On his latest album, ‘The Atheist’, Jamie Lenman demonstrated his pop sensibilities as he delivered perhaps his most accessible album yet. The outpouring of creativity that made that album has now also produced a companion EP, ‘iknowyouknowiknow’.
Given that ‘The Atheist’ was a stunning piece of art which saw Lenman soaring to new heights, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this sister release is just as magnificent.
‘iknowyouknowiknow’ sees Lenman embracing his folkier side with the acoustic guitar at the centre of some of the EP’s most delicate and beautiful tracks.
Finishing the EP with an acoustic rendition of ‘This Town Will Never Let Us Go’ is a hauntingly perfect way to close out not just the EP but the ensemble that is ‘The Atheist’ and ‘iknowyouknowiknow’.
Lenman is a genius of a songwriter who is currently operating at his very best, and this record is the bow on top of his latest masterpiece.
It’s been another big revival year for the music industry following the pandemic years, and it’s been another year of growth for us at Full Pelt Music! We’ve reviewed 67 albums, 7 EP’s, 6 festivals and 38 gigs in 2022 as some level of normality or even stability has returned to our industry.
That said, there are still many issues facing the industry with livelihoods, venues and organisations at risk for a plethora of reasons. Whilst government action is required in many places, what we as fans can do is support the industry with our money. Times are tough for us all, but purchasing an album, buying a t-shirt, nabbing a ticket and grabbing a drink whilst at a gig does so much to support the industry that we love.
In our now annual end of year awards we’ll be giving out seven hotly contested awards looking at both the recorded and live sides of the industry. Adding to our well established Album of the Year award this year will be the new EP of the Year award. We’ll also once again be revealing our Single of the Year. All awards have seen fierce competition, as once again it’s been a high quality year for new releases.
On the live side of things, we’ll announce both our Gig and Festival of the Year awards. This year of course provided our first full calendar of music since 2019! We were able to witness many great performances this year and we can’t wait to share with you are favourites.
Lastly we’ll look at the artists who’ve had special years as we award our Artist and ‘Discover’ New Artist of the Year awards. So without further ado, let’s work through those award catagories!
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
It has been a truly magnificent year for album releases and getting a spot anywhere in our Top 50 was hard enough but in particular the Top 10 was incredibly tightly fought. You can read the full list here.
‘IMPERA’ from Ghost was able to take the crown this year but any of the top 10 could’ve taken that spot. ‘Reeling’ from The Mysterines in particular would likely have won in any other year, but the majesty and magnificence of ‘IMPERA’ proved unbeatable.
Winner:
‘Impera’ by Ghost
The contenders:
‘Reeling’ by The Mysterines, ‘FTHC’ by Frank Turner, ‘Skinty Fia’ by Fontaines D.C. & ‘The Price of Life’ by Bob Vylan
Previous Winners:
2021 – ‘Blue Weekend’ by Wolf Alice 2020 – ‘Ultra Mono’ by IDLES
EP OF THE YEAR
For the first time this year, we are separating EP’s out of our main award and giving them their own pedestal. That alone is the truest compliment to the quality of EP’s on offer this year.
Again, all EP’s in our top 5 are worthy of the number one spot, but it’s ‘coming of (r)age’ from As Sirens Fall that pips it. Catchy as hell single, ‘heaven (spat us back out)’, helps elevate the release to be crowed our first ever EP of the Year.
Winner:
‘coming of (r)age’ by As Sirens Fall
The contenders:
‘False Start’ by James and the Cold Gun, ‘SCP’ by Oakman, ‘Tyrants’ by IOTA and ‘BLACKGOLD’ by BLACKGOLD
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
We look now at our Single or Song of the Year. In considering the award this year we’ve considered the ear worms that have stayed with us after live performances. We’ve also pondered which songs instantly struck a chord and created a buzz of excitement for the albums and live shows that would follow.
Songs which fell into both of these considerations competed for the award and it was again a tight decision, but ultimately for us this year ‘Dangerous’ from The Mysterines has not just ticked both boxes but also remained on heavy rotation throughout the year despite being an early arrival in 2022. That’s why that track is our 2022 Single of the Year!
Check out the winning single below:
The Mysterines – ‘Dangerous’
Winner:
‘Dangerous’ by The Mysterines
The contenders:
‘Talk Hard’ by Jamie Lenman, ‘Compliance’ by Muse, ‘Wicked Ways’ by Halestorm, ‘Spillways’ by Ghost
Previous Winners:
2021 – ‘Test of our Resolve’ from Press To MECO 2020 – ‘Obey’ by Bring Me The Horizon feat. Yungblud
FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
2022 was the first full festival season since 2019 and what a return it was. All eyes were on Glastonbury once again, British Summer Time curated a stunning line-up, Download Festival breathed fire and 2000trees was able to remind everyone what’s so great about smaller festivals.
Our winner this year though is Reading & Leeds who went big, sold out and delivered an action packed weekend even with the huge loss of Rage Against The Machine amongst others. Always a perennial contender for this award, 2022 felt like the year the event reclaimed its identity.
Glastonbury Festival, British Summer Time, Download Festival, 2000trees Festival
Previous Winners:
2021 – Download Pilot Festival 2020 – Wild Fields Festival
GIG OF THE YEAR
We’ve reviewed many gigs this year but in reality there could only ever be one winner. Rammstein’s tour is less of a concert and more of an experience; one that everyone, fan of the band or not, should experience at least once.
Beyond that there was still some incredible, top tier gigs in 2022 and our contenders are all worthy of glory, but Rammstein are currently on a whole different level.
Royal Blood @ O2 Arena, London, Ghost @ Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Muse @ Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London, The Killers @ Carrow Road, Norwich, The Hella Mega Tour @ London Stadium, London, Creeper @ Roundhouse, London, Idlewild @ O2 Kentish Town Forum, London
Previous Winners:
2021 – Bring Me The Horizon @ O2 Arena, London 2020 – Frank Turner @ Arboretum, Nottingham
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Artist of the Year now and for this award we look for somebody who has had a huge, perhaps even career-defining year. Previous winners Frank Turner and Biffy Clyro have done so by delivering incredible feats, far above the norm.
This year was a big year for many acts, but we’ve gone for Bring Me The Horizon as a band that have had a career-defining twelve months. Long tipped as festival headliners at a major event, many felt that the time would never come for one of the best live bands on the planet. Big releases, sold-out tours, no matter what the group did they never seemed to be given that torch, that is until this year!
Watching Bring Me The Horizon step up and headline at Reading & Leeds this summer felt like a real moment, not just for the band but for the whole scene. For any metal band, let alone one once considered so unfashionable to headline the biggest festivals in the UK is massive.
Already announced to finally headline Download Festival in 2023, 2022 will forever be linked for Bring Me The Horizon to taking that final career-defining set. Throw in their genre-defying collaboration with Ed Sheeran, 2022’s Artist of the Year had to be Bring Me The Horizon.
Winner:
Bring Me The Horizon
The contenders:
Ghost, Rammstein, Biffy Clyro, Muse
Previous Winners:
2021 – Biffy Clyro 2020 – Frank Turner
‘DISCOVER’ NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
As a publication we always want to put new music at the heart of what we do, and that’s why our final award is perhaps our most important! Our ‘Discover’ New Artist of the Year is awarded to the act we’ve chosen to highlight on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist and Podcast who we feel has made the biggest impact this year.
At the beginning of 2022 we put the spotlight on new Colchester act PET NEEDS as they continued to promote their debut album, ‘Fractured Party Music’. From that point on the band never looked back with a world tour, a second album (‘Primtime Entertainment’) and a sold out hometown show all under their belts.
They even found the time to become the first (and only at the time of writing) band to progress from our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast and appear on The Full Pelt Music Podcast! Yes, fighting off some stiff competition for the ‘Discover’ New Artist of the Year award in 2022 is PET NEEDS!
Winners:
PET NEEDS
The Contenders:
BERRIES, As Sirens Fall, Oakman, James and the Cold Gun, Daytime TV, MOSKITO
Previous Winners:
2020 – Miss Vincent
So, that’s it! Another year in the record books, it’s been another difficult year and it has again been particularly tough on the music industry. That said, we’ve had a full year of live music for the first time since 2019 and the creative juices remain flowing with some absolutely stunning new releases over the past twelve months.
Below you can enjoy some of our favourite gig photos of the year courtesy of our wonderful photographer Denis!
All 📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music
We hope you’ve enjoyed our The Year in Review 2022 and we wish you a very Happy New Year. Here’s hoping 2023 is a good one!
Wow. Ever sit and think to yourself that a certain artist’s latest work has hit upon something special? Well, that’s the feeling we get from listening to ‘The Athiest’, the new solo release from Jamie Lenman!
Having seen the campaign for previous album, ‘King of Clubs’, seriously disrupted by the pandemic, Lenman has emerged from these troubled two years with a masterpiece of an album.
‘The Athiest’ sees a change in direction from Lenman, whilst maintaining his charm and sound of previous records. There is a delicateness and vulnerability to this new material which opens it up as his most accessible work yet.
‘Talk Hard’ is an absolute banger of a song, which leads the album by example. Perhaps his most singly single yet, we dare you not to lose yourself in that catchy as hell chorus. Fellow single, ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’ is further evidence of the pop-esque songwriting on offer on this album.
This is a deeply personal record for the iconic Lenman, as both lyrically and musically he stretches himself further than ever before. Equally, there is plenty here which will be familiar to old school fans, creating a perfectly blended mix for fans old and new to enjoy.
It’s great to see an artist earn a freedom in their career to explore themselves without the pressures of the industry. Lenman has seemingly arrived at this point and the results are spectacular.
Watch Episode 13 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Jamie Lenman
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 13 – Jamie Lenman
Is there anything better than heading to an independent venue, checking out unknown supports acts before enjoying a familiar face present their latest work? Well, not for me and tonight is a prime example as we head to the Corn Exchange in Hertford.
The venue is a new one for us having never been to Hertford before let alone the newly refurbished Corn Exchange. Small, yet spacious with a well stocked bar and great views all around, the new management team have done a great job setting up this top venue.
DROWN
The unknown support act tonight is Drown, who don’t drown and in fact swim! Metaphorically that is, as they deliver a well received, well rounded opening set which gets the crowd ready for the main act, whilst also giving a glimpse of the talents the band clearly possess.
Soon enough it’s time for that familiar face to grace the stage and serenade us with songs both new and old. Tonight, that act is Jamie Lenman who is gearing up for the release of his latest solo album, ‘The Athiest’ on November 25th.
JAMIE LENMAN
Playing the fourth show of a small run of pre-release dates, the focus tonight is very much on that new album and ‘This Is All There Is’ and the fantastic single, ‘Talk Hard’ provide an energetic start to the set. ‘Talk Hard’ particularly stands out tonight in the live setting as a phenomenally catchy song.
With the highly accessible sound on ‘The Athiest’, Lenman has struck gold in both maintaining his identity and expanding his sound further than ever before. This album should gain the well travelled songsmith many new fans; with show closer ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’ another example of why.
Older fans are also catered to tonight though with tracks from each of Lenman’s solo albums and a couple of tracks from his previous life in Reuben thrown in for good measure. There can be no complaints come the end of the night that Jamie Lenman has fully entertained those that have made the journey.
Yes, nights like these are very special indeed; a great new venue, a new musical discovery and the chance to savour one of the most effortlessly talented musicians on the road live. Do yourselves a favour, get down to your local venue and join in the fun!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with a handful of festival announcements and they didn’t come bigger than the initial line-up reveal for the 2023 edition of the legendary Isle of Wight Festival!
Always eclectic, this year’s bill is full of diverse options for attendees to check out including headliners Pulp, George Ezra, The Chemical Brothers and Robbie Williams.
Also on the bill are Courteeners, Blondie, James Bay, The Human League, Manic Street Preachers, The Enemy and more.
Following a multi-year hiatus, Takedown Festival will return in 2023, and this week organisers revealed the stunning first batch of bands that will be taking over Portsmouth Guildhall in April.
Headlining the event will be Sleep Token and Skindred. They will be joined by the likes of Loathe, Jamie Lenman, InMe, Palm Reader, Our Hollow Our Home, As December Falls, Fearless Vampire Killers, The Bottom Line and more!
Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes will be releasing his latest solo album, ‘Turn The Car Around’ on January 13th. Ahead of that release, Coombes has this week revealed a full UK/Ireland Tour set for April.
We move our News Report on now finally to the best new releases from the past week and we start with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes!
This week saw the band share new single, ‘Parasite’, which you can listen to above.
Of the song they share: “This song was written between 12am and 3am during a particularly brutal trip to the seaside, it rained for a week straight and I had spent all my time listening to friends and their relationship problems but I had no words, no solutions to find. After all that a new parasite had been discovered.”
The band also detailed a 3 date residency at the Underworld in Camden this December.
At the end of their special Roundhouse show on Friday, Creeper announced the debut of their new single, ‘Ghost Brigade’, which you can listen to above now!
Black Star Riders this week released unique new single, ‘Crazy Horses’, which is a reinterpretation of The Osmonds classic. Listen to the track above!
The Track comes from upcoming new album, ‘Wrong Side Of Paradise’, which is out January 20th.
Front-man Ricky Warwick comments: “I remember watching The Osmonds performing this song on television in the early seventies as a young kid. I fell in love with it then and was patiently waiting for the opportunity to cover it. Thankfully my brothers in BSR shared the same adoration for the tune. So… The time is now and here it is!”
AWOLNATION returned this week with brand new single, ‘We Are All Insane’, which you can listen to above.
Frontman Aaron Bruno on the inspiration behind ‘We Are All Insane’, “I wrote the song during a time when the days of the week felt especially monotonous and I was searching for ways to stay creative and productive. I think that’s a feeling most people have experienced at some point in their lives, especially over the past few years.”
This week saw IDLES announce the upcoming release of ‘Five Years of Brutalism’, a newly released vinyl celebrating five years since the release of their seminal debut album.
Speaking about the album, singer Joe Talbot writes; “What started as a headstone slab of indulgence and unrest became a long journey of beauty, forgiveness, and gratitude. Little did we know that it was not just a headstone but the foundations we were building, for a house full to the brim with loving human beings. Thank you so so much”
You can check out a taster of the release with ‘1049 GOTHO’ live from Glastonbury which you can listen to above.
Just Mustard this week shared the new video for their track, ‘Blue Chalk’, which you can watch above.
The video was made with the group’s friend Seán McMahon and was directed by vocalist, Katie Ball. “The song Blue Chalk defines the heaviness that the whole of ‘Heart Under’ exists beneath. The kind that comes with grief and you feel like you are trying to navigate life with the weight of the sea on your chest keeping you down. I wanted to make this video since we started writing ‘Heart Under’ and to me it visually represents a lot of the emotion in the album. It was filmed in 4hrs in freezing cold water with the help of our friend Seán McMahon.” says Ball.
DEADLETTER share new single, ‘Madge’s Declaration’, taken from debut EP, ‘Heat!’, which is out November 18th.
Frontman Zac Lawrence said the following on the track: “We wanted to make something that had elements of humour and danceability, trying to explore a genuinely terrifying idea in a manner which mirrors our cultural fascination with it. Our tendency to work around the drumbeat and bassline is highly evident here, with the song climaxing in a cacophony of primal ecstasy.”
Hell’s Ditch – ‘Take The Night Off’
British punk rock group Hell’s Ditch are back with their brand-new single ‘Take The Night Off’.
“We’re made to feel lucky that we have a job and that we should be grateful for the opportunity to fight over scraps from the tables of the political class.People deserve more than just the bare minimum – we deserve dignity and good quality of life. Take The Night Off is about the need to live a life beyond the daily grind. Bread and roses, if you will”. – Vocalist Nick Davis
Xondra – ‘Tedious’
New York-based singer and songwriter Xondra unveils ‘Tedious’, the final single from her much anticipated EP, ‘Tedious & Brief’.
“It is a song for the people that love so much and so hard that they sometimes forget to save some for themselves; it is for those learning to step out of survival mode and really live in the present,” says Xondra. “’Tedious’ is me putting myself first. It is me allowing myself to to walk through the hard feelings I was having and still be hopeful that good times were coming down the road for me.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we start with tour announcements and the mighty Iron Maiden, who have revealed the ‘Future Past’ tour that includes a run of UK arena dates next Summer.
The show will feature previously unperformed songs from the band’s most recent studio album, ‘Senjutsu’, along with a focus on 1986’s iconic, ‘Somewhere In Time’ record, plus other classic cuts.
Says founder member and bassist Steve Harris, “Following the release of our latest album, Senjutsu, we updated the current Legacy of the Beast Tour a little by opening the show with the first three songs from it, with the Japanese Palace stage set.
As it doesn’t make a lot of sense to repeat this for a Senjutsu album tour, we thought about other options and we’ve decided to revisit Somewhere In Time as that tour didn’t feature in the various retrospective history tours we’ve played over the years. They were based on our 80’s concert videos and sadly we did not film that tour (blame the manager!!).
We have had lots of requests from fans over the years for many tracks on it so we are now going to play them, plus of course a few others we know you will like! It will also be particularly satisfying to finally get to play some of the more epic tracks on Senjutsu, it’s been a long wait! 2023 is going to be an exciting time and we’re really looking forward to seeing everyone again in the UK, Ireland and around Europe”.
Manager, Rod Smallwood adds, “This combination of the two albums we feel is very exciting. We know fans want to hear those epic cuts on Senjutsu for the first time live and we think that by combining it with an iconic album like Somewhere In Time it will make for another really special tour for fans old and new!
Of course, for a new album tour in Europe and the UK we will go back largely to the relative intimacy of arenas and we know fans will be very happy about that too!”
Depeche Mode announce London Twickenham Stadium date
Another iconic act to announce a show for early Summer is Depeche Mode, who will takeover Twickenham Stadium in June.
The Memento Mori Tour will support the band’s forthcoming 15th studio album, ‘Memento Mori’, due out in Spring 2023.
In speaking about Memento Mori, Martin Gore commented, “We started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletch’s passing, we decided to continue as we’re sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.”
Dave Gahan added, “Fletch would have loved this album. We’re really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we can’t wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.”
P!nk this week unveiled her ‘Summer Carnival’ 2023 tour with stadium dates in Bolton, Sunderland and Birmingham alongside an appearance at BST Hyde Park in London.
Our News Report looks at festivals now and the line-up for BST Hyde Park grew considerably this week with not just P!nk but also Billy Joel being announced for next Summer.
They join the already announced Bruce Springsteen in London.
It’s on to the week’s best new releases now as our News Report continues, and we start with Alter Bridge!
As the band prepare for the release of new album, ‘Pawns & Kings’, on October 14th, they have debuted new track, ‘This Is War’. You can check out that single above.
Bury Tomorrow have shared new single, ‘Abandon Us’, which you can listen to above. The track arrives as they reveal that their latest album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, will be released on March 31st.
“We are proud to present, ‘The Seventh Sun’. It is an understatement to say we are excited to share the new era of Bury Tomorrow with you all and the first single from the album, Abandon Us, is the perfect way to showcase our intent for the next phase of our band,” say the six-piece. “Visceral and heavy, this track is for each and every one of you that has stood by us either from the beginning, or supported us along the way.”
Of the song’s origins, the band share, “it started with a demo simply entitled, Abandon. Taken from a time of loss, uncertainty and insecurity, the intent was to create a heavy track that mirrored these feelings. The lyrics highlight the frustration and anger at the current state of our society and how our so-called leaders seem intent on satisfying self-interest above the collective needs of humanity.”
The Subways this week debuted their latest single, ‘Black Wax’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Uncertain Joys’, which is out January 13th.
Commenting on the track, front man Billy Lunn says: “Caught mid-wintertime during the pandemic, hibernating in the warmth of the band’s studio, I’d indulge in days’ worth of spinning my favourite artists’ records on my turntable. Following one particularly beautiful session, I felt compelled to express my gratitude for music itself. Not just the inspiration my favourite artists offer me as a songwriter, but all the various aspects music holistically offers us as people: the respite, the sense of belonging and being understood (and thus the validation), but also the mere aesthetic pleasure of the space between our ears being tended to.”
“Given that our first ever gig was on the hallowed stage of The Square in Harlow, which, following over a decade of Tory rule is now resigned to rubble, it felt only right to record my guitar parts with the guitar that had been built from the wood lifted from The Square’s bar. This guitar, built by local legend Murray Torkildsen, was lent to me by a very good friend, Adam Smith, who fought so hard to save The Square in its final days. It’s no coincidence that his handle online is Black Wax. Long live The Square. Long live music.”
Cult hero Jamie Lenman has shared the details of his fifth album, ‘The Atheist’, which will be released November 25th. This week also saw Lenman debut new single, ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’, which you can listen to above.
“I’ve got into the habit of saying, whenever I have a new record out, ‘I’ve been trying to do something like this for a really long time’, because they typically have very lengthy gestation periods with a lot of thought going in,” says Lenman of what fans can expect from the new album.
“This one is no exception – I’ve always loved mellowed-out indie rock like Gemma Hayes and Pete Yorn and I’ve always wanted to make an album with that sound. Trying to focus on simple songs, looking for any place we could add a bit of extra sugar – a little bit saccharine, but also slightly snide and in some places softly sad. The end result is – I hope – a bittersweet experience.”
Commenting on the track, which channels both his love of stadium rock giants Queen and his wife and long-term partner Lena, Lenman says: “It’s a song about what it actually means to refer to your partner as your ‘other half’. That’s how I feel about my wife and I. We started out as two separate people and over the past twenty five years we’ve grown into two halves of a whole person. She fills up my missing parts and I fill hers – not that she has as many as I do. I always feel when people are talking to me that they’re only really getting half the story if she’s not around, just like it says in the song. And not the best half, either!”
“When I was a kid I loved bands like Queen with all their pomp, and then as a teenager I turned the other way with Nirvana’s punk philosophy. I went through the post-hardcore thing with all the awkward timings and chonky riffs, and now I find myself leaning back towards those giants of stadium rock. I wrote ‘Lena’ to see if I could do something like Toto, with my best impression of Brian May’s guitar solos. It’s my love letter to all those classic power ballads – it’s so uncool, it’s cool.”
The track comes with an official video homaging that particular brand of nostalgic 80s music video which always centred around the star’s desire for an unattainable, idealised lover.
“I wanted to do it with heart and genuine emotion instead of just spreading some poor model over the bonnet of a porch,” says Lenman of the concept. “I wanted the viewer to see my wife through my eyes, as this amazing, dazzling creature that I just get to be around. We went to the beach on the hottest day of the year and tried to forget the camera was there. It’s nice for people to see all those old photos and how we’ve grown together, just like in the lyrics. And it’s nice for us too!”
From Ashes To New – ‘Until We Break’ ft. Matty Mullins
This section of our News Report comes to a close with the new single from From Ashes To New. ‘Until We Break’ features Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, and you can check it out above.
Reciting lyrics from the song, Matt Brandyberry said, “‘Close our eyes ‘cause there is nothing to see. We’ll all be fine if all we do is believe.’ It seems we are increasingly taking the path of least resistance. Although, that is often the wrong path. Closing our minds to the truth because a lie is easier to believe…A short term solution for a long term problem. We are following our leaders one by one until we break.”
LA based Militarie Gun have shared their latest single, ‘Let Me Be Normal’.
Ian Shelton says: “‘Let Me Be Normal’ is a plea for normality despite no matter what you achieve or how much money you have, “normality” can’t really ever be achieved if you grew up in a messed up situation. There’s no unseeing what you’ve seen, something will always poke you in the ribs and remind you of the trash you come from.”
Doodseskader – ‘Alive & Not Well’
Belgium’s Doodseskader are gearing up for the release of their debut album, ‘Year One’, on November 18th with new single ‘Alive & Not Well’.
On the track, vocalist/bassist Tim says, “‘Alive & Not Well’ is things clicking for us.It was half Sigfried, half me. Half of it describes us struggling, but half of it also is us grabbing misery by the throat and facing it head first. It’s the fifth song on the record and I feel like this is the point where things started shifting and we realised that while the record served as a document of our hardships and us trying to come to terms with the past we’d put on display in MMXX : Year Zero, from that point on it’d be us using our honesty and this band as both a weapon and an armour. “Forty fucking five, I wear the number like a vest”. Fortune gave us a shitty hand. Now we’re slowly turning it into the fist that’ll strike back.”
ROLLA – ‘Ease My Mind’
ROLLA have preview their upcoming debut EP with new single, ‘Ease My Mind’.
Rolla commented, “‘Ease My Mind’ was written as a reaction to feeling the constant pressures of daily life, the same old routine and all that shite. I guess it’s kind of a cliché, but it’s an anthem to get you up and get you going and prove to people that you are more than just your daily grind, and that there’s more to life than just answering to your bosses. For a lot of people that whole other world is rock ‘n’ roll, it will always give you all the answers.
We recorded it at Rockfield, which was a week to never forget. It’s a cool old place, and it was a pleasure to work with local legend Nick Brine. Creative carnage at its finest.”
It feels like an eternity ago that Lonely The Brave burst onto the scene with their incredible early EP, ‘Backroads’. That’s probably because that actually was almost a decade ago, and wow has the world been through some tough times since then.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for the band either, with the switch of vocalist in 2018 a major hurdle. Thankfully the band secured the talented Jack Bennett to fill the very big shoes of David Jakes.
The problem for the band now is that just when they would need momentum the most, the world stopped moving. The pandemic disrupted all people in all walks of life with the music industry hit very hard. Imagine then the impact on Lonely The Brave as they looked to move seamlessly into their new era.
New album, ‘The Hope List’, was released in the midst of lockdown in January 2021 and plans to tour in support were naturally delayed. That time has belatedly arrived now and tonight they play a special hometown show at the Junction in Cambridge.
There are two support acts on tap with VLMV up first, captivating the early audience with a sonic smorgasbord of guitars, synths and vocals. Cult icon Jamie Lenman then blasts though a short set of new material which ramps up the intensity in the venue. Both acts have done a good job warming up a slightly lethargic crowd ready for the hometown heroes to arrive.
Welcomed warmly onstage Lonely The Brave instantly mix new tracks such as ‘Keeper’ and ‘Distant Light’ with old favourites like ‘Black Mire’ and ‘Trick of the Light’. This is a theme that continues throughout the evening.
Bennett as we say has had big shoes to fill vocally and he manages to do those old favourites justice tonight whilst also adding new layers both sonically and corporeally.
There is an unusual tense atmosphere in the venue tonight, which feels highlighted by this being a hometown show. It’s only really when the likes of ‘The Blue, The Green’, ‘Backroads’ and ‘Black Saucers’ appear towards the end of the show that the audience relaxes a bit.
Performance wise the venue witnesses three strong sets tonight from three acts at varying stages of their careers. The industry is in a tough spot right now, but you’d hope there is enough talent on show here that these acts can kick on from here.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with festival announcements and we can’t begin anywhere else other than Slam Dunk Festival. The dual location event has revealed the first batch of bands set for Leeds and Hatfield next year and it’s a stunner!
On tap are The Offspring, Enter Shikari, Billy Talent, Bowling For Soup, Less Than Jake, Creeper, Holding Absence, Trash Boat and Kids In Glass Houses amongst many more.
Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari comments:
“I’ve been intoxicated by the idea of headlining Slam Dunk again ever since our Take To The Skies celebration headline set back in 2017. It’s such a great festival, always nails its bills, and has the added bonus that us lads can actually cycle to the Southern date, being that Hatfield is a neighbouring town to us!
In fact, essentially, this will be our biggest “hometown” show ever, now that the festival has grown even more. I cannot wait. In fact, I will not wait. I demand we play this tomorrow!
I think playing outdoors is my favourite thing to do in life. Just being able to look up and see the sky, with the expanse of people underneath it, all sharing the same emotions and experience, it’s just such a raw, beautiful, and reifying thing.
Slam Dunk is a festival I try to attend every year regardless of whether we’re playing it. I love both the sites, and it’s always full of mates and has such a convivial vibe. (That’s my word of the week).
We’re already thinking about stage production ideas, we’re going to do everything we can to make this our biggest show yet.”
Staying in Leeds, and Live At Leeds: In The City grew by some 80+ acts this week.
Joining the already announced Pale Waves, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Baby Queen will be the likes of Sundara Karma, White Lies, Swim Deep, Lottery Winners, King No-One, The Pale White, The Hara and many more.
Speaking about the new additions to Live At Leeds: In The City, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said: “After the incredible reaction to our first wave of names, we’re delighted to announce over 80 new artists joining us across Leeds City Centre this October. There’s something incredible about bringing together some of the most exciting names in new music that us in the Live At Leeds office have been playing constantly or lucky enough to see this year – and Live At Leeds: In The City 2022 feels like the perfect combination of artists we know are set for massive things in the year ahead.
I can’t wait to dive around the city catching set after set of must-see moments, and we’re sure that everyone will come away from the festival with countless new favourite artists”
Another fantastic looking line-up comes from Mutations Festival in Brighton.
Announced to play the November event are the likes of Bob Vylan, Pussy Riot, Squid, Do Nothing, Gaffa Tape Sandy, Pip Blom, Crows, Coach Party, Lynks and Hamish Hawk.
Our News Report moves on to the biggest tour announcements from the past week, but we start off with another huge summer show set for 2023.
Courteeners will be returning to Heaton Park to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of their debut album, ‘St.Jude’.
Speaking about the special ‘St Jude’ Heaton Park show, Liam Fray says: “They grow up so fast. Can’t believe our darling St. Jude is 15 next year. Think it’s time for a celebration and we all know that great things come in threes….The Star Wars Trilogy, Sooty, Sweep & Soo and now, here we are, with the third instalment of ‘Courteeners at Heaton Park’.
June 2015. June 2019 and now June 2023 …
This time, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its release we’ll be playing ST. JUDE (in full) PLUS (of course) THE HITS. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate than to make the pilgrimage to Heaton Park with like-minded souls and lose ourselves like it’s 2008. And, because we’re good like that, we’ve remastered the original album … GOD BLESS THE BAND. GOD BLESS THE FANS. OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.’
Fresh from performing at Reading & Leeds Festivals, Fever 333 have announced a full UK/EU Tour for early next year culminating with a huge show at London’s famous Roundhouse.
Kid Kapichi have revealed a new UK Tour set for early next year. The news comes ahead of the release of new album, ‘Here’s What You Could Have Won’, which arrives September 23rd.
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Daytime TV. The band will be playing a handful of headline shows this October alongside a Glasgow support slot with The Amazons.
Watch Daytime TV on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 14 – Daytime TV
Arctic Monkeys debut new single ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’
Arctic Monkeys – ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’
Our News Report turns now to the best new music releases from the past week and we start with the iconic Arctic Monkeys.
Last week the band revealed that new album, ‘The Car’, will be released on October 21st. This week the band debuted the first single from the album, ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’, which you can check out above.
Gorillaz debut new single ‘New Gold’ with Tame Impala & Bootie Brown
Gorillaz – ‘New Gold’ feat. Tame Impala & Bootie Brown
Our News Report is packed with great new music this week and next is the latest new track from Gorillaz. ‘New Gold’ features both Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, and you can check it out above.
This week also saw Gorillaz announce that new album, ‘Cracker Island’, is out February 24th.
Next up is Yungblud who released his self-titled new album this week. Ahead of the release the singer debuted latest tack, ‘Tissues’, which you can check out above.
Editors are preparing for the release of new album, ‘EBM’, on September 23rd. This week they debuted the latest track from the album, ‘Vibe’, which you can check out above.
The Wonder Years share ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’
The Wonder Years – ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’
As we continue our News Report we look now at The Wonder Years who this week shared new track, ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on upcoming album, ‘The Hum Goes On Forever’, which is out September 23rd.
“As much as I try not to dwell on loss, I can’t help myself from thinking about it, writing about it, singing about it,” Vocalist Dan Campbell explains. “This is a song for another friend who passed too soon and about how I wish I could stop myself from opening the sutures, about how I know it’ll be painful to play live, and how powerless I am to do anything else.”
Boston Manor this week shared new track, ‘Inertia’, which you can listen to above. The track comes from new album, ‘Datura’, which is out October 14th.
Our News Report continues with news that there was new music on offer this week from Pierce The Veil as they debuted new single, ‘Pass The Nirvana’, which you can listen to above.
Pulled Apart By Horses share ‘Sleep In Your Grave’
Pulled Apart By Horses – ‘Sleep In Your Grave’
Pulled Apart By Horses this week shared new track, ‘Sleep In Your Grave’, which you can check out above. The track comes ahead of fifth album ‘Reality Cheques’, out September 30th.
Commenting on the band’s sonic evolution for the new record, vocalist Tom Hudson says: “One major thing we all chatted about was the ‘less is more’ approach, so we made a collective decision for me to ditch my guitar. It was a logical and simple way of trimming the fat, it gave us a more direct ‘to the point’ urgency. Instead of the racket of multiple duelling guitars and a cacophony of noise, everything had a pocket to sit in. A sonic corner. PABH 2.0.”
“Whilst we were working through writing and jamming, we also experimented with load of different recording techniques, an array of vintage microphones that we’d accumulated, trashed 70’s WEM guitar combo amps, routing vocals through old fender spring reverb heads, manipulating sounds with Space Echo tape effects and a load of other things for us to play around with.”
October Drift released new single, ‘Waltzer’, this week, which you can check out above. The tracks will feature on upcoming album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’, which is out October 14th.
Regarding the single frontman Kiran Roy says, “‘Waltzer’ always makes me think of Robert Eggars film The Lighthouse. The isolation and spiralling madness of the film really echoes with this song. I guess it’s mainly about the fog of depression. It’s a kind of focus lens on my lowest and darkest thoughts, as well as a reflection of people I love and care about who have themselves battled with these kinds of things.”
Check out Episode 10 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests October Drift
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 10 – October Drift
Charlotte Wessels shares latest single ‘Toxic’
Charlotte Wessels – ‘Toxic’
Charlotte Wessels debuted her latest single, ‘Toxic’, this week which you can listen to above. The track will feature on new album, ‘Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II’, which is out October 7th.
On ‘Toxic’, Charlotte says: “‘Toxic’ is a direct response to the populism, greed, misogyny and victim blaming that come screaming from our screens on a daily basis, and with the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, it has sadly become only more relevant since its initial release on Patreon. I hope you like the song but I mostly hope the issues it deals with will be a thing of the past before I am.”
Doom trap pioneer Mimi Barks has announced her highly anticipated upcoming mixtape ‘DEADGIRL’ which is set for release in December 2022. She has also dropped a new offering in the form of defying single ‘nihil’.
“‘nihil’ is the first track I wrote after having my entire music collection and visuals wiped off all DSP’s including YouTube in 2020. And just when I entered the void, thinking this is it, my brother KOEN sent this beat, which lead me to writing the first song for what would later become the DEADGIRL Mixtape. I needed to move forward from this, and “nihil” be my reboot in a paradoxical way.”“There lies great power in resistance” – Mimi Barks
Sunsleeper – ‘Quitter’
Indie rock band Sunsleeper have shared their new single ‘Quitter’.
“’Quitter’ is about the pains and joys of being a band,” says vocalist Jeffery Mudgett. “How touring is both incredibly fulfilling while also being a detriment to normalcy and comfortability. Poking fun at the comparison game. The realization that creating music in a live scenario is often the place I feel the most present, when I allow myself to be.”
noyou – ‘Same Old Story’
Having recently exploded onto the scene, Synthetic Pop-Rock band noyou have dropped their new single ‘Same Old Story’.
“Same Old Story explores the anxieties and stresses that come with adult life. Are we ‘on track’ with where we’re supposed to be for our age? The track deals with the repetition and monotony of the everyday and the struggles of wanting to be released from it. The train never stops, but what is our destination?” – noyou front man Connor Jobes.
Keep an eye on our Socials this week for the latest episode of the ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests noyou!
The 1975 drafted in to headline Reading & Leeds Festivals
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the latest festival news and we start with a controversial change to the bill at Reading & Leeds Festivals. Sadly, Rage Against The Machine have withdrawn from the events at short notice, with organisers drafting in The 1975 as their replacement.
All Points East add Mogwai ahead of two week event
Another festival on the horizon is the two weekend extravaganza known as All Points East. The organisers have also had to make last minute alterations with Mogwai joining the bill in place of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.
We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week.
Following their recent shows with both the Rolling Stones and Bryan Adams, West Country rockers REEF have announced a brand new string of UK headline shows for later this year.
Lead singer Gary Stringer comments, “I’m super stoked to be playing more shows this autumn and into the winter with REEF. We’ve had our most successful year in a decade and don’t want to stop rocking!”
Enter Shikari return with new single ‘The Void Stares Back’ ft. Wargasm
Enter Shikari – ‘The Void Stares Back’ ft. Wargasm
We turn now to the best new releases from the past week, and we start with a collaboration between Enter Shikari and Wargasm. ‘The Void Stares Back’ is the first new Enter Shikari single in almost three years, and you can listen above.
Lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds comments: “It is with elation, and more than a little nervousness, that we release this; our first track after over two years of dormancy. It is a roisterous journey made all the more so with the addition of our friends Wargasm. Thematically, the piece is about the forward march of social progress, and how, often, those with a more conventional archaic outlook on sexuality, gender, social design, economics etc, see those with differing ideas like bewildering, depraved creatures from another dimension.”
Wargasm add: “Shikari were a big part of our growing up, so it was an absolute honour to be asked to collaborate with such an incredible and well-spoken band. They stand for the right things – we’re a little more pessimistic. It was fun playing the darker devil’s advocate to Rou’s light…where we’re going, you won’t need eyes to see…”
Nothing More share ‘YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS’
Nothing More – ‘YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS’
Nothing More have this week shared the latest single from upcoming album, ‘SPIRITS’, which is out October 14th.
You can watch the video for ‘YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE MEANS’ above.
“We’re glad this song is finally getting out there so we can dig into the emotional and intimate side of the album,” says frontman Jonny Hawkins. “The lyrics and tone of this one feels like it hits in a similar way that ‘Go To War’ and ‘Jenny’ did. It’s going to feel huge playing this next one on tour.”.
The Subways debut new video for single ‘Love Waiting On You’
The Subways – ‘Love Waiting On You’
The Subways are another band with a new album on the way; ‘Uncertain Joys’ will arrive on January 13th. This week they shared the video for latest single, ‘Love Waiting On You’, which you can watch above.
Commenting on the gender-role-reversing video directed by animator Neil Whitman, front man Billy Lunn says: “When Neil initially presented us with the concept of the video as an 8-bit platform-style video game, our drummer Camille cleverly proposed that, given how the song is so obviously about yearning, why not instead have the rescuer and rescued gender roles reversed to change things up.”
“I saw myself as the Princess Peach character, with the love of my life (about whom the song is written) being my rescuer, fighting through the various obstacles and antagonists along the way. The sense of isolation, helplessness, and vulnerability within the song now made all the more sense to me.”
“Whilst it’s not always correct to assume that one person should come to the rescue of another in a relationship, my belief in the hopelessly romantic/pathetic notion that lifelong soul mates do in fact exist is woven into the very fabric of my being. And so, when at the end of the video my rescuer realises that it is only the will to love that is required to come to my aid, as opposed to having to fight through strife, battles, and failures, I knew that Neil understood the depth of my belief in this notion.”
“Our protagonist is trapped in his virtual cell waiting for the female heroine (the princess) to come to his rescue,” adds director/animator Neil Whitman. “I had great fun designing the band members as 8-bit characters as well as designing the princess and various levels for our heroes to venture through. Setting the game in mediaeval times helped me to subvert the usual tired traditions of the prince rescuing the princess and play around with audience expectations.”
The band have also announced their re-arranged tour dates.
The legendary Pixies shared their new single, ‘Vault of Heaven’, this week which you can check out above. The song comes from upcoming album, ‘Doggerel’, which is out September 30th.
Jamie Lenman has unveiled the video for his new single, ‘Talk Hard’, which you can watch above.
The first hint at a leaner and more mainstream leaning sound to come from his new material, commenting on the single Lenman says: “I’ve been trying for a long time to do something a bit more melodic, and Talk Hard is the first flowering of that. People tell me they can hear Weezer in there which is great as they’ve always been heroes of mine, particularly the first two albums.”
“Lyrically it’s about standing up for yourself, for making sure that your voice is heard by people you feel are ignoring you—be that your friends, your family, your boss or even your government. It’s about encouraging and empowering people, standing behind them and lending them your support. Very positive, after all the negative feelings from King Of Clubs.”
In a crossover into his alternate universe sideline stage-managing cabaret shows, the video for the track stars Lenman and hula-hoop performer Amazi Hoops. It was directed by Jen Hingley from Manchester alt-rock band False Advertising, who also plays guitar in Lenman’s live band.
“I consciously tried to not cook up any ideas of my own for this track so that Jen could have free reign without my interference,” explains Lenman of the concept for the video. “She came up with this tin can idea that I really liked. It seemed very similar to the kind of videos we used to make back in the band days, with a quirky concept and even a little mystery. We went and did it in one day, filmed in the same room where the band rehearse and the fields nearby, and it came out great!”
THE HARA have been busy making a name for themselves, including appearing on our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist. Now, the group are taking the next steps in their career with the news that their debut album, ‘SURVIVAL MODE’, will be released March 3rd.
This week the band shared the first single to come from the record and you can listen to, ‘Rockstar’, above.
Southend’s Asylums this week shared their soaring power-pop single, ‘Understand the Psychology’, which you can check out above. The song features on upcoming album, ‘Signs of Life’, which is out October 14th.
On producing the current single from ‘Signs of Life’, Dave Eringa enthuses, “Understand The Psychology” is a great example of how Luke’s songwriting has developed – it retains all the power that Asylums have always had but welds it to a pop melody with Cobain-esque panache!”
Danish industrial metalcore quintet The Interbeing, are back with their new single, ‘Eternal Eclipse’.
“Eternal Eclipse is the final chapter on this album and we really wanted to symbolize the eclipse in the graphics in the video which starts and ends with an eclipse. The song is about the ultimate annihilation but also the need to revolt the eclipse and to overcome it. “I pray for no-one” is a repeating phrase which shows a rebellion against the religious perspective on life.
This song was fluent to write and record but the break-down piece in the middle was randomly written with our drummer who wanted a sub-level tone on the guitar. Finally we love the dystopian and melancholic vibes in the chorus and it is an epic resolution to close the album of Icon of the Hopeless.” -Dara Corcoran, vocalist
Krooked Tongue – ‘When the Beaches Bleed’
Bristol-based rock trio Krooked Tongue release new single, ‘When the Beaches Bleed’.
Speaking about the upcoming single, vocalist and lyricist Oli Rainsford says, “Beaches, to me, is the ultimate homage to something I’ve always been in awe of. Big wave surfing is next level crazy and it’s an art that carries with it, high risk. This song is a tip of the hat but also, I think, doubles as a notion to not be scared to take risks and also not to fear failure. It’s a cosmic ‘fuck you, try it again’ that we often need to be encouraged to carry out. Confidence is key.”
Regent – ‘Just A Revolution‘
Regent have just released their debut album including the single, ‘Just A Revolution’.
Frontman Ben Rooke explains,“This is a track I wrote when I first decided to get back into music seriously, and it came at a time when I was at my worst, taking lots of drugs and going through a bad break up.
The song is about moving away to the other side of town and into the countryside. It also quotes the start of Regent as a band/idea/thing I wanted to create.. I formed the band and current line up three years later, after getting clean from Class A drugs.”
The bulk of our News Report this week will focus on the great new music releases of the past week, but first a handful of new tour announcements!
Up first, the legendary Status Quo will be on the road again in 2022 and this past week the band revealed an Arena Tour for late in the year. The ‘Xmas 22 Tour’ will see support from Shakin’ Stevens and concludes at Wembley Arena.
Fightstar and Busted man Charlie Simpson will head out on a solo UK Tour next year in support of his upcoming album, ‘Hope Is A Drug’. That albums arrived March 11th and the tour will start two days later in Dublin.
Our final tour announcement comes from Fatherson who also revealed the release of their latest album ‘Normal Fears’. The record will arrive on February 25th and is preceded by new single, ‘Normal People’.
You can check out the single below, with pre-order and ticket information here.
We turn our focus fully now onto new music releases as our News Report continues. This week saw Beans On Toast debut his latest track, ‘Humans’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on new album, ‘Survival of the Friendliest’ which arrives on December 1st.
There was also new music this week from one of the hottest new acts in the UK, Bob Vylan. The duo released their latest single, ‘GDP’ and announced their new album, ‘The Price of Life’ will be arriving 22nd April.
We said there were plenty of new music releases for our News Report this week and next up are Puppy. This week saw the band unveil their latest single, ‘The Kiss’, which you can check out above.
