Roisin O'Connor's Good Vibrations

Scottish rock band The Snuts are back with their best new music to date. Frontman Jack Cochrane catches up with Roisin about fatherhood and making the decision to move out of the city and back to their hometown in West Lothian, plus the highs and lows of being an independent act, the toxic culture of comparison in the music industry, and founding their own record label to help champion future generations of talent.

Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arlo Parks immersed herself in the club scenes of New York, LA and London while working on her third album, Ambigious Desire, crafting songs about yearning, anonymity, exploring, chemistry and the "spaces in between". She and Roisin first met seven years ago when Parks was just 18 and releasing early singles such as "Cola", "Eugene" and "Black Dog", before she went on to win the Mercury Prize with her debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams when she was just 21 years old. So there's plenty to catch up on, from the books, music and films she's been devouring to her songwriting process, life in LA with her girlfriend, and the intimate moments she's created at her live shows.

Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are Elbow the UK's most dependable band? With 10 critically adored albums (including four UK number ones and a Mercury Prize winner), sold-out shows and without a blemish to their name, it certainly seems that way. Frontman Guy Garvey opens up to Roisin about marriage, fatherhood, his antics with the band and being hand-picked by The Cure's Robert Smith to headline the Royal Albert Hall as part of the 2026 Teenage Cancer Trust shows. Also, his NSFW advice for life!

Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's one of the biggest breakthroughs in country music right now, but Zach Top isn't letting it go to his head. In just a few years, the Washington-born musician has won over millions of fans with songs such as "I Never Lie" and "Sounds Like the Radio", aided by his signature sense of humour, arresting voice and deft guitar-playing. Inspired by country legends such as George Strait, Top got his start in Nashville writing songs with other artists before releasing his breakthrough album Cold Beer & Country Music, followed by his Grammy-winning 2025 record Ain't In It For My Health. Ahead of a headline show for C2C festival at the O2 Arena in London, he chats with Roisin about his early influences growing up on a farm in Sunnyside, attending his first Grammy Awards, meeting his heroes, and why he feels it's important not to take himself too seriously.

Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary producer Craig Leon is the man behind some of the most influential albums in punk, rock and new wave, working with bands including the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Suicide, The Fall and The Pogues. It's unsurprising, then, that he has some brilliant stories to share, from the time he saw Talking Heads play CBGB for the first time, to trying to sign Patti Smith, and watching the Ramones beat each other up onstage.

Subscribe to The Independent's music newsletter, Now Hear This here, to get your weekly dose of the latest news, music and artists grabbing Roisin's attention.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.