Maddy Hay

What was perhaps most remarkable about the (outrageously grand) Somerset House venue on Wednesday night was the sheer diversity of the crowd: all ages had gathered to see Courtney Barnett.  After an extraordinary 24 months, this wide-ranging fan base (from children to retirees) is a testament to Barnett’s superlative gift...

Festival season is well under way. For most attendees, festivals are the highlight of the summer – a celebration of music and culture which takes place in a carefree and communal atmosphere. However, it’s becoming ever more apparent that festival culture has been infiltrated by a disturbing affliction. Reports...

It was a bank holiday Sunday. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. Obviously, there was no better way for the Impact Music team to spend the day than exploring 2016’s Dot to Dot Festival. Established in Nottingham in 2005, D2D has since spread to both Bristol and...

Established in Nottingham back in 2005, Dot To Dot Festival now spreads across the inner-city venues of Manchester and Bristol as well, all in order to platform some of the most exciting, upcoming artists from across the world. Having previously featured acts like The xx, Florence & The Machine and...

As a complete newcomer to Julianna Barwick’s music, I decided to avoid doing any background research on the Louisiana-born musician. I imagined that I’d be able to approach her latest record, Will, free from expectation. However, as I began to listen, I realised that I’d subconsciously built up preconceptions...

Five-piece alt-punk outfit Babe Punch have been making waves in Nottingham and beyond, having tirelessly performed around the city over the past couple of years. Their releases on Soundcloud – ‘Fixation’ and ‘Snake Tongue’ – have attracted praise from NME, as well as fellow grungy, fuzz-heavy bands like Drenge...

PJ Harvey spent a number of years preparing for her latest record. Alongside photographer and filmmaker Seamus Murphy, the English musician travelled to Afghanistan, Kosovo and certain parts of Washington DC in order to learn about the effects of poverty and war. This field-trip led to the release of...