First Aid Kit, James Blake: Music News Round-Up

First Aid Kit at the Leeds O2 Academy (Gary Mather for Live4ever)

New live plans for First Aid Kit and James Blake brought some of Live4ever’s trending music news last week – revisit the stories right here.

First Aid Kit will play a one-off show at the Royal Albert Hall on September 29th when the duo are to be joined by the 65-piece Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we’re playing a very special show at Royal Albert Hall on 29th September,” they’ve said.

“We’ll be joined by the incredible Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, performing Stay Gold in its entirety for the first half of the evening.”

Calvin Harris and Westside Cowboy are new for this year’s Bilbao BBK Live event which will be held between July 9th-1tth.

They join previously confirmed main artists such as David Byrne, IDLES and Lily Allen, while others due there this summer include Alabama Shakes, Interpol and Soulwax.

Live4ever caught Westside Cowboy live in Bristol last month – finding a band deserving of their growing attention and seeming, ‘well placed to justify it’.

Kevin Morby has unveiled his new single Die Young with his eighth studio album Little Wide Open due for release on May 15th after sessions with producer Aaron Dessner at Long Pond Studio in New York.

“A lot of this album is me reflecting on my time spent on the road as an adult,” Morby has said.

“Being a touring musician as a career has made for a sometimes complicated lifestyle and in so many ways has proven to be pretty dangerous.”

James Blake by Robbie Lawrence

James Blake has announced UK and European gigs for later this year after the release of his new album Trying Times today.

A general sale of tickets is due to open on March 20th with the new dates booked to start at London’s Brixton Academy on September 29th.

Mainland European concerts soon follow from October 5th in Utrecht, while a return to the UK will bring the tour to a close with appearances in Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol.

The Lemon Twigs have confirmed the details of their next studio record Look For Your Mind! and premiered the video for its lead single I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You.

“Every time we try to write something that’s completely straightforward, we can’t help adding an element which comes out of left field,” the band have said when reflecting on the track’s structure.

“We always want to write a song we’ve never heard before.”

Amyl And The Sniffers, Little Simz, Tems and Self Esteem are some of the artists who’ll be playing this year’s Forwards Festival in Bristol over the weekend of August 29th-30th.

For Amyl And The Sniffers, it’s another festival booking as the band stays busy following the 2024 release of their Cartoon Darkness album.

They’ll play the Sunday at Forwards Festival.