Deer Shed is Yorkshire’s unique music, arts and culture festival. This year it commences between 26th-29th July in the beautiful Baldersby Park in North Yorkshire. With weekend camping music festivals few and far between in God's own country, Deer Shed holds a prime place on the Yorkshire music-lover’s calendar. Musically, the festival holds a mix of mainly indie and folk acts from different eras. Headliners include The Coral, Bombay Bicycle Club and CMAT. The Coral and Bombay are seasoned headliners, with recognisable hits. A wilder card for a festival headline slot is Irish Artist CMAT who ..read more

Having attended my fair share of the well-established multi-venue city stomper, now aptly name ‘Live at Leeds in the City’, I was intrigued by the thought of an indie all-day and nighter in the famous Temple Newsam. The lineup was stacked with boy-indie heroes The Kooks, The Cribs Declan McKenna, alongside some oddly chosen, wild-cards like Sporty Spice and Corinne Bailey Rae. (Photo of The Kooks by  Georgina Hurdsfield) We started our day at the Big Top stage, or Big Muffle, as we began to call it. Festival tents are often renowned for a more boxed-in sound but this tent was constantly ..read more

(Photo of bdrmm by ,Katherine Mackenzie) There are few things that fans of alternative music will look forward to more than a first visit to an exciting new local venue Project House combined with a line-up filled with the latest shoegaze-y rising stars. This is precisely what was delivered on Thursday 17th November, when Shaene, DAMEFRISOR and bdrmm were served to the people of Leeds on the silver platter that is Project House. Going into Shaene’s set completely blind was an eye-opening experience, immediately making you question which rock you had been living under to not have heard of them ..read more

It is rare to get a new Christmas song on the festive circuit, and it is even rarer for any that do surface to be good. In a market which is dominated by unmistakable icons such as Slade, Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé – you have to be bold and innovative to produce something which fits neatly in the once-a-year yule-tide record box. (Photo of Volk Soup by Summer Crane and George Chadwick) However, in a marked change of pace, Leeds punks Volk Soup have rolled back the years and transported us to the 60’s and the glory days of Elvis’ If I Can Dream with their latest offering under th ..read more

Just like the plot of a teen movie, skating through the streets of Burley, Leeds’ well-loved slacker heroes are back with a bang with their new single Coming of Age. Complete with a brand-new celebratory video full of green open spaces and smiling faces, it is easy to forget that it’s currently 4 degrees in Leeds as I write this. When that chorus hits, this song just makes you want to kick a ball around the park and drink an ice-cold 7up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeS3698e1xE The track’s defiant musings on coming of age and the need to let go of what holds us back relate heavily to Van H ..read more

Our Luca went down to check out the underground action at everyone's favourite mid October stomp-fest. On October 14, Leeds' most cherished grassroots music festival, Live at Leeds in the City, returned for its 15th year. At its heart, LAL’s focus is showcasing new music across all genres, and there is genuinely no better place for this than the vibrant city that is Leeds and its eclectic selection of unique venues. 2023’s roster comprised household names in live music like the Brudenell Social Club, The Wardrobe and Leeds University’s Stylus, alongside the intimate throws of Sela Bar, Hyde Pa ..read more

Revered by the likes of NME and BBC Radio One, Leeds band English teacher’s first ever headline show was highly anticipated. One of three dates to celebrate the release of new EP Polyawkward, the Leeds date had an extra edge of importance to it. For a band, who all met in Leeds to headline the Brudenell is somewhat the holy grail. Undoubtedly a momentous occasion, handled with the endearing humility that makes the band so amiable. Drummer Douglas Frost’s magnificent elbow drumming ensued when the magic of the former old working men’s club was alluded to on the performance of the eccentric Yor ..read more

Upcoming art rock band Youth Sector played a repeatedly up tempo set at Oporto in March. A visually striking band, it could only be wished that their performance had the same memorability as their aesthetics. Although this isn’t to say the band weren’t a fun and enjoyable outfit, their support acts left a much stronger impression after the show. Oporto itself is a great intimate venue, reminiscent of americana themed bar you’d see in a Hollywood movie. Its charming atmosphere is the perfect environment for the more off-centre Leeds acts. I was happy to say I had no idea what I was getting myse ..read more

Smuj, partly residence in Leeds and the infamous Toon smashed their set at Burley’s quaint Fox and Newt. They demonstrated some awesome, quirky, fast-paced post punk that left the kick drum rolling all over the floor, quite literally. Sporting a pair of fine red goggles, the keys/synth/trumpet extraordinaire brought an epic look and raucous sound to the set. (Photo of Smuj by Hattie Blogg) Having played a wealth of Newcastle dates, their fair share of Leeds venues (The Fenton, Mabgate Bleach) and recently supporting distinguished Leeds locals, Thank, the professionalism with which they play i ..read more

We went down to Wakefield for the day and caught Fuzz Lightyear, Pit Pony, Mollie Coddled W.H. Lung and more… Showcasing some of the best parts of West Yorkshire’s musical ecosystem, as well as hotly-tipped and widely recognised touring acts, Long Division festival put a spotlight on Wakefield. There was an overwhelming sense of optimism and lovely weather too. Who said you had to go Primavera to come back with a tan? Here’s a rundown of everything the team at Basement Leeds managed to catch. Fuzz Lightyear Opening proceedings with a healthy dose of tinnitus was Leeds’ own Fuzz Lightyear. I’ve ..read more