Music News

Roni Size says it is a "big moment" to be releasing new music again.
The producer and DJ - who made is name as part of Reprazent - will be bringing out several new records this year, and he is excited to get out there for the first time since 2004's 'Return To V'.
He said: "Coming back with new music is a big moment for me. Life's moved on - my kids are going through university.
"Music - and particularly electronic music - has changed and there are people out there who don't know who I am; I've never rested on reputation so I've had to re-evaluate, up sticks and develop a new sound again."
As well as a solo EP ('Size Matters') and his new full-length album 'Take Kontrol', Roni also promised Raprazent fans that the drum and bass outfit are due to release a new record in 2015, and tours are planned for later this year.
He added: "That's where we are now. I'm living between Bristol and London, where I'm working out of Metropolis Studios finishing both albums.
"Reprazent and I will be touring this year and we can't wait to get out on the road again."

Paramore's Hayley Williams still feels "uncomfortable" being a frontwoman.
The star has been the lead singer in the 'Ain't It Fun' rockers since they formed in 2004, but even a decade later she finds herself struggling with the attention being on her rather than the rest of the group.
She told Rolling Stone magazine: "I'm still surprised when I feel uncomfortable with it after 10 years.
"It's funny when I feel left out, or in the cold, and everyone's focusing on me. Onstage, it's so much about the music that I feel comfortable.
"But being the frontwoman is not an easy job, it's something I'm really proud to be getting better at; performing really well, singing really well and speaking to the crowd - that's the part I'm most nervous about, like "What do I say that makes me sound cool?" - but also trying to keep it the same way that it felt when we were in clubs."
Although Hayley might be seen as the face of Paramore - which is completed by Taylor York and Jeremy Davis - but the public perception is something she struggles to accept or change.
Asked whether being the focus is an issue, she said: "You know, it depends.
"[Sometimes] we do TV spots, interviews, and we spend tons of time talking and you think that it feels very evenly spread out, you think that it feels deep and the questions are nice, and then it gets edited and then it's just you, and it's just asking about your hair.
"That's the stuff that I get uncomfortable with."

Naughty Boy is helping Zayn Malik become a "great songwriter".
The 'La La La' hitmaker has revealed he has been working closely with the One Direction heartthrob in the recording studio and is nurturing him to write tracks for the best-selling band's new album.
Appearing on Capital FM, he said: "I'm encouraging him to be a great songwriter.
"We've done something that might be a One Direction single - me and Emeli Sandé wrote it, and Zayn wrote on it too.
"It does sound like them, but it sounds like the natural next them.
"They are all becoming their own unique person, so that's when you get the best songs."
In addition to Zayn, 21, bandmate Harry Styles has been flexing his musical muscles by writing tracks for One Direction and other artists.
The curly-haired star recently penned a track for Ariana Grande's new album after they met in the studio.
She said: "I was at the studio one day and he was there, and literally, [songwriters] Johan [Carlsson] and Savan [Kotecha] were like, 'Hey, do you want to write something for Ariana?' And he was like, 'Sure, mate.' And he just did.
"It's a beautiful song. He's an amazing writer. It's really beautiful. He's amazingly talented."

Pixie Lott has bared her "soul" on her new album.
The 'All About Tonight' singer will release her self-titled record next month, and explained her third LP showed off her influence in a way she wished that her second full-length had.
She told Fault magazine: "[I grew up with music that was] very soul influenced but current ... "I grew up listening to music from the '60s and '70s and mixed that with who I am.
"It's the favourite album I've made so far. It best represents me, which is why I named it 'Pixie Lott'.
"I knew I wanted it to have a cohesive sound and not lose the soul. It's what I wanted my second album to be, but that didn't end up happening."
Meanwhile, the blonde star also revealed that her songwriting was inspired by a love of live music - and she tried to reflect that in the "new sound" of the record.
She added: "There is no better feeling for me than singing live for people and I really want that to come across, especially with the new sound of my new album."

Amelia Lily says it has been "so exciting" working on her debut album.
The 'X Factor' UK star - who came third place in the talent show in 2011 - has signed a new deal with East West Records and can't wait to release her latest single 'California' next month.
She said: "Life has never been so exciting - I've been busy in the studio writing and recording songs for my upcoming debut album and 'California' is where we start.
"I'm so proud to be releasing this music; I have put my heart and soul into writing them. Expect a few surprises along the way though - it's going to be fun!"
The new single was co-written by Lily and Tim Woodcock, who has penned tracks for the likes of John Newman, The Vamps and The Wanted.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old singer - who reached number two in the UK Singles chart two years ago with debut single 'You Bring Me Joy' - will release her first full-length album later this year, and being signed to a label owned by Warner Music is a big step forward for her.

Damon Albarn says Bobby Womack will "never leave" him.
The Blur star has paid tribute to the late musician - who died last month aged 70 - and admitted he has struggled to "accept that he's not there anymore".
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's 'The Last Word', he said: "In a strange way, I find it very hard to sort of accept that he's not there anymore. For me, he feels very present and I don't quite understand why.
"He taught me things that will never leave me, and he will never leave me."
Damon collaborated with Bobby - who suffered from a number of health problems, including diabetes, pneumonia and colon cancer - on 'Stylo' from Gorillaz's album 'Plastic Beach'.
He said: "He was quite nervous about, one, working with people he'd never met before, but also just the act of getting back in the studio because he'd been really sort of sitting on a couch in LA for many years.
"I didn't really give him any kind of brief and he literally just stood there for 45 minutes just singing. Finally at the end there was a silence. I put my arm around him and he was quite cold. I thought maybe he was going to collapse.
"Some sort of inner voice said to me, 'Go and get him a banana'. And I came back and gave him the banana and he was absolutely fine, but I had no idea he had diabetes."

Pink Floyd have confirmed they will release a new album this year.
The 'Another Brick in the Wall' legends are set to bring out 'The Endless River' - their first record since 1994 - in October.
The new LP will be mainly ambient and instrumental, and its material is based on sessions for the group's 'Division Bell' album 20 years ago.
David Gilmour and founding member Nick Mason have been working on the album, which will also feature late keyboardist Richard Wright.
'The Endless River' will be produced by Phil Manzanera, Youth and recording engineer Andy Jackson, alongside guitarist David.
The spokesman added: "Work is still in progress, but more details to come at the end of the Summer."
The announcement follows reports over the weekend that the band were preparing to release new material for the first time in 20 years.
A source recently said: "This will be one of the most exciting piece of music for decades because it is the closest we will ever come to a Pink Floyd comeback.
"The band will never officially reform because there is no Pink Floyd with Rick Wright. Roger Walters isn't involved in this project either. But Nick has been determined to keep the band alive.
"This is now a new album with songs that have never been heard before - that's something fans never thought would happen after Rick's death."

Taylor Swift has compared music to being in a relationship.
The 'I Knew You Were Trouble' hitmaker - who is known for writing songs about past lovers - has said discovering new artists or albums can be like anything from "a passing fling" to finding "the one".
Writing a column for the Wall Street Journal newspaper, she explained: "Some music is just for fun, a passing fling (the ones they dance to at clubs and parties for a month while the song is a huge radio hit, that they will soon forget they ever danced to).
"Some songs and albums represent seasons of our lives, like relationships that we hold dear in our memories but had their time and place in the past.
However, some artists will be like finding 'the one'. We will cherish every album they put out until they retire and we will play their music for our children and grandchildren."
She added that the "dream" was to give her fans the same feelings the likes of the Beach Boys gave her father, and noted the emphasis should be on "surprise" rather than "shock" value.
Taylor continued: "As an artist, this is the dream bond we hope to establish with our fans. I think the future still holds the possibility for this kind of bond, the one my father has with the Beach Boys and the one my mother has with Carly Simon.
"I think forming a bond with fans in the future will come in the form of constantly providing them with the element of surprise. No, I did not say 'shock'; I said 'surprise.'
"I believe couples can stay in love for decades if they just continue to surprise each other, so why can't this love affair exist between an artist and their fans?"

Sir Paul McCartney jams with Johnny Depp in his new music video.
The iconic rocker has paired up with the 'Alice in Wonderland' actor for his latest promo clip for his latest single 'Early Days', and director Vincent Haycock described it as an "incredibly fun" shoot.
He said: "Paul's scene was incredibly fun to create. It was just him, some blues players and Johnny Depp jamming on set all day.
"Patti Smith also turned up on set and hung out, which made the crew very happy! One of my favourite days of filming ever."
The video is said to be a tribute to the 'Hey Jude' hitmaker's partnership with the late John Lennon - and their early beginnings as songwriters.
Vincent added: "Their story at its core is a universal one, two young kids who bond over their passion for music and form a band and friendship.
"This video is about them, and every band, and every kid who has suffered the ups and downs of starting a band, whether or not they became successful."
It's not the first time Johnny has appeared in video for Paul McCartney, after he most recently starred in the clip for 'Queenie Eye' in 2013.