10/2026    Vicar Street    Dublin    IE (supporting Levellers)
24/10/2026    Barrowland Ballroom    Glasgow    UK (supporting Levellers)
29/10/2026    York Barbican    York    UK (supporting Levellers)
30/10/2026    Venue    Llandudno    UK (supporting Levellers)
08/11/2026    M.A.U.    Rostock    DE (supporting Levellers)
19/11/2026    Rock City    Nottingham    UK (supporting Levellers)
20/11/2026    The Prospect Building    Bristol    UK (supporting Levellers)

The Meffs online:
https://www.facebook.com/Themeffsuk
https://www.instagram.com/themeffsuk

Abrasive Trees have always occupied the shadowy edges of the UK’s experimental underground, a band drawn to tension, texture and the emotional weight that sits between silence and eruption. But with their debut full‑length album Light Remaining, released 29 May via Argonauta Records, the trio step into a new phase: bolder, heavier, more expansive, and unmistakably their own.

Where earlier releases hinted at post‑punk lineage, Light Remaining feels like a widescreen evolution. The record moves with a slow, deliberate gravity, spectral guitars dissolving into low‑end pressure, fragile passages collapsing into towering crescendos. It’s an album that breathes, one that treats space as an instrument and pacing as a narrative tool. Across its runtime, the band navigate trauma, catharsis, societal fracture and the strange, shimmering highs that come with survival. It ends with an almost 11‑minute immersion in beauty and noise, a closing statement that lingers long after the final note.

Abrasive Trees’ core — Matthew Rochford, Jay Newton and Will Tyler — bring with them a shared history of projects that prize atmosphere and emotional depth. Between them, their past work spans Silver Moth, Quiet Quiet Band, Rothko, and Jo Beth Young’s RISE/Talitha Rise, and that lineage is felt throughout Light Remaining: the patience, the sense of scale, the instinct for when to hold back and when to let everything collapse.

The album also features contributions from former member Ben Roberts on cello and Yunala Songweaver of Gravity Machine, whose vocals add a spectral lift to the record’s more introspective corners. Production comes from Gravity Machine’s Niall Parker, with mastering by Rothko’s Mark L Beazley, a pairing that leans into the band’s love of depth, grain and dynamic extremes.

Live, the material has already begun to shift and expand, with new bassist Georgia Swallow joining the lineup and visual artist Jess Wooller creating the videos that accompany the album’s rollout.

For Rochford, the release of Light Remaining marks the end of a long, sometimes difficult creative journey. “Seeing this album being released feels like a relief, but it carries a quiet sense of creative satisfaction,” he reflects. “Everything has somehow aligned to make this imperfectly perfect collection ready… it genuinely feels like we’ve arrived somewhere meaningful with this work.”

That sense of arrival is key. Light Remaining doesn’t feel like a debut so much as a culmination, the sound of a band who have spent years refining their language of restraint and eruption, now finally given the space to speak in full.

Signing with Italian doom specialists Argonauta Records places Abrasive Trees within a wider international network of heavy, exploratory music. It’s a fitting home: the band’s sound may not sit neatly within genre boundaries, but their commitment to atmosphere, weight and emotional honesty resonates strongly with Argonauta’s catalogue.

Tracklisting

• No Solace

• Star Sapphire

• Tao To Earth

• Flickering Flame

• Carved Skull

• I Didn’t Mean To Hurt You

• Megadrone (CD & Bandcamp bonus)

Recorded across secluded studios in Devon, Light Remaining arrives on 29 May via Argonauta Records, available on all streaming platforms, CD and vinyl (via PIAS), including a limited green vinyl edition and an artist-exclusive version on Bandcamp.

After a whirlwind 18 months that’s seen them sell out headline tours, storm festival stages and earn praise from every corner of the music press, Manchester five‑piece The Guest List have announced their long‑awaited debut album Something Real, landing August 28th.

The news arrives alongside their brand‑new single ‘You Should Care’ — a soaring, emotionally charged anthem that pulls back the curtain on a more vulnerable side of the band. Built on open‑hearted honesty and the confusion of early adulthood, it’s a track that feels both intimate and widescreen, complete with another striking video to match.

It’s the latest step in a rise that’s been impossible to ignore. Rolling Stone UK hailed their recent single Something Real as “a thrillingly ambitious statement of intent… reminiscent of Humbug‑era Arctic Monkeys,” while The Independent declared them “on course to become one of the UK’s next big guitar bands.” Dork went further still, tipping 2026 as the year where “graft plus ambition turns into a breakthrough.”

CLASH, Music Week and NOTION have all echoed the same sentiment: The Guest List are becoming a band to believe in.

Recorded in Bergen, Norway with long‑time collaborator Matias Tellez, Something Real expands the band’s sound into deeper, darker and more emotionally resonant territory. It’s a record unafraid to confront the world head‑on — tackling mental health, anxiety, male suicide, domestic violence, climate collapse and the rising tide of outrage culture.

Yet for all its weight, the album never loses sight of the personal. Sharp melodies, big choruses and moments of raw vulnerability run throughout.

Frontman Cai Alty sums it up simply: “The album is basically us saying, ‘we’re young, we’re confused just like you – how did we get here?’ It’s about trying to find something meaningful in a world that often feels overwhelming.”

Formed in 2021 as schoolmates and music students, The Guest List first gained traction through high‑energy indie covers online — but it’s their original material that’s turned them into one of the UK’s most exciting new guitar bands. Their sound, shaped in part by The Coral’s James Skelly and later refined with Tellez, has drawn comparisons to Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and Sam Fender, while carving out something unmistakably their own.

Their live reputation has been a major driving force too. From Glastonbury and TRNSMT to sold‑out headline shows and support slots with Blossoms, DMA’S and Inhaler, they’ve built a fanbase that cuts across scenes and generations.

Fresh off another sold‑out UK tour, The Guest List have announced their biggest headline run yet for November — including a major London date at Scala on November 24th.

Before that, they’ll hit a packed summer of festivals including:

• Reading & Leeds

• Neighbourhood

• Latitude

• Tramlines

• Victorious

• Plus a run of EU shows

With Something Real, The Guest List step into a new chapter with a debut album that feels urgent, ambitious and unafraid to speak plainly about the world around them. It’s a record built on connection, honesty and the desire to make sense of modern life — and it cements their status as one of the UK’s most compelling new bands.

EU & UK HEADLINE TOUR DATES
October
21st BRUSSELS, Botanique
23rd ROTTERDAM, Left of the Dial
24th ROTTERDAM, Left of the Dial
25th COLOGNE, Artheater
27th BERLIN, Berlin
28th HAMBURG, Turmzimmer
29th UTRECHT, Ekko
31st PARIS, Supersonic Records

November
17th NEWCASTLE, The Grove
19th GLASGOW, St Luke’s
20th BIRMINGHAM, O2 Institute 2
21st OXFORD, O2 Academy 2
22nd SOUTHAMPTON, Papillion
24th LONDON, Scala
25th LEEDS, Project House
26th BRISTOL, Fleece

FESTIVAL APPEARANCES
May
24th NBHD WEEKENDER, Warrington, Victoria Park

June
19th ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL, Newport, Seaclose Park

July
18th BACK DOUNE THE RABBIT HOLE, Stirling, Cardross Estate

25th TRAMLINES, Sheffield, Hillsborough Park
26th LATITUDE, Suffolk, Henham Park

August
2nd CAMP BESTIVAL, Weymouth, Lulworth Castle
8th BOARDMASTERS, Newquay, Watergate Bay
28th READING, Reading Festival
29th LEEDS, Leeds Festival
30th VICTORIOUS, Southsea Common

October
17th NBHD FESTIVAL, Manchester

Something Real Tracklisting
1.. Something Real

2. Ruine 

3. You Should Care

4. Sick Animal 

5. Mundane

6. If Ever Your Devil is Kind 

7. Pink

8. Mary

9. Craven 

10. Slow Down Sally

11. Weatherman 

12. The Only Ones

The Guest List are: Cai Alty (vocals/guitar), Tom Quigley (lead guitar), Leio Hunter (rhythm guitar), Sid Wallace (bass) and Angus Gilchrist (drums).

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More than three decades into a career defined by fearlessness, reinvention and emotional precision, Tori Amos has released her 18th studio album, In Times of Dragons — a sweeping, allegorical work that blends political urgency with the mythic storytelling that has long made her one of modern music’s most singular voices.

Out now via Universal/Fontana, the album arrives to strong early acclaim, with The Times calling it “her most unsettling and socially connected work since her much‑revered ’90s output,” while Classic Pop praises its boldness and ambition. As The Irish Times put it: “This mother of dragons still knows how to roar.”

At the heart of In Times of Dragons is a fictionalised version of Amos herself — a woman trapped in a marriage to a dangerous billionaire, forced to flee across America as she searches for freedom. It’s a narrative steeped in metaphor, but unmistakably rooted in the anxieties of the present moment.

“This is a metaphorical story about the fight for democracy over tyranny,” Amos explains. She describes the album as a response to a world where political instability feels increasingly unavoidable. Echoing her own 1994 classic Cornflake Girl, she adds: “This is not really happening? You bet your life it is.”

The journey begins with the ominous piano of opening track “Shush”, where the protagonist recognises the danger closing in. As the album unfolds, she undergoes a gradual metamorphosis — becoming the dragon she must be to confront the forces pursuing her.

The title track, “In Times of Dragons,” marks the moment she breaks free, stepping into the unknown with equal parts fear and resolve. Along the way she encounters a cast of characters who help her survive, including the rebellious Gasoline Girls, a collective of women who “tend the fire” and stand defiantly against oppression.

The album also explores generational legacy, with Amos’ daughter Natashya Hawley co‑writing and singing on several tracks. Their collaboration on “Veins” becomes a striking call‑and‑response about the emotional and moral inheritance passed between generations.

With more than 12 million albums sold and multiple Grammy nominations, Amos has long balanced the personal with the political, the intimate with the mythic. In Times of Dragons feels like a culmination of that duality — a record that channels the turbulence of the present through a story that feels timeless.

To support the release, Amos embarks on her largest European tour in over a decade, performing across 17 countries with longtime collaborator Jon Evans on bass and Earl Harvin on drums. They’re joined by backing vocalists Liv Gibson, Deni Hlavinka and Hadley Kennary, bringing the album’s world to life alongside highlights from her extensive catalogue.

Pigeon have never been a band to colour inside the lines. The Margate‑rooted psychedelic five‑piece, a collision of cosmic groove, West African vocal tradition and free‑flowing improvisation, release their long‑awaited debut album OUTTANATIONAL today via Memphis Industries, alongside a brand‑new single, the punk‑funk‑charged “Future Country”.

Already hailed as “the most exciting band in years” by The Times and celebrated by Rolling Stone UK for turning sprawling jams into “technicolour brilliance”, Pigeon arrive with a record that feels both celebratory and searching. OUTTANATIONAL is a widescreen, rhythm‑driven exploration of belonging, identity and the ecstatic power of the groove, recorded between Margate’s Albion Rooms and Ramsgate’s Big Jelly Studios.

The band — Falle Nioke (vocals, percussion), Graham Godfrey (drums), Josh Ludow (bass), Steve Pringle (keys, synths) and Tom Dream (guitar), draw from afro‑disco, krautrock, punk‑funk and post‑punk, building party music with a spiritual core. Think William Onyeabor beamed into deep space, or early Hot Chip jamming motorik afrobeat in a 70s loft.

Nioke’s extraordinary voice sits at the heart of it all. Rooted in the West African griot tradition and sung instinctively in a shifting blend of English, French, Susu, Fulani, Malinke and Coniagui, his vocals give OUTTANATIONAL its emotional gravity. Written during his naturalisation process after relocating from Guinea‑Conakry in 2018, the album wrestles with questions of home and identity while never losing its sense of joy. “One side is Africa. The other side is here,” he says, a duality that pulses through every track.

Today’s new single, “Future Country”, is a jerky, percussion‑heavy burst of punk‑funk that imagines the immigration process centuries from now. “Will they want me in the future country? / Will they need me in the future city?” the band chant, turning existential uncertainty into something danceable, defiant and strangely hopeful.

It follows recent singles “Black James Dean” and breakout track “Miami”, the latter premiered by Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music and championed across Radio X, BBC Radio 2 and KCRW, where it became the station’s #2 most‑played song. Rolling Stone UK praised the follow‑up “Mirror Test” as “a danceable, propulsive four‑minute pop song”, cementing Pigeon as one of the UK’s most intriguing new live acts.

Pigeon’s reputation as a live force continues to grow. Earlier this year they packed out London’s George Tavern for a free show that earned a 5‑star review from The Times, who declared the band “are going to be huge”. They’ve since supported Altın Gün at two London dates, including a sold‑out KOKO, and now head into a run of headline shows and festival appearances.

Upcoming dates include Margate, Rough Trade East, The Great Escape, Wilderness and End Of The Road, with a Brighton album‑launch show and signing at Resident on 3 May already sold out.

2026

01 May – Where Else?, Margate (SOLD OUT)

03 May – Resident, Brighton (SOLD OUT)

07 May – Rough Trade East, London (SOLD OUT)

14 May – The Great Escape, Brighton

02 Sep – Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire

03–06 Sep – End Of The Road Festival, Dorset

02 Dec – The Dome, London

03 Dec – Strange Brew, Bristol (Venue Upgrade)

2027

08–11 Jan – Rockaway Beach Festival, Bognor Regis