Our weekly music News Report has evolved into theĀ Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the tenth issue now for free!
Volume ten includes the latest from cover starsĀ FightstarĀ plus we reviewĀ CreeperĀ live in London, Wheatus live in Cambridge. We also review the new album from Lonely The Brave!
We have our News Report rounding up new releases fromĀ Enter Shikari, Lake Malice, Banks Arcade, Stand Atlantic, Have Mercy, South of Salem, Florence Black, Jamie Lenman, Unpeople, Siamese, Courting and The Killers!
Plus new live announcements fromĀ Download Festival, 2000trees,Ā 30 Seconds To Mars, Bruce Dickinson, Halflives and Bowling For Soup!
Festival season is in full swing and rock fans once again descend on Upcote Farm in Cheltenham for 2000trees! A true music fans festival, this year there is an absolute smorgasbord of the best new and established acts to savour across three full days of relentless entertainment.
However, before the event proper begins though those with early entry have an additional evening of music on tap in the beautiful forest area. The āForest Stageā has always been a unique and special feature of this festival which is now on its fifteenth iteration.
Wednesday
The privilege of opening the festivities this year goes to Snayx who, despite playing whilst many are still pitching their tents, still attract an eager and excited crowd. The band are able to seize upon this excitement to whip the crowd up even further with their brand of punk rock. A benchmark is set for the weekend early here and thankfully the organisers have a bill curated to ensure that the quality never drops!
The other stage in operation today is the small āThe Wordā stage which over the weekend will host various activities such as further bands, live podcasts, comedians and more. Over the next few hours we are able to catch delighted spots from B-Sydes, Masca, Polyanna and Gaz Brookfield.
Over on the āForest Stageā though, the handful of selected bands combine to deliver a highly memorable evening. Delaire the Liar are up next and are able to continue to build their growing reputation with another assured performance.
A real special moment follows as one of the most talented yet underappreciated bands of the last decade Press To MECO play their final show. Such a moment really deserved a bigger stage and longer setlist but those present are able to bathe in those glorious riffs one more time with an emotional āA Test of Our Resolveā a highlight of the whole festival.
Thank you for everything, we love you all. R.I.PTM š@2000trees
Next are a band just getting started. Saint Agnes are tipped as the future of rock music by some, and again on the evidence of their set tonight those people are very much correct! Debut album āBloodsuckersā canāt arrive soon enough; thankfully we only need to wait on July 21st!
The latest Tigercub album is already out and next up the band bring āThe Perfume of Decayā to life with a solid showing as the forest area begins to fill up in anticipation of the nights two headline acts.
Both Holding Absence and Bob Vylan will play two sets over the weekend but before gracing the main stage, they both thrill those packed into the woods! Holding Absence are first and they captivate the crowd with a cleverly selected mix of rarities and fan favourites. This band continues to grow and evolve and itās scary how good they could be.
Bob Vylan also continue to elevate the game with their headline set tonight they bring carnage to the forest! A spectacular off the cuff collection of on point punk rock more than whets the appetite for their main stage appearance, even showing that they arenāt too far away from being able to headline the biggest stage next time they play the festival.
THURSDAY
Each night the now infamous silent disco takes over the site as the party continues into the early hours, but come Thursday morning the arrival of the rest of the attendees ensure even the first act of the day, Blush Puppy on the āForest Stageā get a good turnout. The duo perform a delightful run-through of adapted favourites which starts the first full day off perfectly.
With the outdoor stage, three tented stages and the āForest Stageā all rotating throughout each day an avid music fan can fill their boots with live music and literally catch non-stop music for nigh on sixteen hours a day if they wanted to. We donāt quite have that stamina but we give it a good go and are rewarded by great sets from Kite Thief, Beach Riot and Gaffa Tape Sandy.
Following that run we then head to first catch recent āDiscoverā New Music Podcast guests CARSICK over on the āNEU Stageā. The group proceed to smash through their set to the delight of those present with the likes of āAnaconda Frankā showing real bite.
Another act to impress early in the weekend are Lake Malice in āThe Caveā. The group have been winning over all who see them this summer and their future appears to be very bright indeed.
Thank you @2000trees_festival that was incredible š¤
You made our debut appearance a special one š«¶
Next malicious festival is @rdrfestival on 30th July. Link in bio for š«
Lambrini Girls, Graphic Nature and the official debut of new group Unpeople who have formed from the ashes of Press To MECO all follow and continue to hot run of great sets. Unpeople in particular are able to really tease what is to come and make a fantastic first impression.
The main stage soon literally takes centre stage as first Kid Kapichi and then Bob Vylan deliver two of the sets of the weekend. Kid Kapichi are effortless in their delivery of impassioned punk rock which sees an endless sea of crowd surfers on an inflatable burger! Bob Vylan then reinforce the message that their headline set sent last night, that the duo are as advertised ā the most important band in the world!
We then head back to the two larger tented stages, firstly for Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun who preview their upcoming new album āColourā. The record will arrive on July 28th and the band really do a good job of convincing those in attendance that despite the decade plus wait for a new album, the wait will be worth it. All the new material this evening sounds absolutely massive. Then in āThe Axiomā, The Joy Formidable deliver a delightful little set that evidences the eclectic mix of rock music presented at 2000trees.
Soon enough itās time for the final run of bands that will close out day one. Skindred are well established as a great live act and tonight they have the crowd at their whim. The Newport Helicopter needs no introduction either as the crowd make the most of the groups big finale.
Back in the big tent next for Eagles of Death Metal who give a festival friendly, crowd pleasing set including the likes of āI Only Want Youā, āComplexityā, āCherry Colaā and āI Want You So Hard (Boyās Bad News)’.
Finally itās over to the returning Soft Play (the artists formerly known as Slaves) to close out the day. The duo pick up where they left off and play as if theyāve never been away. Itās great to have the band back and fans revel in the likes of āCheer Up Londonā, āFeed the Mantarayā and āThe Hunterā.
Friday begins with an early run of Beauty School, RXPTRS, The St. Pierre Snake Invasion, BLACKGOLD and New Pagans all of whom play their rules well and make the most of their short sets.
After an overcast first couple of days, today is a scorcher and the heat is intense as LostAlone arrive on the stage. The band donāt let that phase them though as they pull out all the stops to get the crowd engaged. Itās mission accomplished by the time they deliver the double header of āThe Final Call For Foreverā and āThe Last Drop Of Foreverā.
2000trees do very well to bring together the best new music from home and abroad and the next run of Militarie Gun, Zulu, Microwave and Kublai Khan TX shows the keen eye for upcoming talent that the organisers have.
Itās this mix of new with the established acts that perfectly balances out the line-up and Hell Is For Heroes are a great nostalgic party next on the main stage. The quality overall is again on show when you can then head immediately to the āNEU Stageā for an excellently run set from As Everything Unfolds, before returning to the main stage for a very enjoyable Dinosaur Pile-Up show and then jumping straight to the always intense Cancer Bats in āThe Caveā!
Bullet For My Valentine are the act who close out the night with a huge headline performance. Attracting one of, if not the biggest crowd of the weekend, the band are in confident mood as they showcase their headlining credentials. Older tracks such as āScream Aim Fireā and āHearts Burst Into Flamesā naturally receive big reactions, but itās telling newer tracks also are well received.
A surprise AxeWound reunion with Liam Cormier is another festival highlight before āTears Donāt Fallā and āWaking the Demonā ensure that come the next morning everyone is talking about how great Bullet were tonight!
The festival has been a whirlwind as per usual for 2000trees and itās a testament to the quality of line-up that to this point there hasnāt been a bad performance. Of course some ultimately standout more than others such as that headline set last night or Bob Vylan destroying the forest but the chilled out atmosphere amongst attendees is reflected by the respect the bands pay the crowd. The reciprocal ambience creates a synergy that elevates every aspect of this event.
SATURDAY
Come Saturday the crowd may be sapped from the previous days heat but over on the āForest Stageā Xtra Mile Recordings acts (and previous āDiscoverā New Music Podcast guests) Hannah Rose Platt and Guise are serenading the early crowd with their beautiful music. They are both well received despite the heat being supplemented today by a lot of the wet stuff!
Xtra Mile Recordings has a great relationship and past with 2000trees and new Xtra Mile favourites (and double Full Pelt Podcast guests!) PET NEEDS attract a big crowd to āThe Axiomā next. This is no doubt due to some guerrilla advertising from their fans, but everyone that ventures into the tent leave hailing the band as one of the bands of the weekend.
Thank you @2000trees_festival for the most insane midday slot.
Thank you FRACTURED PARTY PEOPLE (official PET NEEDS fan group) for being the best street team in the world.
That concludes three months of touring across 11 countries.
One of the elements that makes the āForest Stageā so special are the sets from acts playing on the biggest stages which are often acoustic and unique. Next, Electric Six frontman Dick Valentine does a great job of distracting the audience from the deteriorating weather with a highly fun acoustic set.
After catching Dead Poet Society and Enola Gay strutting their stuff we are then able to catch Electric Six themselves who attract another big crowd to the main stage. The crowd lap up the likes of āGay Barā and āDanger! High Voltageā as youād expect, and the band do their job with aplomb.
One Step Closer then cement their hype in āThe Caveā before Black Honey demonstrate why they are one of the best newer live acts in the country. Tracks from new album, āA Fistful of Peachesā sound massive as the band achieve another of those more memorable sets of the weekend.
The reshuffled Dream State then show that they still have a big future ahead of them in āThe Caveā before Deaf Havana battle through a torrential downpour which decimates their crowd at the main stage. We brave the rain until the end before heading into the forest for a short but very fun set from Lynks.
Talking to people across the site, the opinion is unanimous that this has been a spectacular weekend. You feel as the weekend comes to a close that it canāt get any better, but then Hundred Reasons deliver perhaps the best set of the weekend. The band get the audience onboard from opening number āIāll Find Youā and never lose them despite more heavy rain. One of the moments of the weekend comes when Enter Shikari man Rou Reynolds joins the band for a superb āSilverā.
Jamie Lenman then plays his latest masterpiece āThe Atheistā in full over in the forest before Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes come out of hibernation to finish the festival with a welcome career-spanning set.
Whilst the band may lack a certain volatility of their early days they donāt lack in swagger or controlled ferocity when required. The final run of āMy Townā, āDevil Inside Meā, āJuggernautā, āLullabyā and āI Hate Youā is the perfect way to bring an incredible weekend of music to a close.
2000trees has established itself at the heart of the summer as a trusted and respected event. From their humble beginnings to now fifteen events later, the festival lays on the infrastructure but the audience makes the event the special weekend that it is!
On his latest album, āThe Atheistā, Jamie Lenman demonstrated his pop sensibilities as he delivered perhaps his most accessible album yet. The outpouring of creativity that made that album has now also produced a companion EP, āiknowyouknowiknowā.
Given that āThe Atheistā was a stunning piece of art which saw Lenman soaring to new heights, it shouldnāt be a surprise that this sister release is just as magnificent.
āiknowyouknowiknowā sees Lenman embracing his folkier side with the acoustic guitar at the centre of some of the EPās most delicate and beautiful tracks.
Finishing the EP with an acoustic rendition of āThis Town Will Never Let Us Goā is a hauntingly perfect way to close out not just the EP but the ensemble that is āThe Atheistā and āiknowyouknowiknowā.
Lenman is a genius of a songwriter who is currently operating at his very best, and this record is the bow on top of his latest masterpiece.
Itās been another big revival year for the music industry following the pandemic years, and itās been another year of growth for us at Full Pelt Music! Weāve reviewed 67 albums, 7 EPās, 6 festivals and 38 gigs in 2022 as some level of normality or even stability has returned to our industry.
That said, there are still many issues facing the industry with livelihoods, venues and organisations at risk for a plethora of reasons. Whilst government action is required in many places, what we as fans can do is support the industry with our money. Times are tough for us all, but purchasing an album, buying a t-shirt, nabbing a ticket and grabbing a drink whilst at a gig does so much to support the industry that we love.
In our now annual end of year awards weāll be giving out seven hotly contested awards looking at both the recorded and live sides of the industry. Adding to our well established Album of the Year award this year will be the new EP of the Year award. Weāll also once again be revealing our Single of the Year. All awards have seen fierce competition, as once again itās been a high quality year for new releases.
On the live side of things, weāll announce both our Gig and Festival of the Year awards. This year of course provided our first full calendar of music since 2019! We were able to witness many great performances this year and we canāt wait to share with you are favourites.
Lastly weāll look at the artists whoāve had special years as we award our Artist and āDiscoverā New Artist of the Year awards. So without further ado, letās work through those award catagories!
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
It has been a truly magnificent year for album releases and getting a spot anywhere in our Top 50 was hard enough but in particular the Top 10 was incredibly tightly fought. You can read the full list here.
āIMPERAā from Ghost was able to take the crown this year but any of the top 10 couldāve taken that spot. āReelingā from The Mysterines in particular would likely have won in any other year, but the majesty and magnificence of āIMPERAā proved unbeatable.
Winner:
āImperaā by Ghost
The contenders:
āReelingā by The Mysterines, āFTHCā by Frank Turner, āSkinty Fiaā by Fontaines D.C. & āThe Price of Lifeā by Bob Vylan
Previous Winners:
2021 ā āBlue Weekendā by Wolf Alice 2020 ā āUltra Monoā by IDLES
EP OF THE YEAR
For the first time this year, we are separating EPās out of our main award and giving them their own pedestal. That alone is the truest compliment to the quality of EPās on offer this year.
Again, all EPās in our top 5 are worthy of the number one spot, but itās ācoming of (r)ageā from As Sirens Fall that pips it. Catchy as hell single, āheaven (spat us back out)ā, helps elevate the release to be crowed our first ever EP of the Year.
Winner:
ācoming of (r)ageā by As Sirens Fall
The contenders:
āFalse Startā by James and the Cold Gun, āSCPā by Oakman, āTyrantsā by IOTA and āBLACKGOLDā by BLACKGOLD
SINGLE OF THE YEAR
We look now at our Single or Song of the Year. In considering the award this year weāve considered the ear worms that have stayed with us after live performances. Weāve also pondered which songs instantly struck a chord and created a buzz of excitement for the albums and live shows that would follow.
Songs which fell into both of these considerations competed for the award and it was again a tight decision, but ultimately for us this year āDangerousā from The Mysterines has not just ticked both boxes but also remained on heavy rotation throughout the year despite being an early arrival in 2022. Thatās why that track is our 2022 Single of the Year!
Check out the winning single below:
The Mysterines – ‘Dangerous’
Winner:
āDangerousā by The Mysterines
The contenders:
āTalk Hard’ by Jamie Lenman, āComplianceā by Muse, āWicked Waysā by Halestorm, āSpillwaysā by Ghost
Previous Winners:
2021 ā āTest of our Resolveā from Press To MECO 2020 – āObeyā by Bring Me The Horizon feat. Yungblud
FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR
2022 was the first full festival season since 2019 and what a return it was. All eyes were on Glastonbury once again, British Summer Time curated a stunning line-up, Download Festival breathed fire and 2000trees was able to remind everyone whatās so great about smaller festivals.
Our winner this year though is Reading & Leeds who went big, sold out and delivered an action packed weekend even with the huge loss of Rage Against The Machine amongst others. Always a perennial contender for this award, 2022 felt like the year the event reclaimed its identity.
Glastonbury Festival, British Summer Time, Download Festival, 2000trees Festival
Previous Winners:
2021 ā Download Pilot Festival 2020 ā Wild Fields Festival
GIG OF THE YEAR
Weāve reviewed many gigs this year but in reality there could only ever be one winner. Rammsteinās tour is less of a concert and more of an experience; one that everyone, fan of the band or not, should experience at least once.
Beyond that there was still some incredible, top tier gigs in 2022 and our contenders are all worthy of glory, but Rammstein are currently on a whole different level.
Royal Blood @ O2 Arena, London, Ghost @ Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Muse @ Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, London, The Killers @ Carrow Road, Norwich, The Hella Mega Tour @ London Stadium, London, Creeper @ Roundhouse, London, Idlewild @ O2 Kentish Town Forum, London
Previous Winners:
2021 ā Bring Me The Horizon @ O2 Arena, London 2020 ā Frank Turner @ Arboretum, Nottingham
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Artist of the Year now and for this award we look for somebody who has had a huge, perhaps even career-defining year. Previous winners Frank Turner and Biffy Clyro have done so by delivering incredible feats, far above the norm.
This year was a big year for many acts, but weāve gone for Bring Me The Horizon as a band that have had a career-defining twelve months. Long tipped as festival headliners at a major event, many felt that the time would never come for one of the best live bands on the planet. Big releases, sold-out tours, no matter what the group did they never seemed to be given that torch, that is until this year!
Watching Bring Me The Horizon step up and headline at Reading & Leeds this summer felt like a real moment, not just for the band but for the whole scene. For any metal band, let alone one once considered so unfashionable to headline the biggest festivals in the UK is massive.
Already announced to finally headline Download Festival in 2023, 2022 will forever be linked for Bring Me The Horizon to taking that final career-defining set. Throw in their genre-defying collaboration with Ed Sheeran, 2022ās Artist of the Year had to be Bring Me The Horizon.
Winner:
Bring Me The Horizon
The contenders:
Ghost, Rammstein, Biffy Clyro, Muse
Previous Winners:
2021 ā Biffy Clyro 2020 ā Frank Turner
āDISCOVERā NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
As a publication we always want to put new music at the heart of what we do, and thatās why our final award is perhaps our most important! Our āDiscoverā New Artist of the Year is awarded to the act weāve chosen to highlight on our āDiscoverā New Music Playlist and Podcast who we feel has made the biggest impact this year.
At the beginning of 2022 we put the spotlight on new Colchester act PET NEEDS as they continued to promote their debut album, āFractured Party Musicā. From that point on the band never looked back with a world tour, a second album (‘Primtime Entertainment’) and a sold out hometown show all under their belts.
They even found the time to become the first (and only at the time of writing) band to progress from our āDiscoverā New Music Podcast and appear on The Full Pelt Music Podcast! Yes, fighting off some stiff competition for the āDiscoverā New Artist of the Year award in 2022 is PET NEEDS!
Winners:
PET NEEDS
The Contenders:
BERRIES, As Sirens Fall, Oakman, James and the Cold Gun, Daytime TV, MOSKITO
Previous Winners:
2020 ā Miss Vincent
So, thatās it! Another year in the record books, itās been another difficult year and it has again been particularly tough on the music industry. That said, weāve had a full year of live music for the first time since 2019 and the creative juices remain flowing with some absolutely stunning new releases over the past twelve months.
Below you can enjoy some of our favourite gig photos of the year courtesy of our wonderful photographer Denis!
All šø (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music
We hope youāve enjoyed our The Year in Review 2022 and we wish you a very Happy New Year. Hereās hoping 2023 is a good one!
Wow. Ever sit and think to yourself that a certain artistās latest work has hit upon something special? Well, thatās the feeling we get from listening to āThe Athiestā, the new solo release from Jamie Lenman!
Having seen the campaign for previous album, āKing of Clubsā, seriously disrupted by the pandemic, Lenman has emerged from these troubled two years with a masterpiece of an album.
āThe Athiestā sees a change in direction from Lenman, whilst maintaining his charm and sound of previous records. There is a delicateness and vulnerability to this new material which opens it up as his most accessible work yet.
āTalk Hardā is an absolute banger of a song, which leads the album by example. Perhaps his most singly single yet, we dare you not to lose yourself in that catchy as hell chorus. Fellow single, āLena Donāt Leave Meā is further evidence of the pop-esque songwriting on offer on this album.
This is a deeply personal record for the iconic Lenman, as both lyrically and musically he stretches himself further than ever before. Equally, there is plenty here which will be familiar to old school fans, creating a perfectly blended mix for fans old and new to enjoy.
Itās great to see an artist earn a freedom in their career to explore themselves without the pressures of the industry. Lenman has seemingly arrived at this point and the results are spectacular.
Watch Episode 13 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Jamie Lenman
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 13 – Jamie Lenman
Is there anything better than heading to an independent venue, checking out unknown supports acts before enjoying a familiar face present their latest work? Well, not for me and tonight is a prime example as we head to the Corn Exchange in Hertford.
The venue is a new one for us having never been to Hertford before let alone the newly refurbished Corn Exchange. Small, yet spacious with a well stocked bar and great views all around, the new management team have done a great job setting up this top venue.
DROWN
The unknown support act tonight is Drown, who donāt drown and in fact swim! Metaphorically that is, as they deliver a well received, well rounded opening set which gets the crowd ready for the main act, whilst also giving a glimpse of the talents the band clearly possess.
Soon enough itās time for that familiar face to grace the stage and serenade us with songs both new and old. Tonight, that act is Jamie Lenman who is gearing up for the release of his latest solo album, āThe Athiestā on November 25th.
JAMIE LENMAN
Playing the fourth show of a small run of pre-release dates, the focus tonight is very much on that new album and āThis Is All There Isā and the fantastic single, āTalk Hardā provide an energetic start to the set. āTalk Hardā particularly stands out tonight in the live setting as a phenomenally catchy song.
With the highly accessible sound on āThe Athiestā, Lenman has struck gold in both maintaining his identity and expanding his sound further than ever before. This album should gain the well travelled songsmith many new fans; with show closer ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’ another example of why.
Older fans are also catered to tonight though with tracks from each of Lenmanās solo albums and a couple of tracks from his previous life in Reuben thrown in for good measure. There can be no complaints come the end of the night that Jamie Lenman has fully entertained those that have made the journey.
Yes, nights like these are very special indeed; a great new venue, a new musical discovery and the chance to savour one of the most effortlessly talented musicians on the road live. Do yourselves a favour, get down to your local venue and join in the fun!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with a handful of festival announcements and they didn’t come bigger than the initial line-up reveal for the 2023 edition of the legendary Isle of Wight Festival!
Always eclectic, this year’s bill is full of diverse options for attendees to check out including headliners Pulp, George Ezra, The Chemical Brothers and Robbie Williams.
Also on the bill are Courteeners, Blondie, James Bay, The Human League, Manic Street Preachers, The Enemy and more.
Following a multi-year hiatus, Takedown Festival will return in 2023, and this week organisers revealed the stunning first batch of bands that will be taking over Portsmouth Guildhall in April.
Headlining the event will be Sleep Token and Skindred. They will be joined by the likes of Loathe, Jamie Lenman, InMe, Palm Reader, Our Hollow Our Home, As December Falls, Fearless Vampire Killers, The Bottom Line and more!
Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes will be releasing his latest solo album, ‘Turn The Car Around’ on January 13th. Ahead of that release, Coombes has this week revealed a full UK/Ireland Tour set for April.
We move our News Report on now finally to the best new releases from the past week and we start with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes!
This week saw the band share new single, ‘Parasite’, which you can listen to above.
Of the song they share: “This song was written between 12am and 3am during a particularly brutal trip to the seaside, it rained for a week straight and I had spent all my time listening to friends and their relationship problems but I had no words, no solutions to find. After all that a new parasite had been discovered.”
The band also detailed a 3 date residency at the Underworld in Camden this December.
At the end of their special Roundhouse show on Friday, Creeper announced the debut of their new single, ‘Ghost Brigade’, which you can listen to above now!
Black Star Riders this week released unique new single, ‘Crazy Horses’, which is a reinterpretation of The Osmonds classic. Listen to the track above!
The Track comes from upcoming new album, ‘Wrong Side Of Paradise’, which is out January 20th.
Front-man Ricky Warwick comments: āI remember watching The Osmonds performing this song on television in the early seventies as a young kid. I fell in love with it then and was patiently waiting for the opportunity to cover it. Thankfully my brothers in BSR shared the same adoration for the tune. Soā¦ The time is now and here it is!ā
AWOLNATION returned this week with brand new single, ‘We Are All Insane’, which you can listen to above.
Frontman Aaron Bruno on the inspiration behind ‘We Are All Insane’, āI wrote the song during a time when the days of the week felt especially monotonous and I was searching for ways to stay creative and productive. I think thatās a feeling most people have experienced at some point in their lives, especially over the past few years.ā
This week saw IDLES announce the upcoming release of ‘Five Years of Brutalism’, a newly released vinyl celebrating five years since the release of their seminal debut album.
Speaking about the album, singer Joe Talbot writes; āWhat started as a headstone slab of indulgence and unrest became a long journey of beauty, forgiveness, and gratitude. Little did we know that it was not just a headstone but the foundations we were building, for a house full to the brim with loving human beings. Thank you so so muchā
You can check out a taster of the release with ‘1049 GOTHO’ live from Glastonbury which you can listen to above.
Just Mustard this week shared the new video for their track, ‘Blue Chalk’, which you can watch above.
The video was made with the group’s friend SeĆ”n McMahon and was directed by vocalist, Katie Ball. āThe song Blue Chalk defines the heaviness that the whole of āHeart Underā exists beneath. The kind that comes with grief and you feel like you are trying to navigate life with the weight of the sea on your chest keeping you down. I wanted to make this video since we started writing āHeart Underā and to me it visually represents a lot of the emotion in the album. It was filmed in 4hrs in freezing cold water with the help of our friend SeĆ”n McMahon.ā says Ball.
DEADLETTER share new single, ‘Madge’s Declaration’, taken from debut EP, ‘Heat!’, which is out November 18th.
Frontman Zac Lawrence said the following on the track: āWe wanted to make something that had elements of humour and danceability, trying to explore a genuinely terrifying idea in a manner which mirrors our cultural fascination with it. Our tendency to work around the drumbeat and bassline is highly evident here, with the song climaxing in a cacophony of primal ecstasy.ā
Hell’s Ditch – ‘Take The Night Off’
British punk rock group Hellās Ditch are back with their brand-new single āTake The Night Offā.
“We’re made to feel lucky that we have a job and that we should be grateful for the opportunity to fight over scraps from the tables of the political class.People deserve more than just the bare minimum – we deserve dignity and good quality of life. Take The Night Off is about the need to live a life beyond the daily grind. Bread and roses, if you will”. – Vocalist Nick Davis
Xondra – ‘Tedious’
New York-based singer and songwriter Xondra unveils ‘Tedious’, the final single from her much anticipated EP, ‘Tedious & Brief’.
āIt is a song for the people that love so much and so hard that they sometimes forget to save some for themselves; it is for those learning to step out of survival mode and really live in the present,ā says Xondra. āāTediousā is me putting myself first. It is me allowing myself to to walk through the hard feelings I was having and still be hopeful that good times were coming down the road for me.ā
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we start with tour announcements and the mighty Iron Maiden, who have revealed the ‘Future Past’ tour that includes a run of UK arena dates next Summer.
The show will feature previously unperformed songs from the bandās most recent studio album, ‘Senjutsu’, along with a focus on 1986ās iconic, ‘Somewhere In Time’ record, plus other classic cuts.
Says founder member and bassist Steve Harris, āFollowing the release of our latest album, Senjutsu, we updated the current Legacy of the Beast Tour a little by opening the show with the first three songs from it, with the Japanese Palace stage set.
As it doesnāt make a lot of sense to repeat this for a Senjutsu album tour, we thought about other options and weāve decided to revisit Somewhere In Time as that tour didnāt feature in the various retrospective history tours weāve played over the years. They were based on our 80ās concert videos and sadly we did not film that tour (blame the manager!!).
We have had lots of requests from fans over the years for many tracks on it so we are now going to play them, plus of course a few others we know you will like! It will also be particularly satisfying to finally get to play some of the more epic tracks on Senjutsu, it’s been a long wait! 2023 is going to be an exciting time and weāre really looking forward to seeing everyone again in the UK, Ireland and around Europeā.
Manager, Rod Smallwood adds, āThis combination of the two albums we feel is very exciting. We know fans want to hear those epic cuts on Senjutsu for the first time live and we think that by combining it with an iconic album like Somewhere In Time it will make for another really special tour for fans old and new!
Of course, for a new album tour in Europe and the UK we will go back largely to the relative intimacy of arenas and we know fans will be very happy about that too!ā
Depeche Mode announce London Twickenham Stadium date
Another iconic act to announce a show for early Summer is Depeche Mode, who will takeover Twickenham Stadium in June.
The Memento Mori Tour will support the bandās forthcoming 15th studio album, ‘Memento Mori’, due out in Spring 2023.
In speaking about Memento Mori, Martin Gore commented, āWe started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletchās passing, we decided to continue as weāre sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.ā
Dave Gahan added, āFletch would have loved this album. Weāre really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we canāt wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.ā
P!nk this week unveiled her ‘Summer Carnival’ 2023 tour with stadium dates in Bolton, Sunderland and Birmingham alongside an appearance at BST Hyde Park in London.
Our News Report looks at festivals now and the line-up for BST Hyde Park grew considerably this week with not just P!nk but also Billy Joel being announced for next Summer.
They join the already announced Bruce Springsteen in London.
It’s on to the week’s best new releases now as our News Report continues, and we start with Alter Bridge!
As the band prepare for the release of new album, ‘Pawns & Kings’, on October 14th, they have debuted new track, ‘This Is War’. You can check out that single above.
Bury Tomorrow have shared new single, ‘Abandon Us’, which you can listen to above. The track arrives as they reveal that their latest album, ‘The Seventh Sun’, will be released on March 31st.
“We are proud to present, āThe Seventh Sunā. It is an understatement to say we are excited to share the new era of Bury Tomorrow with you all and the first single from the album, Abandon Us, is the perfect way to showcase our intent for the next phase of our band,” say the six-piece. “Visceral and heavy, this track is for each and every one of you that has stood by us either from the beginning, or supported us along the way.”
Of the song’s origins, the band share, “it started with a demo simply entitled, Abandon. Taken from a time of loss, uncertainty and insecurity, the intent was to create a heavy track that mirrored these feelings. The lyrics highlight the frustration and anger at the current state of our society and how our so-called leaders seem intent on satisfying self-interest above the collective needs of humanity.”
The Subways this week debuted their latest single, ‘Black Wax’, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from upcoming album, ‘Uncertain Joys’, which is out January 13th.
Commenting on the track, front man Billy Lunn says: āCaught mid-wintertime during the pandemic, hibernating in the warmth of the band’s studio, I’d indulge in days’ worth of spinning my favourite artists’ records on my turntable. Following one particularly beautiful session, I felt compelled to express my gratitude for music itself. Not just the inspiration my favourite artists offer me as a songwriter, but all the various aspects music holistically offers us as people: the respite, the sense of belonging and being understood (and thus the validation), but also the mere aesthetic pleasure of the space between our ears being tended to.ā
āGiven that our first ever gig was on the hallowed stage of The Square in Harlow, which, following over a decade of Tory rule is now resigned to rubble, it felt only right to record my guitar parts with the guitar that had been built from the wood lifted from The Square’s bar. This guitar, built by local legend Murray Torkildsen, was lent to me by a very good friend, Adam Smith, who fought so hard to save The Square in its final days. It’s no coincidence that his handle online is Black Wax. Long live The Square. Long live music.ā
Cult hero Jamie Lenman has shared the details of his fifth album, ‘The Atheist’, which will be released November 25th. This week also saw Lenman debut new single, ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’, which you can listen to above.
āIāve got into the habit of saying, whenever I have a new record out, āIāve been trying to do something like this for a really long timeā, because they typically have very lengthy gestation periods with a lot of thought going in,ā says Lenman of what fans can expect from the new album.
āThis one is no exception ā Iāve always loved mellowed-out indie rock like Gemma Hayes and Pete Yorn and Iāve always wanted to make an album with that sound. Trying to focus on simple songs, looking for any place we could add a bit of extra sugar ā a little bit saccharine, but also slightly snide and in some places softly sad. The end result is ā I hope ā a bittersweet experience.ā
Commenting on the track, which channels both his love of stadium rock giants Queen and his wife and long-term partner Lena, Lenman says: āItās a song about what it actually means to refer to your partner as your āother halfā. Thatās how I feel about my wife and I. We started out as two separate people and over the past twenty five years weāve grown into two halves of a whole person. She fills up my missing parts and I fill hers – not that she has as many as I do. I always feel when people are talking to me that theyāre only really getting half the story if sheās not around, just like it says in the song. And not the best half, either!ā
āWhen I was a kid I loved bands like Queen with all their pomp, and then as a teenager I turned the other way with Nirvanaās punk philosophy. I went through the post-hardcore thing with all the awkward timings and chonky riffs, and now I find myself leaning back towards those giants of stadium rock. I wrote āLenaā to see if I could do something like Toto, with my best impression of Brian Mayās guitar solos. Itās my love letter to all those classic power ballads ā itās so uncool, itās cool.ā
The track comes with an official video homaging that particular brand of nostalgic 80s music video which always centred around the starās desire for an unattainable, idealised lover.
āI wanted to do it with heart and genuine emotion instead of just spreading some poor model over the bonnet of a porch,ā says Lenman of the concept. āI wanted the viewer to see my wife through my eyes, as this amazing, dazzling creature that I just get to be around. We went to the beach on the hottest day of the year and tried to forget the camera was there. Itās nice for people to see all those old photos and how weāve grown together, just like in the lyrics. And itās nice for us too!ā
From Ashes To New – ‘Until We Break’ ft. Matty Mullins
This section of our News Report comes to a close with the new single from From Ashes To New. ‘Until We Break’ features Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, and you can check it out above.
Reciting lyrics from the song, Matt Brandyberry said, āāClose our eyes ācause there is nothing to see. Weāll all be fine if all we do is believe.ā It seems we are increasingly taking the path of least resistance. Although, that is often the wrong path. Closing our minds to the truth because a lie is easier to believeā¦A short term solution for a long term problem. We are following our leaders one by one until we break.ā
LA based Militarie Gun have shared their latest single, ‘Let Me Be Normal’.
Ian Shelton says: āāLet Me Be Normalā is a plea for normality despite no matter what you achieve or how much money you have, ānormalityā canāt really ever be achieved if you grew up in a messed up situation. Thereās no unseeing what youāve seen, something will always poke you in the ribs and remind you of the trash you come from.ā
Doodseskader – ‘Alive & Not Well’
Belgium’s Doodseskader are gearing up for the release of their debut album, ‘Year One’, on November 18th with new single ‘Alive & Not Well’.
On the track, vocalist/bassist Tim says, āāAlive & Not Wellā is things clicking for us.It was half Sigfried, half me. Half of it describes us struggling, but half of it also is us grabbing misery by the throat and facing it head first. Itās the fifth song on the record and I feel like this is the point where things started shifting and we realised that while the record served as a document of our hardships and us trying to come to terms with the past weād put on display in MMXX : Year Zero, from that point on itād be us using our honesty and this band as both a weapon and an armour. āForty fucking five, I wear the number like a vestā. Fortune gave us a shitty hand. Now we’re slowly turning it into the fist that’ll strike back.ā
ROLLA – ‘Ease My Mind’
ROLLA have preview their upcoming debut EP with new single, ‘Ease My Mind’.
We recorded it at Rockfield, which was a week to never forget. Itās a cool old place, and it was a pleasure to work with local legend Nick Brine. Creative carnage at its finest.ā
It feels like an eternity ago that Lonely The Brave burst onto the scene with their incredible early EP, āBackroadsā. Thatās probably because that actually was almost a decade ago, and wow has the world been through some tough times since then.
It hasnāt all been smooth sailing for the band either, with the switch of vocalist in 2018 a major hurdle. Thankfully the band secured the talented Jack Bennett to fill the very big shoes of David Jakes.
The problem for the band now is that just when they would need momentum the most, the world stopped moving. The pandemic disrupted all people in all walks of life with the music industry hit very hard. Imagine then the impact on Lonely The Brave as they looked to move seamlessly into their new era.
New album, āThe Hope Listā, was released in the midst of lockdown in January 2021 and plans to tour in support were naturally delayed. That time has belatedly arrived now and tonight they play a special hometown show at the Junction in Cambridge.
There are two support acts on tap with VLMV up first, captivating the early audience with a sonic smorgasbord of guitars, synths and vocals. Cult icon Jamie Lenman then blasts though a short set of new material which ramps up the intensity in the venue. Both acts have done a good job warming up a slightly lethargic crowd ready for the hometown heroes to arrive.
Welcomed warmly onstage Lonely The Brave instantly mix new tracks such as āKeeperā and āDistant Lightā with old favourites like āBlack Mireā and āTrick of the Lightā. This is a theme that continues throughout the evening.
Bennett as we say has had big shoes to fill vocally and he manages to do those old favourites justice tonight whilst also adding new layers both sonically and corporeally.
There is an unusual tense atmosphere in the venue tonight, which feels highlighted by this being a hometown show. Itās only really when the likes of āThe Blue, The Greenā, āBackroadsā and āBlack Saucersā appear towards the end of the show that the audience relaxes a bit.
Performance wise the venue witnesses three strong sets tonight from three acts at varying stages of their careers. The industry is in a tough spot right now, but youād hope there is enough talent on show here that these acts can kick on from here.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with festival announcements and we can’t begin anywhere else other than Slam Dunk Festival. The dual location event has revealed the first batch of bands set for Leeds and Hatfield next year and it’s a stunner!
On tap are The Offspring, Enter Shikari, Billy Talent, Bowling For Soup, Less Than Jake, Creeper, Holding Absence, Trash Boat and Kids In Glass Houses amongst many more.
Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari comments:
“Iāve been intoxicated by the idea of headlining Slam Dunk again ever since our Take To The Skies celebration headline set back in 2017. Itās such a great festival, always nails its bills, and has the added bonus that us lads can actually cycle to the Southern date, being that Hatfield is a neighbouring town to us!
In fact, essentially, this will be our biggest āhometownā show ever, now that the festival has grown even more. I cannot wait. In fact, I will not wait. I demand we play this tomorrow!
I think playing outdoors is my favourite thing to do in life. Just being able to look up and see the sky, with the expanse of people underneath it, all sharing the same emotions and experience, itās just such a raw, beautiful, and reifying thing.
Slam Dunk is a festival I try to attend every year regardless of whether weāre playing it. I love both the sites, and itās always full of mates and has such a convivial vibe. (Thatās my word of the week).
Weāre already thinking about stage production ideas, weāre going to do everything we can to make this our biggest show yet.ā
Staying in Leeds, and Live At Leeds: In The City grew by some 80+ acts this week.
Joining the already announced Pale Waves, Dinosaur Pile-Up and Baby Queen will be the likes of Sundara Karma, White Lies, Swim Deep, Lottery Winners, King No-One, The Pale White, The Hara and many more.
Speaking about the new additions to Live At Leeds: In The City, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said: āAfter the incredible reaction to our first wave of names, weāre delighted to announce over 80 new artists joining us across Leeds City Centre this October. Thereās something incredible about bringing together some of the most exciting names in new music that us in the Live At Leeds office have been playing constantly or lucky enough to see this year – and Live At Leeds: In The City 2022 feels like the perfect combination of artists we know are set for massive things in the year ahead.
I canāt wait to dive around the city catching set after set of must-see moments, and weāre sure that everyone will come away from the festival with countless new favourite artistsā
Another fantastic looking line-up comes from Mutations Festival in Brighton.
Announced to play the November event are the likes of Bob Vylan, Pussy Riot, Squid, Do Nothing, Gaffa Tape Sandy, Pip Blom, Crows, Coach Party, Lynks and Hamish Hawk.
Our News Report moves on to the biggest tour announcements from the past week, but we start off with another huge summer show set for 2023.
Courteeners will be returning to Heaton Park to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of their debut album, ‘St.Jude’.
Speaking about the special āSt Judeā Heaton Park show, Liam Fray says: āThey grow up so fast. Canāt believe our darling St. Jude is 15 next year. Think itās time for a celebration and we all know that great things come in threesā¦.The Star Wars Trilogy, Sooty, Sweep & Soo and now, here we are, with the third instalment of āCourteeners at Heaton Parkā.
June 2015. June 2019 and now June 2023 ā¦
This time, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its release weāll be playing ST. JUDE (in full) PLUS (of course) THE HITS. I canāt think of any better way to celebrate than to make the pilgrimage to Heaton Park with like-minded souls and lose ourselves like itās 2008. And, because weāre good like that, weāve remastered the original album ā¦ GOD BLESS THE BAND. GOD BLESS THE FANS. OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.ā
Fresh from performing at Reading & Leeds Festivals, Fever 333 have announced a full UK/EU Tour for early next year culminating with a huge show at London’s famous Roundhouse.
Kid Kapichi have revealed a new UK Tour set for early next year. The news comes ahead of the release of new album, ‘Here’s What You Could Have Won’, which arrives September 23rd.
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Daytime TV. The band will be playing a handful of headline shows this October alongside a Glasgow support slot with The Amazons.
Watch Daytime TV on our ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast
‘Discover’ New Music Podcast – Episode 14 – Daytime TV
Arctic Monkeys debut new single ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’
Arctic Monkeys – ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’
Our News Report turns now to the best new music releases from the past week and we start with the iconic Arctic Monkeys.
Last week the band revealed that new album, ‘The Car’, will be released on October 21st. This week the band debuted the first single from the album, ‘There’d Better Be A Mirrorball’, which you can check out above.
Gorillaz debut new single ‘New Gold’ with Tame Impala & Bootie Brown
Gorillaz – ‘New Gold’ feat. Tame Impala & Bootie Brown
Our News Report is packed with great new music this week and next is the latest new track from Gorillaz. ‘New Gold’ features both Tame Impala and Bootie Brown, and you can check it out above.
This week also saw Gorillaz announce that new album, ‘Cracker Island’, is out February 24th.
Next up is Yungblud who released his self-titled new album this week. Ahead of the release the singer debuted latest tack, ‘Tissues’, which you can check out above.
Editors are preparing for the release of new album, ‘EBM’, on September 23rd. This week they debuted the latest track from the album, ‘Vibe’, which you can check out above.
The Wonder Years share ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’
The Wonder Years – ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’
As we continue our News Report we look now at The Wonder Years who this week shared new track, ‘Old Friends Like Lost Teeth’, which you can check out above.
The track will feature on upcoming album, ‘The Hum Goes On Forever’, which is out September 23rd.
“As much as I try not to dwell on loss, I can’t help myself from thinking about it, writing about it, singing about it,” Vocalist Dan Campbell explains. “This is a song for another friend who passed too soon and about how I wish I could stop myself from opening the sutures, about how I know it’ll be painful to play live, and how powerless I am to do anything else.”
Boston Manor this week shared new track, ‘Inertia’, which you can listen to above. The track comes from new album, ‘Datura’, which is out October 14th.
Our News Report continues with news that there was new music on offer this week from Pierce The Veil as they debuted new single, ‘Pass The Nirvana’, which you can listen to above.
Pulled Apart By Horses share ‘Sleep In Your Grave’
Pulled Apart By Horses – ‘Sleep In Your Grave’
Pulled Apart By Horses this week shared new track, ‘Sleep In Your Grave’, which you can check out above. The track comes ahead of fifth album ‘Reality Cheques’, out September 30th.
Commenting on the bandās sonic evolution for the new record, vocalist Tom Hudson says: āOne major thing we all chatted about was the āless is moreā approach, so we made a collective decision for me to ditch my guitar. It was a logical and simple way of trimming the fat, it gave us a more direct āto the pointā urgency. Instead of the racket of multiple duelling guitars and a cacophony of noise, everything had a pocket to sit in. A sonic corner. PABH 2.0.ā
āWhilst we were working through writing and jamming, we also experimented with load of different recording techniques, an array of vintage microphones that weād accumulated, trashed 70ās WEM guitar combo amps, routing vocals through old fender spring reverb heads, manipulating sounds with Space Echo tape effects and a load of other things for us to play around with.ā
October Drift released new single, ‘Waltzer’, this week, which you can check out above. The tracks will feature on upcoming album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’, which is out October 14th.
Regarding the single frontman Kiran Roy says, āāWaltzerā always makes me think of Robert Eggars film The Lighthouse. The isolation and spiralling madness of the film really echoes with this song. I guess it’s mainly about the fog of depression. Itās a kind of focus lens on my lowest and darkest thoughts, as well as a reflection of people I love and care about who have themselves battled with these kinds of things.ā
Check out Episode 10 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests October Drift
The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 10 – October Drift
Charlotte Wessels shares latest single ‘Toxic’
Charlotte Wessels – ‘Toxic’
Charlotte Wessels debuted her latest single, ‘Toxic’, this week which you can listen to above. The track will feature on new album, ‘Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II’, which is out October 7th.
On ‘Toxic’, Charlotte says: “‘Toxic’ is a direct response to the populism, greed, misogyny and victim blaming that come screaming from our screens on a daily basis, and with the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, it has sadly become only more relevant since its initial release on Patreon. I hope you like the song but I mostly hope the issues it deals with will be a thing of the past before I am.”
Doom trap pioneer Mimi Barks has announced her highly anticipated upcoming mixtape āDEADGIRLā which is set for release in December 2022. She has also dropped a new offering in the form of defying single ānihilā.
āānihilā is the first track I wrote after having my entire music collection and visuals wiped off all DSPās including YouTube in 2020. And just when I entered the void, thinking this is it, my brother KOEN sent this beat, which lead me to writing the first song for what would later become the DEADGIRL Mixtape. I needed to move forward from this, and ānihilā be my reboot in a paradoxical way.āāThere lies great power in resistanceā – Mimi Barks
Sunsleeper – ‘Quitter’
Indie rock band Sunsleeper have shared their new single ‘Quitter’.
āāQuitterā is about the pains and joys of being a band,ā says vocalist Jeffery Mudgett. āHow touring is both incredibly fulfilling while also being a detriment to normalcy and comfortability. Poking fun at the comparison game. The realization that creating music in a live scenario is often the place I feel the most present, when I allow myself to be.ā
noyou – ‘Same Old Story’
Having recently exploded onto the scene, Synthetic Pop-Rock band noyou have dropped their new single āSame Old Storyā.
“Same Old Story explores the anxieties and stresses that come with adult life. Are we ‘on track’ with where we’re supposed to be for our age? The track deals with the repetition and monotony of the everyday and the struggles of wanting to be released from it. The train never stops, but what is our destination?ā – noyou front man Connor Jobes.
Keep an eye on our Socials this week for the latest episode of the ‘Discover’ New Music Podcast with guests noyou!
