Features | Songlines

Features

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Songlines' Ones to Watch 2026

The coming year brings swathes of new releases across genres – transgenerational Kenyan folk collabs, Glaswegian troubadour musings, Margate-Guinean post-rock – and more. From anticipated debuts to long-awaited reissues, we pick out some of the albums that we’re most excited about

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Essential 10 Shakuhachi Albums

Chris Wheatley asks musician, composer and writer Clive Bell to select ten key albums showcasing the range and depth of the traditional Japanese flute

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Songbook: ‘Dove’ with Cymande

Charis McGowan speaks to a British-Caribbean funk band whose slow-burning 1972 ode to peace has become a live favourite and unlikely source of inspiration

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Awesome Tapes From Africa at 20

As Awesome Tapes From Africa marks its 20th anniversary, founder Brian Shimkovitz recalls some amazing discoveries from the label’s back catalogue

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

‘Canaan Land’ with Elijah Minnelli

Erin Cobby traces the roots of a new UK dub track back to Mississippi penitentiaries, Civil Rights movements and outlaw country ballads

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Vaughan To Be Wild

Trailblazing Finnish violinist, conductor and composer Pekka Kuusisto talks to musician Merlyn Driver about folk song, family, ‘The Lark Ascending’ and his surprise appearance on Countryfile

Monday, February 16, 2026

Q&A: Owen Spafford

Leeds-based fiddle-player and composer talks about his work with Anglo-Irish trio The Weaving, post-rock, obsessing over ‘the Boss’ and the intangibility of instrumental music

Thursday, January 29, 2026

AI: Friend or Foe?

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. Our writers take a look at the ethical and legal issues the technology raises, as well as how musicians can use it as a source of creativity. Is it all doom and gloom?

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