Introducing sam burton, the la scene’s tarot-reading rhinestone cowboy

Away from his day job as The National’s lugubrious frontman, MATT BERNINGER has reached back into his Ohio upbringing for a ruminative new solo record. But behind the childhood tales of gang fights, drowned train cars and Christmas tree farms lurks midlife melancholy. “I’m writing about trying to understand my own fear,” he tells Laura Barton

The Dead Daisies Lookin’ For Trouble SPV ...

A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most

From his idols Papa Roach to protest singer Tracy Chapman, these are the songs that influenced Bury Tomorrow’s vocalist

From Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests to extended residencies at Las Vegas’s hi-tech phenomenon the Sphere – and, soon, the storied stage of the Royal Albert Hall – it’s been a long, strange trip for BOBBY WEIR . But the guardian of the GRATEFUL DEAD ’ s legacy still has further to go. “Am I still on the bus now? Yeah, I am,” he tells Nick Hasted

When sudden tragedy struck, NATALIE BERGMAN found solace in the New Mexico desert. Shedding indie rock for psychedelic gospel-soul, music played a big part in her healing – while her latest album finds fresh hope in new life. “People form bands because we’re lost,” she tells Kevin EG Perry. “We’re like: ‘Hello, we’re looking for our home here on Earth.’”