Photo credit: Ada Senelli

Belfast post-punk and electronic duo CHALK have this week announced double single ‘Heaven/Hell’. Premiered by BBC 6 Music Huw Stephens last night, the track's pulsing electronics and stadium ready sound stand them in good stead ahead of their upcoming Fontaines D.C. support slots. Featuring Sarah Barthel from acclaimed US duo Phantogram and Belfast producer cosign the single arrives at a pivotal moment for the duo as they enter an exciting new chapter, whose debut album, Crystalpunk, has already propelled them onto an international stage. To accompany the release of ‘Heaven/Hell’, CHALK have launched an immersive, interactive microsite (here) that invites fans to choose between two opposing paths: Heaven or Hell. Detailing the accompanying visuals, director Benedict Goddard explained: “We’ve always wanted to make a double music video if we ever released an A/B-side, so this felt like the perfect opportunity. We were really drawn to the idea of fallen angels, exploring the contrast between heaven and hell, and the space somewhere in between. The video is presented as an old-school cinema double feature, complete with an intermission between the two tracks.” Take a watch/listen below. 

Live Dates
21 OCT - MEO Arena, Lisbon (PT)*
22 OCT - Madrid, Movistar Arena, Madrid (ES)*
24 OCT - Barcelona, Sant Jordi Club, Barcelona (ES)*
26 OCT - Unipol Forum, Milan (IT)*
28 OCT - Hangar Luka Beograd, Belgrade (RS)*
30 OCT - Forum Karlin, Prague (CZ)*
31 OCT - Atlas Arena, Lodz (PL)*
02 NOV - Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin (DE)*
05 NOV - Hovet, Stockholm (SE)*
06 NOV - Spektrum, Oslo (NO)*
08 NOV - Royal Arena, Copenhagen (DK)*
10 NOV - Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam (NL)*
12 NOV - AFAS Dome, Antwerp (BE)*
13 NOV - Accor Arena, Paris (FR)*
20 NOV - M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (UK)*
21 NOV - AO Arena, Manchester (UK)*
22 NOV - OVO Hydro, Glasgow (UK)*
24 NOV - First Direct Arena, Leeds (UK)*
25 NOV - Utilita Arena, Birmingham (UK)*
27 NOV - The O2, London (UK)*

*supporting Fontaines D.C. 

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

Credit: Melissa Gardner

Following a teaser this week, Sam Fender has officially announced the Proper Massive Stadium Tour 2027 - including his biggest headline shows to date. The tour will call at six cities, which kicks off with two nights at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park, before hitting Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, two nights at Wembley, a show at Edinburgh’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, and two nights at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. The tour also stops at Dublin’s Marlay Park on 1st July, before Sam’s first European festival headline slot at next Summer’s Rock Werchter in Belgium on Saturday 3rd July.

Ticketing Information: 
To receive access to ticket pre-sale for all UK/Irish headline dates, fans can pre-order Sam’s fourth album now from the official Sam Fender store before 9:00am GMT on Monday 26th October. A unique presale code and link will be sent out via email by 8:00pm on Tuesday 27th October ahead of the ticket pre-sale opening at 9:30am on Wednesday 28th October at 9:30am. Maximum purchase is 6 tickets per person. Entry to presale does not guarantee tickets. 

Tickets will go on general sale from 9:30am GMT Friday 30th October.

Sam Fender Live:

3rd June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle*
5th June – St. James’ Park, Newcastle*
10th June – Principality Stadium, Cardiff*
18th June – Wembley Stadium, London*
20th June - Wembley Stadium, London*
1st July – Marlay Park, Dublin
3rd July – Rock Werchter, Belgium (festival headline)
8th July – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh*
15th July – Etihad Stadium, Manchester*
17th July – Etihad Stadium, Manchester*

*support from Wunderhorse. 

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

Photo Credit Sam Stevens

Following their return in August with Mobius, Cardiff via North Wales bilingual outfit Cyn Cwsg are back with their latest single Katter. Taken from the band's forthcoming new EP ‘Let A Thousand Blossoms Bloom’, due 26th January 2027, the twitchy cut pairs jagged guitar riffs with bobbing melodies and off-kilter lyrics as they continue their collaboration with producer Tom Rees (Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, The Bug Club, Do Nothing, Panic Shack). Speaking about the track, Obed Powell-Davies (vocals/guitar) shares: “A wiry little song that owes Television a pint. The lyrics try to make sense of the merry-go-round of Westminster politics, occasionally interrupted by Bob Katter shouting from the chorus.” Take a listen below. 

Upcoming Live shows:
23 OCT // Brighton, Mutations Festival
24 OCT // Bangor, BANG festival (w/ The Bug Club and GANS)  

i: https://www.instagram.com/cyncwsg 

Photo Credit: Jamie Waters

London outfit Mouth Ulcers have today shared their darkened, goth-tinged new single Lady Rust. Coinciding with the announcement of their debut album ‘You’re Not In Heaven’, due April 23rd via LAB Records (Friendly Fires, Basht), the track builds towards a frenetic climax as it's propelled by rumbling basslines and jagged guitar melodies. On their new single, frontman Zak Watson added: “‘Lady Rust’ tells the story about an ancient vampire thatguards the land of a former Manor House. The house is slowly deteriorating, walls are falling apart and collapsing like the skin on her bones. ‘Lady Rust’ continues to live on as a legend of the land with many trying to visit the house but few managing to escape.” Take a listen for yourselves below. 

Live Dates
16 OCT - SWN Festival, Cardiff (UK)
17 OCT - Neighbourhood Festival, Manchester (UK)
23 OCT - Mutations Festival, Brighton (UK)
24 OCT - Dark Scene @ Rae's, London (UK)
29 OCT - They’re Gonna Be Big Festival, Paris (FR)
30 OCT - Grenswerk, Venlo (NL)
31 OCT - London Calling Festival, Amsterdam (NL)
6 NOV - Kentish Town Forum, London w/ The Mission (UK)
7 NOV - The Warehouse, Leeds (UK)
18 NOV - The Hope And Ruin, Brighton (UK)
28 NOV - Post Punk Strikes Back Festival, Porto (PT)
8-11 JAN - Rockaway Beach Festival, Bognor Regis (UK)

i: https://www.instagram.com/mouth.ulcers

Photo credit: Saga Westlund

Swedish outfit Gone Future have this week shared details of their debut EP, Signs, ahead of its December 4th release via Stockholm label PNKSLM Recordings. Featuring fellow labelmate ShitKid, the band’s latest offering ‘PIG!!’ delivers another dose of raucous energy, pairing charged-up vocals with a towering wall of sound. “When I wrote these lyrics, I could just hear Åsa’s voice singing them with me,” explains the band’s Nicki Dar. “I hadn’t seen Åsa in years, but I still considered myself a friend of hers, having first met her at the beginning of both our careers, when we played together at a music festival in the summer of 2016. When we got to the venue, she had finished all the beer in her own dressing room and almost all the ones in ours. At first, I was furious. I had met my superior. Giving it just a little more thought, I realised we’d probably be better friends than enemies. I reached out to her with the demo of ‘PIG!!’ and asked if she wanted to come over to our studio and try a verse with me. Luckily, she loved the song and made it 1000 times better with her vocals. Such a special moment with a fellow rock legend.” Take a listen below. 

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

Dummy by Kyle Berger

Los Angeles-based outfit Dummy (Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, Joe Trainor, and Lance Umble) have this week shared N of 1, the final single/video from their new album, do you love the color of the sky?, out Friday via Polyvinyl. "I liked the idea of taking glacial guitar drones and cutting ‘em up into a new context of the jungle inspired drums,” says Trainor of the new single. “To me, so much of the record is like the remixed versions of pop songs you'll never hear." Maatman adds, “‘N of 1’ is a plea to both the proprietors and the more complacent subjects of the ever-encroaching surveillance state. Typically our videos aren’t so direct of a visual representation of the meaning of the song, but I had just gotten it into my head that the zooming action on Street View would go perfectly with the meter and energy of the song, and the rest sort of fell into place after that." Take a listen for yourselves below. 

Dummy Tour Dates:
Tue. Oct. 13 – Fresno, CA @ Tower Lounge *
Wed. Oct. 14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel *
Thu. Oct. 15 – Sacramento, CA @ Café Colonial *
Fri. Oct. 16 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project *
Sat. Oct. 17 – Arcata, CA @ Miniplex w/ Dilies
Tue. Oct. 20 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios *
Thu. Oct. 22 – Vancouver, BC @ The Wise *
Fri. Oct. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
Sat. Oct. 24 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux *
Mon. Oct. 26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ International Bar *
Tue. Oct. 27 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive *
Wed. Nov. 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ Sid The Cat Ballroom

Thu. Jan. 21 - Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
Fri. Jan. 22 - Leeds, UK @ The Attic
Sat. Jan. 23 - Dublin, Ireland @ Bello Bar
Mon. Jan. 25 - Edinburgh, Scotland @ Mash House
Tue. Jan. 26 - Manchester, UK @ YES Pink Room
Wed. Jan. 27 - Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds
Thu. Jan. 28 - London, UK @ Moth Club
Sat. Jan. 30 - Paris, France @ Le Chinois
Sun. Jan. 31 - Tourcoing, France @ Le Grand Mix
Mon. Feb. 1 - Bruges, Belgium @ Cactus
Wed. Feb. 3 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso Noord Tolhuistuin
Thu. Feb. 4 - Berlin, Germany @ Kantine am Berghain

* = w/ Golomb 

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

i

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Photo Credit: Jono White

It feels like it's been an age since I last featured any music from Marika Hackman, so I'm very excited by today's news that she's made her very welcomed return with new single 33. Taken from False Dogs, her fifth studio album, to be released on 19 February 2027 via Chrysalis Records, the track's rousing instrumentation and cathartic rise gives a blistering introduction to this latest chapter. "33 grapples with the dull ache of nostalgia, the apprehension of the future and the celebration of the moments in between - keep pushing, it’s worth it." Marika shares. Across the album the multi-disciplined instrumentalist plays almost everything herself, from guitars, piano and drums to bass, mandolin and synth. "I think this truly is the first record that I have fully inhabited my creative skin right up to its edges". The official video for 33 was created by JOFI Films and conceptualised with Marika, beautifully captures the push and pull of growing up and time moving on. Take a watch/listen below. 

 

Tour Dates
Fri 26 February – London, Royal Festival Hall
Mon 1 March – Bristol, Bristol Beacon
Tue 2 March – Glasgow, St Luke’s
Wed 3 March – Manchester, Stoller Hall
Sat 6 March – Amsterdam, Tolhuistuin
Sun 7 March – Brussels, Botanique
Tue 9 March – Paris, Le Trabendo
Thu 11 March – Cologne, Gebäude 9
Fri 12 March – Hamburg, Molotow
Sat 13 March – Berlin, Heimathafen
Tue 16 March – Copenhagen, Vega
Wed 17 March – Stockholm, Debaser

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

Big Thief © Daniel Arnold 2025

Following the release of their album Double Infinity last year, Big Thief have announced the unveiling of the Big Thief Live Archive, a new website dedicated to documenting the variety of the band’s live performances. Launching with 10 recordings captured by front-of-house engineer Alice Wilder and monitor engineer Aleda Deroche, and mixed by 4AD’s in-house engineer Fabian Prynn, the archive will expand with a new live recording added on the second Tuesday of every month. Fans will be able to build their own sets, creating playlists of their favourite live takes across the ever growing collection of live shows. In addition, they release a special live performance of one of ‘Incomprehensible (Live at 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland April 29 2026)’ which is available across all streaming services. 

The band share, "Dear friends, For the last couple of years we’ve been creating a Big Thief Live Archive website, where you can find full, mixed concerts from the recent and distant past. Every show we play holds a different energy. The songs are always changing and sound different every night, and we spend so much more time on the road than in studios, and so we felt a desire to create something that captures the ever-undulating aliveness of our music through time. In around 2019 we started recording all of our shows. There are 10 shows up right now and we will be adding new ones to the archive on the second Tuesday of every month hopefully forever. It’s all free. We made the website interactive so that you can choose tracks and make your own playlists. Thank you so much to all who have come out to our shows over the years, it’s been such a treat revisiting these. We love you so much! Warmly, Big Thief".  

Check out the site here - https://archive.bigthief.net/.

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

Credit Una Burnand

Ahead of the weekend, Sebastian Schub unveiled his buoyant new single, before you hit the water.,  released via Capitol Records streaming everywhere now. A captivating songwriter, Schub delivers another standout effort, pairing whirlwind melodies and infectious vocal hooks with a distinctly melancholic energy. "I wrote ‘before you hit the water.’ when I was at a real low point. I think I just needed a friendly, encouraging voice in my ears. A soft sound to pick me up and lift me through the day" says Sebastian Schub. Take a listen below. 

Live Dates
October 13th – Berlin, Prachtwerk 
October 14th – Hamburg, Bahnhof Pauli 
November 12th – Birmingham, BP Pulse Live (w/ Myles Smith)

i: https://www.instagram.com/sebastian.schub 

Photo credit: Yaël Temminck

Following an astronomical year spent selling out venues up and down the country, London's Tooth are back with their first new material since their acclaimed debut EP, Restless in Bloom. Now signed to Parlophone, the band have today shared ‘Take Me As I Am’ marking an exciting new chapter for the four-piece as they throw everything into its 3 minutes and 34 seconds. “‘Take Me As I Am’ represents a big development in our songwriting from what we did on Restless In Bloom both lyrically and instrumentally,” explains singer Tom Pollock. “On the EP, I’d written lyrics exploring coming of age, young romance and other typical teenage tropes. However, with this song I turned to focus on ideas of identity within my experience of being in a band, where people perhaps feel they know or understand me, despite often feeling like I don’t even know or understand myself. The lyrics are conversational, ebbing and flowing between both a desperation to be accepted, and a resentment toward expectations of what or who I should be.”Take a listen to the dazzling new effort below. 

TOUR DATES
Oct 13th | Glasgow, UK - King Tuts
Oct 14th | Newcastle, UK - Zerox [sold out]
Oct 15th | Nottingham, UK - Bodega [sold out]
Oct 16th | Leeds, UK - Hyde Park Book Club [sold out]
Oct 17th | Manchester, UK - Neighbourhood Festival
Oct 19th | Bristol, UK - Louisiana [sold out]
Oct 21st | Brussels, BE - Botanique
Oct 22nd | Paris, FR - Supersonic
Oct 23rd-24th | Rotterdam, NL - Left of the Dial
Oct 27th | London, UK - The Garage
Oct 29th | Swansea, UK - Bunkhouse
Oct 30th | Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms
Oct 31st | Brighton, UK - Dust
Nov 4th | Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds [sold out]
Nov 5th | Milton Keynes, UK - Crauford Arms

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