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Sam Shields: Start Over

on March 31, 2023

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New release horizon scanner:

11/1/25 - Rosie Gault: Dim lights
29/1/25 - Dictator: Middle of the road (EP)
7/2/25 - Arliston: Disappointment machine (Album)
28/2/25 - Hachiku: The joys of being pure at heart (Album(

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Amber Saqladi: Becoming a modern-day Siren [Interview]

Amber Saqladi began her journey as a song-writer scribbling poetry at age seven, before graduating to writing songs with a felt-tipped pen on sheets of A3 paper. But it took some time for this pastime to evolve into a way of life. "It's always been something I've done but it was never anything I really took seriously growing up. I was a very academic kid, so that's what I expected to do," Amber explains. By 15, though, she had started writing music more seriously, and gigging. "Since then, it's become undeniable that that's the thing I enjoy the most - being able to be creative, and be academic at the same time," she says. Amber quickly established herself as a familiar name on the music scene in her home town of Leicester, where she also recorded her first three singles at HQ Studios . "The music scene in Leicester is absolutely lovely - it's very community based. I can always count on the other musicians there to support me, and I...

William The Conqueror + Chloe Foy: The Big Difference, Leicester [Live]

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Dry Cleaning: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham [Live]

To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a Dry Cleaning live performance - Would that deadpan delivery from Florence Shaw, and the toned down post-punk/alt vibes translate? Would the songs be engaging enough to carry the audience along through a full set? Simply put - yes. It all worked really well. The music sounded much heavier when played live and the musicianship of the band members was really clear to see and hear. One thing that stood out to me in particular was the drumming from Nick Buxton: this came across as several times more exciting, and much more organic - it was a more prominent part of the band's songs as compared with the studio versions, and (as an ex drummer myself) I welcomed that. The guitar work from Tom Dowse was fantastic, too. You could see and feel the energy and effort that he put in, and there were some great moments when he was the sole focus during extended solos. Meanwhile Lewis Maynard provided growling, chunky bass sounds, underpi...

Headless Heroes: True Love Will Find You in the End

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