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“Throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks,” says bassist Ailbhe Barry, and for her band Florence Road, it is a kind of mission statement – one that their steep, uninhibited rise has borne out. To scroll the Irish indie rockers’ TikTok or Instagram from the bottom up is to witness this experiment in all its mess and world-building rawness, having spent years honing their own unpolished garage band persona online instead of jumping on forced trends.
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The quartet, who are all in their early 20s, possess a confidence and adventurous spirit that belies their infancy as a unit. Like their Gen Z age-mates, the members of Florence Road favour a 0.5 (or extra-wide) lens on their iPhone cameras for its distorted or less ‘choreographed’ feel; using this visual gimmick on their live performance videos has routinely brought the band’s music to the For You Pages of millions, while keeping the focus on their grungy, gloriously anthemic sound.
They’ve covered pop heroes Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, and caught the attention of Olivia Rodrigo with their pared-back rendition of “Obsessed,” leading to support slots at Dublin’s Marlay Park and BST Hyde Park in London over the summer. A take on Charli xcx’s “Sympathy Is a Knife” arrived replete with voice cracks and goofy poses, while a cover of Paramore’s “Hard Times” was thrown together in five minutes, with TikTok users unable to decide if they hated or loved the clip’s unwieldiness, only raising its standing on the platform.
“Listening to the world is important in some ways. But if we’ve done the most we can do with our work, I feel like there’s no reason to listen to anyone else,” says Barry of the band’s prolific online tendencies. “You would drive yourself mad if you were trying to please everyone.”
Completed by singer and guitarist Lily Aron, guitarist Emma Brandon and drummer Hannah Kelly, Florence Road understands that the years it has taken it to bottle lightning has made the eventual wins more fulfilling. The band formed in the coastal town of Bray, County Wicklow as high school students, drawing notice on their local open-mic scene and building a snowballing fanbase across social media before a management deal came calling after the release of their 2022 track “Another Seventeen.”
Their debut mixtape, Fall Back, was released in June via Warner Records, in which softly spoken melodies erupt into a clamour of hammering percussion, crashing guitars and snaking riffs. Part of the enthusiasm for the band stems from excitement that, with their equally lush and blistering approach, they are pushing open the gates of contemporary rock, blending wide-ranging influences (The Cranberries, Alanis Morissette, Sam Fender) with the build-and-release thrill of heavier crossover bands. Expect to see them leading industry tips lists come January.
For added live impact, so far, they have kept their sparser moments to a minimum. Nihilistic new single “Miss,” a longtime fan favorite, arrives in the middle of an Australian tour opening up for Royel Otis, the latest milestone in a bucket-list 2025 that has featured U.K. festival appearances, an upcoming European support slot for Wolf Alice and studio sessions with pop star go-to writer/producer Dan Nigro.
Chatting with Billboard U.K., the band opens up about its past few months of growth, taking ownership of its journey, and what it means to be at the forefront of the next generation of rock talent.
You’ve been sitting on “Miss” for a very long time now. How are you feeling about the prospect of finally hatching it?
Lily: It feels great because we’ve been playing it live for so long, and we love it so much. Playing it live is such a fun feeling. The song was relevant when we wrote it, and it’s stayed relevant in our lives ever since. Sometimes you write a song and it feels fixed to a certain time period but this one has travelled with us.Hannah: It was just a matter of getting it 100% right. We tried to lay it down a few times and it sounded good, but the more we played it live, the more we figured out that missing bit ourselves. It originally had a different structure and then when we played it live, we would alter it a bit – we want to get those new elements into the final track.
Have you noticed a change in how people interact with you now that you’re showcasing more of your music live and building your fanbase?
Lily: Honestly, it’s been wild. People have been so receptive towards us, it’s cool to see them mouthing along to the words of our songs at shows. But I feel like we just keep taking things one step at a time, and we can’t overthink all of it too much or we’ll go crazy. We’re just having a ball!Ailbhe: It’s also been amazing to get to see people face-to-face, when [our early career] was mainly online. We’d been used to interacting with people through comments or DMs. It’s really nice that people have been on that journey with us and seen us grow from young school kids just posting covers for fun, to now playing big stages. I’m sure it’s mad for them as much as it’s mad for us.We’re now supporting our favorite artists, which is a very surreal thing. We’re just trying to soak up every second of being on the road. We’ve also been learning how to live out of the suitcase [while touring]. It’s like, “OK, how many socks can you get away with bringing for a two-week trip?!”
How do you handle the contrast between the intimacy of your songwriting and the exposure that comes with performing in front of thousands?
Ailbhe: It’s always mad when you see people mouthing along to your songs. It happens for us at every show, even support shows. It’s crazy to think back to how these lyrics came out of our minds and then suddenly there’s people in Australia singing them! It’s quite mind-blowing, especially, for more intimate songs like “Caterpillar” or “Heavy”; it’s something that will never not feel crazy. It is phenomenal how music can travel so far.
What is it specifically about playing live that brings Florence Road to life?
Hannah: For me, personally, I never feel less vulnerable than when I’m on stage. I feel like that’s because with all the months and hours of practice we have behind us, when we’re up there performing, we enter this whole new space where we know exactly what we need to be doing. That confidence just gives a base to interact with each other and to really be in the moment.
How do you navigate creative differences within the band without compromising the integrity of the music?
Lily: That’s a big one for us. We listen to each other and if someone doesn’t like a song idea, we’re not just going to bulldoze over it. There has to be some sort of consensus, but I think everyone’s ideas are always heard out as well.
A lack of communication can destroy a band and we want to make sure that we’re all comfortable and happy. If that’s ever not the case, we check in with each other. You know, our lives are very different from what they were last year. Making sure that we’re on the same page is very important to all of us.
Given that TikTok accelerated your career, what does it take to maintain a healthy relationship with social media?
Lily: Our personal lives are important to us, and it can be a weird feeling knowing loads of people know our faces. It is not a normal thing for people to have to think about. For me personally, having a private Instagram is so important – I don’t think I’ll ever make it public. I don’t need people in that space. I absolutely adore our fans but sometimes, things can get a little too parasocial. I think it’s important for us to maintain that we’re not best friends [with them].
As your star continues to rise, what lasting impact do you want to make as a band?
Lily: We’ve been given so many incredible opportunities, so now the main thing for us is to share with other people. We want to uplift Irish musicians, and other musicians in general, and shed a light on what they’re doing. That’s what it’s all about; that’s no point in just having something for yourself. I would love to get to a point where we could give back to other artists.
Billboard‘s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, click here.
Trending on Billboard Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) took place in the Dutch capital last week (Oct. 22-26), with the city’s vibrant dance and electronic scene taking over bars, clubs and venues for a week of performances, panels and professional networking. It’s not an overstatement to suggest that the city, a diverse and fun-loving hub of […]
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Taylor Swift has held onto the top spots on both the U.K.’s Official Albums and Singles Charts for a third consecutive week (Oct. 24).
The Life of a Showgirl retains the No. 1 on the LPs chart, while its lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” extends its reign at the summit of the Singles Chart for a third consecutive week. The latter is Swift’s longest-running No. 1 single since “Anti-Hero” from 2022’s Midnights earned six weeks at No. 1; “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (2023) and “Fortnight” (2024) lasted just a single week each.
In its opening week, The Life of a Showgirl smashed numerous records on its way to No. 1 in the U.K. The record had the fastest-selling opening week since 2017 with 423,00 units, trailing only Ed Sheeran’s Divide (672,000). It also became the fastest-selling album on vinyl this century in the U.K., and was named the U.K.’s most-streamed album over the course of seven days in its opening week. She’s also occupied the top spot of the Billboard 200 for the past fortnight.
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The Life of a Showgirl is her 14th U.K. No. 1 album, she also extends her lead with the most No. 1s on the U.K. Albums Charts for an international artist, and now ties for second overall with The Rolling Stones (14). The top spot is also currently a tie between The Beatles and Robbie Williams who both have 15 apiece.
Elsewhere, The Last Dinner Party score the week’s highest new entry with their sophomore album From The Pyre, which Billboard U.K. described as making “good on years of industry hype with a definitive artistic statement.” Their 2024 debut Prelude to Ecstasy peaked at No. 1 upon release.
Olivia Dean’s breakout moment continues as she takes the No. 3 spot on the Official Albums Chart with The Art of Loving, and she lands at No. 2 on the Official Singles Chart with “Man I Need”. Earlier this month, Dean achieved a rare double for a British artist with concurrent No. 1s on the aforementioned charts.
Despite a divisive response from fans and critics, Tame Impala’s Deadbeat closes the week at No. 4 and gives Kevin Parker his third top five album after Currents (2015) and The Slow Rush (2020) which both peaked at No. 3.
There’s little change on the U.K. Singles Chart as, “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters ends the week at No. 3, RAYE’s “Where Is My Husband!” lifts one place to No. 4 and Swift’s “Opalite” slips one place to No. 5.
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Women In CTRL, a non-profit advocacy group, announced Thursday (Oct. 23) that more than a dozen British live music organizations have signed a pledge designed to strengthen inclusion targets across the industry.
The Seat at the Table Inclusion Pledge, the first of its kind in the U.K., is centered around a new sector-wide commitment to achieving gender-balanced leadership by 2030.
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Signees of the pledge include ATC Live and Ginger Owl, and companies including AEG and The O2. All 15 LIVE (Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment) organisations have also signed up, including the Association of Independent Festivals, Featured Artists Coalition and Music Managers Forum.
As supporters of the pledge, industry allies will contribute to case studies, share learning across the sector, and participate in future roundtables and peer learning sessions. Women In CTRL says this collaboration will be key to strengthening accountability across the live music ecosystem.
Signatories will also be required to commit to submitting an annual check-in to show progression across key focus areas, such as strengthening governance and board diversity through reviews or term limits.
In April, Women In CTRL and LIVE released a landmark report titled Seat at the Table: LIVE Edition. Its findings highlighted progress in some areas — including the finding that 61% of the Music Venue Trust board identifies as women or non-binary — while also revealing disparities in wider leadership representation.
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Forty-one percent of board members across LIVE and its 15 member organisations are women or non-binary people, the report stated. LIVE has since released its 2030 inclusion targets, which include 50% women and non-binary representation and 16% women from global majority backgrounds in senior leadership roles.
Elsewhere, the report revealed that women’s representation on U.K. music trade association boards rose from 32% in 2020 to 52% in 2024.
Gaby Cartwright, head of partnerships at LIVE, said in a press release at the time the report was released, “As an industry, it’s clear that we must do more to improve gender representation at the highest levels… Reaching this goal will require collective effort, accountability, and meaningful action — but momentum is building. This report provides crucial insight into the challenges we face, and the concrete steps needed to drive lasting change.”
Nadia Khan, founder of Women In CTRL, added at the time, “We know from experience that what gets measured, gets done. This report is an essential first step; by setting a clear benchmark, we are providing the industry with a roadmap for action, not simply reflection.”To read the full Seat at the Table: LIVE Edition report, visit the Women In CTRL website here.
06/21/2025
The 90,000-capacity venue hosted the capital’s biggest party as the pop star upgraded to a stadium-sized performance with ease.
06/21/2025
LONDON — Chris Brown appeared in a London court on Friday (June 20) to plead not guilty to a charge of serious assault. The Grammy Award-winning singer is facing multiple charges in relation to an alleged physical dispute with a music producer. The alleged incident took place in a nightclub in Mayfair, London in February […]
Sam Fender has teamed up with Olivia Dean on a new version of his People Watching track “Rein Me In.”
The collaboration received its live debut earlier this month (June 6) at Fender’s sold-out show at the 82,500-capacity London Stadium, where Dean was supporting him. The pair also performed it the following week at Newcastle’s St. James Park.
“Lots of you asking for this one after we played it at the stadium shows so here we go!!,” Fender captioned an Instagram post announcing the release, featuring him and Dean embracing on stage. Listen to their fresh take on “Rein Me In” below.
People Watching is the best-selling British album of 2025 so far, taking the No. 1 spot on the Official U.K. Albums Chart upon release with 107,000 units sold across physicals and streaming. Over the course of the summer, Fender is scheduled to support the album with more headline outdoor shows in Manchester and across Europe.
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In February, the Official Charts Company confirmed that Fender became one of only nine acts to top 100,000 sales in a week this decade, joining Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Take That, ABBA and Arctic Monkeys. His third U.K. No. 1, People Watching is also the fastest selling vinyl record for a British solo act this century.
Dean, meanwhile, is also reaching new heights. The north London-raised vocalist released the sprightly track “Nice To Each Other” earlier this month (June 12), which has since reached No. 18 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart – her highest placing to date.
26-year-old Dean dropped her debut album Messy in 2023, which made the Mercury Prize shortlist that year as well as landing her a series of BRIT Award nominations. She is currently gearing up for the release of its follow-up The Art Of Loving (due Sept. 26 via Capitol), with pre-orders open now.
Johnny Marr has spoken on his decision to turn down an “eye-watering” amount of money to reunite The Smiths, saying that the “vibe” wasn’t right to get the band back together.
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Marr was appearing on the Stick to Football podcast alongside former players Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright to discuss his affinity with soccer club Manchester City and his role as guitarist in one of indie music’s most legendary bands.
The Smiths were formed by Marr in 1982 when he and a friend recruited Morrissey to join the group as vocalist and lyricist; the band’s classic lineup was completed by Mike Joyce (drums) and Andy Rourke (bass).
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The group released four studio albums between 1984 and 1987 alongside a number of live albums and B-side and singles collections. Meat is Murder (1985) and The Queen is Dead (1986) both hit No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart; their debut The Smiths (1984) and final record Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) both hit No. 2. Creative and personal differences between Marr and Morrissey saw the former leave the group in July 1987 and the group folded the following year.
Both Marr and Morrissey have had wildly successful solo careers but a reunion has seemed unlikely ever since. In 2006, Moz told the BBC, “I would rather eat my own testicles than reform the Smiths, and that’s saying something for a vegetarian.”
In August 2024, however, Morrissey claimed that he and Marr had received a “lucrative offer” from AEG to reform with the band’s surviving members, and to tour as a live band in 2025; the group’s bassist Andy Rourke died in 2023. In the post on his website Morrissey Central, Moz revealed that he had said yes to the proposal but that Marr had not responded. A month later, Marr said on his Instagram that he did not “ignore the offer — I said no.”
Now speaking on the Stick to Football podcast Marr has gone into more detail about why he turned down the offer, despite seeing close friends (and City supporters) Liam and Noel Gallagher reform Oasis in August 2024 for a global tour.
“We got made an offer recently, but I said no,” he said. “It was a little bit about principles, but I’m not an idiot, I just think the vibe’s not right.”
Marr added, “It was an eye-watering amount of money, but also, I really like what I’m doing now which makes it a lot easier. I like where I’m at. I still want to write the best song I’ve ever written. I want to be a better performer.”
Morrissey and Marr have traded barbs through the press for decades, and in 2022 Morrissey called on his former bandmate to “stop mentioning my name” in interviews. Marr responded saying, “When you’re attacked out of the blue, particularly in public, you have to defend yourself.”
Speaking to Uncut he said the pair are too estranged to ever work together again. “It won’t come as any surprise when I say that I’m really close with everyone I’ve worked with — except for the obvious one. And that isn’t that much of a surprise because we’re so different, me and Morrissey.”
Following The Smiths’ dissolution, Marr played as a member of a number of groups including The Pretenders, Electronic (with New Order’s Bernard Sumner), The The, Modest Mouse and The Cribs. In 2013 he launched a solo career and has released four LPs under his name and performed on global tours.
Earlier this week Marr expressed support for Kneecap during their ongoing controversy, and backed them to perform at Glastonbury Festival next weekend (June 27-29) amid calls for them to be removed from the line-up.
Check out Marr’s appearance on the Stick to Football podcast below.
The U.K.’s Association of Independent Music (AIM) has announced its Independent Music Awards will return to London this fall (Sept. 23).
Celebrating its 15th year, the event will take place at the capital’s iconic Roundhouse venue and spotlight a wealth of artists, labels and entrepreneurs in the independent music community — which makes up a third of the U.K.’s recorded music market.
Categories include U.K. independent breakthrough, best independent EP/mixtape and best independent remix, as well as other artist-focused awards such as best live performer. See a full list of categories below.
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AIM Rightsholder members can submit entrants for free. Submissions are now open via the organization’s official website and close at 11:59 p.m. GMT on July 9. For non-members, there are submission costs – albeit discounts are available to organizations connected with AIM, such as those who focus on encouraging further diversity in the industry.
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The one to watch, EDI (equity, diversity inclusion) champion, independent music champion and music entrepreneur of the year categories, however, are free for anyone to enter. The full list of categories and submission guidance can be found via the AIM website.
The only categories that are not open for submissions are outstanding contribution to music, the innovator award and PPL award for most played new independent artist, as these are decided in-house by AIM.
Tickets for the show will go on sale later in the summer. Last year’s ceremony saw legendary pop duo Sparks receive the outstanding contribution to music award in honor of its illustrious five-decade career, while Neneh Cherry collected the innovator award. Music Venue Trust was named independent music champion and Totnes’ Drift Records was honored with the best independent record store award.
The 2025 event will see the reintroduction of AIM’s local music champions (previously known as Local Heroes, debuted in 2019), in collaboration with BBC Introducing. The accolade will honor those who have “demonstrated unwavering support for their local music community or used their position to improve the wider ecosystem,” according to a press release.
Gee Davy, CEO of AIM, said in a statement: “We are delighted to bring the U.K.’s most vibrant music community awards back to the Roundhouse, celebrating the breadth of talent and innovation across independent music.“The Independent Music Awards is the best place to celebrate and recognise those who often go unsung, creating the most culturally impactful music coming out of the U.K., as well as an opportunity for us to honour some of our heroes and champions who make a wider impact.”
The Independent Music Awards will round out AIM’s wider programme of events for 2025. It will follow shortly after AIM Connected, a conference for business leaders and senior managers in the independent music sector, which will take place on Sept. 9 at Rich Mix in Shoreditch.
Rod Stewart and Donald Trump may live close to one another, but that doesn’t mean the rock star feels any sort of neighborly way about the President of the United States.
In an interview with Radio Times published Tuesday (June 17) ahead of his upcoming Glastonbury performance, Stewart didn’t hold back when asked about the mogule-turned-politician, with whom he used to be friends. “I’m not a great fan of Trump,” he told the publication. “I knew him very, very well. I used to go to his house.”
“I live literally half a mile away,” continued Stewart, who has a residence in Palm Beach, Fla. “We’re both on the beach. I used to go to his Christmas parties. He’s always been a bit of a man’s man. I liked him for that. But he didn’t, as far as I’m concerned, treat women very well.”
Stewart added that he thinks becoming the leader of the country changed his former pal for the worse. “Since he became president, he became another guy,” the musician said. “Somebody I didn’t know.”
Trump and Stewart were friends for many years. Even leading up to the 2016 election — which the billionaire ended up winning, securing his first of two nonconsecutive White House terms — the Grammy winner stood by his fellow Floridian, telling Billboard when asked about the election in 2015, “I have strong political beliefs, [but] I don’t want to get into it … Donald Trump happens to be a friend of mine.”
Now, Stewart says he definitely doesn’t consider Trump a friend, citing one policy issue in particular as unforgivable. “No, I can’t anymore,” the artist said. “As long as he’s selling arms to the Israelis — and he still is. How’s that war ever gonna stop?”
Stewart joins a number of musicians who have criticized Trump’s administration, with many of them similarly taking issue with the U.S. government’s involvement in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas — a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, when the terrorist group incited retaliation after killing 1,200 Israeli civilians and took 251 hostages.
“Someone’s gotta do something,” added Stewart. “What [Israeli President] Netanyahu is doing to the Palestinians is exactly what happened to the Jews. It’s annihilation, and that’s all he wants to do — get rid of them all. I don’t know how they sleep at night.”
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to headline Glastonbury later in June, with The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo also leading the four-day festival’s bill. Charli xcx, Doechii, Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, Wolf Alice and Busta Rhymes will perform as well.
Stewart’s set will take place after he was forced to postpone a handful of U.S. concert dates due to illness.
