It was an absolute honour to chat to Loathe for my latest Kerrang! cover about their new song Gifted Every Strength, why new music has taken so long, why they tour the US so much and becoming influential: www.kerrang.com/loathe-gifte...

Loathe: “There’s a revolution of people wanting interesting,…

The wait is over. After 2020’s I Let It In And It Took Everything album turned Liverpool metallers Loathe into one of the UK’s most sensational heavy…

kerrang.com

Hiya. I've lost a sizeable chunk of work. Commissioning me to write you some words would be very helpful right now - I'll do anything on rock, metal and alternative culture, issues in the world of music, and I write bios too. Find me at emmabwilkes at gmail dot com.

This was a fascinating read this morning. I've never really heard this talked about, for one thing, and the ideas put forward make a lot of sense

Mark Davyd@markdavyd.bsky.social · last yr.

Read my latest Substack: markdavyd.substack.com/p/access-den... Why are grassroots music venues treated differently to theatres, arts centres, cinemas when it comes to licensing and access for young people? More than that… why are they treated differently to arenas and stadiums?

This is fascinating. While outdoor music events can still provide opportunities for new talent, I often think about just how disparate the opposite ends of the scale are. These big mass market events rake in a small fortune while the grassroots sector struggles. Those extremes do feel more intense.

Music Venue Trust@musicvenuetrust.bsky.social · last yr.

Outdoor event dominance is disrupting touring and damaging grassroots ecosystems. (Fan data taken from the Music Fans Voice survey, which polled over 8,000 people)

How it feels knowing you’re going to a cool show in less than 24 hours

I regret to inform you that I think I posted too soon. My love life is once again becoming a joke that extends beyond April Fools 🙃

Emma Wilkes@emmabwilkes.bsky.social · 2y ago

God help me, a man is telling me paragraphs about his day and asking about mine and being given more than just crumbs is making me swoon

I had a great chat with Backxwash about her reinvention in sound on her new album 'Only Dust Remains', in which we touch on the afterlife, the violence in Gaza and... Lady Gaga?

Lauren Barley@rarelyunable.bsky.social · 2y ago

Absolutely brilliant @backxwash.bsky.social feature in @kerrang.com by @emmabwilkes.bsky.social - I love how all this came together and the visuals are stunning! www.kerrang.com/backxwash-in...

God help me, a man is telling me paragraphs about his day and asking about mine and being given more than just crumbs is making me swoon

with my whole chest. scum.

Something that goes missing when people talk about critics as “gatekeepers” is that almost every critic I know (especially at publications) wants their audience to be more open minded and have broader tastes than they actually do

I can't believe, for my first Glastonbury, I get to see Olivia Rodrigo AND Deftones AND Turnstile AND Biffy AND Amyl and lots of other lovely people. My mum's even jealous I get to see Alanis Morrisette, who she went to see live when I was small. Chose a good first year, huh?

In my debut for @theguardian.com (!!!) I had a great chat with Bloodywood about heavy metal's presence in India, combatting racism and rape culture and inspiring a sense of unity with their new album Nu Delhi! www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...

Indian rock sensations Bloodywood: ‘What’s more metal than standing up for people you love?’

The trio’s playful mix of heft and traditional instrumentation sent them viral. But they’re also confronting racism and rape culture, and struggling in a Bollywood-dominated music industry

theguardian.com

The temptation to overcommit this summer and do absolutely *everything* is so huge right now

In Oxford yesterday I passed a wedding party outside a registry office. I nodded and remembered the right thing to say was "Congratulations!" - the first thing my brain thought of saying was "Happy wedding!"

Happy pay day to all who celebrate If you’re worried about the state of the world, vote with your wallet Funding independent media is the simplest act of resistance you can do Support the video makers and podcasters who help keep you from feeling dysregulated, hopeless or alone 🙏

Offered some words of solidarity to a writer getting trolled by TERFs on the Other Site, like I did about 18 months ago. The TERFs are now transvestigating me. New level of TERF bothering unlocked... I guess? 😅

With #ILMC underway this week we wanted to remind you that whether you're an artist, venue, writer, engineer, music fan, agent, promoter, industry professional, or any kind of ally to the grassroots music scene - there's plenty of ways you can be part of what we're doing via www.MusicVenueTrust.com

I've been in Leeds the last few days and having a nice yap with a barista in the north really makes all the London Prets seem miserable in comparison

Here's my face. I messed around with some different makeup and felt cute today. Happy scrolling.

Do you ever wonder what you’d be like if you didn’t love music? The friends you wouldn’t have met. The moral compass you might not have picked up. The clothes you’d be wearing or the haircuts you’ve experimented with. The money you’d have spent differently on holidays instead of festival tickets.

LETLIVE LETLIVE LETLIVE I'M VERY OVEREXCITED

I can't make Scowl's London show on the tour they just announced as I'm taking my dad to a country gig that day as a birthday present. I think that's possibly the funniest reason I've not been able to make it to a gig before😅

I wrote about the importance of Boom to heavy music in Leeds in early 2024. Less than a year later I was on shift when news of their current location's closure broke. The good news is they've found a new home and are crowdfunding to secure it. Donate if you can! www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-boom-...

I don't mind winter really but I do dislike how it's too cold to wear most of my cute outfits (and fishnets) and I don't think I slay quite as hard drowning in a coat 😅

How do students at the University of Wolverhampton feel about about their uni profiting from a Marilyn Manson show? Have they not seen the documentary on Channel4 or Evan Rachel Wood’s Phoenix Rising?! Or read the long list of abuse allegations? Uni’s safety guide: www.wlv.ac.uk/university-l...

Spotify: Not enough money available to pay artists for their streams. $1.7 million available to support Trump’s inauguration.

It's 2025 and I've seen a festival line-up with, I think, two bands with women in them. They play on the same day. I repeat - there is a festival, in 2025, where you could go two days without seeing a single woman on stage. I can't believe I'm writing that sentence. 🙃

keep on keeping on. it’s the only way.

Grassroots music venues are the heartbeat of live music and vital for building artists, communities, and scenes. Support them by buying tickets early, joining mailing lists, and sharing their events online.