March 2025 – 1st 3 MAGAZINE

Jordan Davis – Building On Success

31st March 2025

Award-winning, Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Jordan Davis released his brand new track “Bar None” on Friday, the next single off his highly anticipated next album expected later this year.

Produced by Paul DiGiovanni and written by Hunter Phelps, Lydia Vaughn, and Ben Johns, “Bar None” follows his latest No. 1 hit, “I Ain’t Sayin’”, which topped the UK Country Radio Airplay chart for eight weeks and marked both Davis’ first single and his first No. 1 off his new album in both the US and UK.

The new album follows Davis’ Platinum-selling breakthrough album Bluebird Days, which produced four consecutive No. 1 singles (“What My World Spins Around”, “Tucson Too Late”, “Buy Dirt” and “Next Thing You Know”) and two Song of the Year-winning titles “Next Thing You Know” (ACM) and “Buy Dirt” (CMA and NSAI) from one album – the first artist in history achieve that.

“Bar None” comes on the heels of his latest album, Bluebird Days, officially earning RIAA Platinum status, joining Davis’ previously certified Platinum-selling debut album, Home State.

Listen to “Bar None” HERE

Today, Davis will be sitting down with CBS Mornings to discuss the new song and to share a special announcement before he heads to Watch What Happens Live on Bravo with host Andy Cohen as a guest bartender on Thursday, 3rd April.

MARTYN WARE | CHARLES STOOKE |GABRIEL WARE – An Eternal Circle

31st March 2025

Music News

An experimental dive into aquatic and industrial rhythms, ‘It’s Always Ourselves We Find In The Sea’ is the original soundscape to an immersive installation that premiered at Saatchi Gallery.

Composed for 3D ambisonic sound by Martyn Ware(Heaven 17, B.E.F., ex-The Human League), Charles Stooke and Gabriel Ware.

Produced by Illustrious Company (Martyn Ware and Vince Clarke of Erasure), with environmental and immersive design by Oscar Blustin and Anna Soderblom, the installation invites visitors into a contemplative space; a quiet, peaceful temple to water, within which the soundscape exists. Listeners enter and explore the space in their own time, letting the sounds wash over them, experiencing the stories and musical motifs as they build and gather, then subside like the tide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkMWUo9qV48

IT’S ALWAYS OURSELVES WE FIND IN THE SEA
immersive sound experience
The Piece Hall, Halifax | 4th April – 4th May 2025
information
Composed and arranged for 3D ambisonic sound by Martyn Ware.
Environmental and immersive design by Oscar Blustin and Anna Söderblom.
Co-composer and orchestral arrangement by Gabriel Ware.
Co-composer and produced for 3D ambisonic sound by Charles Stooke.
Produced by Illustrious.

Taking cues from UNESCO’s Ocean Literacy initiative and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14, ‘Life Below Water’ HERE, the installation offers visitors an opportunity to consider their relationship with water and to step back out into the world with an altered perspective on its value and cultural significance,

The soundscape is a looping experience divided into two parts:
Part One – A Call To Water: This section explores our human relationship with anthropomorphised water. Throughout the history of our species and all across the globe, humankind has petitioned the deities of the sky and the sea for the benediction of rain and for deliverance from natural disasters
Part Two – The Water Circle: Water is crucial for all life on earth to exist and thrive. We witness the storm’s deluge on the land, water cascading in streams, then rivers and finally to the sea. The beauty and mystery of the oceans culminates in the process of evaporation and the creation of clouds, continuing the eternal cycle.

Martyn Ware is a musician, producer, designer and innovator from Sheffield. He formed The Human League in 1978, followed by British Electric Foundation and Heaven 17 in 1980. He has featured on recordings that have totalled over 50 million sales worldwide, establishing himself as a pivotal figure in the development of popular music. He has also worked as a producer for the likes of Tina Turner, Terence Trent D’Arby, Chaka Khan, Erasure, Marc Almond and Mavis Staples. He founded Illustrious Company with Vince Clarke (Erasure, Depeche Mode) in 2000 to explore the creative and commercial possibilities of their unique 3D sound technology, subsequently creating immersive sound experiences for clients that have included the British Council, Science Museum, The Royal Ballet, Amnesty International, the Victoria &and Albert Museum, Mute Records, BBC TV, the Royal Observatory Greenwich, BAFTA, Museum of London and Tate Britain. He created sonic architectural works in the British Pavilion at the Venice Architectural Biennale in 2006 and has also designed sound installations in extraordinarily diverse settings across five continents. He also lectures extensively on music production, technology and creativity at universities and colleges worldwide.

Instagram | Facebook | X

MARTYN WARE

Charles Stooke is a musician, artist and sound designer based in London who is also a co-partner in Illustrious Company, having begun collaborating with Ware in 2020 on public art project contribution ‘Breath Is Invisible’. This was followed with work on Ware and Dawinder Bansal’s ‘We Found Love In The ‘80s’ film, podcast and documentary archive. He continues to develop his personal sound and score portfolio, having recently completed work on Foreign Body’s film documenting Amartey Golding’s ‘Bring Me To Heal’. He also records as Me, Charles.
Bandcamp | YouTube

Gabriel Ware is a modern hybrid orchestral composer for soundscapes, film and theatre, beginning his compositional journey in 2015 without receiving a formal music education. With a pure passion for film and TV music, he swiftly developed his own experimental style and production technique and has worked on a number of acclaimed major soundscape and other media projects.
Official Site

Beat Me Outta Me – Finely Sculpted Sonic Shoegaze

31st March 2025

Music News

Beat Me Outta Me is a new, up-and-coming alt-rock, shoegaze-inspired band.

Hailing from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, they have gained a niche following through the strength of their vivid song-writing and imaginative sonic sculpting.

The lead singer and songwriter, Annie Dickson‘s powerful voice and impactful lyricism are supported by imaginative musicians, who all add their stamp on the music. Lead guitarist; Jack Hastie, brings melodic, catchy lead work. Rhythm guitarist; Jasper Cartwright, brings a mad scientist approach with his creative use of guitar effects pedals. Bassist; Thady Higgins, holds everything down with tasteful bass lines, and drummer; Sam Doran, brings it all together with his tight drumming chops always serving the song.

Beat Me Outta Me ‘Mascara’ will be released
11th April at 00:00 GMT across all streaming platforms.

The band originally formed at Stamford College with their first gig at the Voodoo Lounge. From this, the band started to get more and more gigs and built up a good repertoire, enough to enter into Battle Royal: Battle of the Bands. They won the first heat via audience vote and then proceeded to impress the judges in the final so much that they won. The prize enough studio time to record their first single Mascara, set to release on the 11th of April.

“Mascara is the song to get a speeding ticket to. Its heartfelt and aggressive pace ebbs and flows like the tide and is unrelenting in its depiction of heartbreak and anger. The instrumentation is full and unyielding with technical solos and heavy hitting drums. The lyrics originally started as a poem that the lead singer wrote. It then blossomed into the song that it is with collective input from the band and copious amounts of gigging. Mascara stood out as special by the way the audience reacted when it was played. There was a certain atmosphere that surrounded the song that made it feel like a journey that both the band and the audience could relate to. In conclusion, Mascara is an energetic, lively and intense depiction of a band with unmatched synergy that gets you off your feet in an instant” – Beat Me Outta Me

“Battle Royale was a fun idea spawned over a pint, which rapidly turned into a fully fledged self funded competition by musicians for musicians. From being in a band we understand how hard it is for upcoming and new bands to have opportunities, so we wanted to build a platform to not only get them networking, but also offer them some superb prizes that they may not have access to. Beat Me Outta Me stepped in at the last minute to fill a gap in the competition and absolutely stormed their way through to winning the final. A band with incredible vocals and melodic hooks, which had everyone singing along. The band are definitely on the path for something great” – Battle Royale

https://linktr.ee/beatmeouttame

The Speed Of Sound – Biting The Bullet

31st March 2025

Music News

Iconic Manchester indie rockers The Speed Of Sound present their new single ‘SS-100-X’, a prime and timely pick from their ‘Minerva’ album.

Titled after the codename for the presidential car that fateful day of JFK’s assassination in Dallas, the video for ‘SS-100-X’ intentionally uses AI-generated images to mix fact with speculation and inference, matching the post-fact world environment of the 21st century.

The band has released their ambitious mega-album trilogy ‘A Cornucopia: Minerva, Victory, Bounty’ in multiple formats via Californian cult label Big Stir Records, cementing their mark on the legacy they began in 1989. With music that is idiosyncratic and counter-intuitive, The Speed of Sound is always in search of something new. Creating music with lyrical bite, expanding their foundation of 1960s, punk and new wave influences, their dynamic and stylistic variation crossing borders and pushing boundaries at every opportunity.

“Spreading like a virus, conspiracy theories have gone mainstream and it all seems to have started long ago with the Kennedy assassination. The simple and chaotic explanation of anything is now routinely jettisoned in favour of swirling dark forces and a wilful maliciousness to recognise anything as fact, instead everything is an issue of unshakeable faith in the existence of a sinister deeper plot,” says frontman and songwriter John Armstrong.

“The opening lines of the song describe the view from a 5th-floor Portuguese hotel balcony, but due to the absence of a Ground Floor in American buildings, that made it the 6th. So my view of the Lincoln convertible passing along the street below was identical to that Oswald had from the Texas School Book Repository.”

This single arrives on the heels of the audio-visual trip that is ‘Permafrost’ and also ‘Eight Fourteen Monday’, which narrates a dreary commute to explore themes of isolation, detachment, and the contrast between superficial politeness and genuine emotion, while subtly referencing the devastating historical event of Hiroshima.

With overlapping themes of independence – both culturally and artistically – each disc of the ‘A Cornucopia’ trilogy has its own vibe and personality: ‘Minerva’ is belligerence in musical form, ‘Victory’ is a manifesto of artistic creativity and ‘Bounty’ represents the fruits of artistic freedom, all taking place far from the grasping tentacles of the ‘music industry’.

‘A Cornucopia’ began with the band’s own love of the album format and a determination to make long-form music rather than merely produce a conveyor belt of unrelated singles. The interlocking themes of ‘A Cornucopia’ are deliberately made for album listeners to enjoy, each disc being its own standalone entity while also forming part of the larger whole trinity.

Full of ambition, energy and melodic brilliance, this three-album deluxe edition is available on vinyl and CD. Beginning with the ‘Minerva’ album, The Speed of Sound shared a rich bouquet of thought-provoking compositions, including the hauntingly spacious ‘Trickledown’, the stratospherically vast ‘The Great Acceleration’, the uplifting ‘Mind Palace’ and ‘West Wind’, where a recklessly fast rhythm merges with a Wagnerian horn section.

The ‘Victory’ album then brings 14 fresh and unexpectedly shape-shifting grooves, from the supremely danceable ‘Underground’, the unabashed sensuality of ‘Monsoon’, gothic lounge jazz of ‘Permafrost’, the glam-rocking ‘E to F’, reckless garage punk punch of ‘Go For It‘, post-nostalgia of ‘The Same River’ and triumphant shimmering elegance of ‘Tranquility Falls’ to the strangely linked pairing of ‘Apocalypse Acropolis’ and ‘Apocalypse Metropolis’.

The ’Bounty’ album adds to this with another ten ranging from the crunching garage rock of ‘No Kicks’ to the haunting floating melody of ‘Virtual Reality123’, acoustic driven rave-up of ‘Replicant’ and bouncing energy of ‘Artificial Paradise’.

Marking their 35th anniversary, ‘A Cornucopia’ trilogy follows their 2021 critically acclaimed album ‘Museum Of Tomorrow’, returning triumphant, defiant and redemptive. Most music is never even recorded, and most recorded music remains unheard. ‘A Cornucopia’ is a celebration of all unheard underground music and the whole counterculture itself – music made for the pleasure of making it.

‘A Cornucopia’ is available everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp, Physically the full trilogy ‘A Cornucopia: Minerva, Victory, Bounty’ can be ordered on CD and vinyl at www.thespeedofsounduk.com/shop-2

The Speed Of Sound are:
John Armstrong (songwriting, guitars & vox) – John A has developed a vivid style of guitar playing borne of combining rhythm and lead techniques in a flow that pulls the music like a tide steeped in unresolved chords and entrancing vocals.
Ann-Marie Crowley (vox & guitars) – Ann-Marie hadn’t performed rock based music before joining The Speed Of Sound in 2015 and has vast experience of Irish, folk and also classical operatic singing.
Kevin Roache (bass guitar) – Kevin has performed with John since 1990, he brings a wide understanding of playing differing genre’s including music of Indian origin, he has a highly individual outlook on the bass.
John Broadhurst (drums) – John B joined The Speed Of Sound in 2018. He has a wealth of skills including jazz, pop, rock and blues and has an ability to play with the spaces, the freedom of playing originals is liberating while the fluid and improvisational sections are something he willingly embraces.
Henry Armstrong (keyboards) – With 16 years of studying improvisational music and an intuitive approach, Henry (John’s son) joined in 2018, adding a new dimension to the band’s sound.

CREDITS
All songs written by John Armstrong
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Vibratone Sound Studio in Manchester by Chris Guest, Adam Crossley & The Speed of Sound
John Armstrong – guitars and vocals
Ann-Marie Crowley – vocals and guitars
Kevin Roache – bass guitar
John Broadhurst – drums
Henry Armstrong – keyboards
Bob Dinn – trumpet and flugelhorn
Chris Guest – harmonium, vibraphone, organ, assorted shakers, tambourine.
Band photographs by Shay Rowan
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Ledher Blue – What’s The Craic

28th March 2025

Music News

Ledher Blue’s new album ‘Fait Divers’ came from an existential crisis.

Admittedly, it was shameful to accept that the most generic of internal conflicts were at hand: the “what’s the purpose of life?”s and the “why am I here?”s out of every self-help book seemed adequate, but needed to be articulated in a particular way.

What was the purpose of my life until now; “Why am I here?” Zé from Ledher Blue thought as he got into Dublin.

Ledher Blue are the product of two distinctively different individuals that the waves of life comically decided to beach in a northern town of Portugal – Guimarães. The city is known for its historical meaning in the birth of Portugal, for its nasty hooligans, for its emigrant parvenus, its domestic parvenus, its humble proletariat, its shame, envy, resignation and most importantly a mystical ability of seeing the depressed times – which have long been in the region – united in empathetic jealousy, certain that betters days are coming. The club keeps losing but we’ll be champions, the people are poor but we’ll get better, everything may be bad but he will rise in a foggy sunrise.

Zé and Pedro, the pair behind Ledher Blue, encapsulated the diversity of the town in an existential way. One was always happy, one was always longing, one found a girl, the other found the one, one flourished, the other stagnated when one fell in love with the bars and was now bored the other said, “don’t gamble your life for a couple of poems”, but impressively they would always converge from different perspectives to the same idea. Certainly, one loved Illiad for Aquiles and the other for Hector, one for Vronski another for Levin, one for Grey the other for Vane, one for Liam another for Noel… what matters is that instinctively – or “zoroastrianly” – the pure meaning for their message was not what each wanted to say but the product of the pressure. This conflict was in their youth the birth of friendship and in their slope the birth of the band.

That is why one can say that one song looks happy with mournful feel, or rebellious with fearful grooves; it can be satirical in lyricism and classical in structure, it tries to be a singular unitarian message independent of the peripheral chatter. It’s alternative sometimes, post punk in the others, even poppy on some choruses, but most importantly it always feels original and unique.

Zé’s move to Dublin meant a big separation for the friends and bandmates, but most importantly brought a new perspective for their old problem. The problematic youth from Guimarães, their problematic youth, was not unique to the land. It could be observed on the Irish town. The lifeless eyes, the change dribbling in an oversized pocket, the fortuity misfortune, the keys in the bathroom, a generation sprayed with anxiety and embalmed in panic. It was paralysing. The song forcefully quieted on the lips of a dead philosopher was slivering to the bones of our time. It was as if everybody – even unconsciously – believed that regret was the only certainty of existence; that unescapable longing for the unlived life. And as the uniqueness of our situation dissolved, as our small town became countries, we found new binoculars, not only to inspect reality but most importantly our own. Transcendentally, we found our true selves, which we may have seen before, but were now so overwhelmed to the point of acceptance. As theory imprisoned and pressured reality, the only answer was King Sebastian. The individual who could look down at Narcissus smugly and was able to curse an whole nation was mystified as the long awaited saviour. Sebastian may have lead Portugal to the abyss when he disappeared in the desert but with it created a myth; the myth that he would return in a foggy morning and save us all. Hope. This hope was what united our town. What united the past generations from this existential dread and what would cure our generation. Sebastianism was the cure, it was clear.

“Not only the message was so clear it seemed to dazzle but also the universe, the habitat of each song was drawn.”, says Ledher Blue. “We felt rain during ‘Dublinesque’, the popped dark smoke from old cars for ‘Sorrows of the Amended Hearts’, the lady on the bus in ‘Craic’, the winey red out of a absolutist cape emerged on ‘Èlan’ with libertarian scarlet blues and shadowy greens, we heard the people talking in the pubs of ‘Fun’, we could distinguish the whiteness of their teeth; it stopped being a group of songs and became something else. Complete. Portugality embroiled in Irish thread. A message for all but about none, a concept for the unknown based on the past, a tale without morals.”

New single ‘Craic’ is the final track on the album and is a breezy infectious indie-rock earworm that sounds like The Strokes put through a psychedelic kaleidoscope of trippy synth goodness. The track explodes with an epic euphoric chanted chorus that is sure to light up radio playlists with its catchy anthemic qualities, proving the complimentary nature of the duo’s background’s and influences to be a perfect success.

https://www.instagram.com/ledherblue/

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The NN North Sea Jazz Festival – Climb Aboard

27th March 2025

Music News

The NN North Sea Jazz Festival, the world’s largest indoor music festival, has announced over 30 new artists for this year’s event.

The newly announced artists join an already star-studded roster that includes the likes of Diana Ross, Mary J Blige, Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Ezra Collective, ANOHNI & The Johnsons, Thee Sacred Souls, Jacob Collier, Maxwell, Jorja Smith, Kamasi Washington, Nubya Garcia, Jordan Rakei, Celeste, Lady Blackbird, Madeleine Peyroux, ganavya and many more.

Taking place from Friday July 11 to Sunday July 13 2025 at the Ahoy Centre in Rotterdam, this year’s festival once again presents an expansive line-up of world-class music spanning jazz, blues, soul, pop, and more. Among the 30+ newly announced artists are Seu Jorge, Sheila E and The E-Train featuring Pete Escovedo, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Leon Thomas, and The Symphonic Music of Wayne Shorter feat Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra with Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Tineke Postma, and Danya Stephens.

With 80,000 attendees annually, North Sea Jazz Festival has remained a cornerstone of the global music scene since its inception in 1976. Past editions have welcomed icons like Miles Davis, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, and Adele. The 2025 edition will feature over 1,000 musicians and 150 performances across 15 stages, cementing its reputation as the world’s largest indoor music festival.

Easily accessible from the UK – a short flight from major cities, a direct train ride from London St Pancras, or a ferry trip from multiple UK locations – the NN North Sea Jazz Festival 2025 is the perfect destination for UK music fans seeking a unique live experience.

Full line-up to date is below and additional names will be announced in due course.

NN North Sea Jazz Festival 2025 – Rotterdam Ahoy Centre

Friday 11^th July: Amsterdam Funk Orchestra ft. Lilian Vieira • ANOHNI & The Johnsons • Arild Andersen – Daniel Sommer – Rob Luft • Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers • Avishai Cohen (trumpet) Quartet • Bnnyhunna • Branford Marsalis Quartet • Dana & Alden • Daoud • DeWolff • Dino D’Santiago • Emmet Cohen Trio feat. Patrick Bartley • Ezra Collective • Ganavya • Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge • Herbie Hancock • Jacob Collier (artist in residence) • Jerron Paxton • Johnathan Blake & Pentad • Jordan Rakei • Judith Hill • Julian Lage • Julie Campiche Quartet • Madeleine Peyroux • Martin Fondse Voice Orchestra • Mary J Blige • Melissa Aldana Quartet • NYVE • Omah Lay • Peter Somuah Group • Sam Greenfield • Sheila E. and The E-Train ft. Pete Escovedo • Sullivan Fortner Trio • The Philharmonik • The Symphonic Music of Wayne Shorter – Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Clark Rundell with special guests Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, Tineke Postma, and Danya Stephens • Van Bavel Teepe Jackson • Victor Ray • Zoh Amba Sun Quartet

Saturday 12^th July: Adam Cruz • Aja Monet • Alfredo Rodríguez Quintet • Antonio Sanchez • Bela Fleck • BLK ODYSSY • BOI AKIH with Hélène Duret • Celeste • Cory Wong • Danilo Perez • David Murray Quartet • Edmar Castaneda • Fanny Meteier • Fujii Kaze • Ghost-Note • Guy Salamon Group • Jacob Collier (artist in residence) • Joe Bonamassa & Metropole Orkest • John Patitucci • Jonathan Jeremiah • Joshua Herwig and Mike Reed • Lee Ritenour • Lionel Hampton Big Band featuring Jason Marsalis • Loek van den Berg Quintet • MANU • Mark Turner Quartet • Mary Halvorson Amaryllis Sextet • Matteo Mancuso • Maxwell • MRCY • Nana Benz Du Togo • Naomi Sharon • NAUSYQA • Nduduzo Makhathini • NIJI • Nils Fischer & Timbazo • Peter Somuah • Queralt Lahoz • Samara Joy •Sanne Sanne Song • Seu Jorge • Terri Lyne Carrington ‘We Insist’ • Tony Overwater & Atzko Kohashi • Yi Jeon Nonet & Samulnori Newdot • ZO! Gospel Choir

Sunday 13^th July: Aki Rissanen & Steven Kamperman • Alex Koo Trio • Ambrose Akinmusire • Anoushka Shankar • Benin International Musical • Black Flower • Cantorias • Christie Dashiell • Diana Ross • Dominique Fils-Aimé • Dora Morelenbaum • El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico • Immanuel Wilkins Quartet • Jacob Collier (artist in residence) • Jan van Duikeren & Marcel Veenendaal • Jazzmeia Horn • Jorja Smith • Kamasi Washington • Karja Renard Wandinger • Kassa Overall Quartet • Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets celebrate Weather Report • Lady Blackbird • Lakecia Benjamin • Leon Thomas • Linda Sikhakhani Quartet • Makaya McCraven • Mourning [A] BLKstar • Norah Jones • Nubya Garcia • Odeal • Ronnie Flex & The Fam spelen Rémi • Sarah-Jane & The Black Excellence Kawina Orchestra • Shuteen Erdenebaatar • Sophye Soliveau • The Cookers • Thee Sacred Souls • Tigran Hamasyan • Tin Men and the Telephone • Van Ruller // Hogenhuis • WAR

Lineup, News & Tickets | NN North Sea Jazz Festival

Sargassus – A Real Bone Rattler

27th March 2025

Mainly Metal

Finnish progressive death metal band Sargassus is set to release their debut album ‘Vitruvian Rays’, out in June 2025 via Inverse Records. The first single ‘Spirit of Gravity’ is now unleashed.

‘Spirit of Gravity’ is a relentless onslaught on the listener that introduces both
the fresh sound of the band as well as their new bass player Mertta Halonen. Being perhaps Sargassus’ heaviest song to date, it features aggressive blast beats and wailing tremolo riffs ornate with shrieks and guttural growls, much like in some modern black metal songs.

The song was initially formed around the peculiar blast beat that starts the song.

Later, the bunch worked all together on the song, refining it into what you’ll now know as ‘Spirit of Gravity.’

Once the song felt complete enough, it was time to pen fitting lyrics.

The chaotic nature of the song demanded the listener’s attention, so it only made sense to write the lyrics from the point of view of a rabidly preaching ritualist.

With bass parts being composed last, they managed to highlight some groovier elements that can be found in Sargassus’ earlier works.

The end result is something familiar, yet superlative.

Thematically, ‘Spirit of Gravity’ centers around themes of rebirth, Nietzschean philosophy, and conformity.

The lyrics are structured like an occult ritual of renewal, where the participants ingest poisons to break free from a circular existence,

but in typical Sargassus fashion the ritual is likened to a wildly inebriated communion.

Structure and sincere practices are mirrored with chaos and natural human perversion,

masking philosophical ponderings about the eternal recurrence and life’s immanent worth.

Sargassus – Spirit of Gravity (Single 2025)

Composed by Teemu Leskinen, Matias Rokio & Matias Stenman
Lyrics by Matias Stenman

ISRC: FI3FC2591601

Vocal Production by Raging Cannon

Mix & Master by Joona Muistola @ HAW Studios

Cover art by Matias Stenman

The band comments:

‘Spirit of Gravity’ is no doubt Sargassus’ heaviest song to date.

While the song might showcase clear modern black metal influences, it is not without groovier and eerily calming passages.

The chaotic nature of the song may partly reflect the whims of the band itself, but this oppressing feeling is also a key theme on the rest of the upcoming album.

‘Spirit of Gravity’ tells the story of an ecstatic ritual in occult fashion, while reflecting on philosophical aspects of eternal recurrence and life’s immanent worth.

Line-up:
Matias Rokio – Drums

Teemu Leskinen – Guitar

Matias Stenman – Vocals

Mertta Halonen – Bass

Links:
https://sargassus.com
https://www.facebook.com/sargassusband
https://www.instagram.com/sargassusband
https://sargassus.bandcamp.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@sargassusband

Avery Anna (Live Review) – Something Rare

26th March 2025

Country News, CREATURE FEATURE, Music News, Music Reviews

The iconic Electric Ballroom in Camden Town has been drawing in huge audiences for 80 years, hosting many a stellar supernova — and tonight is no exception.

It’s fuller than full, the air thick with glitter, glamour, and a heady buzz of anticipation. Cowboy boots and cowhide stomp beneath Stetsons, quiffs and curls that bounce in rhythm, as the underground ballroom throbs and hums with electric expectation. Into this charged atmosphere, Avery Anna tentatively steps onto the stage — but within moments, she wraps the entire place around her little finger and whispers sweet nothings into its ear.

Fresh from lighting up the main stage at London’s C2C, Avery Anna now steps into the deep crimson glow of Camden’s Electric Ballroom, backlit like a figure carved from ember and shadow. This gig needed to make a statement. The dark stage bends slowly to her presence, and without flinch or falter, she launches into Broken Heart — a brave, bold, and ballsy opener whose gutsy structure leaves an emphatic, unforgettable first impression on those of us seeing her for the very first time.

If you’ve been following Avery Anna’s rise — from TikTok phenom to full-fledged artist — you already know she doesn’t just sing songs, she kind of bleeds them. Her setlist read like torn pages from a diary, each lyric fluttering across the room like confessions never sent. The words landed sharp — heartbreak dressed in melody.

Bathed in an orange glow, her cover of Crazy paid homage to Patsy Cline with old-school authenticity, then twisted into a boomy, buzzy, anthemic finish that left the crowd grinning in awe. Avery’s stage presence is magnetic — confident without pretence, radiating warmth and vulnerability in equal measure. Her voice, shifting from heartbreak to euphoria, soars with the kind of control that makes it look easy. She’s the real deal — yep, she’s really good, and only getting better.

Her range is impressive, her dynamic control immaculate"

With a rhetorical “How are we doing, London?”, she slides into Mr Predictable, the themes of insincerity and half-hearted apologies hitting hard and true. Her voice is effortlessly clear — rich, sweet, and fluid — and it soars over both piano and guitar with a grace that never slips into showiness. Her range is impressive, her dynamic control immaculate, but what truly stuns is the intimacy. You feel like she’s singing just to you — and maybe she is.

Then comes Grave, an unreleased song that begins with a whisper and ends like an anthem. The softly strummed opening builds steadily, until the pulsing energy in the room becomes almost physical. Unexpectedly uplifting and deeply felt, it’s the kind of song that sneaks up on you — and stays.

All too soon, she tells us, “We’re gonna rock out to (Make It Look) Easy,” its plaintive intro giving way to heavy drums and a jagged electric riff. Her vocals rise with the rhythm, building to a finale that is powerful, precise, and pure Avery Anna — emotionally loaded and technically flawless.

she fills the Ballroom with a warm, fuzzy energy"

Her set is barely over thirty minutes, but somehow, in that compact space of time, she gives us the full spectrum: power ballads, country pop, heartbreak anthems, feel-good sparkle. And through it all, she fills the Ballroom with a warm, fuzzy energy — as mellow and golden as the room’s womb-like walls. Her ease with storytelling, her emotional transparency, and her vocal control all collide into something deeply connective. Something rare.

Some gigs leave you craving more — this one left us as satisfied as possums eating sweet potatoes."

Avery Anna’s talent goes beyond just having a great voice — it’s in the way she inhabits every lyric like it’s unfolding in the moment. There’s no over-rehearsed showmanship, no forced theatrics. Just real, unfiltered emotion delivered by an artist coming into her own with quiet confidence.

Although Avery was billed as the opening act for Tucker Wetmore, she was the main attraction for us at 1st 3 Magazine. From the moment she walked onstage at Camden’s Electric Ballroom — all softly lit in crimson and swagger — we were locked in. And by the time her fun-fuelled, soul-drenched set wrapped up? We were good to go. Some gigs leave you craving more — this one left us as satisfied as possums eating sweet potatoes.

They say Avery Anna is a rising star. But let’s be honest — she’s already burning bright. Last night proved that she’s shed the skin of “promising newcomer” and stepped confidently into headliner territory. And if you were lucky enough to be there, you’ll know, she gave us her heart, and we handed ours right back.

https://www.facebook.com/averyannamusic

AVERY ANNA played the ELECTRIC BALLROOM, LONDON

18th March 2025

Amigo The Devil – Bringing The Heart

26th March 2025

Music News

Acclaimed US dark folk singer-songwriter Amigo The Devil (aka Danny Kiranos) returns to the UK with his full band to commence a run of fourteen shows with Frank Turner.

Having already toured together in North America, Turner recently stated “I’m very stoked to announce that my good friends Amigo The Devil will be joining us as special guests for the UK shows in April. Danny and his gang are the best, we’ve shared road before, and we’re stoked to do it again.”

Kiranos and co have been touring worldwide to promote the third Amigo The Devil studio album, ‘Yours Until The War Is Over’, ever since it was released in February 2024.

Earning accolades galore and drawing comparisons to the likes of Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, songs such as ‘Cannibal Within’ VIDEO and ‘The Mechanic’ VIDEO serve as cinematic vignettes that thread together stories of the human condition, trauma bonding and the method of using relationships for survival.

All heart, with no boundaries, it is a record to be experienced from beginning to end in order to recognise the perspective it offers. After completing the UK dates, Kiranos will embark on an extensive solo tour of the US and Canada in early May, followed by shows in New Zealand (solo) and Australia (with full band) in August.

YOURS UNTIL THE WAR IS OVER
LP | CD | digital
out now
(Liars Club/Regime Music Group)

buy | stream

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Curtis Stigers – A Stripped Down Affair

26th March 2025

Music News

Out right now, ‘Songs From My Kitchen, Volume 1’ is the brand new album by the renowned US singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers.

Home to the recent singles ‘Good To Know You’ and ‘I Have Everything’, other highlights include album opener ‘Until You Were Gone’.

“This was written by John Fullbright, one of my favourite singer/songwriters, and is the second song of his I have recorded,” reveals Stigers. “His song ‘She Knows’ is a highlight of my 2020 album, ‘Gentleman’. I’ve been playing ‘Until You Were Gone’ around the house for several years and I sang it several times on my livestream show. It’s a gorgeous song about the one who got away. I love Shaky Dave Manion’s soulful electric guitar playing on this.”

Described by Blues Matters magazine as “a heartfelt return to his singer-songwriter roots, blending jazz with elements of rock, blues, soul, country and folk”, and by Marlbank as a set of “poignant country-influenced songs”, the new album follows Stigers’ latest sold-out residency at the prestigious London jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s, and will be promoted with an extended UK tour starting on 1st May plus another residency at Ronnie Scott’s in early September.

UK TOUR | MAY-JUNE 2025
01.05.25 RAINHAM St. Margaret’s Church
03.05.25 CHELTENHAM Town Hall (Jazz Festival)
04.05.25 MANCHESTER The Stoller Hall
05.05.25 BURY ST. EDMUNDS The Apex
06.05.25 LEEDS Leeds City Varieties
07.05.25 NEW BRIGHTON Floral Pavilion Theatre
08.05.25 GATESHEAD Glasshouse Int’l – Sage 1
09.05.25 GLASGOW Mackintosh Queen’s Cross
25.05.25 SIDMOUTH Jazz & Blues Festival
26.05.25 + 27.05.25 WAVENDON The Stables
28.05.25 + 29.05.25 EASTLEIGH The Concorde
30.05.25 FROME Cheese And Grain
31.05.25 WORTHING Pavilion Theatre
01.06.25 ST ALBANS Alban Arena
17.07.25 EDINBURGH Queen’s Hall
TICKETSLIVE IN LONDON
RONNIE SCOTT’S
06.09.25 – 11.09.25

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Monthly Archives: March 2025

Jordan Davis – Building On Success

Award-winning, Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Jordan Davis released his brand new track “Bar None” on Friday, the next single off his highly anticipated next album expected later this year.

MARTYN WARE | CHARLES STOOKE |GABRIEL WARE – An Eternal Circle

An experimental dive into aquatic and industrial rhythms, ‘It’s Always Ourselves We Find In The Sea’ is the original soundscape to an immersive installation that premiered at Saatchi Gallery.

Beat Me Outta Me – Finely Sculpted Sonic Shoegaze

Beat Me Outta Me is a new, up-and-coming alt-rock, shoegaze-inspired band.

The Speed Of Sound – Biting The Bullet

Iconic Manchester indie rockers The Speed Of Sound present their new single ‘SS-100-X’, a prime and timely pick from their ‘Minerva’ album.

Ledher Blue – What’s The Craic

Ledher Blue’s new album ‘Fait Divers’ came from an existential crisis.

The NN North Sea Jazz Festival – Climb Aboard

The NN North Sea Jazz Festival, the world’s largest indoor music festival, has announced over 30 new artists for this year’s event.

Sargassus – A Real Bone Rattler

Finnish progressive death metal band Sargassus is set to release their debut album ‘Vitruvian Rays’, out in June 2025 via Inverse Records. The first single ‘Spirit of Gravity’ is now unleashed.

Avery Anna (Live Review) – Something Rare

The iconic Electric Ballroom in Camden Town has been drawing in huge audiences for 80 years, hosting many a stellar supernova — and tonight is no exception.

Amigo The Devil – Bringing The Heart

Acclaimed US dark folk singer-songwriter Amigo The Devil (aka Danny Kiranos) returns to the UK with his full band to commence a run of fourteen shows with Frank Turner.

Curtis Stigers – A Stripped Down Affair

Out right now, ‘Songs From My Kitchen, Volume 1’ is the brand new album by the renowned US singer, songwriter and saxophonist Curtis Stigers.

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