James Hickie

Contributions

The Used's self-titled debut at 20: an oral history

This week marks 20 years since the release of the Used’s self-titled debut album. To celebrate, singer Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, producer John Feldmann, and other key players tell the story of the emotional opus that inspired a generation of fans and bands.

“I’ve always thought of us as underdogs”: the oral history of Coheed And Cambria

Vaxis II: A Window Of The Waking Mind arrives June 24. To coincide with the release, this is the oral history of Coheed And Cambria.

Every Angels & Airwaves album ranked

Remember when Tom DeLonge started shouting about UFOs and no one took him seriously? Remember later, when the U.S. Navy confirmed the mysterious objects appearing in the footage DeLonge helped get released were, in fact, UFOs? People weren’t laughing then. And for further evidence of him being vindicated in his conviction, you need only look […]

Ghost: “We’re not a nostalgia band; I refuse to be there yet”

TOBIAS FORGE IS CONCERNED. It’s Valentine’s Day in Pittsburgh, where Ghost are halfway through their co-headline tour with Volbeat, but the only love the Swedish mastermind is pining for is that of the listening public, who he fears are about to be overwhelmed by a deluge of music. “We’re facing an insane tsunami of bands,” […]

From Marvel to the main stage: get to know Nick Phoenix

***This article contains sponsored content*** You may not know the name Nick Phoenix. You almost definitely won’t recognize the face of the goateed man. Put the words “Heart Of Courage” into any streaming service, however, and the epic orchestral swell you’re greeted with will transport you to all manner of film trailers and sporting events […]

9 bands commonly mistaken as emo who really aren’t

Emo is hard to define for many reasons, including its vague characteristics and the fact that many of the most famous bands commonly thought of as being emo try to distance themselves from the tag. As a result, there are countless acts that find themselves erroneously labeled as being part of the misunderstood subgenre. There […]

“People like listening to me being horribly in pain”: the oral history of Korn

Jonathan Davis is bathed in blood red. Thankfully, it’s merely the lighting in his home office, where he keeps suitably vampiric hours, surrounded by a treasure trove of Korn memorabilia that confirms his status as his band’s most ardent fan. “I am,” the 51-year-old agrees with a laugh, as he runs AP through some of […]

What does emo really mean? The story of the genre in 11 songs

Has any word been more misappropriated than emo? It’s been used to describe everything from people to events to films to clothing, but when it comes to encapsulating the specific music that inspired the name, no one can agree what actually constitutes it. So what actually is emo?  Read more: Are the 2000s back? How […]

'Reinventing Axl Rose' at 20: Laura Jane Grace reflects on Against Me!'s legacy

Laura Jane Grace wants to show AP her new studio, so she turns the webcam to her right so as to provide a glancing, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tour. Located on the south side of St. Louis, the space used to belong to Jay Farrar, a member of local rock stalwarts Son Volt, meaning that many of the […]
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