Our weekly music News Report has evolved into the Full Pelt Magazine, and you can download the second issue now for free!
Volume two includes reviews of October Drift and Philip Seth Campbell.
We have our News Report rounding up new releases from Demob Happy, The Struts, The Rolling Stones, Dream Nails, Militarie Gun, REWS, Haunt The Woods, Scaler, The Cadillac Three, Pendulum, Wargasm, Daytime TV, HourHouse, Black Water County, The Pearl Harts, Gama Bomb, The Hyena Kill, Amongst Liars, Dead Poet Society and Death Of Me!
Plus new live announcements from Enter Shikari, Keane, The Big Moon, Wayward Sons, Of Mice & Men, Meryl Streek and BIG SPECIAL.
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
This week we begin with a handful of new tour announcements and up first are Therapy?, who are currently celebrating the release of their highest charting album since 1998.
The group will tour ‘Hard Cold Fire’ later this year as they head out on the road once again.
This week was greeted by the fantastic news that the Music Venue Trust and National Lottery will be continuing their partnership with the ‘United by Music’ Tour!
One of the acts heading out on the road where Lottery players can take a friend for free are October Drift.
Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts unveil new live dates
The last tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts, who have unveiled a handful of July live dates.
Warwick says: āAfter the fantastic shows we played last year, Iām thrilled to get back out with my band The Fighting Hearts once again. Iām looking forward to playing songs from all aspects of my musical journey!!”.
Our News Report now looks at the best new releases from the past week and we begin with the latest single from Avenged Sevenfold. Check out ‘We Love You’ above now.
The track will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Life Is But A Dream…’, which will arrive on June 2nd!
There was also new music on offer this week from fellow rock royalty Queens of the Stone Age. The band unveiled their brand new single, ‘Emotion Sickness’, which you can check out above!
In a big week for the band they also revealed that their new album, ‘In Times New Roman’, will be released on June 16th!
This week also saw Asking Alexandria reveal the video for their new single, ‘Dark Void’, which you can check out above.
The track is the first taste of their as-yet-titled new album set for release this autumn.
āWith the world seemingly getting darker and darker, itās easy to see why so many of us struggle with anxiety, depression, lonelinessā relays guitarist Ben Bruce. āThis song is about fighting those demons that live in your head and trying your hardest to be your own savior. Finding that inner strength to pull yourself out of the darkness.ā
āThis theme is explored throughout the entirety of our upcoming album. We all have our own struggles and hurdles. We are all on our own journeys that present unique challenges and difficulties, but we all have our own inner strength to fall back on. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that there can be comfort in knowing that we arenāt alone. We all feel a little down from time to time. We all feel a little lost from time to time, but somehow, in some way, we are all in this together and hopefully our new album can help people through some of their toughest times.ā
DevilDriver this week shared their latest single from new album, ‘Dealing With Demons, Vol. II’.
You can check out the video for, ‘This Relationship, Broken’, above!
DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara says about ‘This Relationship, Broken’: āāThis Relationship, Brokenā explores the severance that happens between two long time partners when they leave each other after years of turmoil.ā
Duff McKagan this week shared new single ‘This Is The Song’, which you can check out above. The track features on a new EP honouring Mental Health Awareness Week.
ā’This is the Song’ was written in the middle of a panic attackā Duff McKagan says in a personal statement about the EP. āI couldnāt breathe and couldnāt see straight, and lately, I have thankfully found my acoustic guitar as a refuge. If I just hold on to that guitar, play chords, and hum melodies, I can start to climb my way out of that hole. For those of you who have never experienced something like this, count yourselves blessed. To those of you who recognize what I am talking about: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!ā
Next up in our News Report are Caskets, who this week debuted their new single ‘More Than Misery’, featuring Telle Smith (The Word Alive).
You can check out the track above which features on newly announced album, ‘Reflections’, which is out August 11th.
Speaking of the track, frontman Matt Flood says, āMore Than Misery is written around the conflict of being hypnotically entranced by someone or something that in the end, you know will only lead to toxic habits or bad intentions. Everyone has felt this and been in this situation in one way or another throughout their life. Itās about not wanting to be in this situation and feeling the struggle of bearing the weight of pressure it puts on your shoulders. How it can affect every other thing around you, from your mental health to the relationships you build around you.ā
āThere is light at the end of the tunnel though,ā he states. āTo even acknowledge the situation and build a foundation of support around you to come face to face with what it is thatās holding you back. If you just take a step into the unknown, youāll see your life is more than just miseryā
Ayron Jones is next up in our News Report with his latest single, ‘The Title’, which you can check out above!
The track comes ahead of new album, ‘Chronicles of the Kid’, which comes out on June 23rd.
āFor a lot of people, the world is a dark place. It feels like a dark room with no windows, no doors, and no way out,”Ā Jones explains.Ā “When weāre faced with uncertainty, our instincts tell us to either take flight or stay and fight. ‘The Title’ is dedicatedĀ to those of us who choose to fight. It’s about this seemingly foolish idea of holding on to a sliver of hope that drives our obsessionĀ to be great, even when faced with fear of defeat. Itās about winning because you don’t knowĀ how to fail.ā
Closing out this section of our News Report this week is Conquer Divide who have shared their new single, ‘welcome2paradise’, which you can check out above!
The band have also revealed that their new album, ‘Slow Burn’, will arrive on September 8th.
“This song is special to all of us for a lot of reasons” says guitarist Kristen Sturgis. “We really wanted to stretch our musical muscles and play around withĀ time signatures. We recorded someĀ of the production ourselves, including drilling sounds you’ll hear sprinkled throughout the song.Ā Artistically, we really stepped out of our comfort zone, and we ended up withĀ something really special.”
The song also takes a close look at a very important topical issue.
“It’s sad that humans don’t care about our environment” Sturgis continues. “I was especially inspired by a situation close to my heart. IĀ live on the Great Lakes, which contain 20% of the earth’s freshwater. There is a 70-year-old pipeline called Line 5 that is in very roughĀ shape and runs through the water where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet. The current is especially turbulent there. The pipeline keepsĀ getting hit by boat anchors.
I am not here to preach anti-fossil fuels, as electric vehicles come with their own environmental tolls, andĀ touring bands have to drive gas-guzzling vehicles to play for our fans. But if a spill happened in that spot, it’s in the worst possible place,Ā due to the strong currents.
A Great Lakes spill could affect major cities like Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Windsor, Toronto, and Rochester,Ā NY. Tourism, fishing industries, and boating would all be affected. And with all of the droughts happening around the U.S., it’s going to beĀ everyone’s problem soon.
Right now, there’s just one small local organization trying to draw attention to it, but If I can do anything withĀ this song release, it would be to shine a spotlight on something I care so much about.”Ā
From the Black Country, Midlands, BIG SPECIAL share new single āSHITHOUSEā.
ā’SHITHOUSE’ is about a rough time. The societal depression we are going through and its personal effects on people. Itās about looking at it from the outside and living it from the inside. Seemingly, no matter the moves we make, it all ends up a shithouse and sometimes all we can do is shout about it.ā says singer Joe Hicklin.
Ć lesund – ‘Rode Off Into the Sun’
Alt-pop outfit Ć lesund reveal their new single ‘Rode Off Into The Sun’.
āI was so impressed by a friend who had been dealt a rough hand and instead of wallowing and seeing the glass as half empty, she just dusted herself off and charged on with making the best out of her life. It was inspiring to witness and became the main theme of the songā, says vocalist and lyricist Alba Torriset.
Butterfly Hurricane – ‘BARRICADE’
Alternative Rock artist Butterfly Hurricane has shared his debut single āBARRICADEā.
āA lot of my lyrics come from my battles with crohnās disease and how it has affected my personal life and the lives of others. This song in is essentially me venting my frustrations on how I wish I could be someone else and just have a day not having to plan my life around this disease.Ā Itās not all doom and gloom though, the struggle is part of the beauty. Itās helped me grow and realise whatās important in lifeā. –Butterfly Hurricane
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
“Finding ‘Lost’ was like finding a favorite photo you had forgotten youād 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.ā
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 āHyper 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.ā
Vocalist Rakel says, āDating 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.ā
āMusic is one of the only forms of people experiencing an emotion together in a visceral, physical, real way,ā says Alice. āIt’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.ā
āThe album is speaking to systemic problems that cannot be glossed over by lube,ā says Bella. āThe things named in the songs are symptoms of f-ed up structures. And you can’t fix that. You need to pull it apart.ā
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: āThe track symbolises solitude, melancholy, madness, anxiety and fear. The persona in this song (inspired by āThe Scream, E. Munchā) is suffering a lot of pain. In the beginning, this person has hope that they will escape from the terror of its own mind ā however, as the song evolves, they grow aware that the melancholy is eternal, and revolt with their agony.ā
This Dying Hour – ‘Age of the Coward’
Modern metalcore 4-piece This Dying Hour have shared their blistering new single āAge Of The Cowardā.
“āAge of the Cowardā 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 donāt think these things are exclusive to me, but a journey we all must take. This is why we shouldnāt settle with your shortcomings, but instead with discipline and hard work we can lace their linings with gold. You canāt make the world a more meaningful place, until you see through who you truly are.ā – Vocalist Steve Kerr.
Creature Cult – ‘poster boy’
With just one single out in the world – the powerful and rousing, ‘ughly’ – Creature CultĀ have sharedĀ new single ‘poster boy’ –Ā 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. Itās basically saying Iām going to be the fucking biggest and loudest version of all the things you hate about me because I really donāt 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 Hivesā frontman Pelle Almqvist said: āSome festival names just have a ring to them donāt they? Live At Leeds. It sounds like some upper echelon rock shit and if this yearās edition wasnāt 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 ā ‘ 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.ā
Skinny LivingĀ said: āLive 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.ā
Looking ahead, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said: āIt may be chilly outside, but weāre 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.
DMAās 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 fansā next favourite bands – and this yearās In The Park is the perfect example of that. All coming together on one day at Temple Newsam, thereās nothing quite like it – and we canāt wait to see everyone this May!ā
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 didnāt know what to make & then my friend Jamie said ay willie Iāve 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.ā
She continues to mention – āWorking independently on set with a micro teamājust me, and my videographer, and his cameraāit takes me back to my roots. No crew, no lights, and no screenplay. Itās 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.ā
Blondshell will release her self-titled debut album arrives April 7th and is preceded by new single, ‘Joiner’.
Describing the new single, Blondshell explains, āI 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. Thatās what this song was inspired by sonically. I wanted it to feel like youāre watching HBO, where even though itās heavy, itās still a good time.”
BLACKGOLD – ‘Boogeyman’
Masked Misfits BLACKGOLD are back at it again with new single āBoogeymanā!
The band comment, āāBoogeymanā is about that person that haunts your dreams. They have full control over you within your subconscious and it feels like you canāt escape.ā
Riyah – ‘Perfect’
Riyah is ready to unleash her first single ‘Perfect’, showcasing what is to come from her hands and lungs.
She comments,Ā “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”Ā
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!
Welcome everyone to the final News Report for 2022! We hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year! Our action packed News Report will return in January, but before then we have plenty of delicious music news to dissect!
Up for this week, we look at the best tour announcements from the past week and we start with Kiss. The band has revealed that their ‘End of the Road’ World Tour will continue into 2023 with a new UK Tour announced starting in Plymouth and ending up in Glasgow.
This *could be* your last chance to catch the band live! Tickets are here.
Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has revealed a full UK & Ireland Tour for next spring. The tour will showcase upcoming debut album, ‘Put Your Foot Down’, which is out April 28th.
On Friday, Colchester’s Pet Needs played a huge homecoming show which served as the 2nd ‘Fractured Party’. As the show concluded, the band announced the 3rd instalment will take place on December 16th 2023.
We move now on to festival announcements and up first is the return of Brits Week in aid of War Child. February will see bands playing intimate shows across the country with a focus on London.
The Hunna, The Snuts, Sea Girls, Frank Turner and Bob Vylan are amongst those on offer in 2023.
Another event doing a fantastic job in raising money for charity is Teddy Rocks festival in aid of research and direct support for children with cancer.
This year the event hosts Feeder, Jake Bugg, The Amazons, Those Damn Crows, Punk Rock Factory, Kid Kapichi, Dream State, Mason Hill, The Bottom Line and many more.
Penn Fest in Buckinghamshire also unveiled their line-up for next Summer this past week, including headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Bastille.
They’ll be joined by the likes of Johnny Marr, Gaz Coombes, The Skinner Brothers and Embrace.
The final festival news in our News Report this week comes from Firestorm Festival. The event has added Massive Wagons to the top of their Friday bill for 2023.
They join the likes of Royal Republic, The Virginmarys, Mason Hill, Hollowstar, Kris Barras Band, Black Spiders and Scruffy Bear.
Hell Is For Heroes share ‘I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’
Hell Is For Heroes – I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’
New releases are up next in our News Report as we bring you the first new music from Hell Is For Heroes in 15 years. You can listen to their new single, ‘I Should Never Have Been Here In The First Place’, above.
On the week of her highly anticipated āDEADGIRLā mixtape release fearless Doom Trap artist Mimi Barks has unveiled her new track āASHESā.
Talking about the meaning behind ‘ASHES’, Mimi Barks shares, āWomen who posed a threat during the dark ages were accused of being witches, intimidated, burned alive, and sentenced to execution. Today, ever since the Age of Enlightenment, a creative, strong-willed, and self-assured woman still gets burnt to the stake verbally by those led by their own anxieties.ā
XL LIFE – ‘Baby Steps’
XL LIFE shared new single ‘Baby Steps’ featuring Bob Vylan!
On working with Vylan for the new single, vocalist Traxx says:Ā āWe always felt a kinship with Bob because of his message, his boldness, and his morals, so with this song we took the opportunity to have him on the album and co-sign each otherās work. We will support him to the end.ā
Commenting on the relevance of the new single, vocalist Traxx says:Ā āWe knew this song had to be made, because we had all been going through some heavy stuff outside of the band. The band has been stop-start/stop-start the whole time, trying to prioritise our health and coming up against some really traumatic circumstances, so this song had to address that. The healing journey. Baby steps. Holding onto the promises.ā
Fountain Island – ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’
Pop-punk newcomers Fountain Island reveal their contagious new single, ‘Pretty Little Nightmares’.
The band remark about its creation: āāPretty Little Nightmaresā explores the bittersweetness of the first time with a loved one, and the realisation that one day it will just be a memory and can never be experienced again. The track takes cues from Blink182ās āI Miss Youā, with its melancholy gothic tone whilst retaining the youthful pop feel.ā
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report, and happy Halloween š!
It’s that time of the year where it’s not just the ghosts and ghouls haunting our News Report but also festival announcements for next Summer!
We start with Suffolk staple Latitude Festival which returns to Henham Park next July. This week saw the organisers reveal Pulp, Paolo Nutini and George Ezra will be headlining in the new year.
They’ll be joined on the bill by the likes of The Kooks, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, The Big Moon, Lightning Seeds, The Proclaimers and The Beths!
Yes, we have plenty of festival announcements in our News Report this week and next up is Neighbourhood Weekender!
Headlining the event will be Pulp, The Kooks and Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott. They’ll be joined by the likes of The Wombats, Ocean Colour Scene, The Enemy, Self Esteem, Sea Girls and Lottery Winners.
Scotland’s TRNSMT will return to Glasgow Green in July with the reformed Pulp also topping their bill. Also at the top of the line-up will be Sam Fender, The 1975, George Ezra, Kasabian and Royal Blood.
Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott and The Kooks are on this one too, as are Inhaler and others, with many more to come.
Following a successful debut this year, Live At Leeds will once again hold an ‘In The Park’ event at Temple Newsam Park in May.
The line-up includes headliners Two Door Cinema Club plus The Lathums, Everything Everything, The Big Moon, Black Honey, The Beths, Low Hummer and many more.
Speaking about their headline show at Live At Leeds: In The Park, Two Door Cinema Club said: “Excited to say weāll be coming to Live At Leeds in the park next year for the first time! Yoooooooooooorkshire!”
Everything Everything said: āAlways a pleasure to play in Yorkshire, always special to play Leeds, and where better than at this stalwart event? Come and see us Live At Leeds: In The Park!ā
Brooke Combe said: āCanāt wait for next year to be a part of Live at Leeds. See you all there for a boogie and a sing song š„°ā
Panic Shack said: “We canāt wait to play Live at Leeds in The Park!! Leeds has a special place in our hearts, we spent a few late nights here on our first ever tour with The Wytches. Weāre excited to bring back our new and improved dance routine and to just have a bit of a laugh with everyone really!ā
Hannah Wilson from Dolores Forever said: āWe canāt wait to play Leeds. Itās my home town, so it will be mega special. It will be our first time playing Leeds in 2023 and we want to bring big energy vibes!ā
Dan Mawer from Low Hummer said: āWeāre chuffed to be a part of Live at Leeds: In The Park! The festival has a brilliant mix of well established names alongside exciting new artists, all taking place in a truly beautiful setting.
We loved attending last yearās event so weāre honoured to get the chance to play it in 2023. Itāll be really rewarding to take part in an event that will emulate the lovely sense of community we witnessed at this yearās festival.ā
Speaking about Live At Leeds: In The Park 2023, Festival Promoter Joe Hubbard said:
āAfter such an incredible first year in 2022, weāre delighted to be returning to Temple Newsam for Live At Leeds: In The Park 2023! Bringing together bonafide festival headliners such as Two Door Cinema Club alongside some of the best in modern indie/alternative music – itās going to be an unforgettable day and the perfect summer party not only full of singalongs left, right and centre but also loads of opportunities to discover your next favourite artist.
Itās what we do best at Live At Leeds and we canāt wait to welcome everyone back for an even bigger and even better Live At Leeds: In The Park in May. Catch ya down the front!ā
Lytham Festival also returns in 2023 and this week organisers shared the line-up including headliners Jamiroquai, George Ezra, Sting, Lionel Ritchie, Motley Crue and Def Leppard.
Also on the bill are the likes of Blondie and Kaiser Chiefs.
The run of festival announcements in our News Report gets a little heavier now with the 5th Anniversary of Stonedead Festival set to host headliners Blue Oyster Cult.
Also playing will be Therapy?, The Answer, King King, Mason Hill and more.
Following a successful inaugural event this year, Firestorm Festival is back in Manchester next year with a line-up including Royal Republic, Kris Barras Band, Black Spiders, The Virginmarys, Hollowstar, Scruffy Bear and many more!
Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick will bring his new country project to the UK in December with shows announced this week in London and Birmingham.
Hundred Reasons return with new single ‘Glorious Sunset’
Hundred Reasons – ‘Glorious Sunset’
We move our News Report on now to the best new releases from the past week and we start off with the spectacular return of Hundred Reasons.
The band this week announced their first new album in 15 years! ‘Glorious Sunset’ will be released on February 24th, and you can check out the title track above.
Lead singer Colin Doran says of the first writing session; āI came away from that session not just feeling closer to the other guys, having not seen them for some time, but thinking the music was f****** awesome. We all looked at each other and knew it was a go.ā
He continues about the single: āWhen we started writing again it was really important that we did not go back to any material that had been cut previously. It all had to be completely new. We started writing just before Covid and got together sporadically as and when we could to write and demo which was not our usual way. We would normally be in a room together for the most part but this time it was not always possible. Larry and I would write, The Andy and Larry would write and then I would join the session later in the day (I have a day job) but we were all super happy with what was coming out. This was a deal breaker for all as if we were putting out new material it had to be amazing.
Glorious Sunset came about from an instrumental idea from The Andy which was nearly complete minus any vocal ideas. The lyrics for the song completely changed from the demo version to the recorded version as within that space of time my mother passed away after a 4-year battle with cancer. She had gone into remission twice previously and it come back again but this time it would be terminal. The title of the song took on a new meaning as the song talks about being relieved that someone you love is no longer suffering. The sunset refers to the light that many people say they see when they die.
During recording, Larry started playing around with synths and effects that added more to the song but by the time all of the music was recorded, no one in the band knew that the lyrics had changed so it ended up being an emotionally draining session in the studio that day. In all lots of lyrics changed during that time period as it brought on a new perspective which shaped the narrative of the material.”
āThis album isnāt something we felt we had to do. We simply arrived at a position where the music was so good that it was something we needed to do.ā
Following the release of their latest album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’, October Drift this week shared the video for ‘Lost Without You’, which you can of course check out above.
Regarding āLost Without Youā frontman Kiran Roy says,Ā āIt’s a song about heartbreak and helplessness. Inspired by a long-distance relationship, with my girlfriend living over 400 miles away in Scotland. Itās about missing loved ones and the struggle of being apart.ā
Book news closes out our News Report this week as Idlewild have announced details of a new limited edition publication entitled ‘Passing Places’.
Roddy Woomble says:
āInitially, we had an idea of putting something together to commemorateĀ The Remote PartĀ tour dates – a programme or a journal, something fans of the band would love to read and have. It would be made in a similar style to Tomās beautifully designed journal Gold Flake Paint, somewhere between a magazine, a journal, a novella and a photo book. Something different and personal.
The journal acts almost like a souvenir programme for the 20th AnniversaryĀ Remote PartĀ shows, particularly for those who travelled up to Ullapool in September, as primarily that is where the journal is set.Ā
This idea appealed to me enormously, so Tom accompanied the band up to the Highlands for ourĀ The Remote PartĀ show in Ullapool, close to where the album was written. As we got chatting on the journey, at the gig and the following day driving around the Highlands, it became clear to both of us that this writing collaboration could be explored in many different ways, not necessarily just about one album.
This is a great writing project for me, working with an experienced writer like Tom, making something special for Idlewild fans all about an album that means a great deal to me, but also to Tom – a journey from two different perspectives.ā
Ahead of their tour supporting Pussy Riot, Brighton’s Ä ENN have shared their new single, ‘Rohmeresse’.
On the song, vocalist Leona Farrugia said, āIāve often felt a pressure running through everyday life: a pressure to be productive whilst being true to oneself. Modern life can be very dissociative and small tasks become a real burden to uphold. I wanted to capture these thoughts through the track, whereby these emotions gradually build to a point of ecstasy.ā
MOSKITO – ‘Sweet Fruit’
Following the breath-taking launch of MOSKITO towards the end of 2021, they now return with their brand-new single āSweet Fruitā.
“Sweet Fruits lyrics portray how easy it is to play away in a relationship, with all the distractions in todayās society. Itās unwieldy temptation at the push of a button. Is it too sweet? What a waste it is.ā – Front man Jake Rudd.
Pollyanna Blue – ‘Haunted’
Bristol-based alt-rock two-piece Pollyanna Blue reveal their latestĀ single āHauntedā.
Speaking of the inspiration for the song, lyricist and vocalist Zoe Collins says, āIn this song trauma is depicted as an unforgiving evil spirit that will come at you at night and relentlessly try to tear you down. Ā The impactful delivery of the lyrics harnesses the real range of emotions of someone experiencing immense feelings of emptiness, sadness and anger.
The lyric ālike a headacheā depicts the side effects of dealing with large and repetitive amounts of trauma and stress to the brain, painting an unpleasant experience for the person being Haunted by their own predicament.ā
OCTOBER DRIFT – I DON’T BELONG ANYWHERE – ALBUM REVIEW
October Drift have spent the year slowly building towards the release of their second album. A steady stream of superb singles has signalled what was coming and now āI Donāt Belong Anywhereā is here and fans are in for a real treat.
The band continue down the euphoric path they set with their 2020 debut āForever Whateverā. That year of course was a show stopper for most bands and many new acts were lost to the pandemic.
Thankfully, October Drift have emerged not just intact but firing on all cylinders. āI Donāt Belong Anywhereā is an incredible achievement considering the restraints in which it was written and recorded. The difficult past two years are referenced on tracks such as the hauntingly beautiful āWebcam Funeralsā, but there is much more do dissect on this album.
āI Donāt Belong Anywhereā finds the band again in a reflective mindset but this time they are analysing the world around us. This is a sombre yet uplifting record packed with intensity and controlled ferocity. There are tender moments, brutally honest lyrics and a constant visceral sonic onslaught.
You can feel that the band has poured everything into this album, and that work pays dividends with a stunning collection of songs. Pre-release singles such as āAirborne Panic Attackā and āInsectsā promised something great and ultimately October Drift have delivered something very special indeed!
Welcome everyone to another edition of our weekly music News Report!
We start this week with the latest live announcements and they didn’t come any bigger than the revelation that Arctic Monkeys will be performing a huge UK Stadium Tour next Summer.
The band will perform 13 dates in May and June 2023 including double dates in London and hometown Sheffield.
Making the events even more unmissable will be special guests The Hives and The Mysterines!
Roger Waters reveals UK ‘This Is Not A Drill’ dates
The legendary Roger Waters also had UK Tour news on offer this week as he revealed three dates for next Summer on his ‘This Is Not A Drill’ Tour.
āThis Is Not A Drill is a groundbreaking new rock and roll/cinematic extravaganza, performed in the round, it is a stunning indictment of the corporate dystopia in which we all struggle to survive, and a call to action to Love, Protect and Share our precious and precarious planet home. The show includes a dozen great songs from Pink Floydās Golden Era alongside several new ones, words and music, same writer, same heart, same soul, the same man. Could be his last hurrah. Wow! My first farewell tour! Donāt miss itā. Love R.
Fontaines D.C. share video for ‘The Couple Across The Way’
Fontaines D.C. – ‘The Couple Across The Way’
Fontaines D.C. shared the video for their single, ‘The Couple Across The Way’, this week and you can check it out above.
Speaking on the track and video, frontman Grian Chatten says, āI was living in a tiny little flat in North London with my girlfriend and there was this Hitchcock – esque view of an elderly couple across from us. They had these blazing arguments that sent pigeons flying around, and after each one the man in the couple would come out onto this little balcony he had and just breathe for about 10 minutes. I couldn’t help but imagine it as a reflection of myself and my girlfriend in years to come, and ourselves as a reflection of a younger, happier version of themā
The mighty Saxon have released a new single to preview their upcoming tour. You can watch the video for ‘Black Is The Night’ above.
Frontman Biff Byford comments: āLooking forward to the Seize The Day Tour. See you all on the road and enjoy the new video for Black Is The Night!ā
Skid Row also had a new single to share this week, and you can check out, ‘Time Bomb’, above.
The track comes from new album, ‘The Gang’s All Here’ which is available October 14th.
The video for āTime Bombā was helmed by director Dale āRageā Resteghini who Rachel Bolan sought out to realize his artistic vision for the song about humanityās continuing struggles with self-indulgence and monotony.
āWhat would it be like to be in that position?ā Rachel asks. āJust be completely going about life, your normal everyday thing, but youāre thiiiiis close to just completely losing your shit?ā
AWOLNATION have debuted their new single, ‘Freaking Me Out’, which you can watch the video for above.
Aaron Bruno shared his inspiration behind the song: āI had a sense of a hopeful paranoia of sorts in creating this song, plus you can disco dance to it, or bang your head. Or both. Itās up to you.ā
The Murder Capital share new single ‘A Thousand Lives’
The Murder Capital – ‘A Thousand Lives’
We continue our News Report with The Murder Capital. The band this week debuted new single, ‘A Thousand Lives’, which you can check out above.
The band also revealed that their second album, ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ will be out January 20th.
Front man James McGovern had the following to say about the themes behind the new single:
“Knowing that the day is only X-hours long, alongside my understanding of how love can be the true restorative seed, means that if and when you are so lucky to find it (and it is true) the seemingly small glance that is our lifetime could never contain enough of those days or those hours. Even a thousand of those lifetimes would never be enough.”
The band had the following to say about the new album and next year’s tour:
āFor us, having worked on Gigiās Recovery over the past two-plus years, now knowing every detail of every room in this house that we have built together, all we want to do is invite everybody in. We canāt wait to reveal more and more of what weāve been creating with this record, and eventually in the new year, to reveal the full story.
The greatest thing about making a record is touring a record. The connection we make and the energy created at our live shows is the highest point for us. We canāt wait to meet new faces in the crowds, and to see this record under the new light that each and every one of you will shine on it. No better place to be than in the centre of it all.ā
Following the release of their latest album, ‘North East Coastal Town’, last month, LIFE have shared the video for, ‘Shipping Forecast’, which you can watch above.
Speaking on the single, singer Mez Green:
“The ‘Shipping Forecast’ is a track that is awash with Hull’s nautical heritage. The music channels the power of the waves somewhere between Dogger and Humber.
It’s an urgent and powerful track that grapples with the need to get home and pins themes of toxic social media and control to its mast.
The track was one of the first to be written from North East Coastal Town and its energy and mood very much set the scene of our recording process.ā
October Drift will soon release their second album, ‘I Don’t Belong Anywhere’, with the record available on October 14th.
This week the band revealed the video for their single, ‘Waltzer’, which you can watch above.
Regarding the video the band say,Ā āWe wanted to make a video which visually encapsulated what the song was about. We knew we wanted to film it at an empty seaside location, so we got up at 3am and drove to a beach in Dorset to shoot at sunrise. Somehow we roped a friend into getting up that early to pour the water over Kiran, but managed to misjudge the sunrise so ended up standing around in the dark for two hours before it was light enough to film anything. Not sure how many takes we did in the end, but it was enough to give Kiran mild hypothermia.ā
Courting have just released their debut album, ‘Guitar Music’, and this week shared the video for new single, ‘Famous’, which you can check out above.
Speaking on the new song, frontman Murphy-OāNeill says, āFamous is about growing up, finding comfort in smaller things, It is a song about nights forgotten and days of just watching sitcoms with your friends. Musically, we wanted to create something truly euphoric, something we could cry to. We intended for this song to be the centerpiece of the record, a bit like a carousel.”
Our News Report turns now to PVA who this week share the video for their recent single, ‘Bad Dad’, which you can watch above. The track comes from new album, ‘Blush’, which is out October 14th.
Speaking on the themes of the single, Ella Harris saysĀ āBad 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.ā
Closing out this section of our News Report are The Hot Damn!. This week saw the rockers share their latest single, ‘Live Laugh Love’, which you can check out above.
Set to support Incubus on their UK Tour, Softcult this week shared their new track, ‘One Of A Million’.
On the track Mercedes says, āOriginally, I was writing from a frustrating perspective, expressing my feelings about the people in our society who think they are the exception and can justify repeating selfish actions, no matter who they harm in the process.
As the song began to take shape, it also became about my own personal insecurities and fear of being ordinary and unexceptional, but the more I thought about it and wrote about it, I realized that accepting how similar we all are as human beings is a comforting sentiment, if not a vital one.
The more we relate to each other and acknowledge our similarities, the more empathy and compassion we will have for one another. The more divided we are, the longer these issues get drawn out instead of solved. Itās important to not only celebrate our diversity and unique-ness, but also to remember that at a very basic level we are all more the same than different.ā
No Windows – ‘Shout (Red Song)’
Edinburgh duo No Windows share their new single, ‘Shout (Red Song)’, from newly announced debut EP ‘Fishboy’.
Morgan had the following to say about the themes behind the track:
“Shout (Red Song) felt loud, thrashy and noisy – which to me felt most like the colour red. Red reminds me of things that are intense like anger or love which, and while neither of those things are explored directly, they feel present as an undercurrent in the melody and sonic set-up of the final recording.”
noyou – ‘Love is Enough’
Synthetic Pop-Rock band noyou have dropped just dropped their debut EP āThis Game We Startedā amd alongside the EP comes new single āLove Is Enoughā.
ā’Love is Enough’ explores the challenges often faced in the world of an independent artist. Whether it be battles with egos, gigs to no one or overwhelming self-doubt, the song is a reminder to ourselves and to anyone who can relate to soldier on and keep doing what it is you enjoy, for as long as you continue to enjoy it.ā – Connor Jobes
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!
