In a music landscape where reinvention can often seem forced, The Kooks have taken a different approach: reflection as a form of renewal. With their seventh studio album, Never/Know, out today, the Brighton-formed indie mainstays offer a vibrant, emotionally grounded record that doesn’t just revisit their roots—it reimagines them.

Alt-pop icon Lorde has officially announced her long-awaited return to the global stage with the Ultrasound 2025 headline tour, marking her biggest and most ambitious live run yet. The announcement comes hot on the heels of the reveal of her upcoming fourth studio album, Virgin, due out on 27th June.

London’s genre-defying quartet Wolf Alice have returned in full bloom with their new single, Bloom Baby Bloom—a vibrant, effervescent track that signals a fresh chapter for one of Britain’s most dynamic modern rock bands. Released after a period of relative silence since their Mercury Prize-winning 2021 album Blue Weekend, the single has sent ripples through the alternative scene, sparking excitement about what might be next for the group.

It’s lunchtime in sunny Stoke Newington, the part of London that really feels like a village. Most of the crowd lined up outside the historic Old Church are making this the first stop on their weekend, and as they mingle among the old tombstones with beers in hand, the anticipation is fizzing in the air. For the fourth year in a row, Pet Needs are about to kick off their Fractured Party weekender, and we’ve so far beyond ready for it.