Peter Shep

Primavera Sound on bringing the festival from Barcelona to Los Angeles: “The cities might be different but the vibes are shared”

Alfonso Lanza, co-director of Primavera Sound, has spoken with NME about bringing the Barcelona music festival stateside, the biggest challenges they faced coordinating the event in the US, and what he’s most excited about for Primavera’s first Los Angeles edition. READ MORE: Primavera Sound Los Angeles 2022 – phenomenal photos from the festival’s California debut Primavera first announced they’d be bringing the festival from Spain to the US back in 2019. However, both the 2020 and 2021 festivals were cancelled due to coronavirus-enforced restrictions. Finally, last weekend (September 16 – 18), the festival made its Los Angeles debut, with Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails, and Lorde topping the bill. “Los Angeles opens the doors to a whole new season abroad,” Lanza told NME. “We’re really looking forward to a special year.” Advertisement Primavera Sound Los Angeles CREDIT: Kevin Condon Though this is the first time the Mediterranean festival has made its way to the states, the team behind Primavera have continued to expand the festival since its start in Barcelona back in 2001. Following more than a decade of success, the festival expanded to Porto in 2012 and has continued to launch new editions in Santiago, São Paulo, and Buenos… Read More →

26SEPNews

Suede have already started writing “much more experimental” new album

Suede have already started working on a “much more experimental” new album, the band have revealed in a new interview. The band released their latest album ‘Autofiction’ last week (September 23), their ninth record in their career so far. READ MORE: Suede: “I’d love to think that our most daring work is ahead of us” Speaking to NME for the latest In Conversation video, Suede revealed they had already begun working on the follow-up. Asked if their latest record marks the start of a new era for the band, frontman Brett Anderson said: “I don’t know. The next record that we’re planning to write, and have already started, is much more experimental. Advertisement “I don’t really know if there’s an arc with [‘Autofiction’]. I’m not seeing it as a selection of albums. You just have to do it one at a time, really. I do think of those three records as [being] together, especially ‘Night Thoughts’ and ‘The Blue Hour’, but the next record will be completely different.” Suede, 2022. Credit: Dean Chalkley He continued to say that their next album could see them returning to Suede at their most experimental. “I’d love to think that our most daring work is… Read More →

26SEPNews

Mel C: “Margaret Thatcher was not the original Spice Girl”

Mel C has given her view on comments made by her bandmate Geri Halliwell in 1996 in which she dubbed Margaret Thatcher “the first Spice Girl”. Halliwell told the Spectator 26 years ago: “We Spice Girls are true Thatcherites. Thatcher was the first Spice Girl, the pioneer of our ideology – Girl Power.” READ MORE: Melanie C – ‘Melanie C’ review: a celebration of self-acceptance from one of the queens of girl power However, Mel C has now denied that the whole band felt the same way as Halliwell about the divisive figure. “Abbbbbsolutely not!” Sporty Spice told the Independent. “Geri, in the past, was very vocal about her support for Margaret Thatcher. I’m from Liverpool. It was a name that was not celebrated in that region.” Advertisement She added: “They were never the thoughts or feelings that I shared. People knowing me, from the things I do, are quite aware of what kind of person I am. I don’t think people think I’m a raging Tory!” Melanie C performing a DJ set at Glastonbury 2022. Credit: Harry Durrant/Getty Images The star continued to say that because the interview made it seem like the whole group shared Halliwell’s position, she had… Read More →

25SEPNews

Taylor Swift reportedly turns down 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show

Taylor Swift has reportedly turned down the chance to perform the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The high-profile slot – which was taken in 2022 by an all-star cast of Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar – will take place in Arizona on February 12 next year, and recent reports hinted that Swift was set to perform. However, new reports in TMZ and People suggest that the singer was asked to perform at the show, but has declined the offer in order to continue re-recording her back catalogue. Advertisement In 2019, Swift confirmed her plans to re-record songs from her first six records in a bid to take control over her music once again after music manager Scooter Braun and his media holding company, Ithaca Holdings LLC, acquired Swift’s old label, Big Machine Label Group, back in June 2019. So far, she has released ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ and ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ with a host of outtakes and unreleased songs, while also sharing a re-recorded version of ‘1989’ track ‘Wildest’s Dreams’ as part of a trailer for DreamWorks film Spirit Untamed. Taylor Swift performs onstage during NSAI 2022 Nashville Songwriter Awards. Credit: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images Alongside the continuation of the re-recording project, Swift will also release… Read More →

24SEPNews

Poppy shares new song ‘FYB’ from upcoming EP ‘Stagger’

Poppy has announced full details of new EP ‘Stagger’ and shared its first preview – listen to ‘FYB’ below. READ MORE: Poppy on her new EP ‘Stagger’: “I just feel like it’s a mini-chapter in my life” The singer has signed to Republic Records for the new release, which is set to land on October 14. Speaking to NME about ‘Stagger’ backstage at Reading Festival last month, Poppy announced that the four-track EP, which follows her acclaimed 2021 album ‘Flux’ would be out by October. Advertisement “Well the EP is consisting of four songs and I just feel like they are a mini-chapter in my life,” she told NME. “I wrote the songs in December of last year, so it’s taken them a moment to come out and I’m really excited about it.” Listen to ‘FYB’ below. Later this year, Poppy will head out on the UK leg of her ‘Never Find My Place’ world tour, which has been running since March. Ahead of the UK tour, Poppy will support on select dates of The Smashing Pumpkins‘ and Jane’s Addiction‘s 32-date US arena tour, which kicks off in Dallas on October 2. You can see the full list of UK dates below… Read More →

24SEPNews

Listen to Courtney Barnett cover Sleater-Kinney’s ‘Words And Guitar’

Sleater-Kinney have confirmed details of the forthcoming ‘Dig Me Out’ covers album – listen to Courtney Barnett‘s version of ‘Words And Guitar’ below. READ MORE: Sleater-Kinney – ‘Path of Wellness’ review: rockers take direct route in tackling our plight The album, a full-length, covers-based recreation of the rock trio’s 1997 album, was first touted earlier this year, with the likes of St. Vincent, Wilco, The Linda Lindas and TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe confirmed to contribute. Now, the record has been given a title (‘Dig Me In: A Dig Me Out Covers Album’) and release date (October 21) as well as a full tracklist being revealed. Advertisement In a statement, Sleater-Kinney said: “The artists who appear on ‘Dig Me In’ have not so much covered the 13 original songs, but reinterpreted and reimagined them. “Through added layers or the subtraction of guitars and drums, they provide a new way into the songs. Fresh rage, joy, pain, reclamation, slyness, and longing. Other interpretations slow down or stretch out the songs, trading urgency for contemplation, weariness or even a hint of ease.” Listen to Courtney Barnett’s version of ‘Words And Guitar’ and see the full tracklist for ‘Dig Me In: A Dig Me Out Covers… Read More →

23SEPNews

Dua Lipa and Monica Lewinsky discuss women’s rights on ‘At Your Service’ podcast

Dua Lipa and Monica Lewinsky have discussed women’s rights in the first episode of season two of the pop star’s podcast, Dua Lipa: At Your Service. The podcast is the companion to Lipa’s Service95 newsletter, which provides readers with a weekly curation of recommendations, stories, and perspectives. READ MORE: Dua Lipa live in Manchester: ‘Future Nostalgia’ victory lap confirms her place as a pop colossus In the first episode of the new season of At Your Service, the pop star was joined by Monica Lewinsky, an activist who became infamous in the ‘90s after it was revealed that then-president Bill Clinton had an affair with her while she was an intern at the White House. During the episode, the pair discussed a range of topics, from cyberbullying to being defined by one incident in your life. Advertisement They also spoke about women’s rights during the episode, with Lipa saying: “I think, for a lot of things, even how you said with Roe versus Wade and everything that’s happening with women’s reproductive rights, I feel like we’re taking more than two steps forward and one step back, we’re taking 10 steps backwards and we’re holding on for dear life hoping that something… Read More →

23SEPNews

Phoenix on “crucial” late producer Philippe Zdar: “He was joy and chaos; a whirlwind”

Phoenix have paid tribute to Philippe Zdar, the late composer and producer who worked with the band throughout their career. Zdar died in 2019 after he suffered an accidental fall from a rooftop in Paris. He was 52 years old. READ MORE: Phoenix: “We’ve had fun breaking the rules throughout our career” Speaking to NME for this week’s Big Read cover story, the band reflected on their creative relationship with Zdar, paying tribute to the music industry legend and French house pioneer. Advertisement “He was joy and chaos; a whirlwind,” frontman Thomas Mars said. “A producer that you dream of working with. I’m sure that any band that worked with Phillippe came out of it stronger. You can not split after you work with Philippe: he’s a great producer and therapist.” Phoenix on the cover of NME While Zdar did not officially work on every album that Phoenix have released so far, when he wasn’t mixing or producing their records, he offered the band advice. Despite his death, they told NME that his presence could still be felt during the sessions. “He was here in a way, more than ever on this album,” guitarist Christian Mazzalai said. “The first song we… Read More →

22SEPNews

Stormzy returns with epic new single ‘Mel Made Me Do It’, cameo-packed video

Stormzy has returned with his first solo outing in almost three years: an epic, seven-minute declaration of his legend status – featuring a guest verse from Stylo G and a striking monologue by Wretch 32 (narrated by actress Michaela Coel) – titled ‘Mel Made Me Do It’. READ MORE: Stormzy live at Reading Festival 2021: festival return is another rockstar moment The track stands out with its minimalistic, progressive instrumental, buzzing along with sharp 808 beats and modulated string-work while Stormzy’s vicious flow keeps in the spotlight. Wretch 32’s monologue adds an emotional weight to the track, as Coel intones with a poignant gravitas: “Today, we speak about foundation. Many great Black influential giants have touched people, from soul to soul, throughout many generations. “It’s often ‘greatness’ comes to mind, but footballing legends like make Ian Wright greatness come to sight. Our DNA empowers us. We can make a song and dance out of everything. Our genes are enriched – it seems there is not a seam out of place in our fabric…” Advertisement ‘Mel Made Me Do It’ arrives alongside an 11-minute music video directed by KLVDR, fusing multiple storylines and showcasing over 35 cameos. Among those include the likes… Read More →

22SEPNews

Floating Points drop sizzling new single ‘Problems’

Floating Points – aka Sam Shepherd – has dropped a new single titled ‘Problems’, accompanied by an official music video. READ MORE: Field Day 2022 review: the past, present and future of electronic music The track sees Shepherd collaborate with creative studio Hamill Industries (Pablo Barquín and Anna Diaz) on the official music video. Taking its lead from the electric pulses established in their prior collaborations on music videos for singles ‘Vocoder’ and ‘Grammar’, ‘Problems’ uses, according to a press release, “a technique called Vector Rescanning, they transform video into sound and turn it into a vector image, all in real-time”. Advertisement Watch the dance-focused video for ‘Problems’ below: “‘Problems’ is meant to agitate every single room that its ecstatic sound waves reach”, Hamill Industries said. “We wanted to celebrate it with movement and dance and reshape it through sound, by using techniques that allow the sonification of images. “It was important that this video shaped the electrical feeling you get when being on a dancefloor, the urge of dancing when sound waves reach your ears.” As well as the release of ‘Problems’, Shepherd will also perform a headline set at London’s newest venue, Here, on New Year’s Day (Sunday… Read More →

22SEPNews

Jessie Reyez announces ‘YESSIE’ UK tour dates for 2023

Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez has announced she’ll be touring the UK early next year – find tickets here. READ MORE: Jessie Reyez: “Death is a big part of who I am” Named after her latest album, The YESSIE Tour will be a limited run, kicking off on Saturday January 28 at Birmingham’s O2 Institute, followed by performances at Manchester’s Academy 2 and London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Presale tickets are already available, with general sale tickets going live here at 7pm BST tomorrow (Friday September 23). Advertisement The follow-up to the artist’s 2020 debut album ‘Before Love Came To Kill Us’, ‘YESSIE’ dropped last Friday (September 16), featuring three singles, ‘Fraud’, ‘Mutual Friend’ and ‘Only One’. Last year saw Reyez release the standalone single ‘Rain’, a collaboration with alt-rock artist and fellow Canadian Grandson. A surprise extended edition of ‘Before Love Came To Kill Us’, released in September 2020, featured two previously unheard tracks, ‘Sugar At Night’ and ‘No One’s In The Room’. Upon its release, ‘Before Love Came To Kill Us’ was awarded a four-star review by NME‘s Rhian Daly, who noted how Reyez “isn’t messing around in this death and mortality-obsessed record about the dark side of love”…. Read More →

22SEPNews

Ghost’s ‘Mary On A Cross’ enters Billboard Hot 100 after going viral on TikTok

Ghost‘s song ‘Mary On A Cross’ has entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart after going viral on TikTok. The track was originally released in 2019 as part of the Swedish band’s ‘Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic’ EP, which also features ‘Kiss The Go-Goat’. READ MORE: Ghost – ‘Impera’ review: Swedish metallers go bigger than ever As Consequence notes, there’s been a resurgence of ‘Mary…’ recently after someone on TikTok used a slow version of the song to soundtrack a Stranger Things-themed video. Since then, the cut has been added to over 10,000 clips on the site. Additionally, a video Ghost posted on their own page has racked up more than 75million views. The hashtag #maryonthecross, meanwhile, has received approximately 806million plays on TikTok at the time of writing. Last month, Ghost shared an official slowed-down version of ‘Mary On A Cross’ with added reverb on streaming services. The original single has now debuted at Number 90 in the latest Hot 100 update. According to Billboard, ‘Mary…’ registered six million US

22SEPNews

Queens Of The Stone Age reissue debut album alongside ‘Like Clockwork’ and ‘Villains’ with limited edition vinyl and more

Queens Of The Stone Age have announced reissues of three albums: their 1998 self-titled debut, their 2013 record ‘Like Clockwork‘ and their most recent album, 2017’s ‘Villains‘. READ MORE: The roots of… Queens Of The Stone Age Limited edition vinyl including special colour vinyl pressings will be available as well as exclusive new and restored artwork, posters and more. ‘Queens Of The Stone Age’ is reissued digitally today (September 22), with a vinyl release to follow on October 21. Restored to its original tracklist and adorned by the long out-of-print original Frank Kozik artwork, the reissue will feature an obi-strip designed by longtime collaborator Boneface and will be available on standard black and limited edition opaque orange vinyl. Both releases are available direct from Queens Of The Stone Age’s store, Matador Records and at select independent retailers. Advertisement On December 9, ‘Like Clockwork’ and ‘Villains’ will be reissued. ‘Like Clockwork’ will be a fresh recut from its original master tapes with alternate artwork and obi-strip from Boneface with a limited opaque aqua vinyl pressing available direct from Queens Of The Stone Age and Matador Records, as well as a limited red vinyl pressing available at other retailers. Reissues of the… Read More →

22SEPNews

Matty Healy doesn’t want The 1975 to be as big as Foo Fighters

Matty Healy has said that he doesn’t want The 1975 to be as big as Foo Fighters. READ MORE: The 1975 live at Reading Festival 2022: “It’s. Just. Fucking. Bangers” During a recent interview with Music Week, the ’75 frontman spoke about not feeling the need to achieve a hit single. “If I started caring about that now it would fucking stink,” he told the outlet. “I said this ages ago, everyone wants us to become a huge rock band and we want to become a small emo band.” Advertisement Healy continued: “If we become Burial, I’m way happier with that than [becoming as big as] fucking Foo Fighters, do you know what I mean? I love the Foo Fighters, but I couldn’t do that. “It’s funny, there’s something about me that is very poppy and the stuff that comes out is poppy, but the references never are.” Later in the conversation Healy said that The 1975 had “been offered all the wrong things for the right money” (he recently spoke of his decision to turn down a lucrative deal to support Ed Sheeran). “I’ve never taken [those offers], and it’s not that I’m proud of myself, but that part… Read More →

22SEPNews

Watch Rico Nasty set a car alight in music video for ‘Gotsta Get Paid’

Rico Nasty has shared the music video for ‘Gotsta Get Paid’, which is taken from her seventh mixtape, ‘Las Ruinas‘. READ MORE: Rico Nasty – “I definitely resonate with being a pop-punk princess” In the Moshpxt-directed clip the rapper is seen hanging out at the edge of a cliff, setting a car on fire and walking through a forest at night while singing to to her song. Watch the video for the 100 Gecs co-produced song below. ‘Las Ruinas’ is the latest release by Nasty. It follows her debut album, 2020’s ‘Nightmare Vacation’, and her 2018 and 2019 mixtapes ‘Nasty’ and ‘Anger Management’. Advertisement The mixtape also features the previously released single ‘Vaderz‘ featuring Bktherula. Reviewing the release in July, NME‘s Dhruva Balram said: “‘Las Ruinas’ sparkles at times across its 17 tracks. In her usual fashion, the Maryland rapper and singer borrows varying elements from post-punk, indie rock, guitar-driven music, hip-hop and jazz, and successfully mashes them together in her singular way. “But the second half of the project relies on a club-heavy sound which ultimately falls flat, as she strays away from the formulas that have developed her signature sound and into territory which she sounds uncomfortable within.” In… Read More →

22SEPNews

Alice Glass shuts herself out on melancholic new single ‘Lips Apart’

Midway through her ‘Trauma Bond’ tour of North America, Alice Glass has shared the studio version of ‘Lips Apart’, a song she’s performed on all dates of it thus far: READ MORE: Alice Glass: “I never thought I would be talking openly like this… about anything” The song was co-produced by Matt Radd and Jupiter Io, the latter of whom also largely co-wrote and produced Glass’ debut solo album, ‘PREY//IV’. It marks the first new music that Glass has released since the album was released back in February, however it predates much of the material that made it onto the album – per setlist.fm, she’s been performing the song live since 2018. It’s one of Glass’ more downbeat songs, contrasting sharp trap beats and glittering Auto-Tune with the artist’s melancholic delivery and gloomy atmospherics. Advertisement Like several of Glass’ releases over the past few years, ‘Lips Apart’ touches on themes of trauma, abuse and isolation. She sings in the first verse: “Leave me alone, I will never belong / Leave me in the room where my feelings won’t thaw / Don’t look at me now, I’m a scratch, I’m a flaw / A gangrenous limb that will soon be cut off.” Have… Read More →

21SEPNews

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine responds to viral TikTok alleging affair

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine has shared a statement responding to a recent viral TikTok alleging that he had an affair. Earlier this week, Levine was accused in a TikTok video by Instagram model Sumner Stroh of having an affair with her. “At the time, I was young, I was naive, and, I mean, quite frankly, I feel exploited,” she said. “I was having an affair with a man who’s married to a Victoria’s Secret model,” the message began. Stroh went on to allege that she and Levine were in a relationship for a year, and that after they stopped seeing each other, Levine – who is expecting his third child with wife Behati Prinsloo – allegedly sent her a message saying: “OK serious question. I’m having another baby and if it’s a boy I really wanna name it Sumner. You okay with that? DEAD serious.” Responding on his Instagram Stories, Levine wrote: “A lot is being said about me right now and I want to clear the air. I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner. I did not have an affair; nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable… Read More →

20SEPNews

Check out the setlists from New Order and Pet Shop Boys’ joint North American tour

New Order and Pet Shop Boys kicked off their joint North American tour over the weekend – see footage, pictures and the setlists from their opening night below. READ MORE: How New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ changed music forever The British synthpop titans’ tour got underway at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on Saturday (September 17) following delays due to the COVID pandemic. The Unity Tour’s revised dates include guest DJ Paul Oakenfold and take in an additional date at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York. Head here for any remaining tickets. Advertisement New Order opened their set on Saturday with ‘Regret’ and wrapped with a cover of Joy Division‘s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’. Pet Shop Boys, meanwhile, opened with ‘Surburbia’ before closing with ‘Being Boring’. The duo also played several covers including Gwen McCrae’s ‘You Were Always On My Mind’ and Sterling Void’s ‘It’s Alright’. New Order played: ‘Regret’ ‘Age Of Consent’ ‘Restless’ ‘Ceremony’ ‘Your Silent Face’ ‘The Perfect Kiss’ ‘Be A Rebel’ ‘Subculture’ ‘1963’ ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ ‘True Faith’ ‘Blue Monday’ ‘Temptation’ ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (Joy Division cover) Pet Shop Boys played: ‘Suburbia’ ‘Can You Forgive Her?’ ‘Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money)’ ‘Where The Streets Have No… Read More →

19SEPNews

Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger says we’ve all been saying his name wrong

Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger has revealed that fans have been saying his name wrong for years. READ MORE: Nickelback: all the times they’ve been banned, hounded and weaponised According to Kroeger, his second name is not pronounced as it appears and it is in fact spoken like iconic horror villain Freddy Krueger in The Nightmare On Elm Street franchise. “It’s [Kroo-ger], don’t trust the internet,” he told Loudwire. Advertisement The frontman went on to say that he has never corrected interviewers or hosts because he didn’t want to appear rude. “If I just stop and go, ‘Actually, it’s Kroo-ger,’ I’m gonna look like such a dick. So I’m just like whatever, I don’t care,” he said. He recalled that one of the few times it was corrected was in a 2004 interview alongside Alice In Chains‘ Jerry Cantrell, in which the guitarist corrected the interviewer’s pronunciation. “I sort of looked over at Jerry, and he goes, ‘It’s your name, dude. That is your last name. Tell that dude across there how to say it properly so that he stops saying it wrong into that microphone and misinforming people. That is your last name, brother,’” Kroeger said. “And I was like, ‘Wow… Read More →

19SEPNews

Joesef announces debut album ‘Permanent Damage’ with single ‘Joe’

Scottish singer Joesef has announced details of his debut album, ‘Permanent Damage’ – listen to first single ‘Joe’ below. The record is set to land on January 13, 2023 via AWAL, and follows his ‘Does It Make You Feel Good?’ EP from 2020. READ MORE: Joesef: Scottish soul-pop hero turning vulnerability into a rallying cry Discussing the album, Joesef said: “I’ve always found it quite difficult to find peace in myself. Always moving, always thinking, always dreaming, always searching. Until I started making music it was the more destructive aspects of my personality that took over in order to cope with an ever changing landscape of feeling I couldn’t maintain control of.” Advertisement He added: “Permanent Damage is about fighting in the street on the way home, kissing in the taxi, having nothing to say in the morning. Holding grief in your hands and carrying it with you indefinitely. There is a permanence in what we went through together and it’s affected the way I carry myself and the way I see the world. It’s about grieving for a version of myself that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get back.” Watch his video for ‘Joe’ below. Next… Read More →

19SEPNews

BLACKPINK add new dates to 2022 North American tour

BLACKPINK have added a number of extra dates to the North American leg of their 2022 ‘Born Pink World Tour’. READ MORE: BLACKPINK enter a world-conquering era with unapologetic new single ‘Pink Venom’ The South Korean group are scheduled to kick off in North America at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on October 25, with an extra date now added at the same venue on October 26. The K-pop four-piece are also adding extra dates at the Toyota Center in Houston on October 30, Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on November 3, and the Banc Of California Stadium in Los Angeles on November 20. Advertisement The ‘Born Pink’ tour dates will then resume at London’s The O2 on November 30 and December 1. It then moves to Barcelona, Spain; Cologne, Germany; Paris, France; Copenhagen, Denmark, and Berlin, Germany before closing at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands on December 22. Tickets went on general sale last Friday (September 16), the same day as the release of their second studio album ‘Born Pink’. See full North American dates below and find any remaining tickets here. #BLACKPINK WORLD TOUR [BORN PINK] NORTH AMERICALOS ANGELES ADDITIONAL SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT ▶More info: https://t.co/THL38keAqi#블랙핑크 #WORLDTOUR #BORNPINK #NORTH_AMERICA… Read More →