I was considering creating a musomuso ‘Best of 25’ feature for the site but then I thought, why not ask people who work to create the content that YOU enjoy consuming. I reached out to a wonderful Plymouth based photographer called ANNA LEADER who I have worked with on numerous occasions and asked her to nominate her favourite moments of the year, here’s what she came back with.
1. SOUND Magazine
I started SOUND Magazine as a one-off project as a part of my Commercial Photography course at Arts University Plymouth in December 2024, as a way of bringing together my abundance of music photography and my passion for feminism. Now, a year on from releasing the first issue, I have just released the fourth and SOUND has become more than I'd ever have thought it would be.
I have photographed and interviewed some of my favourite bands (Wolf Alice, The Royston Club, The Last Dinner Party and Kaiser Chiefs to name a few) for SOUND, which has now sold internationally to places as far as Texas and the Netherlands!
Alongside Sound Factory, I curated my own female-led lineup for SOUND Festival - held at Exeter Cavern this September in celebration of my magazine and women in music. Lizzie Esau headlined alongside Haytor, Leonard and The Zombies, Halfcut (who filled in after Dirty Blonde dropped out due to illness), RatTrap and Japan, Man. It was definitely a highlight of the year and we can't wait to bring it back for 2026.
It's also worth checking out the Sound Factory Festival lineup which will be held at The Depo, Plymouth in July 2026, there are more waves of acts to be announced in the new year that I'm so excited for!
3. Wolf Alice at Cardiff Utilita Arena
A big highlight for me was photographing my all-time favourite band for SOUND Magazine this December, Wolf Alice. I received confirmation just two days beforehand, which meant that on the day of the gig I drove from Plymouth to a pre-booked shoot in Cornwall, then from Cornwall to Cardiff - in rush hour, in the rain. It was exhausting, but completely worth it.
I hadn’t seen the band live for three years, since their Blue Weekend tour date at Plymouth Pavilions, where I stood far to the side and could barely see them over the speakers. This time, being up close with a band that means so much to me (and having Ellie lean down directly into my camera during Bloom Baby Bloom) was such an unforgettable moment.
4. Kneecap at The Depo, Plymouth
Kneecap were Issue 003's cover stars, after I photographed and interviewed them in the middle of their triple run of dates at The Depo in Plymouth - a result of their Eden Project date and Plymouth Pavilions dates being cancelled due to controversy and security concerns. Their manager was keen to get me to meet the band after I had pitched my article the 'Irish Music Renaissance' to him and explained my familial connection to Ireland. Kneecap were genuinely one of the nicest bands I’ve worked with, and the atmosphere at the gig was unlike anything I’ve experienced before, completely electric.
5. The Royston Club at Supersonic Records, Paris
Headed on a University trip to Paris, naturally I started scrolling through the gig listings for the dates that we would be there and I was excited to discover that The Royston Club, a band I've always wanted to see, were playing two dates at a 180 capacity converted record shop. I was lucky enough to be given a photo pass and interview with the band - which you can read in the current issue of SOUND - on night one. The gig was incredible and surprisingly, the crowd was mostly British. After spending a few songs at the front, I was told I could go up a precarious-looking ladder at the back of the room to access a small metal balcony to shoot from. A crowd gathered at the bottom of the ladder which meant I stayed up there for the rest of the show, enjoying every second from what turned out to be the best seat in the house, even if it was slightly terrifying.
We’d like to thank Anna for taking part in the 5 from 25 feature and we wish her every success for 2026. She’s currently in bed with the flu, let’s hope that it clears up ahead of Christmas Day as the thought of her sneezing into her turkey isn’t good…..
Keep up to date with all of her photographic exploits at her INSTAGRAM page.