Emma Wilkes
@emmabwilkes.bsky.social
Curly music journo, proudly sponsored by caffeine / words in Guitar.com, Stereoboard, DIY, Kerrang!, Alternative Press, NME, Revolver, Ticketmaster etc. / she/her / emmabwilkes@gmail.com
It was an absolute honour to chat to Loathe for my latest Kerrang! cover about their new song Gifted Every Strength, why new music has taken so long, why they tour the US so much and becoming influential:
www.kerrang.com/loathe-gifte...
www.kerrang.com/loathe-gifte...
Loathe: “There’s a revolution of people wanting interesting,…
The wait is over. After 2020’s I Let It In And It Took Everything album turned Liverpool metallers Loathe into one of the UK’s most sensational heavy…
www.kerrang.com
May 21, 2025 at 12:14 PM
It was an absolute honour to chat to Loathe for my latest Kerrang! cover about their new song Gifted Every Strength, why new music has taken so long, why they tour the US so much and becoming influential:
www.kerrang.com/loathe-gifte...
www.kerrang.com/loathe-gifte...
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
Hiya. I've lost a sizeable chunk of work. Commissioning me to write you some words would be very helpful right now - I'll do anything on rock, metal and alternative culture, issues in the world of music, and I write bios too. Find me at emmabwilkes at gmail dot com.
May 19, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Hiya. I've lost a sizeable chunk of work. Commissioning me to write you some words would be very helpful right now - I'll do anything on rock, metal and alternative culture, issues in the world of music, and I write bios too. Find me at emmabwilkes at gmail dot com.
This was a fascinating read this morning. I've never really heard this talked about, for one thing, and the ideas put forward make a lot of sense
Read my latest Substack: markdavyd.substack.com/p/access-den...
Why are grassroots music venues treated differently to theatres, arts centres, cinemas when it comes to licensing and access for young people? More than that… why are they treated differently to arenas and stadiums?
Why are grassroots music venues treated differently to theatres, arts centres, cinemas when it comes to licensing and access for young people? More than that… why are they treated differently to arenas and stadiums?
May 18, 2025 at 8:24 PM
This was a fascinating read this morning. I've never really heard this talked about, for one thing, and the ideas put forward make a lot of sense
This is fascinating. While outdoor music events can still provide opportunities for new talent, I often think about just how disparate the opposite ends of the scale are. These big mass market events rake in a small fortune while the grassroots sector struggles. Those extremes do feel more intense.
Outdoor event dominance is disrupting touring and damaging grassroots ecosystems.
(Fan data taken from the Music Fans Voice survey, which polled over 8,000 people)
(Fan data taken from the Music Fans Voice survey, which polled over 8,000 people)
April 25, 2025 at 10:30 AM
This is fascinating. While outdoor music events can still provide opportunities for new talent, I often think about just how disparate the opposite ends of the scale are. These big mass market events rake in a small fortune while the grassroots sector struggles. Those extremes do feel more intense.
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
How it feels knowing you’re going to a cool show in less than 24 hours
April 3, 2025 at 2:11 PM
How it feels knowing you’re going to a cool show in less than 24 hours
I regret to inform you that I think I posted too soon. My love life is once again becoming a joke that extends beyond April Fools 🙃
God help me, a man is telling me paragraphs about his day and asking about mine and being given more than just crumbs is making me swoon
April 2, 2025 at 6:44 PM
I regret to inform you that I think I posted too soon. My love life is once again becoming a joke that extends beyond April Fools 🙃
I had a great chat with Backxwash about her reinvention in sound on her new album 'Only Dust Remains', in which we touch on the afterlife, the violence in Gaza and... Lady Gaga?
Absolutely brilliant @backxwash.bsky.social feature in @kerrang.com by @emmabwilkes.bsky.social - I love how all this came together and the visuals are stunning!
www.kerrang.com/backxwash-in...
www.kerrang.com/backxwash-in...
“Death just exists. It’s not malicious, it’s not comforting, it’s…
Alt-rap shapeshifter Backxwash has spent a long time being raw. Having completed a trilogy that dug deep into addiction, identity and religion, on new album Only Dust Remains she’s expanding every hor...
www.kerrang.com
March 28, 2025 at 11:39 AM
I had a great chat with Backxwash about her reinvention in sound on her new album 'Only Dust Remains', in which we touch on the afterlife, the violence in Gaza and... Lady Gaga?
God help me, a man is telling me paragraphs about his day and asking about mine and being given more than just crumbs is making me swoon
March 26, 2025 at 6:24 PM
God help me, a man is telling me paragraphs about his day and asking about mine and being given more than just crumbs is making me swoon
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
with my whole chest. scum.
March 26, 2025 at 6:12 PM
with my whole chest. scum.
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
Something that goes missing when people talk about critics as “gatekeepers” is that almost every critic I know (especially at publications) wants their audience to be more open minded and have broader tastes than they actually do
March 19, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Something that goes missing when people talk about critics as “gatekeepers” is that almost every critic I know (especially at publications) wants their audience to be more open minded and have broader tastes than they actually do
I can't believe, for my first Glastonbury, I get to see Olivia Rodrigo AND Deftones AND Turnstile AND Biffy AND Amyl and lots of other lovely people. My mum's even jealous I get to see Alanis Morrisette, who she went to see live when I was small. Chose a good first year, huh?
March 6, 2025 at 9:55 AM
I can't believe, for my first Glastonbury, I get to see Olivia Rodrigo AND Deftones AND Turnstile AND Biffy AND Amyl and lots of other lovely people. My mum's even jealous I get to see Alanis Morrisette, who she went to see live when I was small. Chose a good first year, huh?
In my debut for @theguardian.com (!!!) I had a great chat with Bloodywood about heavy metal's presence in India, combatting racism and rape culture and inspiring a sense of unity with their new album Nu Delhi!
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...
Indian rock sensations Bloodywood: ‘What’s more metal than standing up for people you love?’
The trio’s playful mix of heft and traditional instrumentation sent them viral. But they’re also confronting racism and rape culture, and struggling in a Bollywood-dominated music industry
www.theguardian.com
March 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
In my debut for @theguardian.com (!!!) I had a great chat with Bloodywood about heavy metal's presence in India, combatting racism and rape culture and inspiring a sense of unity with their new album Nu Delhi!
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/m...
The temptation to overcommit this summer and do absolutely *everything* is so huge right now
March 4, 2025 at 11:44 AM
The temptation to overcommit this summer and do absolutely *everything* is so huge right now
In Oxford yesterday I passed a wedding party outside a registry office. I nodded and remembered the right thing to say was "Congratulations!" - the first thing my brain thought of saying was "Happy wedding!"
March 2, 2025 at 2:33 PM
In Oxford yesterday I passed a wedding party outside a registry office. I nodded and remembered the right thing to say was "Congratulations!" - the first thing my brain thought of saying was "Happy wedding!"
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
Happy pay day to all who celebrate
If you’re worried about the state of the world, vote with your wallet
Funding independent media is the simplest act of resistance you can do
Support the video makers and podcasters who help keep you from feeling dysregulated, hopeless or alone 🙏
If you’re worried about the state of the world, vote with your wallet
Funding independent media is the simplest act of resistance you can do
Support the video makers and podcasters who help keep you from feeling dysregulated, hopeless or alone 🙏
March 1, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Happy pay day to all who celebrate
If you’re worried about the state of the world, vote with your wallet
Funding independent media is the simplest act of resistance you can do
Support the video makers and podcasters who help keep you from feeling dysregulated, hopeless or alone 🙏
If you’re worried about the state of the world, vote with your wallet
Funding independent media is the simplest act of resistance you can do
Support the video makers and podcasters who help keep you from feeling dysregulated, hopeless or alone 🙏
Offered some words of solidarity to a writer getting trolled by TERFs on the Other Site, like I did about 18 months ago. The TERFs are now transvestigating me. New level of TERF bothering unlocked... I guess? 😅
March 1, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Offered some words of solidarity to a writer getting trolled by TERFs on the Other Site, like I did about 18 months ago. The TERFs are now transvestigating me. New level of TERF bothering unlocked... I guess? 😅
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
With #ILMC underway this week we wanted to remind you that whether you're an artist, venue, writer, engineer, music fan, agent, promoter, industry professional, or any kind of ally to the grassroots music scene - there's plenty of ways you can be part of what we're doing via www.MusicVenueTrust.com
February 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
With #ILMC underway this week we wanted to remind you that whether you're an artist, venue, writer, engineer, music fan, agent, promoter, industry professional, or any kind of ally to the grassroots music scene - there's plenty of ways you can be part of what we're doing via www.MusicVenueTrust.com
I've been in Leeds the last few days and having a nice yap with a barista in the north really makes all the London Prets seem miserable in comparison
February 23, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I've been in Leeds the last few days and having a nice yap with a barista in the north really makes all the London Prets seem miserable in comparison
Here's my face. I messed around with some different makeup and felt cute today. Happy scrolling.
February 21, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Here's my face. I messed around with some different makeup and felt cute today. Happy scrolling.
Reposted by Emma Wilkes
Do you ever wonder what you’d be like if you didn’t love music?
The friends you wouldn’t have met. The moral compass you might not have picked up. The clothes you’d be wearing or the haircuts you’ve experimented with. The money you’d have spent differently on holidays instead of festival tickets.
The friends you wouldn’t have met. The moral compass you might not have picked up. The clothes you’d be wearing or the haircuts you’ve experimented with. The money you’d have spent differently on holidays instead of festival tickets.
February 14, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Do you ever wonder what you’d be like if you didn’t love music?
The friends you wouldn’t have met. The moral compass you might not have picked up. The clothes you’d be wearing or the haircuts you’ve experimented with. The money you’d have spent differently on holidays instead of festival tickets.
The friends you wouldn’t have met. The moral compass you might not have picked up. The clothes you’d be wearing or the haircuts you’ve experimented with. The money you’d have spent differently on holidays instead of festival tickets.
LETLIVE LETLIVE LETLIVE I'M VERY OVEREXCITED
February 12, 2025 at 6:12 PM
LETLIVE LETLIVE LETLIVE I'M VERY OVEREXCITED
I can't make Scowl's London show on the tour they just announced as I'm taking my dad to a country gig that day as a birthday present. I think that's possibly the funniest reason I've not been able to make it to a gig before😅
February 11, 2025 at 10:49 AM
I can't make Scowl's London show on the tour they just announced as I'm taking my dad to a country gig that day as a birthday present. I think that's possibly the funniest reason I've not been able to make it to a gig before😅
I wrote about the importance of Boom to heavy music in Leeds in early 2024. Less than a year later I was on shift when news of their current location's closure broke. The good news is they've found a new home and are crowdfunding to secure it. Donate if you can!
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-boom-...
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-boom-...
Help Boom Leeds move locations!
We’re thrilled to be finalising a new location for our community venue expansion but need to raise more funds to make it happen!
www.crowdfunder.co.uk
January 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I wrote about the importance of Boom to heavy music in Leeds in early 2024. Less than a year later I was on shift when news of their current location's closure broke. The good news is they've found a new home and are crowdfunding to secure it. Donate if you can!
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-boom-...
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-boom-...
I don't mind winter really but I do dislike how it's too cold to wear most of my cute outfits (and fishnets) and I don't think I slay quite as hard drowning in a coat 😅
January 26, 2025 at 6:19 PM
I don't mind winter really but I do dislike how it's too cold to wear most of my cute outfits (and fishnets) and I don't think I slay quite as hard drowning in a coat 😅