THE FRETWIRE

THE INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the second edition of The Fretwire.

Your laid-back roundup of what’s new, what’s making waves, and what’s worth turning up. No hype, no fuzz - just the latest gear, tour news, and music talk that actually matters.

Gear, tours and talk - without the noise.

Let’s jump straight in with this month’s Gear Drop.

THE GEAR DROP

Standout launches and announcements from the last month

Fender Khruangbin Collection: Strat & Jazz Bass

To celebrate a decade since The Universe Smiles Upon You, Fender has teamed up with Khruangbin for a rare dual signature release - a Mark Speer Stratocaster and Laura Lee Jazz Bass, launched together on 10 June. It’s the first time Fender has simultaneously honoured two members of the same band with separate signature models.

The Speer Stratocaster pairs custom-voiced pickups with a roasted maple neck and a natural ash body finished in a clear gloss, showing off the wood grain beneath minimalist white hardware. Meanwhile, the Laura Lee Jazz Bass features a vintage white gloss finish with simple chrome hardware and stacked control knobs, designed for clarity and visual simplicity on stage.

The Strat is priced at £1,399, while the Jazz Bass comes in slightly higher at £1,449. Both are limited in number but fully gig-ready - perfect for players who admire Khruangbin’s genre-blurring sound.

Read more and buy at - Fender.com 

Taylor Legacy 914ce - A Refined Return to Form

Taylor has reissued the 914ce as part of its Legacy Collection, blending vintage tonewood choices with modern build precision. Just released in mid-June, the new model features an Engelmann spruce top paired with Indian rosewood back and sides - a combination known for its warmth, depth and balance.

Appointed with classic Cindy inlays, a Venetian cutaway, and Taylor’s own ES2 electronics, this Grand Auditorium is designed for both the stage and the studio. It also revives Taylor’s traditional X-bracing, offering a more natural top response than the brand’s newer V-Class system.

At £4,999, it’s firmly in the premium bracket - but for serious players chasing rich, expressive tone with high-end craftsmanship, this one delivers in full.

Read more at - TaylorGuitars.com

Buy one from - Thomann

Squier Classic Vibe 2025: Vintage Vibe, Modern Edge

Squier’s Classic Vibe series gets a major refresh for 2025, with new models announced in June and shipping expected from August. The update includes hardtail Stratocasters in ’50s and ’70s styles, Bigsby-loaded Telecasters with SH pickup layouts, and vibrant new Jazzmasters - including a standout Tahitian Coral finish.

Also joining the lineup are reissued Duo-Sonics and a range of basses, including a five-string Jazz with block inlays and a modernised Telecaster Bass. It’s a broad drop that blends classic Fender styling with updated features for players who like their vintage with a twist.

It’s a confident refresh that keeps the spirit of the originals while pushing things forward.

Explore the full range at - Fender.com

KRK Kreate Series: Studio Monitors for the Modern Creator

Launched in late June, KRK’s Kreate Series offers affordable, Bluetooth-enabled studio monitors tailored for podcasters, producers, and content creators. Available in three sizes (3", 5” and 8"), with boundary EQ and a clean and minimal design, they aim to balance convenience with reliable sound across a range of creative setups. The rear panel includes RCA and balanced TRS inputs, making them flexible for both home and project studios. Prices start at £139.50 for the 3" model.

All the info at - KRK Systems
Available now from - Gear4music

THE VOCAL TRACK

Interviews, podcasts, and featured conversations

Tony Iommi Reflects on Sabbath’s Farewell Finale

In an interview with the Financial Times, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi discusses the band’s upcoming one-off show at Villa Park - a symbolic farewell taking place just a few miles from where the band formed in late-’60s Birmingham. He talks candidly about the decision to regroup the original lineup, the physical realities of performance at this stage in life, and the emotional weight of bringing it all back home.

Iommi also reflects on the accident that shaped his playing style, the evolution of his relationship with Ozzy Osbourne, and the long shadow Sabbath has cast over heavy music for more than five decades. Though there’s no suggestion of new material, the tone is one of gratitude, pride, and finality. After years of reinvention, reunions, and health struggles, this show feels like a closing chapter - not just for the band, but for an era of music they helped define.

Read the full interview - Financial Times (28 June)

Yungblud Launches Idols with Grit and Ambition

Yungblud’s new double-album project Idols began its rollout on 20 June with the release of Part One - a raw, unfiltered collection recorded in Leeds and centred on themes of identity, self-destruction, and creative rebirth. It’s his most direct work to date, leaning further into alt-rock than radio polish.

In press appearances and fan Q&As, Yungblud has described Idols as “a love letter to life in all its fucking madness,” pointing to a newfound clarity in both lyrics and production. The material feels instinctive rather than engineered - the sound of an artist stepping out from behind the noise and letting the songs lead.

Listen on Spotify

Lorde Returns with Virgin - A Stark, Synth-Led Reset

Lorde’s fourth studio album Virgin arrived on 27 June, following a surprise live debut at Glastonbury just days earlier. It marks a sharp pivot from the acoustic warmth of Solar Power, embracing minimal synth textures, gospel-inspired vocal layers, and an undercurrent of emotional unease.

Produced with Jim‑E Stack and Dev Hynes - known for his solo work as Blood Orange - the album is lyrically sparse but thematically rich, exploring disillusionment, femininity, and what Lorde has described as “the performance of truth.” There’s a sense of restraint in the production that feels intentional, drawing attention to what’s not said as much as what is.

Listen on Spotify

The End of The Leadmill - Irreplaceable Venue Closes After Four Decades

In late June, Sheffield’s iconic venue The Leadmill closed its doors after more than 40 years at the centre of the UK live scene. Known for championing emerging artists and hosting some of the most memorable gigs in northern music history, it went out the way it should - full rooms, loud crowds, and a line-up that honoured its spirit.

I caught King Creosote there just days before the final curtain. You could feel it - people taking it in, remembering, knowing they wouldn’t be back. The place already felt like it was winding down. The fridges behind the bar were half-full, and even the venues iconic neon sign was left unlit. Still, the show delivered - same atmosphere, same energy, as if nothing had changed.

The Leadmill’s legacy isn’t just about who played there, but what it meant to the community as a whole and people who kept coming back. Sheffield will forever feel its absence.

PMT Shuts Its Doors - A Major Blow to UK Music Retail

On 11 June, UK music retailer PMT (Play Music Today) entered administration, leading to the immediate closure of all 11 stores and the loss of nearly 100 jobs. Known as one of the country’s most recognisable gear outlets, PMT was more than just a chain - for many musicians, including this writer, it was where you plugged in your first guitar, tested a new pedal, or got actual advice from someone who played.

Some assets and stock were picked up by companies like Gear4Music and Fair Deal Music, and some jobs were salvaged in the process, but the broader loss is hard to ignore - another trusted high-street name gone, and a reminder that even long-standing music institutions aren’t immune to the pressures facing retail in 2025.

PODCAST PICK

The Jump with Shirley Manson: Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know

In this standout episode of The Jump, hosted by Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson, Alanis Morissette reflects on how writing “You Oughta Know” empowered her to channel frustration, vulnerability, and defiance at a critical turning point in her career. The Jump explores the defining tracks that shaped the artist’s lives - how they came together, why they mattered, and what changed in their aftermath. Morissette's openness in unpacking her creative process makes it essential listening for anyone interested in songwriting as catharsis.

Listen to the full series at Apple Podcasts

THE LIVE WIRE

The latest tour announcements and upcoming shows

Feature: Oasis Reunion Tour

It had to be mentioned
After nearly 16 years, Oasis have reunited for a global tour, kicking off 4 July in Cardiff before hitting Manchester, Glasgow, and more. The run marks a full-circle moment - not just for the band, but for a generation. Supporting acts include Cast and Richard Ashcroft, reuniting a slice of the 90s Britpop landscape that once dominated UK airwaves.

UK tickets sold out within hours, and Cardiff alone will host close to 150,000 fans across the opening weekend. With a Morning Glory anniversary reissue and documentary on the way, it’s more than a tour - it’s a cultural reset for one of the UK’s most storied bands.

Originally announced as 17 shows; demand led to three further dates being added to total seven at Wembley alone.

• Cardiff Principality Stadium - 4-5 July

• Manchester Heaton Park - 11-12, 19-20 July

• London Wembley Stadium - 25-26, 30 July. 2-3 August

• Edinburgh Murrayfield Stadium - 8-9 August

• Dublin Croke Park - 16-17 August

Quickfire: New & Upcoming Tours

• Wet Leg - UK & Ireland headline tour announced for November 2025, opening at the Royal Albert Hall on 13 November and wrapping up in Belfast on the 27th

  • Ticketmaster

• Lewis Capaldi - Only UK & Ireland shows of 2025 confirmed, begins in Sheffield on 7 September and ends in Dublin on the 29th, with Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and more on the bill

  • Ticketmaster

• Turnstile - Following a standout Glastonbury set, they bring their Never Enough show to Glasgow’s O2 Academy on 2 November

  • Ticketmaster

• Alex G - Extends his Headlights tour across Europe and the UK, with support from Nilüfer Yanya

  • Ticketmaster

• Addison Rae - Announces debut world tour - The Addison Tour, with UK dates in Dublin (26 August), Manchester (28 August), and London (30-31 August)

  • Gigsandtours

THE DEEP CUTS

Unexpected finds and sonic oddities

Hotline TNT – Raspberry Moon

If 2022’s Cartwheel felt like one man’s lo-fi vision, Raspberry Moon marks a major shift for Hotline TNT - released 20 June 2025, it’s the band’s first full-length album recorded live as a group. Frontman Will Anderson is joined by Lucky Hunter, Haylen Trammel, and Mike Ralston, with producer Amos Pitsch acting as an unofficial fifth member, helping expand the sound without smoothing out the edges.

The result is fuzz-fronted power pop with a sharper bite - songs like “Julia’s War” and “Break Right” cut through with confidence, blending shoegaze haze with clear hooks and prominent vocals. The album’s strength lies in its balance: textured but direct, emotionally raw yet composed. It’s a record that wears its catharsis proudly, but never gets lost in the noise.

Read the detailed review at Pitchfork

Listen at YouTube Music

L’Eclair - Cloud Drifter

Swiss collective L’Eclair returned in June with Cloud Drifter, a laid-back yet richly textured release that blurs the edges of funk, ambient jazz, psychedelic disco and balearic grooves. It’s their first album to feature outside collaborators, with guest appearances from INES, Pink Siifu, and Gelli Haha bringing new textures into the mix.

Rather than reinvent their sound, Cloud Drifter expands it - favouring gentle repetition, analogue warmth, and subtle shifts in rhythm that reveal themselves over time. Highlights like “Nova Umbra” and “Run” stretch out comfortably, evoking 1970s cosmic jams but with a modern, quietly experimental flair. It’s groove-first music with patience and depth - ideal for immersive listening.

More at Bandcamp Daily

Unusual Performance: Los Fuckin Surfer Smokers at Glastonbury

This Colombian surf-cumbia ensemble made waves at Glastonbury’s Hive stage in late June, delivering a feverish mix of psychedelic surf rock and tropical rhythms. Their debut set - among only a few dozen in attendance - felt like a mesmerising underworld dance session, entirely out of place yet entirely unforgettable.

Reviewed by The Guardian (30 June)

Stream on Spotify

THE ENCORE

Deep dives and top-shelf picks personally selected by the editor

Editor’s Pick: King Creosote - I DES (2023)

Kenny Anderson’s I DES is a record that doesn’t shout - it lingers. Between memory and reckoning, it blends ambient textures, accordion swells, and sparse Scottish folk into something weathered, honest, and wholly his own.

It’s an album that rewards close listening - not for narrative clarity, but for emotional pull. Blue Marbled Elm Trees drifts beneath a cloud of emotional weight, its layered melancholy slowly unfolding, while It’s Sin That’s Got Hold Upon Us is stark and reflective, wrestling with guilt, dependency, and the burden of being human.

If last month's pick, John Martyn’s Solid Air, was the late-night fireside moment, I DES is the morning after - fog still low, a moment of reflection before the day begins again.

Listen now on - Spotify

THE SIGNOFF

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We’ll be back next month with more gear, tours, and talk.
Until then - stay wired.