Welcome to the last Uncut of 2025. But as we bid farewell to the old year, a new one beckons – in this instance, our annual preview showcasing many of the sure-to-be highlights of the next 12 months. You’ll find a slew of interviews with the likes of Courtney Barnett, Bill Callahan, Altın Gün, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, The Lemon Twigs’ Brian D’Addario, White Denim’s James Petralli, Buck Meek, Buzzcocks’ Steve Diggle, The Delines’ Willy Vlautin and more, There are also reports on fresh stirrings from the Stones, Stevie Nicks, The Cure and Alabama Shakes. All of which, I hope, whets your appetite for new music in 2026.
This month’s debuting cover stars, The Damned, who next year celebrate their 50th anniversary. For our cover story, the band revisit their formative years – an opportunity for some quality larks, of course, but it’s also a warm tale of enduring camaraderie and a testament to the vision of their fallen co-founder, guitarist and songwriter Brian James. There’s plenty more inside, of course – from Laura Nyro to Dry Cleaning, Dionne Warwick to James, The Byrds to the Arctic Monkeys.
The Fat Angel Sings 
