The 2023 Full Pelt Awards are here and you can have your say from our shortlists below!
Votes here will be tallied with those on Social Media, plus weighted votes from our Full Pelt staff with the winners all revealed in a special Magazine on New Year’s Day!
Our 2023 Album of the Year will be revealed on our Social Media on Christmas Day! Let us know your favourite album of the year in the comments and be sure to follow us across social media to be the first to see who wins our award!
Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the sixth issue now for free!
Volume six includes an update from cover stars Dream Nails, reviews of Ash, The Subways and Muse live and a load more!
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Mike Shinoda, Normandie, The Cadillac Three, Tesseract, Haunt The Woods, Millie Manders and the Shutup, LĂLĂ, Tropic Gold and BLACKGOLD!
Plus new live announcements from Within Temptation, Tenacious D, The Gaslight Anthem, 2000trees, Suede, Manic Street Preachers, Beartooth, Blackberry Smoke, The Sleeping Souls and Sean McGowan.
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our âDiscoverâ New Music Playlist with modernlove., Break Fifty and Noah and the Loners!
From Stadiums, to Arenas and now some of the best intimate venues in the UK!
Circa Waves have announced details of a special run of UK live dates from which a portion of the profits will be donated to local foodbanks in each town they are touring through.
The band had the following to say about the decision to show their support.
âWeâre so happy to be supporting food banks on our next tour. In this current climate where the cost of living crisis is hitting everyone we know that being able to feed your family is no longer a given. We will be playing a handful of small intimate shows with a percentage of profits going to local food banks in each area. Canât wait to see you there.â
Greta Van Fleet this week shared their latest offering, ‘The Falling Sky’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Starcatcher’, which is out on 21st July.
âAn unwavering warrior carrying on the endless, eternal, and impossible battle for salvation; these were the elements of symbolism associated with this particular track,â explains guitarist Jake Kiszka. âIn essence our fate is sealed, alike the stars that fall from the almighty heavens to the earth. This philosophy is carried through in the story of a bluesman, at the crossroads of the universe.â
Bowling For Soup announce ‘Songs People Actually Liked – Volume 2’
Bowling For Soup – ‘1985 (BFS Version)’
Bowling For Soup have revealed details of new collection, ‘Songs People Actually Liked – Voume 2’, which focuses on tracks from 2004 to 2009.
You can check out a new BFS version of their hit single, ‘1985’, above.
Here are some thoughts from BFS main man Jaret Reddick about the upcoming Volume 2 of their Greatest Hits:
“Having a âGreatest Hitsâ is one of things you sort of dream about as a kid, but deep down, itâs more if a fantasy really. Now here we are realizing our second and we have nearly made it to half way through our career.
I was nervous about these songs. Sonically, on the originals, they were already âthere.â But I think like everything in our band, the years add something to the luster, and it certainly happened here!
The songs are still intact with their original selves. But I think you will feel a different energy. In a good way.”
Holding Absence continue to build towards the release of upcoming new album, ‘The Noble Art of Self Destruction’, which is out August 25th.
Recently the group share new single, ‘Honey Moon’, which you can check out above.
The band shared, “‘Honey Moon’Â is perhaps Holding Absenceâs most beautiful song to date! A track inspired by the Pixies and Deftones – this is a lovesick poem that looks to the stars to portray a deep, isolated yearning for the love of another.”
Underoath have shared their newest stand-alone single, ‘Lifeline (Drowning)’, which you can check out above.
Speaking on the new single, Underoath said ââLifeline (Drowning)â is a cry for help⌠I feel like weâve all been there, be it as simple as miscommunication or a full on toxic relationship – that very feeling that you cannot tread water like this any longer or you may end up drowning. We wanted to create a song centered around the melody that could still hold the energy of a full blown heavy song.â
Caskets, who recently announced their new album, âReflectionsâ, for an August 11th release, have released an affirming new single, âBetter Way Outâ, which you can check out above.
Speaking of the track, frontman Matt Flood says, âBetter Way Out is a song that relates to suicidal thoughts and tendencies. It’s a song about noticing and understanding the trials and tribulations of life, about rising above the feelings of depression and anxiety and knowing your self worth. To have somebody say that they see you and they hear you, or to have a community by your side while you go through these daily battles isn’t something afforded to everybody. So many of us can blindly walk through the barriers that we build inside our heads, alone without a shoulder to cry on or a friend to lend an ear.â
âNo matter what you’ve been through and might still be going through… there are always routes out of your situation.â he states. âYou are strong, you are beautiful, you are loved and you are enough. Don’t walk that road alone. We all need each other.â
Fixation have announced details of their highly anticipated debut album. ‘More Subtle Than Death’ will be released September 8th.
Fixation states: âWe didnât want to limit ourselves to one particular sound, although the album sounds like Fixation as a whole, there are songs that are more poppy, more heavy, more grandiose and symphonic and more straight forward rock songs. The subjects in the songs are things that frightens and worries us about the state of the world today. These are things that we want to see change in.â
You can check out the latest single from the band ‘Flat Earth’ above.
Grian Chatten has released his debut album, ‘Chaos for the Fly’, and ahead of the release he shared the last pre-release single, ‘All of the People’, which you can check out above.
On the single Grian explains: âAll of the people is the stiff collar tight-fisted hand to the grindstone written where all is blue and everyone is a liar. It is a line of chalk scratched around the world.â
Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble this week announced his new band Almost Nothing and shared their debut single, ‘Anything Whatever’, which you can check out above.
The band have also revealed their self-titled debut album will arrive later this year with pre-orders here.
Dragonforce singer Marc Hudson has revealed details of his debut solo album, ‘Starbound Stories’, which is out August 25th.
This week saw Hudson share lead single, ‘Astralive’, which you can check out above.
Hudson on the single, ââAstraliveâ is the first single from the album and takes the listener on a power metal journey through space and time. This song explores the cosmic mysteries of the universe and mankind’s eternal search for wisdom beyond the stars.â
Hudson adds, âIt is with great pride that I can finally announce my signing to Napalm Records. I’m very grateful for the label’s belief in me as a solo artist and can’t wait to have Napalm on my side to show Starbound Stories to the world!â
Illinois pop punk 5-piece Wilmette has released, ‘No One Knew’, the next single off the band’s long-awaited debut full-length, ‘Hyperfocused’, out on August 4th.
Vocalist Aaron Hailey says, âItâs about the guilt of not being able to help someone through a hard time, and the helpless feeling that comes with being there while they struggle.â
Guitarist Griffin Guge adds, “We tracked this song exactly halfway through the recording process. It was a point where we thought we knew where the record was going until we got to this song.
There was a lot of room to grow on the track, and we definitely got excited to experiment with a lot of cool guitar sounds. One of my favorites of which is in the bridge. We used a variety of unconventional guitar techniques as well as pedals to quite literally make it sound like the song is breaking and the building youâre in is coming down. I think it was very fitting for the part.”
Major Moment – ‘Overcome’
Pop-Metal band Major Moment are back with their new single âOvercomeâ!
ââOvercomeâ was inspired by our music journey and is about prevailing over difficult times and persevering against all odds. But if we zoom out and look at our everyday lives, full of conflicts, health issues, losses, financial struggles, aspirations, wins and failures, we see a similar theme everyone can relate to, the one of pain and, as a result of overcoming it, personal growth. âOvercomeâ is the anthem made for all creators out there struggling to get their voices heard, doubting every day if itâs worth fighting for.â – Vocalist, Sasha.
Crushed By Waves – ‘Won’t Get Out Alive’
UK alt-rockers Crushed By Waves have shared new single, ‘Won’t Get Out Alive’.
Crushed By Waves write from experience, with the new track being a statement of why they are putting everything into their art.  The band explain:
“Won’t Get Out Alive is all about keeping the faith, pushing through the hardest times, holding on, and never giving up, even if it kills us. When we see our music can bring a room full of strangers together, the energy in that room is worth dying for, it actually gives us life.â
Itâs been another big revival year for the music industry following the pandemic years, and itâs been another year of growth for us at Full Pelt Music! Weâve reviewed 67 albums, 7 EPâs, 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 weâll 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. Weâll also once again be revealing our Single of the Year. All awards have seen fierce competition, as once again itâs been a high quality year for new releases.
On the live side of things, weâll 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 canât wait to share with you are favourites.
Lastly weâll look at the artists whoâve had special years as we award our Artist and âDiscoverâ New Artist of the Year awards. So without further ado, letâs 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.
âIMPERAâ from Ghost was able to take the crown this year but any of the top 10 couldâve taken that spot. âReelingâ from The Mysterines in particular would likely have won in any other year, but the majesty and magnificence of âIMPERAâ proved unbeatable.
Winner:
âImperaâ by Ghost
The contenders:
âReelingâ by The Mysterines, âFTHCâ by Frank Turner, âSkinty Fiaâ by Fontaines D.C. & âThe Price of Lifeâ by Bob Vylan
Previous Winners:
2021 â âBlue Weekendâ by Wolf Alice 2020 â âUltra Monoâ by IDLES
EP OF THE YEAR
For the first time this year, we are separating EPâs out of our main award and giving them their own pedestal. That alone is the truest compliment to the quality of EPâs on offer this year.
Again, all EPâs in our top 5 are worthy of the number one spot, but itâs âcoming of (r)ageâ from As Sirens Fall that pips it. Catchy as hell single, âheaven (spat us back out)â, helps elevate the release to be crowed our first ever EP of the Year.
Winner:
âcoming of (r)ageâ by As Sirens Fall
The contenders:
âFalse Startâ by James and the Cold Gun, âSCPâ by Oakman, âTyrantsâ by IOTA and âBLACKGOLDâ by BLACKGOLD
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
We look now at our Single or Song of the Year. In considering the award this year weâve considered the ear worms that have stayed with us after live performances. Weâve 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 âDangerousâ 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. Thatâs why that track is our 2022 Single of the Year!
Check out the winning single below:
The Mysterines – ‘Dangerous’
Winner:
âDangerousâ by The Mysterines
The contenders:
âTalk Hard’ by Jamie Lenman, âComplianceâ by Muse, âWicked Waysâ by Halestorm, âSpillwaysâ by Ghost
Previous Winners:
2021 â âTest of our Resolveâ from Press To MECO 2020 – âObeyâ 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 whatâs 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 â Download Pilot Festival 2020 â Wild Fields Festival
GIG OF THE YEAR
Weâve reviewed many gigs this year but in reality there could only ever be one winner. Rammsteinâs 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 â Bring Me The Horizon @ O2 Arena, London 2020 â 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 weâve 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, 2022âs 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 â Biffy Clyro 2020 â Frank Turner
âDISCOVERâ NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
As a publication we always want to put new music at the heart of what we do, and thatâs why our final award is perhaps our most important! Our âDiscoverâ New Artist of the Year is awarded to the act weâve chosen to highlight on our âDiscoverâ 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, âFractured Party Musicâ. 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 âDiscoverâ New Music Podcast and appear on The Full Pelt Music Podcast! Yes, fighting off some stiff competition for the âDiscoverâ 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 â Miss Vincent
So, thatâs it! Another year in the record books, itâs been another difficult year and it has again been particularly tough on the music industry. That said, weâve 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 đ¸ (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music
We hope youâve enjoyed our The Year in Review 2022 and we wish you a very Happy New Year. Hereâs hoping 2023 is a good one!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the best tour announcements from the last seven days and that begins with more huge stadium shows from Coldplay.
After the success of their ‘Music of the Spheres’ stadium tour this summer, the band have revealed that they will return with multiple shows in both Manchester and Cardiff in 2023!
Another artist with new tour dates to reveal this past week was KT Tunstall. Tunstall will be hitting the road hard early next year along with special guest Andy Burrows.
Tunstall’s new album, ‘NUT’, is out September 9th.
Rounding out the tour announcements in our News Report this week are Himalayas who have revealed that they will head out around the UK later this year.
We move our News Report onwards now to the best new releases from the past week. Arctic Monkeys have announced their long-awaited new album, ‘The Car’, will be out October 21st!
Muse debut video for ‘YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE IT’S HALLOWEEN’
Muse – ‘YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE IT’S HALLOWEEN’
The week saw Muse release new album, ‘WILL OF THE PEOPLE’, on which Matt Bellamy says:
âWill Of The People was created in Los Angeles and London and is influenced by the increasing uncertainty and instability in the world. A pandemic, new wars in Europe, massive protests & riots, an attempted insurrection, Western democracy wavering, rising authoritarianism, wildfires and natural disasters and the destabilization of the global order all informed Will Of The People.
It has been a worrying and scary time for all of us as the Western empire and the natural world, which have cradled us for so long are genuinely threatened. This album is a personal navigation through those fears and preparation for what comes next.â
Muse also debuted the new video for single, ‘YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE IT’S HALLOWEEN’, which you can check out above.
Alien Weaponry debut video for ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’
Alien Weaponry – ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’
We continue our News Report with Alien Weaponry who have shared a video for ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ taken from their ‘Tangaroa’ album.
“This was an absolute blast to film! ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’ represents the growth I’ve experienced throughout my life and putting to bed demons from the past. The video captures the meaning well – the broken objects representing said demons. Itâs the rough times in life that make you who you are, as long as you rise above it.” – Lewis de Jong
Ayron Jones debuted new single, ‘Filthy’, this week which you can listen to above.
âWhere Iâm from the word âFilthyâ is used as the highest compliment in the land. It means that you are so good at what you do and who you are that it should be a sin,â shared Jones. âThatâs what was on my mind when I began working on this song. I wanted to celebrate counterculture and promote pride in what means to be considered âdifferent.ââ
This week saw Eva Under Fire reveal the release dates for their highly anticipated debut album, ‘Love, Drugs & Misery’, which will arrive September 23rd.
Thrilled to be sharing the news, lead singer Eva Marie said, âWeâre super excited to finally be releasing our album Love, Drugs & Misery. We canât wait to show you guys the full scope of what weâve been working on for so long. It was kind of a wild ride because when weâd completed the record, we were super proud of it, it was some of our best writing to date, and then the world shut down. Itâs been long-awaited, much-anticipated, and thereâs so much heart and soul in this record. I canât wait for you guys to experience it with us.â
Recent guests on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast guests IOTA returned this week with a new single, ‘Sometimes’.
Speaking about the single, vocalist Jodie Robinson states, âThis song was written about a loved one after a freak accident that I witnessed. It really put everything into perspective and threw me into a realm of gratitude with a whole new found respect for having that person in my life. It’s a love letter to this person and a reminder to appreciate what you have before it’s too late.â
‘Never Felt Before’ is the new single from Final Stair who release debut album, ‘Hope’ on September 30th.
The band comments: â Never Felt Before is about the passionate attraction between two people. It’s about a special moment. You can feel the excitement at first glance. Your hands are starting to sweat and your stomach is tingling. They both have the same overwhelming feelings towards each other that just can’t be described. You’ve just never experienced anything like it.
When we wrote the song, we didn’t have to think twice. We realized very quickly that this song describes the topic of passion very well, as it rushes forward uncompromisingly from start to finish, is incredibly intense and hardly leaves any time to breathe.â
Northern Captives – ‘Every High’
‘Every High’ is the latest track from Northern Captives.
âMusically we wanted this song to push the dynamics to far extremes. We boiled down our verses to just kick, snare, bass, and vocals to match the intimacy of Cook’s lyrics. We kept drum parts very percussive, staying away from unnecessary ringing crashes allowed us to sonically explore low fi and broken textural sounds which would normally have been lost under cymbals.
We allowed the choruses to explode into a rich and dark sounding textural wall featuring distorted guitars and keys that amplified the desperation in the hook line âwhy must every high come down? Wonât you stay around?ââ â Northern Captives
Dohny Jep – ‘Wine And Dine’
Kent-based alternative-rock trio Dohny Jep share new single, ‘Wine And Dine’.
. “Wine and Dine in its purest form is about love. Itâs about those first moments of meeting someone new and the adventures that you are about to go on together, but also those first moments of conflict and how you pull together to get through those harder moments,” says vocalist Pete Herbert.
It always feels like a momentous occasion whenever superstar rockers Muse release a new studio album. The otherworldly act are shrouded in the grandiose with their over the top visual presentations.
âWill of the Peopleâ is the groups ninth studio album and has seen the band mix up their approach slightly with the first glimpse of new music coming on social media in a video filmed in frontman Matt Bellamyâs car. A handful of festival appearances and shows have followed as promotion has been ramped up, but really there hasnât seemed to be the usual sense of anticipation.
That is until the play button is pushed and the opening of âWill of the Peopleâ instantly grabs hold of you and screams that Muse are back! Second track âComplianceâ serves as confirmation that the over the top and grandiose soul of Muse is in full effect.
âLiberationâ shows that âWill of the Peopleâ isnât a one trick pony before âWonât Stand Downâ escalates the intensity as the album continues to ebb and flow. Yes, the various musical identities of Muse are seemingly all present and correct on this all encompassing record.
The hard rocking, symphonic, galactic, political and quite frankly absurd sonic buffet on offer will surely be enough to please Muse fans of all ages. It really does feel like the band have just thrown everything at the wall to see what sticks like a maniacal splatter painter in the midst of a moral breakdown.
âKilled or Be Killedâ, whilst a standout track could also be the bands motto at this point, and there is no way that they will allow themselves to be killed! Sit back, strap yourself in and enjoy the majestic lunacy of Muse at full throttle!
Broadcast details and additional guests for the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Show
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with an update on the two Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts scheduled to take place next month in London and Los Angeles.
The two shows promise to deliver a spectacular celebration of the life of the legendary drummer. The already stacked list of special guests joining Foo Fighters grew this week with London additions including the likes of Travis Barker, Justin Hawkins, Brian Johnson and Lars Ulrich.
Those not lucky enough to have tickets were also provided details this week of both livestream and on demand options to watch the London show as below:
A singular piece of festival news in our News Report this week and it comes from Croydon event Cro Cro Land!
Our recent ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast guests BERRIES have joined a packed line-up with the likes of She Drew The Gun, Dream Wife, Bang Bang Romeo, Big Joanie, Wooze, Fraulein and more!
Red Hot Chili Peppers debut new single ‘Tippa My Tongue’
Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Tippa My Tongue’
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and where better to start than with the new single from Red Hot Chili Peppers?
The group surprised fans recently with the announcement that new album, ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, will be released on October 14th.
Now the iconic band have given the first taste of what to expect with new track, ‘Tippa My Tongue’, which you can check out above.
The Struts shared their new single, ‘Fallin’ With Me’, this week, and you can give it a listen above.
âThe songâs lyrics were written down whilst on numerous nights out with someone that I was seeing at the time,â frontman Luke Spiller says. âWe always kept meeting at the same place on the Sunset Strip and after a while I had a collection of phrases and lines that all had a certain feel to them.â
âThe songâs lyrics were written down whilst on numerous nights out with someone that I was seeing at the time,â Spiller says. âWe always kept meeting at the same place on the Sunset Strip and after a while I had a collection of phrases and lines that all had a certain feel to them.â
âFallinâ With Meâ is something that The Struts have never done before. We’ve done a lot of straight-up rock, but this feels different,â Spiller says. âThe response we have been getting while performing it live has been electric, so I’m excited for everyone to hear the studio version!â
As they prepare for the main stage at Reading & Leeds Festivals, DMA’s have shared their brand new single, ‘I Don’t Need To Hide’, which you can check out above.
Guitarist Jonny Took comments: âThereâs a confidence you obtain when you find someone who loves you for all your faults, quirks and obscurities. They make you feel like you donât need to hide anything from anyone anymore.â
The Murder Capital share video for single ‘Only Good Things’
The Murder Capital – ‘Only Good Things’
Our News report continues with news that The Murder Capital have shared the video for their single, ‘Only Good Things’, which you can watch above.
Speaking on the new single, front man James McGovern says,
âThis track for us has been an exciting evolution for the band. Itâs so bright. Itâs so colorful. This is a part of the narrative of the overall record that we feel reaches a real place of inner calm, inner peace but at its core, itâs a love song. You get a song like this where, the protagonist in this song is quite simply asking – not pleading – just willing to ask their counterpart to rid them of their intrusive thoughts, the devils on their shoulders and to be truly vulnerable.
Weâre so excited to go to a place like this because perhaps itâs not what is expected of us. It stood out to me during the creation of this record that it is more about the friends that are still here and celebrating those connections, those relationships and being unafraid of life and itâs many seasons. Where âOnly Good Thingsâ stands within the record is at a moment where the sonic and the lyrical narrative especially, are of newfound joy.â
Beth Orton has shared her new single, ‘Friday Night’, which you can listen to above. The track will feature on new album, ‘Weather Alive’, which is out September 23rd.
Orton states, âFriday Night is someone reflecting on, and trying to decide, what to give up or what to surrender to. Passion or ambivalence? Whether to âbleed or rust in the rain.â
âMost of us are struggling to make sense of where to put the love we have for those that are lost to us, let alone the ones that remain. Sometimes there is no right answer except to find the wisdom in the spaces between the endings and beginnings, in the remembrance of things past or in search of lost time, there are always re-percussions to the choices we make. We are listening to the internal dialogue of someone living it out, what is futile and what is worth fighting for, and trying to do as little damage along the way. Friday night being the night that makes the week more bearable, there is hope.
âComing to realise what is real and what is out of reach can be unbelievably painful, waking up to the love that remains can be the greatest gift and the most wonderful surprise. Even in absence there is presence, there is no escape but to look for where the love is still alive within us.â
As ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist alumni, Liverpool’s Courting prepare to release their debut album, ‘Guitar Music’, on September 23rd, the group have dropped a new single.
You can listen to that single, ‘Jumper’, above.
Speaking on the new single, frontman Murphy-OâNeill says, âJumper is an outlier on the album. It is a gentle story of true unrequited love, meant to playout like a 2006 romcom. It is about growing old and believing everything will fall into place, the mundanity of doing dishes, and leaving oppositional film reviews.â
There was new music on offer this week from The Skinner Brothers, who debuted the title track of their upcoming EP, ‘Lonedon’.
Zac Skinner says, âI wanted the EP to have a mixtape kind of feel. Itâs four different songs which I feel captures the essence of the band at this point.â
You can listen to the track above, and pre-order the EP here.
Many Reading & Leeds performers are sharing new music, another being Witch Fever. The band has debuted their latest single, ‘I Saw You Dancing’, which you can check out above.
The song will feature on their debut album, ‘Congregation’, which is out October 21st.
On the track Amy Walpole says, âThis is a song on the album that weâre really excited about as really itâs the first time weâve written and allowed a song to have space and time to breathe! Weâve been so used to writing quick thrashy tunes it was fun to experiment and write slower ones for the album. We really love the drone of the guitar, the rattle of the bass and the reverb on the snare drum, as well as the vocals being a little more relaxed and expressiveâ.
Speaking on the video Amy adds, âHorror has always been a genre that weâve drawn inspiration from for lyrics and artwork because itâs such a potent and multi-layered genre. Horror has such a potential for holding a mirror up to society to reveal the oppression it continues to uphold. Typical elements of horror include violence, suspense, fear and the abject which are powerful fictional tools to expose the dark underbelly of society. Horror isnât known for being the most progressive or inclusive genre, often centring straight white men, and portraying women and people of colour as either helpless victims, monstrous villains, or a side story to push the male characters plot line forward. Furthermore horror has also historically ignored the existence of marginalised genders and members of the LGBTQ+ community.â
Walpole says on the album, âAs our first album weâre really excited to just get it out there. We feel that itâs a step above what weâve done before as we had a chance to experiment with sound and structure. It was our first opportunity to explore writing a body of work which was challenging but has been so rewarding!â
She continues, âIt pushed our creative process because we also had to think about the songs sitting side by side on an album! We tried to break out of what makes a typical âwitch feverâ song whilst still being true to what makes our sound what it is.â
South London trio PVA have shared a new single titled, ‘Bad Dad’, which you can listen to above. The track comes ahead of new album, ‘Blush’, which is out October 14th.
Speaking on the themes of the single, Ella Harris says âBad Dad explores the internal world of a new father checking in on his son at night, afraid of the lineage of masculinity and how it might impact someone so untainted.â
On their debut album: âWe wanted to surprise people and do something more than just get across how we sound at a gig,â explains drummer Louis Satchell. âItâs quite an anxious record sometimes that is relating to mental health issues and carries within it the anxiety of making an album. Itâs been a rocky ride but we always pick ourselves up.â
The new music continues in our News Report as this week The Beths presented their new single, ‘Knees Deep’, which you can check out above.
The track comes from forthcoming album, ‘Expert In A Dying Field’, which is out September 16th.
Liz Stokes shares: âI’m the kind of person who wants to go swimming, but takes like ten minutes to get all the way into the cold water, slowly and painfully. I hate this about myself, and am kind of envious of people who can just jump straight in the deep end. In a shocking twist, this is also a metaphor?! For how I wish I was the kind of person who was brave and decisive instead of cautious and scared.â
Glasgow’s Humour share their latest single, ‘live and well’.
Frontman Andreas had the following to say about how the song came together:
“Alive and Well came together quite suddenly after a prolonged period of trying to make it work. Jack and Ross had written the bones of the song, and showed it to me with the music in a more or less complete form. They sent me a voice note in which they were muttering along to the music, saying things like âI was so confused, I couldnât understand it. Everyoneâs pissed off at me,â and I could hear laughing, and didnât think they were that serious about those being the lyrics.
Jack then suggested that I scream the lyrics as loudly as I could, which sounded right for the song when I did. I wanted the vocal to sound like somebody drunk and feeling sorry for themselves. I then wrote the lyrics to the chorus, which are loosely about getting away from a place and a feeling, but sensing that you wonât ever manage to.”
Dog Race – ‘Terror’
Bedford’s Dog Race have shared their debut single, ‘Terror’.
Vocalist Katie Healy had the following to say about the themes behind the single:
“Terror was written during a time of DPDR and anxiety episodes where I would frequently wake up screaming in the night due to night terrors. I tried to encapsulate something that spoke of a period of turmoil but important growth in my early 20âs, an experimental experience where I thought if Iâd embrace these night terrors instead of hiding from them in the hope I could put them to rest completely.”
Young Fatigue – ‘love/them’
Punk trio Young Fatigue return with their latest single, ‘love/them’.
âlove/them is a protest song against the parents of LGBTQ+ children who fail to accept and embrace their kids. It’s something that particularly enrages me because I remember when my mum came out to me and my siblings when I was a teenager. We found it so overwhelmingly easy to embrace and celebrate her; after all, she was our mum.
Yet time and time again I’ve watched as the families of my friends have failed to accept their sexuality and/or gender identity. My mumâs also an artist and kindly allowed us to use one of her wonderful pieces for the songâs artwork. She created it during a particularly difficult stage in her life and we felt it perfectly represented the power of turning something dark into something truly beautiful.â – Ash Dixon (Lead singer and Guitarist)
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report! This week is dominated by incredible new releases, so that’s exactly where we begin; and where better to start than with superstars Muse!
This week the band shared their latest single, ‘Kill or Be Killed’, which you can check out above. The single will feature on their upcoming new album, ‘Will of the People’, which is out August 26th!
ââKill Or Be Killedâ is MUSE at their heaviest! We wanted to update our hard rock sound on this album and with KOBK we found a modern metal sound featuring double bass drum action and even a death growl. Lyrically the song takes influence from my favourite Paul McCartney song âLive And Let Dieâ, a dark take on how lifeâs adversity can sometimes bring out the worst human instincts to survival at any costs.â â Matt Bellamy
Red Hot Chili Peppers announce ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’
Red Hot Chili Peppers surprised fans this week with the revelation that they will be releasing a new studio album this year!
‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, will be available October 14th, and the band had the following to say:
“We went in search of ourselves as the band that we have somehow always been. Just for the fun of it we jammed and learned some old songs. Before long we started the mysterious process of building new songs. A beautiful bit of chemistry meddling that had befriended us hundreds of times along the way. Once we found that slip stream of sound and vision, we just kept mining.
With time turned into an elastic waistband of oversized underwear, we had no reason to stop writing and rocking. It felt like a dream. When all was said and done, our moody love for each other and the magic of music had gifted us with more songs than we knew what to do with. Well we figured it out. 2 double albums released back to back.
The second of which is easily as meaningful as the first or should that be reversed. ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’ is everything we are and ever dreamed of being. Itâs packed. Made with the blood of our hearts.”
The iconic Ozzy Osbourne continues to prepare for the release of his latest studio album, ‘Patient Number 9’, which is due for release on September 9th.
This week saw the debut of new single, ‘Degradation Rules’ featuring Tony Iommi, which you can listen to above.
New music was also forthcoming this week from The Murder Capital, who debuted new track, ‘Only Good Things’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the new single, frontman James McGovern says,
âThis track for us has been an exciting evolution for the band. Itâs so bright. Itâs so colorful. This is a part of the narrative of the overall record that we feel reaches a real place of inner calm, inner peace but at its core, itâs a love song.
You get a song like this where, the protagonist in this song is quite simply asking – not pleading – just willing to ask their counterpart to rid them of their intrusive thoughts, the devils on their shoulders and to be truly vulnerable. Weâre so excited to go to a place like this because perhaps itâs not what is expected of us.
It stood out to me during the creation of this record that it is more about the friends that are still here and celebrating those connections, those relationships and being unafraid of life and itâs many seasons. Where âOnly Good Thingsâ stands within the record is at a moment where the sonic and the lyrical narrative especially, are of newfound joy.â
Another band with an album on the way is Dub War who will release ‘Westgate Under Fire’ on August 5th. This week they shared the latest single, ‘Art Of War’, which you can listen to above.
Speaking on the new single, Benji Webbe says, “Mikee âKRUPAâ Gregory was reading the book âThe Art of Warâ at the time that I was working on songs for the album, I thought it was a great title and just wrote a lot of words about Newport & Nazis.
Frankie Lodge (mentioned in the lyrics) was a guy with mental difficulties who once sang opera in the subway in Newport. Frankieâs mural features on the back cover of the album as he’s another piece of Newport history.
Spike T Smith really stepped up and brought the magic on the drums on this track.â
More great new music as our News Report continues and we turn now to The Virginmarys. The duo this week debuted new track, ‘You’re A Killer’, which you can listen to above.
VUKOVI also have a new album on the way. ‘NULA’ arrives on October 7th, but this week the duo debuted new single, ‘I EXIST’, which you can check out above.
Finally in our new releases section of our News Report, we have Deux Furieuses.
In a big news week the duo debuted new single, ‘Know The Score’, which you can listen to above, and announced new album, ‘Songs From Planet Earth’, which is out November 11th.
We do have a handful of tour announcements in our News Report this week, so let’s get started!
Japanese genre-blenders Crossfaith have announced the UK & EU leg of their upcoming ‘Atlas Of Faith World Tour‘, celebrating 15 years of the band!
Speaking of the tour, frontman Kenta ‘Ken’ Koie, says, “We just got back from festival run in Europe and had such a great time out there. As promised, weâll be returning back to UK & Europe and this will be our first headline tour since COVID.
I know that you guys have been waiting for it just like us so we are very excited to celebrate our 15th anniversary with all of you! We will play new songs and older songs as well, make sure to follow our discography and get sweaty with us! See you in the pit!”
Our final live announcement in our News Report this week, with no noteworthy festival updates, comes from Beans On Toast. The singer will return to the Clapham Grand next June.
Northern indie-pop artist Ellur returns with her new single ‘Close To You’.
Speaking on the single Ellur says, â’Close To You’ is a song about rejection and coping with it. I decided, last year, I wanted to write more songs that were about me and my relationship with myself. I think this process birthed some of my favourite lyrics Iâve ever written.â
3REE – ‘Demons’
Australian pop punk duo 3REE have teamed up with fellow Aussie and emo rapper Yung Gwopp for their brand new single âDemonsâ.
Speaking about the inspiration for the track 3REE drummer Sean Tighe says, âThis song came to me in a dream, after a nightmare I had. I woke up in the middle of the night with the lyrics and melodies still distinctly in my mind. I immediately put it all down in a voice note and sent it to Mitch. It was that powerful.â
Continuing vocalist and guitarist Mitch Volcan says, âSean sent me the voice memo and I quickly went to the studio with the verse he sent me and the chorus just came to me all in one go. Itâs definitely from a dark place but itâs also the realest thing weâve ever written.â
About the collaboration Yung Gwopp says, âWhen the boys sent me âDemonsâ I was instantly a fan. I just knew I had to throw a verse down.â
Elessar – ‘GOLD’
Pop-Rock trio Elessar present their foot stomping new single âGOLDâ.
âI wrote GOLD at a time when the entire world had been locked up, itâs about the good vibes only with friends who have inevitably moved on to their next stages in life, kids, marriage, houses. And how the pandemic lockdown made us realise how much we took our friends for granted. Iâd have given it all up to go back to that one weekend when money and inhibitions werenât an issue.â – Front man Ricky Powell.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report! We start this week with the best tour announcements from the past week, and up first is the above run of dates from Kasabian.
Fresh from playing Knebworth with Liam Gallagher, the band has announced four huge shows set for later this year. Support for the shows comes from The Lathums.
Kasabian also debuted their latest single this week ahead of their new album, ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ on August 5th. Listen to ‘CHEMICALS’ below.
Kasabian – ‘CHEMICALS’
âIt is me telling myself that it is going to be okayâ Serge Pizzorno said of the track.
âIt was me seeing myself in those few weeks when everything kicked off. It’s the future me saying to that person: ‘This is shit, but don’t worry, it will get better.â So having a song about talking to yourself is universal, I think. We all have to find a way to deal with the complications, the mess and the mortality of life.â
Of the new album Serge adds: âOne thing about this record I feel over the other ones, is it definitely feels like a body of work that belongs together. It was a beautiful moment in mastering hearing it as a piece. I think it really holds up in our seven albumsâŚ.The Magnificent Sevenâ
Also hitting the road in September will be hotly tipped newcomer Cassyette. The ‘Sad Girl Summer’ Tour will hit six venues including the O2 Academy in Islington.
We move now onto the best festival announcements as our News Report continues.
With Live at Leeds holding this first outdoor event this week, they also revealed the line-up for their traditional city based event.
Acts includes Pale Waves, Working Men’s Club, Sea Power, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Skinner Brothers, Anorak Patch, Chappaqua Wrestling, The Native and many more.
Speaking about headlining Live At Leeds: In The City, Heather Baron-Gracie of Pale Wavessaid: âWeâre super excited to be headlining this yearâs Live At Leeds: In The City! Itâs always been a great city for us and a fun one to play, we canât wait to be back to play some tracks from our new album âUnwantedâ.â
Speaking about Live At Leeds: In The City 2022, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said: âAs we get ready for the inaugural edition of Live At Leeds: In The Park, weâre delighted to announce the first wave of names for the festival that started it all – Live At Leeds: In The City.
Itâs been formative for so many artistsâ careers and weâre excited to be criss-cross across Leeds City Centre this October to discover more of our favourite new artists who are set to takeover in 2023 and beyond! Headliners Pale Waves are a great example of this, having stormed the Brudenell Social Club back in 2018 for an unforgettable set – so having them return to headline the festival as a whole is sure to be a real moment.
With many more to be announced, itâs going to be an incredible day and we canât wait to see everyone this October!â
More names were added to Y Not Festival this week with the Scruff of the Neck TV stage announcing the likes of BILK, October Drift, All The Young and more.
We move our News Report onwards now to the best new releases from the past week.
Where else to start other than Muse? The band debuted their latest single, ‘Will of the People’ this week. You can listen to the track above, which comes ahead of the album of the same name on August 26th.
Matt Bellamy says, ââWill of the Peopleâ is fictional story set in a fictional metaverse on a fictional planet ruled by a fictional authoritarian state run by a fictional algorithm manifested by a fictional data centre running a fictional bank printing a fictional currency controlling a fictional population occupying a fictional city containing a fictional apartment where a fictional man woke up one day and thought âfuck this.ââ
Bury Tomorrow release new single ‘LIFE (Paradise Denied)’
Bury Tomorrow – ‘LIFE’
Next up in our News Report, we have Bury Tomorrow. The band this week released their latest single, ‘LIFE (Paradise Denied)’, which you can check out above.
Frontman, Dani Winter-Bates admits âas we head into this new era of Bury Tomorrow we want our fans to be as excited as we are and equally as we head into festival season and this yearâs touring we hope this track gets people ready to go wild and celebrate the âreopeningâ of the live music industry. Life and Death were recorded as stand-alone singles and a small taste of whatâs to come next.”
The accompanying music video was directed and produced by the band’s long time friend, Aaran McKenzie (bassist in While She Sleeps). “Aaran is super-talented, proving his skills time and time again, we are grateful he could work his magic on such short notice and create such an awesome, raw video, that really suits everything the song is about.”
Speaking of the new era, the band share: âWe have all collectively faced the craziest upheaval in both our personal and professional lives over the last few years. However, this time has given the band a chance to focus on what Bury Tomorrow means to them, and has equally provided a chance to channel influences, creatively expand and move forward with a new, driven direction.â
This week also saw Hot Water Music share the video for their track, ‘Turn the Dial’, which you can watch above. The song features on their new album, ‘Feel The Void’.
Guitarist/vocalist Chris Cresswell had the following to share about the song itself: âTurn the dial for nothingâ is in reference to searching for something thatâs out there, while knowing that nothing youâll find will ever make you as happy as what you can create yourself. Finding yourself so tapped and so exhausted by all this kind of life entails, but also never being able to put that fire out. The search always continues.â
London duo WOOZE have announced their return with a propulsive new single titled ‘Bittersweet Timpani’.
Speaking on the new single, the band say the track is, âA song about walking home alone, dejected and rejected. We thought the pitiful, pity-party lyrics would juxtapose nicely with the muscular glam-rock bravado of the music.â
Headshrinkers – ‘The Sea Has No Friends’
Black Country-based newcomers Headshrinkers, release their new single, ‘The Sea Has No Friends‘, a stately slice of poetic rock that arrives in tandem with new EP, ‘Doorway Conversations’.
Of the story behind the track, vocalist and songwriter Garran Hickman explains:
âIt was quite the reflective day when I wrote that piece. Words and melody were both written in half an hour. Itâs just two entwined memories really: one is of my older relatives sharing stories of their loved ones in the war, and secondly the opening line, âthe sea has no friendsâ, are words my dad used to describe the sea.â
Final Stair – ‘Dreamhunter’
Berlin based three-piece Final Stair announce the launch of their new single and video, ‘Dreamhunter’.
The band comments: âEvery person pursues big goals, ambitions or a lifelong dream. But these are not always achievable, as they are made more difficult by hurdles or fate. Even if you fail in striving for your goals and dreams, you are always first and foremost a wonderful and unique person.â
Muse have stated that their new album, âWill of the Peopleâ, is âinfluenced by the increasing uncertainty and instability in the worldâ. For two nights in Hammersmith the band do what they do best in order to help. That is of course play live, and over Monday and Tuesday they raise money for 3 important causes â War Child, MĂŠdecins Sans Frontières and The Big Issue.
The chance to watch bona fide stadium-fillers Muse, oft recognised as the best live act on the planet, in the relative intimate surrounds of the Eventim Apollo is salivating and these shows arenât just sold out but the queue stretches and bends all around town.
There is no support for night one, but Razorlight do a superb job of warning up the audience on night two. Choosing to focus solely on their first two albums, the reunited band have the crowd singing along to hits such as âIn The Morningâ, âGolden Touchâ, âSomewhere Elseâ and âAmerica’.
Muse start both nights with the first single from their upcoming album, âWonât Stand Downâ, which already appears to be a fan favourite. Momentum is then maintained through a rip roaring âHysteriaâ and âPressureâ.
The setlist remains largely the same over the two nights with only a couple of alterations. Monday gets âBlissâ and âStockholm Syndromeâ, whilst Tuesday gets âMap Of The Problematique’ and âNew Bornâ.
There are rarities such as âAssassinâ, âThe Galleryâ and âCitizen Erasedâ, old favourites like âStarlightâ, âPlug In Babyâ and âSupermassive Black Holeâ and another new single, âComplianceâ. An ideal set mix really for fans at all investment levels, which finishes with a huge sing-a-long moment in the shape of âUprising’.
Throughout the shows the band look to be having fun, relishing the opportunity to return to the stage after two awful years for the world. Speaking of which, these shows arenât going to fix the mess that is Earth, but the money raised will help those in need; and those in attendance will be overjoyed at the majesty of Muse on top form.
An encore of âSpace Dementiaâ and perennial closer âKnights of Cydoniaâ provide a spectacular end to both the evenings and serve as a reminder of the genius of this band.
