Dublin Rockers, THUMPER, have been especially productive this year, their latest track, Topher Grace being their second single since January. The release marks a dramatic turning point for the band, documenting their transition from powerful choruses to elaborate lyricism. However, by no means have they lost the roaring energy that has got them this far. With two drummers, forceful vocals and screeching guitar, their lust for noise could not be more evident. Yet, in a leap of

Welcome to “2020”: Hollywood’s latest action-packed disaster movie. Set in a world of hate and prejudice, it swings from ferocious bush fires to a deadly disease in a matter of minutes. If only this “film” wasn’t our current reality. The unfortunate fact is there's no rewind button; we can’t just shout “cut” and act it all differently. We need to learn from this crisis to avoid future, bigger catastrophes. Not only has this year exposed the level of humanity’s inequality, but

Based in both Leeds and Yorkshire, indie-pop group ALLEYWAYS have already made a name for themselves in both their local music scenes and beyond. This is undoubtedly due to the effortlessly funky groove which emanates from every single and EP they have released so far. Their sound is a brilliant new take on the glittering synth-pop of the 80s – they even have their very own saxophonist, Stu Whyte, to complete that vibe. The rest of the band consists of frontman Dougie Turner,

Continued... Sky Musings: When I first heard Sky Musings , its eccentricity was like nothing I’d ever heard before – it was a thrill! The song originates from the poetic lyrics with which Ellie Rowsell tells the story of watching a film that brings back painful memories from her past. She whispers frantically about opportunities missed and her fear of the world. In fact, the last verse describes her wish to escape from it entirely… to become one with the sky and never come ba

Whilst their band may be named after the famous seaside town, neither of the five members that make up Ives come from anywhere near the Cornish tourist destination. In fact, frontman Jasper Krieg was brought up in Stockholm, Sweden, whilst bassist, Alejandro Urbina is from Mexico. The rest of the band originate from all corners of the UK, music college in Manchester being the force that drove the team together. It only took the first few weeks of university for the band to be

I’m sure you’ve heard it: “Music theory murders creativity”. In fact, you’ve probably heard it from one of your favourite musicians. After all, if the Beatles managed without it, it’s probably true, right? The fact is that the stigma surrounding music theory is based on bad teaching, fear and arrogance. And, due to this stigma, many musicians have gone about working it out themselves and come out with masterpieces. That doesn’t mean they didn’t know music theory, because, at

If nothing else, the extensive amount of free time lock down has given me has allowed me to discover some of the best new bands that are about to break through to the mainstream. Watching a live video from Jimmy’s (a bar in Liverpool’s) Instagram page, I uncovered four-piece indie pop/rock quartet Luna Bay. Their unforgettable riffs and anthemic choruses have already earned them plays on national radio stations, support slots from the likes of Declan Mckenna and the Academic

Visions Of A Life - Wolf Alice Choosing a favourite is an impossible decision. With the whole world of music at your fingertips, what do you choose? And, yet we are asked the same question over and over throughout our lives. When I thought about the question myself, however, I discovered there was only one album I could pick. Whether I’m happy or I’m sad, Visions of A Life is always there for me to get totally lost in. Wolf Alice’s more experimental sophomore record finds ne

Bessie Turner’s ability to turn a few diary entries into a poignant tribute to living is what sets her apart from other artists

With so many talented people trying to make their name in the music industry, starting a band requires patience, commitment and most of...

It’s April 2020 and life couldn’t be stranger. Cooped up indoors with nothing to do but wade through the endless tides of heart wrenching...

For years, the death of classical music has been proclaimed by a plethora of journalists, musicians and, most likely, a lot of the...

The internet has unarguably made a huge impact on the way we live our lives. Barely a day goes by when we don’t use our phones for....

In a world where everything is a business, it’s not surprising the music industry has its own set of marketing rules. To make it big in...

Ever since humans began writing music, they have always been influenced by their fellow musicians. If composers were never inspired by...

Sometimes award ceremonies seem almost dislocated from the music. After a season of screaming fans crammed together in an endless muddy...

There has been an almost palpable sense of anticipation amongst indie music fans leading up to this Easter...

2015 was the year that Circa Waves released their debut album, 'Young Chasers”, bringing a fresh new face to the indie music scene. No other album, in my opinion, quite captures the feelings of summer like 'Young Chasers'. For this reason, the group quickly became a major festival hit, performing at Reading and Leeds as well as Boardmasters and T in the Park. The Liverpudlian boys quickly moved away from the bright and cheery guitar riffs that made them famous, however, decid

When Arctic Monkeys formed in 2002, they had no idea where their musical journey would take them. Since then, they have released 6 studio albums, ranging from 'Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not', with its punk and garage rock influences to the more indie-pop-sounding, 'Suck It and See'. They even tried some jazzy and melodic piano in their latest album, 'Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino'. Although not all of their fans have appreciated their constant experimentat

For a long time, the indie music scene has been almost entirely dominated by men. Although female singers are more common in the pop music charts, the anger and rebellious themes that run through rock and alternative sounding music have caused record labels and producers to believe that women are not suited for these genres. Women are even more unlikely to be instrumentalists or have high-power roles such as managers and producers. Thankfully, things are beginning to change.