Two of the world’s greatest guitar players, Gordon Giltrap & John Etheridge, have announced they are to team up to play an extensive 2 Parts Guitar UK tour this autumn.
After the success of their 2024 tour, guitar supremos Gordon Giltrap & legendary Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge join forces again for a new run of live shows, returning for an unforgettable evening of top class musicianship performed by two of the UKs most respected and influential musicians.
Talking about these autumn 2025 live shows, Giltrap said today; “I have known John since 1973, and we started working together under the banner 3 Parts Guitar and latterly 4 Parts Guitar about twelve years ago, This is out second UK tour as a duo and it never ceases to be a joy and inspiration working with this outstanding virtuoso.”
The two innovative guitarists will be performing songs from their extensive back catalogues with incredible new arrangements in what promises to be an electrifying show. A broad range of material from their respective careers is promised as well as other favourite pieces, reflecting each player’s musical visions and influences.
With both musicians highly respected amongst their peers (and having both worked across decades with a number of the world’s greatest artists), Etheridge was famously told “You’re great” by Jimi Hendrix, whilst Eric Clapton remarked after an early gig, “You’re not a blues player, but you’re a great guitarist.”
Tickets for the duo’s newly-announced October 2025 UK shows are on-sale now via both artists’ official websites – Gordon GiltrapandJohn Etheridge
4 October South Petherton – The David Hall
5 October Cardiff Acapela
8 October Hastings White Rock Studios
10 October Bristol Beacon
11 October Chidham – The Old Malthouse
12 October Hampton Hub
14 October York NCEM
15 October Sheffield – The Greystones
16 October Lichfield – The Hub at St Mary’s
17 October Otley Courthouse
18 October Leek Foxlowe Arts Centre
19 October Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room
22 October Deal Astor Theatre
23 October Colchester Arts Centre
24 October Wokingham Whitty Theatre
25 October Milton Keynes – The Stables
26 October Chelmsford Civic Theatre
28 October London Pizza Express Dean Street
29 October London Pizza Express Dean Street
This is a show guaranteed to enthrall guitar aficionados, acoustic enthusiasts and music lovers in general, a rare chance to witness two of the country’s most influential musicians sharing the stage for one night only.
“A timeless record that showcases Martin’s ability to create intimacy. 4/5” – DIY
3rd September 2025
Following the release of his critically acclaimed second album man oh man ! earlier this year, Martin Luke Brown today announces the deluxe edition of the record due for release on 17 October via AMK, distributed by Kartel Music Group. Available exclusively as a digital release, the expanded version features a set of live recordings captured at London’s iconic Fish Factory Studios, reimagining key tracks from the album in an intimate setting. Pre-save man oh man ! (Deluxe)here.
Martin today gives fans a taste of the deluxe project, by sharing a standout performance of ‘animal’ filmed live at Fish Factory Studios. Watch the performance here.
Speaking on the live performance tracks, Martin says “It’s been really nice experiencing the songs me and Matt Zara made in quite a locked-away space evolve, especially when bringing in a wider community of musicians for these sessions. Two big themes on the album are masculinity and community so bringing all the lads together to play feels like a very correct evolution. I’ve got so much gratitude for the community for being involved and in my life. All these people bring me so much joy and safety. That’s truly what it’s all about”.
Martin hits the road this Autumn to perform his first headline shows across the US, alongside dates in the UK and Europe. Accompanied with his live band, he’ll play LA & New York before returning to play a run of dates across the UK and into Europe before returning to play his biggest London show yet at EartH Hackney. Tickets are available and selling fast HERE.
On the upcoming dates Martin adds, “I’m nervous for sure. It’ll be so fun though,whenever I’ve done headline shows in the past it’s just been rooms bursting with love so there’s truly nothing to fear. As for the Earth show – it’s gonna be a new experience having that much space on stage, but i’m excited to run around n shit”
Released in May this year, original album man oh man ! was praised as “a timeless record that showcases Martin’s ability to create intimacy (★★★★ – DIY)”, offering a candid exploration of modern masculinity, friendship, heartbreak, and new beginnings. With the deluxe version, Martin offers fans a new lens on these songs: stripped back, recorded live, and performed with the unfiltered warmth that first inspired them.
Martin Luke Brown is a British artist, songwriter, and producer whose music fuses soulful storytelling with cinematic scope. Over the past decade, he has quietly built a rich and eclectic catalogue, collaborating with a diverse range of artists including Lizzy McAlpine, Maya Delilah, Orla Gartland, Nectar Woode, James Smith, Victoria Canal, and Sam Tompkins.
A founding member of FIZZ, the genre-defying supergroup with Orla Gartland, dodie, and Greta Isaac, Martin helped steer the band to a Top 40 debut album, a memorable Glastonbury appearance, and a run of euphoric festival performances across the UK, all within a year of their 2023 formation.
As a solo artist, Martin’s work finds strength in emotional honesty. His debut album damn, look at the view ! was described by Dork as “profound and unpretentious… a masterclass in vulnerability,” while Clash called him “one of the UK’s most quietly essential voices”, cementing his voice as part of a new generation of emotionally attuned UK songwriters. His track ‘**it get’s better’ was featured in Netflix’s Heartstopper (Season 3), one of the most notable British coming-of-age TV series of recent times.
His anticipated follow-up man oh man !, released earlier this year, is a candid exploration of masculinity, closure, and new beginnings. As Clash writes: “It isn’t a solution, but it’s an encapsulation of the journey… a precious document of personal wisdom”, with DIY praising it as “a timeless record that showcases his ability to create intimacy”. Through singles like ‘back 2 ya’, ‘to be a man’, ‘animal’ and ‘hello !’, Martin explores the evolution of male identity and stereotypes with a fresh and urgent perspective. This timely and resonant message earned him airplay from BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, and Selector Radio.
Other recent highlights include Martin’s support to Emily King on her US tour, alongside a run of sold out album in-stores. Martin will head back across the Atlantic for his first headline American tour later this month, followed by a European run and his biggest London headline show to date at EartH.
LIVE
23 Sep – Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles (US)
25 Sep – Baby’s All Right, New York (US)
01 Oct – Yes Basement, Manchester (UK)
02 Oct – Rough Trade, Bristol (UK)
03 Oct – Supersonic Records, Paris (FR)
06 Oct – Cinetol, Amsterdam (NL)
09 Oct – Lark, Berlin (DE)
11 Oct – Isolation Festival, Budapest (HU)
16 Oct – EartH Theatre, London (UK)
man oh man ! (Deluxe) by Martin Luke Brown is released on 17 October via AMK, distributed via Kartel Music Group. Pre-save it here.
Kathryn Williams, the folk singer-songwriter long celebrated for her emotional depth and lyrical precision, releases her 15th studio album ‘Mystery Park’ via One Little Independent Records on September 26th. A deeply personal, intimate collection, ‘Mystery Park’ marks 27 years of making music. It’s a reflective, textured work shaped by time’s shifting tides.
Known for her delicate, moving voice and poetic songwriting, Williams rose to prominence in 2000 with ‘Little Black Numbers’, the self-released album that earned her a Mercury Prize nomination and became a touchstone for a new generation of British folk. Over the decades since, her output has been both prolific and shapeshifting. She’s written a novel (The Ormering Tide), hosted a podcast (Before the Light Goes Out), worked as a visual artist, collaborated with a wide array of musicians from John Martyn and Paul Weller to Ed Harcourt and Withered Hand, and released celebrated projects across genres, including her Christmas album, ‘Midnight Chorus’, with Dame Carol Ann Duffy. Her most recent release, ‘Willson Williams’ was SAY and Americana Award-nominated as well as receiving critical praise.
New single ‘Goodbye to Summer’, co-written with Polly Paulusma during an Arvon retreat, is breezy and bittersweet, a song suffused with colour. Kathryn tells us they were “outside on two wooden chairs watching the dying sunlight tip off the wings of the swallows and the swifts. The last hurrah of summer before they fly away. The seasons begin to mark more and more. How many summers do we have in one life? Will the birds fly back home? Polly writes in open tunings so the new paths to melodies felt giddying and fresh.”
With ‘Mystery Park’, Williams returns to the sparse and affecting sonic palette that marked her early releases ‘Old Low Light’ and ‘Relations’. These are songs made in the quiet margins of motherhood and memory, written over time, and recorded in close creative communion with trusted collaborators; Leo Abrahams (guitar, piano, bass, vocals), Neill MacColl (guitar, vocals), Polly Paulusma (guitar, vocals), Chris Vatalaro (drums), Ed Harcourt (piano, mariachi bass, vocals), David Ford (harmonica) & rock royalty Paul Weller (Hammond organ, vocals).
“This is the most personal record I’ve made,” says Williams. “The artwork is my own painting, based on the willow pattern from my grandmother’s tea sets. Each part of it ties into the songs – a map of memories.”
‘Gossamer Wings’ is a collaboration with Paul Weller. Built from voice notes and texts, it captures a moment of creative chemistry born at a distance, with Kathryn’s enthusiasm tempered into something tender and unforced. “My eagerness to show him I was diligent made me barge on ahead without him on this one, but we pulled it together and I calmed the heck down for the second sitting. This was based on the title that Paul had and an idea of spirits breaking free from the constraints.”
‘This Mystery’ offers one of the album’s most arresting metaphors; a record shattered in the road becomes a symbol for her father’s dementia. “Memory being unplayable in the form that it was in,” she says. “But this is a song for him, not the disease. Anyone who has had a loved one diagnosed with this cruelty will know how you just want to paint their skies blue and make everything all right.”
There are moving tributes throughout. ‘Sea of Shadows’ is for her eldest son, Louis, a warm and reflective song about watching him grow from infant to adult. “Parenthood isn’t fixed. We think we will have small kids forever, but time quickens and before we know it, we have huge humans living with us where once there was a little baby. I love singing this song and thinking of him through the different images and travelling through time”. Likewise, closing track, ‘Servant of the Flame’, is written for her younger son, Ted, and the act of simply sitting beside him while he plays video games – choosing presence, even in small moments, as an act of love. “Watching them evolve into their own identities. Seeing them struggle and hoping that they can navigate the ups and downs that we all face in life.”
Throughout ‘Mystery Park’, there’s a sense that we are being welcomed into a private, shifting landscape where time folds, memory flickers, and the interior world is given centre stage. It’s an album made slowly and with care, with contributions from some of Kathryn’s closest musical companions. In a landscape often geared toward immediacy and spectacle, ‘Mystery Park’ stands as a gentle refusal. It invites the listener to slow down, to sit with the quiet revelations of a life observed closely, lived fully, and rendered in song with grace and generosity.
“This record is for anyone who’s felt something and kept it quiet,” says Williams. “For those private echoes. I hope these songs give people space to hear their own.”
Kathryn Williams plays the following UK live shows this autumn;
To celebrate the rerelease of her classic ‘90s albums ‘Boomania’ and ‘GRRR! It’s Betty Boo’ in spring, Betty Boo has spent much of 2025 on the road as part of her first ever UK tour. Throughout the summer, the hip-hop icon made stops at some of the most beloved independent venues in the country, from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge to The Joiners in Southampton, stunning audiences with her vocal talents and pop prowess along the way.
Now, she’s shared her plans to do it all over again, announcing major city shows for this winter. On 19th November, Betty Boo kicks off another run of dates across the UK and Ireland with a night at the Castle & Falcon in Birmingham. From there, she’ll venture to iconic venues including YES in Manchester, Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, and Bush Hall in London, amongst others. The full list of dates can be found below.
Performing all of the hits from ‘Boomania’ and ‘GRRR! It’s Betty Boo’, as well as tracks from her 2022 comeback album ‘Boomerang’ and 2024’s Top 40 follow-up ‘Rip Up The Rulebook’, Betty Boo’s live show is not one to be missed. Tickets are on sale on 29th August and are available from Betty’s website here.
About Betty Boo
Hip-Hop pioneer and 9’0s icon Betty Boo is a platinum-selling, Brit, and Ivor Novello Award-winning singer-songwriter and rapper. She is best known for her hits “Doin’ The Do” and “Where Are You Baby?” which propelled her into the spotlight in 1990. In 2022, after a 30 year hiatus, Betty Boo made an unexpected return with the critically acclaimed, radio smash-filled album ‘Boomerang’. She followed this with her 2024 UK Top 40 album, ‘Rip Up The Rulebook’, which has been universally described as her best album to date.
35 years later, Betty Boo’s hits remain deeply loved, and she is celebrating this monumental milestone with special edition re-releases of her two classic 90s albums: ‘Boomania’ and ‘GRRR! It’s Betty Boo’, as well as her first ever UK tour.
The track, which premiered earlier this morning on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6Music radio show, is the final cut to be unveiled from the band’s new album Bless You & Be Well, out this Friday 29th August via Communion Records. Pre-order here.
Speaking about the release, guitarist and vocalist Mike Wagstaff says: “At the time of writing ‘Moon Man’ I was in a constant state of missing someone, so I felt qualified to write this song.
In Chinese mythology Chang’e was the wife of legendary archer Hou Yi, who was revered in legend for having shot down 9 of the 10 suns that were scorching the earth, leaving just one.
For this feat he was awarded an elixir of immortality, the elixir however contained only enough for one person. Hou Yi’s love for Chang’e was strong and not wanting to live forever without his wife he decided not to drink the elixir, but to entrust it to his wife so no one would drink it.
One day, his apprentice attempted to take the elixir for himself and in a desperate attempt to prevent him, Chang’e drank it herself. The elixir floated her to the moon, where she would go on to become the Moon Goddess, leaving her husband Hou Yi behind, mortal and heartbroken.
Hou Yi shouted to the sky and caught sight of a figure that resembled Chang’e swaying on the moon, and so would display fruits, cakes and other offerings at times of a full moon, to try to convey how much he missed her.”
The latest release also comes with the announcement of further EU tour dates for 2025, off the back of the band’s recent run of European festivals this summer including Hungary’s Sziget and Germany’s Heldern Pop.
The group will celebrate their new album with a selection of listening parties and record shop in-store dates in the coming days, before later embarking on a UK headline tour this autumn.
Chartreuse’s previous single releases ‘More’, ‘Fold’, ‘I’m Losing It’ and ‘Sequence of Voices’ have gained consistent radio support from BBC Radio 1 & BBC 6Music, as well as press acclaim from Wonderland, Rough Trade, Clash, The Line of Best Fit, whynow, Far Out, The New Cue and Rolling Stone UK, who quoted 2025 as being a “transformative year for the band.”
ABOUT CHARTREUSE
For Chartreuse, the rural Icelandic studio Flóki served as a refuge in a myriad of ways. Set in a secluded location on the northern tip of the island, a five-hour drive from Reykjavík, the Black Country band’s two-week stay here in the summer of 2024 was one of escape, connection and understanding. They returned home with a special, urgent and necessary new album, Bless You & Be Well.
The dynamic of the Black Country band feels wholeheartedly distinct. The four-piece are intimately interconnected – brothers Mike (guitar, vocals) and Rory Wagstaff (drums) are joined by Rory’s long-term partner Hattie Wilson (piano, vocals) and Hattie’s childhood friend Perry Lovering (bass).
Their 2023 debut Morning Ritual introduced a group that swerved the traditional tropes of indie-rock bands, instead using their instruments and innovative production techniques in unusual and thrilling ways. They set a precedent of equality from day one, with the instruments they play all interchangeable, and no lead songwriter dictating their every move. This remains the case. Music for them is like pulling puzzle pieces out of the air, fitting things in the right configuration.
But now, on their new album Bless You & Be Well, it’s each of their personal experiences which inform their new material.
Their latest recordings were brought to life with producer Sam Petts-Davies (The Smile) and engineer Oli Middleton. Having self-produced their debut album, bringing other minds into their creative fold was daunting at first. But it quickly became one of their best decisions. Gut instincts presided over second-guessing; if it sounded good in the moment, it stayed. If it didn’t, they tried something else. As Petts-Davies, a calm and easy-going antidote to the band’s self-declared perfectionists, told them: “You are a band and this is how you sound, so let’s just run with it.”
No people, no limits, no distractions… all external noise was shut out, allowing Bless You & Be Well to become their most expansive album to date. But their remote location in Iceland provided a sanctuary in more ways than one, offering them a vital reprieve from the personal struggles that each of the band members were facing in their own lives.
For Lovering, navigating the grief of their late father’s passing bled into the creation of Chartreuse’s latest songs. Yet rather than drowning in existentialism, Lovering learned that grief doesn’t have to be the end, and that the pursuit of creating things that make you happy – in his case, making music – is ultimately what makes life worth living.
For Wilson, the anxieties of undergoing major surgery at just 29-years-old, learning to walk properly again, and the long road to recovery that still lies ahead for her shaped her approaches to the band’s new music. Initially guilty that it would affect those around her, opening up has not only been a learning curve, but also a humbling experience to witness the care that her friends, family and bandmates are more than willing to give.
Only a band as strongly connected for so many years could create such a space for each other in order to disappear into their music together, Wilson says: “To have those bonds within the band is really special and we can naturally pick up on each other’s cues. I don’t know if it would work with any other people, or if we would be able to be totally ourselves, or as accepting of each other on what anyone’s going through.”
Being in a band is a necessary part of life for Chartreuse. Writing music offers them a canvas to lay bare their emotions. But while informed by struggle and grief, their new music isn’t defined by it. Instead, it’s a window through which to understand both yourself and those around you better and more deeply. It also affirms the power of something as seemingly trivial as being in a band, and of music as a way to understand and move through life.
It all culminates in a fresh new chapter for Chartreuse, imbued with a palpable sense of honesty and introspectiveness that will no doubt resonate with others far and wide.
Chartreuse Live Dates:
(*) with support from Moreish Idols
(+) with support from Lavender
(**) co-headline with Moreish Idols
Thursday 28th August – The Bread & Butter Collective, London (album release party)
Saturday 30th August – Banquet Records, Kingston (in-store)
Sunday 31st August – Rough Trade, Bristol (in-store)
Monday 1st September – Truck Records, Oxford (in-store)
Tuesday 2nd September – Crash Records, Leeds (in-store)
Thursday 30th October – Green Door Store, Brighton (+)
Saturday 1st November – Bradshaw Hall, Birmingham (+)
Tuesday 4th November – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow (**)
Thursday 6th November – Three Tanners Bank, North Shields (*)
Friday 7th November – Deaf Institute Lodge, Manchester (*)
Saturday 8th November – Mash, Cambridge (*)
Monday 10th November – The Lanes, Bristol (*)
Tuesday 11th November – Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells (*)
Thursday 13th November – St Peter’s Church, Poole (*)
Friday 14th November – Bush Hall, London (*)
Saturday 15th November – Live at Leeds in the City
IDLES’ Block Party shows at Bristol’s Queen Square on August 1st and 2nd are guaranteed to be an electrifying experience for fans and the band alike. Their only UK headline shows of 2025, the Block Party weekend will see IDLES play a celebratory summer homecoming as they host Queen Square’s first major live music events in over 20 years.
IDLES’ vocalist Joe Talbot previously promised a line-up full of “music we love for the people we love” and the band have more than lived up to that claim with their special guests for the Block Party shows.
There will be no letting up in the intensity on Friday’s bill, which is headed by the two-man punk assault of SOFT PLAY who made a thrilling, frenetic comeback with last year’s critically acclaimed ‘HEAVY JELLY’ album. They will be joined by Lambrini Girls, who have been championed by Iggy Pop and Kathleen Hanna; are firmly established as a riotous live experience; and recently made their Top 20 breakthrough with their debut album ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’. The day starts with a very different but equally in-your-face set from dubstep renegade SICARIA.
The Block Party continues into Saturday with The Voidz leading the supporting line-up. Fronted by The Strokes’Julian Casablancas, the cult favourites dropped their third album ‘Like All Before You’ last year, which Clash praised as “experimental music that balances what’s classic, classy and cool.” The raucous garage-rock and party-starting energy of Spanish duo Hinds makes them perfect for an outdoor summer’s afternoon, while Bristol’s ‘Black + Queer’ pioneer Grove plays anarchic electronica as showcased in their thrilling Boiler Room set. The day is completed by Club Yeke founder and NTS Radio favourite Tash LC.
Both days will be complete with the addition of local DJs, with food and drink served up by a selection of Bristol favourites.
The Block Party weekend will add another unforgettable highlight to IDLES’ ‘TANGK’ era. It received waves of international acclaim upon release and soon became their second UK #1, leading to three Grammy Award nominations. They were tipped as a future Glastonbury headliner after closing the Other Stage with a phenomenal set last summer, and went on to headline Truck and End of the Road. Their autumn UK tour then saw them perform to 20,000 fans in London alone over two sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace.
This summer will see IDLES continue to take ‘TANGK’ to the world. They’re confirmed to play a number of key festivals across Europe and will also play two huge shows in America: Boston’s storied Fenway Park as special guests to My Chemical Romance, and at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Festival. Please see HERE for a list of all upcoming dates.
Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, the world’s finest tribute to Fleetwood Mac, have kicked-off the second leg of their mammoth 70-date summer 2025 UK tour.
Personally endorsed by Fleetwood Mac founding member, Mick Fleetwood, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac is the hugely popular ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll’s most remarkable groups. The band has now played to more than two million fans across the globe, as well as achieving a staggering 150 million views to date via YouTube.
Channeling the spirit of Fleetwood Mac at their very best, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac offers a unique opportunity for fans, both old and new, to rediscover the songs and performances that have ensured the British-American supergroup’s place as one of the most loved groups of all time (and one which has sold a mighty 125million albums worldwide).
Talking about the new UK tour, the band’s drum maestro Allan Cosgrove (aka Cos) said today;
“We’re thrilled to kick-off the 2025 Rumours of Fleetwood Mac UK tour – we’ve taken a fresh look at our stage show to deliver something truly special for fans old and new. Alongside our incredible producers, we’ve curated what we believe is our best setlist to date — an immersive journey through the decades of Fleetwood Mac’s legendary music. From the haunting harmonies to the raw emotion that defined the band’s sound, this year’s performance promises a rich and powerful celebration of their legacy. In 2025, we’re slipping back through the mists of time to honour the earliest roots of Fleetwood Mac with a heartfelt tribute to Peter Green’s classics — songs that laid the foundation for everything that followed.
“We’re also delving deep into the iconic songbooks of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, performing a couple of their poignant swansongs with the reverence and passion they deserve. We always endeavour to try and make the time we spend together with our audiences more than just a concert. We like to think of our show as a ‘thank you’ to Fleetwood Mac. It’s a thank you for their incredible songs, the memories we all share with their music, and the magic that Fleetwood Mac has given us all through the decades.”
This new career-spanning live show (featuring a seven-piece band) is already playing to packed-out houses right across the country – any remaining tickets for the forthcoming UK dates are available via https://www.rumoursoffleetwoodmac.com/uk-2025
Rising Canadian Rock n Roll band The Bankes Brothers release their new single ‘Nobody’ today. Produced by the legendary Gus van Go (Arkells, Sam Roberts Band), the track is an introspective and relatable indie track that explores identity, imposter syndrome and outward perception.
“”Nobody” is The Bankes Brothers at their catchiest, built around an irresistible guitar riff and Nelson’s signature vocal delivery. It was their first time working with Gus Van Go at Boiler Room Studios. As the band put it, “he was great at opening us up to the mindset of serving the song, and the production style and choices were a direct result of that.” The outcome is a polished, punchy single that captures the band’s sound at its most dialed-in.”
To accompany the single release today, The Bankes Brothers have announced a UK & European tour supporting Great Gable, which takes place from June through early July alongside an appearance at the Isle Of Wight Festival. Dates for the run are:
3 Jun – EXIL, Zürich (CH)
4 Jun – STROM, Munich (DE)
5 Jun – RHIZ, Vienna (AT)
6 Jun – CAFE V LESE, Prague (CZ)
7 Jun – LARK, Berin (DE)
8 Jun – HEBEBÜHNE, Hamburg (DE)
12, Jun – ELt ON SCHON, Mainz (DE)
18 Jun – ROTOWN, Rotterdam (NL)
22 Jun – Isle of Wight Festival, Newport (UK)
24 Jun – THE WATERING HOLE, Cornwall (UK)
25 Jun – THE LOUISIANA, Bristol (UK)
26 Jun – THE BODEGA, Nottingham (UK)
29 Jun – THE ACADEMY 2, Dublin (IE)
1 Jul – GLAD CAFE, Glasgow (UK)
There’s an undeniable spark when The Bankes Brothers take the stage—a mix of raw energy, tight musicianship, and the kind of chemistry that only comes from growing up together. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, the band quickly built a name for themselves with their high-energy live shows, and timeless rock ‘n’ roll spirit – with a modern indie edge. Fronted by brothers Nelson and Morgan Bankes (vocals/guitar), alongside Carson Cleaver (lead guitar) and Gray Oxley (drums), they turn every performance into a full-throttle celebration of live music.
Since the release of their debut EP last year, In Waves, produced by Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat, The Zolas, Mounties), The Bankes Brothers have become one of Canada’s most exciting emerging rock acts. Their hook-heavy, melody-driven sound has taken them across the country, touring with Jesse Roper and lighting up festival stages at Edmonton Folk Fest, Laketown Shakedown, and Phillips Backyard Weekender, among others.
One of the most surreal moments for the band occurred on tour this past year “The crowds were already singing back the lyrics to songs that haven’t even been released,” said Nelson. “It was incredible. At this stage, we’re always wondering if a tour is worth doing. That was proof it’.” chimed Morgan – and he wasn’t wrong. That experience cemented their momentum, reinforcing their ability to connect with audiences and setting the stage for their next chapter.
Their reputation has only grown overseas. In 2024, they joined Red Rum Club for a UK tour, playing to packed rooms each night and proving their ability to captivate international audiences. That tour marked a turning point – solidifying their presence beyond Canada and setting the stage for even bigger opportunities.
Now, The Bankes Brothers are gearing up for the release of their new EP, produced by Gus van Go(The Beaches, The Arkells, Hollerado), a collection of songs that showcase their evolution as a band. The upcoming release builds on their signature sound—melodic, driving, and effortlessly cool—while pushing into new sonic territory. New single ‘Nobody’ is very much a statement of intent as the band enter their most exciting phase yet. Expect further new music to be announced soon.
Kathryn Joseph today releases her eagerly anticipated fourth album WE WERE MADE PREY., available to stream and buy in digital, CD and red vinyl via Rock Action Records.
WE WERE MADE PREY. dances on the knife-edge: of action versus inaction, of want versus wanting, of self-fulfilment versus shame. Continuing her creative partnership withproducer Lomond Campbell, recording took place in the remote Black Bay Studios on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides last winter.
Joseph’s fourth album is both a reaction to and reprieve for the animal within. Eleven songs that accept her whole being, with all its hunger, lust and rage, and its devastating tenderness too. Through her hunt for answers to punishing choices, “the kind that can absolutely f*ck up your life,” the Glasgow-based singer/songwriter has come out the other side with something new to say.[1]
Joseph’s pursuit of truth is the red thread that winds through each of her albums. It’s there among the agonising beauty of bones you have thrown me and blood i have spilled, her Scottish Album of the Year Award-winning debut. It’s there, too, in 2018’s from when i wake the want is, sewn into the primal grief and grasping of the songs. And it made its presence felt again in 2022’s for you who are the wronged, Joseph’s powerful exploration of abuse in all its twisted shapes and guises, acclaimed for its “luminous brand of minimalism” (Pitchfork) and as “an outright masterpiece of emptiness and full-to-bursting-ness at the same time” (The Quietus).
Joseph has announced a full UK headline tour for the autumn, taking in 12 dates across England to follow her run of Scottish dates next month.
In between, she will return to the road in support of labelmates (and bosses) Mogwai for a run of European shows in August-September.
Lomond Campbell will be performing with Joseph at all shows.
Kathryn Joseph tour dates
05 June – Aberdeen Lemon Tree
06 June – Isle of Skye – Skye Gathering Hall
11 June – Glasgow St. Luke’s
12 July – Inverness Under Canvas Festival
02 Aug – Newport-on-Tay Lugnasadh Festival
25 Jul – Thirsk, North Yorkshire – Deer Shed Festival
09 Aug – Edinburgh – The Hub @ Edinburgh International Festival
24 Aug – Cumbria Krankenhaus Festival
31 Aug – The Hague, Paard (w/ Mogwai)
01 Sept – Nijmegen, Doonroosje (w/ Mogwai)
03 Sept -Malmo, Plan B (w/ Mogwai)
04 Sept – Gothenburg, Pustervik (w/ Mogwai)
06 Sept – Helsinki, House of Culture (w/ Mogwai)
08 Sept – Tallinn, Helitehas (w/ Mogwai)
09 Sept – Riga, Palladium (w/ Mogwai)
10 Sept – Vilnius, Kablys + Kultura (w/ Mogwai)
11 Sept – Warsaw, Progresja (w/ Mogwai)
13 Sept – Budapest, Reflektor Festival (w/ Mogwai)
Proudly hailing from the North East, fast-rising artist Amelia Coburn has released her first single of 2025 with the bewitching ‘Sandra’.
It takes a certain type of magic to capture the praise of Paul Weller and Paul Heaton off the back of one album. And yet, that’s exactly what Tees Valley singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn has achieved with her debut effort Between the Moon and the Milkman, released in March 2024. One year on, her latest single to be lifted from it, ‘Sandra’ (out 5th March), tells a true story of suffering at the hands of an alcoholic and abusive husband.
This gothic-folk story came from an elderly woman Amelia stayed with while she was studying for university in France, one who spoke no English. After all she endured from her husband, his addiction led him to an early grave and his dying wish was that he be buried and that, under no circumstances, should she cremate him… so she cremated him.
Amelia Coburn:‘“Sandra” is one of my favourite songs from the album, inspired by the life of my French landlady, who I’m still close to today. I wanted to release it as a single to carve out a special space for her story. Filming the video in Paris made it even more meaningful; walking the same streets she once took to and from work felt like stepping into her world. Her life held a lot of tragedy, but she never let it define her. We took inspiration from the classic short film Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon) to capture that part of her: the way she found joy and happiness even in the smallest things.’
On the live front, Amelia has a busy year ahead opening for a number of established acts including UK underground survivors The Levellers and Katherine Priddy, as well as heading out on a headline tour with her full band in May. She has previously appeared at Reeperbahn Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, and Focus Wales, and will soon be flying stateside for her first American shows at SXSW Texas.
Weaving together the literate lyrical approach of Scott Walker with the melodic genius of Paul McCartney, Amelia Coburn has a knack for making the unusual sound timeless.
Drawing inspiration from gothic literature and the shadowy allure of film noir, there is a darkness at the heart of many of her songs, populated by vivid characters and nocturnal creatures that inhabit the liminal space “between the moon and the milkman”. This is artfully counterbalanced, like the chiaroscuro of an old master, by Amelia’s down-to-earth charm and wicked sense of humour.
Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones (founding member of The Coral), her 2024 debut album Between the Moon and the Milkman has already gained a cult following, including praise from British music legends Paul Weller – chosen as one of his albums of the year for MOJO – and Paul Heaton, as well as national radio play in the UK and Ireland (BBC Radio 2, 3, 4, 5, 6Music, Scotland and Ulster). The album reached number 7 on the Official UK Independent Album Breakers chart and spent 3 consecutive months on the Official Folk Top 40.
Multiple end-of-year lists have praised Amelia, with Drowned in Sound naming her in their ‘15 Must-See Acts 2025’ shortlist, and Louder Than War’s ‘25 acts to see in 2025’ including her. The Arts Desk crowned the album as their Album of the Year, and it also made its way into Shindig! Magazine’s Top 30 Albums of 2024, while the likes of CLASH, Line of Best Fit, RnR and Far Out Magazine have been incredibly vocal of their support for Amelia.
