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Alcohol addiction has long been intertwined with the music industry. From exhausting tour schedules and nightlife culture to the pressures of fame and public scrutiny, many musicians have struggled with dependency on alcohol throughout their careers. While excessive drinking was once almost glamorised within certain genres, growing awareness around addiction and mental health has encouraged more artists to speak openly about sobriety and recovery.

Interpol have shared their new single “Iron City,” the third track to be taken from their forthcoming album This Mirror Weighs a Ton, out August 28 via Partisan Records. The track follows previous singles “This Mirror Weighs a Ton” and “See Out Loud,” offering another glimpse of the band’s upcoming record.

Natalie McCool has shared her new single “We’re The Ones,” taken from her forthcoming album Good For The Soul, out September 9. The track follows recent single “Coming Of Age,” featuring Trans Voices, and gives another glimpse of the boundary-pushing alt-pop sound McCool explores across the new record.

In the latest episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Tony Visconti. One of the most celebrated producers in music history, Tony joins Mark to discuss David Bowie, Marc Bolan, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, Blackstar, Scary Monsters, Holy Holy and the art of producing timeless records. You can watch the full video interview below, or stream the audio version further down the page.

U2 have released a brand new single, “Street of Dreams,” the first track to be taken from their yet-to-be-announced new studio album. Released via Island Records, the song marks the first taste of U2’s first new studio album in nine years, which is due to arrive later this year. Produced by Jacknife Lee, “Street of Dreams” features Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., delivering the band’s unmistakable sound as they approach a major milestone.

Courteeners have released their new single “Plus One Forever,” taken from their forthcoming Best Of compilation, God Bless The Band, out August 28, 2026, via Ignition Music. The track is the second new song to be taken from the collection, following the recent release of “The Luckiest Man Alive.” “Plus One Forever” was produced by Courteeners frontman Liam Fray and James Skelly of The Coral.

007 First Light was one of the most highly anticipated video games of 2026, and in most critics’ and players’ eyes, IO Interactive has truly delivered. One aspect of the game drawing particular praise is the music. To understand why music is so important to the Bond franchise, it makes sense to start with the film music – the scores that inspired 007 First Light’s soundtrack. Music in Bond films Decades before First Light, music had helped define the films.

Mumford & Sons and BST Hyde Park have history. Fifteen years ago, the band appeared on the bill supporting Kings of Leon. Five years later, they returned as headliners. Now, a decade on from that milestone, they were back at Hyde Park once again, this time armed with fresh material, a huge live band and a few surprise guests. Before Mumford & Sons took to the main stage, main support came from Philadelphia rock band The War On Drugs.

The 2026 edition of BST Hyde Park had already kicked off in record-breaking style with Garth Brooks returning to the UK for the first time in almost 30 years. But, as ever with BST, the summer series is never about one show alone. This time, Hyde Park welcomed Maroon 5 for a sun-soaked evening of pop, rock, funk and festival-sized singalongs, with support from OneRepublic and Bradley Simpson.

Iwan Rheon is best known for his role as Ramsay Bolton in Game of Thrones, where his performance as one of the series’ most despicable characters was lauded by fans and critics. However, the Welsh actor is also a musician, and he has released two albums since he joined the HBO fantasy series. The latest album, I Just Wish I’d Never Gone to Space, was recently released on streaming platforms, and it shows an intriguingly different side to the star.