Our new song Don’t Want To Dance is out today, from the Machine Starts To Sing EP, out 21st February 2025.

Listen here: https://t.co/uR6js5s7w7

This will be the last new music from us as Porridge Radio and marks the end of the band. pic.twitter.com/C2ryXbpenS

— Porridge Radio (@porridgeradio) January 15, 2025

The EP, comprising tracks recorded during the sessions for their 2024 album ‘Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me‘, serves as a reflection of the band’s evolution. The single  ‘Don’t Want to Dance’, released yesterday, January 15, provides fans a glimpse of what’s to come in their concluding work. Commenting on their disbandment on social media, Porridge Radio said: “The songs on this EP are an important part of ‘Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me‘, and mean as much to us as the 11 songs on the album. We are excited for you to hear them. This band has been our life, we’re family now. These tours will be our last, thanks so much for listening.”

Formed in 2015, Porridge Radio rose to prominence with their emotionally charged lyrics and unique blend of lo-fi indie rock and art-punk aesthetics. Their 2020 album ‘Every Bad‘ earned critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize. Known for raw, cathartic performances, the band has been a significant voice in the UK’s independent music scene.

As of now, Porridge Radio has not provided a detailed explanation for their decision to disband. In their official announcement on social media, they emphasised gratitude for the love and support they’ve received over the years and framed the decision as the “right time” for them to say goodbye. This suggests that the breakup may be rooted in personal or creative reasons, as is often the case when bands choose to end their journey.

Porridge Radio plans to embark on a series of farewell shows, offering fans a final opportunity to connect with their music. As the band prepares to close this chapter, fans are left with a legacy of deeply introspective, resonant tracks that defined their journey.

Our new album Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me is out October 18th!

Sick Of The Blues is out today with a live video from our performance at Le Centre Pompidou in April 2024

EU/UK/US tour on sale Friday

So ready to share this with you! ☁️ pic.twitter.com/MfDfek5BZZ

— Porridge Radio (@porridgeradio) July 30, 2024

According to a press release the new project was inspired by burnout, the music industry, heartbreak, and band leader Dana Margolin’s increasing immersion in her craft as a songwriter and artist. A short-lived relationship for Margolin and subsequent heartbreak inspired the album which is seen in the single ‘Sick of the Blues’. She spoke about how this inspired the project: “A lot of this album is about a more frenetic and desperate kind of love. It is about completely losing my sense of self in one relationship, and the deep residue of insecurity and pain that lingered and clouded a new relationship.”

She continued talking about the new single: “‘Sick Of The Blues’ is about being heartbroken and taking back some joy, remembering that you’re the source of your own happiness, not someone else, even when you’re hurt and left with a hole in your heart. After being messed around enough, you just want to take back control. I just wanted to let it go, stop letting it consume me. I wanted simplicity, to have fun and remember everything good that could possibly happen. To love wholly, to not take anything too seriously. To have fun with my friends, to remove the tunnel vision and fall in love with my life again.”

‘Clouds In The Sky Will Always Be There For Me’ was produced by Dom monks, who has also worked with the likes of Big Thief and Laura Marling, and it was recorded in Frome at the beginning of this year. The band was invited to debut their new material following the recording sessions at a performance at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Margolin spoke about how the upcoming album felt like a breakthrough for the band: “It feels like the first time we’ve made something. It captured something about our friendship as a band and the way that we have learnt to play together. It’s taught me so much. Following your gut to the nth point, trusting your friends and their loyalty, trusting yourself to be able to fight with people properly and still come back together.”

The full tracklist for their new album is below:

1. ‘Anybody’
2. ‘Hole In The Ground’
3. ‘Lavender Raspberries’
4. ‘God Of Everything Else’
5. ‘Sleeptalker’
6. ‘You Will Come Home’
7. ‘Wednesday’
8. ‘In A Dream’
9. ‘I Get Lost’
10. ‘Pieces Of Heaven’
11. ‘Sick Of The Blues’

As well as announcing the new album, Porridge radio have shared dates for a world tour where they will be playing a run of dates in the UK during November. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (August 2nd) at 10am and fans can buy tickets here.

The full list of dates is below:

November 2024

18 – Nottingham, UK, Rescue Rooms
19 – Bristol, UK, Marble Factory
20 – Leeds, UK, Irish Centre
22 – Glasgow, UK, Òran Mór
23 – Newcastle, UK, Newcastle University SU
25 – Manchester, UK, Gorilla
26 – London, UK, Electric Brixton
29 – Margate, UK, Lido
30 – Brighton, UK, Chalk

Yesterday we launched our new community radio station – Sister Midnight FM!

We’ve been working on this behind the scenes for a while, and we can’t wait to see how it shapes up with the input of our community!

Tune in at https://t.co/IL5517DMYb pic.twitter.com/65M0UC8nzP

— Sister Midnight (@sistermidnightt) August 4, 2023

The radio station officially launched last week and is an effort to build up the music community in the area. The announcement comes after further attempts to put music venues back into the hands of fans and away from private landlords that often are accused of raising prices thereby locking ordinary members of the community out.

Sister Midnight music venue has been the culmination of two years of campaigning for a community owned music base that finally found a home in Catford Town Centre. Owned by Lewisham Council, the building in question represented a serious investment for refurbishment to bring the premises up to standard for its intended use.

Sister Midnight was able to secure a ten year lease that will see the company not having to pay any rent to the council as long as they can front the money to renovate the abandoned building. Once completed, the collective have space for a 300 capacity live room, a private yard and studio space on the upper floors.

The collective boasts that the sky is the limit for the venue and have plans to feature high quality local talent. The project has gained support from notable personalities throughout the UK, including Goat Girl, Porridge Radio and Jools Holland who has even agreed to become a shareholder of the venue. As of August 2023, the building’s construction is set to get underway but Sister Midnight have gone ahead with their radio station which has thus far featured music segments from DJ Gilla, Laani and Shovel Dance Collective. The station will also host local community shows.

Listen back to my JAZZ RE:FEST 2023 Special on brand new @sistermidnightt community radio ‘LAANI on SMFM’ by Sister Midnight FM is on #SoundCloud https://t.co/c6hTC8cNSe — LAANI (@alanna_henry) August 7, 2023

Sister Midnight’s Lenny Watson, while discussing the station and its input into the local scene said, “Sister Midnight FM opens up a whole new world of possibilities for engaging and growing the Sister Midnight community-both in the present while we’re still working on opening our new music venue, and in the future once we’re up and running. We’re so excited to see how the station grows and to have a way for local people to get creatively involved with our work!”

“We’re so excited to see how the station grows and to have a way for local people to get creatively involved with our work…” – @sistermidnightthttps://t.co/CLMQyMo1bW

— DMY (@dmymag) August 3, 2023

Grassroots music gig spaces have been under threat and calls for government action have been urgently voiced in recent years. Many commentators fear that local musicians and artists will lack the means to form a viable career and the UK will lose out on numerous talent acquisition in future. The collective in Lewisham represent one, of what many will hope will be many, local organisations that will invest in music scenes for the community.

The song is a powerful and direct anthem that moves between surreal pop essence to a heavier rock flavour. In a statement, singer Dana Margolin opened up about what the song means to her. She said; “’The Rip’ was the last song to be finished for the album, and we finished it about a week before we went into the studio to record it in March 2021. We wanted it to sound like massive pop, like Charli XCX, but with the instrumentation of bands like Slothrust or Deftones”.

Margolin went on to say; “It took the longest a song has ever taken me to write lyrics for, and they took form over a few years. At the beginning it was a song about a power dynamic where I was in control, by the end it was about one where I had none. My friends always accuse me of making up idioms and using them like they are well known phrases and I think this song is full of those. I love the idea of something being sick at the seams, like it’s disintegrating from its core. I like things that are so simple they are universal. I wanted it to sound like when your heart breaks so badly that your entire body aches. I wanted it to feel like your soul is dropping out of your body.”

To get your hands on a copy of the new album, follow the link here. Porridge radio are also set to embark on an extensive tour in the UK and Europe this year. Tickets for these shows can be found here, whilst details for the UK shows can be found down below.

UK Tour Dates:

20/05/2022- Piccadilly Records- Manchester, UK
21/05- The Great Eastern Festival- Edinburgh, UK
22/05- Crash- Leeds, UK
24/05- Rough Trade East- London, UK
25/05-Resident- Brighton, UK
26/05- Rough Trade Bristol- Bristol, UK
26-29/05- Spring Gathering- Derbyshire, UK
27-28/05- Sea Change Festival- Totnes, UK
08/06- O2 Brixton Academy- London, UK (supporting Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
15/07- Doune The Rabbit Hole Festival- Stirling, UK
21-24/07-Latitude Festival- Suffolk, UK
21-24/07- Blue Dot Festival- Cheshire, UK
20/10- The Foundry- Sheffield, UK
21/10- The 1865- Southampton, UK
22/10- Exeter Phoenix- Exeter, UK
24/10- Metronome- Nottingham, UK
25/10- Trinity- Bristol, UK
26/10- Junction- Cambridge, UK
28/10- Saint Luke’s- Glasgow, UK
29/10- Academy 2- Manchester, UK
30/10- Irish Centre- Leeds, UK
01/11- The Old Market- Brighton, UK
02/11- The Old Market- Brighton, UK
03/11- O2 Shepherds Bush Empire- London, UK

Margolin also announced in a statement that, “Back to the Radio’ feels like a huge introductory hello or a big ceremonial goodbye,” adding, “I wrote it at the end of 2019 when we were gearing up for the release of Every Bad and I felt like a lot of things were coming that I wasn’t sure I knew how to handle. The song grew out of a feeling of intense loneliness and being unprepared for what everybody was promising me was about to happen—and a strong desire to escape without knowing what I wanted to escape to. To me, there’s a huge feeling of catharsis in this song, of letting go and letting it sweep you away.”

The new album, co-produced by Tom Carmichael, Margolin, and the band’s drummer Sam Yardley, was remarked by Margolin as trying to “be ‘stadium-epic’—like Coldplay.” While it’s obviously impossible to feel the vibe of an album from its tracklist, songs like ‘U Can Be Happy If U Want To’ and ‘I Hope She’s OK 2’ just scream a more Olivia Rodrigo slant. I guess we’ll wait and see. You can see any pre-order details for the new album (including limited-edition signed records) here, and the confirmed tracklist below.

Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky:
1 Back to the Radio
2 Trying
3 Birthday Party
4 End of Last Year
5 Rotten
6 U Can Be Happy If U Want To
7 Flowers
8 Jealousy
9 I Hope She’s OK 2
10 Splintered
11 The Rip
12 Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky

Porridge Radio is also embarking on a lengthy tour in support of the album. With dates across Europe this month, the band will also hit some UK venues as early May in an appearance at London’s Rough Trade East, the UK leg of the tour will then conclude back in London at the O2 Shephards Bush Empire in November. See full tour information here.

Porridge Radio UK tour:

24/5/22 – Rough Trade East – London
25/5 – Resident Music – Brighton
20/10 – The Foundry – Sheffield
21/10 – The 1865 – Southampton
24/10 – Metronome – Nottingham
25/10 – Trinity Centre – Bristol
26/10 – J1 – Cambridge
28/10 – St Luke’s – Glasgow
29/10 – Manchester Academy 2 – Manchester
30/10 – Leeds Irish Centre – Leeds
1/11 – Tom The Old Market – Hove
2/11 – Tom The Old Market – Hove
3/11 – O2 Shephards Bush Empire – London

Porridge Radio’s superb sophomore album, ‘Every Bad’ was lauded by critics and fans, earning themselves a Mercury nod. The understated, lo-fi indie is so easy to listen to and front-woman and lyricist Dana Margolin’s way with words is second to none. The new track, a cover of Scout Niblett’s Wet Road, is a real delight. The understated, acoustic guitar is paired perfectly with keys and soulful, harmonised vocals. The track is absolutely drenched in melancholy, Porridge Radio have done Niblett’s original justice for sure.

PR’s label, Secretly Canadian are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year- to celebrate they are looking to raise $250,000 to combat homelessness in their hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. It’s an ambitious target, but they are utilising their big hitting signings to generate income through a number of charity singles. They have also enlisted the help of some friends, to release 25 tracks- some originals, some covers, some unheard material from a variety of bands.

This year is @secretlycndian’s 25th anniversary and I’ve covered Wet Road by Scout Niblett for their SC25 campaign

The SC25 campaign has set a $250,000 fundraising goal for @NewHope_Shelter a Bloomington charity working to end homelessness in the cityhttps://t.co/7DawtDJSxr pic.twitter.com/rWoDvngvef

— porridge radio (@porridgeradio) April 16, 2021

Secretly Canadian are also re-issuing a number of their defining albums, all on a variety of spectacularly coloured vinyl. They’ve also printed up some t-shirts, with the net profit from all these ventures going directly to the pocket of a local homeless charity. A quarter of a million dollars may seem like an ambitious target, but Secretly Canadian’s roster of albums and tracks could well help them reach their goal.

Porridge Radio’s contribution to this long list of bands is a highlight, the cover version really gives them license to soar vocally and showcase their undoubted musical ability. A piano and acoustic ballad really plays into the Brighton band’s strengths, Margolin’s voice suits this style down to the ground. This is a brilliant project to be involved with and fans will relish the chance to hear new material from Porridge Radio.

The new track is less than merrily festive however, lead-singer Dana Margolin even describes it as a song about having a miserable time every Christmas. The song fits perfectly into the groups 2020 angsty, grudge-pop style, featuring indie instrumentation and raspy vocals that send listeners into the dark depths of their emotions.

Their latest album Every Bad received international acclaim upon release, including be nominated for the 2020 Mercury Prize in music. Porridge Radio announced he track 7 Seconds as their first single and included a music video along with its release.

The English rockers recently signed to a new record label from the States called Secretly Canadian. Every Bad was their debut album on the new label and The Last Time I Saw You (O Christmas) is a reworking of their 2017 hit O Christmas, which was released via a separate label. The original can be found on the groups bandcamp.

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Margolin goes on to describe the holly less-than-jolly track as an ode to mental-health struggles around the holidays, saying the same cycles of heartbreak and depression endlessly repeating themselves. In the announcement of the single release, the band speaks directly to listeners saying We had a lot of fun with it – enjoy.

The upcoming group has played a series of radio-shows and small gigs around the UK, however, they are now currently on tour around the UK. Tour dates and tickets are available now from early 2021 all the way up until 2022 as well. The Last Time I Saw You (O Christmas) and Every Bad are available now on all streaming platforms.

UK Tour Dates

19/01/2021 – The Forum – Tunbridge Wells
21/01 – Horn – St. Albans
23/01 – Marina Fountain – St. Leonards
25/01 – The Boileroom – Guildford
29/01 – Bootleg Social – Blackpool
30/01 – The Parish – Wrexham
03/02 – Hare and Hounds – Birmingham
12/02 – The Bodega Social Club – Nottingham
13/02 – Mono – Glasgow
14/02 – The Mash House – Edinburgh
16/02 – The Cluny 2 – Newcastle Upon Tyne
17/02 – Record Junkee – Sheffield
23/02 – Norwich Arts Centre – Norwich
24/02 – Exchange – Bristol
27/02 – West Hill Hall – Brighton
25/06 – Bellahouston Park – Glasgow
01/10 – Sound City Festival – Ipswich
12/11 – The White Hotel – Salford
13/11 – The White Hotel – Salford
14/11 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds
18/11- Chalk – Brighton
21/11 – Wedgewood Rooms – Southsea
23/11 – Village Underground – London
24/11 – Village Underground – London
30/11 – The Bullingdon – Oxford
02/12 – Jacaranda Records Phase One – Liverpool
17/01/2022 – Heartbreakers – Southhampton
21/01/2022 – The Facebar – Reading

Hauntingly otherworldly, the track is littered with guitar riffs and electric synth harmonies, while the atmospheric vocals of Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin sing about longing, past mistakes and nostalgia. A bittersweet energy permeates throughout, which builds as the track progresses, before exploding into a climatic, impactful ending. “I’d wanted to work with Dana since I heard Porridge Radio a few years ago,” Raymonde commented in a press release. “We met at The Great Escape here in Brighton and I thought she might like the vibe of this piece.” Made up of Margolin, Georgie Stott, Maddie Ryall and Sam Yardley, Porridge Radio themselves have been named as one of the most promising bands in the UK, their debut album ‘Every Bad’ being nominated for a Mercury prize earlier this year.

Alongside the release, the Lost Horizons duo also dropped a music video for the track, in which we see the Porridge Radio vocalist in a multitude of surrealist backdrops. Grungy depictions of Margolin in complete solitude are contrasted by shots bombarded with duplicates of the artist, adding to the tracks message of remorse and reckless seamlessly. “…the process of collaborating on ‘One For Regret’ was really fun for me,” Margolin stated. “Simon sent me an instrumental to write lyrics and vocal melodies for, which isn’t a way I’ve written in the past and helped me think about song-writing in new ways. It was really cool to be a part of this, and I’m excited to share this song.”

However, Porridge Radio won’t be the only band to work with Lost Horizons’ on their upcoming album, as each track on the first half of the album will feature a collaboration with a different artist, including Karen Peris from ‘The Innocence Mission’, Marissa Nadler, and The Hempolics. It’s a record is set to diverge slightly from the groups usual sound, but the duo feel comfortable with delving into new territory. “I think ‘In Quiet Moments’ is more in the direction of where we’re going.” Thomas added in the press release. “People have retreated into their lives and, in those quiet moments, reflected on the world, how we fit in and who we trust. Maybe the next album will be about rebellion! But the road is long and winding. We just need to express ourselves in how we feel at the time.”

You can listen to ‘One For Regret’ below.

This year has not been an easy one. However, it has certainly underlined the importance of music and the role it has to play to unite us, heal us and make the hard times more bearable.

These are our favourite albums for 2020 x#RTTop100https://t.co/wxjLOSljGa

— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) November 10, 2020

Precious little is known about Sault’s origins and make-up other than a handful of credited guest appearances; including Mercury Prize winner Michael Kiwanuka and Laurette Josiah on Untitled (Black Is). What is certain is that they are a prolific bunch. The Guardian highlighted this neatly in their review of Untitled (Rise), the September successor to Black Is.

They wrote: “Sault seem to use the time they save by not promoting their albums or engaging with the public profitably. ‘Untitled (Rise)’ is not only their fourth album in 18 months, it’s their second double album in just over 12 weeks. It’s a work rate that would seem remarkable at any point in pop history, but feels positively astonishing today, compounded by the fact that its predecessor gave the impression of having been largely written and recorded in response to the murder of George Floyd, less than a month before it was released.”

British-Japanese singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama comes in third on the Rough Trade list with her first full studio album Sawayama, which the label describe as “a giant megazord of monster pop, built to defeat the drab mundanity destroying our lives“. In a statement shared by Pitchfork earlier this year, the London-based artist described the album as “…about understanding yourself in the context of two opposing cultures (for me British and Japanese), what “belonging” means when home is an evolving concept, figuring out where you sit comfortably within and awkwardly outside of stereotypes, and ultimately trying to be ok with just being you, warts and all.”

Also featuring in the Rough Trade top 5 are Laura Marling’s seventh album Song For Our Daughter, which Rough Trade describe as the folk singer’s “most tranquil, clear and idyllic to date“; and Beyond The Pale, the debut LP from Jarvis Cocker’s latest musical incarnation Jarv Is… In the absence of live shows, the Pulp frontman recently announced a cinematic tour of the new record which is scheduled to begin next week.

The other UK-based acts featuring in the top 10 spots in Rough Trade’s list are Anglo-Icelandic punk-pop trio Dream Wife with their sophomore album So When You Gonna…; Geordie Rockers Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (aka Pigs x7) with their third record Visceral; Hull ‘gothic shoegaze’ merchants Bdrmm with Bedroom; and Brighton quartet Porridge Radio with Every Bad, which Rough Trade praise for its “searing riffs and melodic incantations“.

Elsewhere there are nods in the Top 100 for Manic Street Preachers frontman and guitar hero James Dean Bradfield; Leicester indie-pop veterans Cornershop; Wembley-born Hollywood star and hip-hop artist Riz Ahmed; and Welsh electronicsongstress Kelly Lee Owens. The full list of Rough Trade’s Albums Of The Year 2020 (from 100-1) is as follows:

100 – Caleb Landry Jones – Mother Stone
99 – Yumi Zouma – Truth or Consequences
98 – Caroline Rose – Superstar
97 – Keeley Forsyth – Debris
96 – Monophonics – It’s Only Us
95 – Pinegrove – Marigold
94 – Khruangbin – Mordechai
93 – Rival Consoles – Articulation
92 – Clipping – Visions of Bodies Being Burned
91 – Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension
90 – Destroyer – Have We Met
89 – Adrienne Lenker – Songs and Instrumentals
88 – Chats – High Risk Behaviour
87 – Bob Dylan – Rough And Rowdy Ways
86 – Denzel Curry x Kenny Beats – Unlocked
85 – Wire – Mind Hive
84 – Bent – Up In The Air
83 – Chuck Prophet – The Land That Time Forgot
82 – X – Alphabetland
81 – Slow Pulp – Moveys
80 – Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman
79 – Rudy De Anda – Tender Epoch
78 – Jason Isbell – Reunions
77 – Grimes – Miss Anthropocene
76 – Public Practice – Gentle Grip
75 – Disq – Collector
74 – Bambara – Stray
73 – Dan Michaelson – Colourfield
72 – Riz Ahmed – The Long Goodbye
71 – Cherry Pickles – The Juice That’s Worth The Squeeze
70 – The Nude Party – Midnight Manor
69 – Action Bronson – Only For Dolphins
68 – Field Music – Making A New World
67 – Bananagun – The True Story Of
66 – James Dean Bradfield – Even In Exile
65 – Max Richter – Voices
64 – Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters
63 – BC Camplight – Shortly After Takeoff
62 – Sneaks – Happy Birthday
61 – Video Age – Pleasure Line
60 – Everything Is Recorded – Friday Forever
59 – Mark Lanegan - Straight Songs Of Sorrow
58 – Nicolas Jaar – Cenizas
57 – Ghostpoet – I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep
56 – Thundercat – It Is What It Is
55 – Chicano Batman – Invisible People
54 – King Krule – Man Alive
53 – Habibi – Anywhere But Here
52 – Agnes Obel – Myopia
51 – Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist – Alfredo
50 – Nick Hakim – WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD
49 – Jessy Lanza – All The Time
48 – Bob Mould – Blue Hearts
47 – Aqulies Navarro + Tcheser Holmes – Heritage of the Invisible II
46 – Dehd – Flower of Devotion
45 – Pole – Fading
44 – Shopping – All Or Nothing
43 – Mush – 3D Routine
42 – Heliocentrics – Infinity of Now
41 – Romare – Home
40 – Yaeji – What We Drew
39 – Damaged Bug – Bug On Yonkers
38 – Big Moon – Walking Like We Do
37 – Olafur Arnalds – some kind of peace
36 – Nation Of Language – Introduction, Presence
35 – Margo Price – That’s How Rumours Get Started
34 – Keleketla! – Keleketla!
33 – Coriky – Coriky
32 – Slift – Ummon
31 – A Certain Ratio – Loco
30 – Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans
29 – Courtney Marie Andrews – Old Flowers
28 – Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song
27 – Brigid Mae Power – Head Above Water
26 – Isobel Campbell – There Is No Other
25 – Run The Jewels – RTJ4
24 – Georgia – Seeking Thrills
23 – Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
22 – Beths – Jump Rope Gazers
21 – Yves Tumour – Heaven To A Tortured Mind
20 – Hazel English – Wake Up
19 – Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen
18 – Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
17 – Thurston Moore – By The Fire
16 – Tom Misch / Yuseff Dayes – What Kinda Music
15 – Caribou – Suddenly
14 – Idles – Ultra Mono
13 – Osees – Protean Threat
12 – Oklou – Galore
11 – Cornershop – England Is A Garden
10 – Rolling Blackouts – Sideways To New Italy
9 – Porridge Radio – Every Bad
8 – bdrmm – Bedroom
7 – Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Viscerals
6 – Dream Wife – So When You Gonna…
5 – Jarv Is – Beyond The Pale
4 – Laura Marling – Song For Our Daughter
3 – Rina Sawayama – Sawayama
2 – Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
1 – Sault – Untitled (Black Is)

#TimsTwitterListeningParty pic.twitter.com/8O0GkRf0Se

— Tim’s Listening Party (@LlSTENlNG_PARTY) August 28, 2020

#TimsTwitterListeningParties have only gained in popularity throughout the duration of lockdown. Tim Burgess initially brought them back at the height of isolation, and they proved to be one of the best ways that social media could be used as a force for good. There have been at least 400 Listening Parties – at least one almost every night since March 23 2020, when they kicked off with the Charlatans’ Some Friendly. 

The premise is that everyone puts an album on at the same time and then a commentary is produced by a number of people who were responsible for putting the album together. These range from the informative to the hilarious, and Bonehead always cries when he comes to the end of hosting a Listening Party. At the same time, you can ask questions or share opinions in real time.

It’s also worth noting that there is a degree of excitement that you get when you know that all over the world people are listening to the same album at the same time. In the absence of live music, knowing that everyone is going to put on a great song at the same time feels like a unifying event. Each Listening Party is then available forever at https://timstwitterlisteningparty.com/, where the tweets are archived in the order that they were sent out.

Digging even deeper into archive for this one — original demos, all sorts https://t.co/u9AJYCAbgz

— Sports Team (@SportsTeam_) August 28, 2020

The 2020 Mercury Prize nominees were announced earlier this month. Other than the ones listed above, they are Charli XCX, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Dua Lipa and Stormzy. This year, for the first time ever, there are more female solo artist nominees than male.

This is Laura Marling’s fourth Mercury Prize nomination, so she comes in at joint second for the most nominations ever, alongside PJ Harvey and Arctic Monkeys. The group who have been nominated most in the Prize’s 29-year history are Radiohead, who have had five albums up for the Prize. Stormzy’s Heavy Is the Head, on the other hand, is the grime star’s first ever nomination. Everything you need to know about the 2020 Prize is here.

Like everything, the Mercury Prize has had to do a little adapting this year. What you can expect on the day of the awards is a whole lot of great TV and radio coverage from the Mercury Prize partner BBC Music, in place of a live event. This isn’t completely confirmed yet, but in the meantime, you can get involved in the Listening Parties to get excited! Times and dates are below.

Wednesday 2 September 2020
8pm – Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter
9pm – Moses Boyd – Dark Matter

Thursday 3 September
7pm – Georgia – Seeking Thrills
8pm – Anna Meredith – Fibs
9pm – Porridge Radio – Every Bad

Wednesday 9 September
8pm – Lanterns on the Lake – Spook the Herd

Thursday 10 September
9pm – Sports Team – Deep Down Happy