The Wake feels like a quiet exhale, rooted in instinct, shaped by time, and grounded in the understanding that sometimes the best thing you can do is simply listen. 28 years ago, Foy made a quiet promise to himself to create seven records after his father passed. Now, standing at that seventh, there is a sense of return and revival.

The UK festival scene is about to be shown a beacon of hope, as yesteryears have shown our sovereign festivals straying away from the high quality, standards and values they used to hold. Alex Lane, who has been thoroughly involved across major festivals and creative explorations is launching a brand spanking new festival with an aptly adorned name, Show of Hands.

With an Avengers-like team behind him, a revolutionary vision and reiteration of what makes UK festivals so important to the scene, we seized the chance to have a conversation with Alex before the festival takes place

If anything, iconic rock band James just won’t stop evolving. Known for their impressive discography and electric live shows, James have managed to retain a sense of concentrated passion and vibrant spontaneity across all aspects of their musical career. Having released their first single in 1983, the band are keeping their foot pressed down on the accelerator, with arena tours and new music in the near future. 

There is a unique energy to Bristol nightlife, one that is ever-evolving, showcases a spectrum of underground talent, attracts crowds near and far to be inspired in the many vessels that hold and nurture the buzz. A vessel of this twilight music momentum is The Underground which takes its name seriously as the UK’s largest subterranean venue. 

With the recent news of its impending closure, the venue has announced one final weekend in February. Before the last hurrah we had the pleasure of chatting with Jack Scales, one of the main three cogs behind the whirring mind of the venue:

Renao’s new album Still Life marks a turning point, with the goal of being a musician whose identity isn’t fixed to a genre but to a presence, a voice. This spirit guides Still Life, an album where the connective tissue isn’t style, but Renao himself. The record grew out of a difficult year: visa issues, mental health struggles, management changes, and the looming reality of finding another profession. It was a year that stripped things back to instinct, forcing him to ask what he wanted to sound like when nothing was guaranteed.

The answer emerged slowly, through experiments in R&B, folk, and electronic textures; through sessions in London and LA with Daniel Memmi and Leon Vynehall; through a widening musical curiosity that pushed him beyond his early influences. Still Life captures the messy, nonlinear path of rebuilding, where an artist lets his voice be the anchor while everything else keeps shifting.

From trying mixing at an afterparty in 2018, to now gracing the decks at places like Glastonbury Festival and Boomtown, Anna is on the rise. So keep an ear out, and enjoy our chat. I’m sure you’ll come to the same conclusion as me: Anna is going places.

Exhausted by the “red tape” that defines the boundaries of the creative industry, Nikita Dare has carved out a space beyond them. Her new festival, SISTALAND – set to debut November 11–12 – is imagined as something far more radical than another networking event. Dare describes it as a “coven-like” space where “passionate people can learn from each other in an ego-free manner,” a necessary step, she argues, towards dismantling the “one-upmanship” and “gatekeeping” that stifle genuine connection and collective growth.

Napa are a band shaped as much by their island roots as by their unlikely mix of backgrounds. Guitarist Francisco Sousa, once a computer science student; bassist Diogo Góis, trained in electronic engineering; drummer João Rodrigues, studied audiovisuals and multimedia; vocalist-guitarist João Guilherme Gomes, who comes from a business and management path; and the group’s youngest member, pianist João Lourenço Gomes is still finishing his studies.

The indie-rock five-piece - Dillon Basse (vocals, guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (synth, guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), and Devon VonBalson (drums) - have come a long way from college house shows. They’ve carved out their own path through festivals and late-night TV, and now they’re set to light up The Fleece on 13th November.

Flyte’s music feels like stepping into a space alive with quiet energy, reflection, and purpose. In August 2025, the indie folk duo (Nick Hill and Will Taylor) released Between You and Me, an album that captures both the spontaneity of life’s small moments and the weight of its larger reckonings. Its songs move effortlessly between intimacy and exuberance, offering listeners a glimpse into the personal landscapes of its creators.

Lorenza Marino describes herself as a ‘citizen of the world’ and her debut single ‘La Melodie’ epitomises that completely. Born in East London, the Italian Zambian singer-songwriter is an emerging independent artist with influences coming from all over the world. Her debut is a confident mission statement - Lorenza is here to weave together different genres and cultures in unexpected and beautiful ways. And I’m here for it! 

I’m always excited to explore new music and meet new artists, but when I got the opportunity to talk to Rosemary Wylde — someone who is creating her own path for her music without the use of social media — I jumped at the chance.  I recently chatted with her about her upcoming second single “Raise Up Your Banner”, her upcoming album “Peace Revue”, and about growing up on the London protest scene. 

Sitting down with Marlon Williams, at this point in his career, feels like entering the very ‘whare’ he has built with  (The Messy House), a space alive with introspection, warmth, and spirit. For the New Zealand born singer-songwriter, his fourth album marks not only a musical return to form but also a deeply personal reconnection to language, ancestry, and identity. As his tour brings this radiant body of work to audiences around the world, Marlon opens up about the power of language, and the creative journey that led him here: one shaped by solitude and community, tradition and experimentation, grief and joy.

Rising South London rapper Liam Mera Kai released his debut EP It’s Fine Once You’re In on May 29th which was a masterful blend of heartfelt vocals and a bouncy rap flow. The six track EP was born out of vulnerability, self-doubt, and exploration, birthing an honest yet entertaining record.

In this conversation - despite the context and an ongoing discussions on mental health, overcoming natural human emotions and dealing with adult life – it was somewhat refreshing to speak to an artist who has taken on a new beginning with pure honesty and an esteemed level of music intelligence.

Emotions have become commonplace on dancefloors but often states of ecstasy on top of high tempo drops. This artist is on a mission to show a different side of emotions; surrealism, nostalgia and poignance. With another two tracks to add to his electronic catalogue of feelings, we had the pleasure of getting ten insights into what makes him tick.

Out of all the artists I have interviewed, Luna Kali has, by far, been the richest and most enjoyable conversation. An artist who has recently released a debut EP – The Colour I Am, played in numerous jams and bands and is a really familiar face in the Bristol music scene. The remarkable thing about the Angolan-Cape Verdean artist, beyond her talents, is the vulnerability she showcases. Not just in her music, but as you’re about to find out, in conversation and through her everyday actions.

Captain Morgan, yes the rum company, and Foundation FM, a finger-on-the-pulse online store, have come together to create the ultimate, and most unexpected, night out. They’re turning a Bristol Uni lecture hall into the place to be on June 19th, with UK singer-producer-superstar Shanti Celeste going B2B with the icon that is the Canadian DJ, Peach, alongside support from Foundation FM Resident, ELLAWEEEZ. That’s enough to get me out on a school night.  

Ok, first: We LOVE Grandma’s House. From their Post-Punk, adrenaline-fuelled drums to their sludgy Grunge-woven guitars, they are a band we have been following with anticipation. After returning from their most recent tour in Germany last month, debuting their new EP ‘Anything For You’, we had the pleasure of catching up with the band to discuss their creative process, who they’d like to collaborate with and why they’d label their music as a ‘Chilli Heatwave Dorito’.  

London/Melbourne rap duo Teether & Kuya Neil released their debut album ‘Yearn IV’ on May 2nd. The futuristic and experimental hip-hop record is an impressive debut and marks the start of an exciting career. I spoke to the duo on the genesis of their project, real life influences, and navigating the underground scene

When the opportunity came to my inbox to interview A.D. Scruffs I jumped at the chance just from the description I was given ; “a totally independent, Bristol based ‘Roots Revival’ band. I was already intrigued, but it took less than ten minutes of listening to, and watching, their incredibly energising performances and collective musicianship to know I wanted to talk to this musical palette cleansing band further.  

With their debut self-titled album release last month and some exciting live dates ahead of them, I knew we’d have a lot to talk about. I met up with Jake, Will, and Nick to dig deeper into their roots.

Kayleigh Noble is a 24 year old emerging singer hailing from Dublin. Her electro-pop sound and honest, heartfelt lyrics on her debut album Just A Girl charts the emotional rollercoaster that comes with painful breakups. Her second single (Am I Asleep?), due to be released at the end of February, takes a different turn  and sees her explore her newfound singledom. With her warm and bold personality, Kayleigh is shaping up to be an exciting new voice on the European pop scene. We sat down with her to chat about therapy, female empowerment and Charli xcx.

“Go to as much live music as possible. Whatever music you’re into, go and see it live. Another big issue is all the independent venues closing. Music is being attacked from multiple fronts. “

Fractal began almost six years ago in the summer of 2019, following my time in Durham during the end of exams. At that moment, I found the local scene to be hollow, lacking in diverse and experimental events.

Quoted as a “textural, tangible, and touching experience” by The Line of Best Fit, queer music and performance artist Freddie Lewis is on the rise. In the summer of 2021, Freddie launched his career with his single Growing Pains which made a significant impact on the UK trans community. He’s also played at festivals such as Glastonbury, The Great Escape, and Iceland Airwaves.

Self-described as dreamy and introspective, when listening to Cuckoo Spit you enter into a daydream-like state. Starting as just Lottie, the band has already attracted venues like the Windmill in Brixton, headlined shows, and supported sold-out bands… Cuckoo Spit are quietly storming into the music scene. 

Soon to release her second EP, Eliza Oakes is embracing the messy and uncertain nature of personal growth, allowing us in on the process of evolving as a human and as an artist. Her latest single Green Light does exactly this, delving into the unknown, and contemplating the vulnerability, faith, and strength in embracing what we can't control.

Whilst there’s easy comparisons to make with Ahmed’s influences - MF Doom, Tyler, the Creator, MIKE - he’s undeniably genuine, both in his music and in person. There’s no bravado or fake sincerity about ‘WHATCHIMACALLIT.’ and whilst we chat, it becomes evident that Ahmend is a pretty multifaceted individual. He’s got a healthy sense of humour and manages to balance music, his pharmacy career, collaborations with other creatives, events…In his own words, he just ‘like[s] just knowing people’.

Ngaio may be based in Bristol but her music certainly shows she will not be pinned down. Her soulful vocals combined with jazz influences - all underpinned by African beats - create a sound all of its own. But it’s not just her music that’s eclectic, her career itself is eclectic too. Not only a recording artist, she is a spoken word artist, activist, DJ and founder of Booty Bass, a Black-led female/non-binary DJ crew. 

As I'm writing these words, we have just released our debut EP. It's called 'Welcome To The Family', and despite the song’s subject matter, this thing we've created is absolutely that – a family. 

Bleachers have been around for a hot minute now, but they often slip through the cracks of indie pop. Off the back of the millennial optimism anthem ‘We Are Young’, Jack Antonoff’s side project band originally existed as a departure from immense pop success achieved via the band ‘fun.’. Antonoff saw Bleachers as a space to explore new sounds and more personal narratives, and this gradually turned into a space to produce an even stronger dose of millennial optimism. 

Bristol Song Circle, the new booming event hosted at one of Bristol’s quirky independent and live music venues ‘Rough Trade’, hosted an exceptional night of exciting new music from a quartet of brilliant local folk artists. 

Walking through Ashton Court Estate on the most gloriously bright bank holiday Saturday could easily be the most wholesome activity imaginable. The sun beams down on rolling green hills and there are no cars in sight, but as you climb the impossibly long hill on this specific weekend, up and then down past the manor house, the twee sounds of nature get replaced by something a bit more invigorating: dance music.

Most people know Richard Starky – aka Ringo Starr – as the drummer from The Beatles. Although Lennon and McCartney were the songwriting powerhouses of the band, from 1965 onwards, Starr had the opportunity to showcase his songwriting prowess on a handful of track – as solo writer on Octopus’s Garden and Don’t Pass Me By, and as a co-writer on What Goes On, Dig It, Maggie May and Flying.

The phrase ‘perfect arrangement’ holds many meanings when the topic of conversation is the electrifying Dutch band, Yin Yin. The band divinely weave their influences of funk, disco, psychedelia and Southeast Asian 60/70s music whilst in person, this is only amplified when Kees, Remy, Erik and Jerôme grace the stage as one - where each member breathes life into their records - outstandingly in sync with one another.

The Diverse Artists Network (DAN) has announced the programme for DIASPORA! 26 returning from 1-10 May. Following the success of the 2024 pilot, this landmark festival has doubled in length, to spotlight the incredible creative diversity of the region.

For Mo, identity was never something abstract. It was lived, in sound, in silence, in inherited memory.

Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, with a Mauritian father, he understood early that belonging could be layered and complex. His father had arrived in Britain with hope, like many migrants, searching for opportunity and stability.

Los Angeles based ambient outfit, Green-House encourage imagination on their new LP, Hinterlands – a glistening ode to our dwindling natural spaces. In a time of environmental annihilation and overwhelming nihilism, the duo (Olive Ardizoni, Michael Flanagan) conjure faraway paradises as an act of agency – a way to reconnect with the biosphere lying outside of our sprawling urban landscapes.

Strange Brew initially seemed an interesting choice to me for Ninajirachi’s first ever UK tour (moodily lit and adorned with precarious looking props), but any doubts I had were immediately thrown out the steamed-up window. By the time Ninajirachi took to the stage, I knew we were in for a treat, the vibes were already immaculate, but I had no idea how heated things were about to get. 

Ritual Union is scheduled to take place on the 28th March 2026, and I must say they’ve really outdone themselves this year.

It’s an all-day festival taking place right in the heart of Bristol city centre with infamous venues, The Strange Brew, Rough Trade and Electric Bristol. Now with the addition of the Lanes, where you can chillout, grab pint and a chat with other fans

The third album from Swiss/French composer, Noémi Büchi comes as the fourth chapter in her series exploring the physicality of music in a world becoming increasingly intangible.

It’s a wet Sunday in Bristol—the kind that seeps through your socks and settles in your bones—I step inside Bristol Electric and feel the temperature spike. Any lingering damp evaporates the second Lambrini Girls hit their stride. What unfolds isn’t just a set, but a sermon delivered at breakneck speed: blistering riffs, sharp-tongued monologues, and lyrical gut-punches aimed squarely at the systems that grind down marginalised communities—inside the scene and far beyond it.

On the 6th of December I went to the O2 Academy in Bristol to catch Prog Metal/Alt Rock stars, Nothing More. The American rock band set off to the UK for the final 4 dates of their Carnal Nature world tour between the 2nd-6th of December. I happened to catch them at their final show.

There’s a well known saying, ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ and I learnt exactly that on the 3rd of December. On that night, I ventured to the Prospect Building to watch experimental indie rock band, Everything Everything for their show celebrating the 10th Anniversary of their album Get to Heaven.

Celebrating his new BUG EP, HWL brought together a diverse range of Bristol musicians in several formats—from indie alt-pop act Ziggy 2000 to eclectic mashup DJ sets by Bendy Wendy—with HWL’s own performance sandwiched between. 

On 2 November 2025, at the iconic Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London, I found myself immersed in a crowd of loyal Ant‑warriors and first-time converts, drawn by a one-night-only performance from Adam Ant on his UK “ANTMUSIC 2025” tour.

The audience was a striking mix of my generation and older, male and female fans in almost equal measure. It felt like stepping into a time capsule of the early 1980s post‑punk/new wave era — veterans of the dance-floor movement and younger fans sharing in the nostalgia.

Lavaud’s latest release, “Change Clothes” remix with Pardison Fontaine, feels like a solid statement from an artist steadily shifting from rising name to genuine contender. The track opens with a bouncy rhythmic beat that reflects the fresh and vibrant production of producers Trakmatik and Hvstle. Lavaud’s voice anchors everything. She delivers with sultry precision, letting stacked harmonies shimmer without ever overplaying the moment.

The Fray celebrated two decades of How to Save a Life with a sold-out, multigenerational crowd at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The night felt less like a nostalgia trip and more like a full circle celebration of a band whose songwriting has quietly shaped an era.

feeo (aka Theodora Laird) emerges from South London’s fertile experimental scene with her debut album ‘Goodness’, released by AD93. Over the past decade, AD93, an offshoot of Young Turks, itself born from XL Recordings, has quietly become one of the most ruthless laboratories for experimental sound.

Upon his EP’s recent release, Native James has gained a reputation amongst the  rap-metal scene as a definite leading successor amongst up and coming artists. After a successful stint in London supporting the pre-established, ‘Letlive.’ he has released his new EP entitled, ‘CONFESSIONS OF A SINGER’; a release that has been extremely well received by critics and fans alike.

One thing about Bristol: there will always be an excuse to throw a party, and Bonfire Night is no exception to this rule. Below the Belt Productions and Community Jam Collective, two Bristol-based collectives currently taking the city’s creative scene by storm, joined forces again to bring a night of bands, DJs, drinks, food, and all round great vibes to Ashton Court Mansion.

Last Thursday night, London’s live-music heartbeat pulsed loud at 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street, as the ITM Live Tour — part of the four-year In The Making (ITM) programme — launched its first official UK date. The night proved that the capital’s grassroots scene is alive, fearless, and brimming with next-generation talent.

Curated and driven by Cassel (Cassell The BeatMaker), the show captured exactly what ITM stands for: creativity, collaboration, and raw musical honesty.

Larkin Poe (Rebecca and Megan Lovell) have been in the game a long time. Starting in 2005 as ‘The Lovell Sisters’, their americana rock music has carried them through the decades to become the Grammy-winning powerhouse band they are now. Taking their updated name from their real relation to Edgar Allan Poe (their great-great-great-great grandfather was his cousin!), you might be surprised at how hopeful their music is.

With the rise of artists like CMAT and The Last Dinner Party, there’s a real yearning in the air for complex, femme singer-songwriters, especially those that have darker and deeper influences. We’re living in an era of lore-forwards music; in the sense that, artists are working harder than ever to integrate their music into their own creative universes, via short films, stage set pieces, accompanying choreography, and more. And though it may seem like a lot of hard work, Bristol-based artist Anna Colette makes it look seamless. 

Bristol’s active stance on worsening conditions in Gaza and the West Bank has recently been elevated in the local music industry thanks to the illustrious disco heads, Paradisco.

They’ve gathered friends & family from the last 10 years of events - 18 artists from near & far, all pitching in to raise funds towards MAP (@medicalaidpal) in the face of an ever-increasing genocide.

It’s very likely you’ve heard the name Newton Faulkner - maybe his 2007 breakout hit  ‘Dream Catch Me’ is in a playlist or two of your own - but if you haven’t been keeping up with his recent work, I am sure that it will delightfully surprise you. I had the chance to catch Faulkner playing an in-store performance at Bristol’s Rough Trade, as he travels the UK & Ireland to promote the release of his new album ‘OCTOPUS’.

Social narratives, elite swagger and a shameless amount of northerness, Polite Bureaux, like cigarette-filled pub garden conversations, have brought raucousness, unapologetic social commentaries and foul mouthed philosophies to the table with their recent album release, ‘EXCEPT YOUR SKiNT’.

With what feels like a future generational album of electronic berserkness, post punk riffs and charisma tinged references, the band bring together some of most complex arrangements in styles representing some of life’s simplest moments.

Sometimes an album or release can perfectly speak to a moment or period of your life. ‘My Love is Cool’ soundtracked the angst of adolescence, ‘Visions of Life’ shows a more positive entry into early adulthood, ‘Blue Weekend’ gave us colour in the greys of commuting life. Our generation grew up with this relatable progression from Wolf Alice and here we are today for the 4th chapter, ‘The Clearing’.

In this release the band welcomes a new tide of 70s soft rock influence whilst maturing in class and quality. The tracks from start to finish, Ellie’s vocals and the band’s instrumental compositions are so rich in flavour. This is unapologetic proof that Wolf Alice have been and still are at the top of their game.

Truly enigmatic through each and every step they take as an artist, an upbringing fuelled by an illustrious exploration of creativity, an example of blatant uniqueness, Sonotto, is an artist who holds this unforgiving, unrelented and unmatched energy.

They are a true performer and a warhorse of a producer, whose every release is a cliff-hanger - imagining what could this multitalented individual possibly bring out next. And this week, they pick back up where they left off with the two-track EP, FORGET ALL THAT YOU LOVE.

When Shanti Celeste and Peach stepped up, they played a blinder of a B2B, gradually ramping up the energy until the whole room hit boiling point — literally. As the 11pm curfew neared, the theatre was sweltering, makeshift fans were working overtime, and dancers started swapping their own clothes for Spice on SZN-branded tank tops.

One night whilst indulging in a pre-bed doom scroll, phone inches from my face, a post claiming to list the ‘underground artists who went mainstream in 2025’ was enough ragebait to make me go trawling the gutters of Reddit for second opinions.

The term ‘New Wave’ gets thrown around a lot in relation to musicians of a certain era, but it can be tricky to label a song as ‘New Wave’ just by listening to it. Why is this?

Everyone has different sleeping habits. Some of us have to listen to rain sounds or white noise to feel cosy, whereas some people can fall unconscious with ease, sitting upright on public transport. If you’re finding it difficult to drift into your dreams, our Music Editors Katie and Brandon have the perfect playlist to send you to sleep (in the best way possible).

The sun is setting far too early and arising far too late. If, like us, you’re not really a morning person, it can be difficult to detach yourself from the warm bedsheets and get ready for another day, but a good playlist can always be the antidote.

 We think it’s time to take Halloween seriously again, and to do that, a stellar soundtrack is fundamental. Katie and Brandon, Everyday Magazines music editors, have compiled a playlist just to get you in that whimsically scary headspace.

Few bands have managed to capture the emotional landscape of a generation quite like Coldplay. Since their debut in the late 1990s, the British quartet has evolved from introspective indie rockers to global icons, while maintaining a sound that is deeply emotive, universally relatable, and unmistakably theirs.

Motion’s disappearance also carries serious historical weight. It emerged from the squat rave movement of the 1980s, where DJs squatted vacant spaces across the UK drawing tribes of people with a shared rebellious spirit. These raves existed in liminal spaces on the edges of legality and society, where a melting pot of cultures enjoyed many genres of music collectively.

Truly inclusive music spaces are not just about access – they're about authenticity, risk-taking, and community. In these spaces, music becomes a way to unlearn societal constraints and connect more deeply. Music is often a gate-kept world – privileging formal training, tradition and neurotypical ways of communicating. So many people feel locked out: disabled people, neurodivergent folks, those from working-class or global majority backgrounds, queer and trans artists. Inclusive music spaces disrupt this pattern by inviting everyone to create and be heard.

Festival season has begun. You can feel it in the air, thick with about-time-tent upgrades, group chats named "Glasto Gals 2025", new-age wellies with sustainable soles, high street shops with FSTVL SZN stock, persistent checking of BBC, Met Office and iPhone weather apps (putting trust in the sunniest and driest) and essentials-only shopping lists ft. breakfast bars, wet wipes, tinnies. 

Fractal began almost six years ago in the summer of 2019, following my time in Durham during the end of exams. At that moment, I found the local scene to be hollow, lacking in diverse and experimental events.

The fact that Chappell Roan became so famous after flying under the radar for years says something about the need for queer artists (and people generally) to be their authentic selves. However, being yourself in the limelight comes at a price. Since the human brain is an extremely malleable thing, it’s not surprising that becoming a celebrity can have drastic effects on a person's mentality. 

It feels like every summer we are faced with a seeming abundance of festivals, but the reality is, it is harder than ever before to organise a festival. For as new festivals open, a number of older ones close forever. 

Music is a powerful art form. It has the ability to connect us to other people, surpass language barriers, resurface emotions, and impact upon brain waves. So, why do we take away its power by feeling the need to judge others for their music taste?

So many celebrity deaths seem to arise from years of alcohol and drug battles. Some indirectly, some more absolute. For many fame is the flame that lights the fire, for others a safehouse for the dysfunction of addiction.

The word imposter has some rather duplicitous connotations. On one hand, it conjures images of caricature villains from cheesy pantomimes, TV shows and films, revealed in a hyper exaggerated manner. You know the kind of thing: "I'd have got away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids", et cetera. The other side of the coin is a mental health issue that has only entered the public consciousness in recent memory.

At a festival, you’re almost guaranteed to have something outrageous happen either to you, your friend, or your friend’s friend. When you combine a myriad of different, excitable people from around the country (or world!) who may or may not be on drugs, what else do you expect?

An audiophile; an individual that is deeply passionate, exacting, and even obsessed with high fidelity audio. These notoriously pedantic creatures can often be found snuffling for truffles in the darkest corners of record shops the world over, uttering phrases such as "oh that's a first pressing" and "Led Zeppelin 1! Oh, but it's not got the original purple label".

If your room was covered wall to wall in pull out posters from the latest issue of Kerrang!, this one’s for you.

I’m sure we’ve all heard someone say “music saved my life” at some point, and whilst it might sound like something of a cliché it is actually true. Music has several positive effects on our mental wellbeing; helping to alleviate stress, enhance memory, stimulate emotion and soothe the soul.

When I fell in love with my spouse over ten years ago, despite already knowing I was polyamourous, I didn’t expect to fall in love that hard again.

I won’t bore you with the gory details of my ‘un-love’ life, suffice it to say that the pattern of falling for boys, uniformed or otherwise, continued into my teens…I had unrequited love down like a pro and could have written a book or vlogged about it if the internet had been invented.

The ever expanding world of music genres can be, to the uninitiated, a baffling experience. Over recent years, the trend amongst journalists seems to be to create increasingly ridiculous genres (and sub genres) for new artists, rather than attempt to define them within the existing musical spectrum. Is it simply lazy journalism? Well no, not necessarily.

Nostalgia is a part of life. And so is music, especially if you are an arts and music lover like myself. Have you ever thought back to a time when one specific album changed your life in ways you never would have expected?

I sometimes find myself at a gig thinking...jeez, who told them they sounded good!? And this is why I wouldn’t make a very good critic. The trouble is, I have too many opinions and not all of them are kind. I think to be a critic it’s good to be neutral to a degree, take an overview and be objective. But I love music so much; so I’m passionate, opinionated and subjective.

What is the point of spending £50 on a limited edition vinyl when that artist will only be charging £12.99 for that same album in MP3 format? Is it just trendy to reject the mainstream? Is Vinyl a fad, or is this the second coming of The Record?

A night at the theatre, a recorded live album from one of America’s best-loved soul bands, a dive into cultural surroundings and musical differences, and some plastic tapes. For one person, they all add up to a musical awakening.

Trigger Warning - this article openly discusses suicide and suicidial ideation

Suicidal ideation isn’t really openly discussed in any social setting that I’m aware of. I’ve talked about it briefly with my mental health friends, but it rarely gets past the point of acknowledging that we both aren’t that adverse to dying, and then swiftly moving on. Let’s face it, talking about suicide and suicidal ideation is rarely an enjoyable or comfortable conversation, so why bring it up (outside of therapy) at all?

Attacking an independent store merely because they want to target a wider demographic is unjustified. If Demi truly wanted to attack diet culture, she should have called out the large corporations who produce these items rather than small local businesses who have had enough economic losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cringe itself is a clash of two things: self perception and the perception of others. There is more than one type of this clash though. Melissa Dahl talks about this duality in Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, where she explores compassionate cringe and contemptuous cringe.