Whilst summer festivals come to a close, there's still some big game players to come - Cardiff's Sŵn Festival being one of the forerunners. Following up June's bumper announcement, the festival, taking place across the city over Thursday October 15th to Saturday October 17, has today revealed the second wave of artists set to play the capital, in what looks to be one of its strongest line-ups to date as it approaches its 19th edition. Joining the likes of already announced Dove Ellis, Little Grandad, Mould and Working Men’s Club to name but a few will be Manchester’s Westside Cowboy, London trio bar italia who make their Sŵn debut, songsmith Murkage Dave and six-piece Gently Tender, born from the ashes of Palma Violets. Full details and new additions can be found below with the full rundown of new acts to sink your teeth in to. 

This year’s Sŵn Connect conference is also now announced for Friday October 16th at Cornerstone in Cardiff - watch this space for speakers to be unveiled soon but expect a mixture of seasoned industry voices and fresh perspectives for those looking to break into, or just understand more of, the music industry. Full venues this year include: Tramshed, Clwb Ifor Bach, St. John’s Church, Jacobs Basement, Fuel, The Canopi, Tiny Rebel, Little O’Neill’s and Porter’s.

Adam Williams, Head of Music for Sŵn, offers the following on this year’s festival: “In a world that surrounds us with negativity, it's been extremely uplifting to work on Sŵn’s 19th edition. 2026's lineup is filled with incredible new music. Today, we welcome a whole host of new names to this year’s festival, with particular highlights ranging from Bar Italia to Uche Hara to ugly ozo, Gently Tender to Westside Cowboy to Murkage Dave and beyond. There’s really something for everyone and we can’t wait to welcome you all to Cardiff in October.”

FULL LIST OF ARTISTS ANNOUNCED SO FAR

New additions in bold

2Charm | Aimée Fatale | Alice Costelloe | Asidhara | Bale | Bambees | bar italia | Bathing Suits | Bel Cobain | Ben Kidson | benchwarmer | Billy Fuller | Blood Wizard | Blue Amber | Bucket | Bureau De Change | Cardinals | Casi | Cerys Hafana | Chwaer Fawr | Cowboy Hunters | Cutscene | Dana Margolin | Dermot Henry | Dewin| Disgusting Sisters | Die Twice | Dove Ellis | Emma | Esmerelda Road | Fatale | Ffenest | Florence Besche | Foot Foot | Gently Tender | Glasshouse Red Spider Mite | Good Health Good Wealth | Hairdye | Harry Jowett | Heartpiece | HMLTD | Holybones | Honeyglaze | Ifan | James Emmanuel | John Francis Flynn | Junkie Kut | KLÄMP | Lacuna | Lafant | Lauren Auder | Lemonsuckr | Little Grandad | Lo Rays | LSD and the Search for God | Lucia & the Best Boys | Luna Morgenstern | Maeve | Makeshift Art Bar | Martial Arts | MINDSIGH | Modern Woman | Mould | Mouth Ulcers | Murkage Dave | Nation Unrest | Neve Cariad | PainKiller | Pebbledash | Personal Trainer | Pixie McCann | Pyncher | Pypi Slysh | Pys Melyn | Sawtega | SexyTadhg | Shaking Hand | SHINOBii | Shlug | Shrink | Sold For Parts | Spike | sundayclub | Tai Haf Heb Drigolyn | Tesni | The Dogs | The Joy Hotel | The Orielles | Theatre | Tokomololo | Tommy Barlow | Tony Bontana | Truthpaste | TURNSPIT | Twenty One Children | Uche Yara | ugly ozo | waverley. | Westside Cowboy | Working Men’s Club | World News | Wrkhouse | Wyatt 

Head here for ticketing options include day tickets and more info: https://swnfest.seetickets.com 

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

credit Silken Weinberg

photo credit: Imogene Barron

Australian new wave/post-punk outfit Radio Free Alice have relesed details of their long-awaited debut album What’s In Between, available 30th October via Atlantic Records. Coinciding with the news the band have shared the record's latest single Crying With You. “It’s a huge relief to finally announce the album,” vocalist Noah Learmonth says of the announcement. “We’ve lived with these songs for such a long time and they’ve become such a big part of our lives, so knowing there’s now a date when they’ll finally exist outside of us feels incredibly cathartic.” “We wrote ‘Crying With You’ whilst on a writing retreat in Joshua Tree in California,” he continues. “We were staying at this beautiful property owned by producer Nicolas Vernhes, surrounded by desert and Joshua trees for about a week and recorded a handful of demos and jams. The verse and chorus were originally different songs, but we stitched them together, which is something we like to do quite a lot” Take a listen below. 

 

RADIO FREE ALICE LIVE 2026

AUGUST
27 – Oost-Vlieland, NL – Into The Great Wide Open Festival
29 – Reading, UK – Reading Festival

SEPTEMBER
18 — Chicago, IL — Riot Fest

OCTOBER
9 — Austin, TX — Austin City Limits

NOVEMBER
4 —Copenhagen, DK — Ideal Bar at Vega
6 — Berlin, DE — Frannz Club
7 — Hamburg, DE — Turmzimmer
8 — Cologne, DE — Helios37
10 — Amsterdam, NL — Tolhuistuin
11 — Brussels, BE — Botanique Rotonde
12 — Paris, FR — Point Ephémère
14 — Bristol, UK — Thekla
15 — Birmingham, UK — O2 Institute2
17 — London, UK — Electric Ballroom
18 — Leeds, UK — Brudenell Social Club
20 — Manchester, UK — Academy 2 
21 — Glasgow, UK — Art School 
22 — Belfast, UK — Ulster Sports Club
24 — Dublin, IE — Button Factory

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

Photo: Sam Stevens @Sam.ffoto

Returning with the first taste of their forthcoming third album, Carmarthenshire five-piece Los Blancos have this week revealed the electrifying Olew'r Olewydd. Translating to Olive Oil, the track sees gnarled guitars and freewheeling melodies collide in a thrilling crescendo, signalling the band’s renewed appetite for songwriting. Take a listen below. 

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

Neighbour Club (c) Anthony Bean

London up-risers Neighbour Club have today shared their brilliant new effort, Only Fractions. Taken from the band's forthcoming debut EP ‘Snail Mail’, set for release September 25th, the track’s chugging basslines and gritty guitar melodies offer an exhilarating glimpse of what’s to come. Speaking about their newest EP teaser, the four-piece explained: “'Only Fractions' is the second single from our upcoming EP ‘Snail Mail’ - we’ve taken it down a notch with a hangover drenched look at relationships passed. We intended it to be a track to hum in your head whilst you scramble round the house looking for Sunday's second Ibuprofen hit.” Take a listen below. 

Live Dates
05 SEP - The Windmill, Brixton, London (UK)
19 SEP - The Richard Steele, Haverstock Hill, London (UK) 

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

Photo Credit: Gabe Long

London's Kamran Khan has returned today with his propulsive new single 2 Late. Taken from his upcoming debut album ‘I Came From Nowhere & Nowhere Is Where I Am Going, out September 25th via AWAL, the track's catchy grooves and towering pop melodies sees him self-reflecting over past life experiences. “I realised that I was approaching this music from a place of profound conviction,” he says, speaking more about the record. “With this album, I felt I could draw a line - and put my own name to it for the first time.” Take a listen to the latest cut below. 

‘I Came From Nowhere & Nowhere Is Where I Am Going’ (LP) - Tracklist
01 - Goodnight
02 - Daddy, Just Like You
03 - Diamond Ring
04 - Adventures In Monotony
05 - 2 Late
06 - I’ll Find It
07 - Personally
08 - Anything
09 - Hello Kamran
10 - Parody
11 - Swimming
12 - Texas In The Rain
13 - Believe Me 

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

Photo Credit: Giulia McGauran

Australian outfit The Buoys have recently shared their latest single Alone In Vegas, taken from the band's forthcoming Concrete Cowboy LP arriving October 23rd via Sony Music Australia / Music For Nations (Gossip, Maruja, VLURE). Speaking of the single, the band added: “‘Alone In Vegas’ is kind of like a sequel to Desert Hearts (1985) which ends without you knowing if the two lead characters, Cay and Vivian have a happily ever after. ‘Alone In Vegas’ imagines that Cay and Vivian run into each other in the future in Vegas before getting married and moving to New York together”. Take a listen to the infectious number below.  

Live Dates
23 OCT - Crowbar, Sydney, NSW (AU)
24 OCT - The Brightside, Brisbane, QLD (AU)
25 OCT - Jive, Adelaide, SA (AU)
30 OCT - Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC (AU)
31 OCT - Indian Ocean Hotel, Perth, WA (AU)
12 NOV - McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, NSW (AU) w/ Foo Fighters
29 JAN - Werk21, Zurich (CH)
30 JAN - La Boule Noire, Paris (FR)
01 FEB - Garagen, Cologne (DE)
02 FEB - Hebebühne, Hamburg (DE)
03 FEB - Paradiso (Small Room), Amsterdam (NL)
06 FEB - Out Of The Ordinary Festival, Leiden (NL)
09 FEB - Room2, Glasgow (UK)
10 FEB - The Lodge @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester (UK)
11 FEB - Bodega, Nottingham (UK)
13 FEB - Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds (UK)
16 FEB - The Croft, Bristol (UK)
17 FEB - The Hope & Ruin, Brighton (UK)
18 FEB - Moth Club, London (UK)

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

Gently Tender by Holly Whitaker

South London six-piece Gently Tender today announce their second studio album This Was Once Fields, due for release on Friday 16th October via TODO Records. Coinciding with the news, the band have excitedly unveiled the record’s latest single, ‘Don’t Sleep’ - a track that explores swirling sonic landscapes through hypnotic guitars and soaring pop elements, ebbing and flowing between its propulsive peaks. Speaking about the track, songwriter Sam Fryer shares: “‘Don’t Sleep’ is about the feeling you get when you’re driving through a city at night time. I call it an Uber Pop song because whenever I listen to it, it sounds like I’m in a late-night cab. I’m wrestling between love and hate for the city. When I scream ‘I love this place’ it’s almost through gritted teeth. Over the years I have struggled with London - but when I reflect upon it - I have to pay my respects to how it’s shaped my life artistically.” Accompanying its release, there is a music video, also directed by Sam Fryer. Take a watch below.

This Was Once Fields album tracklist
A Mound A Field 
Everything Will Be Fine 
By Now
Don’t Sleep
Go Get It!
City Of The Beast
10000 Steps From The Door
Staring At Fields
Wild In The Uplands
Ferme Park Ditty
This Was Once Fields 

Gently Tender live 2026
Monday 2nd November – Bodega, Nottingham
Tuesday 3rd November – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
Wednesday 4th November – Sidney & Matilda, Sheffield
Thursday 5th November – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
Friday 6th ovember – Whelan's (Upstairs), Dublin
Sunday 8th November – The Rum Shack, Glasgow
Monday 9th November – The Cluny 2, Newcastle
Wednesday 11th November – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Thursday 12th November – YES (Pink Room), Manchester
Friday 13th November – The Railway Inn, Winchester
Saturday 14th November – The Louisianna, Bristol 

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

Following last month's endearing single I Want To Feel It In My Heart, Henry Coke has today revealed details of his forthcoming debut album Let It Set Us Alight, due for release on Friday 30th October via 5db Records. Alongside the news comes ‘Regret (You Make Me)’, a slow-burning anthem that steadily builds into soaring vocals, restless percussion and an impassioned delivery. Speaking about the single he shares “‘Regret (You Make Me)’ speaks to standing for something in the past that you don’t connect with anymore and feeling like you’ve wasted time by doing so, whether it’s a friendship, or a deeply-held belief. It deals with the conflict of no longer feeling that faith, as you question both the time you’ve wasted versus what you could now have if you’d only gone further in your commitment.” Take a listen below. 

Let It Set Us Alight tracklist
Ode To A God
Out Of Time
I Want To Feel It In My Heart
Regret (You Make Me)
If It Means It’s Grief
Hold On, Give In
More Than One
Lost In The Fire
Come To Me
Lord Run Away, I’m Coming
Let It

Live Dates
Thurs 27th August – The Windmill, London

i: https://www.instagram.com/henry.coke

Photo Credit - Tom Beard

Jamie T has this week announced the release of his forthcoming sixth album Ghosts (100 Days of Morning), out October 9th via Polydor Records. Coinciding with the news the London wordsmith has shared the record's first single 3310. Speaking on the album, Jamie shares:  “Everyone has a part of themselves they keep at arm's length, even from the people they love. "Ghosts" to me is about seeing that version of yourself for the first time in a long time and trying to hold on to it. This album is me trying to find that again.” Take a listen to the new single below. 

'Ghosts (100 Days of Morning)' Tracklist
3310
Cocktail
Waist 36 Leg 32
All I Wanna See Is Now 
The Won 
Chelsea Girls 
Ghosts
Crimson & Clover
Crucible
Caught Cheating
Tallahassee

i:  https://www.instagram.com/jamiet