Features

No Drama, Just Music: The CMA Awards Are a Chance to Have Difficult Conversations About Country’s Right-Wing Associations

This week, the 54th Country Music Association Awards are taking place. To many, this is the biggest night in country music, honouring the best in the genre, as well as hosting performances from various artists. Like most huge nights, the social media promotion has been injecting all the hype it can into this event: there have been video packages of interviews with the stars, there have been memories shared from historic CMA nights, and the official Twitter account for the awards has been countin

Live music in Leeds: An industry still in crisis?

Two weeks ago, Leeds, along with many other cities in the UK, received its cut of the first tranche of Cultural Recovery Fund. Has it been enough to save live music in Leeds, a scene that thrives on grassroots music?

I still remember the last gig I attended before lockdown. It was full of nervous energy, coughs were already met with uneasy stares, but the room was still alive. I watched people sing, I watched people dance on the spot, and I watched people stand within a two-metre distance of th

Green Man Festival 2020 Is One to Watch – The Gryphon

It’s fair to say, since 2017, Green Man Festival has been what my entire year points to. I’ve spent January to August of every year listening to the various playlists the Green Man team put together and then August to January attempting to predict the lineup for next year. I strongly believe in its magic. I am not sure whether it’s because it is situated in such a stunning area (the Brecon Beacons), or whether everyone there just seems to be nicer than the average Brit, but I always feel so at h

You Say “Bah” I Say “Humbug”… Why Christmas Music Should Be Saved For Christmas – The Gryphon

I usually get mixed reactions when I share this opinion, but I really dislike Christmas music, particularly if it’s played before December 1st. Sometimes I even think that is too early, but I guess there does have to be a compromise. However, if it’s November 15th and you even think about whacking on Mariah’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’, we may have to have to some stern, stern words.

A lot of people probably assume I feel so strongly about this because my birthday is November 30th, or it’s beca