Derbyshire’s most wholesome gathering has just dropped a second wave of acts. Leading the charge is good ol’ boy Paul Heaton (bringing special guest Rianne Downey along for good measure) and Leeds’ finest English Teacher, who’ll be bringing their perfectly-crafted indie excellence to Thursday’s headline slot.

They’re joining an already ridiculous lineup topped by actual legend Iggy Pop, the eternally magnificent Manic Street Preachers, and gothic royalty The Sisters of Mercy. The festival takes over Catton Park from 21st-25th May 2025, and they’re really not messing about with the rest of the additions either. Nadine Shah, Katy J Pearson, and Ezra Furman are all showing up, while Orbital’s Phil Hartnoll is taking charge of Saturday night’s CODA stage. They’ll be rubbing shoulders with previously announced faves including Yard Act, CMAT, Nova Twins, and loads more.

You can find out more here, if you like.

bdrmm have delivered a brand new track, ‘Infinity Peaking’, the latest peek at their upcoming album ‘Microtonic’. Trading their trademark bedroom-crafted soundscapes for some sun-soaked Malagan vibes, the track sees the band masterfully walking the tightrope between their shoegaze roots and newfound electronic explorations.

‘Microtonic’, their third full-length offering, is set to land via Rock Action on 28th February, featuring guest spots from Working Men’s Club’s Sydney Minsky Sargeant and Nightbus’ Olivesque. The band will be taking their expanded sonic palette on a proper European journey this March, kicking off at Newcastle’s Wylam Brewery on the 6th and wrapping up at Amsterdam’s Melkweg OZ on the 31st, with stops everywhere from Milan to Manchester along the way. 

War Child’s absolutely brilliant Secret 7″ project is making its triumphant return for 2025.

Seven tracks – including The Cure’s ‘Warsong: Troxy Live 2024’ and a brand new exclusive from queen of the kitchen disco Sophie Ellis-Bextor – will each be pressed 100 times and given unique artwork designed by creatives from around the globe. The resulting 700 pieces of vinyl art will be showing off at Greenwich Peninsula’s NOW Gallery from 11th April to 1st June 2025, with British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori sorting out some proper fancy etched designs for every single record.

Want to get involved? Public submissions for sleeve designs open from 13th January to 28th February 2025, and you can find all the details over at secret-7.co.uk. Time to dust off those art supplies and do something properly good for charity, eh?

K-pop powerhouse IVE have only gone and dropped a new track to kick off 2025, haven’t they?

‘Rebel Heart’ arrived today with more swagger than your average chart-topper, serving as a tasty appetiser for their upcoming mini-album ‘IVE Empathy’. The track’s got that signature IVE confidence we’ve come to expect, with Starship Entertainment bigging it up as a solidarity anthem for rebels of all stripes.

Mark your calendars for February 3rd, because that’s when we’re getting the full ‘IVE Empathy’ experience. It’s been nine months since their last release, though they’ve hardly been twiddling their thumbs – they’ve smashed through 37 concerts across 19 countries, made their Lollapalooza debut, and even found time to cook up a track with David Guetta. Busy bees, these lot.

Pop powerhouse Charli XCX is using her platform to make a meaningful difference amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, urging brands to redirect their promotional gifts where they’re needed most.

The ‘Brat’ hitmaker took to Instagram Stories to acknowledge the “kind and sweet” practice of receiving gifted clothing, but emphasised that these resources could better serve those affected by the ongoing disaster that has forced nearly 180,000 residents from their homes.

The initiative comes as part of a wider industry response to the crisis, with Charli specifically directing brands to a clothing drive organised by stylist Lana Jay Lackey. A benefit concert, FireAid, is also scheduled for January 30 at LA’s Intuit Dome, with proceeds supporting rebuild efforts and displaced families.

Industrial rock pioneer and certified legend Trent Reznor has revealed his favourite song of 2024 is none other than Sabrina Carpenter’s sugary bop ‘Espresso’. The Nine Inch Nails frontman dropped this delightful bombshell during a red carpet interview at the Golden Globes, following up on his previous confession of being moved to tears by Dua Lipa’s ‘Levitating’ after hearing his daughter sing along to it.

The revelation comes as Reznor and creative partner Atticus Ross celebrate their Golden Globe win for their work on the ‘Challengers’ soundtrack. The duo are also shortlisted for Best Original Score and Original Song at the upcoming Academy Awards, and they’re set to bring Nine Inch Nails back to life for the soundtrack of ‘TRON: Ares’ – their first new music since 2020.

Fresh from having Barack Obama as his personal hypeman (casual), Jordan Adetunji is kicking off 2025 with a proper statement of intent – announcing his new mixtape ‘A Jaguar’s Dream’ alongside a silky smooth new single ‘Too Many Women’ featuring London’s Kwn. The rising star, who’s already got Travis Scott and Jaden Smith in his fan club, describes the project as “an entry into my love life and world of thoughts through sound and emotion”.

‘A Jaguar’s Dream’ is set to drop on 24th January via 300 Entertainment and Warner UK, featuring a properly impressive roster of collaborators including Take A Daytrip, Chase & Status, and Danja. The 10-track mixtape follows the massive success of ‘Kehlani’ – you know, the one that not only caught the attention of Kehlani herself for a remix but also landed him a Grammy nom for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Not too shabby for someone who was “too shy” to ask for the feature himself, eh?

In what might be the most method acting move since Daniel Day-Lewis built his own cobbler’s shop, Timothée Chalamet is taking his Bob Dylan impression to Studio 8H. Fresh from earning serious Oscar buzz for actually singing Dylan’s songs in A Complete Unknown (out this Friday, FYI), everyone’s favourite cheekboned wonder is set to pull double duty as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live this January 25th – making him the first non-musician to grab the musical guest slot since American footballer Deion Sanders did it back in 1995.

The SNL gig will see Chalamet join an elite club of just 41 people who’ve handled both hosting and musical guest duties in the show’s half-century history. While there’s no official word on the setlist, we’re betting on hearing some choice cuts from ‘A Complete Unknown’s soundtrack, which includes Timmy’s takes on classics like ‘Highway 61 Revisited’, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’, and ‘Like a Rolling Stone’. The real question is: will he wear the iconic Ray-Bans for the whole show?