BY STUART GLOSSOP
Blondshell (Sabrina Teitelbaum) released her eagerly awaited sophomore album, ‘If You Asked For a Picture’, in May via Partisan Records. It sees Teitelbaum once again teaming up with producer Yves Rothman to craft a collection as potent and emotionally charged as her acclaimed 2023 debut. The album brims with an urgency, ambition, and devastating potency hinted at on Blondshell’s 2023 self-titled debut, the specificity, self-examination, and nonchalant humour of which turned her into one of the most lauded new artists in recent memory. Brudenell Social Club Sunday 7th September
Daði Freyr is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, and producer known for his witty lyricism, infectious synth-pop, and joyful unpredictability. He rose to global attention with his 2020 hit “Think About Things”, a song that went viral during lockdown, earning over one hundred million streams and praise from the likes of P!nk, James Corden, and Russell Crowe. Since then, Daði has built a loyal international fanbase through his uniquely immersive live shows, featuring synchronised dance moves, playful visuals, and a warm, communal energy. He’s sold-out venues across Europe and the U.S., headlined major festivals, and cultivated a reputation as a must-see performer. Now entering a new creative chapter, Daði is releasing music from his upcoming album—blending his signature sound with new collaborations and emotional depth. With each release and performance, he continues to evolve, creating pop music that moves both the body and the heart. Stylus, Leeds University Union Saturday 13th September
L.A. Witch have always exuded an aura of effortless cool, whether it manifested as the Americana noir and laconic back-to-basics rock n’ roll of their self-titled debut or the blistering austere adventurism of their sophomore album Play With Fire. The band—comprised of Sade Sanchez (guitar/vocals), Irita Pai (bass), and Ellie English (drums)—began as an informal affair, but the sultry and beguiling reverb-draped songs they created caught on with the public, moving the project beyond the insular space of the band’s friends and peers in Southern California into the broader world. On their latest album, DOGGOD, the trio push their craft beyond their previous creative and geographical confines, opting to craft the material in Paris, recording the tracks at Motorbass Studio on the Rue de Martyrs. DOGGOD explores broader swaths of sonic terrain, employs a greater arsenal of tones, and probes larger existential and cosmic themes, all while retaining the band’s signature sense of the forbidden, the forsaken, and the foreboding. Brudenell Social Club Tuesday 23rd September
Picture Parlour are one of the UK’s most buzzed-about indie rock bands of recent years—vintage in aesthetic, cinematic in sound, and unapologetically bold in their presence. Formed in Manchester by Katherine Parlour (vocals/guitar) and Ella Risi (guitar), the band later relocated to London in 2021. They gained major attention when Courtney Love publicly endorsed them, calling them “Picture Parlour” with glowing praise on social media. Despite early accusations of being “industry plants,” Katherine clapped back: “Ella’s mom is a cleaner. My dad’s a retired factory worker”. Their sound blends classic rock with a noir-ish, theatrical edge. They are not just riding hype—they are crafting a sound that feels both timeless and fiercely current. Brudenell Social Club Thursday 25th September
Sleeper were one of the defining voices of the Britpop era—sharp, stylish, and unapologetically clever. Fronted by the charismatic Louise Wener, the band emerged from London in the early ’90s with a sound that fused jangly guitars, biting lyrics, and a cool, sardonic edge. Their breakout came with Smart (1995), followed by the platinum-selling The It Girl, which delivered hits like “Sale of the Century” and “Statuesque.” Sleeper was not just riding the Britpop wave—they were shaping it, opening for Blur, and landing tracks on the Trainspotting soundtrack (their cover of Blondie’s “Atomic” became iconic). After disbanding in 1998, they reunited in 2017 with renewed energy, proving their wit and hooks still hit hard. Today, Sleeper stands as a reminder that pop can be smart, stylish, and subversive—all at once. Stylus, Leeds University Union, Saturday September 27
