Clash Magazine • 21st October 2025

dust - Sky Is Falling | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Hailing from an altogether different type of Newcastle (down under) are an exciting new Australian outfit called dust. Their visceral brand of cathartic, confrontational guitar music not only picks up on the coattails of post-punk’s resurgence in recent years, but the four-piece also offer an acute lens of self-inquiry through their lyrics, honed by co-vocalists and guitarists Justin Teale and Gabriel Stove.

Clash Magazine • 10th October 2025

Next Wave #1154: Tough Cookie | Next Wave | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Tough Cookie are more than your average alt-rock band. Currently cutting their teeth among grassroots venues across the country, this Clash writer chats with the band on the last leg of their support tour with punk duo The Pill at Omeara in London.

Clash Magazine • 24th September 2025

"Every Project Feels Like A Bit Of A Reset" Clash Meets Bricknasty | Features | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Multificated, genreless, singular, unique… you’ll have likely seen these descriptions thrown upon every new band or artist cutting through the grain of today’s music industry. But when it comes to Bricknasty, it takes a bit more than buzz words to define what they’re all about.

Clash Magazine • 12th September 2025

Acopia - Blush Response | Reviews | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews

Melbourne/Naarm trio Acopia are not just another band to lump in today’s burgeoning scene of classically shoegazey, modern anxiety-ridden guitar bands. The group walk their fine line of emotional weight and sonic restraint with poise. On album three, ‘Blush Response’, the band delve deeper into vulnerability whilst building on the fluidity of their multifaceted sound.

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...

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.

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’.

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...

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.

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...

Clash Magazine • 18th June 2024

Hermanos Gutiérrez – Sonido Cosmico | Reviews

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

Clash Magazine • 5th June 2024

Next Wave #1172: Pem | Next Wave

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 is extraordinary..

Clash Magazine • 23rd May 2024

Live Report: Jalen Ngonda - KOKO, London | Live

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 ‘Come Around And Love Me’ floats effortlessly from upbeat bops to laid-back grooves with his distinct high pitched tone the star attraction. Hearing Ngonda in the flesh is an altogether more tantalising prospect...

Clash Magazine • 15th May 2024

Ghostly Kisses – Darkroom | Reviews

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 like Ghostly Kisses’ new album ‘Darkroom’ come along, all hope is not lost.

Clash Magazine • 14th May 2024

A Free Spirit: Amen Dunes Interviewed | Features

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) was his most critically revered to date, garnering exceptionally high praise from Pitchfork who named it as one of their best albums of the decade...

Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews • 19th April 2024

Live Report: Fat Dog - Electric Brixton, London | Live

Fat Dog are a propulsive new act in every sense of the word. Their sonic myriad of dance, punk, klezmer and sheer noise is dumbfounding, yet completely exciting. Fresh off the back of a dozen performances (yes, twelve) at SXSW in Texas, the band are swimming in confidence as their highly anticipated headline show at Electric Brixton approaches...

Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews • 18th April 2024

Next Wave #1161: Angus1 | Next Wave

Straddling upbeat electronic music with bags of introspective lyricism, Angus1 is an artist and producer with a sonic palette that defies convention. He may be a newcomer to the scene, but his music feels both refined and forward-thinking. It’s also deeply personal too; his project’s raison d’être became solidified after he confronted lifelong mental health struggles through therapy...

Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews • 11th April 2024

wojtek the bear - Shaking Hands With The NME | Reviews

Glasgow is home to a number of incredible bands and artists. wojtek the bear could be deemed as veterans of their local scene, having formed in 2016 and played numerous festivals across the UK and beyond. They could also be deemed as indie pop revivalists, having gained notable appreciation and played alongside iconic Scottish peers such as Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura. But with their third album ‘shaking hands with the NME’, wojtek the bear are at the top of their game.

Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews • 4th April 2024

"We're A Set Of Five Action Figures!" Gustaf Interviewed | Features

New York City’s hottest post-punk outfit Gustaf are a frenetic delight. Chaos has been their unlikely guiding force. Their first gig was hit by a blizzard, they didn’t even have a name when they first started playing shows. Somehow, it’s all worked out. And since lead singer Lydia Gammill started the band “on a whim” by offering to help her friends drive their van down to SXSW in 2018, with the deal of playing a few shows with them in return, the talented five-piece haven’t looked back since.