The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!
Volume 27 features our cover stars 2000trees as unveil their stunning 2024 line-up! We also catch last week’s cover stars Lake Malice live in Norwich and review the new album from Grace Petrie!
Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Garbage, The Black Keys, BERRIES, Another Sky, Seasick Steve, Himalayas, Editors, Dream Wife, Oakman, InMe, Indoor Pets, Twin Atlantic, Crushed By Waves, Future Static, Brighten the Corners, Y Not Festival, Make A Scene and RADAR Festival!
Plus all the best new releases including Creeper, Seasick Steve, Delilah Bon, Like Moths To Flames, Pillow Queens, FM, Smash Into Pieces, The Pearl Harts, Twin Atlantic, Saxon, Robert Jon & The Wreck, The Commoners, Jinjer, Hockey Dad, Slash, Marisa and the Moths and Dream Wife!
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our âDiscoverâ New Music Playlist including Young Fatigue, QUEEN LAYA and LOVELOST!
Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the third issue now for free!
Volume three includes an update from cover star Chris Shiflett, and a review of ‘Race the Night’ from Ash.
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Don Broco, Lonely The Brave, Dream Wife, TesseracT, DragonForce, Staind, Duff McKagan, Skinny Lister, All Time Low, While She Sleeps, K.Flay, The Meffs, END and Mother Mother!
Plus new live announcements from British Lion, Fozzy, KITE THIEF, VV, The Amazons, The Coral, Twin Atlantic and Lonely The Brave.
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our âDiscoverâ New Music Playlist with Major Moment, Tropic Gold and Future Static!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the big news that Blur will be releasing their first new album in eight years!
As the group played a tiny hometown show in Colchester it was revealed that a new record, ‘The Ballad of Darren’, will arrive on July 21st.
The album is preceded by new single, ‘The Narcissist’, which you can check out above!
Damon Albarn said – âThis is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.â
Graham Coxon said – âThe older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesnât do the job.â
Alex James said â âFor any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that.â
Dave Rowntree said â âIt always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We donât take that for granted.â
Next, we turn our attention to Greta Van Fleet who continue to prepare for the release of their new album, ‘Starcatcher’, on July 21st.
This week the group shared their latest single, ‘Sacred The Thread’, and you can check it out above.
âI always like to think that some peopleâs first impression of Greta Van Fleet in concert is, âWow, these guys really like dressing to the left and blowing shit up,ââ notes frontperson Josh Kiszka, adding, âthis song is particularly important to me because itâs about my jumpsuits.â
Within Temptation treated fans this week to a brand new single, ‘Wireless’, which you can check out above. The track comes ahead of a hotly anticipated new album which is due later this year.
Vocalist Sharon den Adel comments, âWirelessâ is a song about a soldier who goes to war convinced that he is going for a good cause. Heâs indoctrinated by government-controlled media and thinks heâs going to be welcomed back as a saviour, only to find out he has been used. This has resulted in people seeing him as a brutal conqueror instead, and now he finds himself on the wrong side. His life and the lives of many are deceived and destroyed.â
Skindred also had new music on offer this week as they set free their summer reggae anthem, ‘L.O.V.E (Smile Please)’, which you can check out above.
The track got its first public airing last summer via Skindredâs incredible main stage performance at 2022âs Download Festival. There, 60,000 rabid fans turned Doningtonâs metal fest into one big, happy dancefloor. âWhat a way for us to bring that song to the world for the first time,â beams frontman Benji Webbe, âon a big stage, in front of a field of maniacs, doing what we do.â
The track comes from upcoming new album, ‘Smile’, which will arrive August 4th!
The Dead Daisies this week revealed that they will be releasing a ‘Best of’ collection from across their career.
The rotating line-up has also seen the return of singer John Corabi ahead of a run of upcoming live dates.
“It’s been an amazing decade with The Daisies! We’ve rocked out with some of the best in the business, toured the globe, released eight albums and are thrilled to be showcasing the body of work from over the last decade with our upcoming âBest Ofâ Album release and tour. I’m excited to be welcoming John Corabi back to the band. Can’t wait to get back on the road again in 2023 to perform for our fans!” – David Lowy
Up next in our News Report are The Used who this week released new album, ‘Toxic Positivity’.
On the album, vocalist Bert McCracken says âHumans share such similar experiences and similar tragedies and everything in between. This record is quite tough for me to listen to, because itâs a reflection of times in my life that have been some of my lowest ever. I want people to understand that, no matter how bad it gets, you don’t have to give up. Everything always feels different no matter what. So what you’re feeling right now you will not feel later on.â.
The last pre-release single, ‘Giving Up’, debuted this week and you can check it out above.
The band adds, “We think this song is fun and cute. We hope you love it too.”.
To celebrate the decade anniversary of ‘The Greatest Generation’, The Wonder Years have shared a revived b-side called ‘GODDAMNITALL’, which you can check out above.
“‘GODDAMNITAL’ is a song that almost was, and then, for a long time, categorically was not, and now is,” vocalist Dan Campbell says of the track.
“When it came time to find bonus content for this box set, we went grave digging in old hard-drives to find the demos from TGG that didnât get finished and then exhumed and reanimated this one. It was the closest to being done at the time. All of the music was there. The chorus had lyrics and melody but, for budget and time constraints it got abandoned before it had verses and a bridge. Now, a decade later, itâs finally finished. We asked Steve Evetts to produce it the same way he would have if it were on the original album and it now stands as a spiritual and somewhat literal b-side to The Greatest Generation.”
Pre-order a new ‘The Greatest Generation’ box set here.
It was a big news week for Holding Absence as the group revealed that they will release their third album, ‘The Noble Art of Self Destruction’, will be released on August 25th.
In a message to fans the band said, “We feel like these songs are almost a love letter to everything Holding Absence. We can’t wait to show you just how much space we have managed to cover, and how hard we were able to push ourselves with these songs.”
The band also debuted their new single, ‘False Dawn’, which you can check out above!
On the song the group say, “This song is definitely a personal favourite for all of us on the record. A somewhat defeatist song about denouncing expectations, and coming to grips with failure – this song is a quintessential Holding Absence song, with it’s uptempo energy and downtrodden introspection. We hope you enjoy.”
TEMPT have shared new single, ‘Roses’, which you can check out above.
On the songâs meaning, guitarist Harrison Marcello says: âItâs a tribute to the people who uplift you and bring out the best in you. It’s about embracing their infectious energy, being drawn in by them, and becoming part of their spirit.”
“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved with ‘Roses,â shares vocalist Zach Allen. âIt’s a song that truly reflects who we are as a bandâhigh-energy, infectious and unapologetically rock n’ roll.â
Dream Wife continue to prepare for the release of ‘Social Lubrication’, on June 9th.
This week the group debuted their latest single, ‘Who Do You Wanna Be?’, which you can check out above.
The band note that the song is âabout running on the capitalist treadmill and falling face first on the pavement. Hollow slogans, social media activism without action, leftist infighting, monetising feminism, ‘girl boss’, all soul crushing nonsense. Capitalism consumes everything. We should tear down the unreachable anxiety filled idea of perfectionism and move from hyper individualised narrative to collective action to create hopeful, rebellious, collective, systems of care. This is a call to arms for change.â
The final new release in this section of our News Report comes from Meryl Streek.
You can check out standalone new track, ‘If This is Life’, above.
Commenting on the new single, Streek says: âIn my mind, it’s a straightforward pop song while still holding onto the same Meryl message. It’s written about the current state of Ireland and how the housing crisis is affecting families across the country on a massive scale. The eviction ban has been lifted and the landlords are evicting families onto the streets once again, with 11,754 people living in emergency accommodation at the start of this year and no sign of it getting any better. That includes 1,609 families, with 3,431 children in homelessness. 55% of them are single-parent families and we’ve still got the same corrupt government turning a blind eye and not admitting their mistakes. It’s an absolute joke, and people need to start speaking up about it.â
rock band from hell have announced that their debut album, ‘Music For Late Night Activities’ will be released on September 1st.
Alongside that news the group have shared their latest single, ‘Cloud9’.
The band comments:
â’cloud9â is a pop-rock anthem that screams out the agony of the outsiders. Itâs a song where Nirvana goes pop and Post Malone goes rock nâ roll. It rose from the feeling of being left outside â you feel like youâre not valued or appreciated, while others are living in cloud nine at the same timeâ.
EXTS – ‘Memories’
Post-hardcore newcomers, EXTS have announced their debut EP, âThe Fragile Space Betweenâ, is set for release on 23rd June. The group have also shared a brand-new single titled âMemoriesâ, which will feature on the EP.
âThe trackâs about dropping the pretence and owning the truth. Tragedy strikes everyone at some point and we make good and bad decisions in those moments. Life loves to throw us curveballs from time to time & finding a way to keep positive, when it feels like thereâs no break in the clouds, it is tough. The whole EP is about overcoming adversity & âMemoriesâ is no different. Lyrically it nods to the old cliche âwhat doesnât kill us makes us strongerâ, especially in those defining moments in time.â – Vocalist, Jack Flynn.
Lucky Hit – ‘Obvious Sucker’
Pop punk band Lucky Hit have returned with a brand-new single titled âObvious Suckerâ.
Many of us often romanticise the past. The lyrics focus on a couple and the way in which they spent their time together and how they felt. The memory of that person often stays with us years after. The song itself is not about an ex girlfriend or a summer fling, the song is about a time in our lives personified. Â The time we spend in our younger years enjoying ourselves and taking risks and the spend out latter years romanticising it.â – Vocalist, Lawrence Murphy.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
Up first this week is the latest news from Download Festival who this week added additional bands whilst also confirming the stage splits for each day.
The Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot headlined event will also now feature the likes of State Champs, Puscifer, Hundred Reasons, Static Dress, Cancer Bats and more.
Following the announcement of new album, ‘Starcatcher’, last week, this week has seen the news that Greta Van Fleet will be back out on tour later this year.
The UK will see the band tackling arena shows in London, Manchester and Glasgow with support from Mt. Joy.
Our News Report continues with Atreyu who have also announced when they will return to the UK. Alongside their EU tour the band will play a run of eight dates in the UK this November.
Continuing the theme of bands announcing their return to the UK, Danko Jones have revealed a full EU and UK tour for this Autumn that will finish at the Garage in London.
We segue our News Report now from tour announcement to new music as Dream Wife unveiled both this past week.
As the group get ready for the release of new album, ‘Social Lubrication’ on June 9th, they’ve set up a full UK tour set to take place in October.
Support for the tour will come from Ash Kenazi.
The band also had more new music on offer with new single, ‘Orbit’, which you can check out below.
On the single the band explain, âWritten through the joy of jamming together and locking into the groove like a multi limbed space age organism, Orbit has a dance rock edge from the early noughties of bands like New Young Pony Club and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Lyrically, it was inspired by post-lockdown London coming back to life and sharing a space through friendship and community. And how each day you never know whatâs in store for you or how a stranger can become someone close to you – for a day, a heartbeat, a phase, or a lifetime.â
Next up we have Skindred who have this week shared their new single, ‘If I Could’, which you can check out above.
The track comes from new album, ‘Smile’, which is out on August 4th.
Frontman Benji Webbe recalls that the track was inspired by lockdown and how much he hated 2020 and the effect it had on the world. âOn the other hand, 2023 is a different story,â he says. âWeâve released new music and weâre still to drop another few monsters from our album âSmileâ. Weâve got the KISS tour coming, and weâve also got our headline tour supporting the new album. So 2023, to me, looks like a very exciting time to be in Skindred. Iâm very optimistic about the future!â
The Amity Affliction debut ‘Not Without My Ghosts’
This week also saw The Amity Affliction release their latest single, ‘Not Without My Ghosts’, which features Phem, and you guessed it – you can check it out above!
The new album of the same name will be out on May 12th.
It was a big week for James and the Cold Gun as they announced that their self-titled debut album will arrive on July 21st!
Accompanying that announcement was new single, ‘Something to Say’, which you can check out above.
Speaking on the album, frontman James Joseph says, âWe can’t wait to get this album out into the world, it’s a no frills rock and roll ripper recorded ourselves in the garage where we first started jamming as a band, we think it’s a great introduction to what we’re about at our core, loud, energetic guitar rock…â
Another band approaching the release of their debut album is Militarie Gun who will release, ‘Life Under The Gun’ on June 23rd!
This week the group shared the latest single from them ahead of that album. You can check out ‘Very High’ above.
The record is inextricably linked to Sheltonâs past. âI grew up in a household with family members struggling with addiction,â he explains. âIt was an oppressive force. We were always wondering, âIs it going to be a good day or a bad day? Are the cops going to come today? What am I going to come home to after school?’â
On the album, âThis is what I thought we sounded like all along,â Shelton laughs. âItâs always felt like a melody-forward band to me, but I think now weâre finally achieving what I was always setting out to do.â
Willie J Healey has shared his latest single, ‘Little Sister’, which you can listen to above.
The track features on upcoming album, ‘Bunny’, which is due for release August 25th.
Willie says âThe whole era is something that I love. Long before making âTwin Heavyâ, I had always listened to funk, soul and R&B, but for some reason it never translated into my own music. Really my inspiration was just the feel of things.ââ
He goes on to say about âLittle Sisterâ specifically “We recorded it in New York, just one take, it was magical. I remember spending a couple of hours learning and messing around with it and then it was done. I really just enjoy playing music that makes you feel really good.â
Lottery Winners had more music to share this with as they debuted their new single, ‘Letter To Myself’, which features Frank Turner. You can listen to the track above.
The band are set for the release of their new album, ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’, on April 28th!
With just a month to go until their debut EP ‘Youâre Welcome’, out 19th May, Lambrini Girls share new single âLads Lads Ladsâ about toxic masculinity.
“In order to be a lad, make sure to follow the following guidelines: excessive drinking, harassing anyone with a pulse and starting fights. Most importantly, make sure to never talk about your feelings as this simply cannot be associated with manliness. Lad culture is the shit stain on the bathroom floor and toxic masculinity is the toilet paper that refuses to unstick from the shoe of society. Nobody wins.” says the band.
headcage – ‘false gold’
Alternative Post-Hardcore band headcage have shared their brand new single âfalse goldâ.
âWith this track Iâm trying to lay down the premise of always wanting more from life, as in wealth, status or fame but ultimately realising the people and culture that those things predominantly exist in are not the world I come from or identify with in any way, shape or form. To put it simply, it’s something Iâve always wanted for so long, and is also something I hateâ. – Vocalist, Leyum Pattinson.
Grove Street – ‘Lessons of the Past’
Recently signed to UNFD, get yourselves acquainted with Grove Street via recent single, âLessons of the Pastâ!
âGrove Street becoming a part of UNFD felt like it was meant to happen,â says guitarist Sandy. âA label that fully believes in us and wants to nurture our growth as a band is a rare thing to be seen. This band started out as fun between friends, we never had any expectations of reaching the levels we have and with UNFD behind us we can push those levels even further.â
Speaking of the track, the band share, âLessons of the Past focuses on police brutality, abuse of power, systemic oppression and racism. People not taking a stand against these things only encourages them to manifest further, and we as people must do better to hold those in power accountable.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
“Finding ‘Lost’ was like finding a favorite photo you had forgotten youâd taken, like it was waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.” – Mike Shinoda
Linkin Park will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their seminal ‘Meteora’ album with a special edition out April 7th.
This week the band shared a previously unreleased track that will feature in the new collection. You can listen to ‘Lost’ above now.
Enter Shikari recently announced their upcoming new album, ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, will be out April 21st, and this week saw the band share the latest taste.
You can listen to new track, ‘It Hurts’ above. Of the track, Lead vocalist and producer Rou Reynolds explains:
“It Hurts came to me in a dream. Literally. Melody, chords, and fully-formulated chorus were all part of a dream that, thankfully, remained with me when I woke up. I was hiding under the duvet at 3AM, singing it into my phone, much to the bewilderment of my girlfriend.
Lyrically, It Hurts is about perseverance, and the importance of reframing failure as a fruitful and, in fact, pivotal route to progress. Society teaches us we should avoid and criticise failure, when defeat and honest mistakes can actually present us with insights that light our way forward.
In reality, we should be taught that simply to try makes us more than enough.â
This week saw the return of Gengahr as the band shared their brand new single, ‘A Ladder’, which you can listen to above.
Frontman Felix Bushe comments: “A Ladder is a fun, trippy little song soaked in cartoon-like imagery. Essentially it’s about the power of true love and its ability to not only change the way we feel but also the way we see and interact with the whole world around us.”
Dream Wife have announced details of their next studio album with ‘Social Lubrication’ set to be released on June 9th.
This week the group preceded the release with new single, ‘Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)’, which you can check out above.
‘Social Lubrication’, in the band’s words, is âHyper lusty rock and roll with a political punch, exploring the alchemy of attraction, the lust for life, embracing community and calling out the patriarchy. With a healthy dose of playfulness and fun thrown in.â
Vocalist Rakel says, âDating musicians is a nightmare. Evoking imagery of late night make-outs with fuckboy/girl/ambiguously-gendered musicians on their mattress after being seduced by song-writing chat. The roles being equally reversed. Having a laugh together and being able to poke fun at ourselves is very much at the heart of this band. This song encapsulates our shared sense of humour. Sonically it is the lovechild of CSS and Motorhead. It has our hard, live, rock edge combined with cheeky and playful vocals.â
âMusic is one of the only forms of people experiencing an emotion together in a visceral, physical, real way,â says Alice. âIt’s cathartic to the systemic issues that are being called out across the board in the record. Music isn’t the cure, but it’s the remedy. Calling the record Social Lubrication harks to that. It’s the positive glue that can create solidarity and community.â
âThe album is speaking to systemic problems that cannot be glossed over by lube,â says Bella. âThe things named in the songs are symptoms of f-ed up structures. And you can’t fix that. You need to pull it apart.â
We move our News Report on now to the best tour announcements from the past week and of course we have to start with the above dates from Fall Out Boy!
The group will make their way to the UK and Europe this Autumn with five UK Arena shows in scope finishing up at The O2 in London.
Support for the tour comes from both PVRIS and nothing,nowhere.
The tour will follow the release of their upcoming new album, ‘So Much (For) Stardust’, which is out March 24th.
Our News Report looks now at the best festival announcements made over the past week and we start by the coast with Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival.
Jamiroquai and Kasabian are already announced to headline with one more headliner yet to be revealed.
They will now be joined in August by the likes of The Charlatans, Jake Bugg, Circa Waves, The View, Newton Faulkner, Blossoms,Alt-J, Kaiser Chiefs, Amyl & The Sniffers, The Coral, Pale Waves, Shame, The Vaccines, Sea Girls, Johnny Marr, The Enemy and Hard-Fi!
Steelhouse Festival this week confirmed that Those Damn Crows will be heading up the mountain as Saturday’s Special Guests. Also added this week was Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners.
They join the likes of Airbourne, Black Stone Cherry, Kris Barras Band, The Answer, Blues Pills, Florence Black and many more.
UK metallers, Electron, draw a line in the sand with their explosive new single, ‘Sick and Wrong’, which is out now!
On the single, frontman Jason Payne discusses: âThe track symbolises solitude, melancholy, madness, anxiety and fear. The persona in this song (inspired by âThe Scream, E. Munchâ) is suffering a lot of pain. In the beginning, this person has hope that they will escape from the terror of its own mind â however, as the song evolves, they grow aware that the melancholy is eternal, and revolt with their agony.â
This Dying Hour – ‘Age of the Coward’
Modern metalcore 4-piece This Dying Hour have shared their blistering new single âAge Of The Cowardâ.
“âAge of the Cowardâ challenges the way we see ourselves – how we can either perpetuate or abolish the feelings of nihilism and guilt through the way we understand personal accountability. Over the years I have personally battled with self-identity and purpose. I donât think these things are exclusive to me, but a journey we all must take. This is why we shouldnât settle with your shortcomings, but instead with discipline and hard work we can lace their linings with gold. You canât make the world a more meaningful place, until you see through who you truly are.â – Vocalist Steve Kerr.
Creature Cult – ‘poster boy’
With just one single out in the world – the powerful and rousing, ‘ughly’ – Creature Cult have shared new single ‘poster boy’ – another message delivered loud and clear: in the face of bigotry and hatred, be uncompromising in your self-expression.
Commenting on the new single, Connar says: “Poster boy is my hate letter to homophobia. It takes all the disgust and discrimination from vicious people and spits it right back at them. Itâs basically saying Iâm going to be the fucking biggest and loudest version of all the things you hate about me because I really donât care what you think and I know that scares you. Being able to express yourself and love who you want to love should be treated by everyone as the basic human right that it is.”
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week by running through the best festival announcements made over the past week and up first we have Kendal Calling.
Topping the bill this year will be Kasabian, Royal Blood, Blossoms and Nile Rodgers & Chic! They are joined by the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Frank Turner, Circa Waves, The Enemy, KT Tunstall and The Amazons.
Also across the weekend will be The Hunna, The Murder Capital, Vistas, We Are Scientists, Lottery Winners, Black Honey, Newton Faulkner, October Drift, Jack Valero and many more!
Glasgow’s TRNSMT has added some fifty new acts to the bill for this year’s festival. The events features headliners Pulp, Sam Fender, The 1975, George Ezra, Kasabian and Royal Blood.
They are joined by Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, The View, The Kooks, Pale Waves, Hot Milk, Hamish Hawk, The Wombats, Nothing But Thieves, The Enemy, The Amazons, Bob Vylan, Dream Wife, Lauran Hibberd and many more.
Rock returns to Mote Park in Maidstone with the newly minted Maid of Stone taking place in July. The first headline act to be revealed are rockers Airbourne.
Joining the Aussies on the bill will be Skindred, The Hunna, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons, Kris Barras Band, Elles Bailey, Florence Black, Bad Touch, Black Spiders and more.
Wales is also able to attract rocks finest with Steelhouse Festival leading the way. This week the festival announced that Black Stone Cherry will be topping the bill alongside already announced Saturday headliners Airbourne.
They are joined over the weekend by the likes of The Answer, Blues Pills, Kris Barras Band, Florence Black, When Rivers Meet, The Cruel Knives and Dead Man’s Whiskey!
Another rock event getting bigger this week was Slam Dunk Festival who have added more bands to an already packed bill. Probably a good thing then that they’ve also broken down the stage splits.
Added to the event were PVRIS, Sueco, Millie Manders and many more. They join the likes of Enter Shikari, The Offspring, Billy Talent, Bowling For Soup, Yellowcard,Creeper and far too many others to mention!
Live At Leeds: In The Park has added The Hives, DMA’s, gengahr and more to an already packed line up headlined by Two Door Cinema Club.
They join amongst others, The Big Moon, Black Honey, The Beths, Skinny Living, Deadletter, Ellur, Low Hummer and Opus Kink.
Speaking about their appearance at Live At Leeds: In The Park 2023, The Hivesâ frontman Pelle Almqvist said: âSome festival names just have a ring to them donât they? Live At Leeds. It sounds like some upper echelon rock shit and if this yearâs edition wasnât before, now it is. The Hives are very proud and happy to join this upper echelon. They are coming for your money and dignity and in exchange they will deliver however long a show you will let them of life-affirming record-breaking rock â ‘ roll music. If you have never seen them before. imagine a rock show but to the 3rd power. Too much of everything. If you have seen them before, you know you will have to again.â
Skinny Living said: âLive At Leeds is one of our favourite festivals in the UK! The line up is always top class, so to be able to play the main stage as a local band this year is a proper moment for us and our people.â
Looking ahead, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said: âIt may be chilly outside, but weâre already incredibly excited about returning to Temple Newsam for an unforgettable summer festival celebration – with even more favourites and new faces joining the party at Live At Leeds: In The Park this year.
DMAâs and The Hives may just be some of the best festival bands going right now, and having phenomena like Cavetown and Crawlers join the party is truly special. At Live At Leeds, we always look to bring unmissable live titans together with fansâ next favourite bands – and this yearâs In The Park is the perfect example of that. All coming together on one day at Temple Newsam, thereâs nothing quite like it – and we canât wait to see everyone this May!â
Following a run of new solo singles, iconic guitarist Chris Shiflett this week revealed a run of UK dates this March including a tour finale at Scala in London.
Our News Report continues with news that Pierce The Veil will be in the UK next April. The band will play a number of large venues finishing up at Alexandra Palace in London.
Next in our News Report is the latest single from Willie J Healey featuring Jamie T. Listen to ‘Thank You’ above now.
The track comes from forthcoming album, ‘Bunny’, which is out August 25th.
Willie comments on the new single: “I was tired and flat and didnât know what to make & then my friend Jamie said ay willie Iâve got this drum machine it might inspire you.. I picked it up and wrote ‘Thank You’ the next day, it was my way of thanking Jamie for being a good friend. I dedicate it to anyone trying to do their own thing.”
Mimi Barks concludes this portion of our News Report with the new video for her track, ‘SAW’, which you can watch above!
The track features on their recently released mixtape, ‘DEADGIRL’.
Barks had the following to say, “SAW, the third song on the DEADGIRL Mixtape, marks the resistance, rage, and anger I experienced while seeking my identity and self-worth on an emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental level.â
She continues to mention – âWorking independently on set with a micro teamâjust me, and my videographer, and his cameraâit takes me back to my roots. No crew, no lights, and no screenplay. Itâs raw, industrial and dirty – with the walls of the derelict buildings captured in the music video reflecting the wrath and backlash of my internal war.â
Blondshell will release her self-titled debut album arrives April 7th and is preceded by new single, ‘Joiner’.
Describing the new single, Blondshell explains, âI was listening to a lot of Britpop when I wrote this song. A lot of those bands like The Verve, Pulp, Suede, and Blur channelled dark subject matter, drugs, and all this dirty stuff, but with a fun acoustic guitar under it. I was listening to The Replacements, too. Thatâs what this song was inspired by sonically. I wanted it to feel like youâre watching HBO, where even though itâs heavy, itâs still a good time.”
BLACKGOLD – ‘Boogeyman’
Masked Misfits BLACKGOLD are back at it again with new single âBoogeymanâ!
The band comment, ââBoogeymanâ is about that person that haunts your dreams. They have full control over you within your subconscious and it feels like you canât escape.â
Riyah – ‘Perfect’
Riyah is ready to unleash her first single ‘Perfect’, showcasing what is to come from her hands and lungs.
She comments, “I’m excited to see this new chapter roll out with this new EP. I’ve spent almost two years figuring out which way to go, and these songs might feel like baby steps to some, but for me it’s gigantic leap into my passion”Â
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
It must be nearly Christmas, because the announcements came thick and fast this week! Up first for us is the news that Elton John will play what is set to be his final UK show at Glastonbury Festival.
Organiser Emily Eavis shared the following statement:
Another legendary act announced this week to be headlining a major festival was Guns N’ Roses. The band are the latest act announced for British Summer Time which takes place in Hyde Park, London.
We continue the festival announcements in our News Report with Bearded Theory who this week announced a stunning line-up topped by Interpol and Primal Scream.
Also on tap will be Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Gary Numan, Yard Act, The Mysterines, Pigs x7, The Undertones, Beans On Toast, Skinny Lister, Holy Moly And The Crackers, Coach Party, Pet Needs and many more!
Another festival dropping their initial line-up for next year is Standon Calling. The event will be topped by Years & Years, Self Esteem, Bloc Party and The Human League.
Also on the bill are the likes of Squid, KT Tunstall, Bob Vylan, Lynks and Stone.
Festival Founder and Director Alex Trenchard says: â2022 was an incredibly special year for all of us at Standon Calling. Itâs given us so much excitement to look forward to 2023, in what is shaping up to be the greatest Standon Calling to date.
Weâre so proud of this yearâs progress in booking a gender-balanced headline bill and are certainly in for a good time. Couldnât be happier to bring Self Esteem back and in an even bigger slot, alongside Bloc Party, an all time favourite of ours and one of the greatest modern alternative indie rock bands around. With more iconic names like Years & Years, The Human League and many more, weâve booked some of the best live acts going, including future superstars ready to take over 2023 and much more – this announcement really captures everything important about Standon Calling.
We canât wait to see everyone next July, and weâve got a LOT more surprises to come – so stay tuned!â
Another festival to check out is Yorkshire’s Deer Shed Festival, which is set to feature the likes of Public Service Broadcasting, Gaz Coombes, The Big Moon, This Is The Kit and Dream Wife.
The final festival announcement in our News Report comes from Lume Festival. The event will takeover The Underworld, The Black Heart and Camden Eye in April.
The line-up features Dream State, Black Orchid Empire, Delaire the Liar, Led By Lanterns and ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast alumni Moskito, Youth Illusion and Blight Town!
We move our News Report onwards now to the best tour announcements from the past week and get the ball rolling with the news that The Weeknd will bring the ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ global stadium tour to the UK.
A Manchester date in June will be followed by two dates at London Stadium in July.
The Blue Stones have announced a return to the UK and Europe for Spring 2023. The band will include three UK shows in Manchester, Nottingham and London.
The Blue Stones vocalist/guitarist, Tarek Jafar, had this to say about the tour, âwhen we release new music, we immediately think about how it will be received in Europe and the UK. We feel such a connection to those places, and our fans there have been incredibly supportive. We wanted to provide an album that stays with them forever, and a show theyâd never forget. No one should miss these shows, because it’s a side of us that you’ve never seen before.â
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Party Cannon who will tour the UK early next year with support from recent Podcast guests Godeater!
Black Star Riders share new single ‘Riding Out the Storm’
Next we take our News Report to the best new releases from the past week and we get started with Black Star Riders.
It was a big news week for the band as they both shared their new single and revealed their new guitarist. Yes, Wayward Sons guitarist Sam Wood joins the group and you can check out new single, ‘Riding Out the Storm’ above!
Ricky Warwick âI first saw Sam back in 2019 when Wayward Sons were guests to Black Star Riders and I was absolutely blown away! I had Sam join me for some Fighting Hearts dates a few months back and knew he was the guy for us. If ever there was a new GUITAR HERO waiting in the wings, then itâs Sam! Black Star Riders have had some of the Worldâs finest guitar players in their ranks and Sam is truly up there as one of them. We couldnât be happier!â
The single comes from forthcoming new album, ‘Wrong Side of Paradise’, and Warwick comments:
âAs we get older, sadly we start to lose the ones around us who we love, having lost both my parents and some dear friends in the last few years Iâve started to question and look at my feelings on my own mortality and morality. Iâve come to realise that death is a part of life and even in the darkest days (that we all get sometimes), Iâve come to understand that every aspect of life should be an intensified experience and never taken for granted.â  He continues: âThe video was shot in downtown Los Angeles and directed by Tony Aguilera. I love the cinematography and different camera filters that Tony used during the shoot. I think it complements the essence of the song, which conveys reflections of mortality and consequences of choice. Life must end eventually, but love doesnât.â
Hundred Reasons also had new music on offer this week and you can listen to new single, ‘New Glasses’, above.
Vocalist Colin Doran had the following to say about the themes behind the track:
“The lyrics for this song are really about a person I used to work with that spent lots of time treating people badly to cover up their own inadequacies. They were not good at their job but, due to their massive ego and how they wished to be perceived by others, preferred to make others feel deficient. The song describes how I came to realise this. The amusing thing is that it was a working title as when we started writing it, Larry had actually got new glasses that day but the name stuck.”
The song comes from upcoming album, ‘Glorious Sunset’, which is out February 24th.
This week saw Bury Tomorrow share their new single, ‘Boltcutter’, which you can listen to above.
The tracks features on upcoming new album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, released March 31st.
Speaking of the track, guitarist Kristan Dawson shares, âfrom the second we put the finishing touches to Boltcutter, we knew it had to be a single. Whilst it is a fundamental Bury Tomorrow track, being both loud and heavy, it also emphasises the new era of our band.”
“Specifically, it highlights influences we havenât necessarily channelled through Bury Tomorrow before, and itâs a pleasure to continue to expand the possibilities of our music. It began its existence through Tom crafting the foundations, with an ambient and electronic soundscape, before the rest of the band provided their usual expertise.â
âConsidering its weighty riffs and catchy dual vocal hooks, we also knew that Boltcutter was going to be an undeniable addition to future setlists. And for those who have attended recent shows on our tour, Â they will have already had a sneak preview. Weâve loved being able to preview a single release like this with our fans, and it seems that it has already made an impact with teamBT and we canât wait for the rest of our wonderful community to hear it.â
Finally for our News Report and setting off into a new era, metal greats Delain have announced that they will release new album, ‘Dark Waters’ on February 10th.
You can check out new single, ‘Beneath’, above!
Martijn Westerholt on ‘Beneath‘:
ââBeneathâ is a perfect ambassador of the album and Delain as a whole because it encapsulates almost all of the recognizable Delain elements you will find on the album.â
âThis album captures all elements Delain is known for â our distinctive heavy guitar riffs, massive orchestral parts, both heavy metal and pop vocals, rock opera vibes along with 80s synth sounds. In short, this is definitely a recognizable Delain album that contains classic âDelain elementsâ while also moving forward with fresh influences.â
UK rockers Little Triggers share their new single, ‘Personality Crisis’.
The track takes a swipe at social media influencers and the millions of young people who follow them. Tom remarks: âI donât feel any connection to this sort of instant gratification online culture. The minds of these digital influencers are a closed book to me. I just donât get why so many people think they have something meaningful to say.â Hamilton goes on to elaborate: âThe personality crisis of the song title is both my alienation from this virtual world and also that of the individuals who think their online musings really matter. To them and their followers, I say get a life â a real life!â
MOSKITO – ‘517’
Fearless UK band MOSKITO are back with their new single, ‘517’, taken from upcoming mixtape, ‘Bad Love’ out January 27th.
â517 is a song which allows you to find yourself lost in the chaos, conjuring any emotion in which you allow yourself, this is your pageâŚ. What would you write? After all we all just architects of our own downfall! It’s like a letter to your ex. Full of optimism, pride, resentment, confusion, jealousy, loathing & a desperation to prove them wrong. 517 is the ultimate revenge bod.â – Frontman Jake Rudd.
MYNK – ‘Boundaries’
London trio MYNK share their debut single, ‘Boundaries’.
Bex Morrison comments:
“The track is about the boundaries we set in order to function in different situations / relationships; the crossing of sacrifice and habit meets somewhere in the middle to maintain a connection. Itâs about the relatable internal questioning of âdo I/donât I?â and where that takes you, and how you can lose yourself in it.â
Download Festival reveals 20th Anniversary line-up
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with festival announcements and where else could we start other than the monster 20th Anniversary line-up announcement from Download Festival!
Extended to four days this year the event will feature two unique headline sets from Metallica, the return of Donington icons Slipknot and a well deserved top billing for Bring Me The Horizon.
Other big slots are taken by the likes of Alexisonfire, Architects, The Distillers, Disturbed, Evanescence, Ghost, I Prevail, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Placebo, Simple Plan, Ville Valo and Within Temptation.
It doesn’t stop there and also playing will be the likes of The Blackout, Fever 333, Kid Kapichi, Nova Twins, Seether and Witch Fever.
Welsh rock fans are in for a treat when Airbourne bring the party on Saturday night at next years Steelhouse Festival!
The Aussies will headline the event which also features The Answer, Blues Pills, Kris Barras Band, Florence Black, The Cruel Knives, Austin Gold and more, with plenty more to be announced.
Crystal Palace Bowl in London will once again host South Facing festival next summer and this week Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and more were amongst the first acts revealed.
Peter Gabriel announces first EU tour in nearly a decade!
We stay with the live side of things next as our News Report moves onto the best tour announcements from the past week!
Peter Gabriel has revealed his first European tour in nearly a decade including UK dates in Birmingham, London, Glasgow and Manchester.
Gabriel said of the tour: âItâs been a while and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and am excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. Look forward to seeing you out there.â
Primal Scream & Happy Mondays to team up in Margate
We continue our News Report with news that Saturday 5th August will see Dreamland in Margate taken over be a co-headline show from Primal Scream and Happy Mondays.
In celebration of their 40th Anniversary, James have announced a new UK ‘James Lasted’ Tour complete with 22-piece orchestra and gospel choir!
Tim Booth says âThere are a number of great bands who have been around for 40. But to get here and to be having the best time of our lives. To be part of a supportive loving family that still has something to say and new ways to say it. To be turned on by every gig and song. To fall in love over and over again, Groundhog Day, with our bandmates and audience. Damn. Thatâs time well spent.
We should have recorded the orchestra tour first time round, as many of you have reminded us. Well, weâve done it now. And here comes the tour. The Orchestra and Gospel singers expand our palette, heighten the tenderness, heighten the celebration and, despite their numbers, somehow leave us feeling more naked and raw. It will be different, probably each night, because we are James and Joe knows how to dance with us. And because you are different, each night. Please leave your phones behind, come and play in the moment.â
Jim Glennie says âHas it really been 40 years? In some ways it feels like yesterday and in others, many lifetimes. I’ve lived a blessed existence, being in a band I’m supremely proud of with musicians that would grace any stage. A family of brothers and sisters, willing to support each other musically and emotionally. We are bloody minded and independent to the core. Uniquely challenging, always pushing ourselves into the new and taking risks collectively and individually, looking for transcendence. With love, trust, and acceptance we grow. Somewhere in a parallel universe, James are the biggest band on the planet. Here’s to another 40 years.â
Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris will once again be taking British Lion on the road in the UK next January. Joining them for these shows will be Coney Hatch and Airforce.
Steve Harris comments, âWeâre excited to be touring the UK again especially as weâll be visiting many places weâve not had a chance to play before. Itâs fantastic that weâve got long-time friends Coney Hatch coming over from Canada to join us. We had great fun when they were our special guests on the British Lion Canadian shows in 2018. And weâre happy to have our old mates Airforce back out on the road with us too. Everyone is really looking forward to this tour and we canât wait to see everyone.â
Rockers Dirty Honey have announced a UK/EU Tour taking place early next year.
Prior to the tour, in January 2023, the band are set to release a brand new, re-recorded version of album track ‘Heartbreaker’.
âSome songs really come to life after theyâve been performed a bunch of times. You can really see an audience react to a line being sung a certain way or a riff grooving that you didnât think of while recording in the studio. Over time we realized the song took on a new life on the road in both North America and Europe and we wanted to capture that energyâŚ.â – Marc Labelle, vocalist of Dirty Honey, talking about Heartbreaker 2.0
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and we begin with Skindred!
The group this week announced new album, ‘Smile’, will be released August 4th. The band also shared new single, ‘GIMME THAT BOOM’, which you can check out above.
The track is based on a frustrating encounter lead singer Benji Webbe had with an overfamiliar fan.
âI was out shopping one day and I could hear someone building up asking me for a picture,â Webbe recalls. âThe person didnât care who I was with or what I was doing – they just wanted their picture. In this day and age, people want you and they expect to get you on tap, constantly giving you that âboomâ so they can get their Instagram Likes up. Itâs important to remember that people can’t give you that âboomâ all the time. People think because they follow you on social media, they own you.â
Ahead of their UK Tour next month, The Dead Daisies have released new single, ‘Born To Fly’, which you can listen to above.
âDoug & I got together in New York earlier in the year and worked on a riff that I had written previously. Doug had a chorus that just fitted, we messed around with the melody and came up with the name âBorn To Flyâ. This is a straight-up rock song. For me it’s literal, I was born to fly. However weâre all born to fly in our own way.â â David Lowy
This week saw REWS share new single, ‘The World That Left You Behind’, which you can check out above.
âAh! Iâm ecstatic about finally releasing this song!! Itâs got so much energy, riffâs for days and a great message!! I wrote it with a great friend of mine from NI, Cahir OâDoherty (New Pagans). It is a song that journeyâs through how we can support those people in our lives who get carried away with negative thoughts and feel utterly lost and alone. Hopefully the song will provide a nice audio net for people to fall into at times of need, so they know they arenât alone!â – Shauna
Dissonants have shared their huge new single âGrave Mindâ.
âLyrically, Grave Mind is more conceptual than our previous work. I wrote the track from the viewpoint of someone on their deathbed looking back on their life and wondering if, now that itâs over and coming to a close, they can be happy and at peace. For this track we wanted to draw less from our own experiences and look at concepts such as mortality and happiness, and how one can affect the otherâ. – Frontman Benjie Allen.
M(h)aol – ‘Asking For It’
M(h)aol will release debut album, ‘Attachment Styles’ on February 3rd. This week they shared new single, ‘Asking For It’.
On the track singer RĂłisĂn said, âI wrote it initially in 2016 then revisited it in 2020. I was shocked by how much internalised victim blaming there was in the lyrics. I rewrote it, then we recorded it and it was released to raise money for Women’s Aid in 2021. The album version is a lot angrier than the 2021 one and almost satirical insofar as it’s highlighting how ludicrous the notion of anyone ‘asking for it’ is.â
Chasing Kites – ‘Shiver’
Bath-based indie-rock four-piece Chasing Kites return with their fourth single âShiverâ.
Speaking about the writing process, vocalist and lyricist Matt Donnelly explains, ââShiver came together extremely quickly. Iâd had the lyrics lying around for a very long time and felt they fit perfectly with the sonic side of the track when the melody was written. As we built on the skeleton of the song, our aim was to take us back into the realms of indie rock through powerful injections of energy in the choruses, while maintaining our commercial sound throughout.ââ
Watch Episode 21 of our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests Dissonants
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’
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’
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)
Festival season is in full swing, the weather is warm, and the women are setting the standard for football, in many ways life is good. Of course in many other ways things are tough right now.
Music has always been an escape from reality, and we certainly need a distraction right now, so as Y Not Festival open their gates for the first time in three years, itâs time for tens of thousands of fans to let their hair down and celebrate. That is once they can actually get in, with some enormous queues upon entry dampening early spirits.
Now, the last and only time I attended Y Not Festival was the fateful 2017 event which ended in cancellation midway through. I wrote a scathing review for another publication and swore never to return.
Well, watching from a distance the festival has put out some stunning line-ups since then, and organisational changes appear to have improved things and returned the events reputation to pre-2017 levels. This year is in fact billed as their first year back as an independent festival.
Having decided to give the festival a second chance on the basis of their 2020 line-up, Iâve since witnessed the line-up change multiple times for the worse based on my personal preferences. There is no doubting however the overall quality of the line-up at a tough time for festivals.
Iâm interested to see how the event will progress and whether it can change my opinion of the festival after the 2017 debacle, so the huge entry queues on Thursday and Friday arenât the best start.
Thankfully once inside, things pick up quickly! The general layout is well thought out in the main arena, with the main stage, the second stage (The Quarry) and numerous other attractions in the main section of the arena, and the third stage (The Giant Squid) and various other stages and attractions located in a smaller area.
This almost creates two distinct festival areas, with a busy walkway connecting them. The only issue here is that later on in each day this thoroughfare does bottleneck and makes movement very difficult. At one point on Sunday night, this reaches a near dangerous level as fans flood the area trying to catch an Oasis tribute band on one of the smaller stages.
Whilst I quite liked the two separate areas concept, in future additional access would need to be installed at the other end of the second area to avoid any disastrous incidents and make crowd movements flow better.
Now on to the music! Thursday is an add-on day and those to fork out and arrive early are given a splattering of acts to enjoy.
The first such act that we catch is Lucy Spraggan who does a great job in getting the audience into the spirit of things. Spraggan has the crowd singing along to the likes of The Proclaimers cover âIâm Gonna Be (500 Miles)â, and fan favourites âLast Night (Beer Fear)â and âWait for Meâ.
Next, The Hunna grace the main stage and also deliver a crowd pleasing set. The bandâs momentum seems to have stalled slightly, but that upwards trajectory is set to relaunch if the reaction to new single, âTrashâ, is anything to go by. âSheâs Casualâ and âBonfireâ serve as a reminder of what the band is capable of, and leaves the audience fully pumped up for our Thursday headliners.
WATCH ‘TRASH’ FROM THE HUNNA ON YOUTUBE
Those headliners are indie stalwarts The Kooks. The band have been celebrating their debut album, âInside In/Inside Outâ, whilst they have also recently released a new album, ’10 Tracks to Echo in the Darkâ. Itâs no surprise then that 15 out of 21 songs tonight come from those two releases.
The new tracks manage to hold up well with the hits such as âOoh Laâ, âShe Moves In Her Own Wayâ, âAlways Where I Need To Beâ and âNaĂŻveâ. All in all this equates to a fun headline show which sets the standard for the weekend to come.
Friday on paper is the best day musically for me heading in with a great mix of the new and established acts that Y Not Festival has managed to book so well.
Itâs a new act we start with on the main stage as Lauran Hibberd brings her charismatic indie pop to Y Not Festival. The early risers are treated to a glimpse of a star in the making and those that make the effort donât regret it. Hibberdâs debut album, âGarageband Superstarâ is out this month, and based on todayâs showing it will be a breakthrough record.
Hibberd has featured previously on our âDiscoverâ New Music Playlist, and next we headed to the âGiant Squidâ stage for the first time to catch fellow playlist alumni Daytime TV.
Daytime TV showcase their incredible debut album, âNothingâs On But Everyoneâs Watchingâ, as they quickly blast out the likes of âWe Canât Be Friendsâ, âHushâ, âUglyâ and âZombieâ. This is another band with a great future, and today they deliver the goods for the early crowd.
Watch our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests Daytime TV
Continuing the run of fantastic young acts we catch MarthaGunn in the âGiant Squidâ and The Skinner Brothers in the âAllotmentâ. Two very different acts, but two more acts that make the very most of their time on stage, clearly winning over any fans not already converted.
We then return to the main stage for another newer act, but one that already feel established. The Snuts burst onto the scene with their debut album, âW.L.â, and have dominated festival stages this year. Today fans are treated to a look at what comes next with new songs âBurn the Empireâ and âZuckerpunchâ sounding massive. Expect The Snuts to continue to climb festival bills over the next few years, and donât be surprised when they are eventually headlining the likes of Y Not Festival.
The Pale White continue what has been a consistently brilliant day of music with a powerful set in the âGiant Squidâ, before we head to the âQuarryâ for the first time this weekend.
Festival favourite and all round legend Beans On Toast assembles a huge crowd for a sing-a-long session. The heralded folk singer serenades his crowd with favourites such as âThe War on Warâ, âM.D.M.Amazingâ and âOn & Onâ. Really, there should be a law that dictates that Beans On Toast appears at every single festival.
Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Beans On Toast
Even before the major issues struck in 2017, one gripe I had about Y Not Festival was the apparent disorganisation in relation to set times. I worry next that perhaps this issue hasnât been fixed as Manic Street Preachers fail to appear for their advertised start time. Eventually a message appears on the screens citing technical difficulties, and the band finally arrive almost an hour late on stage.
This of course has a knock on effect to our headliners Stereophonics, and also means when the Manics do arrive, they quickly depart again only playing for half their originally scheduled time. The technical difficulties seemingly continue to dog the band throughout their short time on stage, which causes more set changes on the fly. A lesser band may have given up, but Manic Street Preachers force their way through.
Stereophonics are a safe bet as a festival headliner, guaranteed to deliver the goods and give the audience a good time. Thatâs exactly what they do to close out Friday night, with a set mixed of hits and deep cuts from throughout their distinguished career.
The double header of of Welsh icons Manic Street Preachers and Stereophonics was a major selling point for many fans, so itâs disappointing that the technical issues leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Saturday soon arrives and we start off on the main stage for another double header of established acts. The Futureheads and Levellers bring the crowds in early as the festival rights the wrongs of last night. Both bands deliver solid sets which the audience lap up, and the party is in full swing as we head deeper into Saturday afternoon.
We refocus next however back to the fresh new acts that help to make this festival so appealing. Do Nothing, King No-One and the excellent The Mysterines all draw big crowds to the âGiant Squidâ stage and all three acts are able to produce perfect festival sets to the delight of the packed tent.
Sea Girls are one of the bands leading the new wave of indie and they are next up on the main stage, where they are greeted by an army of their fans. The band and fans then reciprocate energy for the next forty-five minutes and the result is a very enjoyable watch.
Our Saturday night is then spent back in the âGiant Squidâ for two bands that personify the festival. First up is a hot new band on the cusp of greatness in the form of Yard Act. This is a band that has been touring solidly and making a name for themselves. Today they put the spotlight on debut album, âThe Overloadâ, which gets the entire tent bouncing along.
Lastly is an established act of indie folklore, We Are Scientists! The band finish out the night with a fan pleasing set full of favourites such as âItâs A Hitâ, âThe Great Escapeâ and âNobody Move, Nobody Get Hurtâ.
WATCH ‘THE GREAT ESCAPE’ FROM WE ARE SCIENTISTS ON YOUTUBE
Itâs during this time that the heavens open for the first time. Back in 2017 it was the Saturday night when the festival organisers decided enough was enough, come Sunday morning the last day was cancelled and a disorderly evacuation of the site commenced.
One massive criticism of the event that year was a lack of foresight with heavy rain predicted well in advance, the site saw little or no preparation for the weather. Itâs great this year then that prior to the rainfall we see straw spread at key points in the arena.
The result is that despite a night of rain, the arena is still in good nick come Sunday morning and we are able to continue with the high quality entertainment. Kudos then to the present organisers for taking proactive action rather than waiting until the horse has already bolted!
So, onto my first Y Not Festival Sunday! We again are on the hunt for new talent early on and catch both Marty and Cucamaras in the âQuarryâ and Baby Queen capturing the imagination of the main stage. All three showing that the future is bright.
Sunday really sinks it teeth in on the main stage with back to back performances from Amy MacDonald and Jake Bugg. Two more established acts with stacked back catalogues, two more artists that are able to deliver polished and well received sets as the shine really starts to break through.
After some sing-a-long action with MacDonald and Bugg, itâs back to the fantastic new music offerings as The Hara and Rews in the âGiant Squidâ, and Vistas and Dream Wife in the âQuarryâ all deliver blistering performances which really rile up the audience.
Soon there is a great moment on the main stage where The Vaccines get to announce the incredible result of the Football mid-set. The atmosphere is electric as fans celebrate with more great music.
For us that great music sees us conclude our weekend back in the âGiant Squidâ, firstly with Blood Red Shoes, who have released one of the albums of the year in âGhosts On Tapeâ. Their belated set is an intense and ferocious explosion of rock which instantly enters the race for performance of the weekend.
Watch The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests Blood Red Shoes
That honour is hotly contested as across four days of music we somehow havenât seen a bad performance. The pure quality on offer despite the multiple line-up changes since 2020 is a testament of the work of the booking team for Y Not Festival.
The last band of the weekend for us is Black Honey, who decide that the crown for set of the weekend belongs to them. They deliver an energetic yet majestic performance that is the perfect way to end what has been a great weekend.
I must admit scepticism coming into the event, and whilst I hoped that a great weekend would be had, I wasnât sure. The organisers have rectified the issues of 2017 and have earned themselves a clean slate from me.
Whether you just want to chill at the main stage, or go hunting for the best kept secrets in the tents, Y Not Festival had it all this year. The ghosts of the past have been put to bed by the acts of the future!