Victoria Ruck

The Indiependent • 27th April 2023

Track Review: Birdman // Moby Dickless

The three-person Manchester band Moby Dickless have once again added another feather to the cap (pardon the pun) that is their already rich musical repertoire with their first single of the year. If you haven’t previously taken flight with these storytellers and song makers, then indulge yourself with ‘Birdman,’ an experimental track that tells a tale of obsession through a man who houses fifty birds to the point where it kills him.

The track opens with rolling drums, creating a captivating, hy

The Indiependent • 3rd April 2023

An Ode to The Leadmill- How Sheffield Could Lose One of its Most Loved Venues

If you catch a train to Sheffield and walk two minutes up the road to The Leadmill, you’ll find an extensive temple to the age-old music culture that has echoed throughout its walls. The Leadmill Archives, currently showing on a weekly basis, are a heartfelt tribute to the rich history of one of the nation’s most loved venues, showing old signed gig set lists, posters and merchandise.

This prolific past dates back to 1980, when the Leadmill first opened as a Community Centre in the former flour

The Indiependent • 17th March 2023

Travelling To: Seville, Spain

At the end of 2022, I was lucky enough to live in beautiful Seville for the first part of my year abroad, where I got to experience the best of quintessential Spanish culture.

A historical, yet bustling city, Seville is sure to have something for everyone, whether you’re into vibrant nightlife or the cultural side of things.

I stayed in an apartment in the Nervión district which was a fifteen-minute Metro ride from the city centre, which let me see both the tourist and the local (or a slightly

Now Then • 19th January 2023

Moby Dickless - "Our songs are all based on stories"

We asked the Manchester-based post-punk-jazz three piece about who they are, what we can see inside their sound – and what to expect from them in 2023.

Now Then • 18th November 2022

Aftersun: A nostalgic, heart-breaking look at childhood memories

Charlotte Wells’ seemingly light-hearted holiday film poignantly deals with the topics of maturing and a bound-to-crumble father-daughter relationship.

Palatinate • 9th November 2022

Album Review: ‘The Car’

Four years after the release of Tranquility Base & Hotel Casino, Arctic Monkeys are back with the release of their latest album. Nostalgic and sentimental, The Car is a vulnerable love letter to the fans, waving goodbye to their old styles with a James Bond-esque mystique accompanied by hints of The Last Shadow Puppets. This album is certainly one which looks ahead into Arctic Monkeys’ new artistic direction, as a more refined, soft rock collection of songs, yet features a key theme of insecurit

Now Then • 8th November 2022

Paid by Cash - "The aim is not so much to sound good as it is to sound different"

We asked emerging West Yorkshire band Paid by Cash about their music, what's in the works and what they do outside of making tunes.

Now Then • 19th October 2022

Accidental Death of an Anarchist’s hard-hitting messages remain relevant 50 years on

A display of delightful insanity by Daniel Rigby as the Maniac, combined with simple but impactful lighting and set design, makes for a powerful reboot of the 20th-century classic.

The Indiependent • 27th September 2022

‘Dogtooth’ Is A Harrowing Commentary on Intense Familial Roles: Review

Although released in 2009, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth has found its way back as a talking point of film lovers everywhere after its recent arrival as a feature on MUBI. A Greek thriller centred on an overly controlling family who have ostracised their adult children from the world, this film will leave you feeling unnerved, but in the best way possible.

Dogtooth instantly establishes a disturbing atmosphere with its opening, which offers no context as to the situation of the characters, merely

Now Then • 26th August 2022

Opus Kink - 'Til The Stream Runs Dry

Opus Kink’s new EP 'Til The Stream Runs Dry launches with a lush instrumental lift-off, ‘Into The Stream,’ building tension for the true sonic adventure that we are about to experience. It then bursts into ‘I Love You, Baby’, which opens with upbeat and rocky guitar rhythms, leading into growling IDLES-esque vocals with swooning jazz moments. The meandering brass and rich chaos establish an untamed feel, which is maintained throughout the EP.

‘Dog Stay Down’ hosts a cacophony of hushed vocals b