After a (fairly) lengthy and unintentional hiatus, Lina is back with a BRAND NEW episode of Creative License. This episode features blues/folk musician Sheffy, who released his debut EP ‘Fix It In The Mix’ earlier this summer, which took inspiration from both Oasis and Johnny Cash alike.

His solo career’s not the only musical venture for him - he’s also part of seven-piece jazz-funk-indie group The Grove (with his BROTHER being the drummer of the band), and indie rock trio BARN. Most people might not know he’s also an RE secondary school teacher by day, and...his Dad’s a vicar. Much to unpack here.

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In a sporadic style switch up - Lina takes a deep dive into Linkin Park’s new album ‘From Zero’ with music journalist Emma Wilkes, who’s had bylines in the likes of DIY, Kerrang, and NME just to name a few.

The album has been a hot topic since it was announced that Dead Sara’s former singer Emily Armstrong would be joining Linkin Park. After the passing of iconic frontman Chester Bennington in 2017, and the subsequent departure of longtime drummer Rob Bourdon, many fans thought this marked the end. They were wrong.

Does ‘From Zero’ signal a new beginning for Linkin Park?

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For the grand tenth episode of Creative License, I sit down for a chat with none other than killer grunge duo Fräulein.

Since forming in 2021, Fraulein have released a string of luscious, angsty tunes, with 2023 EP Pedestal blasting the duo onto the music scene. 2023 saw the duo embarking on a tour supporting Big Joanie across Europe last October, and an explosive UK tour promoting the release of their EP Pedestal!

Somehow managing to balance angst with fragility and emotional candidness, the pair have reached stunning new heights with Their latest effort, mini-album Sink or Swim, feels like their most assertive body of work yet, filled with the experimental time signatures, chunky riffs, and lyrical vulnerability we have become so familiar with. With an array of critical acclaim and support from major platforms like Rolling Stone and Clash, Fraulein’s progression is in full swing. Celebrating the release of Sink or Swim, the band are playing a number of shows this summer across the UK and Europe, headlining and supporting The Kills.

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Lizzie Esau is a single-handed alt rock powerhouse from Newcastle. Taking inspiration from big names like Wolf Alice, Radiohead, and Beabadoobee among a few, Lizzie has established a sound over the last couple of years as distinctively dynamic, vibrant, and filled with heart.

In recent years, Lizzie has cemented herself as one to watch, having supported the likes of Baby Queen, The Amazons, and Upsahl. She’s taken the stage at festivals like BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Boardmasters, and many more. Earlier this year, Lizzie supported indie-rock trio Swim School on their headline UK tour!

In this episode, Lizzie and I chat about her latest release 'Wait Too Late', upcoming music, and studio shenanigans!

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Space rock quintet junodream released their debut album Pools of Colour back in January - and the record has since amassed over a million streams already, as of last month. This release only cemented junodream’s place as one of the current big names in the world of modern dream rock. The band commemorated the release of Pools of Colour with a sold-out show at London’s Village Underground at the end of February, as part of their UK and Ireland tour. In this episode, guitarists (and co-producers of Pools of Colour) Tom and Dougal join me to chat about the making of their latest album, their biggest inspirations, and mutual fangirling over Grian Chatten.

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In Episode Seven, I chat with upcoming BBC-Introducing band Year of the Dog about their highlights from 2023, the writing process behind their latest single ‘Tigers in the Living Room’, and what to expect from their upcoming album!

Year of the Dog are a six-piece brasshouse soul band from Bristol and Cardiff. The group formed at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2018, and they’ve been spreading their gospel of dance-inspiring tunes ever since - taking the big stages at festivals such as Kendal Calling and Cardiff Pride, among many. The band gained notoriety through featuring in season 1 of Netflix’s Sex Education, in which they debuted their suave-oozing single, Run These Streets. Most recently, the group played the Rugby World Cup final in Paris!

The band is fronted by Felix Lindsell Hales on vocals and guitar, Olly Jenkins on saxophone, Gareth Thomas on trumpet, Peter Richards on bass trombone, Jacob Prescott on bass, and James Sherwood on drums.

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In Episode Six, I chat to singer-songwriter Ellie Dixon about what she has learnt in the last few years since her career has skyrocketed, and the challenges of having your actual name as the face of your brand. Ellie also opens up about mental health struggles and provides some self-help strategies she has found useful.

We also delve into Ellie's experiences of playing with a live band for the first time at uni, losing her in-ears at the Celtics v Rangers game and wearing Airpods whilst performing to 60,000 people, and the impact of hate comments.

Ellie Dixon is an alt-pop singer-songwriter from Cambridgeshire, known for her unconventional DIY production and use of household items in her instrumentation. She’s been writing and producing music since she was 13, and after leaving school, continued to play gigs while studying Maths at the University of Warwick, where we met!

Throughout the pandemic, as live music ground to a halt, Ellie took to social media to nurture an already fast-growing fanbase. She rapidly garnered a huge following on TikTok, and to date she has amassed 1.2 million followers and 14 million likes on the platform. Ellie has put out a couple of EPs during her career so far, but it was Crikey It’s My Psyche, released in May 2021, that catapulted her into stardom, with hit single Green Grass now standing at six million streams on Spotify. In mid 2022, Ellie signed to major label Decca Records, announcing the achievement with a video of her running through King's Cross in a giant space suit to celebrate. Her latest EP, In Case of Emergency, was released last year, with the hit single Swing a witty analogy for batting away negativity on the internet and learning how to deal with toxic situations.

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In Episode Five, I chat to singer-songwriter Jasmine Thakral about all things writing, balancing studying a Computer Science Master's course with making new music, and where she gets her inspiration. We touch on what it was like to work with Fickle Friends on the catchy tune Vampire, and delve into the poeticism of Taylor Swift’s writing.

Jasmine Thakral is a singer-songwriter hailing from England’s south coast, who describes her music as “dreamy sad girl indie pop”. Jasmine has enjoyed airplay on BBC Music Introducing Sussex and Surrey, and has gained recognition from major publications like Rolling Stone India!

Her latest single ‘Vampire’, released last summer, is about meeting people who drain all your energy. It’s a certified bop, with an insanely catchy hook and sparkly production which feels refreshing to the genre.

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