Behind The Noise

Singer-songwriter BLANKS released his debut EP 'cheap sodas and ice cream kisses' in August, drawing on his love of 80s era pop and dance to deliver a summer-infused indie-pop record. Lead single 'Favorite Nightmare' was written with the input of BLANKS' Instagram following, who picked their favourite melodies and suggested lyrical topics, resulting in an upbeat exploration of, in his own words, "a relationship which had its moments, but wasn’t good for both sides." We caught up with BLANKS to find out more...

Northern Ireland's CATALAN! (the project of Ewen Friers) caught our attention with his lively mix of indie, post-rock, and post-punk on debut album 'Veritas'. Ahead of the release CATALAN! revealed the catchy 'Fortune', a fitting track that "echoes how we consume the world through social media." We caught up with Friers to find out more about 'Fortune', including the writing process, themes, the accompanying music video and more. 

Germany's Blackout Problems are delivering an important message with their new single 'MURDERER', one that asks us to "always be peaceful and treat everybody with respect and love." The track is a powerful introduction to the band's forthcoming album 'DARK', which will be released in early 2021 via Sony Music/Music For Nations. We caught up with the band to find out more about 'MURDERER', including the writing process, themes, accompanying visuals and more. 

Last week legendary grindcore pioneers Napalm Death released their sixteenth album 'Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism' to high acclaim, continuing to push the boundaries of heavy music with their far-reaching and multi-layered approach. In the run up to the release the band revealed a video for their hard-hitting single 'A Bellyful of Salt and Spleen', which highlights the ignorance of many against those who traverse continents in search of sanctuary. We caught up with vocalist Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway to find out more, including the writing process, themes, and behind-the-scenes stories. 

Exciting newcomers MULTIBEAM have made a bold entrance with their debut single 'Dimitri', exploring temptation and hedonism through a blend of Brit, glam and desert rock. We caught up with guitarist/frontman Jonny Cosmonaut to find out more about 'Dimitri', including the writing process, themes and behind the scenes stories. 

Brand new band aliensdontringdoorbells are crossing boundaries of geo-locations and genres with their latest single 'Story', a song about cherishing your time on earth and celebrating all stages of life. We caught up with the band to find out more, including their writing process, themes and the single's accompanying music video, which was filmed in the Ukrainian countryside. 

Formed in 2019, pop-rock newcomers The UMA bonded over a love of the same music and shared ambitions. Following the release of 'Working For It' and 'Wake Up', the trio's most recent single 'Fire' (and the first song they ever wrote together) is another infectious head-bopper with a soaring chorus, acting as an important reminder that you should never give up. We caught up with The UMA to find out more about the single including its themes, the writing process and behind the scenes stories. 

Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jonny Ong blends jazz, folk and rock in his latest single 'Fools', an emotional track about lost love that also pays homage to The Beatles. We caught up with Jonny to find out more about the track and accompanying video, including the writing process, themes and behind the scenes stories. 

German indie-rock quartet KID DAD have revealed a video for their brand new single 'Limbo', a taste of their forthcoming debut album 'In A Box'. Written on a trip that vocalist Marius Vieth took to London, the track sees a collaboration with Welsh singer-songwriter Sarah Howells (Bryde) and is about being “caught between uncertainty and fear, searching for something real to hold on to, in search of hope,” in particular highlighting the surge of domestic violence cases amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We caught up with vocalist Marius Vieth to find out more, including the writing process, themes and accompanying video. 

PATRÓN, the desert groove rock project fronted by Loading Data frontman Lo (aka PATRÓN), made their mark last month with the release of their self-titled debut album. In the run up to the release PATRÓN revealed a series of live sessions, the last ever to be recorded at Alain Johannes' legendary studio 11AD in Los Angeles where the band's album was produced. Featuring Nick Oliveri on bass, Joey Castillo on drums, Aurélien Barbolosi on guitar, Lo Patrón on vocals and electronics, and also Alain Johannes on guitar, we caught up with the frontman himself to find out more about the second single from the album, 'Who Do You Dance For?'.