Good morning! I'll keep it brief this week and just regale you with our many splendid features (there are A LOT). Did you catch Kate Solomon's interview with The Darkness last Saturday? Brilliant read. We had a New Sensations chat from Hannah Ewens with Chloe Moriondo, who channels the grief over a messy breakup into her new album, oyster. Mark Beaumont did a fantastic deep-dive into Justin Bieber's often overlooked legacy, as his debut album turns 15. Fascinated by psychology, Ian Leslie found much to sink his teeth into in the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Nick Duerden spoke with him about his new, critically acclaimed book exploring pop music's most tumultuous, competitive and ultimately loving friendship. Then there's Jim Farber's interview with The Waterboys' Mike Scott about his wild life and the subject of his new album, Dennis Hopper. For today, Hannah spoke to singer-songwriter Samia ahead of the release of her fascinating third album, Bloodless. And keep an eye out tomorrow for our Saturday Interview with Teddy Swims by yours truly - we chatted about his recent second album, I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), getting ready to become a father for the first time, and why he's glad that he's experiencing fame now, not a couple of years ago. Have a fab and sunshine-filled weekend all! |
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| Written by Roisin O'Connor |
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Pioneering rock band Skunk Anansie will headline The Independent's stage at The Great Escape Festival this year.
The performance will mark the only chance fans have to see the band in an intimate club setting as part of their upcoming sold-out UK tour, and a week ahead of the release of their hugely anticipated new album, The Painful Truth.
Meanwhile, The Independent is returning for the third consecutive year as The Great Escape's exclusive news partner, bringing readers the latest coverage of the event along with interviews and special offers. Adam Ryan, Head of Music, The Great Escape, comments: "We are thrilled to continue our partnership with The Independent for this year's festival. With their shared commitment to celebrating groundbreaking talent, this collaboration allows us to amplify the reach of both the festival and the conference. "We're especially excited to announce that the iconic Skunk Anansie will perform on their stage, bringing an electrifying energy to our already diverse lineup." |
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Subscribe to the official Now Hear This playlist on Apple Music and stay up to date with all the best new releases 1. "Sweet Danger" - Obongjayar 2. "Everybody's Trying to Figure Me Out" - Haim 3. "Potion" - Djo Stream over 100 million songs with no ads. Get one month free of Apple Music*
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The real geniuses have a way of stopping time so that in one instant you can feel infinity |
Carlos Santana to The Independent, March 2025 |
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I felt really lost. I didn't feel like I was adding anything. My confidence was low. All I'd ever wanted to be was a pop star and I was miserable |
Louise to The Independent, March 2025 |
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I was trying to marry my upbringing with the jazz hands with poetry, which was my true love, and that's being a singer-songwriter |
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Spotlight on... Tugboat Captain |
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Hello! Tell me about yourselves |
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Hi, we're Tugboat Captain! We're a DIY Baroque-Pop band from South London. We've been making music together for nearly 8 years and have gone from skronky lo-fi bedroom recordings to slightly less skronky studio recordings. We're a recovering guitar band and our new music is far more driven by the extensive instrumental depth of the band beyond electric guitars! We now work out of the recording studio we built in South Bermondsey, Ctrl P. Two members of the band are full-time producers, so our music has inevitably moved its focus towards something more 'studio'. We're professionally DIY in so much as we do everything ourselves, from putting out records, recording music, doing our art and booking tours. |
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What are your inspirations and influences? |
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As a band we've been inspired by a wide range of music, from the glossy 70's pop of Barry Manilow to the dynamic folk rock of Big Thief. We get very excited about expansive arrangements and capturing the energy of live performance on record. We think this new record is maybe somewhere in between Andy Shauf and Black Country New Road. We spent a lot of time thinking about the idea of making more 'adult pop' ahead of our new album 'Dog Tale' whilst also maintaining a very grounded, intimate English wit. Harry Nilsson and The Divine Comedy are big influences on the new record and Guided By Voices have always been a big influence on the way we've made music - these days less so in the sound but more in the process and ways of making. |
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What do you have lined up for 2025? |
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We've already begun rolling out singles from our new album 'Dog Tale' which is out on April 25th. We're very excited to share this music with people as we think it's a big leap forward for the band into a really exciting and interesting new direction. It's an album about adult relationships, domesticity and dogs. We think it sounds great and it could be a classic! Once the album comes out we're hitting the road through April/May/June to do our first UK tour in five years. We'll also be hitting the road in Europe after the summer but that's yet to be announced! We reckon we're going to get another album recorded at some point over the summer too. We wrote and recorded 'Dog Tale' in just a week and reckon we're ready to do the same thing again - just as soon as this album is released! |
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