The last decade has been a golden age for DIY recording. Affordable interfaces, powerful plugins, and accessible DAWs have made it possible for musicians to create music that sounds remarkably polished without stepping outside their own homes. For many, this has been empowering, offering creative control, flexibility, and independence.

NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘FUNDRAISER’ OUT NOW UK, EUROPE + NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED LONDON ALBUM LAUNCH SHOW: OCTOBER 18 @ THE DOME (SOLD OUT)

On August 1st, Bristol’s Queen Square became the epicentre of something far greater than a gig. It was a homecoming, a protest, a celebration — a thunderous affirmation of community, freedom, and punk rock at its most vital. With 15,000 fans packed into the historic square, IDLES returned to their roots for the biggest show of their career, flanked by two incendiary support acts and a crowd that felt like family.

WATER FROM YOUR EYES RELEASE SONG & VIDEO ‘NIGHTS IN ARMOR’

NEW ALBUM IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE OUT FRIDAY ON MATADOR

ROUGH TRADE EAST ALBUM LAUNCH KARAOKE PARTY - THURSDAY AUGUST 21

Music festivals, both outdoor and multi venue indoor, exist for a variety of reasons: to make a profit, realise new talent, bring footfall to a town and communion with your tribe. Your tribe is connected normally by a sense of what is musically pleasing, entertaining or in some other way has value. Sadly, that last point is becoming a problem in our divided times……

Boardmasters 2025 delivered a sun-drenched spectacle that felt more like a dream than a weekend on the Cornish coast. With Watergate Bay shimmering below and the promise of wall-to-wall sunshine fulfilled in full, thousands descended on the clifftop site for a genre-spanning celebration of music, surf, and summer. From the thunderous energy of The Prodigy on the main stage to RAYE’s soulful, chart-topping set and Central Cee’s razor-sharp bars slicing through the golden dusk, every corner of the festival pulsed with life. Across the sprawling site — from the laid-back vibes of The View stage to the late-night chaos of Unleashed — Boardmasters proved once again why it’s the crown jewel of the UK’s summer circuit.

The Long Road Festival returns from August 22nd to 24th for its biggest year ever, featuring 80+ artists across six stages, headlined by acclaimed country traditionalist Drake Milligan (Friday), double GRAMMY nominated Texan trio Midland (Saturday) and multiple Brit Award winner, Ivor Novello recipient and GRAMMY nominee James Bay (Sunday).

There are reunion shows — and then there are homecomings. What happened at Wolverhampton Arts Centre on Saturday 2nd August wasn’t a gig, It was a resurrection.

With millions of streams behind them and a tidal wave of momentum building, PRESIDENT have announced their first-ever U.K. headline tour: The Campaign Trail. But this won’t be just another gig series. It’s a rally. A statement. A movement. And everyone’s invited — though, let’s be honest, attendance is expected.

In the early days of recorded music, landing a deal with a label—any label—was the golden ticket. Today, the landscape has fractured into a multitude of paths: indie imprints with passionate followings, major corporations wielding deep-pocketed muscle, or the fiercely independent DIY route. Each comes with its own mix of benefits, trade-offs and cultural cachet. Here, we break down what bands gain—and what they give up—when they sign to an indie label, a major label, or choose to go it alone.

Emerging from Rockland County, NY with a name born out of playful indifference and a sound that throws hooks like punches, Take It Or Leave It are far more than a shrug in band form. With their debut EP Tunnel Vision making waves thanks to its raw energy and punk-pop fusion, we caught up with guitarist and founding member Mario Frascone to unpack the story behind the music. From their DIY basement recordings to the chaos of live shows, it’s clear this is a band with heart, grit, and plenty to say — whether you’re along for the ride or not.

Today, the world of rock and metal mourns the loss of one of its most iconic figures. Ozzy Osbourne, legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, has passed away at the age of 76, surrounded by family and love. His death comes just weeks after his emotional final performance at Villa Park in Birmingham, where he reunited with his original bandmates for the historic Back to the Beginning concert—a farewell that now feels even more poignant.

To mark four decades since their seismic debut, London Records wraps up Bronski Beat’s 40th Anniversary celebrations with a kaleidoscopic celebration of sound and soul: ‘Forbidden Fruit – The Age Of Consent Remixed’, out now on crystal-clear vinyl, digipak CD, and digital formats.

Hold onto your bowler hats and Doc Martens—Less Than Jake are about to unleash a riotous explosion of brass, riffs, and punk soul across the UK. The Florida-based ska-punk legends return for a headline run dubbed the Winter Circus Tour 2026, taking their infectious energy to seven cities across England and Scotland this February and March.

Tonight’s show was the penultimate stop on Black Foxxes’ 10-date UK tour, which kicked off in Guildford on July 9th and wraps at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh. Fresh from a heat-baked 2000 Trees set, frontman Mark Holley arrived in Plymouth in high spirits, ready for what felt like a homecoming just a short drive away from his Devon roots.

KERNOWFORNIA FESTIVAL takes place in Looe from 26-28 September, the lineup is immense and we’re really looking forward to crossing the bridge and covering as much of it as we can. In a series of interviews with bands performing at the festival, we caught up with THE CABARATS to chat about new music, Cornish delicacies, seaside activities and pre-gig rituals….

With a title like Whomp Whack Thunder, you’d expect a sonic storm—and Whiskey Myers are delivering just that. The East Texas six-piece have dropped Midnight Woman, the third single from their upcoming seventh studio album, and it’s a swampy, seductive fever dream that hits like a shot of Southern moonshine.

London’s genre-defying powerhouse CHINCHILLA has peeled back the layers with her latest release Avoidance—a raw, emotionally charged ballad that marks the beginning of a new trilogy of singles. Released on June 5th and now accompanied by a visually arresting music video, the track captures the visceral moment of heartbreak and anxiety that birthed it: a triggering text, a cab ride, and a one-hour writing session that spilled out like a wound.

In a moment that fused legacy with rebellion, YUNGBLUD stepped onto the hallowed turf of Villa Park on July 5th and delivered a performance that will echo through rock history. His live rendition of Black Sabbath’s 1972 ballad Changes, now released as a charity single, wasn’t just a cover—it was a torch-passing, a tribute, and a rallying cry for the healing power of music.

London’s rock renegades LEAP have dropped their latest sonic gut-punch, Waste Your Love—a cathartic anthem that doubles as a love letter to their ever-growing fanbase and a preview of their upcoming debut album Entropy, landing October 3rd.