This month, Music Week is chronicling the rise of Tom Grennan, a British breakthrough star who’s now at arena level in the UK.
We welcome Tom Grennan to our cover as he prepares to release third album What Ifs & Maybes, the follow-up to 2021’s chart-topping Evering Road. The UK singer and songwriter has been a prolific chart star over the last few years, and ambitions are big for this new campaign - not least from the artist himself.
Joined by manager John Dawkins at Various Artists and Insanity Records label president Andy Varley, Tom Grennan opens up about how talent, hard work and a supportive team have taken him to the highest echelons of the UK music business.
Meanwhile, the latest edition of the Music Week Interview sees TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson in the hot seat. The in-depth conversation with our 2022 Women In Music winner (in the international category) covers key issues for the modern music business, including the rise of self-releasing acts, diversity (TuneCore backs the annual Be The Change report) and developing opportunities for independent acts via TikTok.
In this issue, we also meet EMI’s rising star Olivia Dean ahead of the release of a highly-anticipated debut album, Messy, which drops next month.
Elsewhere in the features section, we reflect on five decades of the BPI. Since forming in 1973, the trade body has acted as the representative voice of independent and major record labels across the UK. As well as marking its numerous achievements, Music Week hears from chief strategy officer and interim CEO Sophie Jones.
Switching the focus to the live sector, Music Week interviews Koko owner Olly Bengough about the exciting new era at the historic venue in Camden. Meanwhile, indie publishing is under the spotlight in our special report.
This month’s instalment of Hitmakers features another UK star who’s emerged in the last couple of years. Fresh from hitting one billion global streams in her career to date, Mimi Webb takes us inside the songwriting process for Top 10 smash House On Fire.
Meanwhile, the new edition of Mentor Me – a collaboration between Music Week and Girls I Rate – sees songwriter and artist DYO share her Top 5 Tips on forging a career in the recording industry.
Ahead of the release of a new retrospective collection, Texas singer and songwriter Sharleen Spiteri is our Aftershow interviewee for the June edition of Music Week. As well as reflecting on her time in the music industry, female representation and label relationships, Spiteri reveals what she has in common with friends and collaborators Wu-Tang Clan.
In this month’s Big Story, we have the first interview with Primary Talent International chief executive Matt Bates, following the agency’s management buyout. Plus, our news section features Ben Lovett on the growth of live venue operator TVG and the return of Mumford & Sons. Reservoir MD and IMPF president Annette Barrett tackles key issues including streaming royalties, AI and data in our Spotlight Q&A.
In June’s edition of On The Radar, rising South London rap star Strandz talks going viral with Us Against The World and outlines his vision for the music business. In Making Waves, we meet Irish singer and songwriter Nell Mescal - sister of Paul Mescal - as she forges her identity in the industry. Incoming sees Sparks talking about their reunion with Island Records for new album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.
NQ’s head A&R manager David O’Sullivan is our Rising Star. Meanwhile, Sync Story takes a closer look at a key music placement - this issue it’s Nas’ classic Got Ur Self A Gun, which features in John Wick 4.
Our start-up in focus is social media agency Pact Digital, while our podcast this month is The Allison Hagendorf Show.
In her latest digital column, Sammy Andrews explores the hot topic of AI for the music industry, while Mark Davyd’s Centre Stage column shares a progress report on Music Venue Trust’s Own Our Venues initiative.
And as ever, the expanded Archive section sees us flick through the pages of Music Week of yesteryear.
There’s all of this and our expanded monthly charts section, in which we present the Top 75 Singles and Albums of the previous month, accompanied by revamped analysis pages, plus a host of new listings. These include specialist genre Top 20s for Americana, Classical, Hip-Hop & R&B, Jazz, Country, Dance, Folk and Rock & Metal. The issue is also home to streaming, compilations and vinyl charts.
The new issue of Music Week is available from May 16.
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COVER PHOTO: Paul Harries
