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)*
Following the recent announcement of their forthcoming new album All The King’s Men, due out 22 January 2027, CHVRCHES have unveiled the record's second single Overthinker. Propelled by surging synths and infectious melodic hooks, the track strikes a balance between widescreen euphoria and a more bittersweet emotional undercurrent. All The King’s Men will be the band’s first album in almost six years and this serves as an exciting introduction to what lays ahead. Take a listen below.
CHVRCHES - North America, UK & Ireland shows 13 February - Philadelphia, Franklin Music Hall 17 February - Brooklyn, Steel 19 February - Washington, Anthem 20 February - Pittsburgh, Roxian Theatre 22 February - Buffalo, Asbury Hall 23 February - Toronto, History 25 February - Chicago, Salt Shed (Indoor) 26 February - Milwaukee, Riverside Theater 27 February - Madison, The Sylvee 2 March - Boise, Knitting Factory 3 March - Spokane, Knitting Factory 5 March - Vancouver, Vogue Theatre 6 March - Seattle, Paramount Theater 8 March - Portland, Revolution Hall 10 March - Oakland, Fox Theater 12 March - San Diego, The Observatory North Park 13 March - Phoenix, The Van Buren 14 March - Los Angeles, Hollywood Palladium 23 April - Glasgow, o2 Academy 26 April - Aberdeen, Music Hall 27 April - Dundee, LiveHouse 29 April - Dublin, 3Olympia 1 May - Manchester, Victoria Warehouse 2 May - Birmingham, o2 Academy 1 4 May - Bristol, o2 Academy 1 5 May - Norwich, The LCR UEA 6 May - London, o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
The Snuts - Joy In Short Moments Tracklist 1. In Motion 2. Youth Ain't Easy 3. Defibrillator 4. Joy In Short Moments 5. PTS 6. Get Up, Get Out 7. Country Music 8. Summer Rain 9. Motherlands 10. Warsaw 11. Little Marathon Man
Since bursting onto the scene with their chart-topping debut album W.L. in 2021, The Snuts have established themselves as one of Scotland’s most prominent indie exports, carrying their hook-laden songwriting from grassroots venues to sold-out arenas. Across Burn The Empire and Millennials, the West Lothian four-piece have continued to refine their sound, embracing everything from politically charged anthems to brighter, pop-driven hooks. Now, on their fourth album Joy In Short Moments, the band turn their attention inwards, exploring themes of identity, growth and the importance of finding meaning in the everyday.
There’s little loss of their trademark immediacy, with opener In Motion showcasing the band’s breezy, buoyant energy through elongated guitar lines and soaring vocal choruses. Youth Ain’t Easy follows suit, another hook-laden offering built around bright melodies and an insatiably catchy refrain. Both tracks tap into the widescreen indie sound that has become synonymous with the band, their infectious choruses arriving with an ease that few of their contemporaries can match.
Beneath that familiar sense of euphoria, however, lies a more reflective record. Defibrillator, inspired by the concept of a living wake, encourages listeners to make the most of their time and celebrate the journey while they’re still living it. Centred on the importance of showing up for the people around you, it’s an uplifting call to action that gives the album’s title a deeper significance, championing the connections and fleeting experiences that make life worthwhile.
Recent single PTS offers a softer counterpoint, bringing acoustic guitar melodies to the forefront before gradually building through its crescendoing instrumentation. Elsewhere, Motherlands introduces an Americana-tinged sound, broadening the record’s palette beyond the band’s more familiar indie-rock foundations.
The album eventually draws to a close with Little Marathon Man, a sentimental offering that opens with delicate acoustic guitar before steadily gathering momentum into a chugging rhythm. There’s a palpable warmth to its gradual ascent, providing a fitting conclusion to a record that finds The Snuts looking beyond the pursuit of bigger choruses and louder anthems to consider what really matters.
While Joy In Short Moments retains the melodic instincts and infectious energy that have carried the band this far, its greatest strength lies in the moments where they allow themselves to slow down. It’s a record about reconnecting with the world beyond the stage, finding fulfilment in the people around you and recognising that sometimes the most meaningful moments are also the simplest.
Catch the band this Autumn on their UK headline tour:
19th November - Dundee - Livehouse 20th November - Aberdeen - Beach Ballroom 21st November - Edinburgh - Corn Exchange 23rd November - Dunfermline - Alhambra Theatre 24th November - Newcastle - O2 City Hall 26th November - Sheffield - Octagon Centre 27th November - Nottingham - Rock City 29th November - Norwich - UEA 30th November - Bristol - The Prospect Building 1st December - Hull - City Hall 2nd December - Leeds - O2 Academy 3rd December - Manchester - Victoria Warehouse 4th December - Manchester - Victoria Warehouse 8th December - Birmingham - O2 Academy 9th December - Portsmouth - Guildhall 10th December - London - Brixton Academy
Copenhagen's Inventory return with their blistering new single No Design, taken from the band's forthcoming debut album 'People Pyramids', due out February 2027. Drawing on the hazy textures and laid-back sensibilities of the ’90s shoegaze movement, the track pairs slacker melodies with dreamy, understated vocals, gradually building towards its towering finale of swirling guitars. “‘No Design’ is about the shifts that can happen in our relationships as life gradually changes. About how people who were once very close to us can suddenly drift away, not necessarily because anyone actively chooses it, but because new relationships and new commitments begin to take up space,” the band explain before elaborating further, “In ‘No Design’, relationships are imagined as a kind of people pyramid, where space is limited.When someone moves up, someone else can end up further down. It becomes a zero-sum game,where something has to make room for something else. It’s a reflection on how distance can emerge between people without us ever quite noticing when it happens.” Take a listen below.
Premiered last night on BBC 6 Music, courtesy of Emily Pilbeam, Prima Queen have unveiled their brilliant new single Alanis Morissette. Working with revered producer Oli Deakin (CMAT), the pair have set out to deliver their most confident album yet, a claim backed up by this latest effort’s commanding vocals, soaring choruses and irresistibly catchy hooks. Speaking about their new release, Prima Queen added: “The song ‘Alanis Morissette’ came from a conversation with a friend who said, ‘It sounds like you’re not sad - you’re angry!’ Anger is a huge part of grieving heartbreak, but sometimes it’s hard to let yourself feel those feelings and allow yourself to express it. This song is about acknowledging that anger, and about the way female friendship can give you a safe place to finally let it out.” Take a listen below. The new album 'A Touch Of Divine' is out February 26th via Submarine Cat Records.
Live Dates 25 NOV - O2 Ritz, Manchester (UK)* 26 NOV - Project House, Leeds (UK)* 26 FEB - Banquet, Kingston (UK) 27 FEB - Jacaranda, Liverpool (UK) 28 FEB - Truck, Oxford (UK) 01 MAR - Rough Trade Denmark Street, London (UK) 02 MAR - Vinilo, Southampton (UK)
Following last month's announcement of their debut Small Notions EP, out 27th November via So Young Records, London-via-Paris newcomers Spanish Horses have today revealed their dynamic new effort, City I Believe. Driven by punchy guitar riffs and an infectious rhythmic pulse, the band’s latest single pairs soaring choruses with an off-kilter edge, showcasing their knack for crafting big, immediate hooks. “‘City I Believe’ is the first song we wrote for the EP after a long break,” frontman Tom Onezime says. “We thought let’s get loud to clear off all the cobwebs. We then ended up with this song that we called ‘track 2’ for 5 months.” Take a listen below.
Catch Spanish Horses live 27.10 Badehaus, Berlin ^ 28.10 Turmzimmer, Hamburg 29.10 Ekko, Utrecht ^ 05.11 O2 Institute, Birmingham ^ 12.11 Shacklewell Arms, London [The Great Escape First Fifty] 27.11 O2 Academy, Oxford ^
Returning ahead of the weekend, Newcastle's Heidi Curtis has unveiled her blistering new single Run. Taken from her forthcoming ‘Summon’ EP, due November 20th via AWAL, the track showcases her towering pop prowess, pairing soaring choruses with head-rushing melodies to create a euphoric ensemble. “I wrote this song about OCD hiding behind my superstitions”, Curtis explained. “All of my witchy signs and symbols became obsessive and commanding of my mind. This song answered all my questions when I needed it most. I just wanted to run away from my own head.” Take a listen:
Live Dates 26 NOV - Utilita Arena, Cardiff (UK)* 27 NOV - Alexandra Palace, London (UK)* 28 NOV - Co-Op Live, Manchester (UK)*
It wouldn’t be Sŵn without a fat helping of Welsh liquid gold (translation: rain), now would it? With the heavens threatening to open over Cardiff on the festival’s first night, October’s familiar downpours would soon be a reality. Thankfully, one of Sŵn’s biggest blessings is that its venues are rarely more than a stone’s throw apart, making it easy enough to dodge the storm and take shelter in the city’s many pubs, bars and clubs. Wellies weren’t necessarily an essential, but certainly might've come in handy as the 2026 edition excitedly got under way.
Back for another year, Cardiff’s celebration of new music once again promised three days of fresh discoveries, rising talent and late-night adventures across the city. From intimate backrooms to packed-out venues, Sŵn has long made a name for itself as a champion of the next wave, bringing together the sounds and faces that will no doubt be filling bigger stages in the years to come.
With the rain showing little to no sign of letting up, there was only one thing for it: to head inside and see what this year’s festival had to offer.
Willie J Healey has returned this week to announce his new album Lucky, set for release on 12th March 2027 via V2, coinciding with a run of UK headline tour dates. Alongside the news, the Oxford songwriter has unveiled his latest single Benjamin, giving us an exciting taste of what's to come with its bright melodies and infectious hooks. On his album return and new single 'Benjamin', Willie says: "It felt good for me to get back to some real deal stuff. I really sat down and worked through everything on an acoustic guitar, feelings too - which is why most of the songs have very little electric guitars on them. I moved house and live by a park now, I set up my studio in the back of the house and wrote most of the songs in that little room, pretty isolated in a nice way. I wrote Benjamin really quickly, it was one of those gifts. Just came right to me! We tracked all of these acoustic guitars and I did this big gasp at the beginning because I think the song kinda feels like somebody who’s asking to be saved by whatever’s out there saving things. It's got this hopeful desperation thing going on. There’s nothing too fancy about the recordings we got, which I’m very happy about. I felt slightly caught up in making things slick - I didn’t want to do that this time.. I couldn’t be bothered. To me it feels direct and simple! Which is weirdly hard to do sometimes." Take a listen below along with the full list of upcoming tour dates.
Willie J Healey 2027 UK headline tour dates
Sat Apr 10 - The Cavern, Exeter, UK
Sun Apr 11 - The Globe, Cardiff, UK
Mon Apr 12 - KOLA, Portsmouth, UK
Wed Apr 14 - O2 Academy, Oxford, UK
Thu Apr 15 - Arts Centre, Norwich, UK
Fri Apr 16 - Future Yard, Birkenhead, UK
Sat Apr 17 - King Tut's, Glasgow, UK
Mon Apr 19 - The Foundry, Sheffield, UK
Tue Apr 20 - Parish, Huddersfield, UK
Wed Apr 21 - Band on the Wall, Manchester, UK
Fri Apr 23 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK
Sat Apr 24 - The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, UK
Sun Apr 25 - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
Tue Apr 27 - Castle & Falcon, Birmingham, UK
Wed Apr 28 - KOKO, London, UK
Thu Apr 29 - Electric, Bristol, UK
Returning with their first new music since their widely acclaimed 2024 debut EP, Deathless, Welsh outfit Slate have today shared details of their much awaited second EP The Grandfather Clock. Coinciding with the announcement, the band have unveiled the title track, a brooding, atmospheric piece that builds around crashing guitar layers and pummelling percussion. “The Grandfather Clock is about cherishing the unconditional love you are given and not taking it for granted,” Shephard explains. “The items described throughout the song - the rocking horse, the garden patch, the pink marble elephants - are all objects that were in Jack’s grandfather's house.” Take a listen below with the accompanying video directed by Aled Victor and Sam Stevens.
The Grandfather Clock EP arrives physically on 12” vinyl, via Dinked’s Early Doors series, and digitally on January 22nd, 2027, via Brace Yourself Records.
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