Issue Fifty-Four is our first issue of 2025 and marks the beginning of an exciting year for new music. Inside the pages of this magazine you’ll find conversations with artists returning with new albums, sharing debut records and EP’s, and teasing their very first public releases.
One band with a new record and a particularly interesting new dynamic are Black Country, New Road. With their third studio album ‘Forever Howlong’ announced and single ‘Besties’ signalling the future sound of the group, we call to discuss their relationships with each other, retaining humour in their songs and only making music that represents the current version of themselves. Black Country, New Road are on the cover.
Having recently made the move from the active DIY scene in Chicago to the hustle and noise of NYC, you’d be forgiven to assume that new music from Horsegirl may mirror the hecticness of their new city, however the opposite is true. On new album, ‘Phonetics On and On’, the three piece cherish the space in their music and find new freedom via the guidance of Cate Le Bon and the evergrowing confidence in their relationship as a band. We chat on all of the above inside.
The Murder Capital are preparing for the release of their third album ‘Blindness’. It’s their first record without any bruising from the pandemic and the surrounding measures, yet its with this record they find themselves indiviudally split across countries whilst more intact with a singular view of their music than ever. Discussing the music, the necessity of continuing to ‘work’, and the understanding of modern day patriotism, we interview frontman James McGovern inside.
More records discussed inside include ‘Evenfall’, the debut album from South London’s Sam Akpro, and ‘Debunker’, the second album from London-via-Barcelona’s Eterna. The former details the patchwork of influences and locations that built the record, while for Eterna’s Guillem Peeters the process was a more isolated affair.
Squamish, British Columbia is home to new band Cistern whose EP ‘New Standard’ was released in November 2024. With single ‘Crisis’ on repeat and a debut album being worked on, we thought it a great time to learn a little more about the projects beginnings. They take our call while walking the streets of Squamish. Another recently released debut EP is ‘Four Potraits of the Same Ugly House’ from Cork’s Pebbledash. Following a practice and ahead of their trip to London for our We Are So Young night, we gave them a call to discuss their sound and their development away from 6 minute epics.
Rounding up our artist features are conversations in the capital with Hot Stamp and Green Star, plus a trip to Stockholm for a chat with young new favourites, Clutter.
We chat with Jordan Kee, the incredible artist behind the visuals for Black Country, New Road’s current album campaign. We also speak with exciting Welsh artist, Caitlin Floyd-Molyneux as well as Morgan Sidle, the creative behind DIY fashion brand, Atelier.
Issue Fifty-Four is out now. Order your copy in print here.