In August 2026, Stay For Tomorrow released ‘Nuisance’, a hard hitting single that paired massive sounding, grunge influenced riffs with thoughtful lyrics concerning mental health issues and the importance of staying positive. In terms of presenting a full picture, it quickly became one of the Scottish rock band’s most important recordings.
They’ve received comparisons to Joy Division and Nadine Shah, gained support from Guy Garvey and released a very strong debut with ‘Stain’. Now, indie rock newcomers Dead Wells are back with the wonderfully bleak ‘Cold Seas’.
When it comes to debut albums from the 1980s, few are as perfectly formed as Deacon Blue’s ‘Raintown’. The way the album’s songs shared a very 70s inspired level of storytelling could’ve presented a band out of time, but some very talented musicians fused Ricky Ross’s rich narratives with a musical sound that felt wholly contemporary for the era. It’s no wonder it quickly became a fan favourite,
In October, the band will set out on a UK tour where they’ll play the whole of the album from end to end, alongside other hits and album cuts. It promises a tour not to be missed. Full details can be found in the press release below. To read a review of Deacon Blue’s Margate gig from 2024, click here.
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In the spring of 2026, a year on from stand-alone track ‘The Insane Ones’, alternative rock band Amongst Liars released an enjoyable single, ‘Repair Myself’, it showed the UK act in better shape than ever when blending a fuzzy groove-laden heaviness with an almost industrial tinged mechanical quality at times, whilst clinging onto some strong vocal melodies that really helped the track become memorable.
Those keeping a close ear on the UK metal scene over the past year should have already encountered occult/stoner/doom band Goat Major. The Welsh band have released an EP and album absolutely loaded with great material, and by drawing from classic influences ranging from Sabbath, Kyuss, Witch Charmer, Down and other top drawer doomy fare, they’ve tapped into a classic, retro sound that will never get old.