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Darkwave Phenomenon Artemas Takes His Moody Alt-Pop Universe on a 38-Date Global Tour
Artemas just mapped out the rest of his year and it covers the globe. The darkwave alt-pop phenomenon has announced a 38-date world tour, his biggest live run to date, kicking off September 8 in Vancouver and closing December 14 at the legendary O2 Academy Brixton in London. Support comes from Henry Morris across the run.
The tour follows the release of his new mixtape ‘getting up to no good’ and the close of his LOVERCORE Tour across North America. Artemas has been building momentum at a pace that is hard to ignore, and this run scales that vision to its largest audience yet. His live shows are known for being fully immersive, deeply atmospheric experiences that translate his moody, addictive sound into something that hits differently in a room full of people.
The numbers behind Artemas tell the story of an artist whose moment has fully arrived. Over 3.6 billion global artist streams, including more than 2 billion on his RIAA 3x Platinum breakout “i like the way you kiss me.” With ‘getting up to no good’ marking a new creative peak, the demand for this tour is real and the venues reflect it, from amphitheaters in Austin to storied rooms across Europe and the UK.
VIP and presale tickets go on sale Tuesday, April 7 at 10am local time. General on-sale follows Wednesday, April 8 at 10am local time.
2026 Tour Dates:
North America:
September 8: Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl
September 10: Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24
September 11: Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
September 13: Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
September 16: Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
September 18: San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theatre
September 19: Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
September 22: Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
September 24: Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
September 26: Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
September 29: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
October 1: Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
October 2: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
October 3: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
October 5: Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
October 7: Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
October 8: Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
October 10: Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
October 11: New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
Europe + UK:
November 12: Paris, FR @ Le Bataclan
November 14: Esch-sur-Alzette, LU @ Rockhal
November 15: Cologne, DE @ E-Werk
November 16: Zurich, CH @ X-Tra
November 18: Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apolo
November 20: Milan, IT @ Fabrique
November 22: Prague, CZ @ SaSaZu
November 23: Warsaw, PL @ Progresja
November 25: Hamburg, DE @ Docks
November 26: Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt
November 29: Stockholm, SE @ Fallen
November 30: Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller Music Hall
December 1: Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
December 3: Brussels, BE @ La Madeleine
December 7: Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
December 10: Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange
December 12: Manchester, UK @ O2 Victoria Warehouse
December 13: Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
December 14: London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
Trippie Redd and Young Thug Connect on Euphoric New Banger “Paperbag Boy”
Trippie Redd opens 2026 with a statement. “Paperbag Boy,” his first new single of the year, arrives with a music video and a feature from Young Thug, two of modern rap’s most distinctive melodic voices stacking up on a J-Bone production built from candy-coated synth arpeggios and speaker-obliterating 808s. The result is exactly as euphoric as it sounds.
The track captures something specific: the feeling of having made it while still carrying the memory of where you started. Trippie and Thugger slide through the beat’s crevices with the kind of effortless melodic chemistry that reminds you why both of them matter. The hook lands hard and stays there, which is the whole point.
Trippie spent 2025 in strong form, dropping the defiant “Can’t Count Me Out” with Platinum-selling trap architect ATL Jacob and the soaring Nick Mira-produced “Sketchy.” Then his 2018 Diplo collaboration “Wish” took on a life of its own, resurging through an emotional social media trend that generated over 8 billion views across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. At its peak the song was pulling 10.5 million weekly streams, and it eventually climbed onto the Billboard Hot 100 more than seven years after its original release.
The numbers behind Trippie Redd are staggering: Diamond-certified, 14 billion streams worldwide, and a catalog that has consistently pushed modern rap’s emotional boundaries through fearless experimentation. “Paperbag Boy” keeps that momentum moving forward, and his highly anticipated album ‘NDA’ is coming later this year via 1400 Ent., 10k, and Atlantic.
Singer-Songwriter Pete Muller Shares Stunning “Stopping Time” Video Shot at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios
Pete Muller does not make small records. The new music video for “Stopping Time,” a highlight from his album ‘One Last Dance’ out now via Two Truths Music, offers a behind-the-scenes look at a track recorded at Peter Gabriel’s legendary Real World Studios in Bath, England, with additional overdubs captured at New York City’s famed Power Station. The locations alone tell you something about the ambition at work here.
The song itself is a plea against the clock, unfolding through emotionally resonant vignettes exploring longing, memory, and the stories we construct to make sense of time passing. Genre-bending duo SistaStrings provide rich orchestration alongside Rob Mathes’s string arrangement, and the combination gives “Stopping Time” a cinematic texture that rewards close listening. It is one of the most quietly affecting tracks on an album full of them.
‘One Last Dance’ is Muller’s most vulnerable songwriting to date, self-produced alongside his band the Kindred Souls and featuring Grammy-winner Allison Russell on the Latin-flavored title track. Other highlights include the empowering “Fire Child,” the uplifting “Dream Small,” and the bittersweet “New York In The Rain.” Americana UK and Americana Highways have both offered praise, and the album earns every word of it.
This is Muller’s fourth studio release in five years, following 2024’s ‘More Time’, which drew acclaim from Consequence and Rock & Roll Globe. His path here is genuinely compelling: after success in quantitative finance, he followed his creative instincts, built a catalog, and earned tour dates alongside John Oates, Lisa Loeb, Jimmy Webb, Livingston Taylor, and Paul Thorn, plus festival slots from Telluride to Montreux.
Muller also founded the nonprofit Live Music Society, which provides critical grants to independent music venues across the country. He is an artist and an advocate, and ‘One Last Dance’ reflects both sides of that commitment fully.
Two-Time Folk Music Award Winner Crys Matthews Signs With TRO Essex and Releases Rallying Cry “Forged In Fire”
Crys Matthews has never been an artist who looks away. “Forged In Fire,” her powerful new single produced by Seth Glier, arrives as both a document of a specific moment in American political life and a rallying cry that reaches back to the Civil Rights movement for its emotional foundation. It is urgent, fully realized, and exactly the kind of song Matthews was built to write.
The single was written during a particularly turbulent week under the second Trump administration, born from headlines covering birthright citizenship battles, farmworker raids, press freedom violations, and the targeting of undocumented children. Matthews connects those headlines directly to the conditions endured by Civil Rights activists before her, and the song carries that weight without flinching. Hopelessness, she reminds us, is not an option.
The production matches the ambition. Powerhouse vocalists Kyshona, Kiley Phillips, Nickie Conley, Wil Merrell, and Jason Eskridge surround Matthews in a performance that draws fully on her A.M.E. upbringing. This is a song that takes you to church, and means it. The blend of Country, Americana, Folk, Blues, and Bluegrass that defines Matthews’s sound gives “Forged In Fire” both roots and reach.
The single also marks a significant career milestone. Matthews has signed an exclusive publishing and recording agreement with TRO Essex Music Group, home to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Pete Townshend, Pink Floyd, and Black Sabbath, alongside its label arm Shamus Records. It is a signing that places her in company that reflects exactly the kind of artist she is.
The recognition has been building for years and is now impossible to ignore. Matthews is the 2025 and 2022 Song of the Year winner at the International Folk Music Awards, making her the first artist to claim that honor twice since the award’s inception. She was also named 2024 Artist of the Year. “Forged In Fire” is out now.
Country Road Warrior Chas Collins Delivers Barroom Comedy Gold With New Video for “This Bar Sucks”
Chas Collins has seen the inside of more bars than most, having played over 3,000 live shows across 43 states, so when he says a bar sucks, he knows what he’s talking about. The official music video for his fan-favorite single “This Bar Sucks” is out now, a tongue-in-cheek, self-penned romp through a night out gone gloriously wrong. Listen here.
The video delivers exactly what the title promises. Questionable clientele, an off-key band, a bartender who turns the whole night into a spectacle. Collins describes it as “a hilarious train wreck of a night where everything that could go wrong does,” and the video plays it with the kind of loose, good-natured energy that makes the song impossible not to enjoy.
“This Bar Sucks” follows “Slam Bam,” Collins’ previous single, a swaggering, hook-filled anthem built around neon lights and a shout-along chorus that premiered with The Music Universe and proved itself an immediate set-opener. Two singles in, Collins is showing a range that moves between high-energy bravado and sharp comic timing without missing a step.
The backstory behind Collins makes every song carry extra weight. A Southern-born singer-songwriter raised on gospel and honky tonk grit, he lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt his life in Nashville, later channeling the losses of his mother, grandmother, and aunt into some of the most personal writing of his career. His breakout single “That’s What She Said” and Top 10 CMT hit “Try It On” put him on the national map, and he has stayed there through relentless road work and a sound that keeps getting sharper.
Irish Brothers The Guzzlers Crash Onto the Scene With Shanty Debut “20 Pints To Cherbourg”
The Guzzlers got fired from a ferry gig for drinking too much, so they wrote a song about it. That is the origin story of “20 Pints To Cherbourg,” the debut single from Limerick-born, Liverpool-based brothers Tom and Cian O’Dowd, and it tells you everything you need to know about what this duo is built from. Listen here.
The single is a lively, authentic shanty born on the Dublin to Cherbourg ferry where the brothers were employed playing Irish songs for passengers. One particularly riotous trip, too many pints and a near miss making the boat back, became the song. As the brothers put it: “Some bands write heartbreak songs, we wrote one about drinking 20 pints. It’s all related to love.”
The release came loaded with a campaign of live performances at their favourite pubs, playing a different Liverpool venue every day for 20 days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, closing with a special night at The Jacaranda. They are now running the same campaign across Glasgow. Check their Instagram for locations and catch them at a pub near you.
The Guzzlers’ Liverpool rise has been fast and earned. Busking outside Irish bars led to residencies inside them, then stages at The Jacaranda, The Cavern Club, and The Philharmonic. They supported local legend Ian Prowse, landed a residency playing Anfield for arriving Liverpool FC fans, and guested alongside The Highstool Prophets at Liverpool Academy in January.
In December they entered the studio with producer Jon Withnall (Coldplay, Rihanna, Echo and the Bunnymen) and emerged with ‘Drinking The Dream’, a debut album packed with autobiographical songs rooted in Irish folk tradition but carrying their own unmistakable charm. The album arrives this Autumn, with further singles throughout the year and a run of December shows to close it out.
December Tour Dates:
December 11: Liverpool @ O2 Academy (with The Highstool Prophets)
December 12: London @ Shepherds Bush Empire (with The Highstool Prophets)
December 13: Manchester @ O2 Ritz (with The Highstool Prophets)
Winnipeg Folk Festival Drops Main Stage Schedule and Adds Korean K-Folk Rock Act Insun Park & Generals
The Winnipeg Folk Festival just gave its audience the full picture. The festival has announced its Main Stage and Big Blue @ Night schedules for 2026, and added a genuinely exciting new act to the lineup: Insun Park & Generals, a Korean ensemble blending rock with traditional Korean music and rhythms rooted in mask dance traditions.
The addition of Insun Park & Generals is the kind of programming move that separates a great festival from a good one. The group describes themselves as K-Folk Rock and incorporates masks into their live performance, drawing from Korean mask dance traditions. Artistic Director Chris Frayer calls it exactly what it is: something the audience has never experienced before, and something he is very excited to share.
The evening schedules are built to complement each other across genre and energy. Friday alone puts Jesse Welles on Main Stage against Wolf Parade at Big Blue @ Night, which is the kind of scheduling problem festivalgoers are happy to have. Lucy Dacus anchors a Main Stage singalong moment, while Angine de Poitrine brings something altogether different to Big Blue @ Night.
The full Main Stage and Big Blue @ Night schedules are available now on the Winnipeg Folk Festival website and through the official app on the App Store and Google Play. The complete festival schedule, including workshops and special events, drops in late May 2026.
The 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival runs July 9 to 12, 2026 at Birds Hill Provincial Park, Manitoba, on Treaty 1 territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Tickets are on sale now.
Women in Music Canada and Music Publishers Canada Release Landmark Caregiver Study Demanding Industry Action
Women in Music Canada and Music Publishers Canada Release Landmark Caregiver Study Demanding Industry Action
TAGS: Women in Music Canada, Music Publishers Canada, Ontario Creates, Creative BC, Diane Davy, Margaret McGuffin, Karen Thorne-Stone, Prem Gill, Robyn Stewart,
A new study is demanding the Canadian music industry pay attention to a workforce crisis hiding in plain sight. “Sound of Support: Exploring the Music Community’s Caregiver Needs,” prepared by consultant Diane Davy and released by Women in Music Canada and Music Publishers Canada, lands today as a direct call to action for an industry that has long overlooked the people holding it together.
The research draws on a literature review, surveys, focus groups, and interviews, and the findings are stark. Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents reported being unaware of any organizations or programs offering caregiver support. That number alone should stop the industry cold. Caregivers are working inside a system that was never built with them in mind, and most of them don’t even know where to turn.
The study was made possible with support from Ontario Creates and Creative BC, two organizations that understand the music industry is only as strong as the people powering it. Karen Thorne-Stone, President and CEO of Ontario Creates, points directly to the stakes: Ontario’s music industry earns international recognition, and understanding the demands placed on caregivers is essential to keeping that workforce intact.
The barriers identified are specific and solvable. Irregular hours, touring schedules, and late-night commitments clash structurally with caregiving’s demand for consistency. The study calls for hybrid and flexible work models, on-site childcare at conferences and performances, financial stipends that account for caregiving costs, peer networking opportunities, and clear employer policy templates. These are not abstract recommendations. They are actionable starting points.
Margaret McGuffin, CEO of Music Publishers Canada, frames the study as a beginning, not a conclusion: a foundation for raising awareness, promoting existing resources, and building new support where gaps exist. The gaps are significant. Creative BC CEO Prem Gill puts it plainly: a caregiver-inclusive industry strengthens both individuals and the long-term sustainability of the entire music ecosystem.
Robyn Stewart, Executive Director of Women in Music Canada, brings the personal weight of fourteen years of caregiving experience to her role in this work. She is direct about what change can look like at its most immediate: recognizing that caregivers in your community are trying to succeed across every part of their lives, and that all of it matters. That recognition, she argues, is where the work begins.
“Sound of Support” is available now in full. The music industry has the research. The next move is its own.
Olivia Rodrigo Announces Third Album ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’ Arriving June 12
Olivia Rodrigo wiped her Instagram clean and replaced it with a single image: herself mid-air on a swing, pale pink dress, black Mary Janes, laughing into a cloudy sky. The message was immediate. The wait is over. Her third album, ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’, arrives June 12.
The announcement landed Thursday morning and the numbers tell the story. Within an hour, the post crossed 1.7 million likes. Signed preorders sold out in under an hour. Gracie Abrams, Addison Rae, and Suki Waterhouse all flooded the comments. This is the kind of album release moment the music industry rarely manufactures and almost never earns organically.
The rollout was months in the making. After the final stop of the Guts World Tour in August 2025, fans began decoding every post, every Instagram caption, every faint hint of what was coming. A purple mural appeared in Los Angeles, then shifted to pink over several days. Rodrigo’s fan accounts tagged everything with #OR3. The album cover confirmed it: the GUTS era’s electric palette is gone. Pink is the new era.
The title lands with intention. In a handwritten note included with Universal Music Group’s preorder materials, Rodrigo wrote that no matter how hard she tries to write love songs, they always come out laced with a little melancholy. British Vogue confirmed the fan theories: these are love songs, but specifically about obsession, anxiety, and the depression that follows when a lover is gone. Rodrigo told the outlet that her favourite romantic songs work because they carry “a tinge of fear or yearning.”
The album was recorded primarily at home in Los Angeles, largely with longtime collaborator Dan Nigro. Rodrigo has been candid about needing to feel grounded to write well, and ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’ sounds like it was built in exactly that kind of space. She described the process to Elle as genuinely fun, a creative stretch that feels different from both ‘SOUR’ and ‘GUTS’ by virtue of experience and perspective.
Those two records set an extraordinary bar. ‘SOUR’ won Best Pop Vocal Album and Best New Artist at the 2022 Grammys. ‘GUTS’ earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and sent Rodrigo headlining Glastonbury in 2025. The third album arrives not as a follow-up chasing those moments but as a natural continuation from an artist who has consistently grown on her own terms.
‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’ is available for preorder now. June 12 cannot come fast enough.