indie interviews
Meet: Ash frontman Tim Wheeler – “If it wasn’t fun and playful, we’d have quit long ago”
Ash frontman Tim Wheeler is in reflective but upbeat mood as he talks about the band’s new album To The Stars, their first since 2021. “It’s the shortest gap we’ve had since our first and second albums,” he says. “That was like a two-year gap between 1977 and Nu-Clear Sounds. We never managed it again …
Meet: BC Camplight – Truth, Trauma, and the Power of a Sober Conversation
There are artists who write songs, and then there’s BC Camplight — aka Brian Christinzio — a singular force who turns the ragged fabric of his life into spellbinding musical narratives. His new album, A Sober Conversation, is not just another chapter in his story. It is the story: one of revelation, reckoning, and release. …
Meet: Monaco Revisited – David Potts on the Long-Awaited Return of Music for Pleasure
When I caught up with David Potts, he was in the thick of tour prep — “just finishing up the last bit of packing,” as he put it. Within hours, he’d be flying out to Europe and then across the Atlantic for a run of U.S. dates with Peter Hook & The Light, performing Joy …
Meet: Savages Fay Milton emerges as a Sonic Alchemist with New Project Goddess
Fay Milton is no stranger to reinvention. As the drummer of the incendiary post-punk band Savages, she made a name for herself channeling raw, visceral energy from behind the kit. Now, several years after Savages went on hiatus, she’s stepping into a radically different creative space with Goddess—an ambitious, genre-defying studio project built around collaboration, …
Meet: “Let the Wound Stay Open”: Ezra Furman on Goodbye Small Head
Ezra Furman has never shied away from the raw, the sacred, or the chaotic. But with Goodbye Small Head—her new album described as “twelve variations on losing control”—she dives deeper into the uncontainable than ever before. Written in the throes of emotional, physical, and spiritual upheaval, the record is a fever dream of orchestral emo, …
Meet: Ryan Breslin from The K’s on their Wild Ride, New Album, and Biggest Tour Yet
It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for The K’s. With their debut album I Wonder If the World Knows on the horizon and a huge UK and Ireland tour about to kick off, it feels like everything’s happening at once for the band. Speaking to Ryan Breslin, it’s clear they’re embracing the madness — …
Meet: ‘The Wednesday Flowers’ One Of The North Easts Premier All Girl Band
With their debut single ‘Love Me’ (read our review here) recently released and some great gigs under their belt. The Wednesday Flowers are at the top of the list of bands to watch in 2025. We at Backseat Mafia wanted to say we were there “at the beginning” before they get too big for our …
Meet: Zach Condon / Beirut ahead of his new album A Study of Losses and European dates
After a prolific yet challenging few years, Zach Condon returns with A Study of Losses, the most expansive Beirut album to date. Commissioned as a soundtrack for a Swedish acrobatic stage show, the 18-track odyssey explores themes of disappearance, preservation, and impermanence—taking inspiration from lost civilizations, extinct species, and fading memories. Blending indie pop, chamber …
Meet: Katherine Priddy on Daybreaker, Collaborating with Simon Armitage and future plans
Katherine Priddy has long been celebrated for her poetic songwriting, but her latest collaboration takes that connection to a whole new level. Working with Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Priddy has transformed his words into two stunning winter-themed songs, the latest of which, Daybreaker, was released on January 30. This follows Close Season, which earned widespread …
Meet: Andy Bell talks to us about his new album Pinball Wanderer
Andy Bell has always been an artist in motion, whether pushing sonic boundaries with Ride, crafting intricate solo work, or lending his talents to various collaborations. His latest album, Pinball Wanderer, marks a bold new chapter—one defined by groove-heavy rhythms and spontaneous creativity. Unlike his previous solo records, which drew from decades of accumulated material, …