Features archive

February 2026

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24 articles

February 11
- “It took like four minutes to write the chords, then like 12-15 minutes to write the lyrics. Probably 10 or 15 minutes to cut the vocals”: How Sia made her self-destructive anthem, Chandelier
February 10
- “There were probably 20 people at that first Rush gig. I don’t recall whether those 20 people were impressed or not. I’m guessing that they weren’t!”: Alex Lifeson recalls the humble beginnings of his legendary band
- “This whole song came from a mistake”: The fateful circumstances that led to Coldplay’s biggest ever song
- “They imbue the essence of their unique design philosophy into every note”: The latest additions to Roland’s Kiyola piano range blend ultra-accurate digital modelling with some world-class aesthetics
- “I walked in… and Joni Mitchell was in baby blue pyjamas. She said, ‘Have a seat.’ And we talked about music. I wrote You Get What You Give the same day”: How a weird dream inspired the New Radicals’ classic ’90s hit
- “Prince told me, ‘You sound so great, man. Keep doing your thing – because when I hear it, it’s such a sound!’”: Cory Wong recalls his encounters with The Purple One – and names the Prince album that every funk guitarist should listen to
February 9
- “When approached thoughtfully, electronic music can act as a kind of scaffolding for the nervous system”: Mastery Studio, Djrum and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith on electronic music, sound healing and its potential for positive minds
- “I didn't even mean to release it - I was working on another song and came up with the riff and then I just started freestyling”: A decade on, we analyse the inner workings of one of Beck’s most potent bangers
February 8
- “It’s crazy, ambitious and so out of the box. It’s like nothing you’d ever heard before.”: Zakk Wylde picks his favourite Randy Rhoads guitar solo – and explains why Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne were perfect for each other
- “We took a demo tape to A&M Records, who didn’t even know we were signed to them – even though we’d done two albums for them!”: How Roger Hodgson and Supertramp fought their way to the top – and how the multi-million-selling band imploded
February 7
- “There was a time I was collecting synths and using as much hardware as possible – maybe it’s a bit weird to downgrade from that”: Ikonika on discovering their voice and going back-to-basics for Sad
February 5
- “I had no idea that song would become what it became. There was nothing on the radio like that. And the recording is so raw, it’s ridiculous!”: The hard-rocking Lenny Kravitz hit that’s full of surprises
- “I’d have to smoke a big joint to be able to listen to all of it, and I haven’t done that in a long, long time!”: Why Fleetwood Mac legend Lindsey Buckingham would prefer to forget some of his own albums
February 4
- “Eddie was always experimenting. Keyboards entered the mix, but it didn’t sound like a keyboard because Eddie played this cheap little Wurlitzer blazing through Marshalls”: Van Halen's Michael Anthony on the band’s cult classic Women And Children First
- “No other industry would tolerate this level of loss of life and neither should we”: Science indicates that musicians do actually die younger - but why?
- “I was at school supposedly trying to get an education and all I could think about was that album. Black Sabbath are the gods, man!”: How Pantera singer Phil Anselmo fell under Sabbath’s evil spell
February 3
- “Bonzo’s birthday cake was a wedding cake and George Harrison lifted the top layer straight into Bonzo’s face. Bonzo picked Harrison up and launched him into the swimming pool”: When Led Zeppelin broke a Beatles record and celebrated in style
- “I heard a few of those things he did with Johnny Cash and I was impressed. So that was one of the reasons I was interested in working with him”: Neil Diamond scored his first US No.1 album at the age of 67 – with help from producer Rick Rubin
- “I put a pitch-shifter on the master bus!”: In the era of lo-fi beats and bedroom recording, does sound quality even matter anymore?
February 2
- “I remember Lars was unwrapping all these Styx and REO Speedwagon records and I’m going, ‘What are you buying this crap for?’”: Why James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich didn’t always see eye to eye in Metallica’s early days
- “Festivals generate 25,800 tonnes of waste, 22,876 tonnes of CO2 and use 185 million litres of water annually”: How Massive Attack set a new benchmark for the future of sustainable live music events
- “One day I got up and the sun was shining, all the mountains were lit up, and I came up with Mr. Blue Sky”: How Jeff Lynne created his masterpiece with ELO’s Out Of The Blue
February 1
- “I turned to him and said, ‘Where did you come up with that amazing bass line?’ He turned to me and said, ‘Oh, you like that?’ Like he didn't know”: The influential Chic classic that spawned one of the most recognisable basslines of all time
- “The solo is his interpretation of war – all this screaming. It’s such a brilliant piece of artistry, such a pure form of expression”: The explosive Hendrix classic hailed as the greatest guitar track of all time by Guns N’ Roses legend Slash