BY STUART GLOSSOP
James Blunt will be at First Direct Arena on February 13th on his special run of UK arena dates for the ‘Back To Bedlam 20th Anniversary Tour’; where he will perform the remastered Back To Bedlam album in its entirety, along with other classic hits from his career. “I’ve been touring now for twenty years, and really, it’s only Back To Bedlam that people want to hear… so on that album’s twentieth anniversary, what better way to celebrate than to head out on the ‘Back To Bedlam 20th Anniversary Tour’!” explains James. “I’ll play all the songs from Back To Bedlam in full, from start to finish, and chuck in the better-known songs from later albums to finish. It’s going to be, well, it pains me to say it… beautiful.” And that….it will be. It’s time to celebrate one of the UK’s most esteemed solo artists of our time.
A sense of rootedness is at the heart of Anna B Savage’s third record You and I are Earth, a record that is as much about healing as it is an unbowed sense of curiosity, and, more simply, “a love letter to a man and to Ireland.” Following on from her critically acclaimed records A Common Turn and in|FLUX, You and I are Earth manages to convey a sense of intimacy, while also being open-ended. Saturday 15th February Brudenell Social Club
Post-punk extraordinaire Heartworms returns to Leeds for her first headline show celebrating her upcoming project. Not one to miss! South London’s Heartworms, the solo project from Jojo Orme, dips into dark synth pop and gothic aesthetic to create her post-punk electronic sound. Her lyrics are of a literary quality, packaged in siren-sweet vocals over dog barks, fierce guitar riffs, and out-of-kilter grooves. Saturday 15th February Headrow House
Over three studio albums and nearly a decade, Wirral-born Louisa Roach has built She Drew The Gun into a project that fully lives up to its incendiary name. A place for Roach to explore a visceral musical world informed by influences ranging 80’s electronica, hip-hop, political poetry, and cosmic scouse psychedelia epitomised by hometown heroes The Coral (whose lead singer James Skelly took her under his wing during She Drew The Gun’s early days), lyrically it’s found her taking aim at the wild injustices she was persistently seeing in the world at large, decrying corrupt conservative governments and rallying for a more empathetic way of living. 2016 debut ‘Memories of Another Future’ was swiftly followed by a crowning as Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition winner. Wednesday 19th February, Brudenell Social Club
Dynamic Welsh trio Adwaith proudly announced the release of their highly anticipated third album, Solas. Meaning “light of being” or “enlightenment” in Celtic, Solas marks a significant milestone in the band’s journey. Recorded across diverse locations—including the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, Lisbon in Portugal, and multiple studios in Wales—Solas reflects Adwaith’s growth and evolution as artists. Overflowing with romance and magic, this 23-track double album completes a coming-of-age trilogy chronicling their transformation from teenagers into empowered women, exploring themes of self-discovery, escape, and resilience. Thursday 20th February, Hyde Park Book Club
Biig Piig much-anticipated debut album 11:11was released on RCA on February 7th. The project launched officially alongside the record’s first single, ‘Favourite Girl’, having been teased with recent warmup tracks ‘4AM’ and ‘Decimal’ alongside an intimate series of short films written by Biig Piig, which will accompany the whole record. Biig Piig has additionally announced news of a UK/EU headline tour for 2025. The angel number, 11:11 symbolises enlightenment and awakening, the divine confirmation that you are on the right path. It’s a feeling Biig Piig has arrived at after a long period of constant flux and also provides the emotional bedrock of her first album: that rare debut which is as much a life-story as it is in thrall to the present moment. “11:11 has been a recurring number throughout my life,” Biig Piig comments, “especially whilst writing this record. Whenever I see it, I take a moment to reflect and dream about the possibilities ahead. This album captures various points in my journey, symbolising synchronicity—the idea that things happen for a reason, exactly as they should. Sunday 23rd February, Brudenell Social Club
