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

Photo credit: Jody Evans

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

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

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

*****

 

photo by Mads Ogstrup

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. 

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

Photo Credit: Meadow Florence

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) 

*with The Big Moon 

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

Photo Credit Sandro Sodano

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 ^

^w/ The Guest List

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

Photo Credit: Will Creswick

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)*

*supporting Blossoms 

i: https://www.instagram.com/heidi._.curtis

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.

Photo credit: AJ Stark

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

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