Heat wave, malaise, shoegaze. Labyrinthine Oceans, a band name that reads as hard as it looks, has finished up their hot new 2026 spring tour to promote their latest EP “for the flesh and the machine”, performing their unique “Grunge-gaze” sound at cities like Glasgow, Manchester, and London. This five-track EP shows a growing discography for the band, with the lyrics cultivating a sense of autonomous longing matched with a nostalgic shoegaze tone that we all know and love. I

Nat Dempsey is a singer-songwriter currently based in Manchester who takes on the feeling of his rural upbringing in the Lake District and weaves it into the fabric of his songs. Following on from the atmospheric grit of previous releases, Dempsey takes a delicate but confident step into sunlit indie-folk territory. His upcoming release, Apparency, tells of a personal narrative of learning to take the advice you so freely give to others. His strength lies in the details: the

Photographed by @chesterrjones Earlier this year I sat down with Clive a "4 piece project" based in Manchester and Leeds who have been gaining some well deserved traction recently for their math rock experimental tracks and charged stage performances. If you would like to see C(live) they are playing Oporto in Leeds on the 27th May supporting brilliant post punk band Hollyhead who I have previously wrote about on the blog. Below is transcript of the interview I did with the

Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ronny Bong arrived last month with his debut single, "Boa," a track that immediately establishes him as an artist not eager to form connections with his listeners. Drawing from influences as varied as indie-folk's confessional intimacy (think Adrianne Lenker) and the fresh edge of alternative pop (reminiscent of Soccer Mommy and Snail mail), Ronny and his band crafts a sound that feels both classic and fresh . The instrumental is perfectly d

No live review of Westside Cowboy’s highly anticipated UK and Ireland tour should begin anywhere else but with their support act. For the three consecutive nights I caught the tour—in Bristol, Brighton, and Oxford—it was the Manchester-based quartet Holly Head who truly set the tone, delivering a masterclass in energetic, politically charged post-punk that left the early arrives utterly satisfied. Walking into the venues, it was clear this leg of the tour was drawing a slig

Be The Cowboy was Mitski’s first album that saw her soar through the ceiling of the music industry. With its strong emotional messages on past love and personal turmoil she struck a chord with the alternative music community. For me this entire album’s heart can be summarised in the closing song “Two Slow Dancers”. It is a song with the narrative of two former teenage lovers meeting together in their old school gymnasium to share one last dance to remember how they were. B

Basement is a British rock band formed in 2009, known for their blend of melodic hardcore, alternative rock, and emo influences. Hailing from Ipswich, England, the band has garnered a dedicated fan base with their emotionally charged lyrics and powerful instrumentation. Over the years, Basement has released several critically acclaimed albums, including "I Wish I Could Stay Here" and "Beside Myself," which showcase their evolution as musicians while maintaining the raw energy