EP Review: Kai Moa – Some of My Best Friends Are…Electric Sheep

Birmingham-based producer, multi-instrumentalist and drummer Kai Moa steps into the spotlight with his debut EP, Some of My Best Friends Are…Electric Sheep. It's fair to say that the EP is a fairly unique proposition. It contains a grand total of four songs that draw from Moa's deeply eclectic background, spanning genres such as jazz, punk, post-rock and house music. This is the sort of record that thrives on being different, creating an intoxicating tension through the use of digital precision, industrial soundscapes and a raw sense of musicianship. Let's jump straight in...

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Album Review: Marlophone – Remembered Adventures in Widescale

Sydney outfit Marlophone have finally released their debut full-length album, Remembered Adventures in Widescale to much acclaim from this writer! The record was released via Defend Vinyl and Love As Fiction, with the album operating as an imaginative bridge between the concepts of memory and everyday magic that pervade this record so well. It also features several guest contributions from artists such as Sarah Blasko and Wayne Connolly, making for one killer record overall! By Jane Howkins The dream-pop vibes are apparent from the first track Nintendo Era Hero. …

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New Music: 9 o’clock Nasty – Check the Neck

9 o'clock Nasty have quickly become firm favourites here at York Calling, and for good reason! The Leicester-based group have recently release their latest single release Check the Neck - give it a listen below if you've not checked them out yet! By Jane Howkins If you've heard 9 o'clock Nasty's music before, you'll already know that they aren't interested in playing it safe, as new single Check the Neck shows. It's a delightfully abrasive piece of music that combines a punk attitude with an old-school hip-hop feel, using an electronic-based beat to highlight a surprisingly heavy existential theme of aging, mortality and society's refusal to grow up.

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Ronan Keating brings his world tour to Scarborough Open Air Theatre

Pop icon Ronan Keating is bringing his world tour celebrating his 30-year career to Yorkshire next summer, playing Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Sunday 18 July 2027.

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Discovery: Lior Golan Turns Trauma To Cathartic Classic Rock in New EP MIDNIGHT TRAINS

Many artists who I cover as part of this blog use their music as a form of therapy. The latest is Lior Golan, who has turned to classic rock to process his trauma.

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James Crowley is Back With Courageous New EP

London indie-folk songwriter James Crowley released his new EP, Imprint, on 18 September. The collection consists of four tracks, written in collaboration with Wolf Alice’s Joel Amey and produced by Mike Horner (who has also worked with bands such as Franz Ferdinand and Hot Wax).

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Discovery: Piper Connolly Impresses With Defiant EP she’s too much!

The thing about teen artists is they're usually as unrefined as they are exciting. It's rare to find one who starts their career fully formed.

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New Music: Paul Frazer Clarke feat. Will Champlin – Cycle

Multi-talented composer and producer Paul Frazer Clarke has released a shimmering synth-pop gem titled Cycle. The track also features guest vocalist Will Champlin, serving up a masterclass in the world of sun-soaked alternative pop. By Jane Howkins From the opening moments of the song, Cycle feels deliberately designed to evoke the sense of a warm summers day. The track sees seasoned industry veteran Paul Frazer Clarke bringing an immediate sense of space to the arrangement of the tune, creating numerous summery layers that draw you in immediately. Musically, …

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Album Review: Fish and Scale – Elf

In a musical climate that often seems to be obsessed with hyper-polished production and desperate bids for viral hooks, German singer-songwriter Roland Wälzlein (who records under the moniker Fish and Scale) takes us on a delightfully defiant path with his new album Elf. The 11 tracks on offer here make for a nice follow-on from Fish and Scale's previous EP Wonderful, building an earthy and contemplative world that pulls gently from classic folk-rock traditions without leaning on cheap hooks or gimmicks. If that sounds good, then why not slow things down and take a listen to the album after reading through this review?

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Discovery: Kent Olsson

Swedish singer-songwriter and musician Kent Olsson is a newcomer to these pages, but I have no doubt that we'll be featuring her here again, due to how amazing her new single, Lipstick on the exit sign, is! By Jane Howkins Lipstick on the exit sign actually closes out Kent's conceptual trilogy titled The Art of Breaking Up (which also includes the previous gems Replay:me and Access denied). However, on this song, the Swedish mastermind returns alongside Italian vocalist Jolie for the grand finale. This means that Lipstick on the exit sign…

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Music and Politics: More Bravery Needed?

Music and politics have an uneasy symbiosis, as two recent stories have made clear. Ed Sheeran went through ‘the worst week’ of his life after his tour support act, Macklemore, was shuffled off the gigs following an on-stage pronouncement about Palestine. The Jewish owner of the Gillette Stadium, Robert Kraft, was apparently so incensed by this that he issued an ‘ultimatum’ to Sheeran. Macklemore was dropped from the tour.

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CRACKED Sees Sylva Faye Process Trauma and Grief Through Unexpected Hyperpop and Folk

I first featured the music of singer-songwriter Sylva Faye at the start of 2025, and was enchanted by her second album release, Sunday Forever.

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Live Review: Gilbert O’Sullivan – Sixty years of songs, two sets and a fireside warmth that reaches the back of the theatre.

Gilbert O’Sullivan @ Grand Opera House, York – 22nd September 2026 Words and Photos - John Hayhurst There’s something wonderfully disarming about spending an evening with Gilbert O’Sullivan. Seated at his piano in a flowery shirt, he makes York’s Grand Opera House feel like somewhere considerably smaller. Between songs, his heartwarming stories have the easy familiarity of a favourite uncle chatting beside the fire. The difference, of course, is that this uncle can punctuate the conversation with some of the biggest hits of the 1970s. Celebrating 60 years in music and approaching his 80th birthday, O’Sullivan has plenty to look back on.

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Discovery: Honesty Works in Liset Aviva’s Debut EP

When I review an artist’s debut record, I must admit I rarely put myself in that artist’s shoes.

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Live Review: Rickenbackers & Restless Energy – The Molotovs have eyes firmly on their future.

The Molotovs @ Beckett SU, Leeds – 17 September 2026 Words and Photos - John Hayhurst Some venue upgrades tell you everything about where a band is heading. Originally booked for The Wardrobe, tonight’s show has moved to Leeds Beckett SU to accommodate extra demand. For The Molotovs, it feels like another step in a climb that is gathering serious pace. The London band have put in the miles, played every gig they can and earned their growing reputation through sheer hard work. Seeing that graft translate into bigger rooms is hugely satisfying.

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Radio Free Alice Are Coming To Leeds

Australian post-punk risers Radio Free Alice return to Leeds on Wednesday 18 November, playing Brudenell Social Club as part of an extensive UK/EU tour.

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Discovery: Justyna Jablonska Tells An Immigrant Story In Eclectic New Album, Unforeseen

One theme emerging from the music I’ve featured in 2026 is that of immigrants coming to the UK and bringing the traditions of their homeland with them.

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Beabadoobee’s 4th Album Pylon Crackles With Anxiety and Experimentation

Beabadoobee’s has released her fourth album Pylon.

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Discovery: Rock Artist Josey Reinhardt Gets Honest In New Single

Josey Reinhardt is a Nashville, USA-based artist who is new to our blog thanks to his honest new single, Over My Head.

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Live Photoset: Marillion at York Barbican

Few bands can claim a live reputation quite as enduring as Marillion’s.

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Discovery: Rihab Azar’s Oud Tells Stories in Debut, Dandelion

Every so often, an album comes along that’s truly fascinating, not just for the music but for the stories behind it.

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Spain’s Sehore Explores Humanity In Experimental New Single, IA

In 2025, I featured Sehore’s Dadaist album Husfikbur and found myself enchanted by their experimental style.

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Discovery: Pivots Captivate With Compulsive Electronica and an Immersive Live Experience

The modern world is a sometimes scary, sometimes exciting place and one act that are rising to meet the moment is Pivots.

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Discovery: Paul Durnham

On new release No Safe Ground, Paul Durnham has created an understated and haunting piece of songwriting on this introspective acoustic track, perfectly capturing the feeling of emotional instability. By Jane Howkins No Safe Ground is a rock song that is built largely around sparse, brooding acoustic guitar patterns that are particularly restrained on the verses. Paul has managed to establish a moody foundation right from its quiet opening bars of this tune, before the chorus break open with huge soaring guitar riffs and a selection of passionate vocal lines. There's also a cool solo towards the end, allowing the deliberately restrained music to final explode in style, allowing every note to breathe when required.

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Discovery: Eric Mann

American singer-songwriter Eric Mann has created an exceptionally poignant piece of dark country-folk with Guanajuato, a cinematic song that explores themes of human connection, circumstance and moral complexity. By Jane Howkins Eric's plainspoken, gravel-tinged vocals carry the exact emotional restraint that this song demands - it's raw, yet the production sounds perfectly and the live recording seems to have really brought about a brilliant balance of sounds here. Guanajuato almost sounds a bit like an old Western film score at times, creating a dusty, reflective mood for the listener that is grounded in a traditional form of folky instrumentation.

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Discovery: Michael B Kowal

Michael B Kowal delivers authentic grit and a strong melodic backbone on new song Fire in Your Eyes, which is a soulful, warm-blooded slice of blues-infused rock and roll that wears its heart proudly on its sleeve. By Jane Howkins What's really interesting about Fire In Your Eyes is that it relies primarily on natural heat and organic instrumentation, subtly building the music up nicely over the course of the piece. Built on an earthy form of acoustic framing, rich guitar flourishes and a steady, simmering rhythm section, the track brilliantly creates an atmosphere that feels immediately familiar yet deeply captivating. It's a real stand-out song and one that makes me eager to discover what Michael comes up with next time around!

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Discovery: Echo Union

I love a catchy pop song, and Echo Union have managed to deliver exactly that with their punchy new single, Until You Needed Money. By Jane Howkins Until You Needed Money is a sharp, groove-laden slice of pop/rock music that pairs cynical, real-talk lyricism with an irresistible, driving rhythm. The songwriting is absolutely superb here, using an amazing chord sequence that echoes nicely on the piano, with occasional guitar riffs tailing off every so often in the background as the song builds up. The vocals are perfect too, also using some pretty choir-like backing vocals at times to add more of an emotive effect. This is a must listen song from me!

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New Music: The Howlers – D.R.I.V.E.

British indie-rockers The Howlers have quickly made a name for themselves within the music scene, with D.R.I.V.E being another killer new single for the band. By Jane Howkins As previously stated, The Howlers have been making serious waves across the UK indie circuit - now their latest offering, D.R.I.V.E, proves exactly why they’re one of the most exciting guitar bands around right now. As you might have expected from the song title, D.R.I.V.E is a relentless piece of garage-rock that feels built for wide-open highways and late-night highway cruising, due to the rhythm and riffage on offer here.

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New Music: Grant Maloy Smith – Tear Trail

Here at York Calling, we have a huge soft spot for music that tells a story, which is exactly what singer-songwriter Grant Maloy Smith does - why not try out her new single Tear Trail and see for yourselves? By Jane Howkins There is something timeless about an artist who can pick up an acoustic guitar, lean into the roots of American folk music and tell a story that feels both historically grounded and deeply human. That's what Grant has managed to do on his new single Tear Trail, …

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Discovery: WE THE QUEENZ

Texas-based singer-songwriter WE THE QUEENZ is a brand new discovery of mine, but I guarantee I will be sharing more of her music in the near future if A Place Called Home is anything to go by! By Jane Howkins A Place Called Home is a beautiful piece of music that wraps the listener up in an inviting wave of melody and passion from the very start. You can really feel the pain in the vocals, especially as they're belted out on the chorus, getting deep underneath your skin in no time.

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