Photo Credit - Katie Anderson

Tom A. Smith has today announced his long-awaited debut album The Golden Gates, due out April 2nd 2027 via Fiction Records. Coinciding with the announcement is the blistering new single ‘Carry The Weight’, co-written with The Maccabees’ Hugo White. Reflecting the spontaneity of its creation, the track came together in just a day, emerging from an impromptu writing session built around White’s Fender Six guitar. “Hugo knows my story, knows the situation. We did it all in a day,” Tom explains, referring to the deeply personal experiences behind the song. The 22-year-old songwriter is speaking publicly for the first time about living with a rare, life-limiting heart condition, revealing the circumstances that helped shape his debut record. Take a listen to the new single below. 

Tom A. Smith live:

11th Nov – Brighton, Patterns,
12th Nov – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
13th Nov – Stoke, The Sugarmill
14th Nov – Bedford, Esquire’s
19th Nov – London, Electric Brixton (supporting Meek)
21st Nov – Plymouth, The Junction
22nd Nov – Portsmouth, The Wedgewood Rooms
25th Nov – Hull, Polar Bear
26th Nov – Whitehaven, Yellow Earl
27th Nov – Huddersfield, The Parish

2nd Dec – Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
3rd Dec – Liverpool, Arts Club Theatre
5th Dec – Bristol, Thekla, Paint By Numbers (afternoon headliner)
5th Dec – Wrexham, The Rockin Chair
6th Dec – Nottingham, Bodega, Paint By Numbers
22nd Dec – London, Barfly: Radio X ‘X-Posure Live’ (headliner)

10th Apr – Bridlington Spa, This Feeling By The Sea

5th June – Cornwall, The Great Estate

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

Photo: Bliss Braoudakis

Australian songwriter Indigo Sparke has unveiled her brand new single, ‘Dream Song’. Taken from her third full-length album, There Is a Light on the Horizon Line, due 12 February via her own Everwilde Records imprint, the track offers another compelling glimpse into the world of her forthcoming record. “‘Dream Song’ came to me as the title suggests, from a dream I had with a lover of mine at the time,” she explains. “A wash of hazy lilac synergy and stream of consciousness thought. It poured out in one whole go of writing. Take a listen below. 

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

Liam Fray of Courteeners, Cardiff Utilita Arena 2026

Few bands have soundtracked as much of my life over the last 20 years as Courteeners. Through breakups, turbulent moments and the many highs and lows that come with growing up, they’ve remained a constant. Celebrating their 20th year as a band therefore felt like a fitting full circle moment as they returned to Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, in support of their recently released career spanning best of compilation.

With the capital already bustling following an earlier Wales rugby match, the usual sea of supporters flocked into the city, any many in to the show too as the atmosphere continued to scintillate. Inside, and anticipation quickly turned into something altogether louder as the opening notes of Are You in Love with a Notion? and Cavorting sent fans straight down memory lane. Two tracks that have defined the band’s early years, and now served as an immediate reminder of just how enduring those first records remain.

The momentum continued with No You Didn’t, No You Don’t and You Overdid It Doll, before Plus One Forever and Solitude of the Night Bus offered a welcome reminder of the band’s knack for balancing huge indie singalongs with more understated moments. There was plenty of material to draw from across their back catalogue, with Bide Your Time, Acrylic and Take Over the World keeping the nostalgia firmly in motion. The latter proved another highlight, taking on a life of its own in a room full of people who roared back each and every word.

Elsewhere in the set, it was great to hear Sycophant make its way back into the fold, a welcome addition for those who followed the band beyond the more obvious fan favourites. Please Don’t and Lose Control also provided plenty of opportunity for the crowd to get involved, as pints continued to soar above a sea of excited, flailing hands. "Cardiff, I wish you could see what we can see up here" Liam echoed as he showed deep appreciation to the adorning crowd. 

As The 17th brought the main set to a close with the sort of energy that's kept Courteeners such a reliable live proposition over the years, Liam Fray returned for an acoustic section, opening with International. A track that felt particularly suited to the stripped back setting, allowing its melody and lyrics to take centre stage. Hanging Off Your Cloud followed before a brilliant cover of James’ Sit Down provided one of the evening’s standout moments as it quickly became another communal singalong. 

Courteeners, Cardiff Utilita Arena 2026

With the crowd chanting Liam’s name, it wasn’t long before the full band returned for a second encore, wasting little time in launching into Fallowfield Hillbilly and Beautiful Head. From there, they moved into the two song finale that has long been a staple of their live shows. As the opening chords of Not Nineteen Forever rang out, flares lit up the room as thousands of voices joined together for one of British indie’s biggest anthems. With barely a moment to catch your breath, What Took You So Long followed, bringing proceedings to a close with a snippet of James’ Tomorrow thrown in for good measure. Another gentle nod to the fellow Mancunians. 

Twenty years on, there's something rather brilliant about a band whose songs have managed to grow alongside you without losing any of their appeal. Cardiff was a reminder that, while plenty had changed in the intervening years, the connection remained firmly intact. Having been fortunate enough to clock up more than 50 shows over the years, from a sweaty Sin City in Swansea to Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl and Heaton Park, there was little doubt about why I keep coming back. 

Nights like this only reinforce that feeling, and if this anniversary proved anything, it's that Courteeners still have plenty left to give.

Courteeners played:
Are You in Love with a Notion?
Cavorting
No You Didn’t, No You Don’t
You Overdid It Doll
Plus One Forever
Solitude of the Night Bus
Bide Your Time
Acrylic
Take Over the World
Winter Wonderland
Please Don’t
Sycophant
Lose Control
The 17th

Liam Fray Acoustic Set 
International
Hanging Off Your Cloud
Sit Down (James cover)

Encore 
Fallowfield Hillbilly
Beautiful Head
Not Nineteen Forever
What Took You So Long?

Photo: Jono White

Wiltshire-born singer-songwriter Dermot Henry today shares his new single ‘Pilots License’, taken from the forthcoming debut album Bad Throw, Good Catch, released Friday 20th November via Island Records. Premiering last night on BBC 6 Music, the track builds from skittering percussion into a clattering finale, all driven by his blistering vocals and intricate layers. On the track, Dermot shares “Pilots License was the first song I wrote when I moved to Paris. It for me is the marking point of the start of the bunch of songs that have made up the album and the last 2 years of my life. I was thinking of my friends and how our relationships have changed over the years and everyone starting down their diverging paths.” Take a listen below. 

Dermot Henry live:

2026
7th November - Zerox, Newcastle
8th November - People’s Leisure Club, Edinburgh – sold out
9th November – OPORTO, Leeds – sold out
11th November - Hallamshire Hotel, Sheffield – sold out
12th November - Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich
13th November - Rough Trade, Nottingham
15th November - Little Bully, Oxford – sold out
16th November - Prince Albert, Brighton – sold out
17th November – Heartbreakers, Southampton – sold out
18th November – Cavern, Exeter

2027
9th February – Zebulon, Los Angeles
17th February – Main Drag Music, New York

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

Liverpool all-dayer So Long, Good Friday have this week revealed the first wave of artists for their second edition, with headliners including Maruja, Gurriers, and Mary in the Junkyard. Joining them, Birmingham duo GANS return for this year’s festival, along with Tooth and SOFY among the headline acts. 

The first wave also features Cardiff’s Casual Smart, Manchester’s Shaking Hand, Truthpaste and Brighton outfit Glasshouse Red Spider Mite. Also announced are Bleach Estate, Courds, Ferguson Hi-Fi, Half Smile, M. Woodroe, London Concrete, Mindsigh, Sex Mask, Pyncher, Spanish Horses, The Slow Country, Wyatt and Your Mate’s Ex. Further additions to the lineup are expected in the coming months. 

“After the roaring success of our first edition, which exceeded all our expectations, we’re back in 2027 with an even bigger line up of our favourite new bands from across the UK and beyond,” shared the organisers, “Big headliners right down to brand new acts just starting out, we’ve left no stone unturned in our quest to deliver Liverpool’s most exciting new music festival.”

First release tickets are on sale now.

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

Photo credit: Pooneh Ghana

Today sees Font, the quartet of Thom Waddill, Anthony Laurence, Jack Owens, and Roman Parnell reveal their scintillating new effort, ‘Cling’. Taken from their forthcoming album American Bully XL, due November 13th via Acrophase, the track pairs hushed vocals with soothing synth layers, gradually building towards a glowing finale. Reflecting on the track, Laurence says: “The song is carved away from a mountain of first thoughts, recalling a subtractive process that aims to preserve ghosts, confuse source, and respond to material rather than direct it.” Take a listen below. 

i: https://www.instagram.com/font.band

Photo credit: Jack Dallas Champion

Following up her 2024 Utopia EP, Dublin-born songwriter and producer Ciara Lindsey returns under her Kynsy moniker to reveal the dazzling new single, eleanor. Fusing glitchy electronic textures with a wall of guitars, her latest single pairs an experimental edge with soaring pop sensibilities and an undeniable infectious energy. Speaking about the track, Kynsy shares "'eleanor' is about being enthralled by someone from afar, knowing they’ll only hurt you. It’s a dark, poetic take on teenage infatuation and unrequited love, wrapped in a romantic, reckless, early-2000s Skins atmosphere. Sonically, it draws on the restless energy of Sorry’s debut album, giving the track a slightly fractured edge beneath its romantic core. I’ve always wanted to push further into glitchy, left-field production, while the juxtaposition of electronic and rock elements has always been central to the Kynsy sound. This song came out of the frustration of trying to find and fund an external producer for this next batch of songs, which ultimately led to the obvious decision to produce it with my band." Take a listen below. 

Live Dates
23 November - The Lanes, Bristol (supporting The Love Buzz)
26 November - Sebright Arms, London
16 December - Dublin Castle, London (supporting Na Cairde) 

i: https://www.instagram.com/kynsy___

Photo: Errol Rainey

Christine and the Queens today releases his brand new single “Rendez-vous avec toi” / “Rendez-vous in your arms”, in French and English, taken from the forthcoming as yet unannounced new album, to be released in spring 2027. Accompanied by a video shot in Paris, co-directed by Christine and the Queens and Raphaël De Albuquerque, with choreography by Alexander Ekman, the track's catchy hooks and pop perfected sound offer up an exciting taste of what's to come. 

Speaking about the single, Chris says: "I have a rendez-vous with you, tonight. I have obsessed about it since the morning. With the devotion of someone who only waits for you, and the meaning you give to life itself by your mere presence. I’ll come starred with music - the new interstellar traveling of Christine and the Queens, I did it for you. In secrecy of frequencies, in genius musicians, in New York Jazz, in Moroder Groove, I kept on obsessing about this celebration, this big night found again, and I leapt into my dream. Names, boxes, they never defined what we share together. The electricity remains eternally mysterious. We’ll dream together of the blue flower, of this signal that keeps pinging from another planet that we don’t even know of yet; we’ll dream peace, peace with a common story, one way bigger than the one they taught us". Take a listen to the new single below. 

In celebration, Christine and the Queens has announced a series of intimate shows in Paris, London, Amsterdam and Brussels.

Christine and the Queens - live December 2026
December 1 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique - SOLD OUT
December 7 - London, UK @ Scala - SOLD OUT
December 8 - Amsterdam, NL @ Tolhuistuin - SOLD OUT
December 10 - Paris, FR @ Alhambra - SOLD OUT 

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

Photo credit / Taisei Sunakwa

Following this month's announcement of their biggest headline tour to date, including a stop at London's O2 Kentish Town Forum, Bleech 9:3 have unveiled a darkened rendition of The Cure's Lullaby. On the new song, the band say - “Lullaby brings fear to life through song in a way that has been hugely influential for us. As we headed into the writing process for Bleed, recreating it in our own style helped us explore new sonic directions. We wanted to pay homage to both the song and the band at this point in our journey.” Take a listen below. 

Tour Dates

November 2026
7th – Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavik, IS
27th – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff (SOLD OUT)
28th – Joiners, Southampton (SOLD OUT)
30th – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (SOLD OUT)

December 2026
1st – Electric Ballroom, London (SOLD OUT)
3rd – Thekla, Bristol (SOLD OUT)
4th – Academy 2, Manchester (SOLD OUT)
5th – Arts Club Theatre, Liverpool (SOLD OUT)
6th – Foundry, Sheffield (SOLD OUT)
8th – Cluny, Newcastle (SOLD OUT)
9th – The Garage, Glasgow (SOLD OUT)
10th – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (SOLD OUT)
11th – O2 Institute 2, Birmingham (SOLD OUT)
15th – Limelight 2, Belfast (SOLD OUT)
16th – Academy, Dublin (SOLD OUT)
17th – Cyprus Ave, Cork (SOLD OUT)

January 2027
14th - Eurosonic, NL
15th - Trix, Antwerp, Bel
21st – Mercury Lounge, New York, NY, USA (SOLD OUT)

February 2027
3rd – The Echo, Los Angeles, CA, USA (SOLD OUT)
12th - Laneway, Sydney, Aus
13th - Laneway, Gold Coast, Aus
19th - Laneway, Melbourne, Aus
21st - Laneway, Auckland, Aus

April 2027
21st – Chalk, Brighton, UK
22nd – Tramshed, Cardiff, UK
23rd – Academy, Liverpool, UK (SOLD OUT)
25th – Olympia, Dublin, Ireland (SOLD OUT)
26th – Limelight, Belfast, UK (SOLD OUT)
28th – SWG3, Glasgow, UK (SOLD OUT)
29th – Queens Hall, Edinburgh, UK
30th – Boiler Shop, Newcastle, UK (SOLD OUT)

May 2027
2nd – O₂ Ritz, Manchester, UK (SOLD OUT)
4th – Stylus, Leeds, UK (SOLD OUT)
5th – O₂ Academy, Bristol, UK
6th – O₂ Academy, Oxford, UK
8th – O₂ Institute, Birmingham, UK
9th – 1865, Southampton, UK
11th – Junction, Cambridge, UK
12th – O₂ Kentish Town Forum, London, UK
18th – Trabendo, Paris, France
20th – Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands (SOLD OUT)
22nd – Lido, Berlin, Germany

i: https://www.instagram.com/bleech_9.3

Photo Credit: Simone Juice

Copenhagen's Bænch have this week revealed their brand new single ‘Teeth’, the second track to be lifted from their forthcoming ‘In Amber’ EP, set for release November 20th. Driven by propulsive guitars and infectious melodies, the track offers another exhilarating glimpse into the band’s sound, further building anticipation for what they have in store. Speaking ahead of its release, the four-piece explained: “The song contrasts its upbeat instrumental with lyrics about feeling kind of unsure of reality, drifting through life without fully comprehending - or caring about - what’s going on. With self-contrasting and abstract phrases, the lyrics capture the feeling of being stuck in a strange state of mind, prone to sabotage and chaos, but also freedom and carelessness.” 

Live Dates
13 NOV - Mama Roux, Birmingham (UK)*
14 NOV - Rough Trade, Bristol (UK)*
18 NOV - Gorilla, Manchester (UK)*
20 NOV - King Tuts, Glasgow (UK)*
22 NOV - Waterfront Studio, Norwich (UK)*
25 NOV - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (UK)*
27 NOV - Islington Assembly Hall, London (UK)*
04 DEC - Patterns, Brighton (UK)*
05 DEC - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (UK)*

*Supporting Good Health Good Wealth 

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