May 2025

When it came time for fifth full-length 'Many Times,' Matt Hegarty needed to try something different. The Aldershot songwriter, better known as Matthew and The Atlas, was keen to follow up 2023's 'This Place We Live' quickly, jumping straight back into the studio at the end of that same year. Tapping up Bear's Den member and producer Kev Jones for the challenge, they approached 'Many Times' with a production style antithetical to its title: each song was to be recorded in as few takes as possible, stripped-back and direct-to-tape, with no overdubs.

This process, the pair explain, was intended to capture Matt's songwriting in its purest form. Recorded over just two days at the iconic Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, "the idea was just to capture a moment in time that is very, very honest and open," Jones says. Inspired in part by Nick Drake's 'Pink Moon' (which was itself captured over just two nights).

"We said to ourselves that I shouldn't rehearse too much," says Matt. "It's a balancing act -- you have to write the songs, and know the melody and the lyrics, and how you're going to perform it. But only up to a point -- you're still trying to capture something a bit truer to its original form; something you haven't over-rehearsed or refined down."

It's an approach that was taken to avoid the slow gestation process and over-thinking that Matt openly admits led to the four-year gap between his previous two albums. "I definitely tend to disappear into my studio space," he says of previous records, "There's definitely been a lot of overthinking in my home studio, and working on things, and taking a lot longer than I thought."

For 'Many Times,' then, it was a total about-face in terms of approach. "I really wanted to do the complete opposite of that," Matt explains, "and not think about instrumentation -- just think about songwriting."

Capturing those songs in their rawest form led to some of 'Many Times'' most stunning moments coming from the most unlikely of places. From the engineer running around the studio mid-take, to re-position microphones while Matt was still 'in the zone,' to rhythmic thigh slaps from Kev during the recording of 'Standing Here' adding one of the record's only embellishments -- and taking the track to a new dimension in the process -- it's a record that thrives on its simplicity. "It's because the elements are so simple, the minutiae is massive," says Matt.

"There was always an element of uncertainty about it, which I think was a good thing," he continues of the recording process. Recording to tape -- an expensive method in an increasingly digital age -- "gave it an element of pressure," he admits. But despite the pressure Matt might have felt, 'Many Times' feels like Matthew and The Atlas' most effortless release in a decade.

"You've got nowhere to hide, the songs have to speak for themselves," says Kev of the approach, and it's something Matt agrees with. The result is a record which houses some of Matthew and The Atlas' most brilliant songs to date.

---

After 15 years and 4 albums of consistent artistic evolution Foreign Fields are taking some time to slow down, breathe and review. With "Small Sessions Vol. 1" they re-approach some of their most loved songs with the clarity of age and hindsight. "Small Sessions Vol. 1" was recorded and produced in Eric's living room in Viroqua, Wisconsin with only two acoustic guitars, a piano, a melodica and an OP-1. This is Foreign Fields presenting their songs in the most stripped down, intimate way that they can.

Following 80 successful dates across North America between 2022 and 2024, legendary drummer Terry Chambers and his band EXTC are returning to the United States and Canada for two extended North American tours: a 10-week run in April/May/June on the East Coast and an 8-week run in September/October 2024 on the West Coast

For almost four decades XTC fans could only dream of witnessing the sensational XTC classic songbook played live. That dream has now become a reality. XTC's legendary drummer Terry Chambers is back on the road with his band EXTC (named and approved by XTC frontman, Andy Partridge).

Emerging out of the post-punk and new-wave explosion of the late 70s XTC experienced global success touring with the likes of The Police and Talking Heads. The band put their hometown of Swindon UK on the map. They achieved huge success in North America and Japan. Sadly their legions of loyal fans would be left in limbo when in 1982 XTC stopped touring becoming a studio-based entity.Fast forward to 2017 Terry returned to the UK from Australia and reconnected with XTC bandmate Colin Moulding. The two would go on to collaborate on new venture TC&I releasing an EP and live album.

Sadly the project was short-lived with TC&I disbanding in early 2019. By now the flame inside Terry had been reignited. His time with TC&I made him realise he wanted to continue doing what he does best. His love and passion for playing music and performing live gave him the idea for his new project EXTC.

Born in early 2019 EXTC would set out to achieve its goals of performing to audiences who had waited so long to hear the EXTC back catalogue performed live only to be bought to a standstill in 2020 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.Terry was keen to get on the road with EXTC with a tour of the United States scheduled for autumn 2020. Unfortunately this would be postponed due to covid restrictions still in place the tour being rescheduled for the following year.

The band eventually began gigging again in 2021 with sold-out dates around the UK. This would include the Isle of Wight Festival and gigs in Terry Chambers and XTC's hometown of Swindon. The band would go on to do further successful tours of the United States and Canada with EXTC also heading to Japan in early 2023.EXTC has kept much of the original fan base from XTC's glory days of the late 70s and early 80s as well as gaining a new following of fans in their own right. Enthusiastic fans have lapped up the chance to see Terry and EXTC perform all those classics live once more.Alongside Terry the EXTC line-up features frontman Steve Hampton (lead vocals & guitar - Joe Jackson, The Vapors and Dead Crow Road) and Terry Lines (bass & vocals - The Rams and Dead Crow Road).

Originally a four-piece EXTC band members have changed frequently over recent years. EXTC announced in November 2022 that they are now moving forward as a three-piece. Terry Steve and Terry will bring you the full EXTC experience with their mesmerising and engaging live performances as you relive the heyday of XTC. With new material already in the works EXTC is a band on an upward trajectory. With their popularity gaining momentum and international tour schedules increasing it is clear the sky is the limit for Terry Chambers and EXTC!

A brand new live album will be released by a US-based record label on Friday, April 4, 2025. Full release information will be announced in the first week of December this year.

In his 50-plus years of playing the instrument, Carl has created a wildly successful, multi-faceted career. He is a critically acclaimed musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and educator with 17 CDs and 2 live DVDs released worldwide. Carl i commonly regarded as a guitar virtuoso capable of playing any style of music with remarkable mastery and conviction. He has been one of LA's elite "first call" session players for the past 40 years, playing on hundreds of records, movie soundtracks and television shows.

A member of the huge British rock group Supertramp since 1985, Carl has played to millions of enthusiastic fans in sold out arenas worldwide. As the creative force behind the Carl Verheyen Band, he has released an impressive and eclectic discography that showcases his endless talents across a wide array of musical genres. The CVB tours all over the world and continues to draw fans on the festival circuit as well as theaters and clubs. Carl also performs with drummer Stewart Copeland in his "Police Derranged for Orchestra" concerts with symphony orchestras all over North America.

A much sought after studio musician, Carl plays on other artists' CDs whenever his busy schedule permits. He has recorded and played with a virtual who's who of the music industry. His vast collection of movie soundtrack and television credits is enviable. Carl was heard by 67,000,000 people as a featured soloist at the 2009 Academy Awards. He is also heavily featured in the film documentary about the electric guitar, Turn It Up! Verheyen has graced the pages of countless industry publications and been the subject of numerous articles chronicling his rise to the forefront of the modern-day gui- tar scene. Carl has won many polls and musical honors in the US, Germany, France, Italy and the UK and received a Grammy nomination as a featured soloist.

On the educational front, Carl has produced two instructional videos called Intervallic Rock Guitar and Forward Motion as well as eight on-line master classes for Truefire. He also has a book/CD detailing his unique "intervallic" style called Improvising without Scales. Another book entitled Studio City is a compilation of all the columns Carl wrote for Guitar Magazine between 1996 and 1999, and his recently released Songbook is a detailed look into his unique and guitar-centered writing style. He has written a monthly column for Chitarre, Italy's #1 guitar publication as well as Guitar and Bass Magazine in both Germany and France and Guitar Techniques in the UK. He wrote monthly columns four years in a row for Guitar Player Magazine and occasionally contributes to other guitar publications like Vintage Guitar and Guitar World. Carl has taught private guitar lessons to John Fogerty, members of System of a Down and Maroon 5 and conducted master classes all over the world.

Working closely with the guitar company LsL, Carl has a pair of signature electric guitars that are hand made in the USA. The CV Special and CV Studio models are patterned after Carl's vintage Fender Stratocasters. Road worthy and affordable, they are a part of Carl's touring and recording arsenal and sold all over the world. And pairing with DR Strings he's developed a line of signature strings that perfectly balance the tremolo bridge of his LsL signature guitars as well as the Fender Stratocaster.

Featuring six piece band Another One and a tribute to Old & In The Way (with members of Chicken Wire Empire).

An evening of music to take you on a journey from psychedelic rock to stripped down string band.

Fans of Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead won't want to miss this.

Brother Ali is a highly respected Hip Hop artist, speaker and community leader from Minneapolis, MN. His two-decade resume includes eight critically acclaimed albums, mentorships with iconic Hip Hop legends Chuck D and Rakim, and performances on late night talk shows with Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien.

His provocative and uplifting brand of Hip Hop has earned him coveted press features like Rolling Stone's 40th anniversary edition and Source Magazine's legendary "Hip Hop Quotables", while his outspoken social justice message has landed him on government watch lists. He's also lectured at universities from Princeton to Stanford and delivered the keynote address at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

When he's not rocking the mic at Coachella, or being arrested for civil disobedience in support of marginalized communities, Brother Ali travels the world learning and teaching Islamic Spirituality under some of today's renown Muslim leaders. In addition to leading worship services and classes, he co-founded The Gemali Project, an organization that helps Muslim converts and spiritual seekers access the beauty of the Islamic tradition.

No Can Do is the passion project of Rich Hoffman, WAMI winning vocalist for Wisconsin band Almighty Vinyl and the original music band, SACRED.

Rich's love for the timeless music of Daryl Hall & John Oates compelled him to seek like-minded, top-quality musicians from other well-established bands to recreate their music. Playing it like you remember it is what No Can Do is about. This is a tribute to the music and memories associated with Daryl Hall & John Oates.

No Can Do is playing limited shows through 2023. Don't miss your chance to see them.

This project is rounded out by these great musicians:

Craig Brog from U2Zoo on drums
Dave Ciccantelli on keyboards and vocals
Tony Inzeo from The Myles Wangerin Band on guitar and vocals
Harry Ipsarides from 33RPM and Barracuda on guitar and vocals
Angie Rypel from Vintage Groove on vocals
Carl Stessl from King Kong on bass
John Vollmar from The Prince Experience on sax, vocals and keyboards

Serious songwriting from YEARS of hardship, road experience and inner turmoil.
The way it was supposed to be, but with a new approach.

Over 10 years of relentless touring has cemented SASQUATCH as one of the most high gear, powerhouse band leaders around... his bands, The Sick-a-Billys, Holy Hellraisers, Full Moon Boys and his critically acclaimed King Sickabilly 'One Man Band' have all stayed true as far as vocals, lyrics and his fiery guitar-work. Never giving up his song-writing mission... keeping real music alive and dangerous in the under-underground. Risen from a not so forgotten past, when Live Music still meant something and the scene wasn't a Pre-Apocalyptic Ghost Town... bloody fingertips and a soul-haunting voice will deliver you songs about Sin, Love, Murder, Tornadoes and drinking until you wake up under a random barstool.

"The odds were against me all along, but I just wouldn't go away." All-American musician Creed Fisher is a storyteller, hard worker, and a rising Outlaw Country star. With around 100 million streams on Spotify and nearly 60 million views on YouTube, Fisher's raw, unfiltered, and unique sound blends traditional country with some modern elements.

After growing up in West Texas, he played professional football for around 9 years. When he retired from the game, Fisher used that passion and drive to fuel his music and convert his scars & pain into passion and determination. "A big part of my music is patriotic and for the working class. I relate to my music because I lived it." Creed Fisher reminds fans to never lose sight of who you are, where you're from, and never fear hard work. His patriotism and life experiences thread throughout his songs to create powerful music that speaks to all.

In honor of one of the best country rock bands of all time, Take It Easy performs hit after chart topping hit from the vast catalog of music created by the Eagles. From their debut Witchy Woman to their climactic #1 Hotel California, Take It Easy covers the bases. Touching on the solo careers of each artist as well this band is sure to have your favorites covered.

Come on out and relive those timeless years of rock and roll and embrace the temptation to move your feet and sing along.

Justin Holman (vocals), Robert Davis (guitar), Bob Thiemann (bass), and David Piribauer (drums) comprise the infectious post-grunge sounds of REVIS.

Originally formed in southern Illinois, the group moved to Los Angeles and soon inked a deal with Epic Records. They went on to record the widely acclaimed full length album Places for Breathing with producer Don Gilmore at NRG studios in 2002.

Released in May of 2003, Places for Breathing debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and sold 10,000 copies in its opening week. Two singles were released to rock radio hits, "Caught in the Rain" and "Seven". "Caught in the Rain" peaked at number 8 on Mainstream Rock Radio charts during a 26-week chart run and was on the Billboard Alternative Rock charts for 16 weeks, peaking at number 20. It was also featured on the movie Daredevil and its respective soundtrack, Daredevil: The Album. "Seven" spent ten weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock charts peaking at number 29.

Touring in support of Places for Breathing, Revis performed with other popular artists such as Evanescence, Pearl Jam, Fuel, 3 Doors Down and many others including a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Music videos for the singles "Caught in the Rain" and "Seven" were also featured on MTV, MTV2 and Fuse.

2023 saw the band re-unite with a revived passion to collaborate. These sessions produced their latest release Bottles Of Lightning, which dropped May 2, 2024.

It's Jed & Company's Milwaukee debut! Jed & Company is Madison's new hard-rippin' Grateful Dead tribute band. With high-level high-energy jamming, experimental setlists, soulful vocals and fresh takes on the catalog, Jed and Company aims to impress the discerning Wisconsin Deadhead.

Erik Anderson- keys, vocals
Devin Geary- guitar, vocals
Becca Reynolds- vocals
Jeremy Snow- drums
Ben Johnson- bass, vocals
Jed Heckman- guitar, vocals

A big old goofy evening with John Prine's faithful longtime sidemen, Dave and Jason. If you're a Prine fan, you'll love hearing them share memories of their beloved, one-of-a-kind friend and boss, along with some of John's classic songs.

Formed in Adelaide South Australia in 2014 the band first made waves across Australia and New Zealand being nominated in every category of the 2018 Australian Blues Music Awards on the back of their 2nd album Tales of A Rich Girl, and ultimately picked up 3 gongs. Tales was tracked in LA by 7 x Grammy winner Jim Scott and mixed in Nashville by 4 X Grammy winner Vance Powell. It received some incredible reviews and had a stellar run on the charts hitting no.1 on the Australian Blues Music Charts, and no.15 on the International Roots Review. Huff Post's Randy Radic called the album ".....a humdinger", and Peter Salzony from Blues Blast Mag wrote "You are left emotionally drained after this soulful experience has concluded.......expert musicianship and top notch production propel this effort into greatness. Hearing is believing!"

Between 2017 and 2019 in support of Tales of a Rich Girl the band toured extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand appearing at many of the major festivals in those 2 countries including Womadelaide, Wangaratta, Broadbeach, Mitchell Creek, Bay of Islands (NZ), Mordialloc, Bruthen, Blenheim, Eltham to name a few. However, the announcement that they had signed to Big Wing Records and were heading to the USA for their first full tour was the most exciting news. The US tour took in 7 states and 22 performances kicking off at Summerfest in Milwaukee and finishing at Mammoth Lakes Bluespalooza in California where they featured on the main stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty and Charlie Mustlewhite. Other dates included 210 Live, Rosemont and Rockford Illinois, Mishawaka and Gas City Indiana, Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville Tennessee, Little Rock Arkansas, Dallas Texas, and LA and Morro Bay California, with the highlight a live performance on WGN-TV in Chicago reaching a potential 60mil homes through the US! The summer tour rounded out with a return trip at the start of September where the band played a headline set at Grapefest in Dallas TX.

Most recent news, Kings and Associates are in the final stages of tracking their 3rd studio album titled 'Neighbour' with a planned release date set for 25th April 2020. While in the US the opportunity was taken to hook up with Jim Scott for a reunion of sort to record a bunch of new songs. Speaking to song writer and bassist Steve Portolesi this was by all reports and amazing session. "Firstly, getting to work with Jim again back in LA was always a priority and desire for us based on how much fun we had tracking Tales. Jim is both a rock music legend and an absolutely amazing man, we simply love the relationship we've built and thrive in the encouraging, creative atmosphere which oozes from his studio." Unlike Tales where all the songs were pre-arranged the new songs took a slightly different path Steve adds, "with the last album we had 12 tunes which we'd pretty much been playing for the previous 12 months, so it was just a case of going into the studio and recording them. This time round we were a little bit greener with the songs being pretty new, but we were fortunate to have our entire band in the studio tacking simultaneously including our US organist Louie Higuera and Paul White from Australia, so there was some serious spontaneity in the way we played....most of the stuff is live".

Lyricist and lead vocalist Angie explains from a lyrical perspective the new album retains themes of social observation, personal experience and enthusiasm for life, "I've always felt most at ease writing from my experiences and learnings as it helps me keep my themes fresh and current. It's also what impacts me the most so these become the topics most accessible in my creative process....I guess that's how creativity works". Thematically the album has been written specifically for vinyl, "music has obviously changed in the way people interact with artists, so we wanted to go back to something a bit more classic and move away from what's become the standard 12 or 13 track CD type release. Our drummer Kelv had the idea to have the songs create a bit of a theme and momentum on each side of the vinyl more in line with the way music was enjoyed back in the day. It's certainly not a new concept, but for us it seemed like a cool thing to do, and definitely represents where we're at currently". Neighbour from all reports is going to be another sidestep from traditional blues but certainly not a move away entirely from what their fans love. Word is it's eclectic and soulfully exploring new grounds, and the excitement from those who have heard it is compelling!

Black Joe Lewis is the realest motherfucker there is. When Covid sidelined his touring this past year, he started laying concrete to help support his baby mama and his kid. That's fuckin' real. When Joe and his band, the Honeybears, popped onto the national stage over a decade ago, many critics embraced him but still, there were some that maintained that they hadn't paid their dues. Joe's still here. Still going. Still cashing checks and snapping necks. The dues of hard work; the delirious heights of the industry as well as the disappointments and low hanging fruit. Through this all, Joe's only honed his mastery over gut bucket blues guitar and his true voice. It's a vital and distinctly American voice that never anticipated the attention he wound up receiving, never went looking for it either. It just started happening. The garage, the blues, the propulsive and synergistic live performances that inhabit the spaces of James Brown, Lightnin' Hopkins, and the MC5...those things happened naturally from the very beginning and could only be accurately communicated in the live experience, not a press release or a slick brand campaign. Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin Malcolm, The Dirtbombs, Detroit Cobras, the Strange Boys; these are some of the artists that Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears shared countless bills with; almost a roll call of the most influential soul and garage bands of the last twenty five years. Has the soul blues garage explosion from that era been commodified or worked into the overall template of pop rock? Sure. But the ground floor was a vital space for people that like guitars and grease and at this point Black Joe Lewis is one of the last standing that was there. Last of a dying breed. Or maybe a missing link. Does this make him a throwback? A throwback to a throwback? It'd be tempting and easy for Joe to go along with that but nah, we don't think so. We know that Joe Lewis is genuinely doing his thing and that he'd do it regardless of what's coming down the pipe. A stone cold original and a veteran at that. If you like whistling in your music and some floppy hat, quaky kneed dudes cloyingly singing at you, then you might not "get it" but whatever...there are enough intrepid, degenerate weirdos that do. Those are the folks Joe cares about. Not the glad handing set. Not the fair-weather friend set getting down with the flavor of the month. Like the title of his last album says, "the difference between me and you" is Joe defining for himself that there's the belabored wannabes and then there's dudes that actually "HAVE the blues"...whatever the hell THAT is! Joe's concrete pouring boss is gonna miss him.

Real Pretenders are four Chicago music scene veterans with a passion for the hard driving rhythms, catchy melodic hooks, soul-tortured lyrics, and back alley sex appeal that characterize the music of the Pretenders. They aren't a costume act and they don't play the original members of the band as characters. Instead, these established players with audiences of their own have come together to thread the musical needle between faithfully rendering the Pretender's sound and joyfully harnessing these timeless and lustful pop rock gems as a means to expressing their own musical identity. Not only do they take on both the band's classics and deep cuts, they also offer a new take on songs covered by the Pretenders as well as those that perhaps might have been. Real Pretenders aren't simply a tribute to the music of the Pretenders, they are a tribute to their essential spirit. Do not miss.