The Skinny • 2nd June 2025

Little Simz - Lotus album review: The Skinny

Little Simz is a trailblazer. Many will have first recognised the London rapper and actor via her Mercury Prize-winning album, 2021's Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. But her journey up to now goes much deeper...

Clash Magazine • 9th May 2025

Next Wave #1133: PUNCHBAG | Next Wave | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

If your current music cycle is feeling a little beige, PUNCHBAG are the perfect remedy to shake things up. The South London sibling duo are made up of Clara Bach and her brother Anders. Their fluorescent brand of energetic pop is infectious. Pair this with their pertinent lyrical focus on the line between digital absurdity and real-life issues becoming ever more obscure, they’ve coined their sound as ‘aggressive hopecore’, which makes for a thrilling concoction...

Clash Magazine • 25th April 2025

Cloth - Pink Silence | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

There aren’t many bands like Cloth. The Glasgow duo – made up of twin siblings Rachael and Paul Swinton – have a knack for being simultaneously dynamic and intimate. Soft vocals, gritty guitars and abstract rhythms pepper across their previous 2023 album ‘Secret Measure’, released on Mogwai’s Rock Action label, which rightly gained critical acclaim for its distinct strain of gently addictive guitar pop...

Clash Magazine • 24th April 2025

"I Just Needed To Live My Purpose" Emma-Jean Thackray Interviewed | Features | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Few modern figures in UK jazz can compare their rise in stature to that of Emma-Jean Thackray. Her individualistic versatility sprawled across her 2021 debut album ‘Yellow’. Its widespread critical acclaim came as no surprise, with appearances on the likes of Later… With Jools Holland soon following and her position as one of the figureheads in UK jazz scene being undeniable...

The Skinny • 1st April 2025

Black Country, New Road - Forever Howlong album review: The Skinny

Many would’ve written off the idea of Black Country, New Road sustaining their buzzy heights of popularity after frontman Isaac Wood left suddenly after their sophomore effort, Ants From Up There. But naysayers should think again. Catalysed by their restless knack for reinvention, BCNR’s new album Forever Howlong proves that the possibilities for this tight bunch remain endless.

The Skinny • 24th March 2025

Sacred Paws - Jump Into Life album review: The Skinny

All good things come in threes, so the saying goes. With the eagerly awaited arrival of Sacred Paws’ third album via Mogwai’s Rock Action label, that sentiment still rings true. The duo of Ray Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers are now older and wiser. So too is their music. Filled with effervescent joy, despite its lyrics of heartbreak and healing, Jump Into Life is pure catharsis in all senses of the word.

The Line of Best Fit • 20th March 2025

Falling Upwards With Sam Akpro | Interview

Transcending his South East London roots as well as the played-out ‘genreless’ tag, Sam Akpro knows exactly who he is and what he’s doing, as Jamie Wilde reports from Peckham.

Clash Magazine • 6th March 2025

Divorce - Drive To Goldenhammer | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Divorce are defying the conventions of what a band can be. Their innate balance of humour and heart-on-sleeve sentiment is magnetic. A sense of otherness in their binary-less band environment provides the beat to their diverse heart. Most importantly, their songs are sensational, and their debut album ‘Drive To Goldenhammer’ exemplifies this to the full.

Clash Magazine • 21st February 2025

Next Wave #1210: Varas | Next Wave | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

When it comes to music and fashion, cycles of what’s come before tend to repeat themselves, but with a newer, modern edge. With his latest EP ‘Eaten by Worms’, Swedish alt-pop artist Varas is bringing back the effortless cool of the late 90s / early 00s. Think of the dark melancholy of Portishead infused with the alt rock of Jean Dawson… Varas sits somewhere amongst here.

Wonderland • 29th January 2025

Alt rock crusaders Momma Hope To Avoid The Rain

Turbulence, chaos, instability… all words that you wouldn’t usually align with new music. Yet, for Brooklyn based alt rock band, Momma, they’ve turned the negative connotations into something much more positive. They’re led by songwriters, guitarists and co-founders, Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, alongside drummer Preston Fulks and bassist turned band producer, mixer and engineer, Aron Kobayashi Ritch...

The Skinny • 27th January 2025

Brooke Combe - Dancing At the Edge of the World review: The Skinny

Scottish soul music, in a mainstream context, has been spearheaded by Paolo Nutini for roughly two decades. Now, it could be time for someone new to take charge. Edinburgh-born Brooke Combe’s artistic journey has already been quite eventful, despite being 24 years old. Yet, her debut album Dancing At the Edge of the World – post-major record deal – shows a maturity far beyond her years.

Clash Magazine • 13th January 2025

Ela Minus - DÍA | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Opening up is never easy – especially for artists. But more often than not, those who have the capacity to scrutinise and share their most personal facets, are those who resonate with listeners on a level of authenticity that matters most. Colombian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Ela Minus, reckons with this on her second album, ‘DÍA’.

The Skinny • 3rd December 2024

The Skinny's Albums of 2024: Charli xcx, Fontaines DC + more

We polled our music team for their favourite albums of the year, and while their individual lists were hugely varied, one bright green record in particular dominated like never before...

The Skinny • 15th November 2024

Warmduscher album review: Too Cold To Hold - The Skinny

You might think that after four albums, it’d be easy to rest on your laurels as a band. For Warmduscher, this is not the case. Their fifth album Too Cold To Hold sees the self-proclaimed “12-legged groove machine” embrace all things new...

The Skinny • 15th October 2024

Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate album review: The Skinny

Kelly Lee Owens’ brand of pop-leaning techno has been gaining her attention since 2017. With her fourth album Dreamstate, the first release on George Daniel of The 1975’s new electronic imprint dh2, the Welsh songwriter, producer and DJ turns to dreaming as her MO, via ten tracks full to the brim with sonic escapism.

The Line of Best Fit • 20th September 2024

Kaeto: "Any artist should be able to try on different hats and create different things" | Interview

From forward-thinking soundscapes to captivating visuals, and even crafting her own sustainable merch with t-shirts from her local charity shop, as Kaeto prepares to release her debut mixtape INTRO, the boundaries to her creative potential are limitless...

Clash Magazine • 16th September 2024

Next Wave #1192: Murdo Mitchell | Next Wave | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Cutting your teeth as a new artist is far from easy. Glaswegian singer songwriter Murdo Mitchell is certainly aware of this. An endearingly honest musician, his home city’s burgeoning troubadour scene has been something of a phenomenon of late, spawning the likes of Scottish superstar Gerry Cinnamon and more recently Dylan John Thomas...

Clash Magazine • 16th September 2024

Son Estrella Galicia Spotlights New Music At Paper Dress Vintage | Live | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Son Estrella Galicia’s showcases have been abundant of late – and for good reason. They’re not just about great food, music and (of course) beers, their ethos spreads much wider; focussing on what it is that brings people together through music...

The Skinny • 4th September 2024

The Dare - What's Wrong With New York? album review: The Skinny

Haven’t heard of The Dare? Well, if you’ve had a ‘Brat Summer’ there’s a good chance you probably have. The suit-clad New York-based artist and producer is the epitome of cool at the minute. From producing Charli XCX and Billie Eilish’s sultry chart-topper Guess to spearheading NYC’s electroclash revival scene with his Freakquencies club nights – or even nostalgically bringing it back to 2007 and sparking up a cig behind the decks – everyone wants a piece of Harrison Patrick Smith.

The Skinny • 4th September 2024

Andrew Wasylyk & Tommy Perman album review - The Skinny

The Tay estuary, situated on Scotland’s east coast, may not quite be as luscious as the Mediterranean. But through the imaginative minds of Dundee-based creatives Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman, anything is possible. Wasylyk’s cinematic aura and Perman’s experimental intuition fuse magically on their debut collaborative album Ash Grey and the Gull Glides On.

Clash Magazine • 13th August 2024

Mal Not Bad – This Is Your Life | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Mal Not Bad (aka Theodora Mallory Fleming-Hauser) is an endearing artist in all true senses of the word. They may seem relatively low-key, but that makes discovering Mal’s music all the better...

Clash Magazine • 16th July 2024

Next Wave #1179: NATI. | Next Wave

Scotland may be relatively small, but its five-and-a-half million inhabitants sure know how to use their voice. From the inimitable rasp of Paolo Nutini to the chart-topping melodies of Lewis Capaldi – or even those twin brothers from Leith who havered about walking 500 miles – Scottish artists have some of the most distinctive voices around. When it comes to NATI., this is most certainly the case.

The Skinny • 15th July 2024

SHHE - DÝRA album review: The Skinny

SHHE’s music is not just transcendental, it is remarkably profound. The Scottish-Portuguese artist and producer based in Dundee (aka Su Shaw), first gained traction through her 2020 self-titled debut album. It showcased SHHE’s vast soundscapes, synths and vocals – akin to The xx – to dazzling effect. However, her new project DÝRA focuses completely on ambient field recordings, putting stillness to the fore in a wholly meditative experience.

Clash Magazine • 4th July 2024

Camille Jansen – The Loose Screws | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Being a distinct artist is becoming harder than ever among today’s saturated pool of musicians. But French-British artist Camille Jansen knows a thing or two about standing out. With Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen soundtracking the road trips of her youth, her innate blend of  folk, country, and experimental rock forms her signature sound...