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Manchester Metallic Hardcore Rising Force Guilt Trip Drop Surprise EP ‘God Forgives’ on Roadrunner Records

Eric Alper
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Manchester Metallic Hardcore Rising Force Guilt Trip Drop Surprise EP ‘God Forgives’ on Roadrunner Records

Guilt Trip didn’t announce the ‘God Forgives’ EP. They just dropped it. Three tracks of gritty, groove-driven metallic hardcore from one of Manchester’s most urgent heavy bands, out now on Roadrunner Records, and the response from the moment it landed has been exactly what the band earned.

The EP includes “Dirt,” which premiered on Daniel P Carter’s BBC Radio 1 Rock show, and “Angel Eyes,” which premiered via SiriusXM Liquid Metal, alongside a new mix of previously released track “Burn.” Both new songs arrive with a two-part music video that functions as a single event, the kind of visual that treats the songs as a connected piece rather than two separate promotions.

“God Forgives is a culmination of progress and the embodiment of Guilt Trip’s identity,” says vocalist Jay Valentine. “The songs were written with one thing in mind: ‘Make it better’ and we hope we have hit the mark for every Guilt Trip fan out there.”

The EP is also a preview of the band’s forthcoming debut LP for Roadrunner Records, recorded at StudioOWZ in Clarbeston, Wales with producer Adam “Nolly” Getgood (Periphery) in early 2025. Guilt Trip have been building toward this record the hard way, grinding from sweaty basements to club stages to festival mainstages across a decade of consistent work.

The five-piece, Jay Valentine and Jak Maden on the creative axis since they met at four years old, have accumulated tens of millions of streams, earned KERRANG! praise for their “unique brand of hardcore,” and shared stages with Sylosis and While She Sleeps. Their 2023 album ‘Severance’ featured collaborations with LANDMVRKS and Malevolence and marked a clear turning point in both sound and reach.

The live schedule through summer includes Slam Dunk Festival across two dates in May, Grasspop Metal Meeting in Belgium in June, V and B Fest in France in August, and two US festival appearances in July at Rock Fest and Inkcarceration.

‘God Forgives’ is out now on Roadrunner Records.

EP Track Listing:

  1. Dirt
  1. Angel Eyes
  1. Burn

Upcoming Tour Dates:

23 May — Slam Dunk — Hatfield, ENG

24 May — Slam Dunk — Leeds, ENG

19 Jun — Grasspop Metal Meeting — Dessel, BEL

16 Jul — Rock Fest — Cadott, WI

18 Jul — Inkcarceration — Mansfield, OH

21 Aug — V and B Fest — Chateau Gontier Sur Mayenne, FRA

London Industrial-Goth Duo Saint Agnes Unleash Scathing New Single “Good Boy” Ahead of May 29 Album

Eric Alper
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London Industrial-Goth Duo Saint Agnes Unleash Scathing New Single “Good Boy” Ahead of May 29 Album

Saint Agnes have never been interested in subtlety, and “Good Boy” makes that clear in the first ten seconds. The London industrial-goth duo’s third single from their forthcoming album ‘Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin’ arrives with a video and a mission statement that leaves nothing open to interpretation.

Frontperson Kitty A. Austen describes the track as “a scathing critique of obedient, subservient men who uphold the capitalist death cult, feed the machine, and call it a virtue.” The target is specific, the delivery is controlled, and the snarl is genuine. This is a band that means what it writes.

‘Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin’ arrives May 29, mixed by Jim Pinder, whose credits include Sleep Token and Bring Me The Horizon. Austen describes it as “our best sounding record to date, and the truest to our vision.” The album fuses raw industrial power, dark elegance, and body-moving intensity, drawing influence from Nine Inch Nails, Poppy, and Lorde while landing in a sound that belongs entirely to Saint Agnes.

The creative core of Saint Agnes is Austen on vocals and guitar alongside co-founding member Jon James Tufnell on vocals, guitar, synths, and programming. Both are self-described control freaks who obsessively curate every element of their art. The decision to bring in Pinder for mixing represents a rare and deliberate external collaboration.

Over 12 million Spotify streams, strong BBC Radio 1 support, and mainstage appearances at Download, Hellfest, and 2000trees back the band’s trajectory. Sold-out UK headline shows have consistently demonstrated what Saint Agnes do with a room full of people and nothing held back.

‘Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin’ is out May 29.

Track Listing:

  1. Good Boy
  2. The Ghost
  3. The Father, The Son and The Holy Beast
  4. The Beast
  5. Song For Mia
  6. Everything You Denied
  7. The Blood Beat (Angel in the Marble)
  8. Gods of War
  9. Get Them Out
  10. Where Do I Begin?

Progressive Death Metal Innovators Obscura Launch Global ‘A Sonication World Tour’ With New “Stardust” Video

Eric Alper
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Progressive Death Metal Innovators Obscura Launch Global ‘A Sonication World Tour’ With New “Stardust” Video

Obscura are deep into one of the most ambitious touring cycles of their career. The German progressive death metal quartet released ‘A Sonication’ on Nuclear Blast Records in February 2025 to critical acclaim, and the A Sonication World Tour 2026 is now carrying that record across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and European festivals through the rest of the year.

The new “Stardust” video, directed by longtime collaborator Mirko Witzki, serves as a cinematic companion to the tour. The track represents a different dimension of ‘A Sonication,’ one the band is deliberate about flagging. “Stardust reveals a more melodic, fragile, and atmospheric side of the record,” says mastermind Steffen Kummerer. “Join us on the road across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia as part of the A Sonication World Tour (2025-2028).”

The Asia leg is underway now, running with support from DVRK across Southeast Asia, China, and Central Asia through June 1, with Japanese dates featuring Fallujah joining the lineup. The run covers Bangkok, Jakarta, Taipei, Singapore, Hanoi, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Mumbai, Bangalore, Dubai, and beyond, closing in Tbilisi on June 1.

European festival appearances include Hellfest on June 20, Frantic Fest on August 15, and Brezovska Metalova on August 29. Each slot puts Obscura in front of a different corner of the European heavy music audience.

September brings the Shred Fest run through Australia and New Zealand alongside Fallujah, Ashen, and Anoxia, covering Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hobart across eleven dates.

Obscura build their technical death metal around genuine compositional ambition, with a sound that draws comparisons while remaining distinctly their own. The world tour format suits a band operating at this level of scope and precision.

Tickets at realmofobscura.com/live/

Asia Tour (remaining dates, w/ DVRK, Japan dates w/ Fallujah):

5 May — Taipei

6 May — Singapore

8 May — Hanoi

9 May — Chengdu

10 May — Beijing

11 May — Guangzhou

12 May — Shenzhen

13 May — Shanghai

15 May — Ulaanbaatar

17 May — Seoul

20 May — Tokyo (w/ Fallujah)

21 May — Tokyo (w/ Fallujah)

22 May — Nagoya (w/ Fallujah)

23 May — Osaka (w/ Fallujah)

24 May — Hiroshima

28 May — Mumbai

29 May — Bangalore

30 May — Dubai

31 May — Yerevan

1 Jun — Tbilisi

Festivals:

20 Jun — Hellfest

15 Aug — Frantic Fest

29 Aug — Brezovska Metalova

Shred Fest — Australia & New Zealand (w/ Fallujah, Ashen, Anoxia):

3 Sep — Perth

4 Sep — Adelaide

5 Sep — Brisbane

9 Sep — Canberra

10 Sep — Sydney

11 Sep — Melbourne

13 Sep — Darwin

15 Sep — Auckland

16 Sep — Wellington

17 Sep — Christchurch

19 Sep — Hobart

Swedish Metal Force Orbit Culture Head to European Festivals and a Massive Fall Arena Tour With Amon Amarth

Eric Alper
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Swedish Metal Force Orbit Culture Head to European Festivals and a Massive Fall Arena Tour With Amon Amarth

Orbit Culture wrapped a massive North American run and now have their sights set on European festival season and one of the biggest arena tours of their career. The Swedish metal quartet from Eksjö have been building steadily toward this moment, and the schedule ahead reflects exactly how far they’ve come.

The band recently released a live video for “The Storm,” filmed during their European headline tour by Riivata Visuals and Grimvisions. The footage captures a night in Gothenburg, close to where the band comes from. “Watching it now brings us back to a night that carried real weight, intense, focused, and honest,” the band says. “It was a defining moment for us, and ‘The Storm’ reflects that feeling without needing to explain it.”

“The Storm” comes from ‘Death Above Life,’ the band’s acclaimed album released last October to overwhelmingly positive response from fans and press. Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Niklas Karlsson describes the record plainly: “It brings up a lot of good and bad emotions but it’s a big change for the better. It feels like a rebirth.”

The summer festival circuit includes Leyendras Del Rock in Spain, Reload Festival, Wacken Open Air, and Summer Breeze in Germany, Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Romania, Alcatraz in Belgium, and Bloodstock in the UK. It’s a festival run that covers the full breadth of European heavy music, and Orbit Culture have earned every slot on it.

The fall brings The Allfather Awakens Tour, a co-headline European arena run alongside Amon Amarth and Soilwork spanning 30 dates across the UK, Europe, and Scandinavia. The run opens October 9 in Manchester at the O2 Apollo and closes November 15 in Lisbon. Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Hovet in Stockholm, and the Velodrom in Berlin are among the marquee stops.

Orbit Culture blend thrash, death metal, and industrial riffing with melodic hooks and a layered atmospheric approach that draws comparisons to Gojira, Metallica, and Static-X while remaining distinctly their own. The arena stage is the natural next setting.

European Summer Festivals:

Leyendras Del Rock — Spain

Reload Festival — Germany

Rockstadt Extreme Fest — Romania

Alcatraz — Belgium

Bloodstock — UK

Wacken Open Air — Germany

Summer Breeze — Germany

The Allfather Awakens Tour (w/ Amon Amarth + Soilwork):

9 Oct — Manchester, England — O2 Apollo

10 Oct — London, England — Eventim Apollo

11 Oct — Wolverhampton, England — Civic Hall

13 Oct — Paris, France — Zenith

14 Oct — Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg — Rockhal

16 Oct — Stuttgart, Germany — Schleyer-Halle

17 Oct — Frankfurt, Germany — Festhalle

18 Oct — Antwerp, Belgium — Lotto Hall

20 Oct — Den Bosch, Netherlands — Mainstage

21 Oct — Hamburg, Germany — Sporthalle

23 Oct — Gothenburg, Sweden — Scandinavium

24 Oct — Stockholm, Sweden — Hovet

26 Oct — Helsinki, Finland — Ice Hall

27 Oct — Tallinn, Estonia — Unibet Arena

29 Oct — Gliwice, Poland — PreZero Arena Gliwice

30 Oct — Leipzig, Germany — Quarterback Immobilien Arena

31 Oct — Oberhausen, Germany — Rudolf Weber Arena

2 Nov — Budapest, Hungary — Barba Negra

3 Nov — Vienna, Austria — Gasometer

4 Nov — Bamberg, Germany — Brose Arena

6 Nov — Prague, Czech Republic — O2 Universum

7 Nov — Berlin, Germany — Velodrom

8 Nov — Munich, Germany — Zenith

10 Nov — Milan, Italy — Alcatraz

11 Nov — Zurich, Switzerland — The Hall

13 Nov — Barcelona, Spain — Sant Jordi Club

14 Nov — Madrid, Spain — Vistalegre

15 Nov — Lisbon, Portugal — Sala Tejo

Melissa Etheridge Returns With 17th Studio Album ‘Rise’ Featuring Chris Stapleton

Eric Alper
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Melissa Etheridge Returns With 17th Studio Album ‘Rise’ Featuring Chris Stapleton

Melissa Etheridge’s 17th studio album ‘Rise’ is out now, her first since 2021’s ‘One Way Out’ and one of the most fully realized records of her career. Recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and produced by Shooter Jennings, the 11-track album moves through rock, Americana, and deeply personal storytelling with the authority of someone who’s been doing this for four decades and still has something to prove.

The album opens with “Bein’ Alive,” featuring Jennings, its music video filmed at Norman’s Rare Guitars in Los Angeles and directed by Etheridge’s wife Linda Wallem. It’s a strong opening statement, the kind of track that establishes tone and doesn’t waste the listener’s time getting there.

The centerpiece of ‘Rise’ is “The Other Side of Blue,” a collaboration with Chris Stapleton. Two artists with distinct voices and shared instincts for emotionally honest songwriting, the pairing earns its place as one of the album’s defining moments.

“Matches” draws a direct line to Etheridge’s origin story, referencing Johnny Cash’s 1970 performance at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth as the moment that first sparked her interest in music. It’s a song that understands where it comes from and builds outward from there.

Etheridge is currently on The Edge Tour in support of the album, with remaining dates running through mid-May across Pennsylvania, New York, and North Carolina. The tour continues the momentum of an album that arrived with real creative force behind it.

‘Rise’ is out now on all platforms.

The Edge Tour, Remaining Dates:

5 May — Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, Munhall, PA

6 May — Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY

8 May — Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA

9 May — Weldon Mills Theatre, Roanoke Rapids, NC

‘Rise’ Track Listing:

  1. Bein’ Alive
  2. Matches
  3. Rise
  4. Don’t You Want A Woman
  5. Other Side Of Blue
  6. If You Ever Leave Me
  7. Davina
  8. To Be A Woman
  9. Tomboy
  10. Call You
  11. More Love

Grammy-Nominated Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Rick Vito Delivers All-Instrumental Slide Guitar Album ‘Slidemaster’

Eric Alper
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Grammy-Nominated Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Rick Vito Delivers All-Instrumental Slide Guitar Album ‘Slidemaster’

Rick Vito has been asked the same question for years. When are you putting out an all-instrumental album? ‘Slidemaster,’ out now on MoMojo Records, is the answer, twelve tracks played exclusively on slide guitar from one of the most distinctive bottleneck players in blues and rock.

The album pairs new material with remixed and remastered cuts from previous releases, assembled into a cohesive collection that covers a lot of ground. Peter Green’s “Albatross” and “The Supernatural” appear alongside Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and originals including “Vegas Jump” and “Soul Shadows.” Every track is instrumental, every track is slide, and the range across the twelve cuts reflects a guitarist with genuine depth across styles.

“To my knowledge there have not been many slide guitar instrumental albums,” Vito says. “These new works are paired with some of my very favorite cuts from previous albums resulting in a soulful collection of all-instrumental slide guitar tracks. This album comes from years of recording in a style that I hope you will love as much as I do.”

Vito’s previous album ‘Cadillac Man’ in 2024 reached No. 1 on the Roots Radio Report and drew rave reviews across the blues press. Living Blues described his playing as “wraithlike,” noting he “never wastes a note.” Rock and Blues Muse called him “one of the best guitarists in the genre, and a premiere slide guitarist with few peers.” ‘Slidemaster’ is the natural extension of that momentum, stripping everything back to the instrument itself.

The resume behind this record is substantial. Vito was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1991, with guitar work featured on ‘Greatest Hits,’ ‘Behind The Mask,’ and the live DVD ‘Tango In The Night.’ He later formed the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito, earning a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues as both artist and producer. His slide solo on Bob Seger’s “Like A Rock” has been heard by millions, both on album and across a decade of Chevy truck commercials.

His session and touring credits run deep, including Bonnie Raitt, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Roger McGuinn, John Mayall, Leon Russell, Boz Scaggs, and dozens more. He’s also the recipient of the Blues Music Award for Song of the Year for Shemekia Copeland’s “It’s Two A.M.” His Reverend Guitars signature model, the Rick Vito Soul Agent, is currently in its fourth edition.

‘Slidemaster’ is out now on MoMojo Records.

‘Slidemaster’ Track Listing:

  1. Vegas Jump
  2. Steel Away
  3. The Big Beat
  4. The Danger Zone
  5. Ted Hot Baby
  6. Albatross
  7. Soul Shadows
  8. Slide The Blues
  9. A Change Is Gonna Come
  10. River of Blues
  11. The Supernatural
  12. The Lord’s Prayer

San Francisco Ameri-Cali Rock Sextet Wreckless Strangers Unleash Raw New EP ‘Dirty Souls’

Eric Alper
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San Francisco Ameri-Cali Rock Sextet Wreckless Strangers Unleash Raw New EP ‘Dirty Souls’

“The Runaround” dropped February 27 and the third EP single dropped March 27, both out now. The full ‘Dirty Souls’ EP is out now.

San Francisco Ameri-Cali Rock Sextet Wreckless Strangers Unleash Raw New EP ‘Dirty Souls’

TAGS: Wreckless Strangers, Amber Morris, David Noble, Joshua Zucker, Mick Hellman, Rob Anderson, Fletcher Nielsen, Jason Lee Denton, Dave Way, Sean Beresford, Austin de Lone, WMOT,

BLOG POST:

Wreckless Strangers have been carrying the torch for San Francisco’s rock and soul tradition for years, and ‘Dirty Souls’ is their most direct statement yet. The EP is out now, produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Way with engineer Sean Beresford, and built around the six-piece’s signature blend of Americana, soul, R&B, and classic rock.

The title track “Dirty Soul” leads the project and arrives with a full visual companion, the band’s seventh collaboration with director Jason Lee Denton. Written by Amber Morris, Joshua Zucker, and the late Austin de Lone, the song draws its emotional weight from exactly where Morris describes it: “Patience, acceptance, and loving fiercely without losing yourself. The video allowed us to explore those themes visually and sit with the messiness of that kind of love in a very honest way.”

The EP’s second single “The Runaround,” written by lead vocalist David Noble, is also out now, as is the third EP single released in late March. Taken together, the three releases map out a band operating with real creative range, raw where it needs to be, melodic where it earns it.

Wreckless Strangers draw from a deep well of Bay Area influence. Their sound pulls from Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Sons of Champlin, Fleetwood Mac, Sly Stone, Tower of Power, and the Grateful Dead, filtered through soaring vocal harmonies and instrumental improvisation kept tight by concise songwriting. It’s a lot of ground to cover and they cover it naturally.

The band features Amber Morris on lead vocals, David Noble on lead guitar and vocals, Joshua Zucker on bass and vocals, Mick Hellman on drums and vocals, Rob Anderson on guitar and vocals, and Fletcher Nielsen on keys. They were recently invited to perform live on Nashville’s Americana Roots radio station WMOT and played NAMM in Southern California earlier this year.

Blues Guitar Giant Freddie King Captured at His Peak on Never-Before-Released Live Set ‘Feeling Alright’

Eric Alper
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Blues Guitar Giant Freddie King Captured at His Peak on Never-Before-Released Live Set ‘Feeling Alright’

Fifty years after the performance, the world finally gets to hear it. ‘Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Concerts’ is out now on Elemental Music, a limited-edition 3-LP set documenting Freddie King live before more than 50,000 fans at France’s Nancy Jazz Pulsations Festival in October 1975, the final full year of his life.

The recordings sat unreleased in ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-télévision française) archives until now. Restored and mixed by Marc Doutrepont at EQuuS and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, the 180-gram vinyl set was produced by Zev Feldman, the award-winning reissue producer known for landmark archival discoveries across blues and jazz. CD and digital editions are also out now.

Sixteen performances across six sides of vinyl document King moving through the full range of his catalog. Classic instrumentals like “Sen-Sa-Shun” sit alongside signature vocal performances including “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” and blues standards like “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Got My Mojo Working,” and “Stormy Monday.” King also delivers rock staples that had become part of his live repertoire, Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright” and Don Nix’s “Goin’ Down,” reflecting the genre-bridging vision that made him a direct influence on Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Lewis Stephens, who played keyboards in King’s band during those overseas dates, recalls a “blistering” five or six-week run through France. “Freddie had truly hit his stride as a blues-rock star in Europe and the U.S.,” he reflects.

Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top contributes an appreciation to the package, writing that at Nancy, “the Texas Cannonball poured it on in a big way.” Reissue producer Feldman frames the significance plainly: “These recordings capture a moment when he was transcending audiences and influencing players around the world. These performances present him at his very best, and they’re thrilling to hear.”

The deluxe package also includes liner notes by music journalist and historian Cary Baker, comments from Feldman, and an appreciation from King’s daughter and estate administrator Wanda King. It’s a release built with the same care the music deserves.

Punk Veterans Good Riddance Return With Tenth Studio Album ‘Before The World Caves In’ on Fat Wreck Chords

Eric Alper
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Punk Veterans Good Riddance Return With Tenth Studio Album ‘Before The World Caves In’ on Fat Wreck Chords

Seven years is a long time between records. Good Riddance have ended that stretch with ‘Before The World Caves In,’ their tenth studio album, out now on Fat Wreck Chords. It’s their first release since 2019’s ‘Thoughts and Prayers,’ and the band arrived at it with a clear sense of what they needed to deliver.

“We’re hopeful that the album comes across with the severity and urgency of the times we are living in,” the band shares. “As our 10th studio album, we wanted to make sure we were firing on all cylinders, delivering something potent, strident, and something that both longtime fans and people who are brand new to the band could sink their teeth into.”

Lead single “There’s Still Tonight” arrived ahead of the album and set the tone directly. Good Riddance have always written with political and emotional weight behind their punk framework, and this record makes no attempt to soften that. A decade in and the band sounds like they have something specific to say.

Adelaide Pop-Punk Duo Teenage Joans Blend Country Grit and Punk Urgency on New Single “Bandits”

Eric Alper
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Adelaide Pop-Punk Duo Teenage Joans Blend Country Grit and Punk Urgency on New Single “Bandits”

Teenage Joans have been building toward this sound for a while. “Bandits,” the Adelaide pop-punk duo’s new single, pairs their signature urgency with a country-tinged edge that opens up their sonic range without softening anything that made them worth paying attention to in the first place.

Written during a beachside writing trip in early 2025, the track captures the reckless loyalty of an all-consuming romance. Bonnie and Clyde as a reference point, blind devotion as the emotional engine. “We really wanted to blend a country vibe with our classic pop punk,” the band explains. “The song is about feeling an intense connection to someone, so much so that you would do anything for them and rule out the worst because you love them so much.”

Teenage Joans emerged in 2018 and have spent the years since building a fanbase through relentless touring and live shows that consistently turn new audiences into loyal ones. They’ve shared stages with Foo Fighters, Sum 41, and Sleeping with Sirens, and toured globally while remaining fiercely independent throughout.

The UK tour is underway now, running through mid-May with dates in Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, London, and Brighton’s The Great Escape festival. It’s a tight, well-routed run that puts the band in front of exactly the right rooms.

“Bandits” is out now.

Upcoming UK Tour Dates:

5 May — Glasgow — Nice n Sleazy

6 May — Leeds — The Key Club

8 May — Birmingham — The Sunflower Lounge

9 May — Bristol — Rough Trade

12 May — London — The Black Heart

13-16 May — Brighton — The Great Escape

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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