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In the years since Catatonia stormed the charts, lead singer and frontwoman Cerys Matthews has turned her attention to all sorts of creative endeavours. With the titles of radio DJ, author, TV presented, festival organiser, musician, singer, and not forgetting an MBE, to her name, Matthews clearly has plenty of passions and interests to pursue. But with her latest project – a twelve track album titled We Come From The Sun – Matthews is embracing a medium with which she has long been fascinated: poetry.

Following the release of his acclaimed new album Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted, (check out our review here) Passenger – otherwise known as Mike Rosenberg – has now shared Sword From The Stone (Gingerbread Mix), a special single version of the album’s opening track produced by Ed Sheeran and Joe Rubel and mixed by Spike Stent.

Nottingham-born indie starlet Jake Bugg signalled something of a change in direction when he dropped his single All I Need last autumn. Gone was the bluesy, Dylan-inspired indie folk of his early work, replaced instead with a soulful, savvy, and slick feel more reminiscent of some of his contemporaries. Which isn’t in any way to detract from the track, which felt then like the logical progression for Bugg who, at just 26 years of age, is still naturally evolving with his music.

Legendary artists Sir Elton John and Sir Rod Stewart have officially ended an almost three-year feud, which all started over Stewart commenting that John’s 2018 farewell tour was “dishonest,” accusing his former friend of just wanting to sell tickets. John fired back in his autobiography, “Me,” stating I thought he had a f**king cheek, complaining about me promoting a tour while he was sat on a TV show promoting his own tour.”

Pop diva Mariah Carey has spoken about the positive impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had for her. Rather than lamenting on the stressors of lockdowns, she has chosen to focus on the benefits of being forced to stay home since March, commenting that her voice and her health are better than they ever have been.

South London punk upstarts Shame can lay claim to one of the best debut albums of the last few years. Songs Of Praise, released in 2018 to almost universal critical acclaim, was a storming, dizzying, and infectious cocktail – a genuinely exciting, sit-up-and-take notice offering from a band brimming with confidence, even if they were still trying to figure things out behind the scenes.

Cousins Jonathan Capeci and Joey Beretta grew up and played in a series of bands together around Philadelphia throughout their teenage years, but it wasn’t until the duo relocated to Nashville to pursue success with their band at the time, Dinner And A Suit, that they began to attract wider attention. Dinner And A Suit ultimately disbanded, but undeterred, Capeci and Beretta formed a new group with friends Stephen Cunsolo and Nicholas Sainato, and signed a deal with Interscope Records in 2016.

Formed in New York City in 2008, hard rockers The Pretty Reckless made a big impression with their debut album, 2010’s Light Me Up. It spawned a series of singles before the band dropped the follow-up Going To Hell in 2014. That album’s third single, Messed Up World, was something of a breakthrough track for the band, charting as it did at number one in Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart. The group’s third studio album, Who You Selling For, dropped in 2016, and was also a commercial success.

Throughout 2020, as the nation contended with lockdown, Northern Irish singer-songwriter JC Stewart was busy releasing a flurry of storming singles including I Need You To Hate Me, When The Light Hits The Room, and the pulsating Too Many Nights with 220 Kid. All these tracks added to the hype surrounding Stewart, who really started to turn heads with his 2019 ballad Bones.

JP Saxe and Maren Morris have just premiered 'Line By Line' via live broadcast. Prior to the video release, both discussed aspects of writing the song and the various ideas behind it. Maren explained this was her first Youtube video premiere of this kind, with both taking questions on a split screen layout.

Jared Leto, most famous for his acting and work with his band Thirty Seconds to Mars, has again turned his hand to directing, once again with stunning results. Many would remember his 2012 documentary “Artifact,” (directed under the pseudonym Bartholomew Cubbins) which so cleverly captured the state of the modern music industry. The film was adored by critics and fans alike, earning a standing ovation and People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary.

In a tweet that has stunned Nightwish fans, and the entire metal community, bassist and male vocalist Marko Hietala has announced his departure from the band after 20 years. In true Nightwish tradition, he has been open and transparent in making the announcement, posting his resignation to Twitter:

Dublin-based four-piece Post-Party only formed in late 2018, but are already winning over fans and attracting interest with their highly energetic live shows and ear for an up-tempo, fun and radio-friendly tune. On first listen, they’re most obviously comparable to the likes of Blossoms and Circa Waves, serving up as they do jangly guitar-driven numbers that can’t help but put a smile on your face.

Passenger – otherwise known as Michael Rosenberg – became an overnight sensation with his 2012 single Let Her Go, which was nominated for the Brit Award for British Single of the Year in 2014, and received the British Academy’s Ivor Novello Award for most performed work. It also went to number one in no fewer than sixteen countries – it was, in every sense, a smash hit record.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2010, American mash-up legends Rock Sugar have been blowing our minds with their unique take on the idea of covers. Their skills for masterfully blending tracks to create pieces that manage to sound both completely new while feeling like a glorious tribute to the original songs, are second to none. Not to mention the staggering musical talent these guys have. Throw in their down to earth natures and wicked senses of humour and you have one of the most lovable bands of our time.

50 Cent has celebrated an incredible milestone, that has not only made us all feel very old but has also reminded us of how lengthy his amazing career has been. His now iconic track “In Da Club” first dropped eighteen years ago.

Mamas Gun didn’t let a global pandemic stop them from getting into their groove in their dashing online concert ‘The Tin Pan Sessions.’ The lockdown had forced all musicians to go into “hiding” in a sense; they couldn’t perform in concerts, they couldn’t shoot music videos, they couldn’t go to venues and give the people some live jams. But in crisis emerges resilience, as this British soul band partnered up with Tin Pan Studio to produce a live concert with each of the band members performing from their respective homes. 

Wolfgang Van Halen has put to rest a lingering question among Van Halen fans, regarding the controversial removal of former bassist Michael Anthony from album cover images on their website, fourteen years ago. It was a strange occurrence that inspired seething rage among fans over the perception that the group was altering part of its history.

The metal world has been shocked by the news that Alexi Laiho has died at age 41. The former frontman of Children of Bodom had reportedly battled health issues for the past several years and passed away at his home in Finland in late December 2020. The official announcement came on 5 January 2021 and a formal cause of death has yet to be disclosed, beyond health complications being cited.

Charlotte Jane is a name that you'll probably be hearing a lot more about in the near future.

Gabrielle Aplin navigates trust and infatuation in her new single ‘When The Lights Go Out.’ The English singer-songwriter is only twenty-eight and has already carved her a niche for herself. She thrives in low-key, subdued musical spaces, where she can freely express her vulnerabilities through melancholic sounds and stripped-back vocals.