Thanks for all your feedback on our recent newsletters, we're still experimenting with the format and trying out a little bit of a shorter version this week, with a longer piece about festivals on the way...
In this edition we have a pounding track of the week, some news to share, and an important survey for anyone reading this who works in music, but first...
New Podcast: When Boycotts Work
Each week on the Drowned in Sound podcast, we explore how the music industry could be fairer - talking to artists, organizers, and changemakers who are building solutions, not just pointing out problems.
Recent guests include alt-popster Girli on safer spaces, we spoke to Kelly Lee Owens about why more gigs and clubs have to happen outside of the major cities, the need for a food bank for culture with The Ticket Bank, and this week it's the turn of a DiS-championed artist on what it feels like to step into your power... and win.
Last May, electronic artist Gazelle Twin withdrew from her Kings Place residency over the venue's decision to host an arms industry conference. Days later, after 1,200+ people signed an open letter, Kings Place cancelled the military event.
On our pod, Elizabeth Bernholz (Gazelle Twin) talks about the Kings Place boycott, creating Pastoral - the Brexit-adjacent album Drowned in Sound gave 10/10 - why she performed unmasked for the first time on Black Dog after fourteen years behind a façade, and why Ireland's basic income for musicians could transform the industry.
From "jaded, frustrated and largely insulted" by the music industry in 2009 to successfully organizing policy change in 2025, this is a conversation about resilience, solidarity, patriotism, and the power of saying no.
Subscribe for free on Apple | Podbean | Pocket Casts | Podcast Addict or search for "Drowned in Sound" wherever you get your podcasts.
As part of our partnership with Qobuz - the service for music enthusiasts featuring high quality sound so that we can rediscover music - we create a companion playlist for each episode of our podcast.
Listen to this week's playlist, featuring a selection box of Gazelle Twin tunes alongside, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Fever Ray, Bjork, the theme to Terminator 2, and lots more.
Start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz:
Track of the Week
'Hive Mind' by Knocked Loose and Denzel Curry
I'm feeling efficient today, finding a TOTW spanning multiple genres. I also love a scene-shaking crossover of worlds as much as the next girl.
This, of course, is an epic one, in which Denzel Curry - opener of mosh pits even on his un-metal songs - is given a firm embrace into the hardcore scene by current heroes of heavy Knocked Loose. Though they make good on enhancing their skull-crushing sound, they're striking a different lyrical tone here, kicking back against trend-baiters and conformists in a fashion that feels both larger-than-life and incredibly fun.
At one point, there's a sudden swerve into trap beats that comes across like a joking nudge in the arm before they dive into the abyss again. Spin it, celebrate and two-step in the living room.
So... I wrote a book...
I had a very surreal morning last week finally getting to reveal a secret I'd been keeping since the summer. If you'll indulge me for just a second... I WROTE A BOOK!
Queens Of Rock tells the story of rock music through the arcs of ten incredible women of the genre, from the 1960s right up to present day. It's the fourth instalment of Gemini Gift Books' Queens Of... series, following Annie Zaleski's Queens Of Disco, Kiana Fitzgerald's Queens Of R&B, and the forthcoming Queens Of Country (by Holly Smith) and Queens Of Soul (by Britt Julious).
Queens Of Rock is out on 8th October 2026 and you can pre-order it via the Gemini Gift Books website or Waterstones. It also means you could potentially sort a Christmas present for someone very, very early and do your December self a little favour.
Two surveys on mental health in music
Urgent research is underway to examine the scale of how widespread mental health issues in the music industry are. This is where you can help out, whether you're working in music or not.
First. there's the Our Music, Our Minds, Our Future survey from Music Minds Matter, which is the largest scientific mental health research project in the UK. Anyone who works in music in any role or genre can take the survey, which only lasts 15 minutes and will pay £500 to four randomly selected entrants.
Secondly, my good friend Jeordie Shenton from the brilliant mental health charity Tonic Music is conducting a survey into substance abuse among musicians as part of his PhD at the University of Portsmouth. He needs both working musicians and members of the general public to take part and the survey should only take 5-8 minutes, which you can undertake here.
BAPAM
Join the Trans Mission at Wembley Arena
I love everything about the concept of this event, which is being staged at Wembley Arena as a night of joy and solidarity with the trans community amid the poisonous campaign of hatred waged against them. There's a stacked line-up set to perform, comprising trans voices and allies alike including Adam Lambert, Bimini, Imogen Heap, Rose Gray, Kae Tempest, Romy and Christine and the Queens, plus many more. The event takes place on Wednesday 11th March and raises money for Not A Phase and the Good Law Project and you can grab your tickets below.