Clash Magazine

“Did I just really wish that my ex couldn’t go to see her favourite artist because I was the support act? Yes. Yes I did.” In the aftermath of an EP-inspiring breakup, rather than go to the gym (“I wish it was, but it could never be me”), London-via-Caernarfon singer …

Throughout their career, Halsey has been lots of different things to different people. She was the blue-haired 19-year-old singing about her Brooklyn boyfriend and lilac skies (‘Badlands’); the 23-year-old offering an elaborately stylised ‘Romeo and Juliet’ concept album (‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’); the 25-year-old navigating the blurring lines between Halsey, the …

Each year, as the leaves turn to amber and rust, and your whimsical light-weather jacket puts in its final shifts before Big Coat season, Cardiff is transformed into a metropolis of music’s up, coming, and already mighty acts from far and wide. Across three days and nine stages, artists from …

Charli xcx’s sixth studio album hit 2024 like a runaway train. It was supposed to remain a cult classic: 2022’s ‘Crash’ was Charli’s extravagant bid for the mainstream; ‘brat’ was a return to the club. The now-iconic chartreuse cover was even a budget-conscious decision, made on the assumption that few …

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...

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 …

A ‘Party Rock Anthem’ record for the Indie Sleaze renaissance, The Dare’s hedonistic and uninhibited debut album, ‘What’s Wrong With New York?’ wears an unapologetic attitude towards desire and penchant for feral behaviour.

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...

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 …

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 …

Margo Raats strives for profound connection. For the past two years, the alt-pop singer-songwriter has been working hard on her debut EP, ‘Paper Paradise,’ unwaveringly dedicated to building her own universe, all while studying and working several jobs to make ends meet. Having moved from a ranch in the Belgian …

Instrumental music always invites the listener to engage in acts of imagination. With guitar-slinging duo Hermanos Gutiérrez, the canvas teems with possibilities...

Turning life’s dark moments into cherishable art is one of music’s most powerful qualities. Bristol-based singer-songwriter Pem is acutely aware of this. Her new project ‘Cloud Work’ teems with the pain she experienced after the passing of her father last year. The depth of vulnerability she showcases on the EP …

It’s rare to find a modern artist who embodies all of the talent and soul of the legends who came before them. Jalen Ngonda belongs in this rare breed. From the raspy howls of Marvin Gaye to the tender melodies of Al Green, Ngonda’s voice is extraordinary. His debut album …

Without sounding too esoteric, when you think about it, music is all about bringing people together. It’s easy to forget this sometimes, whilst we’re living amidst the most saturated time in music making history; the points of connection closer than ever, yet somehow feeling ever further apart. But when projects …

Amen Dunes is something of an anomaly. The New York based artist, aka Damon McMahon, is a shapeshifter of sound; a forward-thinker who’s never content on churning out the same product album after album. From Brian Jonestown Massacre style psych rock to folk infused gospel, his previous album ‘Freedom’ (2018) …

Contrary to most K-pop interviews, there are no PR executives watchfully monitoring this Zoom. There is only Eric Nam, frantically trying to find a bench in the streets of New Zealand. Nam has just landed in the country after a whirlwind outing in Europe as part of his House on …

“Highly-anticipated” is a chronically overused phrase in reference to pending music releases, but Dua Lipa’s third album, ‘Radical Optimism’, has had us on the edge of our seats. Does it live up to the hype?

If 2023 was shaped by flux, by a deluge of new music, then the coming 12 months could bear witness to the return of a few icons. Looking at the release schedule, we can already anticipate some massive releases, alongside some much-hyped introductions.

It might seem unexpected to come across Timothée Chalamet in an intimate North London venue on a Tuesday night, but not at a SOFY gig. Here, he’s more of a regular than that old bloke down your local pub. Well, the cardboard version of him is, anyway… Such is SOFY’s …

Walking into SWG3 feels like entering the Berghain of Glasgow’s alternative scene. Dim lights, low ceilings, brutalist architecture and more micro-fringes than you can shake a stick at sets the tone for the night ahead. Delivering the music – scratch that – delivering one of the city’s hottest gigs of …

George Riley is embracing her “Sexy Era”. Doing away with what she terms her “Sad Gurl” phase, the London artist is moving beyond a period of introspection and embodying the uninhibited spirit of a club siren.

Chaos & Commotion… it’s an accurate description for most of our mad, modern lives where things don’t always make sense. In SOFY’s world however, things are a little bit brighter. Navigating moments of transience over the last 18 months with her indelibly tongue-in-cheek tone, the artist’s new mixtape offers a …

Swedish underground artist on her love of alternative culture, signing to a label and her new pop focused music...

The group’s retro-driven pop truly stands out in the era of Dua Lipa’s more commercialised brand of disco.

“Out of all the music I was making, this made me feel the most me.” This is how artist Georgia Notts, one half of New Zealand electronic pop titans BROODS, describes her new solo project Georgia Gets By. Her debut EP ‘Fish Bird Baby Boy’ is due for release on …

London-based alternative rap trio, Frozemode, are quickly gaining a cult following. Formed of I.V. GATLIN, Lisong and Cho-Hollo, their hair-raising, moshpit-inducing live shows at underground UK venues have earned them a place as one of the most hyped homegrown acts this year.

What struck me most when talking to global pop sensation, Madison Beer, was how considered she was with her answers; how diplomatic. Not that Madison’s graciousness should come as any surprise, but cynics might attribute this to effective media training. Personally, I think that does Madison a disservice. After years …

“For the average lover, heartbreak isn’t a stranger.” It’s with this sentiment that Mnelia created her latest EP, ‘Closure Tapes’, her “heartbreak bible.”

Friends of The Last Dinner Party, Dream Wife and even Wolf Alice who they toured with last year, Glasgow’s Lucia & The Best Boys are cementing their status as one of the UK’s hottest bands. They’ve been in no rush to rise to the top; forming eight years ago, this …