Happy ‘Tune In’ Wednesday everyone! Where do I even start with the music news from this week? It’s been a jam packed 7 days of festivals, tour announcements and new releases! Lucky for you that I’m here to bring all the latest news that the music world has to offer!
Chappell Roan: Highest Attended Lollapalooza Set In Festival’s History
If you have any interest in pop culture, then you’ll already know who the cultural icon Chappell Roan is! Let me introduce you to this femininomenon, for those who do not know she is an American singer-songwriter, whose work is inspired by 2000’s and 1980’s classic pop hits. Drag queens have a big effect on her aesthetic, and her songs and stage presence have been called ‘campy’.
Donning a WWE costume, Roan played at the venerable Lollapalooza event in Chicago on August 1st, drawing an enormous crowd that went viral on social media as they crammed Grants Park’s main stage. Her act was one of the most well-attended sets of the festival, drawing crowds that surpassed those of most headliners.
Sam Fender: Two New Tracks At Plymouth Pavilions
On Saturday night, Sam Fender gave a sneak peek at two of his upcoming songs at his gig in Plymouth. You can imagine my reaction when Sam Fender performed two new songs without me present, since you all know how much I love him! During his recent performance at Plymouth Pavilions, The Geordie debuted two previously unheard songs live: ‘People Watching’ and ‘Nostalgia’s Lie.’ This was done as a warm-up for his upcoming Boardmasters headline event. The two will be featured on Fender’s upcoming third album.
It will serve as Fender’s first new track since his collaboration with Noah Kahan on ‘Homesick’ and the melancholic ‘Iris’ from the Jackdaw soundtrack in January. Alongside frontman of The War On Drugs Adam Granduciel, he has also hinted at a potential collaboration.
Fontaines D.C. : Huge Finsbury Park Gig And Latest Single ‘Here’s The Thing’
Fontaines D.C. have announced a huge outdoor show at London’s Finsbury Park. It is scheduled for Saturday, July 5, 2025, and will be the Irish band’s largest headline show to date. Amyl And The Sniffers and Kneecap will provide support; further acts are still pending confirmation. They are now, in my opinion, one of the best live bands, and I have no doubt that this performance will go down in history!
The Dublin band are set to release their next single ‘Here’s The Thing’ today, it will be the third single taken from their upcoming album ‘Romance’. The excitement in the music community is palpable for this album’s release, and with just under 3 weeks until it hits our streaming services, this new single serves as a further taster into the album’s already distinctive sound.
Stevie Bill: ‘I Was A Platinum Blonde’ Tour Announcement
Following the release of her most recent single, ‘Lalala,’ Dutch sensation Stevie Bill has revealed her next tour dates in the UK, Europe, and America. Known for her smash hit ‘Hahaha,’ which became renowned after going viral on social media, Stevie Bill will be performing at the Neighbourhood Festival in Manchester, the Workman’s Club in Dublin, the SWG3 Poetry in Glasgow, and Omeara in London.
An indie superstar in the making, her live performances are off the charts so make sure to grab your tickets whilst you can!
Guess : Billie Eilish’s Surprise Feature
I hope we’re all enjoying our BRAT summer! If we thought it couldn’t get any brattier it just did, Charli XCX has now released GUESS remix with Billie Eilish. The duo also unveiled a music video that parodies Charli’s lyrics, ‘You wanna guess the colour of my underwear/You wanna know what I got going on down there,’ and shows off the stars in a sensual house party with underwear flying around them.
Hundreds of garments and underwear were utilised in the tune’s video; all of them were donated to ‘I Support the Girls’, a foundation that gives menstrual hygiene supplies and undergarments to homeless people.
What Have I Been Listening To This Week?
I wanted to switch things up for this segment this week! Inspired by last week’s instalment discussing The last Dinner Party’s cover of Blondie’s ‘Call Me’, I wanted to introduce you lovely lot to some of my favourite covers that you should definitely be listening to!
Catfish & The Bottlemen – Laid : I’m sure Catfish & The Bottlemen could cover any song from any genre; their repertoire of amazing covers includes a wide variety of tracks that are sure to please everyone! Van McCann exudes raw, passionate brilliance in his rendition of “Laid.” This song showcases an incredible part of his vocal range that we haven’t seen before. It’s amazing how his mind works, combining various tracks while coming up with another to match, and the transition into Twist and Shout is stunning. He is a generational talent who should be given more credit for his work.
Inhaler – The Killing Moon : Some of the songs they’ve covered are simply amazing. For example, Inhaler really killed it when covering the classic and distinctive song ‘The Killing Moon’ by Echo & The Bunnymen. They opened up this wonderful song to a whole new range of listeners by giving a timeless melody such a modern twist. The instrumental portion of this song is commendable for its ability to subdue the shivers throughout with its creepy guitar riffs and muted drum beats. Elijah Hewson’s vocals are perfect for this music; they are haunting and flawless, paying homage to the original. This cover’s incredible genius is beyond description!
Fontaines D.C – Just Like Heaven : The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ is brilliantly covered by Fontaines D.C. After ‘Favourite’ was out, their cover made a lot more sense. This song is greatly enhanced by Grian Chatten’s vocals, which gives this 80’s classic a gritty, raw feel. With the instrumentals, they’ve paid respect to The Cure’s creative genius while infusing it with their own unique style.
The Beatles – Take Good Care Of My Baby : George Harrison’s vocals in this early Beatles version, which are so smooth and clear in their delivery, demonstrate the talent he possessed from an early age. On this song, Paul McCartney’s harmonies wonderfully match Harrison’s. Unquestionably, the 18-year-old George Harrison lends a youthful spirit to this music; in my opinion, it’s one of the best covers ever. The Beatles really needed to have let him sing a little bit more, not that I have the power to tell them what to do!
Thank you for reading and while we ait for next Wednesday listen to our playlist to keep you occupied! See you next week!
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