The Big Read
Page 3
Phoenix: “We’ve had fun breaking the rules throughout our career”
The French indie legends’ expansive seventh album was recorded amidst decadent splendour at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris’ Louvre Palace. NME heads into the artists’ studio to get the full picture
Rina Sawayama: “I want to make live moments and memories that last forever”
The creative polymath’s spectacular second album – and an upcoming Hollywood acting gig – tees up one of pop’s most rewarding eras
Inside the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”
Almost 90,000 fans came together to celebrate the late Foo Fighters legend. NME meets fans and performers – from Mark Ronson to Kesha – to remember a true hero
Bring Me The Horizon: “Headlining Reading & Leeds is amazing. It’s been a crazy journey”
Over a decade ago, the band were met with a maelstrom of opposition at the festival. Now they’ve returned to make it their own
Julia Jacklin: “If I’m going to be singing about someone, it’s got to come from a place of wanting to be closer”
One of Australia’s most understated yet vital songwriters explores sexuality and shame through “big feelings and big sounds” on her third album ‘Pre Pleasure’
TWICE: “Through honesty, we can protect ourselves”
The K-pop group are ready for the next chapter of their illustrious career, but some things won’t change: their commitment to honesty and thirst for creativity
Kasabian: “The band wanted to carry on. What else were we gonna do?”
New album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ finds a band reborn
Pale Waves: “We’ve become the most resilient band we know”
How the Manchester four-piece pulled through trials and trauma to craft ‘Unwanted’, a bright and breezy album that serves as a paean to their enduring friendship
Beabadoobee: “I have so much more art to share with the world. I’m not going to stop”
How the guitar hero learned to let go of the past and leaned into her own personal utopia with eclectic second album ‘Beatopia’
Maggie Rogers: “Choice is the greatest sense of freedom”
The US star’s second album embraces once-repressed desires and urges. Following a demanding era where she just “wanted her music to be enough”, ‘Surrender’ makes for an irresistible listen
King Stingray: “We’re full of love in our heart – that makes us believe in ourselves”
The ascendant Yolŋu surf rockers are carrying on the legacy of Yothu Yindi with heartfelt, hooky songs about home, community and country
Mabel: “I didn’t really feel like I deserved a lot of my success”
Mabel’s throwing a house party, and we’re all invited. Emerging from a period of burnout and self-doubt with a new-found confidence, her second album ‘About Last Night…’ sees her beat the trolls with hard-hitting, club-influenced anthems