Emily Duff

NE Volume •

Review: Faye Fantarrow – ‘Noughties’ Single

Sunderland’s own Alan Hull Songwriting Award-Winner, Faye Fantarrow, has recently released her latest single, ‘Noughties’, a fun track about nostalgic clichés focused on giving light-hearted representation to the Gen Z’s of the early 2000s who often get missed out. With comments and name-calling such as ‘snowflake’ often being thrown around as descriptions of the youth from that era, Fantarrow writes this song as a bit of an “F You”, proving that her generation can still be carefree, goofy kids

Tramlines Festival 2021 Confirmed For Events Research Programme

Sold-out Tramlines Festival will go ahead at full capacity in Sheffield’s Hillsborough Park from July 23rd to 25th as part of Events Research Programme following the likes of Download Festival that successfully took place over the 4th-6th or June. Announced just twenty five minutes ago (12pm, June 29th) that it will join the third phase of the Government’s Events Research Programme, this means the sold-out music festival will definitely take place at full capacity on 23rd to 25th July. With hu
Now Then •

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend

Wolf Alice are back with their third album, Blue Weekend. Formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo, the outfit have come a long way with their sound and image in the past eleven years. Opening with ‘The Beach’, we hear lead singer Ellie Rowsell’s whispery vocals that immediately present the sense of rawness and vulnerability that can be heard throughout the album. Although mainly made up of catchy tracks sandwiched between light and airy intros and outros, a handful of grunge singles like ‘Lipstick on

Single Review: ‘Strife’ - Trish Discord

Alternative New York musician, Trish Discord, has just dropped her latest single, ‘Strife’. Inspired by the grunge scene in Brooklyn, Discord also presents a similarity to The Cranberries and Evanescence - each of these being opposite styles and showing her wide range and capability. Opening with an intense electric guitar and moody vocals, this track takes on a more emo EDM style with Discord’s voice often being distorted within the chorus. Beginning slow and melancholic, Discord then presents

Tramlines Festival: The Start of Gender Balanced Lineups?

With festival season on the horizon and after a year away from them, everyone has been highly critical of the performers and lineups expected to be seen over 2021. With huge festivals like Reading and Leads (RandL) and TRNSMT being slated for their lack of diversity, I’m proud that a festival local to me seems to be disregarding this trend. Although the big headliners remain male, the rest of the lineup is sprinkled with female acts across the whole weekend. Taking place in the beautiful Hills

King No-One make their return with heartfelt release, 'Obsolete'

Their new single, 'Obsolete', follows on from their previous release 'Bad Porno' which dropped in March. Forming in 2013, the group fast made a name for themselves by busking their original tracks up and down the UK. Quickly gaining a following they have had a massive wave of sold-out shows, proving themselves to be one of the best up-and-coming live performers in the country. King No-One take inspiration from a huge array of genres, decades, and artists, and a quick look on their social media
Now Then •

The Verdis - Streetlight Fables

The Verdis came together at the University of Sheffield in 2018. Made up of singer Rowan Yaxley and guitarist Max Haywood, the pair were later joined by John Thomson on the drums and bassist Jamie Wright to form the full band, who have just dropped their debut EP Streetlight Fables. Created alongside musician and producer Sam Proctor, the EP allows the band to explore production techniques previously unavailable to them in local pub performances. Debuted at their early gigs, the tracks 'Bus Sto
NE Volume •

Online Gig Preview: The Samphires at The Globe, Newcastle

Local indie outfit, The Samphires, will be playing a fascinating online gig at The Globe in Newcastle on Saturday 17th April. The Samphires are an alternative indie band from Newcastle consisting of three teenage girls who studied music together at college. With Rosa Thomas on bass, Elise Shields on guitar and Gemma Watson on drums, they have a simple but intimate and powerful sound, with their songs discussing relatable topics of insecurity and fears for the future. With a range of emotional
NE Volume •

Music: “I love finding new music” We Catch Up with Plastic Glass to Discuss Band Life During COVID

With consistently catchy tunes, four-piece indie-rockers Plastic Glass have managed to keep their energy high during 2020. Emily Duff caught up with the local Sunderland outfit to discuss their struggles with cancelled gigs and trying to make music during a pandemic. Have there been any opportunities to meet up and write/record music over the last year? It’s been hard but I guess that goes without saying by now. Our guitarist, Dylan, now lives in Leeds for University, so with the travel restri
Spotlight Music •

Single Review: 'Boom' by Faye Fantarrow —

‘Boom’ is the second release from Sunderland singer-songwriter Faye Fantarrow. The track follows on from her debut ‘Lines’ which came out in the summer of 2019 and follows an almost two-year gap between releases. There has clearly been a development in Fantarrow’s sound. ‘Lines’ was a soft, emotive track similar to the sounds of English singer-songwriter Birdy due to its hints of folk. While ‘Boom’ maintains this acoustic nature that Fantarrow is known for, it packs a bigger punch with the use
NE Volume •

Cover Feature: The Pale White Prepare to Release Their Debut Album

Local outfit, The Pale White, have recently released their single, ‘Confession Box’. It comes just before the group announced their debut album, ‘Infinite Pleasure’, is due to drop later in the year. The upbeat modern rock track is not only rhythmically interesting but also has an interesting story with lyrics such as: “You’ve got better stuff to talk about now”. Talking to bassist Tom Booth, the band explained that ‘Confession Box’ is: “a fictional story that puts you in the shoes of someone w
Spotlight Music •

Coat Rack Records: Local Female Creatives Launch Independent Record Label —

North East based Coat Rack Records is an independent record label, marketing and production company all in one. Aiming to be a safe space for artists to be comfortable knowing there is zero-tolerance for harassment, their goal is to embrace the transforming face of the creative industries in the hope of bringing a more ethical standpoint. Comprised of two women in their early twenties, Coat Rack offers a fresh perspective on the industry - striving to support and push artists to explore their c
NE Volume •

Business: “We have had the time to re-evaluate the services we offer and how to adapt to modern times” Blast Studios Continue to Support Musicians During the Pandemic

Andy of Newcastle’s Blast Studios, a Solid State Logic (SSL)-based recording facility, spoke to Emily Duff about the effects of COVID on the business, working in the recording studio during lockdown, and how they’ve implemented guidelines during the recording process. As with any business, there is a lot of uncertainty about what is going on. We closed for a period of time in the first lockdown, but following advice from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport we have remained open
NE Volume •

Review: VENUS GRRRLS – ‘Goth Girl’ Single

Dropping a collection of three singles, ‘No Signs’, ‘Amy’, and ‘You’re Alright, I Guess’ during 2020, ‘Goth Girl’ is the first release from Venus Grrrls in 2021 – and it doesn’t disappoint. Having supported All Time Low, Anteros and Bloxx, Venus Grrrls have been taking the UK by storm. Standing up for women in the industry and beyond, the Leeds/Teesside outfit are leading the revival of Riot Grrrl and getting the attention of many listeners. Their newest track is a power anthem combining elec
The Music Files •

Album Review: Pale Waves – ‘Who Am I?’

Manchester outfit, Pale Waves, have just dropped their second album, ‘Who Am I?’, which is a huge move away from their debut, ‘My Mind Makes Noise’, due to the band’s crazy experience in the near-3 years since its release. Heather’s lyricism demonstrates the beginning of truly questioning themselves – as implied by the title. A lot has happened since the release of their debut album, ‘My Mind Makes Noises‘, – most noticeably Heather has come out as gay and Ciara now identifies as non-binary. Th
Northern Music Collective •

NMC Guest: Emily (Owner of Darling Zine, Journalist & Assistant Director of Tits Upon Tyne)

How long have you been active in the North East music scene and what do you do? Since I was born! There was never a defining moment that I got involved in the scene. My dad is a DJ, hosts events, runs Method Radio, and worked at Sage Gateshead so I’ve always been brought up around and involved in the music scene. I am now a journalist, primarily discussing music, which has always been my dream job. I write for a range of publications such as NE Volume, Spotlight Music, The Music Files and ot
Rock n Roll Reports •

Amplified Analysis: Sam Smith's 'Love Goes'

Sam Smith has finally released their third album, ' , following on from ' In The Thrill of it All' which came out in 2017. Despite the three year hiatus, Sam Smith manages to maintain their usual emotions - with the break potentially exaggerating the passion that we’re so used to hearing. The opening track, ‘Young’ is a very short a cappella track with the only sounds outside of Smith being a baking vocalist. Ending with the lyrics, “I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m young”, demonstrates the poig
The Music Files •

Single Review: Pale Waves – She’s My Religion

Pale Waves have just dropped ‘She’s My Religion’, the second track to be released from their upcoming album Who Am I?. A track following the story of a cynical girl and the speaker’s love for her, it fights against the usual stigma that darker characters are unlovable and Hollywood’s preference for positive love interests. This normalisation of unhappy characters still being necessary to our lives can be heard in the lyrics, “She helped me find a different kind of love, made me feel like I was
Spotlight Music •

Single Review: ‘Johnny’ by Swine Tax —

Newcastle band Swine Tax are back with their latest single, ‘Johnny’. Pre-Covid Swine Tax had performed on tour across Europe, notably ending with a show at Motel Mozaique festival, Rotterdam. Over the past 2 years the band have also performed alongside Working Men’s Club, Fontaines D.C as well as others. The second of a five track showcase, this latest release follows on from ‘Relax’, which portrayed similarly catchy rhythms but had a darker sound due to its lower pitch. The contrast between
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