Articles by Emma Johnston

Emma has been writing about music for 25 years, and is a regular contributor to Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog and Louder. During that time her words have also appeared in publications including Kerrang!, Melody Maker, Select, The Blues Magazine and many more. She is also a professional pedant and grammar nerd and has worked as a copy editor on everything from film titles through to high-end property magazines. In her spare time, when not at gigs, you’ll find her at her local stables hanging out with a bunch of extremely characterful horses.

Articles by: Emma Johnston

"Nothing is off limits in a dizzying array of influences and styles mixed with the precision of a master of his craft": Gary Clark Jr hits a career high on Jpeg Raw

By Emma Johnston published 22 March 24

Texan electric blues multi-instrumentalist Gary Clark Jr's sixth album Jpeg Raw might be one of the best albums you'll hear this year

Every Patti Smith album ranked from worst to best

By Emma Johnston published 19 March 24

Creative polymath Patti Smith is one of music's most unique voices – here we go through her back catalogue in order of greatness

TesseracT's latest album is "near-future fantasy about two people that have to traverse a strange land": And if that sounds like a video game, well, that's the plan

By Emma Johnston published 7 February 24

Prog-metallers TesseracT returned last year with a concept album, and have plans to expand it beyond being just a record

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Dark Rainbow cover art

"There's a charming vulnerability to it all, although they still amp up the rock when necessary": Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes' Dark Rainbow

By Emma Johnston published 27 January 24

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes shed another skin to show their most sensitive side on album five

“I knew how to play the whole of Misplaced Childhood when I was 12. I can’t bear to listen to it now – it reminds me of being a miserable 12-year-old”: How former Oceansize member Mike Vennart grew up and moved on

By Emma Johnston published 25 January 24

The band that made his name was a “troublesome, difficult” experience, but becoming a dad helped him put it all behind him

Starbenders, Wolfgang Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, Grace Potter and Skindred

The 50 best rock albums of 2023

By Fraser Lewry published 15 December 23

The past 12 months may go down in history as a period of tumult and turmoil, but on the positive side, rock'n'roll is very much alive and well – as the best 50 albums of 2023 reflect

"This has given me a whole new reason to live": Former Nymphs frontwoman Inger Lorre wants to shine some light into a very dark world

By Emma Johnston published 23 November 23

Inger Lorre's new album Gloryland is her first this century, and it's an album inspired by hope and healing

"Epidemically catchy, fearlessly camp and glam, air-punch anthemic and just the right level of daft": The Struts' Pretty Vicious

By Emma Johnston published 3 November 23

Derby’s ambitious classic rock crew The Struts aim for the stars with album number four Pretty Vicious

"I feel like any experience of humanity I’ve ever learned is from working in pubs": Meet Gallus, whose fiery mix of pessimism and furious energy is turning heads

By Emma Johnston published 9 September 23

Young Scots on the up, Gallus have already won a ‘best rock/alternative band’ award

"These songs aren’t written to be your friend, they're written to protect you": supergroup Empire State Bastard want you to join their riot

By Emma Johnston published 16 August 23

Members of Biffy Clyro, Slayer, Oceansize and Bitch Falcon have combined to form rock's most exciting new supergroup

Queens Of The Stone Age: In Times New Roman album art

Desert rock superstars Queens Of The Stone Age have returned to retain their crown

By Emma Johnston published 16 June 23

Queens Of The Stone Age explore the more experimental corners of their psyche on eighth album In Times New Roman

Inspector Cluzo standing in a field of wheat

Inspector Cluzo: six things you need to know

By Emma Johnston published 22 May 23

Inspector Cluzo are the environmentally-friendly, goose saving, French farming blues rock duo you absolutely need in your life right now

Black Spiders - Can't Die, Won't Die cover art

Black Spiders' comeback album is an effervescent love letter to rock’n’roll at its most joyous and uncomplicated

By Emma Johnston published 12 May 23

Can’t Die, Won’t Die is a wonder web of rock’n’roll thrills from South Yorkshire’s comeback kids, Black Spiders

How PJ Harvey’s raw, violent, vengeful masterpiece Rid Of Me inspired Nirvana and set hearts ablaze among a new generation of fearless female musicians

By Emma Johnston published 10 May 23

PJ Harvey’s savage, soul-baring second album Rid Of Me is 30 years old. Its howls of pain, rage and revenge now sound more vital than ever

Welshly Arms: Wasted Words & Bad Decisions cover art

If you want immense melodies and uplifting choruses, Welshly Arms have got you

By Emma Johnston published 6 April 23

Irresistible choruses from start to finish on Welshly Arms' third album Wasted Words & Bad Decisions

The Answer's Sundowners is the sound of a band with nothing to prove to themselves or anyone else

By Emma Johnston published 17 March 23

Northern Irish blues brothers The Answer return after a lengthy hiatus, their instinctive feel for rock'n'roll still very much intact

Light Up The Sky: How Hundred Reasons rose from the dead to make the comeback of the year with Glorious Sunset

By Emma Johnston published 23 February 23

The story behind UK post-hardcore heroes Hundred Reason's unexpected return with the brilliant Glorious Sunset

Lifesigns in the beginning: the story of the band's debut album

By Emma Johnston published 3 February 23

Lifesigns began life a a trio that featured Nick Beggs and released their self-titled debut in 2013

By 1994 The Cranberries were stars: then came the incendiary song that made them massive

By Emma Johnston published 15 January 23

The Cranberries had already enjoyed success with their sweet ballads, but this storming left-turn, a furious track about the bombings in Northern Ireland, made them huge stars

Ville Valo: the rock’n’roll Barry White returns with a luscious love-metal soundtrack

By Emma Johnston published 14 January 23

Him from HIM returns with his first album by him himself

The planet may be buggered, but Anti-Flag are still putting up a fight

By Emma Johnston published 6 January 23

Another kicking for capitalism as Pittsburgh punks Anti-Flag put the boot in again on album 13

Some rain must fall: The Garbage song that turns broken hearts to gold

By Emma Johnston published 22 December 22

One of the first songs Garbage worked on together, Only Happy When It Rains was a signature hit and is still on the band’s set-lists

Fleetwood Mac: The Alternate Collection cover art

Fleetwood Mac's Alternate Collection is insightful but lacks LA bells, whistles and cocaine pixie-dust

By Emma Johnston published 27 November 22

Once more into the archives for alternative takes on old Fleetwood Mac favourites

Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal from Placebo

Six songs you need to know by Placebo

By Emma Johnston published 20 October 22

New to Placebo, or just need a refresher? These are the tracks you absolutely need to hear

Thundermother purposefully striding towards the camera

Six things you need to know about... Thundermother

By Emma Johnston published 4 October 22

A football club has spurred Thundermother on, gig time is party time, and they’ve learned their trade from some of the best of the old masters

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Emma Johnston

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