Angine de Poitrine is having a moment, and it’s well earned. The Saguenay-based experimental rock duo has been tapped as this month’s ambassador for Spotify’s Du Québec playlist, curating a selection that reflects their signature blend of math rock, pushing rhythms, and avant-garde sensibility. The timing lines up perfectly with the April 3rd release of their second studio album ‘Vol. II’, which pushes their math rock and techno-infused experimentation further than ever. To mark the occasion, Spotify Canada is putting Angine de Poitrine on a billboard takeover at Toronto’s Sankofa Square, a fitting landing spot for one of Québec’s most adventurous acts. The Du Québec playlist is live now on Spotify.
Harry Styles Curates a Remarkable Meltdown Festival Lineup for June 2026
Harry Styles has revealed the first wave of artists for his curation of Meltdown Festival, running June 11 to 21, 2026 at London’s Southbank Centre as part of the festival’s 75th anniversary year. The lineup is a genuinely personal and wide-ranging one, spanning Warpaint (their only show of 2026), Kamasi Washington presenting two distinct Royal Festival Hall performances, Mulatu Astatke bringing his pioneering Ethio-jazz sound, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Nilüfer Yanya, Yussef Dayes, bar italia, Foushée, Erika de Casier, and a late-night Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer set from James Murphy. Jon Hopkins joins the bill alongside Maddie Ashman and Leo Abrahams for special improvised performances, and the Devonté Hynes Ensemble rounds out the final weekend. Styles himself headlines the Royal Festival Hall on June 16th, with full details still to come.
Meltdown has been running since 1993, with past curators including Little Simz, Chaka Khan, Grace Jones, David Bowie, and Patti Smith. Styles is the 31st curator, and the lineup reflects exactly the kind of taste you’d hope for. “It’s a true honour to host legends who have paved the way for the generations that follow them, as well as new acts that have inspired me to push my creative boundaries,” Styles says. Tickets are on sale now for general public via the Southbank Centre. Further lineup announcements, including details on Styles’ own headline show, are coming soon.
Meltdown Festival 2026 Schedule:
June 11 – Royal Festival Hall – Warpaint
June 12 – Purcell Room – Stephen Fretwell
June 12 – Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer – Ninajirachi
June 12 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Shabaka Hutchings and special guests
June 13 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Erika de Casier
June 13 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Foushée
June 14 – Royal Festival Hall – Kamasi Washington (Jazz Legends Reimagined / Fearless Movement Live)
June 14 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Nilüfer Yanya
June 16 – Purcell Room – Getdown Services
June 16 – Royal Festival Hall – Harry Styles
June 17 – Royal Festival Hall – Mulatu Astatke
June 18 – Royal Festival Hall – Beverly Glenn-Copeland
June 18 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – bar italia
June 19 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Orlando Weeks
June 19 – Royal Festival Hall – Devonté Hynes Ensemble
June 20 – Royal Festival Hall – Yussef Dayes
June 20 – Queen Elizabeth Hall – Jon Hopkins with Maddie Ashman and Leo Abrahams
June 20 – Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer – James Murphy
Scottish Soul Force Brooke Combe Signs to Fontana Records and Drops the Stunning “Tears Won’t Lie”
Brooke Combe hits the ground running in 2026. The Scottish soul singer signs to Fontana Records and releases “Tears Won’t Lie,” her first track for the label and a statement of exactly where she’s headed. Produced by The Coral’s James Skelly at Kempston Studios in Liverpool and directed on video by James Slater, the track is draped in Northern Soul atmosphere, built around Combe’s flawless vocals and a lyric that cuts straight to the bone. “It’s about someone who has spent years hiding their pain behind a smile, only to be confronted with the emotional reality they can’t suppress anymore,” Combe says. The video, filmed at a Northern Soul night in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, matches the song’s emotional weight with stunning retro visuals.
Combe is deep into a sold-out UK headline run right now, with her current tour wrapping later this month. The calendar stays packed from there: festival slots at Truck, Tramlines, Boardmasters, and Victorious through the summer, a support slot with Lenny Kravitz at Gunnersbury Park in August, and a full UK run supporting Jalen N’gonda in October and November, closing at Glasgow’s Barrowlands and Manchester’s O2 Academy. After breaking through with her acclaimed 2025 debut ‘Dancing At The Edge Of The World’, Combe’s next chapter is arriving fast. “Tears Won’t Lie” is out now on Fontana Records.
2026 Tour Dates:
April 9 – Manchester – Gorilla (SOLD OUT)
April 10 – Liverpool – O2 Academy (SOLD OUT)
April 15 – Nottingham – Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
April 16 – Cardiff – The Globe (SOLD OUT)
April 17 – Bristol – Thekla (SOLD OUT)
April 23 – Glasgow – Saint Luke’s (SOLD OUT)
April 24 – Glasgow – Saint Luke’s (SOLD OUT)
May 3 – Liverpool – Sound City Festival
May 23 – Warrington – Neighbourhood Weekender
May 24 – London – Cross The Tracks
July 7 – Truck Festival
July 25 – Rock Oyster Festival
July 26 – Tramlines Festival
July 31 – Belladrum Festival
August 2 – Dorset – Camp Bestival
August 9 – Newquay – Boardmasters Festival
August 15 – London – Gunnersbury Park Show**
August 22 – Edinburgh – Royal Highland Centre
August 30 – Portsmouth – Victorious Festival
October 23 – Cardiff – The Great Hall*
October 24 – Bristol – O2 Academy*
October 25 – Bristol – O2 Academy*
October 27 – Bournemouth – O2 Academy*
October 28 – London – Brixton Academy*
October 29 – Brighton – Brighton Dome*
November 1 – Leeds – O2 Academy*
November 2 – Glasgow – Barrowlands*
November 3 – Manchester – O2 Academy*
*Supporting Jalen N’gonda | **Supporting Lenny Kravitz
Coleman Jennings Announces Debut Album ‘Lead You Home’ and Drops the Breezy “Good While It Lasted”
On the heels of several striking single releases, today country provocateur Coleman Jennings announces his forthcoming debut album Lead You Home out via Big Loud Texas / Mercury Records. The new collection, produced by GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson), is set for May 8 and includes the playful “Good While It Lasted,” out today.
Featuring 10 riveting country-folk tracks – all written solo (save for one tip of the cap to outside influence) – Lead You Home exudes originality; an exercise in artistic abandon, and in-the-moment inspiration. Captured in a stream of creative consciousness, nearly half of the set’s songs were at least partially penned on the spot in Cobb’s Savannah, Georgia studio, taking Cobb’s well-documented affinity for live recording to its ultimate end. Jennings would rarely have a full song to start with – often just a fragment, or a guitar riff he liked. But with Cobb at the controls and a tight band of like-minded creative outlaws, they would finish it by feel and record it then and there. The process both speaks to Jennings’ musical ethos and captures the country-folk spirit like nothing else.
“Sometimes you feel as if you don’t write the songs – it’s more like they’re being gifted to you because you’ve been open enough to receive them,” Jennings proclaims. On creating the album, he shares, “a lot of it genuinely feels like being a conduit for the universe, for God, and trying not to care. It was extremely improvisational and, in the moment, like ‘Let’s just have fun.’”
The album features previously released “Flyin’,” a testament to Jennings “carving out a lane that reveres tradition while remaining unafraid to blur its edges” (Country Central). It also includes his first label release “Head Spinning” and the ’70s-style harmony rich “Jamie” named one of Holler‘s “Best New Country Songs.”
In today’s new song “Good While It Lasted,” Jennings toasts to a love that burned hot but faded fast:
It was good while it lasted
Guess I’ll be seein’ ya never
Goodbye to heartaches and laughter
Hello to the world
Cause it was good while we had each other
I’m a little glad that it’s up and over
Coleman will hit the road mid-April supporting Benjamin Tod and The Incline Six, making stops in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona. In July, he will support Charles Wesley Godwin on The Christian Name Tour for select dates. For more information or tickets, please visit coleman-jennings.com.
Lead You Home Tracklist
- Ride On
- Head Spinning
- Jamie
- Flyin’
- Marianaville
- In The West
- Mary Rae
- Good While It Lasted
- First Born Home
- I Will Lead You Home
All songs written by Coleman Jennings; except “I Will Lead You Home” interpolation from “The Road Home” by Steven Paul
All songs produced by Dave Cobb
Coleman Jennings Tour Dates
April 16 – Ozark Music Hall – Fayetteville, AR+
April 17 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK+
April 19 – Longhorn Ballroom – Dallas, TX+
April 20 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX+
April 21 – Emos Austin – Austin, TX+
April 23 – La Rosa – Tucson, AZ+
July 11 – UP District Festival Field – Fargo, ND>
July 14 – The District – Sioux Falls, SD>
July 18 – Majestic Valley Arena – Kalispell, MT^
+ Supporting Benjamin Tod and the Inline Six
> Supporting Charles Wesley Godwin
^ Under The Big Sky Official After Party
With a hypnotic vibrato made to cut through the haze of modern life, and an old-school dedication to Western twang, Coleman Jennings can seem like a conduit to a different time – or even, a different spiritual plane. But as the country provocateur and Big Loud Texas / Mercury Records singer-songwriter says, his music is no echo of the past. More like a fierce statement of originality, crafted to stand out… and shake you to your core. Never afraid to call out the dull conventionality of commercial pop, the Texas native is a student of music with inspirations like Townes Van Zandt, The Eagles, Blaze Foley, John Hartford and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Diving deep into guitar while in high school, the gritty, unvarnished realism of roots poet Blaze Foley sparked an obsession with the art of country music and stoked an anti-establishment fire which still burns. Working with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson), Jennings raises his distinctive voice for all to hear on his forthcoming debut album Lead You Home, set for May 8.
Ashley Cooke Draws a Hard Line With Fierce New Breakup Anthem “xs”
Today, Country hitmaker Ashley Cooke launches her next era with an all-new song called “xs” — a clear-eyed, no-regrets breakup anthem spotlighting the depth and resonance of her infinitely relatable songwriting. Go here to listen to “xs” now.
Earlier this month, Cooke stoked major anticipation for “xs” by performing the song onstage at The O2 in London during her triumphant return to C2C: Country to Country. To create the moody midtempo track, Cooke co-wrote alongside several of Nashville’s most sought-after songwriters: Ashley Gorley (a 12-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year winner whose credits include Morgan Wallen’s 12X Platinum “Last Night”), Emily Weisband (a GRAMMY winner known for her work with Keith Urban, Lady A, and many more), and Will Weatherly (a MULTI-PLATINUM hitmaker who’s penned songs for superstars like Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts).
Produced by the legendary Dann Huff (Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift), “xs” traces a slow-burn betrayal where wandering eyes and whispered rumors end in a line crossed and a love she won’t take back. With equal parts defiant spirit and raw sensitivity, Cooke transforms a classic cheating story into a matter-of-fact reckoning, refusing to indulge any excuses or attempts at making up (from the chorus: “Oh don’t deny I know you did it / Oh doesn’t matter how you spin it / Want me back after that forget it / Don’t you know crossing lines makes xs?”). Recorded with elite session players like guitarist Ilya Toshinskiy (Kelsea Ballerini, Tim McGraw) and drummer Jerry Roe (Luke Combs, Cody Johnson), “xs” matches its mood of weary frustration with a low-lit backdrop of searing guitar tones and softly brooding rhythms.
Following the breakout success of songs like “baby blues” (a soulful and smoldering track that reached the No. 1 spot on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown in early March) and “the hell you are” (currently climbing the Country radio charts), “xs” arrives just two weeks after the release of the ace sessions — a stripped-back, all-acoustic offering featuring songs from her 2025 project ace. Her most personal output to date, ace earned praise from the likes of Holler (who noted that the nine-song effort “epitomizes why Cooke has cemented herself as a key figure in the contemporary country music landscape”).
Prior to releasing ace, the Florida-born singer/songwriter made an unforgettable first impression with her 2023 debut, shot in the dark — a 24-song album that delivered her GOLD-certified hits “never til now” and “your place” and won raves from leading publications like Billboard (who stated that “Cooke deftly mixes stories of love, heartbreak and lessons learned along the way, and showcases a range of sonic styles — all underpinned by her powerful but accessible vocals”).
Tonight at the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville, KY, Cooke wraps up her recent run as support for MULTI-PLATINUM powerhouse Jon Pardi‘s HONKYTONK HOLLYWOOD TOUR. Later this spring, she’ll make her debut appearance at Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale (April 10), joining a star-packed lineup including Post Malone, Riley Green, Kenny Chesney, and more.
One of Country’s most magnetic young storytellers, Ashley Cooke made her unforgettable debut with 2023’s shot in the dark and soon scored her first Country radio No. 1 with “your place” — a GOLD-certified, Billboard Hot 100-charting hit that later won a 2024 CMT Music Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year. With a voice that carries both tenderness and quiet confidence, she’s since garnered nominations for New Female Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. While building up an acclaimed body of work including 2025’s ace — a nine-song project featuring her Country radio smash “the hell you are” and longtime fan favorite “baby blues” (a No. 1 hit on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown) — Cooke has collaborated with major artists ranging from Pop superstar Joe Jonas (“all I forgot”) to Country hitmaker Brantley Gilbert (“Over When We’re Sober”). Known for her emotionally charged and high-energy live show, she’s also toured with heavy-hitters like Luke Bryan, Parker McCollum, and Kane Brown and recently hit the road as support for Jon Pardi’s HONKYTONK HOLLYWOOD TOUR. As her profile continues to rise, Cooke made a cameo appearance in March on CBS’ Marshals (the newly launched spinoff of the blockbuster Western saga Yellowstone), just before heading overseas for C2C: Country to Country 2026 (including a performance at the iconic O2 Arena in London). With her sophomore album due out later this year, she’s now gearing up to take the stage at leading festivals like Tortuga Music Festival (4/10 in Fort Lauderdale, FL) and Hoofbeat (6/27 in Cadott, WI).
Big Loud’s Timmy McKeever Puts the Pedal Down on Infectious New Single “20 Over”
Timmy McKeever isn’t slowing down for anyone. The California-bred, Nashville-based country newcomer releases “20 Over” via Big Loud Records, a high-energy road anthem about flooring it to get back to someone you love. Written with Lydia Sutherland and Micah Wilshire and produced by No. 1 songwriter Alex Maxwell, the track is McKeever at his most immediate, fun and punchy with the kind of hook that sticks. It more than doubled his highest pre-save on any release to date, which says plenty about where his momentum is right now. Listen here.
The numbers behind McKeever back up the buzz. Nearly 24 million streams since his 2024 debut album ‘Devils & Angels’, over 400 live shows logged, and a social presence hitting five million monthly impressions. He’s currently deep into Maddox Batson’s 2026 Live! Worldwide Tour, having just checked off his first two international dates in Canada, with stops in Los Angeles, Austin, Houston and Nashville’s Pinnacle still ahead. September brings a set at FarmJam Music Festival alongside Bryce Leatherwood, Dylan Schneider, Kylie Morgan and George Birge. “20 Over” is out now.
2026 Tour Dates:
April 8 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern+
April 11 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park+
April 16 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex+
April 18 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren+
April 19 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center+
April 22 – Austin, TX – ACL Live At The Moody Theater+
April 24 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center+
April 26 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom+
April 29 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory At The District+
May 3 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle+
September 6 – Colville, WA – FarmJam Music Festival>
- Supporting Maddox Batson | > Festival Date
Soul-Country Newcomer Alex Lambert Drops the Warmhearted “You Make Sense to Me”
Alex Lambert has been sitting on “You Make Sense to Me” for a while, and the wait was worth it. The Fort Worth-bred soul-country singer-songwriter, freshly signed to Big Loud Texas, the imprint co-founded by Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall, releases the track now, a song built around intimate acoustics and soulful lyrics about divine timing and the rare comfort of finding someone who just clicks. Co-written with Chris Gelbuda and Billy Montana, it follows his debut releases “Shoot Me Down” and “Rules of Attraction,” and the three together make a strong early statement from an artist raised on Willie Nelson, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers, and John Legend in equal measure. Listen here.
Lambert hits the road this spring alongside Ty Myers, with festival stops at Live In The Vineyard and the Alabama Strawberry Festival woven in. Come August, he joins Billy Currington and Kip Moore through September for a run of amphitheater dates. “You Make Sense to Me” is out now.
2026 Tour Dates:
March 28 – Clinton, MS – Red Brick Roads Music & Arts Festival^
April 2 – Houston, TX – The Continental Club
April 3 – Horseshoe Bay, TX – Horseshoe Bay Resort Balloon Festival^
April 11 – Gonzales, TX – Cattle Country Festival 2026^
April 22 – Napa, CA – Live In The Vineyard^
April 24 – Cullman, AL – Alabama Strawberry Festival^
May 1 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater+
May 2 – Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic
May 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Chelsea’s Live
May 7 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amp+
May 8 – Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
May 10 – St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill
May 13 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
May 14 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory+
May 16 – Milwaukee, WI – Vivarium
May 17 – Chicago, IL – The Hideout
May 27 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
May 28 – Boston, MA – Leader Bank Pavilion+
May 29 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
May 30 – Amagansett, NY – The Stephen Talkhouse
August 7 – Savannah, GA – VyStar Pavilion>
August 8 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy>
September 10 – North Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery>
September 11 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre>
September 12 – Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront>
^ Festival | + Supporting Ty Myers | > Supporting Billy Currington & Kip Moore
GRAMMY-Nominated Honky-Tonk Hitmaker Chandler Walters Drops New Single “Break Your Heart”
Chandler Walters knows exactly what kind of country he wants to make, and “Break Your Heart” makes that crystal clear. Co-written with Rhett Akins, Jacob Durrett, and ERNEST, the new single leans hard into the honky-tonk tradition Walters grew up on, delivering the kind of live-show energy that’s defined his rise. “This was us reminiscing on Toby Keith and the 2000s country music I grew up on,” Walters says. “While on tour it’s been one of my favorites to sing and perform.” Listen here.
The Marietta, Georgia native’s path to this moment is worth knowing. A multi-Platinum songwriter and seasoned steel guitar player, Walters co-wrote Post Malone’s 5x Platinum, all-genre No. 1 single “I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen)” and posted six cuts total on Post Malone’s ‘F-1 Trillion’. He’s also penned tracks for Bailey Zimmerman, Charles Wesley Godwin, and ERNEST, the mentor who first spotted his talent and brought him into the fold.
On the road, Walters is currently supporting ERNEST on the Live From The South Tour, with festival stops at Tortuga Music Festival, Rock The South, and Windy City Smokeout ahead. He’ll then join Tracy Lawrence on the No Alibis Tour and Bailey Zimmerman on the Different Night Same Rodeo Tour, which carries through Europe in the fall. “Break Your Heart” is out now. Visit chandlerwalters.com for tickets and details.
2026 Tour Dates:
March 26 – Boston, MA – Citizens House of Blues Boston+
March 27 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza+
March 28 – Bensalem, PA – Parx Casino+
April 2 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall+
April 3 – New Braunfels, TX – Gruene Hall+
April 4 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas+
April 10 – Ft. Lauderdale Beach, FL – Tortuga Music Festival=
May 8 – Dothan, AL – Dothan Civic Center Arena*
May 14 – Wichita, KS – Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center*
May 15 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre*
May 28 – Spartanburg, SC – Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium*
May 29 – Roanoke, VA – The Berglund Center*
May 30 – Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center*
June 11-13 – Decatur, AL – The Fields at Decatur=
June 26 – Cadott, WI – Hoofbeat=
June 27 – Brainerd, MN – Lakes Jam=
July 10 – Chicago, IL – Windy City Smokeout=
August 27 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy Glasgow>
August 31 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Olympia Theatre>
September 1 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Waterfront Hall>
September 3 – Manchester, England – O2 Victoria Warehouse>
September 4 – London, England – O2 Academy Brixton>
September 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg>
September 8 – Hamburg, Germany – Docks>
September 10 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fållan>
September 11 – Oslo, Norway – Oslo Spektrum>
- Supporting ERNEST | * Supporting Tracy Lawrence | > Supporting Bailey Zimmerman | = Festival
The CBMA’s Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour Returns This Spring With New Energy
One of Toronto’s most vital cultural experiences is back. The CBMA’s Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour runs Sundays and Wednesdays from May 17th through October 18th, 2026, taking attendees through the heart of Eglinton West with guided exploration of the landmarks, people, and music that made this stretch a cornerstone of Canada’s Caribbean diaspora since the 1970s. The 1.5 to 2-hour tour runs from Dufferin to Marlee Avenue, with plenty of time to browse local shops, restaurants, and outdoor art along the way. With the Eglinton LRT now running, getting there has never been easier. Visit the CBMA website for details and to book your spot here.
Ontario Poet Laureate Matthew-Ray Jones Headlines a Night of Spoken Word at the Archives of Ontario
National Poetry Month lands in April across both Canada and the United States, and Toronto has a worthy way to mark it. On Thursday, April 23rd, the Archives of Ontario hosts “Footprints: It’s All About the Journey,” an evening of spoken word featuring Ontario’s Poet Laureate Matthew-Ray Jones alongside local poets who’ll bring storytelling and live performance to one of the city’s most significant cultural spaces. Guests can also explore the CBMA’s “B’lack Then: Muted Melodies” exhibit and the Archive of Ontario’s “Illuminate Black: Shining Light on the Black Presence in Ontario” during the event.
The evening sits within a rich tradition. Black Canadian poets and musicians like Lillian Allen, George Elliot Clarke, Afua Cooper, Clifton Joseph, and Ahdri Zhina Mandiela built the foundation, and a new generation including Matthew-Ray Jones, El Jones, Jamaal Jackson, and Desiree Jones continues to push the form forward. This is a room worth being in.
The event runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (doors at 5:00 p.m.) at 134 Ian MacDonald Blvd., Toronto, on the York University campus just outside the York University Subway Station. Registration is required. RSVP to Sean Smith at sean.smith2@ontario.ca by April 19th.