i suck at grieving is out and it feels WEIRD WEIRD weird i hope that anyone that needs it, finds comfort in the fact that it’s impossible to NOT suck at grieving: https://t.co/wfmV3hROK6 pic.twitter.com/p0AtAdqRLV

— Lauran Hibberd (@lauranhibberd) September 21, 2023

The song marks the first new music to come from the power pop artist since the release of her last single “Honda Civic” and her debut album Garageband Superstar. The singer stated that the song is for people who do not know how to interpret their emotions or who are reluctant to begin the grieving process.

Hibberd’s father sadly passed away in 2022 and she said of the song, “I guess eventually you run out of stuff to laugh about, and have to look life or in this case death straight in the eye. I lost my dad last year, and I changed in an instant but forever.”

The singer added, “I found everyone’s advice on grief painful and inappropriate, and I couldn’t work out why I couldn’t grieve like the internet told me to. This track feels like an extension of me, and I know it’s not my usual tricks but it feels more me than anything I’ve ever made before. This is a song for people who don’t want to grieve, for people who don’t know where to start, and for people who don’t know how it ends.”

It has been a steady rise for the young pop singer, who certainly seems like she has all of the key ingredients to cement her place as a pop icon in years to come. Hibberd began playing guitar at the age of 14 and started writing her own songs shortly thereafter. After releasing a string of singles and a few EPs, Hibberd finally dropped her debut album Garageband Superstar last year to mostly favourable reviews.

Known for her witty lyrics, slacker punk attitude and sonic signature, Hibberd has never been one to shy away from the more heavy subject matter, although the singer maintains her light-hearted positivity throughout. With “I Suck At Grieving,” Hibberd is venturing into what is perhaps uncharted waters for the singer, as she attempts to where her emotions on her sleeve. The song will no doubt touch upon a tender chord for her growing fanbase around the world.

Hibberd recently wrapped up a UK tour in support of US alternative rock band, All Time Low and is about to rejoin the band for their North American and Australian tours with Payday Parade and Gym Class Heroes.

Black Water County release ‘Second Guessing’ featuring guest vocals from Hannah Greenwood of Creeper – the third chapter In a series of singles leading to the release of their third studio album, The Only Life Worth Living.

Watch video – https://t.co/bKPs1N8NaC… pic.twitter.com/qLZQ9eqRAo

— MNPR Magazine (@mnprmagazine) September 8, 2023

The song is the third single to be released by the Bournemouth based Black Water County and will feature on the band’s upcoming album The Only Life Worth Living due to drop in November. After the fast-paced, frenetic energy set by the first two releases, “Cruel State Of Mind” and “The Only Life Worth Living,” “Second Guessing” explores the softer, more emotional side of the band with Greenwood providing the perfect partner for what is a beautiful take on a punk ballad.

Speaking of the duet performed with Byrom, Greenwood said the song “came about very organically when Shan reached out to me a few months ago wondering If I would be keen to feature on one of their new upcoming singles. I loved the song the first time I heard it being a sucker for a ballad. It was fun getting involved and embellishing the harmonies and the outro and also being part of the video. Having worked with Zak Pinchin before I knew the video would be great too!” Discussing the song,

Black Water County added, “‘Second Guessing’ is about closure between two people, in which one leaves with the words of the other echoing in their head….The song dwells on how this sinks in for that person, realising regrets and accepting that life will never be the same.”

New single ‘The Only Life Worth Living’ OUT NOW! #blackwatercounty #NewMusicFriday #music #band #single #NewSingle pic.twitter.com/k2MoAC1QAB — Black Water County (@blckwtrcnty) June 16, 2023

Following the release of The Only Life Worth Living in December, Black Water County will embark on a headlining tour of the UK in support of the album, culminating in a special finale- a hometown show at the Old Fire Station in Bournemouth on 16 December. The band will perform the new album in its entirety with special guests and live orchestral arrangements. The show will be the only date to feature the complete run-through of the album.

Creeper are gearing up for their own new album release with Sanguivore due to be released on 13 October. The band have thus far shared two singles off the record, “Cry To Heaven” and “Teenage Sacrifice.” The band, often labelled as art rock due to their ever changing aesthetic and musical sound, have been attracting scores of new fans who have been intrigued by the incorporation of everything from horror punk to emo and their gothic, vampiric image.

Creeper will also be embarking on a tour of the UK this autumn. Tickets for Black Water County can be found here and for Creeper here. Sanguivore by Creeper can be purchased on presale here. The Only Life Worth Living can be pre-purchased here.

Black Water County UK Tour:

09/11/2023 – Rescue Rooms – Nottingham
10/11 – Camden Assembly – London
11/11 – Thekla – Bristol
12/11 – Junction – Plymouth
16/11 – Key Club – Leeds
17/11 – Anarchy Brew – Newcastle
18/11 – Audio – Glasgow
16/12 – Old Fire Station – Bournemouth

Creeper UK Tour:

31/10/2023 – Hard Rock Cafe – Newcastle
05/11 – O2 Academy – Bristol
06/11 – Clyde Room – Glasgow
08/11 – Rock City – Nottingham
09/11 – Manchester Academy – Manchester
10/11 – O2 Shepard’s Bush Empire – London

Tom Jones questions decision to ban Delilah at rugby games https://t.co/PFHXSd9xRn

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 22, 2023

Back in February, the WRU announced its decision that “Delilah” would no longer be sung at matches by the choir at the Municipality Stadium in Cardiff. In a move that has undoubtedly sought to deflect any controversy or offence to those attending rugby matches at the stadium, the WRU have defended their position by stating that they do not condone violence of any kind.

The song was written by Barry Mason in 1968 and contains a lyric that describes a woman’s murder at the hands of her boyfriend after she is found with another man. The decision by the WRU to stop singing the song has been criticised by one of Wales’ most famous sons and original singer of “Delilah”-Tom Jones. Jones, who is well known globally for hit songs such as, “It’s Not Unusual” and “She’s A Lady,” stated frankly that he simply will just keep on singing the song.

During his gig in Cardiff on Saturday 22, July, Jones allegedly told the crowd, “you can’t stop us singing ‘Delilah.’ Can you imagine? Who was the man who didn’t want us to sing ‘Delilah?’ They may stop the choir from singing it, but they haven’t stopped the crowd. Keep on singing it-and I’ll keep on singing it too.”

Jones’ personal fight for the song is not new either-the singer leaped to the ballad’s defence in 2014 when calls for its banning first appeared. Speaking at the time about the song, Jones said, “it makes me very proud to be Welsh. I think if they’re looking into the lyric about a man killing a woman, it’s not a political statement. It’s just something that happens in life that [a] woman was unfaithful to him and he just loses it.”

Politicians have weighed in and defended the banning as well, citing that often times during rugby or football matches, incidences of domestic violence tend to increase. The WRU have further stated that their decision to ban the song is based around the belief that some supporters will find the subject matter upsetting.

The song was censored earlier this year due to its connotations to domestic violence https://t.co/RQgwZYStcN

— NME (@NME) July 24, 2023

The song was a significant hit for Jones when the singer released the single in February of 1968. The song reached number 1 in several European countries and found success in Great Britain where it reached number 2. The WRU’s decision is sure to divide some sections of supporters while furthering the debate on censorship and public interest. Tom Jones is on tour now and tickets can be purchased here.

Tom Jones Tour:

24/07/2023 – Cardiff Castle – Cardiff
26/07 – Sandown Park Racecourse – Esher
27/07 – Dreamland – Margate
28/07 – Dreamland – Margate
30/07 – Tio Pepe Festival – Jerez De La Frontera, Spain
01/08 – Plaza de Toros – Alicante, Spain
03/08 – Festival de Terramar – Catalunya, Spain
05/08 – Cardiff Castle – Cardiff
06/08 – Audley End House and Gardens – Saffron Waldon

Currently perched upon a pile of desiccated dance tracks and bloodless bops in the number two spot, new blood ‘Vampire‘ looks set to sink its fangs into the BBC Radio One Official Chart top spot, biting at the heels of Dave/Central Cee’s brag-rap banger ‘Sprinter‘. Having sat atop the chart for five weeks in a row, Cench’s senile beat is ripe for ex-sanguination.

Having torn up the charts like a bat out of hell Rodrigo’s previous victims rest in pieces. Littered amongst a scattered trail of bejewelled teeth and fake nails lies the shrivelled remains of J Hus and Drakes ‘Who Told You’ as well the cold corpse of her childhood hero Taylor Swift’s  ‘Cruel Summer’.

Olivia’s piano driven self pity-ditty paints a portrait of an individual plagued by a parasitic personal relationship, lyrically the bemoaning ballad appears to have been penned about yet another boy who played her false and left her feeling lied to and leeched on, and surprise surprise she’s a little bit pissed off about it. So pissed off in fact that she exhales an ‘eff’ word during the chorus, branding the belligerent boy as a “Bloodsucker, fame fucker”. Fair enough Olivia.

The metaphorical allusions to vampirism are reflected not only in the songs lyrics but also in the singles cover artwork, a pseudo gothic side profile still soaked in a monochromatic filter perforated colourfully by a protrusive shade of purple plasters plugging Rodrigo’s presumably punctured jugular, in a nod to an old horror movie poster from the 1968 British Hammer Horror classic ‘Dracula Has Risen From The Grave‘.

The track serves as the singer’s flagship single taken from her upcoming sophomore album ‘Guts‘, slated for release on September 8th 2023. Produced and recorded by frequent collaborator Dan Nigro at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York (a recording studio commissioned by the one and only Jimi Hendrix way back in 1968 that has since been used by a plethora of musicians including the likes of David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, and more recently Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift to name but a few) Rodrigo describes the song as being about “feeling hurt and confused”.

Released June 30th via Geffen/Interscope Records, ‘Vampire‘ has amassed over 36 million streams on Spotify as well as drawing an international audience of 26 million through radio airplay. An accompanying music video directed by Petra Collins was also released simultaneously online during a live Youtube premiere. The video racked up 13 million views with 24 hours of being uploaded to the platform. So will Olivia Rodrigo clip Central Cee’s wings and claim her spot at the top of the UK chart or will Cench and Dave sprint to safety for another week at No.1?

After releasing a spree of breakout extended plays on their Soundcloud in 2016, experimenting with artists from around the globe, including the likes of Sango, Lyves and James Vincent McMorrow, Sonder looked to expand their palette in search of new sounds. After their ‘Into’ EP, a sensual seven track journey spawning the hit ‘Too Fast’, the enigmatic nature was broken revealing Sonder to the world along with the rising vocalist Brent Faiyaz at the vocal helm. Since 2017, the group have spent time in the UK working on music, including the recording of a chunk of Brent’s most recent solo venture ‘Fuck The World’.

It is unknown whether this most recent song was recorded during the groups time in London, but this collaboration has been long sought after by R&B fans alike, with both artists acknowledging each other in the past. This new single signals a revival of the Sonder alias, with the upload of a new video to YouTube exclusively by the group titled ‘TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG’. The 13-minute film includes snippets of new music over a backdrop of various location shots and studio footage, directed by Liam Walsh and producer Dpat. As well as Sonders re-emergence, Jorja Smith has been active as a solo artist herself, with her new single ‘Addicted’ gracing streaming platforms last month before this collaboration. Both artists are in positions to release new projects in 2021, and these new tracks serves as taster for what’s in store for summer and beyond.