Month: February 2026

New Frank Turner Interview

Frank Turner
Jason Tate

Frank Turner recently say down with PunkNews:

At the actual start of my solo career I really didn’t fit anywhere: I didn’t really want to be the token acoustic guy in the British punk scene. At the time all of my friends were part of the kind of Libertines thing, bands like the Holloways and the Pidgeon Detectors. And then there was the folk thing with Munford & Sons and Laura Marlin. I was on the edge of three different scenes: I did shows with Munford & Sons, with Gallows, with Baby Shambles but I didn’t quite fit in any of these worlds. There were days when that was pretty frustrating to me because, if you fit in a certain scene and that scene blows up, life is easy. For a time anyway. I remember Jamie T, who was a good friend of mine, we played open mic shows together and then he just exploded while I stayed small. 

Hayley Williams Pens New Essay

Hayley Williams
Jason Tate

Hayley Williams has written a new essay on her blog:

in 2026, Trump, our president once more, still shits his suits and lies through his teeth about everything. in 2026, Project 2025 is 51% complete and we’re now talking about a Project 2026. ICE (fuck em), Epstein (fuck em), cities who mismanage and put profits over people (fuck em) , multiple genocides (FUCKKKK em)— only a few of the huge issues dominating the news cycle and our collective minds. it’s an exhausting time to just be human, especially if you are a human on the side of liberty and justice for ALL.

the career i’ve chosen allows me to engage with a lot of people directly, through art and through live events. this year, i’ll be even more outside than i was last year, seeing the world over, up close. i still feel very lucky that, as someone who struggles dearly with my mind and a hyper-vigilant nervous system, i get to spend a lot of time together with the people in some capacity. i get to partake in the much needed catharsis live music offers us and to connect with other humans. it’s kind of the only way i see myself staying remotely hopeful in the face of… everything.

New Found Glory’s Kerrang! Interview

New Found Glory
Jason Tate

New Found Glory sat down with Kerrang!:

“They’re caring about me and they want to know how I am,” rationalises Chad, “But my answer is only ever two things: I’m dying or I’m doing good. What I was finding over the past two or three years is there’s a way of talking through the suffering that keeps them in the negative headspace. 

“You want someone to ask if you’ve seen the latest TV show, like Welcome To Derry, and to tell you it’s awesome. I’d rather someone just talk to me like that, like a normal person. There are people in my life that have struggled with what I’m going through more than me. That puts a stress on me where I’m like, ‘I’m having a good day, and you brought it to a place that I don’t want to be in.’ So that’s what [You Got This] is about. It’s saying thank you for caring, but don’t use this as a tool for connection for yourself.”

Bringing The Format Back to Life

The Format
Jason Tate

The Format talked with The Aquarian:

Nate: I’ve always been a psychopath about sequence. For me it’s [about] the final song. In the past we’ve maybe got a little prog about it. Any album I do, it’s always about the first song and the last song, and what happens in between. The first song tees you up. The last song sends you away. This is the exact same way. It just feels like a very cohesive album stylistically. It does allow the songs to flow together nicely.

Review: Zaq Baker – “Victorious”

Zaq Baker - "Victorious"
Adam Grundy

Zaq Baker is a talented singer-songwriter who is passionate about many causes. While the majority of his music topics range from love (“Bri”), mental health, and growing up (“Treadmill”), his latest song of “Victorious” takes dead aim at the heartbreaking ICE takeover going on in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Baker could’ve gone in a multitude of directions on this protest song, but he chooses to focus on the human element and the neighbors who will be joining together to stand up for each other in the wake of fascism. On this five-minute song, that dives deep into the horrors that Baker and others have witnessed, his instrument of choice is an upright piano that evokes strong emotions with each chord.

Read More “Zaq Baker – “Victorious””

Review: Matchbook Romance – Voices

Matchbook Romance - Voices
Adam Grundy

After touring for nearly a year and a half on their debut LP, Stories and Alibis, Matchbook Romance buckled down in Long View Farm studios in Massachusetts to write the follow-up to their breakthrough onto the emo scene. Voices features a departure from the sound of their debut, and charted at #43 on the Billboard 200 upon its release on Valentine’s Day in 2006. Based on the strength of the lead single, “Monsters,” Matchbook Romance proved that they were capable of being much more than just your “stereotypical emo band.” Instead, Voices led the band down a darker path and expanded their audience along the way. The set was produced by John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab For Cutie) and the artwork was designed by Shawn Harris of The Matches. Voices is a record that I found immediately gripping and urgent, and I’m so glad that Matchbook Romance took this big risk on their sophomore effort.

Read More “Matchbook Romance – Voices”