Features

From permanent jewellery to punk rock flannels: The best in alternative style this month

Summer’s here and we’re in need of a wardrobe to fit. Here are all of the hottest collabs and trends to kit yourself out in the sunshine – from heavy duty boots to inspirational T-shirts…

Jacob Collier: “Steve Vai taught me a lot about trusting the universe”

Jacob Collier is Gen Z’s most fascinating prodigy. But not even a musical genius knows all the answers, especially when dabbling in rock for the first time…

“It’s some of the best work I’ve done”: Jerry Cantrell takes us inside his new solo album I Want Blood

Alice In Chains’ mainman Jerry Cantrell exclusively lifts the lid on his new solo album I Want Blood, working with members of Metallica and Faith No More, the rise of artificial intelligence and more…

BRIDEAR: “Compared to the initial days of our band, we could not imagine where we are now!”

Fresh from the release of their fifth album Born Again, vocalist KIMI and guitarist AYUMI explain why BRIDEAR are embracing the new – and how they’re setting their sights on taking over the world…

Orange Goblin: “My kidney went like George Best’s. The first tour sober was great!”

As Brit stoner-metal legends Orange Goblin roar back into action with their first new music in six years, singer Ben Ward reflects on longevity, being called the new Motörhead, and how the clarity of quitting the booze fuelled the excellent Science, Not Fiction…

Inside SOFT PLAY’s new album HEAVY JELLY: “We walk this tightrope of absurd and deadly serious”

Tunbridge Wells punk duo SOFT PLAY are about to drop their first album in six years, HEAVY JELLY. Laurie Vincent gives us the inside scoop on their rebirth, lyrical honesty, and why “I f*cking hate e-scooters…”

GEL: “I want to project things into the world that can resonate in a productive way, not a judgmental way”

Following up one of 2023’s very best hardcore albums was never going to be an easy task, but New Jersey’s almighty GEL have taken things to another level on next month’s Persona EP. Ahead of its release, spellbinding singer Sami Kaiser talks growth, finding empowerment in screaming your guts out, and why positivity is always the way…

Sing-alongs, stretching and… scrubbing?! Life on the road with Frank Iero

Frank looks back over some of his wildest memories on tour – from the time his tooth “exploded in my head”, to having to pee in the grim loos at CBGBs, to performing outside a hot dog stand…

The Home Team: “We are very precious about what we do – we have no choice!”

As Seattle ‘heavy pop’ favourites The Home Team unleash third album The Crucible Of Life, we catch up with vocalist Brian Butcher and drummer Daniel Matson on their quest for band perfection…

Crawlers: “It’s healing to stand onstage and see kids taking in all our vulnerable moments”

Holly Minto was always destined to be a star. Having written their first songs as a kid, and tried for a life in the theatre, with Crawlers, they’ve finally found the vehicle to help conquer the world, and connect with outsiders everywhere…

Speed: “The experience of hardcore – the scale of it, the enormity – is mind-boggling right now”

When Jem Siow and his bandmates formed Speed, the Sydney quintet saw it as a part-time project to ‘settle down’ on, giving back to the DIY scene that shaped them. Five years later, they’re the hottest band in hardcore. On the eve of ferocious first LP ONLY ONE MODE, the frontman talks staying true to that grassroots mindset while navigating a genre that’s bigger than its ever been…

200 Stab Wounds: “We didn’t know how f*cked-up the album cover was going to be!”

200 Stab Wounds are awash with gore and gristle. They’re also one of the most exciting death metal bands on the planet. Singer/guitarist Steve Buhl gives us an autopsy of the horror and humour that make up their world, his surprising musical roots, and the optimum number of times one should get punctured…

Tropic Gold: “We obsess over everything… we want to make a sound that no-one has ever heard before”

Mixing metal, dance elements and, occasionally, “music from TV shows”, Tropic Gold hope to make something different every time. As they prepare to hit 2000trees, the British trio explain their search for fresh sounds, and how they’re taking inspiration from everywhere to do it…

15 bands you can’t miss at this weekend’s 2000trees

Now one of the most essential weekends in UK alternative, 2000trees 2024 has so much more to offer than just headliners The Gaslight Anthem, The Chats and Don Broco. We delve into 15 undercard acts you need to find time for across an action-packed weekend...

AEW’s Will Ospreay: The 10 songs that changed my life

As he prepares for the homecoming of all homecomings at AEW’s All In at Wembley Stadium this August, Essex-born Aerial Assassin Will Ospreay takes us through the songs that shaped him, from ABBA and Oasis to Busted and ONE OK ROCK…

“There’s this wave of change coming”: Creeper, Hot Milk and Static Dress are leading the new British alternative

From high-octane punk to dynamic alt.rock, next weekend’s 2000trees will showcase the very best in emerging British talent. Ahead of the festival, three creative visionaries in Creeper, Hot Milk and Static Dress come together to explain what’s so special about this ambitious new generation of bands…

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