Photo: Julia Godfrey

Returning, just in time for a Christmas treat, The Wombats have shared a third offering from their forthcoming sixth studio album Oh! The Ocean, out 21st February 2025 via AWAL unveiling the deeply relatable My Head Is Not My Friend. Speaking on the track Murph says, “'My Head Is Not My Friend' is a song about the idea that maybe I don't actually have my best interests at heart.” The track itself serves as another exciting taste of what's to come with catchy guitar melodies and soaring choruses. Sharing more details on the recording of the new album he goes on to say: “I’ve been to many beaches and seas and coasts over the years but for some reason it felt like the first time I had ever seen it and was truly present. There was this revelation that I had been living a life caught up in my own head, or in some kind of racing helmet or with blinkers on. It was really a potent experience. I felt like I saw everything new for the first time, and was aware that I had been so selfish to not take in how crazy the world and life is. I’d been caught up in my own BS for way too long. The album offers up some internal questions like: why are my head and body disconnected all the time? Why am I incapable at times of seeing any form of beauty in the world or in others? Why do I expect the world to conform to my will? Why do I never stop and smell the flowers?” Take a listen to the new single below.

The Wombats - Oh! The Ocean Tracklist: 

1. Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come

2. Can't Say No

3. Blood On The Hospital Floor

4. Kate Moss

5. Gut Punch

6. My Head Is Not My Friend

7. I Love America And She Hates Me

8. The World's Not Out To Get Me, I Am

9. Grim Reaper

10. Reality Is A Wild Ride

11. Swerve (101)

12. Lobster

The Wombats - UK Tour Dates: 

18 March - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena

19 March - London The O2

21 March - Cardiff Utilita Arena

23 March - Manchester AO Arena

25 March - Glasgow OVO Hydro

26 March - Leeds First Direct Arena

The Wombats - EU Tour Dates

28 March - France, Paris, Le Trabendo

30 March - Netherlands, Tilburg, 013 Tilburg

31 March - Netherlands, Amsterdam, Paradiso

01 April - Germany, Cologne, E-Werk

03 April - Germany, Munich, Theaterfabrik

04 April - Switzerland, Zurich, Komplex 457

05 April - Czech Republic, Prague, Archa +

07 April - Germany, Berlin, Columbiahalle 

08 April - Germany, Munster, Jovel Music Hall

10 April - Norway, Oslo, Rockefeller Music Hall

11 April - Denmark, Copenhagen, Pumpehuset

12 April - Sweden, Stockholm, Vasateatern

15 April- Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Den Atelier

16 April - Belgium, Brussels, Botanique

Photo: Malthe Ivarsson

Copenhagen based dream-pop duo Dreamstruck returned ahead of the weekend with their latest single, Moon. Taken from the bands forthcoming self-titled debut album, due out January 10th on Rough Trade, the track sees the pair conjure up mystical sounds through their expansive guitar melodies and glacial vocals. “To write so openly about our relationship and share my innermost thoughts with Jonas obviously sparked confrontations when the core of our conflicts was framed in our music. Eventually, the whole process turned out to have an almost therapeutic effect on us. Love is about communication, facing differences and difficulties, and dealing with them. I guess that’s what Dreamstruck is about: a shared declaration of love,” says Karen Krogshøj. Beautifully put, the track is about reaching for the moon in the darkest of times, something we can all yearn to do from time to time. Take a listen for yourselves below.

i: https://www.instagram.com/dreamstruck__

As the crowd picked out their gloomiest attire and and began to huddle closely together as they packed out the sold-out venue, The Horrors certainly gave fans something to remember them by as they delivered a spellbinding performance at Strange Brew in Bristol, showcasing their bold new chapter.

Kicking off with the industrial, face-melting "Whiplash", the band wasted no time in getting things moving. The venue's intimate and darkened atmosphere only amplified their hauntingly immersive sound, enhanced by their revamped line-up, including new members Amelia Kidd on keys and Jordan Cook making up the bank line on drums.

A mini tour of sorts as the band prepare to release their forthcoming sixth studio album ‘Night Life’, out March 21st via Fiction Records, the set-list is peppered with new offerings which seamlessly fit in-between their almost 20 year back catalogue of hits - "The Silence That Remains" proving to be a propulsive effort that saw fans already shouting back the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

Combined with the band’s signature blend of gothic and post-punk styling which brought both nostalgia and reinvention, their new sound brings with it new ideas and "Trial By Fire" is another sprawling, wall of sound that transcended in to the crowd who were only quick to oblige with a readily formed mosh pit. 

From brooding, slow-burning anthems to explosive, noise-filled climaxes, embodying the "melancholy and euphoria" themes the new album promises to explore, the band showed little let up as they drove through their set-list with a euphoric energy. 

Elsewhere of notable mention, front man Faris Badwan was the undeniable focal point as his haunting and enigmatic stage presence pulled the audience deeper into their performance as lights flashed and skittered in strobe effect. With his vocals alternating between anguished crooning and impassioned outbursts, particularly during fan-favourite tracks like "Still Life" he brought their dark, cinematic sound to essence in the largest of ways.

Sadly though, all good things must come to an end. 

As the band returned to the stage following a triumphant adulation from eager fans who chanted "one more song", the evening was brought full circle with their synth kaleidoscopic closer, "Something To Remember Me By". 

There's no denying tonight's performance demonstrated their commitment to reinvention, as they embraced a rawer, more reflective direction whilst maintaining the dark allure that has defined their career. It's safe to say fans in the audience left Strange Brew eagerly anticipating the release of their forthcoming LP - an impressive feat for a band closing in on two decades. 

The Horrors are back, and in a big way!

*****

i: https://www.instagram.com/thehorrors/

Photo: Polocho

Following on from last months trailblazing effort, American Dream, taken from their forthcoming new album Death & Love Pt.1 out Jan 31st 2025 via PIAS, Liverpool's Circa Waves have shared the record's latest cut, Like You Did Before. Channelling influence from the 2000s New York scene with its distinct fast paced guitar riffs and catchy melodies, the track continues to push their boundaries as songwriters and musicians as they bring in a fresh new sound to their repertoire. Frontman Kieran Shudall shares further; “This song is a reminder of a moment in my life that many people don’t know about. Just before my heart operation lying in hospital when life felt uncertain and fragile, I would imagine myself in a packed sweaty indie club, dancing like my life depended on it. It was a daydream, a form of escape and this song fits perfectly into that vision.” Take a listen/watch for yourselves below.

Live Dates
February 2025
14th Birmingham, O2 Academy
15th Nottingham, Rock City
16th Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom
18th Cambridge, Junction
19th Norwich, UEA
21st Newcastle, NX
22nd Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
23rd Bristol, Beacon
25th Leeds, O2 Academy
26th London, 02 Academy Brixton
27th Southampton, The 1865

March 2025
1st Liverpool, Olympia

Death & Love Pt. 1 - Track Listing
1. American Dream
2. Like You Did Before
3. We Made It
4. Le Bateau
5. Hold It Steady
6. Let;s Leave Together
7. Blue Damselfly
8. Everything Changed
9. Bad Guys Always Win 

As part of the Pinterest Predicts 2025 series, Mercury Prize winning Leeds outfit English Teacher perform their song “Not Everybody Gets To Go To Space” as they bow out on a brilliant year that's seen them go strength to strength. Directed by Simon Lane, the video is inspired by the Fisherman Aesthetic which Pinterest predicts will be one of the style trends for 2025. On the video, director Simon Lane says: “The aim was to create a fisherman aesthetic for Pinterest, letting that guide every creative decision from the epic dockyard location, through styling you can see Lily’s lobster knitwear and art direction with lobster pots, buoys and fishing nets, we had a lot of fun making it!” Take a watch for yourselves below. 

Live Dates
21st Dec - Bedford Esquire - Music Venue, Bedford, UK
20th Jan - Shibuya, WWW, X, JP
3rd May - Heartbreakers Southampton, UK
17th May - Get Together Festival, Sheffield, UK
23rd May - Wide Awake Festival 2025, UK
13 July - Exhibition Park, Newcastle, UK * Fontaines D.C.
31 July - All Together Now Festival 2025, Portlaw, IE
15th August - Wythenshawe Park, Sale, UK * Fontaines D.C.

f: https://www.facebook.com/EnglishTeacherBand/

Ahead of the weekend, Bristol's fast rising Hunny Buzz unveiled their storming new single, Nice Guy. Having shared a slew of new singles throughout the year, the band look set to bow out on a high with another pristine effort that seems them clash grungy guitars with towering pop sensibilities to maximum effect. Take a listen to their latest effort below.

f: https://www.facebook.com/hunnybuzztheband/

Taken from their forthcoming debut album of the same name, out 7th February 2025, London-based duo Jack Ratcliffe (vocalist/instrumentalist) and George Hasbury (instrumentalist/producer) returned ahead of the weekend with their blistering and powerful new single, Disappointment Machine. Recording music under Arliston, the pair have a natural ability in conjuring heart rending emotion through their touching compositions, and this serves to be no different. As the band explain, “This song gets into the repeated pattern of behaviour which leads mechanically and invariably to disappointment. It also attempts to put into context the fact that it’s a ‘tiny problem’ and does not matter, but despite the attempts to minimise it, the feelings remain the same.” ‘Disappointment Machine’ is also accompanied by an evocative music video, directed by recent Screenology graduates Director Meriwether Freya Lewis and Producer Milly Ruston which captures a unique blend of humor and introspection. Take a listen/watch for yourselves below.

i: https://www.instagram.com/arliston/

Photo: Orrin St. Pierre

Following hotly on from No Direction and Stellar Cast, Wigan's The Lathums are back with a blistering new effort entitled Long Shadows. Taken from the new album, Matter Does Not Define, Released Fri 7 March 2025, the track sees sprawling guitars and percussion take up the backdrop to Moore's pensive songwriting as he tells a tale of pain and solemness, slow burning its way towards its riff heavy finale. Sharing further detail about the track Alex Moore says: “’Long Shadows’ is a song about deep emotional struggle and the complexities of love. I'm expressing feelings of despair, isolation, and fear of change after losing love, evoking a sense of tragic suffering. Despite the darkness, we recognise love’s enduring presence, though it casts long shadows over our life. “The song explores the dual nature of love and its ability to both heal and hurt. Through metaphors of light, shadow, and transcendence, we find hope in embracing vulnerability and seeks freedom through love.” Take a listen for yourselves below.

Live dates
Thu 13 March 2025 -Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom–SOLD OUT
Fri 14 March 2025 –Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom –Extra Date
Sat 15 March 2025 -Newcastle, NX Newcastle–SOLD OUT
Mon 17 March 2025-Stoke, Victoria Hall
Tue 18 March 2025 -Sheffield, Octagon
Thu20 March 2025 -Nottingham, Rock City
Fri21 March 2025 -Birmingham, O2 Academy
Sat22 March 2025 -London, O2 Academy Brixton
Mon 24 March 2025-Southampton, O2 Guildhall 
Tue 25 March 2025 -Bristol, SWX
Thu 27 March 2025 -Belfast, Limelight 
Fri 28 March 2025 -Dublin, The Academy
Thu 10 April 2025 –Manchester, O2 Apollo –Extra Date
Fri 11 April 2025 –Manchester, O2 Apollo–SOLD OUT
Sat 12 July 2025–Leeds, Millennium Square

The Lathums continue to raise funds and awareness of their own Chance To See Fund, a charitable venture to bring creative opportunity to young people in and around Wigan. Donations from fans, the band and through special projects arranged with participatory arts charity, Curious Minds, saw the total available to local individuals, groups and projects hit £25,000 earlier this year. The band and Curious Minds joined together with the shared aim of bringing music, theatre and other artistic projects into the lives of people with no other way of accessing them. Individual donations to the Chance To See Fund are welcome via the Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/chancetosee.

i: https://www.instagram.com/thelathums

Sprawling on to the Northern Irish scene, newcomers Penny’s Band have this weekend released their explosive new single Green Eyes Red. Described in essence as a heart-break anthem, from an unassuming intro that's built on swirling atmospherics, the track's soft touch quickly dissipates in to a euphoric guitar swinging transition before its towering choruses rain down. Following on from their debut single ‘That’s Not The Girl I Met' that was released earlier this year, the track serves as another exciting introduction to their energetic sound. Take a listen for yourselves below.

i: https://www.instagram.com/pennysbnd/

Photo credit: Jamie MacMillan

Following on from last month's single SPIDER, total tommy has unveiled the final taster of her debut album bruises ahead of its release on Friday, November 29 via Play It Again Sam. Where its predecessor came heavy with the grungy guitar aesthetic, Amsterdam sees her showcase of her diversive pop efforts as convulsing synth melodies and energetic vocals take lead. total tommy candidly says of the new single; “I wrote this song in London last year, and went straight from the airport to the studio after a massive night in Amsterdam. I almost missed the flight, and I was so scattered the entire session, but this song worked because we captured exactly what had happened the night before. I’d had a solo night in Amsterdam, got really high and walked around the city. I’d been alone for a few days at this point, and wasn’t really looking after myself because I was going through a bit of a low time.” Take a listen for yourselves below.

i: https://www.instagram.com/total_tommy/