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January 2026

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225 articles

January 31
- “Adam was like, ‘Well, Zakk, for the solo, you should get the Grail and play it on this thing, man”: Why Zakk Wylde brought his “Grail” Les Paul Custom out of retirement for Ozzy Osbourne tribute song
- "I wrote this song while lying, listening to the telephone in my apartment... but she never called”: The story of the heart-breaking ballad that’s become – finally – Jeff Buckley’s first Billboard chart hit
- “I haven’t written anything on the new album. I started to write ‘very heavy metal’ things, but I ended up writing for bagpipes, folk things like Jethro Tull. Oh well – bang go my royalties!”: When Bruce Dickinson was Iron Maiden’s odd man out
- “An impressive percussion machine with raw analogue weight and manual control”: Erica Synths x Hexinverter Hexdrums review
January 30
- A dish best served cold: Lily Allen releases a version of her latest album as a novelty butt plug USB stick
- “Those of us in the studio were like, ‘No, that is not as cool.’ We found the idea of releasing that stripped-down, really raw version even braver”: The making of Zara Larsson's 2015 hit, Lush Life, and the original version you might never have heard
- “A beautifully-designed headphone with impressive sonics”: Focal Lensys Professional review
- “Since day one, we have stood with the artist community against piracy”: Spotify and the three major labels sue Anna’s Archive for $13.4 trillion over illegal scraping
- “We don’t think that the future of music involves the labels anymore”: Napster is back – with a new AI app
- “The reaction was overwhelming. We didn’t think it was going to be a big hit, but people were loving it”: How a range of musicians revitalised their careers by shaking up their attitude to songwriting
- “He’s honestly a garage legend and it’s kinda surreal collaborating with someone whose legacy inspired bits of my early work”: PinkPantheress is so Sincere as she joins MJ Cole on a new version of a UK Garage classic
- “It’s a perfect song. Bonnie really conveys the drama. That voice brought Jim’s song to life”: How the writer of Bat Out Of Hell and a husky-voiced singer from Wales combined to create one of the greatest power ballads of all time
- “America is a dangerous place at the moment… Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment”: Brian May on why Queen won’t tour the US
January 29
- "I honestly don’t think I would keep going if he quit. I can’t imagine touring without him": Gary Numan on the man who makes his live shows tick, and why gigging is “still one of the most incredibly exciting and demanding things you can do”
- “We really have no business being in a band together. We’ve never all been on the same page, taste-wise”: Lindsey Buckingham on Fleetwood Mac’s weird dynamic
- “Philip might just call and go, ‘Guys, why don’t we get together, and we’ll do something… we’ll do a band.’ So yeah, you never know”: Zakk Wylde says it's possible that the Pantera tribute lineup could record music together
- “The Beatles might have made more music over a shorter period of time, but Kraftwerk has an ace up their sleeve”: Who has really been the most influential on the future of music, the Beatles or Kraftwerk?
- “It was something Ozzy was very passionate about. We really started metal festivals in this country”: Sharon Osbourne wants to bring back Ozzfest and has plans for a Black Sabbath orchestral tour
January 28
- The Discrete 8 Oryx Synergy Core from Antelope Audio could be just the upgrade your studio setup needs
- "I got really scared, like, 'Oh my God, what if she hated it? I thought she liked it’”: Zara Larsson was worried that her hit remix version of Stateside alongside PinkPantheress was being sidelined in favour of Kylie Minogue’s
- “Experienced producers might feel uneasy about the focus being put so heavily on AI and the Session Players, but it’s still an instant recommendation”: Apple Logic Pro for Mac 12 and Logic Pro for iPad 3 review
- “Symphony No 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the symphony”: Philip Glass pulls premiere at the new Trump-approved Kennedy Center
- "Calling a tour Together, Together when it's unaffordable for 99 percent of people is crazy”: Fans call out Harry Styles for ‘insane’ ticket prices, but how do they compare to other A-List outings?
- After years of covering the NAMM cycle I've never seen flagship gear hit the shelves so quickly - here are 6 of the hottest NAMM 26 releases you can pick up right now
January 27
- “I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwarranted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government”: Neil Young gives the people of Greenland the gift of musicians
- “Ask any of the people who have played with him… he’s incredibly talented, but very mysterious”: Dave Mustaine admits he nearly passed on Marty Friedman for Megadeth because he didn’t like his hair
- “Avril and I thought, ‘Let’s just make up the most stupid opening line for a song’”: How Avril Lavigne channeled her punk rock influences and her personal life into the monster hit she describes as “a super special song to me”
- “The first step toward accessing critical mental health support”: Backline launches first mental health support line dedicated to musicians
- The best new guitar gear of NAMM 2026: More effects, more amps, more guitars and more tech than ever
- A Hetfield-esque white 80s Explorer with EMGs, long-tenon necks and rosewood fingerboards for all: Epiphone revamps core lineup with the Inspired By Gibson series
- Native Instruments is in preliminary insolvency
- “More than ever, fans are also showing that they want to be out, in person with mates, being in the moment and not on a screen”: UK's Independent Venue Week 2026 kicks off with over 700 gigs over the coming week
- “This has been a difficult decision for us, as we have greatly appreciated the enthusiasm and support from the guitar community across the United States”: Harley Benton is closing its US store on Reverb
- How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture: 5 essential production elements explained
- “True icon… one of the greatest drummers of all time”: The worlds of reggae, rock, soul and funk mourn the passing of Sly Dunbar
- “The sound of his guitar is everything rolled into one. It’s blues, it’s rock ’n’ roll, and it’s got that hard edge to it. It’s not clean – it’s nasty!”: Angus Young on the legendary guitarists that lit a fire in him
January 26
- “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change”: Kanye West gives full apology for his anti-semitic behaviour, blaming 'medical oversight'
- “I’ve got my headphones over the bat ears and I’m making electronic music on MPC with my vape, done up like Batman”: Robert Pattinson made “tons” of ambient music on the set of The Batman
- “Bass players are the glue – we’re the one that brings it all together”: Blink-182's Mark Hoppus names his three (or four) favourite bassists
- “Such wilful, fraudulent, and malicious conduct warrants the imposition of punitive damages”: Chad Hugo is suing his old NERD and Neptunes partner Pharrell Williams
- “We’ll be back here sooner than you think. And we might have a whole new record of fucking songs that we just finished the other day”: Dave Grohl seems to confirm new Foos album is on its way
- “It’s a story about a bloke who’s not sure whether he’s died and been reborn, or whether he’s just been dreaming. Kind of like a bad hangover!”: The Iron Maiden anthem inspired by near-death experiences
January 25
- “On the first album I avoided doing a lot of cutting on the tape. The problem is, I always change my mind with an arrangement, so there’s always gonna have to be a razor blade handy”: The perfectionist rock legend who has made just six albums in 50 years
- “The first three times I performed it in public, I burst into tears – because it brought back the intensity of the experience”: How Joni Mitchell wrote Woodstock – an era-defining song that spoke to a generation
- The best new music tech gear of NAMM 2026: Epic polys, acoustic synths, budget samplers, a Behringer Juno and much more
January 24
- “The studio bill came to £148.50. So with the £1.50 in change we all bought a celebratory bag of fish and chips”: Before superstardom and multi-million-selling albums, the young Def Leppard made their very first record on the cheap
- “That was a totally racist decision. We killed that song together. We were both deeply hurt”: So why did the original version of Robert Palmer’s Addicted To Love get junked?
January 23
- “Engineered for modern electric players seeking authentic nylon tine without the traditional limitations of classical instruments”: Abasi’s nylon 7-string opens for pre-orders
- 40 years after the SK-1, Casio is making waves with another fun-looking sampler - could it be another budget classic?
- "A brand new amp and speaker with AI vocal and instrument separation tech": JBL’s new BandBox makes it easier than ever to craft the perfect backing track
- "I love that you don’t have to be a Mayer mega-fan to enjoy what’s on offer here": Neural DSP Archetype: John Mayer X review
- “Expressive sound, immediate control, and rock-solid reliability”: Kurzweil’s performer-focused SP8 looks like a bomb-proof stage piano that’s also a powerful synth
- “Its sound kicks the ass of amps three times its size”: Slash’s latest Magnatone Lil’ Viper 8-watt combo can go toe-to-toe with the big boys
- “A deeper low-end presence within the StingRay lineup”: Sterling by Music Man launches its first ever baritone electric guitar
- “You think back over what you have done and you drink a bottle of red wine and get out all the old albums and listen to them until four o’clock in the morning”: Ex-Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz dies aged 71
- “If you can describe the effect, you can make your own”: Polyend Endless is a customisable stompbox with a text-to-effect generator
- “Our amplifier learns your cabinet’s impedance through controlled sweeps and continues to monitor it in real-time”: Synergy’s Power Amp Machine-Learning tech could be 'revolutionary'
- MusicRadar deals of the week: Score $600 off one of our favourite Casio pianos, $200 off top-tier Sennheiser studio headphones, and so much more
- “The truest conduit between the acoustic resonance of the guitar and its electric voice” says Chris Buck of the custom P90-style pickups in his new signature Yamaha Revstar
- Mapex targets comfort and speed with the Design Lab Swift belt-drive bass drum pedal
- DW expands DWe line-up with Roland module and cymbal-equipped bundles
January 22
- MXR's high-gain Eddie Van Halen collab headlines Jim Dunlop's fresh pedal drop – and there's an Iron Maiden Killers Cry Baby too
- “For those seeking acoustic power, projection and an enormous amount of volume": Faith unleashes a slew of updates and new models at NAMM
- “We are proud to support the invaluable work War Child do and hope the record will make a positive difference to the lives of children affected by war”: Arctic Monkeys contribute brand new track to HELP(2) album
- Seymour Duncan unveils MortalCoil active humbucker set, a multi-voiced pairing featuring the crushing new MC1 plus classic JB and Jazz humbucker voicings – will it dethrone Fishman as metal’s state-of-the-art pickup?
- "From professionals to advanced amateurs, EAD50 empowers every drummer to achieve their ideal sound": Yamaha confirms the EAD50, and it looks set to be your one-stop hybrid drum module
- “A seamless start-to-finish creative workflow”: LANDR announces new “ethical” AI music-making assistants for songwriting and production, but will using them leave you feeling empty inside?
- “We hashed it out. It was hard. It is like a marriage. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner”: Jack Black and Kyle Gass have repaired their friendship
- “Give the average guitar player the chance to own my live rig. My tone. The tone worth $100,000s”: Billy Corgan and Laney Amplification unveil the ultimate Smashing Pumpkins amp-in-a-box pedal
- “Everybody can play it... Just bring your own energy”: Fatoumata Diawara’s signature SG wears her Malian roots proudly on its horns
- Champagne Symphony Nova? Apogee’s latest audio interface is fizzing with ARM-based DSP and has built-in speaker correction, too
- “Uncompromising tone whenever inspiration strikes”: Blackstar unveils the Beam Mini – it’s portable, desktop-friendly, and as the first guitar amp to allow players to load Neural Amp Modeller captures, it's a game-changer too
- “I’m constantly surprised by how many punks I see on my Facebook thing that are pro-Trump. It’s a bit weird”: So who could Glen Matlock be talking about, we wonder…?
- "He's been scoring moments of our culture for decades, and that wisdom hits different when it meets the now”: Chuck D and John Densmore have made a concept album about ageing
- "Rethinking motion, balance, and response": Strandberg’s new Arc TILT tremolo has been designed from the ground up for a more natural, expressive and inspiring playing experience
- “It’s beyond analogue vs digital – it’s even beyond electronics”: Korg opens pre-orders for experimental Phase8 eight-voice "acoustic synthesizer"
January 21
- "Cutting rimshots and controlled overtones": PDP brings a "world-first" to the acrylic drum market with its latest Concept Acrylic Kit and Snare
- DW’s Limited Edition MFG True-Cast 14x4” snare brings a piccolo to its sand-cast, machined bell bronze range, but if you want one you’re going to need to be quick
- Taylor Swift to become youngest woman inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame
- “Our goal has been to define the standard for what an all-in-one digital rig can be”: Neural DSP’s game-changing Quad Cortex amp modeller just got a lot smaller – but it’s got the same sounds, the same power, and a 7” touchscreen too
- Roland’s Go:Mixer Studio could be the perfect portable mixer and audio/MIDI interface for your iOS devices, and you might be tempted to use it in your studio, too
- “At first I was like, 'Oh God, what is he gonna critique me on afterwards?' And actually he just kind of wanted to be there once I figured out that he wasn't sitting there to kind of judge me”: How Phil Collins guided his son Nic through his first big gig
- Don’t DAW us, get to the (virtual analogue) chorus: You can now buy Reason’s iconic Rack of virtual outboard as a standalone plugin
- “While tracking a very quiet vocal, I found myself double-checking to confirm the mic was even active. This level of noise performance is seriously impressive”: Shure shakes up its KSM condenser microphone line
- “This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities, it now needs permanent protection”: Annual Music Venue Trust report reveals sector is “fragile” and “one shock away from a crisis”
- I can go for that: Roland releases an official plugin version of the CR-78 drum machine
- “Whether tilting the neck to swell a delay, raising the body for a filter sweep, or leaning back to unleash distortion, it opens a new world of expressive, intuitive stage performance”: Is Casio’s Dimension Shift a game-changer for your pedalboard?
- “Lou sang his vocal to a girl that just walked into the studio. Everybody thought she was with our group and she wasn’t – but Lou fixated on her and the vocal was done in one take”: How Foreigner and super-producer Mutt Lange created a classic rock ballad
- “He had a massive impact on Australian culture. He was the engine driving one of the greatest live bands of all time”: Tributes paid to Midnight Oil founder Rob Hirst
January 20
- “I often say ‘keep the faucet running’ when it comes to songwriting – it’s so important to stay in a creative headspace to get to the really good stuff”: PRS and Ed Sheeran team up for SE Hollowbody Piezo Baritone featuring pop superstar’s own artwork
- “I wanted to fix every issue I’ve ever had dialling in metal tones on similar pedals or even the original”: Warm Audio has just made Ryan ‘Fluff’ Bruce its first ever signature pedal and he explains why, yes, the world needs another overdrive
- “A perfect choice for podcasters, streamers and music users”: AKG C-Series microphones review
- “Roger was a bit resentful of the fact that whenever Eric Clapton got up and played a solo, the place would erupt”: Old colleague of Pink Floyd spills the beans on his relationship with band members
- “Camaraderie, chaos, and resilience”: Trailer for new Take That Netflix documentary is online
- “A good combination of comfort and sonics in a lightweight design”: Rode NTH-50 review
- “A new benchmark for professional DJ performances”: Rane’s System One is a standalone DJ system with motorised platters aimed at scratch and open-format DJs
- “Represents the evolution of everything we've learned from decades of innovation in music production”: Akai’s MPC XL is its new flagship – watch our first look review
- “Simple design is its key: just the straight-up, high-voltage voice of a masterfully designed single-channel amp”: Orange Amps rolls out the OR60, a single-channel 60-watt tube powerhouse officially approved by Down/COC’s Pepper Keenan
- “A bad faith effort to distract from publishers’ and songwriters’ legitimate right to enforce against X’s illegal use of their songs”: Elon Musk is suing US music publishers association
- “I told Céline that if she recorded the Titanic song, it would ruin her career. I didn't like the song - I still don't. So I didn't produce it. I turned it down”: Music legend David Foster says that he passed on producing Céline Dion's biggest hit
- “We’re the Ozempic of the music industry – everybody is on it and nobody wants to talk about it”: Co-founder of Suno defends the use of AI in music
- “It gave us loads of publicity. The kids who did want to buy our records were like, ‘Oh cool! The religious right are burning their records! I better buy half a dozen!’”: The controversial Iron Maiden classic featured in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- “Heard on recordings by icons like Rory Gallagher, Brian May, and Marc Bolan, this pairing helped define the sound of rock’s formative years”: Vox unveils “re-engineered” treble booster with all the tone and none of the inconsistency of vintage units
- AlphaTheta’s DJM-V5 is a compact and more affordable take on its flagship V10 DJ mixer with advanced effects that “enable entirely new styles of performance”
January 19
- "I remember all the guys learning to play it and everybody thinking how cool a rhythm it was. I remember everybody in the studio just loving that song”: How Dolly Parton created a country classic later covered by The White Stripes, Beyoncé and more
- “Whether you’re chasing that famously haunting Wicked Game intro or carving out a completely new sound, it gives you inspiration from the moment you plug in”: Silvertone resurrects the cult guitar loved by Elvis Costello, Hubert Sumlin and Chris Isaak
- “It’s all anyone is talking about on the Strip”: Deal for Metallica Sphere residency is “90 per cent” there
- “Emotional and soul crushing”: Aphex Twin has more Youtube listeners than Taylor Swift and this is the reason why
- The Leviasynth rises! Hydrasynth’s successor is finally here. Has ASM created one of the decade's best synths?
- Squier unveils huge expansion of its Sonic Series, offering super-affordable, beginner and child-friendly versions of classic Fender electric guitars and basses
- Dubreq wants you to "sample the world" with the Stylophone Voice portable sampler
- "I see 8-year-olds playing Right Here Waiting on the piano and posting videos on TikTok. Are you kidding me? That song’s almost 40 years old. That’s a privilege": Richard Marx says he no longer cares about being labelled a balladeer rather than a rocker
- “All of these guys were behind the glass looking at me like, ‘You better bring it, kid’: Steve Lukather remembers his high pressure first solo for Toto
- “It’s the exact same model Paul McCartney played on Yesterday during the Beatles’ ’65 Ed Sullivan TV appearance. I’ll always treasure that guitar more than anything”: The heavy metal star whose most prized guitar is an acoustic
- “There’s a truism that ‘a band is only as good as its drummer’. Any band that Josh graced with his presence on the kit was fortunate indeed”: Josh Freese to be given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Drum Workshop
January 17
- “I realised then that everything could tumble, and when you're in Colorado, and you're surrounded by these incredible mountains, you think 'avalanche'": How being alone in snowy Aspen inspired the sleeper hit that saved Fleetwood Mac
- “It does not have the right to be on the top list”: Sweden bans AI-generated song from its charts
January 16
- “Pretty sure that's the SexyBack snare. Timbaland, thank you": Producer Ryan Tedder on the classic Justin Timberlake drum sound he used in Tate McRae's Greedy - and the Omnisphere preset that features throughout
- “No AI, no loops, no MIDI”: Celemony’s Tonalic puts a world-class session player in your DAW that intelligently adapts to your arrangement
- Clavia unveils Nord Electro 7 with fully-fledged synth section, redesigned interface and much more
- “It was an obscure song with no drums or bass and was never released as a single”: Moby is happy and “surprised” his 1995 album track has gone viral via Stranger Things
- “I took inspiration from Iron Maiden’s Run To The Hills. And for the lyric, the story of the last days on Earth, I went back to David Bowie’s Space Oddity”: A rock band’s global No.1 hit – before grunge turned their world upside down
- Korg Kaoss Pad V reimagines a beloved effects powerhouse with dual-touch control, vocal processing and expanded connectivity
January 15
- “I imagined he could plug it into the Tardis console and play very loudly and badly like a teenager”: Peter Capaldi on how he found Doctor Who’s “junk shop” Yamaha electric guitar on Denmark Street
- “Artists don’t want this type of technology to replace their creativity. They love the notion of it helping them when they need it”: Apple explains its approach to implementing AI in Logic Pro, and why MIDI is still the bedrock of its Session Players
- “I just was not expecting the look on people’s faces. It was really just vicious – the most shocking, awful things you could hear from people”: The powerful and controversial Tori Amos song that her record company hated – before the club remix hit No.1
- “You’ll smile broadly at the ease with which you can land on astonishing results”: Native Instruments Absynth 6 review
- “The band has to get from 10/4 to 4/4 to 7/4 to 4/4 to 10/4. This all happens spontaneously and without prior discussion”: The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir in five songs (and a jam)
- “I am extremely excited to see my Uncle Norm enter into this new chapter in his life and career”: Joe Bonamassa gives his blessing as Norman Harris sells Norman’s Rare Guitars and says the future of his iconic LA store has been secured
- ‘Hey guys - how’s everyone doing?’: Korg’s Liano Live! is a portable piano that promises to make livestreaming your performances as easy as smashing that like button
- Korg’s new compact audio interface is also a standalone analogue synth filter – and you might be tempted even if you don't need the I/O
- “Musicians are more than mere producers of sound. They are vital members of our communities, our culture, and our social fabric”: Bandcamp has banned AI music
- “Pro-grade sound in ultra-portable platforms for practice, recording, and performance”: Boss tackles budget rivals head-on with feature-packed entry-level GX series multi-effects pedals for guitar and bass
- “Enable new levels of live performance”: AlphaTheta’s RMX-Ignite is a multi-band effects processor and performance sampler designed to bring DJ sets to life
January 14
- “Our goal was simple: let’s design a mic that creators would reach for every day”: AKG unveils new C-Series condenser mics inspired by studio classics
- “It’s a pretty unique instrument. There’s only two of these on the planet”: Myles Kennedy bassist Tim Tournier on the EVH prototype that Wolfgang Van Halen gave him
- "Like a good valve amp, it responds to your pick attack and guitar volume with proper character": Strymon Fairfax Class A Output Stage Drive pedal review
- Police royalties case reaches London’s High Court – Sting has now paid $800,000 to Summers and Copeland
- “Yeah I want that more than anything in my career right now, of course I do”: Robbie Williams is gunning to break the Beatles' record of 15 UK Number One albums
- The kids are alright?: Over half of under-44-year-olds spend 2 to 3 hours a week consuming AI music
- Has Martin redefined the workhorse acoustic? Legendary Pennsylvanian guitar brand announces blockbuster refresh of its Road Series – adding 20 new Retro and Modern models to its mid-priced lineup
- Hands-on with the Popumusic PartyStudio: we tried “the world’s first wireless MIDI synthesizer speaker”
- "Music seems to have the power to connect hearts at a deeper level than words ever could": Japan and South Korean leaders cap diplomatic summit with a drum duet
- “I kept a lid on my feelings at school but, when I was 18, dropped out of everything and couldn't even be bothered to get out of bed. I poured all this into the song”: The intricate music theory and lyrical depth of a Tears for Fears classic
- PreSonus Studio One Pro is dead, long live Fender Studio Pro: Fender launches “music production ecosystem” with rebranded DAW, interfaces and new controller
- “This one hurts my brother”: Fugees and Wyclef Jean collaborator John Forté has died
- “I’d rather go in and just be Jaco. I improvise all the time. I never play the same thing twice”: The genius of Jaco Pastorius in one of the greatest jazz songs of all time – performed with fusion legends Weather Report
- “I didn’t need all the extra crap. Just give me a single-P-90 guitar and a Tube Screamer and I’m ready to play the Royal Albert Hall”: Jared James Nichols on why he took the Klon off his pedalboard and what players get wrong about drive pedals
- “It was so surreal. Have we done anything that would create such a horrible atmosphere that a fan would take their own lives? Are we responsible for that?”: Rob Halford recalls Judas Priest’s darkest days – on trial after two fans died in a suicide pact
January 13
- “As much as a sterling job Arturia has done, there are some unfortunate casualties in the downsizing”: Arturia AstroLab 37 review
- Universal Audio is giving away the new native version of the 610 Tube Preamp and EQ Collection for free
- “Because it’s that ‘just right’ size. It fits so many players, across so many different styles of playing”: Taylor expands Gold Label Series and refreshes flagship acoustic with a trio of game-changing features
- “The SG that I had at the Ozzy gig, that guitar needed a louder pickup but I still wanted that true-to-life guitar sound that I like”: Slash and Seymour Duncan dial up the raunch with the Guns N’ Roses legend’s signature 3.0 humbuckers
- Apple expands Logic Pro’s AI features with a Synth Player and a “personal music theory expert” that can generate chord progressions from any audio or MIDI recording that you play it
- “They said, ‘Go to LA, you're going to the NAMM show.' I said, 'What's a NAMM Show?'”: Ahead of NAMM 2026, we get to know the man in the hot seat of the industry’s biggest trade show
- “I think I was pretty naive, and I didn’t see that side of Gram. I must’ve known about it, but I will say that when we were working together, he was on. He was so focused”: Emmylou Harris on working with Gram Parsons
- EHX’s new Effects Interface is a stompbox-shaped device that lets you integrate your pedalboard with your DAW
- “The people who like that song aren’t actually fans of The Cure. They’re not the ones who buy my records”: How Robert Smith took a rare trip to “happy land” to create one of The Cure’s greatest hits
- “Is there a more iconic guitar player on Earth? For more than six decades, the ‘Human Riff’ has been the heartbeat of The Rolling Stones”: Gibson launches jaw-dropping Keith Richards Collector’s Edition 1960 ES-355, signed by the man himself
- "Please take a moment to check in with your loved ones so we can stop this happening to our young men": Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, Black Midi guitarist, dies aged 26
January 12
- “A one-stop shop for almost everything a guitarist might need”: Universal Audio Paradise Guitar Studio review
- “It’s a song that I love, because I didn’t compromise when I wrote it at all. I wrote exactly what I felt, and put a melody to it that was perfect for the words”: The making of Lana Del Rey’s classic sleeper hit
- “He’s been releasing the same song for the past 10 years”: Bruno Mars bites back at social media user who questions the originality of his new single, I Just Might
- NAMM 2026 live: the hottest news from the world's biggest music-making gear show
January 11
- “I said, ‘That will get us pigeonholed as a Christian band, and that’s not what we want to do.’ I remember thinking, ‘This is the kiss of death!’”: The singer who had a bad feeling about a song – before it ended up going all the way to No.1
- "There is no final curtain here, not really": Bob Weir, Grateful Dead co-founder, dies aged 78
January 10
- “I opened the door... he had the guitar in his hands. It was him playing the jazz. I had no idea that he was that good”: Mark Tremonti on Alter Bridge’s “secret weapon” and his soloing strategies for avoiding the same old pentatonic patterns
- "Steve Lukather said: ‘Here’s a record that some DJ turned into a No 1. I can’t stand it.’ He got 90% of the publishing rights, so he can’t have been that mad!": How Roger Sanchez turned an '80s Toto ballad into a 2001 dance anthem
January 9
- “It’s like this little country tune, played with triads on the piano... I thought, ‘how do I make those chords bloom with this very simple melody?’": How Prince and The Revolution turned the bare bones of Purple Rain into a lighters-in-the-air epic
- “This song sounds like a group of friends going their separate ways forever”: The story behind the 2015 dream pop gem that TikTok can’t get enough of
- "Did not establish that they ever owned the copyrights to their sound recordings, let alone transferred them to anyone else": Salt-N-Pepa lose battle over ownership of masters to Universal
- “I actually cried when I heard his version of this song. I’m stoked!!”: David Byrne has covered Olivia Rodrigo’s Drivers License
- Stylistically radical, Ibanez’s multi-scale Alpha series might just be the 21st-century prog-metal player’s favourite new guitar – but do you get the 7-string or the 8?
- “The first time I played it, I had such a connection with it. I thought, ‘This is it. This is the one’”: On his 26th birthday in 1970, Jimmy Page played his beloved Les Paul Custom ‘Black Beauty’ at the climax of a legendary Led Zeppelin show
January 8
- "Where this guitar truly shines is under the fingers of a blues or folk picker": Epiphone Blues King Studio review
- “It is one of the most difficult guitar solos to mimic… I started playing it because I had gotten close, and Buddy Guy turned around, smiling. He knew it note for note”: Billy Gibbons on the tip Buddy Guy gave him after they jammed a T-Bone Walker classic
- “Music gives me a sense of purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning”: How making music can help in addiction recovery
- “In the classic tradition…”: Guitarist Pat Smear is out of upcoming Foo Fighters dates after “bizarre gardening accident”
- “Even though it sounds gigantic, this song is literally drums, bass, fresh elements… and then one of the greatest singers of our time”: Producer Mike Sabath reveals the surprisingly limited instrumentation in Raye's Where Is My Husband!
- "We thought you could make an album faster on the road, as you are working more with computers, but we did not get the gratification from it": Brandon Flowers explains he’s concentrating on solo activity this year
- “He’s not a 10 like Sammy Hagar or James Brown. He’s a 4 or a 5 but he really delivered real rock n’ roll": Ted Nugent might have only qualified praise for Jack White, Green Day and Tom Morello, but he thinks Yungblud is "the real McCoy"
- “I thought: ‘I will be so famous with this crash that it will be great in front of millions and millions of people”: Sebastian Tellier on the time he entered the Eurovision Song Contest – in a golf buggy
- “You’ll notice when you play it. You hit this pedal on and your amp just becomes huge… It’s just this big, big sound”: EarthQuaker Devices and Dr Z team up for a tube-driven preamp that might just be the cure for whatever ails your tone
- “We met up with Gene in his suite at Caesars Palace in Vegas, which was an experience in itself!”: The hair metal band that had Gene Simmons as their producer – before their guitarist joined Kiss
January 7
- "Bite down, and feel the music": Lollipop Star is the sweet candy treat that you can both lick and listen to
- "Its simplicity is a selling point": Funny Little Boxes Caught By The Fuzz review
- “I saw the Red Special. I pointed and said, ‘Is that it?’ Brian said, ‘Yup. Want to try it?’” Steve Vai says he once played Brian May’s guitar “like a baby giraffe on roller skates” – now the Queen icon has gifted him his own custom ‘Green’ Red Special
- “Driver’s License Application for Renewal”: Fans speculate on the meaning of the cryptic front page of Olivia Rodrigo’s website
- “Support the people of Sudan in their mission to end the violence and exploitation”: The Weeknd, PinkPantheress and Olivia Rodrigo donate to online auction in aid of organisations working in war-torn country
- “It used to be, like, 25 minutes long!”: How Axl Rose took inspiration from Elton John to create a classic Guns N’ Roses ballad that was years in the making
- “It’s not ‘puppet show Megadeth’”: Dave Mustaine says he doesn't want guesting ex-members on Megadeth’s final tour
- I tested 11 of the best stem separation tools – and you might already have the winner in your DAW
January 6
- “To lead Fender is the honour of a lifetime. This brand has been a part of my life since childhood”: Fender announces Edward “Bud” Cole as its new CEO
- "I remember when we wrote it, there was a huge amount of excitement. It gives such a lift to the whole project... basically saying 'That's the DNA we're going to be build from'": Alan Menken looks back on his biggest Disney movie compositions
- “Dom has one of the greatest voices in the history of music, and as grand as that may sound there is no hype in what I’m saying”: Billy Corgan heaps praise on Yungblud, who the Smashing Pumpkins have just collaborated with
- “You notice I was loath to say John’s better… that ain’t gonna sit well with people”: Don Was explains why John Mayer “might” be better than George Harrison – and how they definitely have one thing in common
- “It was a terrible record to make. The arrangement’s so weird. It’s not very musical”: The American anthem that hit No.1 and made a star of John ‘Cougar’ Mellencamp – with help from a Bowie sidekick and inspiration from a Phil Collins classic
- “This isn’t about changing Reason, it’s about giving it room to grow”: Reason Studios acquired by AI music production specialist LANDR
- “I turn and I'm, like, 'Hey.' It's Lars, it's Kirk, it's Jason Newsted. They're, like, 'What do you know?' I go, 'I don't know. Master of Puppets. OK. Count it in'”: Daron Malakian recalls the time he fronted Metallica
- “My album is done”: Bruno Mars confirms that his fourth solo record is ready to go
- How close listening to Chic and a selection of other artists can teach us about the integral relationship between the kick and bass
- “A solid upgrade, offering new features and streamlined controls”: Arturia KeyStep Mk2 review
- Victory Amps reimagines the $5k+ MK Overdrive as a compact 50-watt lunchbox head – offering the “heart and soul” of its “ultimate guitar amplifier” at a fraction of the price
- Roland unveils stylish KF-20 and KF-25 Kiyola "artisan" digital pianos inspired by the "Japanese concept of harmony"
- “Clapton chose pure blues, and he hated it when the volume went up. He actually said to Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, ‘You’re too loud!’ Because he’s a purist”: ’60s icon Donovan salutes a golden generation of guitar heroes
- “His death was no different from his life - a work of art”: A decade on, we remember how David Bowie rose above his impending end to create his most poignant work
- “Can I operate an SSL? No. I know just enough to let the other people do their jobs": John Mayer explains why he’s purchased Hollywood’s historic Henson studios
- "It would be an absolute honour – and I think those kind of things should be done by Brits, not Yanks”: Noel Gallagher weighs in on Oasis Bond theme rumours
January 5
- "It isn’t just a collection of cool features; it’s a tool designed to make your recorded guitar sound better, right out of the box": Gretsch Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic review
- “I know the Duffers feel that Prince’s estate cleared the songs because of Kate Bush, and I’m sure that had something to do with it”: Stranger Things music supervisor Nora Felder explains how When Doves Cry and Purple Rain ended up in the show’s finale
- “He feels it should be in the hands of people who will put it to good use”: John Paul Jones’ studio gear goes up for auction – including a rare £24,000 Moog Model 15
- “I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it. We are sliding into a period of transition like no other”: Peter Gabriel to release the follow-up to i/o this year
- “Proper old school producers might also baulk at the ease of song creation and the slick results” – Teenage Engineering EP-40 Riddim and EP-2350 Ting review
- “A professor in my pocket who only wants to do what I ask it”: Slipknot’s Shawn Crahan says he’s been using AI “my whole life”
- “I wasn’t planning on working tonight”: Billy Joel makes surprise return to live performance… fronting a Billy Joel tribute band
- “The whole process left me feeling flat and empty”: With AI now threatening to make the DAW obsolete, is it finally time to stand up to the tech taking the very soul out of music-making?
- Splice partners with UMG on the development of AI-powered tools and virtual instruments
- “It’s so intense – but man, I love that song! Often, the songs I love the most are the most difficult to pull off”: Myles Kennedy on why karaoke “terrifies” him, the secret to a perfect take – and the hardest Guns N’ Roses song to sing live with Slash
- “Pro-quality results at semi-pro cash”: IK Multimedia Precision 6 MkII review
January 2
- “I lay on my floor one night and wrote the whole thing": 40 years on – the making of West End Girls
- “It was just a challenge to myself: ‘I’m not gonna have a chorus in this song. See if I can get away with it’”: How Jack White created the guitar riff of the century – and what is a Seven Nation Army, anyway?
January 1
- “It was too dark, too personal, too risky, not commercial. It wasn’t pop until it was on the radio”: How Lana Del Rey’s breakthrough hit transformed the contemporary pop landscape
- “I was shaking. I had sweat pouring down my back. Miles saw me suffering and said, ‘Play it like you don’t know how to play guitar!’”: How legendary guitarist John McLaughlin survived a baptism of fire with Miles Davis
- “There’s just one catch. The kid with the PC in the bedroom can’t play his instrument”: Back in 1999, Prince offered his opinion on the new generation of DAW-based musicians and producers
- “I can sing it in the original key, with no backing tapes at all. I sing it at every show”: The smash hit ’80s power ballad that wouldn’t die