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March 2025
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263 articles
- March 23
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- “An excellent entry point into the world of cast-shell drums, and a clear bargain”: DrumCraft Bell Brass Snare review
- "I look at it as, 'OK, even if I don't want to do it, I need to do it'": Even Herbie Hancock doesn't like piano practice, but he's found a way of convincing himself to do it
- “He said, ‘Oh, stage fright? I had terrible stage fright.’": How Paul McCartney, Johnny Marr and Pharrell Williams cured Hans Zimmer’s performance nerves
- “I'm always starting up sessions and not finishing them, but I don't see that as unproductive”: Virtuosic UK producer Djrum talks creativity and making Frekm Pt.2
- RIP headphones? New tech can now beam music into your ears without the need for any hardware
- March 22
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- "If I wasn't recording albums every month, multiple albums, and I wasn't playing on everyone's songs, I wouldn't need any of this”: Travis Barker reveals his production tricks and gear in a new studio tour
- "It took me 10 years to finish the song, but I wrote that chorus in 15 minutes! And still there was a part of me going, ‘God, that’s a terrible title for a song!’”: How an ’80s rock star agonised for a decade over a classic No.1 hit
- Was this teenage prodigy the world’s first electric guitar player?
- Bored of the same old analogue emulations? Try these 5 innovative synth plugins daring to do things differently
- March 21
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- “Perfect for anyone seeking that specific '80s arena-rock vibe”: MXR Rockman X100 pedal review review
- “It’s not even the same song!”: A YouTuber asked AI to tab a bunch of classic tracks by Metallica, Guns N' Roses and Nirvana and got some really crazy results
- “The solo is very recognisable and crucial to the song”: How Chappell Roan’s former touring guitarist handled the Pink Pony Club guitar solo live on stage
- “James felt the fines would make you work harder. He was using that reverse psychology on us, and we didn’t understand at the time”: Bootsy Collins on why James Brown’s fines worked for his musicians
- “I was like - that's the album name right there": How a 6am WhatsApp from a rave icon provided the concept for Eats Everything’s genre-bending new album
- “Hybrid Theory came out and nu metal was everything. I bought the album and showed it to everybody at school": New Linkin Park singer Emily Armstrong says she was a fan of the band in high school
- “I could not in good conscience take my crew and instruments into that area”: Neil Young’s free Ukraine gig is off
- “A superb-sounding and well thought-out pro-end keyboard”: Roland V-Stage 88 & 76-note keyboards review
- “You’ll hear a larger-than-life Strat tone that’s familiar, but feels bolder, and more exciting”: Lollar’s Super-Caster pickup set is here – three single-coils to rule the world?
- "The greatest pop record ever made. A record that never dates, because it lives outside time”: How The Beatles created Strawberry Fields Forever - the experimental masterpiece that John Lennon regarded as the best song he ever wrote for the band
- “I am under an NDA, but I think everybody knows what happened”: Former Huey Lewis and the News guitarist Chris Hayes on that Ghostbusters plagiarism dispute
- “Every time I put one of these guitars on it’s just a reminder of the relationship with my friends”: Ernie Ball Music Man shakes up Steve Lukather’s L4 signature series with new pickup options, finishes and a BFR HSS dream machine
- “The story of a misfit kid who grew up to be a punk rock hero”: Joey Ramone to be the subject of a new children’s book
- “It’s about those bands who need merch income to survive”: The Charlatans' Tim Burgess fronts a new Manchester festival that allows bands to keep all their merch profits
- MusicRadar deals of the week: Bag yourself £300 off a premium Taylor acoustic, £270 off the Fender American Pro II Strat, $100 off the Line 6 HX Stomp, and so much more
- “In terms of what it’s done to societies, it’s been a catastrophe. What it’s done to politics has been completely toxic”: Brian Eno on social media, plus his thoughts on AI
- “Throughout my career I’ve made a psychological point of veering away from anything too pentatonic. I’m not a blues player in the conventional sense - but this song called for a bluesy touch”: Steve Vai’s greatest song was released 30 years ago today
- March 20
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- "Whatever magic is in the Van Halen ear canals has been imparted here too": EVH SA-126 Special review
- “With locking tuners and hard-tail bridges, these are built to play hard”: Fender stealth-launches limited edition Player II Advanced – an HH Telecaster and HSS Strat with ebony fingerboards and loaded with Seymour Duncan pickups
- “The perfect environment for creating iconic drum sounds, which have scope to move beyond their original sonic remit”: GForce Software IconDrum review
- "This is about her son": Emotional scenes all round as country music’s past and present celebrate Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary
- “Part of reimagining old technology is stepping outside the boundaries of possibility”: Catalinbread’s new stompbox tribute to the EMT 140 runs two emulations of the classic plate reverb and runs them in “modulated tandem”
- “I could write songs as bad as Wham’s if I really felt the urge to, but what’s the point?”: Dreams, red wine and the desire to explode - Robert Smith’s songwriting approach in his own words
- “American Idol - just the worst. Take risks. Go and play in a pub”: Elton John has a blueprint for musicians who want to establish themselves and have a long career - and it doesn’t involve TV talent shows
- "I love that sound - it's the reason I bought a Polymoog": UJAM's Vox Humana faithfully captures the classic Polymoog preset from Gary Numan's Cars
- “The deepest-ever dive into the Metallica star’s eclectic guitar collection”: Kirk Hammett and Gibson Publishing team up for epic coffee-table book
- “This religious freak came on stage with a dagger to stab me. Very disturbing to say the least!”: Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi recalls the most dangerous gig of his life
- "It was the first synth that made dreaming big accessible to a schlub like me": Geddy Lee teams up with Moog for special edition satin red Minimoog Model D with "hot-rodded" VCA circuit
- “They didn’t like Prince’s bikini underwear”: Prince’s support sets for the The Rolling Stones in 1981 are remembered as disastrous, but guitarist Dez Dickerson says that the the crowd reaction wasn’t as bad as people think
- “A perfect example of a Strat in a transition year”: Fender expands American Vintage II series with fresh finishes, a ’51 Tele with a prototype paint job and a super classy reproduction of a 1965 Stratocaster
- Watch alt-rock’s two iconic Kims' "first time performing together, anywhere"
- “There’s nights where I think, ‘If we don’t get to Paradise City soon I’m going to pass out!’”: How drummer Frank Ferrer powered Guns N’ Roses for 19 years
- “We will handle the matter in a courtroom": Ex-Eminem engineer could face 15 years in jail
- UVI releases SonicBundle: the ultimate music production toolkit, at an unbelievable discount
- March 19
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- "This bass has got a bit of a Goldilocks vibe going on": Cort Artisan Space 4 review
- “I quickly realised that the order of Eddie’s embellishments is really important to the fans”: Joe Satriani says which Van Halen songs were the trickiest to play on tour with Sammy Hagar
- “A reasonably versatile set but these cymbals excel in a rock and metal context”: Zultan Z Series cymbals review
- How not to crowd surf: Watch The Dare fail to read the room, take a leap of faith, and wind up the worse for wear
- “I'm really proud of that, because I literally invented that chord”: George Harrison’s songwriting brilliance deconstructed in his own words
- "An exponential upgrade; not only does it double down on what made the original impressive, but it adds copious new capabilities": Elektron Digitone II review
- "Before we even get to the studio, we can sketch out melodies and hooks": Splice brings recording functionality to its AI-powered, sample-stacking mobile app
- “I hate the sound of Auto-Tune when it just turns a voice into every other voice”: Brian Eno on his love-hate relationship with the popular pitch correction plugin
- Did an LA charity auction just reveal Radiohead's next world tour?
- "I could have the beginnings of a Queen song right there in front of me now": Brian May says that he and Roger Taylor are "constantly writing"
- Alesis’ popular Crimson e-kit just got an upgrade with version III sporting new heads and a new BFD-powered drum brain
- March 18
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- “While it might not be the vintage D-28 of your dreams, this is a Martin you can be proud of”: Martin X Series Remastered D-X2E Brazilian review
- “These guitars are going to turn some heads. The natural designs in the wood create ‘aesthetic arrest’ from the first look”: PRS launches limited edition SE Exotic Veneer range of electric guitars – and updates SE Swamp Ash with 5-way switching
- "And the winners are": Queen, Herbie Hancock and Barbara Hannigan just won 1 million krona each in 2025's Polar Music Prize
- “Hendrix was incredibly sexually magnetic on stage. He had a body like a snake”: Lemmy’s funny stories about Jimi, Ozzy, Little Richard and the crazy world of Motörhead
- “The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely”: Semisonic protest at Trump’s unauthorised use of their late '90s hit Closing Time
- “It features augmented functionality when compared to past models, yet still in a minimalist and easy-to-use package”: Mooer Audio packs an abundance of features into its small but touch-screen equipped Prime Minimax M2 Intelligent Pedal
- “I saw something coming at me and was about to catch it, then it blew up about six feet in front of me. I went up in the air. I was totally out, unconscious on my back”: Steve Vai recalls his on-stage calamities with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake
- “Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds”: Universal Music hits back in Drake defamation case
- Roland’s new GO:PIANO 88 has more sounds and a sleeker look than its predecessor - just don’t mention the reduced polyphony and battery life
- Max Richter takes the timpani to outer space with Valley Forge, a sci-fi-inspired virtual instrument developed in partnership with Song Athletics
- “It showcases a straightforward single-channel layout ideal for both clean tones and mild breakup tones”: Revv Amplification and Joey Landreth join forces for a signature take on the D25 tube combo with onboard virtual cabs/IRs
- “That’s how I know that I’ve written a good song for myself - when I start crying”: How Adele's songwriting cleverly grabs our emotions
- "So excited for this one night only event, back where it all began, in my hometown!”: REO Speedwagon reunite - six months after their supposed ‘final’ shows - but there's a catch
- “Sets a new standard and dynamic and expressive drive pedals”: Xotic’s AC Booster v2 is a feature-packed but compact overdrive that promises amp-like touch sensitivity and dynamics
- “It was wonderful to hear that Paul McCartney loved my song”: How one man’s quest for musical perfection and the meaning of life resulted in a huge hit that Macca called the best song of 1979
- Serum 2 just dropped: one of the greatest soft synths of all time gets a massive update - and it's completely free for existing users
- “It embodies the spirit, vision, and talent that has driven Margo to stardom and continues the nature-themed model tradition of Gibson”: Country star Margo Price and the Gibson Custom Shop team up for stunning double-guard J-45 acoustic
- "We thought we’d go really big from the very beginning": Dua Lipa covers AC/DC as she kicks off her Radical Optimism tour in Australia
- “I’ve got a new song coming in a couple weeks that no one’s heard. This will be the first time it’s ever been played live”: Ed Sheeran gives the people of New Orleans the exclusive on a new track as he "films a bit of content"
- "Unable to pay her full tax liability": Little Simz is getting legal to the tune of £1.7 million to recover cash from her former producer, Inflo
- March 17
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- “That song is overplayed now": Blur's Graham Coxon has had enough of Parklife
- “It was just the C shape, moved up, and it’s literally just that - that’s the whole song”: How Lola Young took two acoustic guitar chords and turned them into Messy, her worldwide hit (with a little help from some classic Yamaha, Korg and Roland synths)
- “If you hated Tool fans, this is what you would do...”: Tool fans fire up a class-action lawsuit after the band played some songs twice
- "I was literally on fire for 4 ½ songs, all the power cables melted, and the show was a bust!”: Journey forced to stop believin' as drum riser fire cuts short their gig in the middle of their biggest hit
- "90% of what I do is done on one software synth": Hans Zimmer on the synth plugin that he's been working with "for years" - and still hasn't run out of ideas
- “I thought he was fantastic. I really loved the whole film”: Cate Blanchett heaps praise on Timothee Chalamet’s portrayal of Bob Dylan, having previously played him herself
- “My management and agent have always tried to cover my back on the road”: Neil Young just axed premium gig tickets following advice from The Cure’s Robert Smith
- “It was that fusion of funk and rock. It gave birth to Michael Jackson doing his incredible stuff!”: Brian May on a killer Queen song that blew away the King of Pop - and Kirk Hammett!
- "Ableton is great for making tracks, Pro Tools is great for mixing. For me, Logic is great when you do both": Emma-Jean Thackray on the making of new album Weirdo
- "There is a huge misunderstanding. I will NOT EVER play a guitar note on a VH song ever!": Steve Lukather sets the record straight on his role on the ‘new’ Van Halen album
- “There are no rules”: The Guthman Competition highlights the world’s most innovative musical instruments. This year’s winners are like nothing you’ve heard before
- "We found this VHS tape...”: Radiohead release a ‘new’ video of Thom Yorke performing classic tracks to mark 30 years of The Bends
- “It will excite anyone who loves a story of an underdog beating the odds to become and remain one of Britain’s biggest musical exports”: New Iron Maiden doc is on the way
- “I have been in the process of trying to sell the company. It’s a difficult time”: Trump’s tariffs could be about to decimate the gear industry
- March 16
- March 15
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- “There's only one person on Earth who could turn a highly conceptual, fiercely political, free-form jazz-rap fusion record into a global hit”: Making Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly
- “Money should never be the reason that good art is not made”: This classic interview with The Crystal Method explores talent vs tech, plus an enduring love for Radiohead and Bill Withers
- Selected Ambient Shirts: Aphex Twin just dropped a 191-track playlist for sportswear brand Supreme (and there’s a rare Aphex treat buried in there too)
- “I’d be running from the studio to other speakers in the house, basically going insane trying to get mixes to sound correct”: Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on why he created his Aquarii Studios and his dub-influenced mixing technique
- “People say to Pete Townshend, ‘Why do you jump about on stage?’ He doesn’t know. And it’s the same for me”: The Iron Maiden guitarist who plays every gig as if it’s the last
- March 14
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- “Not that I was restricted in any way with Rush. I’m very proud of what we did. But this is a whole different kind of experience”: Alex Lifeson on disguised guitars, soloing strategies and finding fresh sounds and freedom with Envy Of None
- “A vast tonal palette from gnarly, aggressive distortion to smooth, creamy overdrive. ”: Crazy Tube Circuits cooks up a crazy tube circuit for real – meet Venus, an overdrive pedal with an “oddball” ECC832 inside
- Behringer synth prices just rose by up to 70% in the US - are Trump tariffs to blame?
- Radiohead’s five members just minted a new limited liability partnership, sparking rumours that they're about to break cover with a new album
- “I really just did it for fun. I’m not switching genres or anything”: As she releases her new country song, The Giver, Chappell Roan names the Lady Gaga song that turned her on to pure pop
- These don't go to 11: New teaser trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues reveals that the band's amp volume levels now go even louder
- “You can’t really say to Yoko Ono, ‘Sorry, I forgot to press record’, can you?”: Our forgotten interview with big-beat legends Basement Jaxx reveals the oddness of working with John Lennon’s widow - and a love for Atari
- “To call this simply a ‘gated fuzz pedal with an echo feature’ would be an injustice to its essence!”: Benson Amps teams up with Jessica Dobson for the awesome and unorthodox Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo
- “A game-changer for musicians seeking complete freedom on stage or in the studio”: Pedalboard power to go? Harley Benton’s new PowerPlant PowerBanks are take-anywhere power bricks with an onboard battery
- “A fitting tribute to an artist who would have celebrated his 85th birthday”: John Lennon to be honoured with a commemorative coin
- “One time when I fell into the drums, I really tried to own the moment!”: The rock band whose fans “cherish” every onstage disaster
- "If you had said when I was in En Vogue that ‘you’ll be living in your car one day’, I’d be like ‘no, I’m always going to have an apartment": But former En Vogue singer Dawn Robinson is living in her car - out of choice
- March 13
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- “The look of a road warrior that has many more glorious miles ahead of it”: Charvel’s new limited edition Super-Stock So-Cal Style 1 is a box-fresh hotrodded S-style that looks like it’s got some serious city miles on it
- Has Behringer gone too far with the 676, its clone of the Universal Audio 6176?
- “I didn’t have to learn every rhythm and tempo to be at the standard of a studio musician. I learnt what I had to learn and I think I did pretty well": The Monkees' drummer Micky Dolenz says he had the musical chops that his role required
- “An ideal tool for capturing ideas on the move”: Zoom R4 MultiTrak review
- “Everything’s gonna figure out”: The first track on Haim’s new album includes an as yet uncleared George Michael sample and was inspired by Beyoncé
- It might be called Hate, but Dawesome's new wavetable distortion plugin actually looks rather loveable
- Live Forever: The writer, producer and director of Peaky Blinders is masterminding a movie of the Oasis reunion tour
- “Customise your live rig with real-time precision”: IK Multimedia has just made its digital amp modelling ecosystem easier to manage with the Tonex Editor
- “I fell in love with an independent creative genius. I started waking up”: The trailer for One To One: John & Yoko documentary has been released
- “One of my favourite forgotten Gibson designs of all time”: The cult-classic RD Custom is officially back (in black)
- “A stage-ready guitar with contemporary updates to power your performance ”: Fender unveils limited edition Player II Series refresh, with the Strat, Tele, Precision and Jazz Basses refinished in dazzling Sparkle 3-Color Sunburst
- “The track blew up… I didn’t get much at all”: Unearthed Junkie XL interview digs into the troubles behind his hit remix of Elvis’s A Little Less Conversation
- “I was a freakin’ rebel. I was determined to make The Bangles the rock band that we started out as. And I knew that to do something so blatantly pop … there was a resistance": Guitarist in huge ‘80s band says she had reservations about their biggest hit
- “I never would have approached anything associated with suicide for a song, but after I heard about Chris Cornell’s passing I wrote that lyric”: Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X digs deep on his new album
- “What is this garbage?”: 25 years on, Nick Cave has made his peace with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and reveals what happened when Flea came face to face with a bear…
- “There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can”: Alex Van Halen says he is working with Steve Lukather to complete a new Van Halen album
- “Playing the parts of one of my favorite guitarists ever is no easy task, but it was a joy”: YouTuber Ben Eller thanks fans and his Mastodon bandmates after stepping in to replace the departed Brent Hinds at the last minute
- “It didn't take more than a few minutes before we started getting emails from all kinds of drummers”: Rush’s Alex Lifeson reveals the rush to replace Neil Peart
- “He noticed that the studio had a marimba sitting in the corner, and the rest is history”: A music professor breaks down the theory behind ABBA's Mamma Mia
- “It's our passion to bring songwriting back to the historic heart of the West End”: An all-new, star-studded writer’s retreat is aiming help make history in London’s iconic Denmark Street
- “We haven’t forgotten the situation of folks affected by Helene. You are the comfortable rocking chair of America’s musical front porch”: US radio host organises free instrument giveaway to communities hit by Hurricane Helene
- March 12
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- “A wide-ranging and very useful, yet quirky module”: Bastl Instruments Neo Trinity review
- “My cookbook will be called 'Drumming Up An Appetite With Vinnie Paul'. How clever is that?”: 15 years in the making, the dearly departed Pantera drummer’s cookbook is finally ready to rock
- “Sonically we approached the songs with instruments that were broken, not mic-ed right, or out of tune”: How Trent Reznor created the Nine Inch Nails masterpiece The Fragile
- “Karl left because they spent millions on these machines but never played one note. They were caught by the technology and it overtook them”: Our lost interview with Kraftwerk’s Wolfgang Flür gives rare insight into the band's internal conflicts
- “I think I brought a musicality that Tom wasn’t capable of”: Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell opens up on his productive but sometimes fractious relationship with bandmate Tom Petty
- “Coldplay come on stage to that piece - who’s not going to like it when 20,000 people get up to your song?”: Our re-discovered classic interview with Jon Hopkins catches him on the verge of his most successful decade
- “Dime’s original riffs and ideas… that would be cool”: Zakk Wylde says the current Pantera line-up may record new music from Dimebag’s old demos
- “He was not a great guitarist, he was not a great singer. He kind of stumbled all over the stage”: Early Bob Dylan promoter and confidante Terri Thal talks Dylan’s classic Gaslight Café demo as it comes up for auction
- “It’s insane. He had two broken fingers on Friday’s show - and he played the gig”: Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody praises “unbelievable” guitarist and keyboard player Johnny McDaid after he “wrecked” both his hands but never missed a show
- Ableton Live 12.2 overhauls the device I use on pretty much every track – and rectifies Push 3’s most notable missing feature
- “Tell me who your source pots are that keep giving you info about Oasis”: The 'confirmed' 2025 reunion line-up is out there and Liam Gallagher wants to know how it got leaked
- “Adopting the rule urged would turn the entire music industry on its ear”: A judge just decided that Miley Cyrus's Flowers will have to face a Bruno Mars song copyright claim
- "Thanks to streaming, more artists than ever before are generating royalties at every career stage, more than at any time in music history": Spotify is bigger and paying out more than ever with $10 billion heading to rights holders' pockets
- March 11
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- “A truly modern take on the high-powered super amp, full of clever design decisions and boasting features which open it up to all sorts of uses”: Blackstar St James 100 212 review
- "The bass drum is a total bad-ass, while the potential for Aphex-style bleeps and mayhem is available": Cherry Audio KR-55C Software Drum Machine review
- “It made me feel bad that I didn’t put it on the album”: From Pavement to Donna Summer, here are six more B-sides that became huge hits against the odds
- "I thought I had just broken my wrist”: Rick Springfield reveals he has brain damage from fall 25 years ago
- “This is what I learned to play during the pandemic for almost two years”: Amanda Seyfried just showed off her new-found dulcimer skills and proved that she’d be the perfect fit for Cameron Crowe’s Joni Mitchell biopic
- SampleRadar: 273 free funk keys samples
- “Being mostly a humbucker guy, I’m really loving the hum-free P-90s”: Warren Haynes’ signature Gibson Les Paul Standard is here and it’s a plain-topped '60s Cherry beauty with an onboard boost
- Cherry Audio steps out with an emulation of '80s Korg drum machine used by Joe Jackson and Depeche Mode
- Arturia releases 88-key version of the KeyLab mk3 MIDI controller keyboard with new fully-weighted hammer-action keybed
- “It’s a pretty heavy lyric. I said, ‘Are we sure we can write a song about death?’”: How Mike + The Mechanics channelled grief to create a classic ’80s No.1
- "Have time apart, learn new skills, get new musical ideas and experiences… it’s been a healthy break”: The xx reveal their return to the studio in new social snap
- “I understand that this next chapter may leave you feeling uneasy”: What could Drake mean by his cryptic Instagram post?
- “It’s not really a sore point. It’s just such a stupid point”: Here's why Hans Zimmer’s Dune 2 soundtrack didn’t get an Oscar nomination
- “I played lots of rhythm guitar on it, and Freddie said, ‘No, no, no, no - it’s a piano song!’”: How Brian May had to fight to get himself heard on a Queen classic
- “I was told I can’t do a women’s tour because nobody will go see it. ‘Women don’t sell like men sell.’ Then I toured with Cher and we played for a million people”: Cyndi Lauper announces final dates on farewell tour
- “Gene Simmons is very down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable on almost any subject:” The Kiss legend wants you to be his assistant… but there’s a catch
- March 10
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- “Brian May was a huge inspiration for this project”: Teenager constructs electric guitar from scrap wood
- “D’Wayne’s life was incomparable, and his music and service impacted millions around the world”: Tony! Toni! Toné! guitarist and singer D’Wayne Wiggins has died, aged 64
- “The idea was to make an album heavier than anything that had ever been heard before”: Tony Iommi recalls the making of Black Sabbath’s legendary debut
- How a lone Bee Gee became the first person to use a drum machine on a pop hit
- "If you hated Tool fans, this is what you would do": Tool booed by their own fans at their own festival
- “I could play the same parts that Edward played - but it never sounded like him”: Steve Vai reveals his favourite Van Halen song to play
- "The Stream Light feature is nothing short of revolutionary - a learning tool that once felt like science fiction": Yamaha CSP-255 digital piano review
- “Can you learn 17 Mastodon songs immediately? Please give some love, stage right, say hello to Mr Ben Eller”: YouTuber makes Mastodon live debut following Brent Hinds’ shock exit – but what’s next for the prog-metal behemoths?
- “Freddie Mercury got me in a half-nelson. I couldn’t move!”: A rock legend’s backstage antics at Live Aid - and his beef with a fellow star
- "It's been in the real world and put back into the computer... that's the magical ingredient": Tired of lifeless synth plugins? Try this Aphex Twin-inspired sample instrument based on re-amped hardware synth recordings
- “Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end. They live in memory and in song”: Dolly Parton’s new song is a tribute to her late husband
- “The first full length album I ever listened to was The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill”: Doechii describes joining Lauryn Hill on stage in Miami as “the greatest honor hip-hop could give me”
- “I remember him dancing to Girls, Girls, Girls by Mötley Crüe when we were at soft play": 11-year-old guitarist plays AC/DC, Van Halen and Queen to wow the judges on Britain's Got Talent
- Sony Music says it has removed over 75,000 deepfake tracks from streaming platforms, which include voice models of Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Queen
- “It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day and I just got this phrase in my head: 'Everybody loves the sunshine'”: A music professor breaks down the theory behind Roy Ayers' most iconic song
- “I didn’t care about the guitar. I wanted to be a drummer my whole life. That was all I cared about”: Jack White tells Oxford Union he didn’t care about the guitar but needed to play it to achieve "validity"
- Calvin Harris goes country for his first step back behind the mic in a decade
- March 9
- March 8
- March 7
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- “I really like that you can sweep pick on this thing, so it gets you the nylon-string sound without the physical limitations”: Tosin Abasi issues update on Abasi Concepts' much-anticipated hybrid nylon-string
- “I used to play it in my apartment like a million times”: Lady Gaga says that the "electro-grunge" song on her new album, Mayhem, is inspired by a '90s track by The Cure
- "There was absolutely nothing you could do to that record to stop it. It was an unstoppable force. Even I couldn’t mess that record up”: Edwyn Collins ponders his career, Orange Juice's break-ups and today's popstars being too nice
- “You’re the boss of the tone because you’re the one playing it, and you’re the one hitting the note”: Steve Vai has some advice for players who are unhappy with their tone
- “It will get on with the job, with or without your involvement”: Waves Curves Equator review
- "No two beats will ever be the same": Audiomodern's Playbeat 4 is an AI-powered infinite groove generator
- “I can’t remember the juicy bits and the other juicy bits I can’t have published while my children and my parents are still alive”: Fatboy Slim teases new coffee table book that isn’t an autobiography
- “The Edge is multiple echoes and jangling guitars… I’m not convinced… I don’t want to burst the Edge’s bubble”: Midge Ure talks The Edge missing Band Aid and his Thin Lizzy baptism of fire
- It's your last chance to save an extra £10 when you spend over £100 in the massive Flash Sale at PMT with this exclusive deal for MusicRadar readers
- “The Magical Mystery Tour and the White Album, this guy is the perfect tool to recreate those tones”: Aclam unveils Go Rocky Go, a Vox Conqueror in a pedal for nailing late '60s Beatles tones
- “The music industry is a profoundly dangerous place”: New report reveals the shockingly high suicide level within the music industry
- “Coldplay bashing has got to stop. There are so many amazing Coldplay songs. And Chris Martin is clearly a melodic genius”: James Blake says that "it’s not cool anymore to just be like ‘Coldplay’s not cool’"
- “Brian’s vision of a music revolution had been absolutely spot on”: Punk icon Brian James, founder and former guitarist of the Damned, dies aged 70
- "Throughout my life, music has meant a great deal to me": King Charles' playlist of 'songs that have brought him joy' features Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones
- "When he put on that helmet, he didn’t just create a brand – he sparked a movement": deadmau5 just cashed out, selling his entire back catalogue for $55 million
- March 6
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- “Chiropractors and doctors were like, ‘How long did you play college football?’ I’d go, ‘It wasn’t college football. It was Trent Reznor’”: Richard Patrick says Nine Inch Nails’ 1991 Lollapalooza run broke his body – and trashed $40,000 of guitars
- “A clear winner on portability and ease of use, and offers fantastic value”: Zoom H1 Essential review
- “Even using the word ‘end’, I thought, Oh, my God, no one has ever talked about that!”: Guitarist Phil X discusses the future of Bon Jovi
- Apple announces new MacBook Pro, iPad Air and iPad models (oh, and “the most powerful Mac ever made”)
- “Hutchins make boutique and retro guitars, often creating instruments that, by Gary’s own admission, ‘should never have been made’”: How many necks are too many necks? Hutchins’ epic five and six-necked electric guitars go up for auction
- "This console is where multi-track recording was born": The Les Paul Recording Studio opens with "meticulously restored" equipment used by the inventor and guitarist
- “I've got no hard feelings towards John”: Sex Pistol Steve Jones is open to a truce with John Lydon
- “We always thought it had something”: From Green Day to U2, here are 6 B-sides that became massive hits
- Neil Young’s set clash with Charli XCX might be the big Glastonbury 2025 talking point, but it could be another Saturday night headliner who gives fans a scheduling headache
- “Strips away all the excess to reveal a pure rock machine”: Harley Benton rolls out the ST-Modern HH – a beginner-friendly dual-humbucker S-style with Tom DeLonge vibes and a sub-$200 price tag
- “We should use the tools of today’s society to create music – otherwise it is just antique”: How Kraftwerk’s The Model set the prototype for modern pop
- Get 3 months of access to 55 Universal Audio plugins for (almost) nothing with this unmissable Spark deal
- “Probably one of the most misunderstood bands in the history of rock ‘n’ roll”: Who could Billy Corgan be talking about?
- “What would be totally ridiculous and would grab everyone’s interest? I said, ‘I’m going to make my guitar talk!’”: When Steve Vai was in direct competition with Eddie Van Halen
- “A package that’s simply perfect for songwriting and rehearsing”: Gibson gives three of its most-iconic acoustic guitars a Special makeover
- “Headlining Glasto has been one of my biggest dreams for so long. Truly can’t believe this!": Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young and the 1975 confirmed as Glastonbury headliners
- Psst - do you want to learn the essential theory shortcuts that rock and pop musicians actually need? These two books will give you the knowledge you’ve been missing
- 2026’s USA-hosted World Cup final will have a Super Bowl-style half-time show… and Coldplay’s Chris Martin is in charge
- March 5
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- “An attractive and highly usable on-stage companion for anyone looking to get out there and play”: Cort GA-DAO electro-acoustic guitar review
- “Everything about who you believe he is is in this movie. You get to bathe in his genius, and yet you also have to confront his humanity”: The director of Netflix’s cancelled Prince documentary speaks out
- Is it time to ditch your chilled-out, 'deep focus' playlists? If you want to get down to work, you might need something 'groovier', suggests new research
- “These lot aren’t ready”: Is this music's hottest hook-up? Has Damon Albarn got Noel Gallagher and Paul McCartney in the studio on a new Gorillaz collab?
- “If we sit around and complain about things, you're really missing the point": AI finds champions in strange places as Slayer’s Dave Lombardo reckons we've never had it so good
- "David was loving, cantankerous, giving, supportive, sullen, wise, difficult, well-read, and really funny”: Ex-New York Dolls bassist pays tribute to the late David Johansen
- “Mid-sized cities as potential locations”: The Las Vegas Sphere was just the beginning… Are we about to see a new global wave of mini Spheres?
- Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Newfangled Audio Pendulate Chaotic Synth
- "It's a dream combination": Chompi Club, maker of the viral Chompi sampler, teams up with Chase Bliss
- “Um, I’ve been wanting to hook up with you maybe on some tracks? I turned my turntables into a wah-wah pedal…” How Mix Master Mike’s answerphone audition grabbed him the The Beastie Boys gig and kicked off one of their best tracks
- “We had a song called Heat-Crazed Vole. You know, like a rat. It was pretty awful!”: Iron Maiden legend Steve Harris recalls his early days of pub gigs, boogie riffs and songs about rodents
- “Brain cells holding hands at this age is a challenge. But it’s a lot easier now that I’m sober”: Stephen Stills has been on the wagon for three years
- March 4
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- "This festival is not going to happen. There are red flags all over the place”: Bad news for Fyre Festival 2 ticket holders – Mexico’s tourist board reckon that the event “does not exist”
- “I wanted to create something that could be stacked with other pedals or played on its own, something that wasn’t just another clone”: Wampler Pedals promises classic fuzz sounds and glitchy madness too from the all-original Cryptid Fuzz
- Rock singer’s fiancée reported dead after falling overboard on ’80s cruise
- “I’m going to guess that you have heard this pedal”: EarthQuaker Devices and LCD Soundsystem join forces for a “one-of-a-kind” pedal based on James Murphy's vintage fuzz
- “London - Flat Iron Square at 7pm. Byeee!”: Mumford And Sons announce intimate London gig tonight
- “When we brought it back, we wanted to do it in a way that we’ve never done before – at least not since 1965”: Gibson resurrects a vintage unicorn with the return of the Firebird Platypus
- “That was legitimately the coolest thing that ever happened to me”: The odd tale of the Mars Volta gifting a CD-R of their upcoming, unreleased album to a fan
- “The big lesson... don't be afraid to be simple and awesome... Who cares if it has four or 40,000 notes in it?”: Tom Morello pays his respects to Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads and more in advance of this summer’s big Black Sabbath supergig
- "It's kind of scary singing it in front of the person who wrote it and sang it": Chappell Roan sings Your Song and duets with Elton John on Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me and Pink Pony Club
- “He sang one of our songs With A Little Help From My Friends, a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative”: Paul McCartney lobbies for the inclusion of "a great man and a fine singer" in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame
- “His original designs set a benchmark for tone, craftsmanship, and reliability”: Bad Cat's legendary boutique amp designer Mark Sampson has died
- “The verse and chorus of that song are exactly the same. But, you don’t really notice since the energy of the chorus is completely different”: Cracking open Max Martin’s über-succesful songwriting formula
- “A great little box that would pair nicely with any of the current crop of mini-sized drum machines and synth modules”: Bastl Kastle 2 FX Wizard review
- “This is not regulation; it is a free pass for AI to exploit creativity without consequence”: Jimmy Page slams UK Government’s policy proposals for artificial intelligence
- “The nerves got to me... hit some flats”: Doja Cat reflects on her James Bond Oscars performance alongside Raye and Lisa
- “The thing I remember most was all the musicians when I came up with the little guitar lick, saying: 'Damn, that’s so good. That’s the coolest little lick’”: How Dolly Parton created a country classic later covered by The White Stripes, Beyoncé and more
- "Don't take my man": Dolly Parton’s husband-stealing, walk-out classic Jolene was inspired by her recently departed partner
- Watch: Van Halen as you've never seen them before! Amazing live and backstage footage leaked online
- “I'm the Terminator of the Oscars... I’m coming back. You can’t get rid of me”: Songwriter Diane Warren just DIDN’T win Best Original Song Oscar for a record-equalling 16th time
- "Motorhead are the hardest, loudest band in the world – why wouldn't you make those your heroes?”: An 8ft bronze of Lemmy from Motorhead is about to tower over Stoke-on-Trent
- Stressed? In a panic? Need ambient music in a hurry? Apple’s iOS 18.4 has got an app for that
- “I get up on the floor and have a bit of a twirl round, and I love it”: Meet Hilda Jackson – the 105 year old raver
- Perfect for pancake day – grab a free PanCake auto-panning plugin courtesy of Cableguys
- “There’s a tape delay on one song - Van Halen used it on Eruption”: The weird old gear inside the new album by Coheed And Cambria
- TESSAN x Rachael Yamagata: Embracing Connection Through Music and Travel
- "It’s like beautiful melancholy... there’s sadness, but there’s also surface-level joy throughout”: Odesza share mix ‘inspired’ by TV series Severance
- March 3
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- “A wide variety of tones and high-power output for assembling a fly rig with no performance compromises”: Orange Dual Baby 100 and Gain Baby 100 review
- “I play the guitar, but I’m not trained as a musician. So the chords I write with aren’t the most technical”: Beabadoobee says that her unorthodox method of guitar playing has an impact on her songwriting
- Everybody needs a 303, and Roland is giving away its software version free for ‘303 Day’ – but be quick, there are only 3,030 copies up for grabs
- “Thank you, Joey... for keeping the band's music alive for so long and for being a friend to us all”: Badfinger guitarist Molland dies aged 77
- “Last season’s theme song was so beloved that now people are like, ‘What happened to my favourite stuffed animal? You guys changed it’”: The music supervisor on The White Lotus reckons that viewers will “adjust” to the new main title theme
- Keep On Rockin’ In The Free World: Neil Young to play free concert in Ukraine
- "When we talk about Black excellence, we’re talking about Quincy”: Tributes paid to Quincy Jones at last night’s Oscars
- "If you close your eyes, you'd almost forget you're playing a digital piano": Yamaha Arius YDP-165 digital piano review
- “We hear you, and I swear we’re working on it”: SoundCloud responds to online criticism that its compression algorithm is ‘destroying transients’
- “A real collaborative relationship - and it’s based on maturity”: Daryl Hall says that his creative partnership with Dave Stewart is “more meaningful” than the one he had with John Oates
- “I threw a party for John Lennon one night, and he sat there at the Moog for four hours making flying saucer sounds”: They set the boyband template, but also introduced the world to the synth
- March 2
- March 1
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- “They were trashy. They seemed genuine”: New York Dolls singer David Johansen dead at 75
- “For the life of me I can’t think why we ended up taking our clothes off, but that’s how we recorded the track - prancing around naked!” Guitarist Tony Iommi recalls the madness of Black Sabbath
- “Glitter Gel Pen lyrics are the drunk girl at the party who tells you that you look like an Angel in the bathroom”: How Taylor Swift’s songwriting skilfully makes the personal universal
- The Brit Award results are in… already. Yup, AI just predicted all of 2025’s winners and losers