The Front Row

02/06/2025

The Fulford Arms doesn’t mess about when it comes to booking artists on the brink of a breakthrough, and Friday night was another reminder of how magical a grassroots gig can be when everything cli…

02/06/2025

🚨 NEW BLOG SERIES: The A-List – Letter B 🎶

We’ve just dropped the second in a brand new A-Z feature on The Front Row – spotlighting 10 incredible artists beginning with the letter B that we’re backing to blow up in the next three years.

From country heartbreakers to alt-pop chaos, shoegaze dreamers to indie anthems – this is the ultimate genre-spanning list for music fans who want to be ahead of the curve.

Featuring:
Basht.
Bayboards
Bottle Rockets Band
Brògeal
Brooke Law
The Bracknall
Big Wheels
By the Waves
BronnieMusic
Blank Atlas

Whether you're building a playlist or planning your next gig, this is your essential listen.

📲 Read the full feature now: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/31/the-front-row-presents-250-artists-that-will-break-out-by-2028-the-letter-b/

👇 Let us know who your fave is – and drop your "Letter B" or “Letter C” suggestions in the comments!

Welcome to Part 2 of our A-Z spotlight series, where we’re deep-diving into the artists who we think are destined to break out before 2028. Each month we’re taking on a new letter, picking out 10 a…

26/05/2025

🚨 NEW BLOG SERIES: The A-List – Letter A 🎶

We’ve just dropped the first in a brand new A-Z feature on The Front Row – spotlighting 10 incredible artists beginning with the letter A that we’re backing to blow up in the next three years. 🔥

From country heartbreakers to alt-pop chaos, shoegaze dreamers to indie anthems – this is the ultimate genre-spanning list for music fans who want to be ahead of the curve.

Featuring:
🎤 Artio
🎸 ALRIGHT
🌌 Astoria
🤠 Alyssa Flaherty
🎶 Alex Spencer
🔥 Adam Brucass
⚡ Arkaylaband
🎧 Air Drawn Dagger
🎤 The Ansells
🌫️ Airport Dad

Whether you're building a playlist or planning your next gig, this is your essential listen.

📲 Read the full feature now: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/26/the-a-list-ten-artists-to-watch/

👇 Let us know who your fave is – and drop your "Letter A" or “Letter B” suggestions in the comments!

Welcome to The Front Row Files – a brand new deep-dive series shining the spotlight on the ten most exciting artists from across the alphabet. Each edition, we’ll be championing ten bands or solo a…

26/05/2025

Can you think of a stranger set of back to back gigs than this!? What a bank holiday weekend that kicked off with the Scissor Sisters on Friday night take to the stage at First Direct Arena followed up by a day of hardcore, metalcore, pop-punk and post-punk music as Slam Dunk Festival took over Temple Newsam.

Both brilliant in their own way - you can ready my thoughts on both events on The Front Row now!

Scissor Sisters: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/26/live-scissor-sisters-at-first-direct-arena-leeds/

Slam Dunk: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/26/slam-dunk-festival-2025-a-day-of-discoveries-nostalgia-and-powerhouse-performances/

23/05/2025

Final little extra review of the day for our friends in York. Local band Splitbox have released their final track of the year "Everlasting Chains" so we took a listen at all three that are now packaged up on streaming sites to listen to.

If you love punk-rock, you'll love Splitbox so go give the guys a listen and to find out why, read on:

There’s no pretending here – Splitbox aren’t reinventing the wheel, and they’re not trying to. Instead, they’re greasing the wheels with beer-soaked melody, chunky guitar riffs and a heap of nostal…

23/05/2025

It's been a busy Friday of new releases and we've got the low-down of some of our favourite drops over on The Front Row. Here's what we've been up to today!

Live Review: Glass Caves and YouVee in York last night: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/22/live-glass-caves-kick-off-the-back-to-earth-tour-in-york/

Full feature with Katy Hurt and her debut record Gimme a Break: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/23/gimme-a-break-katy-hurt-exclusive-interview-album-review/

New The Royston Club single review of "Glued to the Bed alongside their album and tour announcement: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/23/review-the-royston-club-glued-to-the-bed/

The first drop from Jamie Webster in 2025 "Across The River" reviewed: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/23/jamie-webster-returns-with-euphoric-festival-anthem-across-the-river/

Last but not least the incredible Finn Forster released his EP "Embers" and we've got the full scoop on each track here: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/23/ep-review-finn-forster-embers/

Loads more to come over the weekend so go and subscribe to never miss an article from The Front Row.

23/05/2025

We're kicking off a big day of new releases with a feature I've been waiting to drop for week!

Today, Katy Hurt has finally dropped her long awaited debut "Gimme a Break" - we interviewed Katy when she dropped in at FortyFive Vinyl Café last month and talked about the record, the journey getting to this release day and much more - so in a one off exclusive feature we've got that interview AND a full review of Katy's debut record.

Genuinely one of my favourite features of the year so far so fans of UK Country Music strap in and enjoy the read!

“It feels like I’ve been carrying this album around with me for years,” Katy Hurt says with a breath of relief, just hours after being able to hold the vinyl version of her long-awaited debut recor…

20/05/2025

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Amy Jo Clough in York whilst she was in the city doing a double-header of support slots at FortyFive Vinyl Café.

The full interview is available on Youtube and you can read the highlights and my take on what we were chatting about on the Front Row right now!

Watch the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=4B9I9zTGqke3zD3A&v=KrHbYIbmgKQ&feature=youtu.be

Read all about it: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/20/amy-jo-clough-bucking-trends-and-belting-hooks-the-uk-country-pop-star-you-need-to-hear-now/

You know that feeling when you see an artist live and just know they’re on the edge of something good? That’s exactly what we felt watching Amy Jo Clough command the stage at 45 Vinyl. An intimate …

11/05/2025

The Front Row Round-Up

We've been pumping out reviews over the last fortnight with some of the best writing we've done in years. We're always looking for new contributors who want to listen to the best new music and go to gigs all across the UK and write about so if you're interested in being part of one of the most exciting blogs in grassroots music, drop us a message. For now, here's a full round-up of everything you might have missed the last two weeks.

A-Z Guide to Kendal Calling: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/04/24/your-a-z-guide-to-kendal-calling-2025-the-ultimate-festival/

Reviews
Legss - Gloss: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/04/24/review-legss-gloss/
Arm's Length - The Weight: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/04/24/review-arms-length-the-weight/
RATS - Rule The World: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/02/review-rule-the-world-rats/
Andrew Cushin - Love is For Everyone: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/02/review-love-is-for-everyone-andrew-cushin/
Big Wheels - Laze Bones: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/02/review-lazy-bones-big-wheel/
Glass Caves - Back to Earth: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/04/review-back-to-earth-glass-caves/
Shadows Of A Silhouette - No Matter Where I Go: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/08/review-no-matter-where-i-go-shadows-of-a-silhouette/
The Rosadocs - Cross To Bear: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/09/review-cross-to-bear-the-rosadocs/
The Amazons - 21st Century Fiction: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/09/review-21st-century-fiction-the-amazons/
La Dharma - It's All Thanks to You: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/09/review-its-all-thanks-to-you-la-dharma/
Alex Spencer - Clouded Thinking:
https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/09/review-clouded-thinking-alex-spencer/
The Clause - Nothing's As It Seems: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/09/review-nothings-as-it-seems-the-clause/

LIVE
Willa May + Amy Jo Clough at FortyFive Vinyl Café: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/04/29/review-diamonds-whiskey-forty-five-listening-room-york/
Interlaker + False Advertising at Hyde Park Book Club: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/04/27/liv-e-review-interlaker-hyde-park-book-club/
Soccer Mommy at Project House: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/11/live-soccer-mommy-project-house-leeds/
The K's at O2 Academy Leeds: https://thefrontrow.online/2025/05/11/live-the-ks-o2-academy-leeds/

What a couple of weeks and there's no stopping! Subscribe to The Front Row and never miss an article! Don't forget to go and follow us on all other platforms too:

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06/05/2025

It's the one you've been waiting for! And we have the exclusive release here at The Front Row 🤘

This Friday 9th May at 12pm we'll be launching the incredible Harrison Rimmer's brand new video for his track "Ripped Up Magazine". A song that's been a Harrison Rimmer staple for 10 years now - this is your doing that it's a single on the new record Cheaper Than Therapy!

Head to The Front Row online and subscribe to get the video in your inbox first this Friday!

12/04/2025

New Music Round Up from The Front Row

Some banging tracks released from some great artists, go check them all out if you haven't heard of them - hearing good things about that up and coming band Pulp...