It’s fitting that Paramore come back to the UK around Easter time as their return has been received much like the second coming. Yes, you’d struggle to find a more engaged and dedicated audience than the hardcore Paramore fanbase.
Tonight their tour arrives in London at the gargantuan O2 Arena. It’s within this cavernous space that opening act Rozi Plain serenade the early attendees. What I can hear sounds delightful however their sound does struggle to fill the venue.
Our next act don’t struggle with that issue however as indie icons Bloc Party deliver a short and succinct set that mixes old and new to good measure. The uninitiated in the crowd seem somewhat unsure of what they are watching, but those familiar like myself have a great time with this gem of the landfill indie era. How can anybody not perk up to the likes of ‘Banquet’, ‘Flux’ and ‘Helicopter’?
Soon enough the lights are dimmed and Paramore arrive on stage where they quickly deliver two new tracks ‘You First’ and ‘The News’ from recent album ‘This Is Why’. Soon thereafter classic tracks ‘That’s What You Get’ and ‘Playing God’ kick the evening into another level.
The dynamics of arena seating has always intrigued and annoyed me; particularly the perhaps controversial issue of whether fans in seating should stand up during the show. Personally, it’s fine but it needs to be all or nothing – either everyone stands or everyone sits, not little pockets of standing people ignoring the fact they are blocking the view of those around that remain seated.
The other thing that gets me is the disrespect of only standing during certain songs. Tonight it was telling the moment Hayley Williams said “my band are letting me play a solo song” or “Zac is going to sing a HalfNoise song” that the vast majority instantly sat down before even a note was played clearly indicating that they weren’t interested in even giving these tracks an opportunity.
This was a theme throughout the night with the older hits getting people stood up (usually to just film the song on their phones), and anything more obscure being treated with utter contempt. This isn’t of course a new phenomenon but it was very noticeable this evening.
Performance wise though, whether the audience reciprocated or not, the entire set was Paramore on top form. It was great to see the band clearly enjoying themselves again, something else which was evident from the night.
By the encore of ‘All I Wanted’ and ‘This Is Why’, the band have delivered the goods and the fans whether sat down or stood up are all clearly pleased with the show. It’s great to have the band back!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start off this week with the best tour announcements from the past week and up first is the return to the UK of Rival Sons this Autumn.
The band have announced their long-awaited return to the UK & Europe this autumn taking their two forthcoming new albums, ‘DARKFIGHTER’ and ‘LIGHTBRINGER’ on the road, across Europe for a 30-date run.
‘DARKFIGHTER’ is set to arrive worldwide June 2nd.
Guitarist Scott Holiday comments: “Dear friends on the other side of the pond, DARKFIGHTER is coming for you! AND LIGHTBRINGER is coming for you too! We’re finally able to come back to you and bring you NEW music! Music that has been firmly situated in our hearts. Nothing makes me happier than to think about experiencing these albums together and making them into something entirely new and different every night. Let’s make something symbiotic, alive, that we’ll want to remember forever!”
We move our News Report onwards now to the best new releases of the last week and start with Trophy Eyes.
The group have debuted their new single, ‘What Hurts The Most’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on newly announced upcoming album, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’, which will be out June 23rd.
“It’s the human experience,” says frontman John Floreani. “What we experience and how we navigate it. The millions of tiny flashes of light that are memories and thoughts and feelings and smells, all those little moments make up a lifetime. They’re beautifully tragic because they don’t mean anything to anyone, and on the scale of everything in the universe don’t mean a damn thing. But it’s so beautiful that they happen in the first place.”
Next up are The View who have released their latest single, ‘Neon Lights’, which you can listen to above.
The song comes from new album, ‘Exorcism of Youth’, which is out August 11th.
Bassist Kieran Webster says, “‘Neon Lights’ intends to hold a mirror up to today’s ultra capitalist society, and the institutions who keep this unfair system in place for their own benefit.”
Gengahr this week shared news that their new album, ‘Red Sun Titans’, will be out June 9th.
Coinciding with the release was new single, ‘In The Moment’, which you can check out above.
Speaking on the single, frontman Felix Bushe says, “‘In The Moment’ reflects upon the necessity to break away from our daily routine and create meaningful memories. As much as sunny days and laughter with friends, ‘In The Moment’ celebrates the late hours without inhibition, where dreams lead and tomorrow lingers.”
There was more new music this week from the fantastic Lottery Winners, as the band continue to prepare for the release of new album, ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’, which is out April 28th.
You can listen to their latest track, ‘Burning House’, above!
The Raven Age have debuted their latest single, ‘Serpents Tongue’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on new album, ‘Blood Omen’, which is due out on July 7th.
“‘Serpents Tongue’ from the off felt like a very special track for us,” says singer Matt James. “It’s that perfect balance between melodic and heaviness. There are so many different styles going on, but they all work and complement each other as a whole.”
Guitarist George Harris continues, “‘Serpents Tongue’ is one of our favourites from the album and we knew it’d be a single straight away. Conceptually, the song is about deceit and lies, how you can only truly trust yourself and the loneliness that comes with that.
“The music video was shot at Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire, which is an old derelict manor house that was also used to house American fighter pilots during the war. The concept is a play on the title ‘Serpents Tongue’ and is based around the character Medusa. We wanted to create a B-movie horror theme, in a haunted house/Addams Family style and have some fun with it. So that’s where the idea of having other creepy characters like the mummy, werewolf and three eyed man came from. They’re all invited along to a dinner party for the weird and wonderful, Medusa is taking orders from the Raven King and turns the guests to stone.”
Eva Under Fire have shared their version of Black Sabbath classic ‘War Pigs’, which you can check out above.
Frontwoman Eva Marie comments: “This cover pays tribute to yet another legend who has inspired us. My early days of falling in love with rock music included OzzFest and singing along to Black Sabbath on the way to school in the back of my parents minivan so it’s a bit of a full circle moment for me personally. It’s crazy that the lyrics in this song still ring true and are relevant today. Although the lyricism highlights the sad truth about the power hungry evils of the world, I also think it speaks volumes about how timeless this song really is. As a blue collar slave to the grind, I wanna thank Ozzy Osborne andBlack Sabbath for this one. Generations later, we feel heard because of your song”.
XANDRIA unveil video for ‘My Curse Is My Redemption’
XANDRIA – ‘My Curse Is My Redemption’
XANDRIA our next in our News Report with the new video for ‘My Curse Is Redemption’, which you can check out above.
XANDRIA on ‘My Curse Is My Redemption’: “As many of you Xandria fans have named this song as one of your favorites from the new album, we decided to make a video for it – with beautiful pictures underlining the meaning of the lyrics: Music, art, as something that can derive from painful experiences, and then not only heal you, but also others. It is a wonderful gift for us all then.
Another musical colour from the rich palette of our album “The Wonders Still Awaiting”, on which each song has its very own identity and its own atmosphere. This one is symphonic for sure, but also has some straight rock vibes, and a certain 80’s flavour to it. It is melancholic but also has a hopeful twist, in both the music and the lyrics.
We noticed that it is a wonderful song to play live – and we are looking forward to play that song for you on the upcoming tour!”
BLACKGOLD also had new music on offer this week through, ‘Villain’, which you can check out above.
“To villainize someone is to make them out to be the bad guy. This implies that they aren’t necessarily as bad as they’re being described. No matter how hard you try, you’ll always be the Villain someones story.” – Spookz – Vocals
After a phenomenal launch in early 2023 alternative artist paradise fell. has followed this up with their sophomore single titled ‘LOVE STAINED’.
“LOVE STAINED. was the beginning of our journey exposing a generation of forgotten voices. Lyrically this song helped me struggle amongst the midst of a twisted personal divorce. It quickly became a soundboard for me to build the vision of this project into. LOVE STAINED is a generational calling. A statement that in a day and age where instant gratification is so easily accessible, as a society we have become numb, stained by love and have lost touch with what that word really means”. – paradise fell.
Penny Rich – ‘Spirals’
‘Spirals’ is the latest single from Cardiff-based punk trio Penny Rich.
Discussing the meaning behind the track, the band explain: “‘Spirals’ is a song about finding futile solutions to life’s upward and downward spirals from the point of view of someone with underlying perfectionism and OCD. It explores the subconscious reflex of reaching for all-encompassing answers to your problems, be it a fad diet, a new routine, etc. Eventually, these solutions all ultimately fail, leaving you back at the bottom, at the start of the next spiral.
This song is very personal to Ant, who has long suffered with body dysmorphia stemming from underlying perfectionism and OCD. The song reflects the years of both physical and mental yo-yo’ing, leading to the conclusion that treating these underlying causes is the only way to eventually finding freedom from this never-ending cycle.”
Swear Blind – ‘Waster’
Alt-Rock Nottingham natives Swear Blind share their debut single, ‘Waster’.
Drew Lawson says: “a certain global event gave us the time to finish a project we’ve been working on for many years and to continue our writing. It gave us a new focus in doing the things that we love doing, plus it gave us a good reason to hang out! We’ve been mates for years so that wasn’t an opportunity we wanted to miss.”
For his second album Sean McGowan has unshackled himself from expectation and bet on himself. The stunning results speak for themselves as eleven songs spread over 31 minutes showcase one of the UK’s finest songwriters as his brutally honest best.
McGowan has always had a knack for capturing a true indictment of the current climate and with our country in a constant state of turmoil in recent years it’s no surprise that on ‘Who On Earth’, McGowan manages to articulate a fair few home truths.
More than just the odd fleeting jibe, McGowan’s lyrical outpouring is consistently relevant and sincere. Nothing is off limits it would seem as McGowan paints an accurate picture of Britain in 2023, and with his ability to rejuvenate the listener rather than drag them down, ‘Who On Earth’ is a statement of resistance rather than a message of surrender.
Throughout his career McGowan has always shown his lyricism to be fresh and frank, but on this album we get to experience a more expansive sonic frame for those words. The focus on making the most of his musical freedom is clear for all to hear and the likes of ‘On The Up’ and ‘Casanova’ are amongst the best work McGowan has ever produced.
It’s a difficult climate for musicians to navigate at the moment and ‘Who On Earth’ isn’t just brave from a business sense it’s bold and daring from a musical perspective. For an artist such as Sean McGowan to continue to surprise at this stage of their career is special and that just confirms McGowan as the extraordinary musician those familiar with his work have always known him to be.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the return of Greta Van Fleet, who have shared new single ‘Meeting the Master’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on their newly announced upcoming album, ‘Starcatcher’, which will be released July 21st.
On the single, the band notes, “‘Meeting The Master’ peers into an esoteric world heeded by the word of a wise teacher. Sung in the voice of a devout believer, and eventual group exclamation, the song details the love these fervent followers have for their teacher and their firm belief in his vision. It’s an exotic spiritual journey. A dark comedy that inevitably ends in chaos.”
With regards to the album, “We didn’t really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual,” Jake says. “If anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians.”
Throughout the ten-song collection the band explores the duality of fantasy versus reality and the contrast between light and darkness. “We had this idea that we wanted to tell these stories to build a universe,” says Wagner. “We wanted to introduce characters and motifs and these ideas that would come about here and there throughout our careers through this world.”
The band took multiple concepts from critically acclaimed second album The Battle at Garden’s Gate and brought them into Starcatcher, although Sam’s take on the new record’s big ideas hint instead at new beginnings. “When I imagine the world of Starcatcher, I think of the cosmos,” he says. “It makes me ask a lot of questions, like ‘Where did we come from?’ or ‘What are we doing here?’ But it’s also questions like, ‘What is this consciousness that we have, and where did it come from?’”
This week also saw Peter Gabriel share the latest taste of new album, ‘i/o’, with the release of the title-track.
Speaking about the new track, Gabriel says:
“This month the song is “i/o” and “i/o” means input / output. You see it on the back of a lot of electrical equipment and it just triggered some ideas about the stuff we put in and pull out of ourselves, in physical and non-physical ways. That was the starting point of this idea and then trying to talk about the interconnectedness of everything. The older I get, I probably don’t get any smarter, but I have learned a few things and it makes a lot of sense to me that we are not these independent islands that we like to think we are, that we are part of a whole. If we can see ourselves as better connected, still messed up individuals, but as part of a whole, then maybe there’s something to learn?”
‘i/o’ as a potential album title has long-been known within fan circles, and is now the name of the current project, the album and the forthcoming tour, but as Gabriel says, “It’s been around for a long time as a title for this project. I always knew I was going to write a song called “i/o”, but the title came first.”
Therapy? continue to build to the release of new album, ‘Hard Cold Fire’ on May 5th. This week saw the band share new single, ‘Poundland of Hope and Glory’, which you can check out above.
The band say, “This track started out as a hard take on how people lose themselves in narratives to the point that the myth takes on greater importance than the fact. Just like the old adage about the liar repeating the lie so much that they eventually believe it themselves, the culture around us is bursting with fairy stories we tell ourselves.”
There was also new music to savour this week from Holding Absence as they debuted their latest single, ‘A Crooked Melody’, which you can check out above.
Like Moths To Flames debut ‘Predestination Paradox’
Like Moths To Flames – ‘Predestination Paradox’
Like Moths To Flames have released their first new music in two years with return single ‘Predestination Paradox’, which you can check out above.
“I think there are a lot of things that we all commit to, where we know how it will end,” says LMTF’s Chris Roetter. “This song is meant to portray the experience of learning that almost everything has an inevitable expiration date. We never know how much time we are offered or how much time is left, yet we still immerse ourselves in these deep relationships.”
2000trees announce Soft Play as their final headliner!
We move our News Report on now to the best festival announcements from the past week and up first is 2000trees.
This week saw a wave of additions to the line-up including headliners Soft Play making their live return. Also added to the line-up were Dinosaur Pile-Up, Hell Is For Heroes, Gaffa Tape Sandy, Haggard Cat and more.
They join the likes of Bullet For My Valentine, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Bob Vylan, Holding Absence, Deaf Havana, Hundred Reasons, Skindred and many more.
The second wave of acts for Y Not Festival were revealed this week including Sea Girls, The Pigeon Detectives, Yonaka, Cassyette, Gengahr, Feet, Peaness, The Hara, DEADLETTER, Daisy Brain and more.
They join a bill featuring the likes of Royal Blood, Kasabian, Paul Weller, The Wombats, James, DMA’s, The Charlatans, KT Tunstall, The Murder Capital, Kid Kapichi, Beans On Toast and many more.
Our News Report looks now at the best live announcements of the past week and we kick off with Royal Blood who have revealed two intimate warm-up shows in amongst their packed summer.
Bristol-based rock multi-instrumentalist Lucky Thief shares his new single, ‘Silencer’.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the single, Lucky Thief explains, “Silencer is about being unable to control how we speak. So many people have opinions that are narrow minded, selfish and ill-considered; This song airs my frustration with them. It also looks at how hard it is for me to stay quiet, if I feel something deserves to be said, I will not be silenced.”
Harker – ‘Wasting Time’
Brighton, UK punk rock powerhouse Harker have released a new single titled ‘Wasting Time’.
The band comment, “‘Wasting Time’ is about the breakdown of communication in modern life – it’s easy to misunderstand and mislead when you only talk through a digital screen. Talk to your loved ones in person, debate face to face, and know when to set your boundaries if it’s not working. ‘Wasting Time’ is a back to basics, 4 chord postpunk pop ruckus track – heavy hooks and fuzzed out guitar walls, just how we like it.”
Cape Crush – ‘Sandwich Wars’
Cape Crush, hailing from Massachusetts, have unveiled their new single, ‘Sandwich Wars’.
Vocalist Ali Lipman, says “‘Sandwich Wars” is an emo pop anthem I wrote about not apologizing for yourself. I wrote it from the point of view of giving advice to a younger version of yourself. It was inspired by the advice of my former roommate Chelsea who left earth too soon about not being so quick to blame yourself. Our house was called Club Sammich, which is where the Sandwich Wars title comes from. It’s got some personal imagery in, but hopefully it conveys that your mistakes don’t define the person you become. I think Sandwich Wars is the band’s favorite song on the EP. This came together as a full band song with James really driving home the riffs and all those little musical moments that keep you listening (like the car crash), Jake’s bass and backing vocals in the last chorus, and Cody’s energetic beats. We love playing this one and we hope people enjoy listening!”
Watch Episode 42 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests ANGER PARTY!
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 42 – ANGER PARTY
Up next are Skindred who also have a new album, ‘Smile’, on the way August 4th.
This week saw the group reveal a new autumn tour which will see the band joined by Blackgold.
Regarding the tour drummer Arya Goggin says, “There is a lot to Smile about when it comes to this TOUR! We are taking out an amazing new band called BlackGold too. They are bringing “Nu Metal” back and I think ‘Dred fans will love them. Go check ‘em out!”
The Cult have announced three special summer shows in Cardiff, Halifax and Scarborough alongside a full EU Tour.
Accompanying the tour announcement is the release of The Cult’s fiery, expressionistic new video for ‘Vendetta X’, the third single from ‘Under The Midnight Sun’.
The Cult – ‘Vendetta X’
As The Cult return to the stage to launch the next chapter of ‘Under The Midnight Sun’, Ian Astbury hopes that the album’s new dimensions provoke reactions both primal and sublime in listeners’ consciousness – echoing what he himself experienced during its creation.
“At the core of it all, music contains the vibrational frequency of how we once communicated before we could even speak,” Astbury says. “Bird songs, animal calls, string theory, quantum physics, psychedelics… The record ultimately becomes about discovering and celebrating anew the beauty from those strangely natural moments that surround and inspire us.”
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from The Winery Dogs who have added October dates to their already announced June shows.
We move our News Report on now to the best festival announcements of the past week and up first is the Beans On Toast curated Foolhardy Folk Festival in Nottingham.
Joining Beans this year will be acts including Skinny Lister, Ferris & Sylvester, Truckstop Honeymoon, Tensheds and more!
Our other festival announcement comes from 110 Above presents OTHR Festival!
The slightly scaled back version of 110 Above will feature Circa Waves, Jack Garratt, Twin Atlantic, Black Honey, Lauran Hibberd, Fatherson, King No-One, Coach Party, Courting, Chappaqua Wrestling and many more.
We move on now to the best new releases from the past week and up first are When Rivers Meet you have shared their brand new single, ‘Play My Game’.
You can listen to the track above, which will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Aces Are High’, which arrives late summer.
Regarding the forthcoming album the duo say, “As our music is progressing, we’re finding our sound even more. When we went in the studio this time, we’ve never been so sure on what we wanted to create—we had a really clear vision and have stuck to it.
“Before we held back on being too rocky, but this time we allowed ourselves to create what we wanted to hear, without restricting ourselves. We also allowed ourselves to express the different colours to our music with tracks like ‘Golden’ and ‘By Your Side’, so this album has more extremes. We still call upon our influences from all the years but remain true to ourselves to create music we love.”
The new releases’ continue at pace in our News Report and next up is ‘The Raven’, the latest track from Black Orchid Empire, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from their upcoming album, ‘Tempus Veritas’, which will arrive on April 14th.
A new project next as our News Report brings you How We End. Featuring Jen Majura (Ex-Evanescence) on guitar and Diva Satanica (Ex-Nervosa) on vocals, How We End promises to be an exciting new chapter.
Rounding out the group are Jake E (Cyhra, Ex-Amaranthe) on vocals, Tom Naumann (Primal Fear) on guitar, Mitch Kunz (bass) and Adde Larsson (drums).
This week saw the group arrive with their single, ‘My Fighting Heart’, which you can check out above.
Dead Man’s Whiskey have this week shared their latest single, ‘Masquerade’, which you can check out above!
The single is the first track to be taken from a forthcoming new studio album, ‘In The Storm’, due out September 29th.
Vocalist Nico Rogers says, “’This song has been a bit of a journey for us. In its earliest form we’ve had this song for a couple of years, although it’s grown a lot.
It’s brimming with a kind of dissatisfied energy we all had while we wrote it, in a way I think a lot of people will feel too. It’s a rallying cry against what’s happened to music right now, the three ringed circus of algorithmically generated hits that keep turning up. We know how far we are from those perfect cookie cutter artists and this song is about that dichotomy. We don’t want to conform, we make the music we love.
I think that shows in the sound too, not just on this track, but on the album as a whole. It’s heavier, darker. Like we got a little older, found a new gear, and now we’re going full throttle in it.”
Norwegian metalcore act Fixation are now gearing up for their debut album with the release of a brand new single ‘Ignore the Disarray’.
About the new track the band states: “This song is about those with a desire to control other people. It’s not about religion itself, but about those who use religion or their perception of reality to justify oppression, hate and control.”
DEADLETTER – ‘The Snitching Hour’
DEADLETTER share new single ‘The Snitching Hour’.
Lead singer Zac Lawrence comments: “Are we slowly but surely being tacitly tempted into a culture of casual betrayal? The messages we are fed, on the outside, might be read as being solely in the interest of public safety – but take a closer look, and perhaps there’s a more insidious undertone to it all…”
The Throwaway Scene – ‘Fake Death’
Sheffield emo rock outfit, The Throwaway Scene have released their brand new single ‘Fake Death’.
“This track is a slight departure from my previous lyrical stylings/choices with a view of exploring narrative that was less self-centered. I think vocally it just “feels” different too ‘cos the delivery of the lines is a lot more direct than before. Due to life’s unfortunate timing we were recording vocals on the day we found out a family member had passed so Fake Death will always be quite a personal song.” – Vocalist, Oliver.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with the best new releases of the past week and up first are Linkin Park.
The iconic group are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their seminal album, ‘Meteora’. As part of these celebrations the band have now shared another unreleased track from that era. You can listen to that track, ‘Fighting Myself’, above!
Skindred returned this week with, ‘Set Fazers’, the second single from their upcoming new album, ‘Smile’, which is out August 4th. You can check out the video for the single above.
Lead singer Benji Webbe states, “Star date 22.3.23: With this song we’re boldly going where no ragga-metal has gone before. We come in peace, L.O.V.E and unity, to bring Skindred’s outergalactic sound-system to the infinite expanse of the cosmos.”
Skindred drummer Arya Goggin continues, “The idea with the ‘Set Fazers’ video was to make a Sci Fi meets Dancehall epic! Through TikTok we met an amazing dancer called Shin (whose dance to our song ‘Nobody’ went viral earlier this year) and he’s added his unique style to the video too. We had so much fun filming it and can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Empire State Bastard, the new project from Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and his long-time colleague Mike Vennart of Oceansize, have shared their debut single ‘Harvest’, which you can check out above.
The track features the legendary drummer Dave Lombardo and represents the first taste of what the project will offer with the band simply exclaiming “Empires fall, States rise, Bastards sing…it’s Harvest time motherfuckers!”.
British heavy metal legends Saxon have released their second album of influences, ‘More Inspirations’, this week. Alongside the album came a new single, ‘Razamanaz’, which you can check out above.
Frontman Biff Byford comments “In the seventies we’d go and see Nazareth they were one of the premier touring hard rock bands. We were lucky to tour with them in 1980, they used to open the show with this song, it’s about the audience performed to an audience… brilliant stuff!”
There was more new music on offer this week from The Pearl Harts also as the duo shared their new single, ‘Hypocritical’, which you can of course check out above!
The track is the third single to come from their upcoming album, ‘LOVE, CHAOS’, which arrives on April 21st!
Supergroup Generation Sex have added new shows to their summer schedule including a special one-off show at The Civic at the Halls in Wolverhampton this July.
Billy Bragg will once again be out on the road later this year for ‘The Roaring Forty Tour’.
A new collection of songs with the same name is also on it’s way with a release date of October 27th.
“Doesn’t seem like just that long ago that I was playing Thursday nights at the Tunnel in Greenwich, opening for whoever was headlining. I learned my chops there in late 82/early83 and I’m still putting those lessons to good use 40 years later. Hope to see some of you this autumn.” – Billy Bragg
The Darkness reveal first wave of ‘Permission to Land’ shows
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from The Darkness who will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of seminal album ‘Permission To Land’ with a load of tour dates!
Initial dates take the band across Europe with further world and UK dates on the way.
Frontman Justin Hawkins comments, “When Permission to Land landed, twenty short years ago, we were bathed in shock and awe. As if by magic, Rock wasn’t dead! Fun wasn’t banned! And Spandex was almost acceptable again…
“Well, guess what? Twenty years on, the same rules apply. So please to squeeze yourselves into those inappropriate leggings, back-comb your mullet, splash on a big handful of attitude, and come celebrate with us! We promise everything and we deliver, every time. Bring on the next twenty!
As our News Report turns to festival announcements we head over to Neighbourhood Weekender who this week revealed the final wave of line-up additions for May.
New names include The View, Kula Shaker, Gaz Coombes and more. They join the likes of Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, The Kooks, Pulp, The Wombats, Self Esteem, Ocean Colour Scene, The Enemy and Lottery Winners.
Closing out our festival announcements in our News Report is the latest line-up additions from Bearded Theory.
This week saw the event reveal that Skindred, Kid Kapichi, Brix Smith, Loose Articles and more will join the line-up topped by Interpol, Primal Scream and Pretenders.
Brighton noise rock trio Staff Party reveal their new single. ‘Dread’, which is the title-track of their upcoming EP.
Commenting on the new single and themes on the EP, frontman Ed Lamb says: “I have tried—but am completely unable to—write happy songs. When I want to write about something, typically I take a look around and something which pisses me off, confuses me, or scares me, is usually what inspires me the most. It’s hard not to draw on the awful state and chaos the world is in at the moment, as well. Just browsing the Internet can be a rich and endless source of horror.”
“I also consider myself a fairly introspective, and potentially sentimental person, so much of what I write about is based on aspects of my own psyche and personality. It feels cathartic to articulate those thoughts in the form of loud, aggressive music. I enjoy the fact that ‘Dread’, with probably the most upbeat and bouncy sounding instrumental, still has these introspective dark lyrics to juxtapose it. I couldn’t even let the fun catchy song be nice.”
headcage – ‘nothing’
Newcastle Upon Tyne Alternative Post-Hardcore band headcage share their brand new single ‘nothing’.
“Lyrically the song details the struggle to overcome the feeling of uselessness and the everyday battles that come alongside living with ADHD and Anxiety. I wanted to state in layman’s terms the difficulty that I face to remain persistent or disciplined in many aspects of my life. The song itself acts as catharsis, a real and true personal expression of the negative aspects of these conditions that I have to face everyday”. – Vocalist – Leyum Pattinson
Civil Villains – ‘Mortuary Blue’
Brit alt-rockers Civil Villains have released their brand new single, ‘Mortuary Blue’, taken from upcoming album, ‘Motion Sick’.
The band remark about the record: “Like the nauseating sensory mismatch experienced from the passenger seat, ‘Motion Sick’ is largely about contradictory states and lost control. Born as a series of voice notes, written over webcam, developed via shared Logic Pro projects, and honed in snatched moments of lifted lockdowns, the album was recorded in the rolling countryside expanses of Oxfordshire.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with the best new releases from the past week and up first are the returning metal icons Avenged Sevenfold.
In a big news week, the group revealed that their new studio album, ‘Life Is But A Dream’, will be released on June 2nd. That release is preceded by their lead single, ‘Nobody’, which you can check out above.
The band stated, “We’re thrilled to announce our new album, Life Is But A Dream… available June 2, 2023. Written and recorded over the span of four years, the album was inspired by the writing and philosophy of Albert Camus. Our good friend and brilliant artist, Wes Lang, encapsulated our theme of existentialism through visual art for the album packaging.”
British metallers Bury Tomorrow have shared the latest taste of their upcoming album, ‘The Seventh Sun’. You can listen to new single, ‘Begin Again’, above now ahead of the album release date of March 31st.
Speaking on ‘Begin Again’, guitarist Kristan Dawson says the track is “representative of the change we have all faced in the past few years. It represents an element of renewal and appreciation of where we have been as a band and where we are yet to go. Musically, it serves as a contrast to the heaviness we have presented in the first three singles, but packs a punch in a more positive way.”
Australian punk rockers Trophy Eyes are back with new single, ‘Blue Eyed Boy’, a track particularly close to home.
Trophy Eyes’ John Floreani says the song “was written about a trip I took back to my hometown. One friend in particular, maybe my best friend, had recently moved back and regressed into their old ways. I’d mourned the death of this friend long ago, as did the rest of us in our small social circle. To see him again brought me great childhood joy yet simultaneously an overwhelming sense of dread.
I was reminded of something my mother told me as a young boy when my grandmother died; “if you see her now, like this, it’s the only way you’ll remember her. Best hold on to the good times, you’ll always have those.”
Far From Saints, the new project featuring Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones, have shared their latest single, ‘Take It Through The Night’, which you can listen to above.
The group also this week revealed the news that their self-titled debut album will be released on June 16th.
The members had the following to say:
“It took nine days to record and four years to get it to you! Your record collection will love it!” – Kelly
“It’s a labor of love to make a record these days, because you never know what’s going to happen with it frankly, and the outpouring of good vibes and comments, so far, has been really cool to watch.” – Dwight
“This is kind of the first time I’m anticipating not feeling somewhat sad around an album release. I’m comfortable with who I am now as a person, as an artist, and I hang my hat not on the praise I receive, but on the work itself. I’m proud of this record, and its part in the greater cycle of creativity and inspiration. I’m grateful to be part of that.” – Patty
‘Blackout’, the new album from From Ashes To New, is out on July 28th. This week though saw the band share the latest single from the album, ‘Hate Me Too’, which you can check out above.
“So many of us fall victim to the classic toxic relationship,” says vocalist Matt Brandyberry. “Feeling like you can’t live without someone but knowing you’d be better off if you could. Oftentimes these feelings are mutual, but neither of you can see it. Sometimes we just need an anthem to remind us that being stuck isn’t always the only option and violence never.”
Next in our News Report is ‘Blood In The Water’, the latest single from Ayron Jones, which you can check out above.
Jones announced this week that his second album, ‘Chronicles of the Kid’, will be released on June 23rd.
“As a child, I vividly remember sitting in church and hearing the preacher speak about generational curses,” Jones explains. “For me, the concept of the weight of trauma traveling through time and space, affecting many generations until treated is an idea I take seriously. ‘Blood in the Water’ is my way of actively choosing to heal and transform this trauma by creating new stories and identities for not only myself, but also my family’s future generations. I understand that energy can never be destroyed nor created anew; it can only be shifted. Therefore, while I cannot choose the life I have been given, I can strive forward and choose to take control of the future– to break these curses now and forevermore.”
“It was the height of the pandemic and like everyone else, I was stuck inside watching the world pass by while having no idea what the future held,” Jones remembers. “Then it happened, the phone rang and I got the call telling me my song went No. 1. Just like that, I’d become one of the biggest names in rock and roll, but I couldn’t leave my couch. I had no idea how much my life had changed until August of ’21, when I went on tour for the first time since signing my first major record deal. That’s when it all hit me. ‘Chronicles of The Kid’ is the story of the truth – my truth. With my voice as my pen and my guitar as the page, the album is an audio journal of self-discovery told through tales of, temptations, triumphs, failures, sacrifice and the price of fame.”
We move our News Report on now to the biggest and best festival announcements from the past week and we get started with Bingley Weekender!
The event revealed their first wave of acts this week including headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Ian Brown and Travis.
They’ll be joined over the weekend by the likes of Jake Bugg, Razorlight, James Bay, The Zutons, Kate Nash, Little Man Tate, Jealous Nostril, King No-One, New Model Army, Lottery Winners and BERRIES.
The inaugural Maid of Stone Festival takes place this July and this week the event confirmed Glenn Hughes as headlining the event alongside Airbourne.
Orange Goblin have also joined the likes of Skindred, The Hunna, Kris Barras Band, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Elles Bailey and Florence Black on the linup.
Plus The Treatment and The Hot Damn! will be playing a special opening party on the Friday of the event.
Liverpool get ready for No Play Festival this August!
The stunning line-up revealed this week includes Yonaka, VUKOVI, Higher Power, Conjurer, Graphic Nature, Lizzy Farrall, Gen & The Degenerates and more!
Our News Report now turns its attention to the best tour announcements from the past week and up first is the above run of dates from Ocean Colour Scene.
Alongside their August dates, the group will now also be out on the road this December including a date at the Eventim Apollo in London.
MAN WITH A MISSION are next up in our News Report as the group reveal a brand new tour including three stops in the UK this June.
Regarding the tour MAN WITH A MISSION’s Jean-Ken Johnny (guitar / vocals / rap) says, “We are so excited to announce our WOLVES ON PARADE TOUR is coming to the UK, Europe and North America in May & June! It’s been years since we last toured internationally and we’ve missed playing for you all so much! Can’t wait to catch up with you all!”
Brighton based Electronic Post-Hardcore duo fakeyourdeath have dropped their sophomore single ‘consume’.
“consume explores the idea of materialistic greed and how, as a society, we are fed this idea that without things we cannot be happy. but ultimately that’s a lie. it’s a narrative spun by the powers that be and consume was written to see the truth and challenge that way of thinking. consume depicts our disgust at a materialistic culture we all hate and yet want to be a part of.” – Vocalist, Candi Underwood
Northern Captives – ‘Anxiety Dreams’
UK Alternative Rock outfit Northern Captives release their brand-new single titled ‘Anxiety Dreams’.
“It’s written as an internal monologue battling anxiety by accepting its existence and not allowing it to direct your decisions or impact what you do day to day. We often speak to ourselves in ways we’d never dream of talking to anyone else. It’s important to check in with yourself and make sure your internal dialogue is positive.” – Vocalist, Sam Cook.
JACKALS – ‘DIG IN’
Northern noise hounds JACKALS have unveiled their new single ‘DIG IN’.
“Dig in is based on the idea of drug addiction but narrated by the drug itself, the song personifies the drug and its direct effects on a person. When you let drugs into your life they can sort of take on a whole persona unto themselves and we wanted to shine a light on that and show how destructive these can be. Like that one toxic friend you’ve had that keeps trying to worm their way back into your life.” –JACKALS
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the best new releases from the past week and up first are Enter Shikari with their new single, ‘Bloodshot’, which you can check out above.
On the track, lead vocalist and producer Rou Reynolds explains:
“Every day, I seem to be asking myself “Is this article biased?”, “is this claim true?”, “Should I be more furious about this issue? Or less furious?”, “Am I being manipulated? Provoked? Radicalised by my own ‘tribe’?
Bloodshot is about how hard it is to find truth, and how easy it is to stop thinking for yourself and simply repeat your ‘team’s’ mantras.
Everyone’s so fucking angry with everyone else and it’s exhausting. It seems like social media’s main purpose these days is to hypnotise us to hate”.
The track comes of ahead of their upcoming new album, ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, which is out April 21st.
Our News Report continues with the brand new single from DevilDriver! You can check out ‘Through the Depths’ above, with the single coming ahead of new album, ‘Dealing With Demons Vol.II’, which is out May 12th.
Frontman Dez Fafara says aboutthe single: “‘Through the Depths’ is a conversation between a higher power and humans regarding the power of thinking ideas into existence, but being very careful of being arrogant behind those wants and needs.
The first lines give this away: “Attention attention, you’re seeking, you’ve asked for, it’s given” (the higher power says)
Then the lines of the chorus are that same higher power speaking to humans, saying: ‘through the depths to the ascension, nothing you wouldn’t do for my attention, held to the fire it’s not my crime, you’ve pinned it on me for the last time.’ Meaning – don’t blame the Gods (pin it on them) for your fuck ups. Meaning – put it out there and take steps to attain goals and take accountability.
This track is the essence of ‘Dealing With Demons Vol. II’, and the conversations within the record get way deeper than even this.Enjoy.”
This week saw Therapy? debut their new single, ‘Joy’, which you can listen to above. The group also revealed that new album, ‘Hard Cold Fire’, will arrive May 5th!
Singer Andy Cairns says “Joy started with a term from ‘Waiting for Godot’, by Samuel Beckett, this wonderful line: ‘habit is a great deadener’. I just love that word, ‘dead-en-er’. It’s an amazing word. People get themselves into these habits, and the next thing you know, their life is over and they’ve only lived in a very small circle of experience, often through choice, which is scary.”
Another band having a great week this week were James and the Cold Gun who unveiled their new single, ‘My Silhouette’, which you can of course check out above!
The band also revealed that their debut album will arrive on July 28th.
IST IST share new single ‘Nothing More Nothing Less’
IST IST – ‘Nothing More Nothing Less’
The new music continues thick and fast in our News Report and up next are Manchester’s IST IST. The group this week shared their latest single, ‘Nothing More Nothing Less’, which you can listen to above.
Chiming with the overarching concept of upcoming album, ‘Protagonists’, out March 31st, the single finds the band stepping into the shoes of a character trapped in a complex relationship and at odds with her true feelings.
Frontman Adam Houghton explains: ““Nothing More Nothing Less” is a simple love song really written from a woman’s perspective who isn’t exactly sure what she wants.”
Closing out the new releases in our News Report this week are Problem Patterns and their brand new single, ‘Who Do We Not Save?’, which you can check out above.
Commenting on the single, the band say: “Our healthcare system has been falling apart for years due to cuts, and the pandemic only sped up the process. We constantly see campaigns telling people to ask for help, especially in regards to mental health, but the reality is that the services we need are under too much pressure. The line ‘We’re one or two paychecks away’ refers to the fact that many of us will be in a lot of trouble if privatisation becomes reality here. The title itself is lifted verbatim from Dominic Cumming’s photo of the white board used to plan the UK government’s early response to COVID. We thought it would be fitting to use it for the single’s cover art, too.”
Our News Report moves on now to the best tour announcements from the past week and up first is the legendary John Fogerty.
This week saw Fogerty announce his return to the UK with two special arena shows in Manchester and London in May.
“As of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility. After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used. Up until this year, that is something I have never been able to do. I am looking forward to touring and celebrating this year! I want to thank Concord for helping to make all of this happen. And, I am excited for new ideas and a renewed interest in my music … like a revival.” said Fogerty.
The rejuvenated Funeral For A Friend will be back on the road this October for a very special tour celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their debut album, ‘Casually Dressed and Deep In Conversation’.
Along for the ride will be very special guests Dashboard Confessional.
Another band coming to UK venues later this year is Highly Suspect who have revealed a run of dates this September. They’ll be bringing The Picturebooks along with them as special guests.
We move our News Report now across to the best festival announcements of the week. Following their bigger line-up reveal last week, 2000trees have now introduced Bullet For My Valentine as headlining this year’s event.
They join the likes of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Hundred Reasons, Skindred, Eagles of Death Metal, Deaf Havana, Bob Vylan, Electric Six, Empire State Bastard, Holding Absence, Black Honey, Cancer Bats, The Joy Formidable, Tigercub, Dream State, Press To MECO and so many more!
Maryland rockers Any Given Sin present their new single, ‘Calm Before The Storm’ ahead of their forthcoming debut album.
“It’s a song about perseverance,” says the front man Victor Ritchie. “You’re standing up to whatever’s in front of you.” Guitarist Mike Conner adds, “You’re not just surviving a traumatic experience though – You’re also becoming stronger because of it.”
Bellwether – ‘Hurricane’
Sydney based Pop Punk band Bellwether have shared their new single ‘Hurricane’ featuring Brooklane.
“Hurricane was inspired by the titular character of the Naruto series and is about wanting to prove the people who didn’t believe in you or dismissed you wrong, and blow them away. While we took a lot from Naruto for the song, we also used our experience in the music industry to ensure that we were being honest and sincere in our performance and why we’re so excited to show off this track – To let people know we’re here and to show off our worth as artists.” – Heath Joukhadar (guitarist)
Hematite – ‘Run Devil Run’
Hematite release ‘Run Devil Run’, the final single before their debut EP ‘Speak of the Devil’.
“This song was written at a time of my life when I felt like I couldn’t slow down or hell would catch up with me. That maybe if I keep pushing through the flames I won’t get burnt. It’s kind of a take on how we don’t check in on ourselves until it’s too late. Until there’s hell to pay. The reality is once you put yourself into so many fires, you either burn out or become the flame yourself, burning everything around you. In this song, I felt like I was doing both.” -Hematite
The average age at the Eventim Hammersmith Apollo in London tonight is tellingly specific – mid to late 30’s! Those filing into the venue are here tonight to relive their teenage years and to remember a scene that delivered some seriously talented, yet incredibly underrated bands.
Three such acts are on offer tonight starting off with the openers My Vitriol. The band showed much promise with their debut album, ‘Finelines’, in 2001 before they entered a perennial state of hiatus. Most of their set tonight comes from that album which ensures that the early attendees are already engaged. Set closer, ‘Always: Your Way’ sounds huge and leaves you wondering what could’ve been.
That is a constant feeling for me when remembering the British rock scene in the early 2000’s, who seemingly were hindered by the insatiable focus on nu-metal at the time. So much quality was given so little attention compared to their US contemporaries. This combined with the emergence of illegal downloads at the time seemed to stifle the growth of a generation of artists.
WATCH ‘I CAN CLIMB MOUNTAINS’ FROM HELL IS FOR HEROES
So many bands arrived with a big debut album whilst rock was the genre, only for their subsequent material to be ignored by the mainstream music media who had moved on. Another prime example would be our special guests tonight Hell Is For Heroes whose debut album ‘The Neon Handshake’ must go down as one of the best British rock debut albums ever.
Again, tonight they have the audience onside from the get go with their set featuring a slew of tracks from that album. ‘I Can Climb Mountains’, ‘Night Vision’, ‘Five Kids Go’ and ‘Out of Sight’ all receive huge reactions tonight from the passionate crowd and by the time they are done, as corny as it sounds, they receive a heroes ovation!
There are quick turnarounds tonight so it isn’t long before our headliners Hundred Reasons arrive onstage. This tour is another to have suffered postponements since it was originally scheduled to take place. That has meant that now we have a new Hundred Reasons album and it’s stunning. There is no surprise here then when the band choose the title-track ‘Glorious Sunset’ to open the show.
WATCH ‘REPLICATE’ FROM HUNDRED REASONS
Hundred Reasons – ‘Replicate’
The rest of the set is a celebration of the past but with some of that fantastic new music mixed in with ‘It Suits You’, ‘Replicate’ and ‘The Old School Way’ all more than fitting in alongside the older fan favourites. Hopefully that’s a good sign for the band and they can remain viable in the future. Certainly more new music and live shows from Hundred Reasons is never going to be a bad thing.
Clearly that debut album theory has something to it tonight as tracks from ‘Ideas Above Our Station’ receive the biggest reactions with the sing-a-longs to ‘I’ll Find You’, ‘Falter’, ‘Silver’ and ‘If I Could’ simply deafening.
That said tracks from the bands other albums like ‘Kill Your Own’, ‘What You Get’ and ‘No Way Back’ also get the crowd active. This has been Hundred Reasons at their magnificent, majestic best, with the band members slipping back into those comfortable shoes. The addition of Jack Bottomley from Marmozets to the live line-up also helps to ensure that the band sound just as massive as before.
Hopefully with the revival of acts such as these, that early 2000’s British rock scene can get some overdue attention; but if nothing else at least a few thousand millennials get to relive the soundtrack of their youth!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
Where else could we start this week other than with Glastonbury Festival and their initial 2023 line-up! We now know that Elton John will be joined in headlining the Pyramid Stage by Arctic Monkeys and Guns N Roses!
Also playing over the weekend will be Alt-J, Blondie, Manic Street Preachers, Nova Twins, Royal Blood, slowthai, Texas and Legends Slot filling Yusuf (Cat Stevens).
Another major festival dropping line-up additions this week were the August stalwart Reading & Leeds Festivals.
The likes of The Amazons, Frank Turner, Easy Life, Palaye Royale, Sleep Token, Sea Girls, Vistas, The Murder Capital, Normandie, Knocked Loose, Yonaka, Yard Act and Don Broco join the line-up.
They join the likes Sam Fender, Foals, The Killers, Billie Eilish, Imagine Dragons, Wet Leg, You Me At Six, Nothing But Thieves, The Snuts and Hot Milk.
It was a good week for festival fans this week as our News Report continues with this stunning line-up from 2000trees Festival!
The absolutely stacked line-up now features added American Football, Eagles of Death Metal, Electric Six, Employed To Serve, Joy Formidable, Tigercub and Black Honey.
The full line-up also hosts the likes of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Hundred Reasons, Skindred, Deaf Havana, Rival Schools, Bob Vylan, Empire State Bastard, Holding Absence, Kid Kapichi, Cancer Bats, Dream State, LostAlone, Witch Fever, Blackgold, Guise, Mimi Barks, Pet Needs, Press To Meco and many more!
“For us, seeing fans just as excited about the bands lower down the line up as they are about the bigger artists is what 2000trees is all about, and this announcement is no different. Heriot and Kneecap were big personal highlights from 2000trees 2022, so to be able to have Heriot return to smash the Main Stage and Kneecap bringing the carnage to the Forest Stage is going to be something special! And there’s still two headliners to come sooner than you might think…” – Festival booker James
Also unveiling more of their line-up this week were Standon Calling. The event is due to be headlined by Years & Years, Self Esteem, Bloc Party & The Human League.
Playing across the weekend will be the likes of Rick Astley, Squid, We Are Scientists, Bob Vylan, The Murder Capital, The Big Moon, Lottery Winners, KT Tunstall and The Sherlocks.
Sharing in the excitement of today’s news, Rick Astley said: “I can’t wait to head back to Hertfordshire for Standon Calling this July, hope to see you all there!”
Leicester’s The Long Road festival returns in 2023 with a line-up including Jon Pardi, Blackberry Smoke and many more.
Commenting on today’s announcement, TLR’s Tennessee-born Creative Director Baylen Leonard said: “We’re delighted to announce the first wave of artists for The Long Road 2023. Our festival is about offering a unique, inclusive experience for our visitors, with amazing music, great food, and a welcoming atmosphere. Our line-up reflects the very best in Country and Americana music today, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors to Stanford Hall for what is going to be a truly unforgettable bank holiday weekend.”
We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week and we begin in Wales as Kings of Leon reveal two special dates at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham this May.
Also this week, pop disruptor Ashnikko announced her hotly anticipated world tour and debut album ‘WEEDKILLER’, which is out June 2nd.
Speaking on the announcement Ashnikko states “My bioluminescent heart is glowing. My post-apocalyptic fae world is here for you to journey into. My wings have been ripped out, but I’ve built them anew using WEEDKILLER machine parts. I am the one sent here to eliminate you, WEEDKILLER.”
British Lion next in our News Report as this week they announced a new UK and European summer tour including dates in Manchester and Nottingham.
Steve Harris comments, “We just had a brilliant time on the January UK tour and it’s great to be heading out again in 2023. I’m really looking forward to BOTH Summer tours this year!”
Our News Report looks now at the best new releases from the past week and we begin this week with Metallica!
The legendary band are readying their latest album, ’72 Seasons’, which is out April 14th. This week that meant the debut of new single, ‘If Darkness Had a Son’, which you can listen to above.
This week saw Underoath return with their brand new single, ‘Let Go’, which you can check out above.
In discussing the song, the band said, “This is actually the first song we completed after recording (last year’s) Voyeurist. It took a few different forms but we got it to a place where we knew this is what it should be. It’s about letting go of whatever trauma or demons that might be holding you back. As hard as it is to make those decisions sometimes, I feel like we can never grow without stepping out of those toxic environments.”
DMA’S have this week shared their latest single, ‘Something We Are Overcoming’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes ahead of new album, ‘How Many Dreams?’, which is out March 31st.
“‘Something We Are Overcoming’ started as a moving ballad about perseverance but quickly morphed into a trancey anthem of a side quest that is slightly but steadily DMA’S. We hope you like it.” – DMA’S
Brighton’s snake eyes have shared new single, ‘no one is truly cool’, and you can check out the video above.
Commenting on the new single, vocalist Jim Heffy says: “I met a bloke in a band I like at a festival after separately having a really lovely chat with one of their bandmates. he was stand-offish and, to be honest, a bit of a prick, giving proper ‘too cool for school’ vibes. the whole exchange left a bad taste in my mouth.”
“the fake cool guy thing can only go so far. no need for a fake personality. just be real, be yaself. even Keith Richards puts down the whiskey and cigs sometimes and watches ‘the last of us’ in his pants with a bowl of nik naks like everyone else.”
The official video for the track was created by the band’s drummer and visual director Thomas Coe-Brooker, who explains of the concept: “in keeping with the song, we thought it’d be fun to make a really cool looking video in the least cool of spaces – a family garage. kinda like when you’re having band practice as a teenager and you’re all really sending it like total bad asses…but ultimately, your mum’s seconds from bursting in to tell you it’s too loud and that your dinner’s ready. that, but with satisfying, nicely framed angles and dreamy in-camera long exposure, 90s style.”
Hell’s Ditch have shared new single, ‘Ghosts’, ahead of their debut EP, ‘Take Cover’, out March 23rd.
Vocalist Nick Davis explains: “Ghosts is about the hanging weight of the past, the present and the future. Capitalism puts a premium on individual success, which leads people to feel like their failing if they don’t achieve certain goals or milestones. It’s all too easy to plant trees, grow them, and then cut them down inside the confines of your own head. I wrote most of the lyrics while watching my cats seemingly stare at nothing on the ceiling”.
paradise fell. – ‘VICES.’
Alternative artist paradise fell has shared their debut offering ‘VICES.’.
“VICES. is a frantic confrontation of the irony; that something which kills us slowly, sets us free in the moment. It makes us feel alive. The bad habits we have are the only things that can save us from the drudgery of daily life. The very things that are killing us, become a cornerstone of our identity. They become familiar. They become part of who we are. A comfort in a chaotic world.” – paradise fell.
Hunch Power – ‘Eye for an Eye’
Hunch Power hits back with their new pacifist anthem, ‘Eye for an Eye’.
“I’d been wanting to write a pacifist song about revenge for ages. I was sure about borrowing Ghandi’s famous words for the title and chorus but I couldn’t find the right music to go with it. One day I remembered an old idea I never demoed and realised the music matched perfectly so I wrote new lyrics and the band loved it” – Singer Harvey Springfield
