There’s a particular kind of confidence that only comes with time. Paul Archer has been making music for thirty years; through Belfast’s mid-1990s indie underground, the genre-restlessness of The Ghears, and a decade of acclaimed albums with Burning Codes - and ‘No Fear’, the new video release from his debut solo album Art, sounds exactly like what it is: a man who has earned his convictions. "‘Art’ promises a punchy expression of ambition, passion and elegantly-rendered source material" - CLASH Magazine The track is alt-rock with a philosophical spine. Produced by Andy Hawkins at Nave Studios in Leeds, it moves on soaring guitars and dynamic, purposeful momentum, with Archer’s vocals carrying a message that cuts cleanly against the cultural grain — that love, not fear, is the more powerful organising principle. Jim Lockhart of the legendary Horslips brings a flute performance that lifts the song somewhere cosmic, lending it a dimension most indie rock doesn’t bother reaching for. By ‘Art’ on vinyl at: www.paularcherofficial.com Art itself - Archer’s first release under his own name - conceived as a vinyl experience and supported by Think Like A Key Records — is a record that rewards close attention. Side A delivers euphoric, kinetic energy; Side B opens into something more searching, featuring Duke Special, string players Darragh Morgan and David McCann, and backing vocalist Janet Henry. CLASH Magazine called it “a punchy expression of ambition, passion and elegantly-rendered source material,” and the ‘No Fear’ video only sharpens that case. It’s a bold statement from a musician entering a new creative phase. But then boldness, when it’s this well-earned, tends to look a lot like calm. Art is out now via Think Like A Key Records.

FOLLOW: INSTAGRAM  | WEBSITE  | YOUTUBE  | SPOTIFY  | FACEBOOK  | X There is a long and occasionally glorious tradition of hard rock built on the architecture of survival - music that takes the raw material of damage and transforms it, through sheer force of craft, into something that feels like liberation. Brunhilde understand this tradition instinctively, and with ‘Rising From The Ashes’, they’ve made their most eloquent contribution to it yet. The Cologne-rooted outfit have spent years earning their reputation the old-fashioned way: relentless touring, commanding festival appearances, and a catalogue built on genuine conviction rather than trend-chasing. ‘Rising From The Ashes’ arrives as the clearest distillation of everything that work has been building toward: a single that is simultaneously immediate and substantial, anthemic without being hollow. What strikes you first is the precision of it. This is a band that knows exactly what each element is doing and why. The guitar riffs are razor-edged rather than merely heavy; the rhythm section provides density without obscuring the melodic architecture beneath; and the production, rather than smoothing away the rough edges, has the intelligence to leave them intact. There is grit here that a lesser record would have buried in the mix. And then there is Caro Loy. To describe her simply as a powerful vocalist would be accurate but insufficient — what she brings to ‘Rising From The Ashes’ is a quality of presence that elevates the material beyond the sum of its parts. The song’s central themes of betrayal and hard-won resilience are ones that have powered rock music since its inception, but in Loy’s hands they feel neither borrowed nor worn. She sings like someone with something specific to say, and the distinction matters enormously. That Brunhilde return to Wacken Open Air this summer feels less like a booking and more like an inevitability. ‘Rising From The Ashes’ is the sound of a band arriving precisely on schedule.

Archy & the Astronauts at The Carousel was a masterclass in intimate, sweat- soaked indie rock. Fresh off their Splendour main-stage victory, the trio swapped festival fields for the raw, DIY energy of Hockley, proving they haven't lost their edge. The night felt electric full of vigour as the band used the tight quarters to road-test unreleased material that leaned harder into their signature blend of funk-infused bass and razor-sharp riffs it blew my head off! ​Frontman Archy commanded the room with effortless swagger, while the rhythm section’s nterplanetary grooves turned the packed-out space into a literal pressure cooker of a musical power house. It was a high-voltage look at a band currently outgrowing small rooms but clearly relishing the chaos of them. If you missed this one, you can catch that same electric energy at their next gig at The Bodega Saturday 20th 2026 (notts) Doors open at 7pm. Sophie Alexandra.