WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS There’s something about the opening of MAIH’s new single, Rivers, that makes the world feel a little bigger. Atmospheric and cinematic, it arrives with the feeling of standing at the top of a mountain, looking out across an endless ocean. It’s expansive, emotional and just a little bit overwhelming...the kind of song that makes you want to roll the car windows down, sing at full volume and not care who’s listening. For Norwegian singer and songwriter

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS Connecticut-born and Nigerian American, Africaine is a singer, songwriter and producer who blends R&B and soul with Afropop and wider Pan-African influences, creating a project rooted in love, vulnerability, self-discovery and the courage to choose yourself. Africaine’s Nigerian heritage, gospel roots and upbringing between Connecticut and New York have all shaped the artist she is today, giving her a rich perspective that feeds into both her music a

WORDS JENN LEHWALD All Points East is back, and while the festival always brings some huge names to London, we’re looking beyond the main stages to some of the newer artists we think are worth knowing. For this ONES2WATCH, we’re highlighting some of the emerging talent across the festival from their music and style to their overall aesthetic. These are some of the names we think you should have on your radar. FRIDAY 21ST ODEAL When we first sat down with Odeal, he was already

WORDS ALICE LAMBERT It seems fitting that when I sat down to chat with Ivana June ahead of the release of her new single today, that she called me from Laredo. The coastal Spanish town, just outside of Bilbao, forms one half of the dual settings that have inspired her latest release, Verano!; the other being the urban lifestyle of her hometown, London. It’s a toe-tapping track oozing with groove. The Latin influences make your shoulders sway while warm sunshine prickles you

WORDS, CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING MAISIE JANE DANIELS - PHOTOGRAPHY KAYT WEBSTER-BROWN - HAIR&MAKEUP DIANA MACOVEIU - SET ASSISTANT FINN SOLEY Released today, Pool Girl's latest single, Crab, is a tender meditation on vulnerability, instinct and the quiet courage it takes to step beyond your comfort zone. It's a fitting introduction to Allie, the California-born artist behind the project, whose ability to transform the smallest observations into something deeply human runs

WORDS ALICE LAMBERT For Lee Lewis, visibility is no longer negotiable. “I’m a black, queer R&B singer, and I’m very proud of it,” he says matter-of-factly. Sitting in front of me on a bright blue sofa in an East London office, the soft-spoken LA musician projects a quiet confidence. But it’s one that has been hard-won. For years, the artist struggled to find his voice, to project his experience loudly into the world. Now, he’s making up for lost time. "HAVING A VOICE WAS NO

As Brighton & Hove Pride celebrates its 35th anniversary, this year's Power of Love theme brings together world-class artists, community voices and a reminder that Pride remains as vital as ever. Thirty-five years on, Brighton & Hove Pride has become far more than a date in the summer calendar. It is one of the UK's biggest celebrations of LGBTQIA+ life, bringing together thousands of people for a weekend of music, community and activism. While this year's line-up is one of i

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS Momentum is a funny thing. From the outside, it can look instant: sold-out shows, fans singing every word back, arena stages replacing intimate venues almost overnight. But spend half an hour with Culture Wars and it quickly becomes clear that the band's rise has been anything but sudden. Behind their debut album, Don't Speak sits more than a decade of persistence, quiet reinvention and an unwavering belief in the music. Across our conversation, fron

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS "Tell me you'll still want the best for me, straight from your heart and not for your ego." It's a lyric that arrives almost immediately on Thru The Lines, and from that very first line, Pell isn't interested in skimming the surface. Teaming up with New York lyricist Kota the Friend, the New Orlans multi-faceted artist delivers a captivating collaboration that effortlessly blends hip-hop, bounce and electronic influences into something that feels as

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS There's a certain kind of confidence that arrives the moment a woman stops asking for permission. Not permission to take up space. Not permission to be ambitious. Not permission to be loud, powerful, complicated or fully herself. And that's exactly the energy running through Akosia's new EP, Eat The Night. Bold, honest, empowering and delivered with more than a little tongue-in-cheek attitude, the six-track project feels like a declaration from an ar

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS Every summer needs its soundtrack. The songs that spill out of car windows, soundtrack rooftop evenings and somehow find their way onto every playlist worth saving. At a time when the world feels particularly hot and heavy, Tone Stith arrives with exactly the kind of release we need right now. Bold, vibrant and impossible to sit still through, THE EDGE is a ten-track reminder that music can still be an escape. The New Jersey artist, singer, songwrite

WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS I remember watching Sliding Doors as a teenager and becoming mildly obsessed with the idea that a single moment could alter the entire course of a life. More than twenty years later, living in London, I still find myself thinking about it whenever I narrowly make it through Tube doors before they close. One second earlier, one second later. A different train. A different conversation. A different life. It's an existential rabbit hole that's easy to