Cindy Choek

Sigrid announces her second album ‘How To Let Go’

Sigrid has announced her second studio album ‘How To Let Go’ while sharing the official video for recent single ‘It Gets Dark’. The Norwegian pop star will release the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Sucker Punch’ on May 6 via Island. You can pre-order it here. READ MORE: Griff & Sigrid at the BandLab NME Awards 2022: pop perfection from the dynamic duo ‘How To Let Go’ features 12 tracks including the previously released songs ‘Burning Bridges’, ‘Mirror’ and ‘It Gets Dark’, the latter of which came out on Wednesday (March 9). The album was written at a time when Sigrid was reflecting on her life both in and outside of Norway. Advertisement “They’re two different things,” Sigrid explained. “The chill girl who loves to ski and hike and cook versus the other part of me that’s like ‘let’s go out’, or let’s play massive shows, go on stage and not be scared of anything.” She continued: “I used to be so shy as a kid but then when I’m on stage at Glastonbury for example I love losing myself in it.” guys, it’s album time ? my second album How To Let Go is coming May 6th, and I couldn’t be more… Read More →

11MARNews

3D tech platform Unity announces partnership with rave events company Insomniac

Unity, one of the world’s leading platforms for creating and operating interactive, real-time 3D content, has announced a partnership with live music experience creators, Insomniac Events. The partnership is set to explore ways to bring music and the metaverse closer together. READ MORE: From ‘Fortnite’ to ‘Roblox’: The best in-game concerts ever, ranked According to a press release, the Insomniac Events team has partnered with Unity to bring a brand new, persistent metaverse world to its fans where they can gather and engage virtually for live music performances regardless of location. Advertisement The partnership will apparently “define a new standard of live entertainment”. More details about the hows and whys will be announced on March 13, 2022 during a presentation at SXSW. Looking forward to sharing the vision of @unity3d on how the metaverse will impact live entertainment, and nowhere better to do that than @sxsw !! https://t.co/EKpLwQUa6W — Peter Moore (@PeterMooreLFC) October 20, 2021 The description of the presentation says: “Imagine going to a concert with your friends from across the country – even if you are not physically in the same state. Envision meeting your favourite performer – and having a personal conversation. The fusion of the physical… Read More →

11MARNews

Bobbie Nelson, Willie Nelson’s sister and bandmate, has died

Bobbie Nelson, Willie Nelson’s sister and bandmate, has died aged 91. Bobbie was the pianist in the original line-up of the Willie Nelson Family band and had recently co-authored two books with her brother. Bobbie died yesterday (March 10) and news of her passing was confirmed in a family statement. “Her elegance, grace, beauty and talent made this world a better place,” the statement from the Nelson family began. “She was the first member of Willie’s band, as his pianist and singer. Our hearts are broken and she will be deeply missed. But we are so lucky to have had her in our lives. Please keep her family in your thoughts and give them the privacy they need at this time.” Bobbie was raised in Abbot, Texas, and learned to play the piano as a child. After working odd jobs as a musician, she joined Willie’s band in 1972 soon after he’d signed with Atlantic Records. She was a part of her brother’s band for over 50 years and despite being Willie’s senior by two years, he always referred to her as his “little sister” on stage. Bobbie was a regular performer at her brother’s shows and appeared on several… Read More →

11MARHit Singles

Carson McHone – Still Life

A vivid presence on the Austin music scene for nearly a decade now, Carson McHone drew wider acclaim with 2018’s exceptional Carousel, issued on Loose the following year. And while subsequent tours of the UK and Europe furthered her reputation as a country traditionalist with leftfield leanings, Still Life feels altogether more ambitious. ORDER NOW: Paul McCartney is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut It’s certainly rockier in places, with McHone and producer/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Romano driving hard on tunes like “Hawks Don’t Share” and “Only Lovers”, punctuated by fat brass and gnarly guitars. Saxophonist David Nardi and Mark Lalama (piano, organ and accordion) are key to all this too, helping bring an intuitive sense of motion. There’s swishy R&B and some Southern soul as well, though McHone and her acoustic guitar remain squarely front and centre of these captivating songs, so that any embellishments are complementary rather than a distraction. Her supple voice is a thing of understated beauty, bonded to tales of emotional attachment and release in a way that suggests full closure is still a little way off. With its nod to Dolly Parton’s “Little Sparrow”, the narrator of the expertly measured “Folk Song” is… Read More →

10MARNews

My Chemical Romance share support acts for upcoming US tour

My Chemical Romance have unveiled the support acts for their upcoming US tour. READ MORE: My Chemical Romance live in Los Angeles: A triumphant, cathartic return The band will be supported by numerous acts across the dates including: Badflower, Devil Master, Dilly Dally, GHÖSH, Kimya Dawson, Meg Myers, Midtown, Nothing, Shannon And The Clams, Soul Glo, Surfbort, Taking Back Sunday, The Bouncing Souls, The Homeless Gospel Choir, The Lemon Twigs, Thursday, Turnstile, Waterparks, and Youth Code. You can find exact details of who is playing where on the band’s official website. View this post on Instagram A post shared by My Chemical Romance (@mychemicalromance) Advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by My Chemical Romance (@mychemicalromance) The returning group will kick off their reunion tour in the UK and Ireland, with a date at the Eden Project in May followed by gigs in Milton Keynes, Dublin, Warrington, Cardiff and Scotland. The tour will then move onto Europe, before visiting New Zealand and Australia in 2023. Last week, the group added more North American dates to their upcoming 2022 reunion tour. The band had previously confirmed more than 25 dates to take place in the States and Canada this summer… Read More →

10MARNews

Aitch shares summery video for new single ‘Baby’

Aitch has shared a brand new single – watch the video for ‘Baby’ below. READ MORE: Aitch on the cover: “My debut will 100,000 per cent be a proper Manchester album” The track, produced by Fred Again…, is the Manchester rapper’s first solo single of the year and the latest preview of his forthcoming debut album. ‘Baby’ samples Ashanti‘s ‘Rock Wit U (Aww Baby)’, with Aitch adding a contemporary rap feel to the R&B classic. Advertisement The accompanying video, directed by Zain Alexander Shammas, sees the rapper in Malibu, going through the highs and lows of a relationship. The sun-tinged video features VHS clips of intimate moments, plus a cameo from the rapper’s current girlfriend, Chicken Shop Date’s Amelia Dimoldenberg. Aitch, who presented the award for Best Solo Act In The World with Big Zuu to Burna Boy at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 spoke to NME on the red carpet about the single. “I think everyone’s gonna love it,” he said of the track. “It’s a little meaningful one, a little love song for all the people who need that right now. “It was inspired by a lot of things, like other people’s relationships around me, my past relationships. When you hear it,… Read More →

10MARNews

Billy Joel biopic in the works without his involvement or music

A Billy Joel biopic is in the works which will chart the musician’s early years. The film, titled Piano Man, is being developed at Michael Jai White’s Jaigantic Studios, with Adam Ripp (Devil’s Whisper) on board to write and direct. According to Variety, Joel will not be involved and hasn’t granted rights to his music, name/likeness or life story for the project. Advertisement The studio however has acquired the life rights to Joel’s first manager Irwin Mazur, who managed the musician from 1965 to 1972. His breakthrough hit ‘Piano Man’, from the album of the same name, was released in 1973. Artie Ripp, director Adam Ripp’s father, signed Joel to his first solo record deal and produced his debut album ‘Cold Spring Harbor’. Speaking about the film, Ripp said: “Billy Joel has been a part of my life since my father signed him to his record label when I was four years old; his music is ingrained in my DNA and it’s been a dream of mine as a filmmaker to explore and celebrate the untold story of how Billy Joel became the Piano Man.” Mazur said: “What a dream come true! These are the real-life events I witnessed first-hand… Read More →

09MARNews

Travis Scott to donate $5million for community initiatives: “I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy”

Four months after the crowd crush tragedy at his Astroworld festival in Houston, Travis Scott has announced a new initiative called Project HEAL through his Cactus Jack Foundation, which will distribute $5million in community-based efforts. According to a description, Project HEAL is a “multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities. Initiatives that will be funded through the project include academic scholarships, mental health resources, a creative design centre and “tech-driven solutions for event safety”. “Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community,” Scott said when announcing the project on Instagram earlier today (March 9). “Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family.” Advertisement “While it’s easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows, I feel as a leader in my community, I need to step up in times of need. My team and I created Project HEAL to take much needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly… Read More →

08MARNews

Listen to David Byrne and Mitski’s duet on ‘This Is A Life’

David Byrne and Mitski have released a new collaboration today (March 8). Listen to ‘This Is A Life’ below. The song features on the soundtrack for the new A24 film, Everything Everywhere All At Once. Son Lux have scored the sci-fi action film by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. The film is released in the US on March 25 (UK date TBA), while the soundtrack lands on April 8. Advertisement Other contributions on the soundtrack come from Andre 3000, Randy Newman, Moses Sumney, Nina Moffitt, Chris Pattishall, Rob Moose, yMusic, Surrija, and actor Stephanie Hsu. Listen to ‘This Is A Life’ here: Sharing a statement about their work on the project, Sox Lux said: “Even though we knew from the moment Daniels asked us to score this film that it would push us in new and unexpected directions, we couldn’t have predicted how much we’d learn from the project. “What emerged was our most ambitious undertaking to date, over two years in the making, resulting in two hours of new music. It was an opportunity for us to play, to infuse humour into our work, and to experiment from and beyond our various musical backgrounds.” Advertisement You can see the full… Read More →

08MARNews

Petrol Girls release new track ‘Fight For Our Lives’ for International Women’s Day

Petrol Girls have shared a new track for International Women’s Day. Listen to ‘Fight For Our Lives’ here. The blistering single features Janey Starling on guest vocals and is described as honouring the global movement fighting against femicide and gender-based violence. Available only on Bandcamp, proceeds from the track will raise money for Level Up, a feminist campaigning group which Starling co-directs, who are building an interactive, virtual database of femicide victims. Advertisement In a press statement, vocalist Ren Aldridge said: “The feminist group I’m part of here in Austria is based on this principle, and this song was written because of the regular femicide demos that we’ve been running here in Graz since June 2020, to make sure not a single femicide in Austria goes unanswered. NEHMT IHR UNS EINE – ANTWORTEN WIR ALLE! The intro lyrics describe these demos. We have painted the deaths of so many women and even young girls onto bed sheets to carry through the streets. This IWD, we will spread out all of the bed-sheet banners that mark each murder since last IWD in the main square, to make visible the scale of this violence.” We are honoured to have @janeyjstarling featuring on… Read More →

08MARHit Singles

An audience with Cowboy Junkies: “If you don’t reinterpret a song, then you’re just covering it and what’s the point?”

It’s mid-January in Simcoe County and the temperature has dropped to a bracing -15°c. “My dogs won’t even go outside,” reports Margo Timmins. “I open the door and they look at me like, ‘Are you crazy?’” Thankfully, the biting cold hasn’t deterred Cowboy Junkies, one of Canada’s most enduring bands, from recently completing their 19th album. “Over the last two years, Mike’s rented a house up here near me for about a month each time. We would do whatever we were doing in the morning and then in the afternoons I would go up to his place and work on new songs. It was fantastic because I didn’t have to go into Toronto, which is not my favourite place to go!” ORDER NOW: Read the full interview in the latest issue of Uncut They’re due to mix the new album soon with a view to releasing it in the autumn. In the meantime there’s a “holdover record” coming next month, comprising covers old and new – including their acclaimed version of “I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” from Uncut’s Dylan Revisited CD. “We’ve done tons of covers over the years but these are the ones that we… Read More →

08MARNews

Ed Sheeran takes to stand in ‘Shape of You’ court case, denies plagiarism: “I have always tried to be completely fair”

Ed Sheeran has given testimony in an ongoing court case surrounding his Number One 2017 single, ‘Shape of You’. As reported last week, Sheeran is currently in a legal battle that has been taken to High Court by two songwriters, Sami Chokri (AKA Sami Switch) and Ross O’Donoghue. The pair have claimed ‘Shape of You’ is similar to their 2015 song ‘Oh Why’, pointing to “particular lines and phrases” that draw parallels between the two. At a previous hearing, Sheeran was branded as a “magpie” by Chokri and O’Donoghue’s lawyer, Andrew Sutcliffe QC, with regards to his approach to songwriting. “He borrows ideas and throws them into his songs,” said Sutcliffe. “Sometimes he will acknowledge it, but sometimes he won’t.” Advertisement As The Guardian reports, Sheeran has denied Sutcliffe’s accusations when taking to the stand on Monday (March 7), adding that said accusations would have been found to be false “if Mr. Sutcliffe would have done his research”. “I have always tried to be completely fair in crediting anyone who makes any contribution to any song I write,” he said. “If there is a reference to another work, I notify my team so that steps can be taken to obtain… Read More →

07MARNews

Paul Weller announced as special guest for Madness’ Royal Albert Hall show

Paul Weller has been announced as special guests for Madness‘ show at the Royal Albert Hall this month. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Madness The longstanding ska group had previously been announced to perform at the famous venue, one of a series of high-profile shows in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust this month. Now, Weller has been announced for an exclusive guest appearance which takes place on March 24. He will be joined by his band for a unique acoustic set. Advertisement Madness’ gig is one of a number of shows taking place at the Albert Hall between March 21 and 27, with Don Broco, Yungblud, Liam Gallagher, The Who and Ed Sheeran also appearing. For the full list of dates, and remaining tickets, click here. We’re delighted to announce that Paul has been asked to join @MadnessNews at the @RoyalAlbertHall for #TeenageCancerGigs! Paul and his band will perform an acoustic set at this incredible night that supports @TeenageCancer. Tickets available here: https://t.co/LAhuND7Wni pic.twitter.com/Yl8lC2Llts — Paul Weller (@paulwellerHQ) March 7, 2022 The venue will also host a night of comedy on March 22, featuring Joel Dommett, Rob Beckett, Rosie Jones, Romesh Ranganathan and more. Elsewhere, Madness are… Read More →

07MARNews

Dua Lipa reacts to Oscar Isaac fan-fiction story about her on ‘Saturday Night Live’

Dua Lipa has responded to an Oscar Isaac fan-fiction story about her being read out on Saturday Night Live last weekend (March 5). On the latest episode of the long-running American sketch show, actor Oscar Isaac could be seen reading out a fan-fiction story about the pop star during a skit on the show. After hearing the story read, Dua Lipa responded on Instagram. Advertisement “Adds to list of things I never thought would happen in my life”, she wrote, followed by several laughing emojis. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DUA LIPA (@dualipa) In the sketch, one of the characters Isaac’s played was Michael – a school janitor with an unexpected hobby of writing stories. Michael interrupts a writing class and starts to share a story he’s been writing on, called ‘The Apogee Of Midnight.’ The story is about a janitor who is alone a school at midnight before he’s interrupted by a woman who is looking for him. “My name is Dua Lipa,” the woman in the story says. “I’m a big pop star, and I’m looking for a janitor here named Mike.” Advertisement You can see a video of the sketch here: Last week (March… Read More →

06MARNews

Watch Machine Gun Kelly and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes debut new song in LA

Machine Gun Kelly and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes debuted a new song that appears to be called ‘Maybe’ in LA on Friday (March 4). The two musicians made an appearance at the long-running club night Emo Nite at the Avalon in Hollywood. READ MORE: Bring Me The Horizon at the BandLab NME Awards 2022: thrilling metal maximalism Fan-shot footage shows Kelly and Sykes on stage at the event as an unreleased song played over the PA. The pair sang along to parts of the song, which includes lines like “I think I’m broken, nothing can fix me” and “Made up my mind this evening, I’m taking the last, I’m taking the last.” Advertisement “We love you guys,” Kelly told the audience when the song ended. “Can’t wait for the new album, ‘Mainstream Sellout’, out March 25.” Watch fan-shot footage of the moment below. The rapper-turned-pop-punk star has yet to share the official tracklist for his next album, but ‘Maybe’ could join other collabs ‘Ay’ with Lil Wayne and ‘Emo Girl’ with Willow Smith on the record. ‘Ay’ was released this week and sees Wayne reference Guns N’ Roses on his verse. ‘Mainstream Sellout’ was originally due to be called… Read More →

06MARNews

Leonard Cohen estate sells songwriting catalogue to Hipgnosis

Leonard Cohen is the latest artist whose song rights have been bought, after his estate reached a deal with the Hipgnosis Songs Fund for an undisclosed sum. READ MORE: Leonard Cohen, 1934-2016 – The NME obituary According to Rolling Stone, the deal includes all 278 songs that Cohen wrote, including his most popular songs ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Suzanne’, ‘So Long, Marianne’, ‘First We Take Manhattan’ and more. The investment company obtained the “songwriter’s share” of 127 songs from Cohen’s Stranger Music catalogue, which covers the period of the inception of late musician’s career through to the year 2000; derivative works pushes the total to 211 songs. Advertisement Hipgnosis also acquired the ownership of 100 per cent of the copyrights, “publisher’s share” and “songwriter’s share” of royalties of the latter part of his catalogue, spanning from 2001 to his death in 2016. “To now be the custodians and managers of Leonard Cohen’s incomparable songs is a wonderful yet very serious responsibility that we approach with excitement and fully understand the importance of,” Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis said in a statement. “Leonard wrote words and songs that have changed our lives, none more so obvious than ‘Hallelujah’ but there are so many more that we look forward to… Read More →

05MARNews

Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo joins Morgan Evans on ‘Country Outta My Girl’ remix

Weezer‘s Rivers Cuomo has teamed up with Australian country singer Morgan Evans for a remix of the latter’s ‘Country Outta My Girl’ – listen to it below. READ MORE: Weezer: “This album is about feeling isolated, alienated and secluded – it’s perfect for now The country-pop tune, the original of which was released back in September, hears Evans count the ways that his Southern transplant girlfriend has maintained her country roots. “She’s a map dot with a welcome sign/ She’s a truck stop cherry Coke with ice/ Still reppin’ that Bobcat pride/ Still callin’ from an 865/ She’s a ragtop on a hand-me-down Jeep/ She’s a flat rock skippin’ ‘cross a creek/ She’s waffles with the chicken fried/ Hungover from a neon Friday night,” Evans sings on the first verse. Advertisement After Evans promises that “you can’t take the country outta my girl”, Cuomo counters with boasts about his city girl: “She’s a dumb fling with the tofu fried/ She’s an X-Box, on a Friday night/ She doesn’t give a damn about sports/ Not gettin’ in your four by four/ From LAX to BNA, every day/ Yeah, she’s singing.” You can check out the track below: Cuomo recently revealed that he’s built a streaming platform to host thousands of Weezer demos. The tracks were originally… Read More →

05MARNews

Rammstein denounce Russia over “shocking attack” on Ukraine

Rammstein have spoken out in support of the Ukraine in light of the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia. READ MORE: Fire, fireworks and flaming babies: the five hottest moments in Rammstein’s stunning Milton Keynes show It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation last month (February 24). On Friday (March 4), the German band took to social media to post an image of Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag with the Rammstein logo in the middle, showing their support for those affected by the attacks. Advertisement “The band Rammstein wishes to express its support for the nation of Ukraine as it resists the shocking attack perpetrated by the Russian government,” they wrote. “Above all at this moment, we feel particular grief for the suffering of the Ukrainian people. “Each member of the band has various experiences of the two countries; all members of the band have friends, associates, partners, fans in both lands.” Rammstein möchten ihre Unterstützung für das ukrainische Volk zum Ausdruck bringen, das sich gegen den schockierenden… Posted by Rammstein on Friday, March 4, 2022 Their post concluded: “We acknowledge the desperation that many Russian fans… Read More →

05MARNews

Gang Of Four cancel Toronto gig after tour bus catches fire

Gang Of Four cancelled their gig in Toronto, Canada last night (March 4) after their tour bus caught fire. READ MORE: Andy Gill – the NME obituary, 1956-2020: The guitar hero who made radical politics danceable The band are currently in the middle of a North American tour, which has seen former Slint bassist David Pajo joining the band on guitar. Last night, they were set to perform at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, but took to social media to reveal the news that their bus had caught fire and shared photos of firefighters tending to the blaze. It’s currently unclear whether anyone was injured in the incident. TORONTO SHOW UPDATE: Due to an unforeseen incident, where our bus caught fire, the show is regretfully now cancelled and will no longer be taking place tonight at Horseshoe Tavern. Ticket holders will be contacted with more info and we apologize for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/N3vIFVLpJZ — Gang Of Four (@gangof4official) March 4, 2022 Advertisement The jaunt is seeing the group perform live for the first time since the death of Andy Gill in February 2020. The band are currently set to resume the tour tomorrow night (March 6) at the Crystal Ballroom in Somerville, Massachusetts…. Read More →

04MARNews

Madi Diaz shares new version of ‘Forever’ featuring Angel Olsen

Madi Diaz has shared a new version of her track ‘Forever’ which features Angel Olsen – you can hear the song below. The track features on Diaz’s ‘Same History, New Feelings’ EP, which has been released today (March 4) on ANTI-. READ MORE: Angel Olsen – ‘Whole New Mess’ review: raw vulnerability, and kernels of hope The EP is comprised of four reworkings of tracks from Diaz’s 2021 album ‘History Of A Feeling’ and features a host of guest collaborators. Advertisement As well as Olsen, Diaz has also worked with Waxahatchee, Natalie Hemby and Courtney Marie Andrews on the new record. You can hear Diaz and Olsen’s collaboration, ‘Forever (New Feelings Version)’, below. “I’ve been listening as a fan to these four women for quite a while now,” Diaz said in a statement about her new EP. “I’m honoured to call them my friends and to have their voices singing these songs with me is something that I still can’t quite fathom. I’m so thankful for their artistry and their stories giving these songs a whole new world and a whole new life. “To share this earth and make music with them in this lifetime is a treasure and a… Read More →

04MARNews

Prince’s estate respond to Morris Day’s claim that he cannot use The Time band name

Prince‘s estate has responded after the singer Morris Day claimed that he has been prohibited from using the band name The Time by the estate. Day, who regularly collaborated with Prince and still fronts The Time, issued a statement yesterday (March 3) which accused the late musician’s estate of blocking him from using the name Morris Day & the Time “in any capacity”. READ MORE: 10 massive Prince songs that were recorded by other artists “I’ve given 40 years of my life building up a name and legacy that Prince and I came up with,” Day wrote in a statement on Instagram. “A name that while he was alive, he had no problem with me using. I literally put my blood, sweat and tears into bringing value to that name. In fact, he booked me on several tours, and many jam-packed nights at Paisley Park, under the name Morris Day & The Time. Not once ever saying to me that I couldn’t use that name configuration. Advertisement “However, now that Prince is no longer with us, suddenly, the people who control his multi-million dollar estate want to rewrite history by taking my name away from me, thus impacting how I… Read More →